Kamel Khalil ⁽¹⁾*, Nizar Moualla ⁽²⁾and Affra Alahmad ⁽¹⁾

(1). Department of Environmental Prevention, Higher Institute for Environmental Researches, Tishreen University, Lattika, Syria.

 (2). Department of Field Crops- Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Lattika, Syria.

(*Corresponding author: Kamel Khalil. E-mail: d.kamelkhalil@tishreen.edu.sy).

Received: 25/11/2023              Accepted: 10/01/2024

Abstract: 

This study aimed to determine the concentration of heavy metals: lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) in the leaves of evergreen cypress trees and beaked eucalyptus trees grown in the city of Baniyas. Leaf samples were collected from four sites within the city (St2, St3, St4, St5), varying according to traffic density and the control site (St1) in the Dreikiya site (15 km from the city of Baniyas). The concentration of elements was estimated using an atomic absorption device at the Higher Institute for Environmental Research. The results showed that the order of metal concentrations (general average) expressed in ppm in the leaves of cypress trees was as follows: [Zn (23.96) > Ni (9.38) > Pb (1.12) > Cd (0.13)] and in the leaves of eucalyptus trees: [Zn (35.20) > Ni (12.48) > Pb (1.40) > Cd (0.15)]. The results also showed that the values of metals were within normal limits, except for nickel. The results also showed that the values of the metal accumulation index (MAI) in cypress trees were (4.56) and in the leaves of eucalyptus trees were (6.49). This supports the proposal of the eucalyptus tree as an effective bioaccumulator for estimating pollution resulting from heavy metals in the city of Baniyas.

Keywords: Cupressus sempervirens, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, bioaccumulators, heavy metals, metal accumulation index (MAI), Baniyas (Syria).

 Full paper in Arabic: PDF