Biomonitoring of zinc and manganese in bark of Turkish red pine of western Anatolia

Abstract

Turkish red pine (Pinus brutia) is a widespread evergreen tree in Mediterranean and Aegean regions of Turkey. The barks of Pinus brutia were tested as a possible biomonitor of Zn and Mn accumulation studied in Western Anatolia, Turkey. Samples collected from industry, roadside, suburban and rural areas from thirty locations in the study area were investigated. The concentration of zinc and manganese were determined in the bark of the red pine by atomic absorption spectrometry. As a result of this study, the following mean concentrations were determined: for Zn between min 8.4 and max 14.1 µg g-1, and for Mn between min 19.1 and max 24.0 µg g-1. It was found that there is no affect of location on the element concentration of both Mn and Zn.