Spatio-temporal Sediment Quality Risk Assessment by Using Ecological and Statistical Indicators: A Review of the Upper Sakarya River, Türkiye.

In this study, heavy metal accumulation levels (Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb, As) in biotic [Carassius gibelio (Bloch, 1782), Squalius pursakensis (Hankó 1925)] and abiotic (sediments) components in a significant freshwater ecosystem in Türkiye were investigated on the basis of seasonal variations using geographic information systems (GIS) and some ecotoxicological risk assessment indices [PLI (pollution load index), PERI (potential ecological risk index), Igeo (geo accumulation index), CF (contamination factor) and BRI (Biological Risk Index)]. GIS-based maps were utilized to depict the distribution of ecotoxicological risk assessment indices to provide a visual explanation by using the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) as an estimation method. Samples were collected seasonally from 12 stations selected on the Upper Sakarya River Basin, which is one of the longest fluvial ecosystems in Türkiye. As a result of applied indices, cadmium was found as the most hazardous heavy metal in terms of PERI and CF, nickel was found as the most hazardous heavy metal in terms of BRI and arsenic was found as the most hazardous heavy metal in terms of Igeo. As a result of applied PCI, 2 statistically significant factors explained 81.31% of the total variance. It was also determined that levels of almost all the investigated heavy metals (except Zn) in muscle tissues of fishes were under the permissible limits of Turkish legislation and the FAO.

Heavy metal accumulations in water, sediment, and some cyprinid species in Porsuk Stream (Turkey).

Porsuk Stream is one of Turkey's most important river systems and also one of the most important branches of the Sakarya River. It provides drinking and utility water for two Turkish cities (Kütahya and Eskisehir) with a total population of one million. In this study, water, sediment, and some tissues (liver, gill, and muscle) of five cyprinid fish species were collected seasonally (2010-2011) from eight stations on the Porsuk Stream, and the zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As) levels of collected samples were determined. The data observed were evaluated with national and international quality criteria. Based on the data observed, it was determined that the Porsuk Stream is affected by significant inorganic pollution from the Kütahya and Eskisehir Provinces. It was also determined that the Porsuk Dam Lake has an important cleaning capacity and that the water and sediment quality of the Porsuk Stream improves after the output of the dam lake.

Early antioxidative defence responses in the aquatic worms (Limnodrilus sp.) in Porsuk Creek in Eskisehir (Turkey).

Certain oligochaeta specimens have been universally applied as bioindicators to reflect the organic and inorganic pollution in rivers and play a major role in the decomposition of pollutants. The aim of this study was to investigate the water quality in Porsuk Creek in Eskisehir (Turkey) through the specimens from two different species that belong to Limnodrilus genus, using their biomonitoring compatibilities for the accumulated trace element concentrations and to describe the applicability of antioxidative systems as biomarkers of pollution in Tubificinae. Therefore, some parameters that serve as biomarkers for antioxidative defence, total protein, glutathione (GSH) contents and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities, were determined in Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri and Limnodrilus udekemianus. The study was completed with the chemical analysis of the trace elements from these specimens and also from the water samples. As a conclusion, the observed elevation in GSH levels and GST activities reflect the contribution of oxidative stress in toxicity mechanisms due to the accumulation of trace elements, and the study also suggests a general induction of detoxification metabolisms in the presence of several pollutants in benthic sediment-dwelling worms. According to the average value, the trace element levels for two species are as follows: Fe > Al > Zn > Mn > Pb > Cu > Ni > B > Cd = Cr = Hg. As Porsuk Creek is used for many purposes, such as irrigation, drinking water and fish production, discharges of all types of wastes should be under stringent control to avoid the unwanted health effects to its habitants and to humans.

Effects of urban air pollutants on elemental accumulation and identification of oxidative stress biomarkers in the transplanted lichen Pseudovernia furfuracea.

