Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Some Plants Grown on Serpentine Soils of Mersin, Turkey

The purpose of this study was to determine hyperaccumulator species growing in Findikpinari-Mersin. The soils derived from ultrafamic rocks lead to unusual and sparse associations of flora that are tolerant to extreme environmental conditions such as high heavy metal contents. As the geological structure, Mersin-Findikpinari has rocks containing ultramafic and serpentine, but this site is one of the less studied areas. The 26 specimens of total 755 plants identified systematically from Mersin-Findikpınari in between in 1997-2002 were randomly selected and studied whether hyperaccumulator or not. Twenty six plants collected (members of 26 genera and 8 families) from different sampling locations were analyzed for their total As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn concentrations using an ICP-MS. A certified reference material (SRM 1573A, SRM 1547) was also analyzed to check the accuracy of the used extraction technique. In the present study, Mn content (548 mg kg-1) of Anthemis aciphylla Boiss. (Asteraceae) was higher than the critical Mn value (300-500 mg kg-1) and Ni content (115 mg kg-1) Crocus graveolens Boiss&Reute (Iridiceae) was higher than the critical Ni value (10-100 mg kg-1) but unfortunately none of the plants studied was hyperaccumulator