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Health risk assessment of toxic metals in surface and groundwater resources of a significant agriculture and industry zone in Turkey

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Abstract

Thrace Region has a great agriculture and industry potential and Ergene River Basin is the prime watershed of this significant region. In the current research, water quality of lotic and lentic surface and groundwater resources of Ergene River Basin were evaluated by using some toxic element and health risk assessment indices. Samples were collected from sixty-six (21 of them lotic, 15 of them lentic and 30 of them groundwater) locations and nickel, chromium, arsenic, zinc, lead, copper and cadmium accumulations were read by using an ICP-MS. Heavy metal pollution index (HPI), heavy metal evaluation index (HEI) and degree of contamination index (Cdeg) were applied to detected data. Also the toxic element concentrations in surface–groundwater were assessed in terms of public health by using some health risk assessment methods including hazard index (HI), hazard quotient (HQ) and cancer risk (CR). According to the results of applied indices, arsenic and chromium were recorded as the most dangerous toxicants among the investigated elements. While the lacustrine ecosystems were recorded as the least contaminated basin components, fluvial ecosystems, especially Çorlu Stream and Ergene River, were recorded as the most polluted basin components. It was also recorded that arsenic contents in the drinking water of 50% of the investigated villages were found as a major risk factor for human health in terms of CR.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Trakya University (Project No: 2017/211).

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  1. Laboratory Technology Department, Trakya University, İpsala, Edirne, Turkey

    Cem Tokatli

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  1. Cem Tokatli
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Tokatli, C. Health risk assessment of toxic metals in surface and groundwater resources of a significant agriculture and industry zone in Turkey. Environ Earth Sci 80, 156 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-021-09467-z

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