DETERMINATION OF HEAVY METAL POLLUTION IN SEDIMENT OF THE INNER İZMİR BAY
Project no. 1163 · Status: Kapanmış · 2017
Summary
During the recent years, heavy metal pollution in aquatic systems has gained a great importance through the environmental concerns. The study area, the Gulf of Izmir is one of the great natural and polluted bays of the eastern Aegean Sea. The Bay is under the influence of heavy metal pollution due to the settlement areas, industrial establishments and agricultural activities located around it. This presented study mainly aims to point out the current heavy metal pollution (Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn) in sediments taken from six regions of Izmir inner Bay. Surface sediment samples were collected on November 2017 during the cruise of R.V.K Piri Reis and digested and anlyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry in Canada. Enrichment factor was evaluated with iron normalization, and assessment of metal contamination was made by using contamination factor, geoaccumulation index, TEL-PEL values and Sediment Quality Guidelines criteria. It was established that concentrations of metals decreased from inner bay towards outer bay and the highest EF values of heavy metal were measured at harbor. According to the results, the levels of total heavy metal concentrations in sediment samples are listed as Mn> Zn> Cr> Pb> Cu> Hg> Cd. It was observed that there was a decrease in the heavy metal accumulation in the sediment after the big canal project in İzmir inner bay, but results are not significant.