Determining Heavy Metal Contents of Hollyhock (Alcea Rosea L.) in Roadside Soils of a Turkish Lake Basin

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the heavy metal contents of hollyhock (Alcea rosea L.) in roadside soils of Van Lake Basin. The leaf samples of the hollyhock were taken from the roadside areas affected by heavy metal pollution due to intensive motorized traffic and from areas 30 m from the roadside by taking into account prevailing wind direction in 10 different locations. There were only significant differences for Mn, Cu, and Zn contents of leaves according to the sampling locations. The mean Fe (383.3 mg kg(-1)), Mn (50.2 mg kg(-1)), Cu (19.2 mg kg(-1)), Zn (23.9 mg kg(-1)), Cd (17.9 mg kg(-1)), Cr (5.1 mg kg(-1)), Ni (3.2 mg kg(-1)), and Pb (3.2 mg kg(-1)) contents of leaves sampled from roadside areas were significantly higher than mean heavy metal contents of leaves sampled from the areas 30 m from the roadside. The increasing ratios in mean heavy metal contents of leaves were ordered as Cd (309.3%) > Cr (248.9%) > Ni (130.6%) > Fe (75.9%) > Pb (64.3%) > Mn (40.6%) > Cu (26.1%) > Zn (22.7%). High heavy metal uptake by the plants grown near the roadside occurred due to pollution by intensive motorized traffic.