Multi-pollutant Monitoring in a Rehabilitated Estuary: Elements and Radionuclides

• Published in: Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology 2019-08, Vol.103 (2), p.354-361
• Main Authors: Kılıç, Önder, Belivermiş, Murat, Sezer, Narin, Kalaycı, Gülşah, Gözel, Furkan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anthropogenic factors; Antimony; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; Aquatic Pollution; Cadmium; CESIUM 137; Cesium isotopes; Cesium radioisotopes; Copper; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental monitoring; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ESTUARIES; Estuarine environments; Lead; Marine ecosystems; MONITORING; Municipal wastewater; POLLUTANTS; POLLUTION; Pollution monitoring; RADIOACTIVITY; Radioisotopes; Rehabilitation; Residential areas; Sediment samplers; SEDIMENTS; Silver; Soil Science & Conservation; Tin; TURKEY; WASTE WATER; Waste Water Technology; Wastewater; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0007-4861; 1432-0800
• DOI: 10.1007/s00128-019-02636-8

The Golden Horn Estuary, Istanbul, Turkey, had been exposed to untreated industrial discharges and municipal wastewater for over fifty years; however, during the last fifteen years pollution has been reduced due to an extensive rehabilitation campaign. Since sediment is the main accumulation matrix of marine ecosystems, surface sediment samples were collected from the estuary and analyzed for concentrations of some elements and radioactivity. The elements of predominant anthropogenic origin such as As, Cu, Pb, Sb, Sn and Zn and 137 Cs were observed in the mid-estuary. Also, elevated geoaccumulation indices for Ag, Cd, Cu and Sb showed that pollution was still occurring in the estuary despite the rehabilitation. There is a huge residential area near the estuary; therefore, people living in this area are affected due to the pollution of the estuary. Thus, the obtained data of the elements and radionuclides are very important for the ecosystem of the Golden Horn.