Investigation Potential Biomonitors of Some Elements (Zn, Cr, Cd, Pb, Ni, Fe, Cu) Verbascum insulare Boiss. and Heldr. (Scrophulariaceae) from East Anatolia Turkey
M. Şengul Köseoğlu *
Departments of Biology, Faculty of Science, Atatürk University, 25240 Yakutiye Erzurum, Turkey.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
In this study, heavy metals such as Zn, Cr, Cd, Pb, Ni, Fe and Cu were investigated in Verbascum insulare Boiss. & Heldr. (Scrophulariaceae) as well as in soil grown by using ICP-OES. The aim of this study was to examine the potential of biomonitors for heavy metal polluted areas. The plant and soil samples were collected from their natural habitat at different locations in 2017. In the whole plant, Cr among all heavy metals was found to be at the highest level of 140,55 mg/kg, followed by Pb 63,70 mg/kg and Fe 57,30 mg/kg, while the other metals were at low concentration in V. insulare Boiss. & Heldr. The obtained data were compared with the respective values recommended by the polish standards. Our findings were tested with one-way ANOVA Duncan tests for high significance levels of P<0.01. We found the plants to be reliable biomonitors for remediation methods. The present study showed that heavy metals such as Zn, Cr, Cd, Pb, Ni, Fe and Cu were found in the three locations, and the overall levels of metals were in the order of Aşkale (L3) > Çat (L2) > Palandöken Mountain (L1). V. insulare might be suitable for remediation of Cr-, Pb- and Fe-contaminated soils. This plant can be used as a bioindicator and a biomonitor for polluted heavy metals.
Keywords: Endoploidy, Verbascum, Endoploidy in Scrophu-lariaceae, heavy metals, biomonitors, toxicity, Turkey, Erzurum.