Determining the origins of heavy metals, their accumulation, and their detoxification mechanisms constitutes a major problem in understanding environmental pollution in urban areas. The objective of this study was to detect the relative air quality in Eskisehir city center (Turkey) through the transplanted epiphytic lichen Pseudovernia furfuracea as a biomonitor of the concentrations of some heavy metals accumulated and to describe their toxic effects on lichen physiology during the study period of one year. The influence of heavy metal accumulations on macroelement levels were also examined. In addition to analysis of B, K, Ca, P, S, Al, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Zn, Pb, and Cu, total soluble proteins and oxidative stress parameters through glutathione (GSH) contents and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities were also determined. Results indicate that, although the heavy metal concentrations were found to be gradually increased from the unpolluted control zone to the city center, the concentrations of macroelements S and Ca were higher in the polluted area. However, B, K, Mg, and P elements were found to be higher in the unpolluted area than in the polluted zones. It seems that heavy metals induce oxidative stress in lichens; we found enhancement of GSH concentrations and GST activity. Most probably, the expected destruction in this organism was reduced by the intervention of antioxidant capacity. Therefore, this report confirms the fact that the epiphytic lichen P. furfuracea is a good model for biomonitoring atmospheric quality for a long-term transplantation study, and oxidative stress parameters stand out as a tool for an early environment assessment of other physiological parameters.

Metal contents in water, sediment, and Oligochaeta-Chironomidae of Lake Uluabat, a Ramsar site of Turkey.

Samples of lake water and sediment, and sediment and two dominant zoobenthic taxa (Oligochaeta: Potamothrix hammoniensis and Chironomidae: Chironomus [Camptochironomus] tentans larvae), were collected from 12 stations in Lake Uluabat and examined from the metal level point of view (cadmium, chromium, lead, copper, nickel, and zinc). Our results showed that the occurrence of metals in water, sediment, and the two zoobenthic taxa are relatively high. The opinion that supports the results of Lake Uluabat shows that certain species of oligochaetes and chironomids accumulate examined metals several times over compared to their surroundings. Therefore, it is concluded that the oligochaetes and the chironomids are suitable candidates to be used in biomonitoring surveys of Lake Uluabat.

Boron concentration in water, sediment and different organisms around large borate deposits of Turkey.

Boron is an essential nutrient for plants and an essential element for many organisms, but can be toxic to aquatic and terrestrial organisms above certain concentrations. The aim of this research was to determine boron concentrations in water, sediment and biotic samples (Gammaridae spp.-Crustacea, Helix sp.-Gastropoda, Donax sp.-Bivalvia, Helobdella sp.-Hirudinae, Ephemeroptera nymph, Chrinomidae larvae, Tipulidae larvae-Insecta, Rana sp.-Amphibia, Natrix sp.-Serpentes, fish sample Leiscus cephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) and leaves of Salix sp.-Salicacea from Seydi Stream (Kirka-Eskisehir). Our results have shown that boron concentrations of the Seydi Stream water is higher than the Turkish Environmental Guidelines standard (>1 mg L(-1)) and in Europe (mean values typically below 0.6 mg L(-1)).

Effects of environmental conditions on historical buildings: lichens and NOx gases.

Environmental conditions affect human life in various ways. One of the domains of environmental conditions is buildings, and amongst them, a major and important group is the historical buildings. To keep this inheritance alive, one needs to determine the effects of environmental conditions. In this work, effects of lichens and NOx on 7 historical buildings in Erzurum were investigated. Historical buildings are readily available for lichen growth, which takes a long time, and this growth was investigated as a sample of environmental effect that occurs through long periods of time. NOx, main source of which is traffic in Erzurum, were considered as the environmental effect of daily life.

Short-term effects of hydrogen fluoride on Nicotiana tabacum L.

Data on the short-term effects of fumigation with hydrogen fluoride (HF) on the response behavior of the Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. St. Karabalar 6265 are being presented. Growth rate, fluoride accumulation in leaves and soils, and degradation in chlorophyll and nicotine contents of the plant species against the variations in two experimental factors, namely the exposure concentration and exposure time parameters, were investigated. Resulting data reveals that the variety selected for this study is not so tolerant to fluoride as generally reported in the literature, if only the individual effects of the pollutant is considered.