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Black table olive production is concentrated in the southeastern Marmara Region of Turkey, which is one of the most important agricultural areas of the country with highly fertile soils. Soil pollution has become an important concern for arable lands as a result of intensive agriculture and urban-industrial expansion in the region. This study was conducted to characterize the metal accumulation in the soils, fruits, and leaves ofOleaeuropeaL. in the orchards located in southeastern Marmara Region. The research was performed in 64 orchards with cv. Gemlik table olive trees in the towns of İznik, Orhangazi, Gemlik, Mudanya, and Nilüfer of Bursa Province in the region. To determine levels of pollution, soils and aboveground parts of the trees were sampled and analyzed for iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd). Total amounts of Ni and Cr were found to be excessive in soils. Cadmium, Co, and Cu concentrations were slightly greater than the permissible ranges in a minority of the soils tested The concentrations of these elements, however, were not at the toxic levels in the different plant parts. Because of lack of standard concentrations indicating excessive concentrations of extractable elements, statuses of extractable elements in the soils were not evaluated. Except for Zn in some fruit samples and Cu in some fruit and leaf samples, metal accumulation in the trees were not estimated by both leaf and fruit analysis. Concentration of total and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)–extractable metals in the soils did not correlate with the plant content of the metals. Therefore, total and DTPA-extractable metal concentrations were not reliable and descriptive in estimating metal concentrations in olive trees. As a result, the appearance of metals in soils might be due to agricultural activities and parent material. Continuous monitoring and future studies of the olive orchards are recommended to ascertain long-term impacts of pollution on the trees. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Lake Iznik, located in the southeast part of the Marmara region in Turkey, is considered the largest lake in the region. Soil pollution from irrigation with lake water has become an important concern for arable lands surrounding the lake. Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate trace element contamination of soils and plants irrigated with water from the lake, which has been polluted with industrial and municipal wastes. Eleven different crops grown in 30 different horticultural fields, consistently irrigated with lake water, were studied. To determine pollutant concentrations, soils, plants, and water were sampled and analyzed for both total and extractable iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd). Iron, Cu, and Ni in destructively sampled soils were found to be excessive in soils. The results were subjected to statistical analysis using simple correlations and t-test. There were no statistically significant relationships among the total and extractable metals in soils and extractable plant metals. Because of lack of standard concentrations indicating excessive concentration of extractable elements, statuses of extractable elements in the soils were not evaluated. Cobalt, Pb, Cr, and Cu concentrations were greater than the normal range in leaves. The accumulation of metals differed greatly among the various plant species, but irrigation with lake water did not increase metals in soils. The appearance of metals in soils might be due to agricultural activities and parent material. Continuous monitoring and future studies of the area are recommended to ascertain long-term impacts of pollution on plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to characterize the heavy metal contamination in the soils of peach orchards irrigated with water from Nilüfer creek, which is heavily polluted by industrial and municipal wastes. Twenty-one peach orchards with 3 different cultivars in 7 orchards each located along Nilüfer creek were monitored in the experiment. To determine levels of pollution, soils and aboveground parts of the trees were sampled and analyzed for iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd). Total amounts of Ni and Cr were found to be at the excessive levels in soils. Extractable Ni concentration decreased with increasing pH and CaCO 3 content in soils. Leaf metal contents were generally at tolerable levels, but Ni and Pb accumulated to toxic levels in different parts of the fruit (flesh and peel). Except for Fe and Ni, plant concentrations of the metals did not correlate with their total and DTPA-extractable concentrations in the soils. There was no significant difference among the cultivars in accumulation of heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]