Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
| Element | Observed | Permissible | Detection limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cu | 104 | 108 | 0.01 |
| Pb | 118 | 126 | 0.01 |
| Zn | 319.6 | 317 | 0.1 |
| Ni | 38.7 | 40.3 | 0.1 |
| Mn | 575 | 575 | 1 |
| Fe | 23.000 | 23.300 | 100 |
| As | 25 | 25.5 | 0.1 |
| Cd | 2.41 | 2.40 | 0.01 |
| Cr | 110.7 | 121 | 0.5 |
| Hg | 0.0203 | 0.0200 | 0.005 |
Contamination factor (CF) and pollution load index (PLI) values in Iskenderun Bay
| Site No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cu | 0.28 | 0.25 | 0.22 | 0.25 | 0.24 | 0.25 | 0.56 | 0.21 |
| Pb | 0.52 | 0.49 | 0.10 | 0.13 | 0.27 | 0.29 | 0.64 | 0.26 |
| Zn | 0.41 | 0.41 | 0.27 | 0.25 | 0.32 | 0.32 | 0.74 | 0.29 |
| Ni | 11.7 | 12.4 | 24.6 | 21.4 | 1.70 | 1.95 | 3.71 | 1.54 |
| Mn | 0.58 | 0.62 | 0.86 | 0.59 | 0.82 | 0.88 | 0.76 | 0.84 |
| Fe | 0.66 | 0.68 | 0.82 | 0.78 | 0.42 | 0.42 | 0.64 | 0.36 |
| As | 3.83 | 4.16 | 7.38 | 9.27 | 8.50 | 8.88 | 5.55 | 7.94 |
| Cd | 0.7 | 0.65 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.85 | 0.65 |
| Cr | 5.31 | 5.73 | 2.49 | 3.92 | 0.75 | 0.81 | 1.53 | 0.77 |
| Hg | 0.08 | 0.07 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.11 | 0.02 |
| PLI | 0.11 | 0.09 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.16 | 0.0 |
Iskenderun Bay sampling sites
| Sites | Coordinates | General characteristics | Depth (m) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 36°39′39″N | 36°12′46″E | The site is located in an industrial zone, 11 km from Iskenderun. The region is located near heavy industrial facilities. | 2.5 |
| 2 | 36°38′06″N | 36°12′10″E | The site is located 8 km from Iskenderun. | 3 |
| 3 | 36°27′12″N | 35°55′35″E | The region is located near agricultural land and tourist activities. In the western part of the site there is a small stream that drains into the sea. | 2 |
| 4 | 36°21′40″N | 35°49′23″E | The site is located 48 km from Iskenderun and 11 km from Arsuz, and away from the industrial area. | 3 |
| 5 | 36°51′00″N | 35°54′41″E | The site is located in the Yumurtalık Gölovası region, which is located near a thermal power plant and a terminal where oil transporta on is carried out. | 11 |
| 6 | 36°51′08″N | 35°54′54″E | The site is located near a thermal power plant and a terminal where oil transportation is carried out. | 8 |
| 7 | 36°50′40″N | 35°55′12″E | The site is located near a thermal power plant and a terminal where oil transportation is carried out. | 25 |
| 8 | 36°51′16″N | 35°54′43″E | The site is located near a thermal power plant and a terminal where oil transportation is carried out. | 7 |
Sediment values according to EPA
