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Ecological Risk Assessment of Metals in Sediments from Three Stagnant Water Bodies in Northern Turkey

  • Water and Sediment Pollution (G Toor, L Nghiem and W Zhang, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

In recent years, anthropogenic activities have caused metal pollution in the sediments of stagnant water bodies, and thus threatening aquatic ecosystems and human health. Therefore, determining the potential ecological risks, contamination degree, and possible sources of metals in sediment of stagnant water bodies is essential for effective management of metal pollution. In this study, we used contamination and risk assessment indices together with multivariate statistics to determine ecological risks and contamination degree of 14 metals in sediments of three important stagnant water bodies (Ladik Lake and Yedikır and Değirmendere dam lakes) in northern Turkey. In addition, the effects of organic matter (OM) and pH on metal accumulation in the sediments were also investigated.

Recent Findings

The mean contents of Al, V, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Pb did not differ significantly among the water bodies studied (p > 0.05). The Ladik Lake sediments had significantly lower pH level and higher OM content (p < 0.05). Contamination indices indicated that there was no significant metal contamination in the sediments of all water bodies. Similarly, ecological risk indices indicated that metals posed low ecological risks in the water bodies. According to the sediment quality guidelines, metals would not cause harm to benthic organisms. The accumulation of most metals in the Yedikır Dam Lake was controlled by OM, while the distribution of some metals was affected by both OM and pH in the Değirmendere Dam Lake. According to the factor analysis, all metals in the sediments of the water bodies studied mainly originated from natural sources.

Summary

The results of this study revealed that sediment contamination indices, ecological risk assessment methods, sediment quality guidelines, and multivariate statistics can be used as effective approaches in determining the environmental and ecological risks and pollution sources of metals in the sediments of stagnant water bodies. Thus, this study can provide important information for the ecological risk assessment and management of metals in the sediments of stagnant water bodies.

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Data Availability

All data analyzed during this study are included in this published article and are not publicly available but may be obtained from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The Scientific Project Office of Giresun University (FEN-BAP-A-270220-21) supported this study. Special thanks are given to Editors Dibyendu Sarkar and Wen Zhang and anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and suggestions for improving this manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by Giresun University (Grant No: FEN-BAP-A-270220–21).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aquaculture Department, Doğanşehir V. K. Vocational School, Malatya Turgut Özal University, Malatya, Turkey

    Memet Varol

  2. Biology Department, Faculty of Arts and Science, Giresun University, Giresun, Turkey

    Fikret Ustaoğlu

  3. Laboratory Technology Department, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey

    Cem Tokatlı

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  1. Memet Varol
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  2. Fikret Ustaoğlu
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Contributions

Memet Varol: writing the original draft of the manuscript, reviewing, editing and corresponding. Fikret Ustaoğlu: conceptualization, investigation, writing the original draft of the manuscript. Cem Tokatlı: writing the original draft of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Memet Varol.

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Varol, M., Ustaoğlu, F. & Tokatlı, C. Ecological Risk Assessment of Metals in Sediments from Three Stagnant Water Bodies in Northern Turkey. Curr Pollution Rep 8, 409–421 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40726-022-00239-2

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