METAL BIOACCUMULATION BY BARLEY IN MESAORIA PLAIN ALONGSIDE THE NICOSIA-FAMAGUSTA HIGHWAY, NORTHERN CYPRUS

WOS: 000272582500007Mesaoria plain is mainly used for agricultural purposes and contains 50 % of the barley fields in Northern Cyprus. The construction of a highway from Nicosia to Famagusta that passes through the plain has resulted in an increasing number of vehicles from 1997 to 2006, the majority of which run on leaded gasoline. Barley is cultivated on a large scale along the Nicosia-Famagusta highway, and was tested as a possible biomonitor for heavy metals. During the vegetative period, samples of barley plants and soil were collected at 4 distances (0, 50, 100 and 500 m) from the highway, at 4 sites, from January to April 2006. The highest concentrations of Pb++ (2.82 mu g g(-1)), Cd++ (1.52 mu g g(-1)), Cr++ (2.86 mu g g(-1)), Zn++ (51.8 mu g g(-1)) and Cu++ (19.8 mu g g(-1)) were recorded in soil collected beneath the highway, and the lowest in samples collected at 500 m from the highway, for Pb++ (0.54 mu g g(-1)) in the above-ground parts of barley, Cr++ (0.85 mu g g(-1)) in soil, and Zn++ (7.2 mu g g(-1)) in barley plant roots. A positive relationship was found between soil and plant heavy metal concentrations. According to the EU Directive 86/278/EEC on the protection of the environment and, in particular, of the soil, concentrations of Pb++ and Zn++ are below the threshold, Cd++ are between the limits and Cr++ are above threshold.Ministry of EducationThe authors would like to thank the Scientific Research Projects Fund of the Ministry of Education for their financial support

STUDIES ON TRACE METALS IN SOILS AND PLANTS GROWING IN THE VICINITY OF COPPER MINING AREA - LEFKE, CYPRUS

WOS: 000264461800017Soil and plant samples were taken from different areas around the tailing ponds of CMC (Cyprus Copper Mines), an abandoned site from the Lefke region of Cyprus. The determination of the trace metals was carried out using a Varian ICP-AES. In the soils supporting these plants, the values varied between 1.4000-25.380 (Fe++); 43-217 (Zn++); 0-67 (Pb++); 1-8 (Cd++); 0.77-28.60 (Cu++); 20-89 (Ni++); 0.05-0.29 (Cr++) mu g/g dry weight. In the above-ground parts of the plants, the concentrations varied between 275-4,120 (Fe); 9.5-67 (Zn); 0-13 (Pb); 0-4 (Cd); 0.12-1.85 (Cu); 10-18 (Ni); 0.11-0.28 (Cr) mu g/g. The values in the soils are higher than that in above ground parts. These results show that there are serious trace metal problems in the soil, and these keep on accumulating in the plants in the vicinity of tailing ponds

ETHNOECOLOGY OF POISONOUS PLANTS OF TURKEY AND NORTHERN CYPRUS

WOS: 000260158200004Interest in plants is increasing and much work is being carried out these days on their multipurpose uses. A great impetus has been given to this during the last 3 decades. Several publications have been made by different investigators. Large number of naturally growing plants are collected and sold at the markets. Nearly 500 plants are used for primary health care in Turkey and a 23 in Cyprus. However, not much is known about the poisonous plants. Some of these are toxic and others cause reaction. Plant poisoning lies around 6%, rurals suffer more from the consumption of naturally growing plants as compared to urban dwellers. One has to be very cautious before using these plants as the plants used for the purpose of treatment of diseases as a whole or parts thereof or consumed by the public directly could prove dangerous for the health. This paper describes ethnoecological aspects of the widely distributed major poisonous plants in Turkey and Northern Cyprus which can prove fatal if used unknowingly. Major applications and active constituents of plant taxa are outlined