Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Global Journal of Botanical Science, cilt.9, ss.21-34, 2021 (Hakemli Dergi)
Manganese, nickel and zinc were determined in soils and 4 plants (2 cultivated: Brassica oleracea, Zea mays
and 2 non cultivated: Rumex acetosa, Verbascum phlomoides) around the Coal Power Plant (CPP) - Agios Dimitrios, the
largest CPP in Greece. In general, roots showed a higher metal content compared to the other over ground parts. This is
more prominent in Brassica oleracea for all studied metals except zinc, where the highest zinc concentration is found in
the sclerechyma (central vein) of the internal leaf. Thus, Brassica oleracea meets the objectives of phytoremediartion of
lands contaminated by heavy metals. Periodically planting of Brassica oleracea could reduce the level of heavy metals in
the area in order to clean up and prepare soils for other cultivations. The most contaminated leaves revealed a variation
in epidermis roughness. In Verbascum phlomoides the multicellular, multilevel hairs on the leaf surface fixed a
considerable number of air particles effectively. In contrast, the waxy cuticle of Rumex acetosa, enabled the fast rinsing
of the air particles by rainwater and wind. The aim of the present study is also to highlight the differences in the ability of
various plant organs or tissues to accumulate heavy metals, using cultivated (crops) and non-cultivated (native) plans
found around the coal power plant. Pollution monitoring, especially by crops, may provide useful information for the
design of monitoring networks that can facilitate the determination and intercomparison of metals around CPPs
internationally.