Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Amaçları
Yazarlar
Yayınlar
- MakaleYalnız künye2026Scopus SJRQ1Hydrogeochemical controls on chromium speciation and potential human health risks in surface waters of an ultramafic mining watershed
Kutlu, Banu; Baydar, Tarık; Yıldırım, Vesile; Konurhan, Zekeriya
Accurate assessment of chromium contamination in mining-influenced watersheds requires distinguishing between the environmentally contrasting Cr(III) and Cr(VI) species, yet environmental monitoring and risk assessments still rely predominantly on total chromium concentrations. This study evaluated whether chromium speciation provides additional information beyond operational total chromium for assessing chromium occurrence and potential human health risks in an ultramafic, mining-influenced watershed. Surface-water samples were collected from 28 sampling stations across the Pülümür and Ovacık regions of the Eastern Anatolia Basin (Türkiye) between March 2025 and February 2026. Chromium speciation was determined using species-specific UV–Visible spectrophotometric methods and integrated with hydrochemical characterization, multivariate statistical analyses, mineralogical investigations (XRD, SEM–EDS, and FTIR), and deterministic and empirical-bootstrap human health risk assessments. Operational total chromium, defined as the sum of separately measured Cr(III) and Cr(VI), ranged from below the detection limit to 578.13 µg L−1. For contextual screening, this calculated value exceeded World Health Organization (WHO) drinking-water guideline for total chromium at 14 stations; however, it was not an independently measured total-Cr concentration. The highest Cr(VI) concentration occurred at a localized hotspot, whereas Cr(III) predominated throughout most of the watershed. Nevertheless, Cr(VI)-based screening thresholds were exceeded at multiple stations under the assumed untreated drinking-water ingestion scenario, indicating that operational total chromium alone did not consistently identify the spatial distribution of Cr(VI)-related potential risk. Screening-level hazard quotient (HQ) estimates were higher for children than for adults; however, direct untreated consumption of the sampled surface waters was not verified. Mining-influenced stations generally exhibited higher chromium concentrations, although the relative contributions of geogenic weathering and mining-related mobilization could not be quantitatively apportioned. Overall, chromium speciation provided additional environmentally and toxicologically relevant information beyond operational total chromium for evaluating chromium mobility and screening-level potential human health risks in this ultramafic watershed.
- MakaleAçık Erişim2023Scopus SJRQ4The Assessment of Health Risk from Heavy Metals with Water Indices for Irrigation and the Portability of Munzur Stream: A Case Study of the Ovaclk Area (Ramsar Site), Türkiye
Kutlu, Banu; Sarlgül, Ali
Surface water samples from the area of Munzur Stream in Türkiye (a Ramsar site) were evaluated for their suitability for irrigation and drinking purposes using different water quality indices. The human health risks were assessed as well. The study was conducted over a period of 24 months from January 2019 to December 2021 by taking samples from nine stations every month in order to determine the water quality of Munzur Stream, located in Tunceli. According to the results, Munzur Stream is in good condition in terms of the quality of drinking water and irrigation water. The concentrations of heavy metals such as Cu, Ni, Fe and Hg were high, though the water quality parameter according to Türkiye Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs Surface Water Quality Regulations (TSWQR) was significantly lower than the permitted limits. In Munzur Stream, the irrigation water for all stations was reported to be excellent, good and suitable in terms of SAR, Na% and MH, respectively. The principal component analysis data formed the four principal components, explaining 98.22% of the total variance. The sources of pollution in this area include the rock types of the basin, soil erosion, domestic waste water discharge and agricultural flow of inorganic fertilisers.
AtıfWoS1OpenAlex3
İncele - MakaleYalnız künye2021Multivariate statistical evaluation of dissolved trace elements and water quality assessment in the Karaca dam, Turkey
Kutlu, Banu; Mutlu, Ekrem
This study was performed from January 2017 to December 2017 with taking samples every month from four stations to determine the water quality of Ka-raca Dam, located in Sinop. The guidelines of the World Health Organization for water quality index (WQI) and Turkey’s Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs specifications for Surface Water Quality Regulations (SWQR) were used in the determination of water quality and 28 variables were analyzed. The quality of the irrigation water was also calculated. This objective, the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), sodium percentage, permeability index (PI), and mag-nesium index were calculated. The average WQI value of the lake was found to be 19.23. It was observed that the water quality parameters did not exceed the restrictions in any stations during the period. According to the results of the research, Karaca Dam is in a good class in terms of drinking water quality and irrigation water. The health risk evaluation, using the hazard ratio and index (HI), was carried out as suggested by USEPA, and it was found that the water of Karaca Dam is not harmful to human health in terms of Pb, Cd, and Hg.
AtıfScopus7WoS7OpenAlex9İncele
