Effect of thermal power plant pollution on mineral nutrition and antioxidative defence mechanism on eucalyptus and morus species

The effects of air pollution arise from thermal power plants were investigated on April and September in 2006-2007. For this purpose, the woody tree species sampled were Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. and Morus alba L.. Leaf and soil materials were collected at a distance of about 1, 2.5, 5, 10 and 15 km from the Sugözü Thermal Power Plant. Samples collected were taken back to the laboratory where they were analysed for mineral elements, stomatal density, chlorophyll, carotenoids, proline, lipid peroxidation, SH-compounds, ascorbate and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Obtained data showed that at the distance of 2.5 and 5 km, antioxidant contents of leaves collected from East showed increases a range according to the degree of antioxidative response to air pollution violences. It was estabilished that in the samples of leaves taken from this area; proline, total chlorophyll content, carotenoids, lipid peroxidation, SH-compounds, ascorbate and superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased but stomatal density decreased.