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The impact of livestock activities and geochemical processes on groundwater quality of fractured volcanic rock aquifer: Lake Çıldır watershed (NE Turkey)

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Abstract

This paper presents the impact of livestock activities and geochemical processes on the water quality of a fractured volcanic rock aquifer in the Lake Çıldır watershed, located at the northeastern part of Turkey. The existence of a high livestock population and animal grazing activities in meadow and pasturelands of the watershed during the short summer period poses serious stress on both surface and groundwater resources being the only drinking water supply for the local communities. Therefore, understanding the effect of grazing and livestock breeding activities occurring in the recharge areas of the fractured volcanic rock aquifer is vital to take precautions in order to protect limited water supplies at the watershed and vulnerable lake ecosystem as well. The mean nitrate content of the groundwater was measured at 6.4 ± 6.6 (std. dev) mg/L in the wet (before grazing) period and 7.1 ± 5.9 mg/L in the dry (after grazing) period. Despite low nitrate concentration levels of groundwater, microbial contamination was observed in the spring waters at alarming levels especially after the animal grazing activities. 56%, 26%, and 11% of the groundwater samples showed bacterial contamination in terms of total coliform, fecal coliform, and fecal streptococci contents, respectively, prior to grazing activity, while in pursuit of intense livestock grazing at highland, these microbial indicators have been increased to 92%, 85%, and 77% in the dry period. A significant increase observed in fecal contamination indicates the negative impact of livestock activities on groundwater quality. Al (200–638 µg/L) and Fe (66–218 µg/L) enrichments locally observed in groundwater were related to advanced argillic alteration (kaolinization) and hematization zones in pyroclastic rocks.

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Acknowledgements

This study was a part of project (Çıldır Lake Basin Protection Plan and Special Provision Determination) funded by Serhat Development Agency (SERKA). The authors are grateful to the SERKA and TUBITAK-MAM allowing this research to go ahead. We thank anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments.

Funding

This study was supported by the Serhat Development Agency (SERKA).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Engineering, Kocaeli University, 41001, Kocaeli, Turkey

    Simozar Mohammadi Govarchin, İrfan Yolcubal, Ahmet Şener & Ercan Sanğu

  2. TUBİTAK Marmara Research Center Climate Change & Sustainability Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey

    Kemal Güneş & Mehmet Beşiktaş

Authors
  1. Simozar Mohammadi Govarchin
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  2. İrfan Yolcubal
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  3. Ahmet Şener
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  4. Ercan Sanğu
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  5. Kemal Güneş
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  6. Mehmet Beşiktaş
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis and writing of manuscript were mainly performed by Simozar Mohammadi Govarchin and İrfan Yolcubal. Ahmet Şener contributed to data collection and field studies. Dr. Ercan Sanğu contributed to geology of the site and field studies. Dr. Kemal Güneş provided support for chemical analysis and coordinated the study with SERKA. All authors read and approved the final paper.

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Correspondence to İrfan Yolcubal.

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Govarchin, S.M., Yolcubal, İ., Şener, A. et al. The impact of livestock activities and geochemical processes on groundwater quality of fractured volcanic rock aquifer: Lake Çıldır watershed (NE Turkey). Environ Monit Assess 195, 436 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11016-z

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