| Metal (mg kg−1) | Not polluted | Moderately polluted | Heavily polluted | Current study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cu | < 25 | 25–30 | > 50 | 9.66–25.39 |
| Pb | < 40 | 40–60 | > 60 | 2.11–12.93 |
| Zn | < 90 | 90–200 | > 200 | 23.9–70.6 |
| Ni | < 20 | 20–50 | > 50 | 104.8–1673.6 |
| Mn | < 300 | 300–500 | > 500 | 494–750 |
| Fe | < 17 000 | 17 000–25 000 | > 25000 | 17300–38800 |
| As | < 3 | 3–8 | > 8 | 6.9–16.7 |
| Cd | - | - | > 6 | 0.03–0.17 |
| Cr | < 25 | 25–75 | > 75 | 68.2–515.8 |
| Hg | < 1 | > −1 | > 1 | 0–0.004 |
Heavy metal concentrations (mg kg−1)
| Site No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cu | 12.68 | 11.32 | 10.32 | 11.47 | 11.15 | 11.28 | 25.39 | 9.66 |
| Pb | 10.40 | 9.80 | 2.11 | 2.73 | 5.57 | 5.81 | 12.93 | 5.20 |
| Zn | 39.7 | 39.8 | 26.3 | 23.9 | 31.0 | 30.8 | 70.6 | 27.6 |
| Ni | 797.7 | 848.0 | 1673.6 | 1460 | 115.7 | 132.9 | 252.6 | 104.8 |
| Mn | 494 | 535 | 738 | 504 | 699 | 750 | 649 | 719 |
| Fe | 31300 | 32000 | 38800 | 36700 | 19900 | 19900 | 30200 | 17300 |
| As | 6.9 | 7.5 | 13.3 | 16.7 | 15.3 | 16.0 | 10.0 | 14.3 |
| Cd | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.17 | 0.12 |
| Cr | 478.4 | 515.8 | 224.6 | 353.5 | 68.2 | 73.3 | 138.5 | 70 |
| Hg | 0.034 | 0.028 | 0.005 | 0.005 | 0.012 | 0.014 | 0.045 | 0.01 |
Descriptive and background level values of the variables (mg kg−1)
| Cu | Pb | Zn | Ni | Mn | Fe | As | Cd | Cr | Hg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy metal Av. | 12.90 | 6.81 | 36.21 | 673.26 | 636.0 | 28262 | 12.5 | 0.10 | 240.2 | 0.01 |
| Iskenderun Gulf | 16.77 | 15.72 | 89.15 | 646.14 | 1166.3 | 9.75 | 0.26 | 1687.2 | ||
| Ambarlı Port | 280 | 96 | 346 | 53 | 339 | |||||
| Laizhou Bay | 22 | 21.9 | 60.4 | 0.12 | 60 | |||||
| Liaodon Bay | 19.4 | 31.8 | 71.7 | 22.5 | 1.2 | 46.4 | ||||
| Coastal Bohai Bay | 38.5 | 34.7 | 131.1 | 40.7 | 0.22 | 101.4 | ||||
| Interdial Bohai Bay | 24 | 21.11 | 89.60 | 41.35 | 0.12 | 68.6 | ||||
| Al-khobar Area | 330 | 9.4 | 86 | 116 | 244 | 16.73 | 3.1 | 83 | 1.61 | |
| Standard error | 5.11 | 3.83 | 15.06 | 629.01 | 108.7 | 8187 | 3.85 | 0.05 | 186.1 | 0.01 |
| Sand Sediment | 40.00 | 17.00 | 65.00 | 40.0 | 680.0 | 19.22 | - | - | 74.00 | 650 |
| Sandstone | 9.00 | 7.00 | 16.00 | 2.00 | 90.00 | 1 | 1.00 | 0.09 | 35.00 | 240 |
| Shale | 45.00 | 20.00 | 95.00 | 50.00 | 85.00 | 13.0 | 0.30 | 90.00 | ||
| Upper crust | 25.00 | 16.00 | 71.00 | 50.00 | 600.0 | 1.50 | 0.001 | 85.00 | ||
| Soil | 21.00 | 14.00 | 94.00 | 24.00 | 600.0 | 7.40 | 0.34 | 64.00 | ||
| TEL | 19 | 30.2 | 124 | 15.9 | 7.2 | 0.68 | 52.3 | 0.70 | ||
| PEL | 110 | 110 | 270 | 42.8 | 42 | 4.2 | 160 | 1.4 |
Enrichment factor (EF) measured in Iskenderun Bay
