Investigation of metal levels and associated eco-health risks in the Karasu River Basin (Türkiye) after a gold-mine failure

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dc.contributor.authorVarol, Memet
dc.contributor.authorTunar, Munir Ahmet
dc.contributor.authorSunbul, Muhammet Rasit
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-19T06:39:58Z
dc.date.available2026-06-19T06:39:58Z
dc.date.issued2026
dc.departmentMalatya Turgut Özal Üniversitesi
dc.description.abstractMining operations are among the main human-related sources of heavy metal pollution in rivers and lakes. After the February 2024 & Ccedil;o & uml;pler gold-mine failure in T & uuml;rkiye, we evaluated the spatial distribution, contamination sources and eco-health risks of dissolved metals in the Karasu River Basin, an upper tributary of the Euphrates River. Fourteen metals (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, Zn) and cyanide were analyzed in water samples from eleven sites in July and October 2024. Metal concentrations showed pronounced spatial variability, with the most severe contamination recorded at site K3 (Kuru & ccedil;ay Stream), where Fe (14,994 & micro;g/L), Al (8497 & micro;g/ L), Mn (513 & micro;g/L) and Ni (131 & micro;g/L) exceeded drinking water limits by factors of 75, 42, 10 and 7, respectively. Cyanide was not detected in any samples. Pollution indices (HPI, HEI, NPI and ERI) peaked at sites K3 and K10 (& Ccedil;alt & imath; Stream), indicating heavy pollution and considerable ecological risk. Multivariate statistical analyses suggested a strong spatial association between elevated metal concentrations and sites influenced by mining activities. Arsenic posed the greatest ecological and health risks, exceeding non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic thresholds at most sites. Children were more susceptible than adults, and ingestion was the primary exposure pathway. Overall, the findings indicate that metal contamination at several sites in the Karasu River Basin is consistent with potential mining-related inputs and may pose ecological and human health concerns. These results highlight the importance of continued monitoring, precautionary management and targeted mitigation efforts in the basin.
dc.description.sponsorshipScientific Research Projects Coor-dination Unit of Malatya Turgut Ozal University [24 O uml; 01]
dc.description.sponsorshipThe study was supported by the Scientific Research Projects Coor-dination Unit of Malatya Turgut Ozal University (Project No: 24 O & uml; 01) . We sincerely thank the editor and the reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions, which greatly improved the quality of this manuscript.
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.envres.2026.124204
dc.identifier.issn0013-9351
dc.identifier.issn1096-0953
dc.identifier.pmid41796837
dc.identifier.scopus2-s2.0-105032349016
dc.identifier.scopusqualityQ1
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2026.124204
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12899/5887
dc.identifier.volume298
dc.identifier.wosWOS:001716243000001
dc.identifier.wosqualityQ1
dc.indekslendigikaynakWeb of Science
dc.indekslendigikaynakScopus
dc.indekslendigikaynakPubMed
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherAcademic Press Inc Elsevier Science
dc.relation.ispartofEnvironmental Research
dc.relation.publicationcategoryMakale - Uluslararası Hakemli Dergi - Kurum Öğretim Elemanı
dc.rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.snmzKA_WOS_20260612
dc.subjectMetals
dc.subjectMining Pollution
dc.subjectKarasu River
dc.subjectEcological Risk
dc.subjectHealth Risk Assessment
dc.subjectT & Uuml;Rkiye
dc.titleInvestigation of metal levels and associated eco-health risks in the Karasu River Basin (Türkiye) after a gold-mine failure
dc.typeArticle

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