Biomonitoring and Source Identification of Potentially Toxic Metals in Different Plant Species in Mountain Ulus, Turkey

Abstract

This study investigated the Cd, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn levels in Mt. Ulus plants, analysed their distribution characteristics and determined their origin using Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) modelling. Using the multi-point sampling method, 28 plants were sampled from Mt. Ulus at altitudes ranging from 275 m to 1598 m. The following are sequences of metal concentrations with their mean values and standard errors, all measured in mg/kg by ICP-OES: Fe (380.1 +/- 7.374) > Mn (141.8 +/- 4.014) > Zn (33.59 +/- 1.622) > Ni (2.299 +/- 0.032) > Pb (1.489 +/- 0.031) > Cd (0.205 +/- 0.01). According to ANOVA analysis, there was no significant difference in the metal content of plant samples between woody and herbaceous stems. Additionally, no statistically significant difference was found according to altitude, except for Ni. The PMF model results indicate that human activities are the main cause of potentially toxic metal accumulations. Analyses, especially regarding Cd and Ni values, have shown that mining activities in the region play an important role in potentially toxic metal accumulation.