Accumulation of heavy metals with water quality parameters in Kizilirmak River Basin (Delice River) in Turkey.

Kizilirmak River has been used as Ankara's drinking water source for approximately 1.5 years. Therefore, this region's water, sediment, and fish samples are measured for detecting the heavy metals. This is important for the current situation as well as the future in terms of potential impact. The amount of heavy metals in drinking water should be within the limited values; otherwise, the accumulation of heavy metals will cause many problems to living organisms. Especially high levels of arsenic, cadmium, nickel, mercury, etc. are very dangerous to freshwater ecosystems as for human if the water is being use as drinking water. In this study, water, sediment samples, muscle, and gills of three fish species (Capoeta tinca, Capoeta capoeta, Leuciscus cephalus) were analyzed for the presence of heavy metals such as (Al, Fe, As, Cd, Ni, Mn, Se, Si) to determine present accumulation levels and possible toxic effect. The accumulation pattern of heavy metals in the water, sediment, and fish tissue follows the sequence: Si>Fe>Al>Mn>As>Ni>Se>Cd, Fe>Al>Mn>Ni>As>Se>Cd, and Fe>Al>Mn>As>Ni>Si>Cd. In addition, the detected concentrations of heavy metals in the Kizilirmak and Delice Rivers are compared with other heavy metal studies in the other main rivers and lakes in Turkey.

The study of heavy metal pollution and accumulation in water, sediment, and fish tissue in Kizilirmak River Basin in Turkey.

The accumulation of heavy metals such as Pb, Hg, Co, Cr, Cu, Zn, and Br were determined in water, sediment, muscle, and gill of three fish species (Leuciscus cephalus, Capoeta tinca, Capoeta capoeta) which were collected in Kizilirmak River Basin (Delice River). The metal concentration showed a general trend of Br>Zn>Pb>Cr>Cu>Hg>Co in water and Cr>Zn>Pb>Cu>Co>Hg>Br in sediment samples while Zn>Cu>Pb>Br>Cr>Hg>Co were in muscle and Zn>Pb>Cu>Cr>Br>Hg>Co were in the gill tissue.