Deposition of Heavy Metals on Coniferous Tree Leaves and Soils Near Heavy Urban Traffic

In this study, the heavy metal pollution and its accumulation effects in soil is the major cause. The magnitude and dis-tribution of heavy metal pollution in Istanbul has been investigated by taking soil and plant samples from urban intersections and refuges defined as passive green areas in Ataşehir, Beykoz, Kadıköy, Kartal, Maltepe and Pendik, Sancaktepe, Sul-tanbeyli, Ümraniye and Üsküdar districts of Anatolian Side of Istanbul Province. Within this scope, 205 leaf samples (3 needle-leaved) and 170 soil samples were collected from 2 different depths (0-20 cm and 40 cm) and samples taked from 17 different passively green area locations. Concentrations of heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn), which cause pollution in the samples were measured using the ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometer) instrument. The average Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn levels for 0-20 cm depth in soil samples were; 6.03, 55.72, 38.01, 48.59, 32.69, 90.30 mg kg-1. For 20-40 cm deep soils, mean values were determined as 6.10, 55.66, 35.11, 49.75, 33.51, 83.85 mg kg-1, respectively. Results show us more than one point samples in different depths and locations exceeded excepting limit values almost every heavy metal.