Evaluation of water and sediment quality of İnaltı Cave (Northern Türkiye) by using multivariate statistical methods

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment 2023-06, Vol.195 (6), p.667-667, Article 667
• Main Authors: Çil, Eylem Aydemir, Uncumusaoğlu, Arzu Aydin, Ergen, Şeyda Fikirdeşici, Gürbüzer, Pınar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Cadmium; Cadmium - analysis; Chromium; Cluster analysis; Clustering; Copper; Correlation analysis; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecosystem; Ecotoxicology; Enrichment; Environment; Environmental Management; Environmental monitoring; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental risk; Environmental science; Geologic Sediments - analysis; Heavy metals; Humans; Iron; Lead; Lead - analysis; Manganese; Marine crustaceans; Metal concentrations; Metals; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Nickel; Principal components analysis; Risk Assessment; Sediment; Sediments; Statistical methods; Underground caverns; Variance analysis; Water - analysis; Water management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water pollution; Water quality; Zinc
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11262-1

Heavy metals, which are among the important pollutants that threaten ecosystems, have been a particularly intriguing subject of accumulation studies. The present study aimed to reveal the water and sediment quality, pollution status, and their usability for living organisms in 10 stations for the first time in İnaltı cave, which has two underground ponds. Concentrations of 9 heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Mn, Fe, Cd, Cr, Al) and 1 metalloid (As) were determined in samples taken. These results were compared to the limit values in Sediment Quality Guides (SQGs) and analyzed further using different sediment evaluation methods. SQG values revealed that the amounts of Cd and Ni are of concern. Examining the concentrations of metals in the water, the ranking by concentration was found to be Al > Cr > Pb > Cu > As > Mn and the elements were considered not to pose any environmental risk. The enrichment of detected Cd metal in the sediment is remarkable. In addition, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and hierarchical clustering analysis were carried out in order to make the obtained data easier to understand and interpret. While designing the most appropriate action plans for water management, more clear and understandable information can be obtained by using these methods and interpreting the raw data. In the cave, individuals belonging to the Niphargus genus, a member of the Malacostraca class, Niphargidae Family, were identified in the sediment.