Search

This study was executed to investigate the acidification and heavy metal (Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb) pollution of Tohma stream flowing near Kangal lignite-fired thermal power plant located in Kangal district of Sivas province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. All water samples were screened for pH to evaluate the acidification of the Tohma stream. Water samples were found in moderately alkaline according to pH values (8.1–8.7). The average concentrations of Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb in water samples from the Tohma stream were determined as 0.94, 2.27, 13.78, 1.24, 1.98, 0.32 and 0.54 mg L−1 using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, respectively. Metal pollution index (MPI) and metal evaluation index (MEI) were estimated to evaluate the pollution of Tohma water samples with heavy metals. The values of MPI and MEI varied from 312 (medium pollution) to 9715 (high pollution) with an average of 4713 (high pollution) and 181(medium pollution) to 317 (high pollution) with an average of 226 (medium pollution), respectively. The results of MPI and MEI revealed that investigated water samples are seriously polluted with toxic heavy metals and inadequate for drinking and irrigation water utilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the natural radionuclide andpotentially toxic heavy metal contents of rock salt samples collected from three different salt mines located in Çankırı city in the Central Anatolia of Turkey were determined using gamma-ray and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry.Also, concentrations of radionuclides and heavy metalsin different table salts (sea, lake, and Himalayan) consumed in Turkey were determined to compare with rock salt. The average activity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K measured in rock salt samples were found as 1.4, 5.6 and 34.0 Bqkg−1, respectively.The average concentration of Ti, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Zr and Pb in rock salt samples was analysed as 64.8, 12.9, 504.6, 3.6, 1.8, 2.0, 1.6 and 1.4 µgg−1, respectively. The concentration of Cr, Co, As, Cd, and Hg was below the detection limits.Also, the total annual effective dose (AED) and daily intake of potentially toxic heavy metals due to an intake of the radionuclides and heavy metals from rock salt samples wereestimated. The average value of AED was estimated as 8.4 μSv, which is significantly lower than the average annual effective dose of 290 μSv received by the ingestion of natural radionuclides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterization of olive fruits according to their heavy metal composition was carried out with a chemometric approach. The concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni and Co in the olive samples were determined by high-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometer (HR-CS AAS). Heavy metal contamination in twenty-three olive samples collected from different regions (industrialized and non-industrialized) of Hatay province in Turkey was evaluated. Analytical performance and reliability of the method were checked by validation parameters. The results demonstrated that the mean content of heavy metals in the olive samples were ranged between 0.046 and 17.229 mg kg−1. The analytical data was examined by principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) for the classification studies. The olive samples were classified into three groups reflecting the groups of unpolluted, industrial polluted and non-industrial polluted stations. This model can be a useful tool for the olive industry to emphasize product quality and naturalness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to examine source apportionment of heavy metals of the surface sediments in the <63 μm size fraction. The sediment samples collected from 34 sites at the Western Bay ofIzmit were subjected to a total digestion technique and analysed for major (total organiccarbon, Al, Fe, Mg, and S) and trace (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, V, and Zn) elementsby inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. The results were compared withthe marine sediment quality standards, as well as literature values reported to assess thepollution status of the sediments. A factor analysis/multiple regression (FA/MR) multivariatereceptor modelling technique was used for quantitative source apportionment to estimate thecontributions from each source of contamination. Source fingerprints were obtained fromthe literature. A varimax rotated factor analysis was applied to the whole data set, and fourprobable source types were identified as the iron and steel industry, paint industry, crustal andsewage for heavy metals, explaining about 84% of the total variance. Source apportionmentresults derived from the FA and FA/MR methods agree well with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]