Determination of Arsenic Amount in Some Trees that Can Be Used as Biomonitors

Toxic metals/metalloids such as arsenic are environmental pollutants that are damaging to living organisms. Commonly found metals pose a serious threat to human health unless they are controlled. In this study, the accumulation of As metalloid, which has entered the food chain for specific reasons, in plant organs was determined, and it was examined whether plants are hyperaccumulators against As concentration. As a result, Pinus pinaster Aiton., Cupressus arizonica Greene., Picea orientalis (L.) Peterm., Cedrus atlantica (Endl.), and Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) species accumulated more than 1 mg/kg As concentration. The highest average As concentration (7.91 mg/kg) was found in the northern bark of P. menziesii. The highest As concentrations in wood were found in the eastern direction for P. pinaster (5.21 mg/kg), C. arizonica (4.99 mg/kg), and P. orientalis (4.02 mg/kg), and in the western direction for C. atlantica (3.56 mg/kg) and P. menziesii (3.88 mg/kg). Additionally, it was determined that As concentration varied depending on location, direction, species, and year.