Changes in Some Heavy Metal Concentratıons Due to Organ and Traffic Density in Tilia tomentosa

Abstract

The level of pollution has reached the dimensions that threaten human health, with the rapid urbanization and the increase of energy consumption especially in developing countries. Every year in the world, millions of people lose their lives because of air pollution. Heavy metals have a separate precaution in pollutants, especially in terms of human health, because they can remain intact in nature for long periods of time, they tend to bioaccumulate and some are toxic or carcinogenic even at low concentrations. Therefore, monitoring of heavy metal pollution and determination of risky areas is very important. Biomonitors are the most commonly used methods for monitoring heavy metal pollution. However, determining which organelles are more suitable for monitoring the metal is essential in order to ensure that the monitoring is reliable. In this study, it was aimed to determine the variations of the concentration of Ba, Na, Al, B, Ca, Fe, K, Mg and Mn elements depending on the traffic density in leaves, seeds and branches of Tilia tomentosa which are grown in areas with heavy, low dense and non traffic areas. As a result of the study, it was determined that the heavy metal concentrations in leaves and seeds except Fe were increased due to traffic density. This situation can cause serious problems for human health, especially since the leaves and seeds of linden individuals grown in traffic-intensive areas are consumed as tea.