Iron and zinc status in soils, water, and plant samples from a densely populated and industrialized region of Turkey

Abstract

Concentrations of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) were quantitatively determined in the soil, water, and various plants in the Bursa province of Turkey, the country's fourth-most industrialized and populated region. The research was conducted to establish a baseline pollution index for Fe and Zn in the Bursa environment and to evaluate the role of foods as an exogenous source of these metals among the province's inhabitants. Exceedingly high levels of both metals characterized the staple food cultivars in the research area.