PJB-2022-147
Evaluation of environmental pollution caused by the Black Sea coastal highway using chemical analysis of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles as bioindicator in Surmene Camburnu Nature Park, Turkey
Ufuk Fatih Kucukali
Abstract
Black Sea coastal highway is one of the busiest roads in the north of Turkey. With this study, it has been determined that sulfur dioxide (SO2) originating from the Black Sea coastal highway causes multifaceted environmental problems including degradation of habitat and natural landscape on the flora of Sürmene Çamburnu Nature Park. Pollution concentrations of lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) were obtained by chemical analyzes of Scots pine (P. sylvestris L.) needles collected from sampling points in 2019, 2020 and 2021. When P. sylvestris L. needles, which is an important bioindicator in monitoring these environmental degradations and one of the natural plant species of the area, were examined in the laboratory, it was determined that the Pb and Cu values were above the limit values of World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but the Zn value was within the limit values. These results indicate that Pb and Cu values, which are above the limit values, tend to decrease towards the upper limit values, especially in 2019 and 2020, as a result of the decrease in vehicle traffic on the highway due to the Covid 19 pandemic. However, it was determined that Cu, Pb, and Zn values started to increase in 2021 due to the increase in vehicle density due to the post pandemic time
To Cite this article:
Kucukali, U.F. 2023. Evaluation of environmental pollution caused by the Black Sea coastal highway using chemical analysis of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles as bioindicator in Surmene Camburnu Nature Park, Turkey. Pak. J. Bot., 55(6): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2023-6(38)
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