| Site No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Ave. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cu | 0.42 | 0.36 | 0.27 | 3.22 | 0.58 | 0.59 | 0.87 | 0.58 | 0.50 |
| Pb | 0.78 | 0.71 | 0.12 | 0.17 | 0.65 | 0.68 | 1.00 | 0.70 | 0.60 |
| Zn | 0.62 | 0.61 | 0.33 | 0.32 | 0.77 | 0.76 | 1.15 | 0.78 | 0.67 |
| Ni | 17.6 | 18.3 | 29.8 | 27.5 | 4.01 | 4.61 | 5.78 | 4.18 | 13.98 |
| Mn | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| As | 5.75 | 6.11 | 8.95 | 11.8 | 20.0 | 20.9 | 8.64 | 21.5 | 13.00 |
| Cd | 1.05 | 0.95 | 0.18 | 0.19 | 1.18 | 1.18 | 1.32 | 1.63 | 0.96 |
| Cr | 7.98 | 8.41 | 3.02 | 5.03 | 1.78 | 1.92 | 2.39 | 2.11 | 4.08 |
| Hg | 0.12 | 0.10 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.17 | 0.06 | 0.08 |
Pearson’s correlation coefficients between variables (boldface figures represent statistically significant correlations at 95% confidence interval)
| Cu | Pb | Zn | Ni | Mn | Fe | As | Cd | Cr | Hg | PER | PLI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cu | 1 | |||||||||||
| Pb | 0.71* | |||||||||||
| Zn | 0.94** | 0.88** | ||||||||||
| Ni | −024 | −0.43 | −0.33 | |||||||||
| Mn | −0.07 | −0.34 | −0.12 | −0.39 | ||||||||
| Fe | 0.14 | −0.06 | 0.858 | 0.91** | −0.51 | |||||||
| As | –0.33 | −0.78* | −0.57 | −0.05 | 0.51 | −0.31 | ||||||
| Cd | 0.57 | 0.92** | 0.76* | −0.70 | −0.10 | −0.41 | −0.63 | |||||
| Cr | −0.11 | 0.26 | 001 | 0.58 | −0.87 | 0.66 | −066 | 0.0 | ||||
| Hg | 0.77* | 0.98** | 0.91 | −0.31 | −0.36 | 0.07 | −0.79 | 0.86** | 0.29 |
Potential ecological index (RI) for a single metal (E_f^i)
| Site No. | Cu | Pb | Zn | Ni | As | Cd | Cr | Hg | RI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.40 | 2.60 | 0.41 | 58.66 | 38.33 | 21 | 10.63 | 3.40 | 136.46 |
| 2 | 1.25 | 2.45 | 0.41 | 62.35 | 41.66 | 19.5 | 11.46 | 2.80 | 141.91 |
| 3 | 1.14 | 0.52 | 0.27 | 123.05 | 73.88 | 4.5 | 4.99 | 0.50 | 208.89 |
| 4 | 1.27 | 0.68 | 0.25 | 107.39 | 92.77 | 4.5 | 7.85 | 0.50 | 215.24 |
| 5 | 1.23 | 1.39 | 0.32 | 8.50 | 85.00 | 15.0 | 1.51 | 1.20 | 114.18 |
| 6 | 1.25 | 1.45 | 0.32 | 9.77 | 88.88 | 42 | 1.62 | 1.40 | 119.72 |
| 7 | 2.82 | 3.23 | 0.74 | 18.57 | 55.55 | 25.5 | 3.07 | 4.50 | 114.00 |
| 8 | 1.07 | 1.30 | 0.29 | 7.70 | 79.44 | 18 | 1.55 | 1.00 | 110.37 |
| Average | 1.43 | 1.70 | 0.38 | 49.05 | 69.44 | 15.37 | 5.33 | 1.91 | 145.09 |
Geoaccumulation (Igeo) values for the sampling sites
| Site No. | Igeo | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cu | Pb | Zn | Ni | Mn | Fe | As | Cd | Cr | Hg | |
| 1 | 3.58 | 1.67 | 3.82 | −0.83 | 7.97 | 12.03 | 2.12 | −3.24 | −6.96 | −6.9 |
| 2 | 2.61 | 1.77 | 3.91 | −0.76 | 8.06 | 12.17 | 2.22 | −3.29 | −7.09 | −6.7 |
| 3 | 1.48 | 0.31 | 2.56 | −37.4 | 6.33 | 7.37 | 0.93 | –5.25 | −8.49 | −8.3 |
| 4 | 2.66 | 1.04 | 3.77 | −6.74 | 8.08 | 12.10 | 2.61 | –5.13 | −2.08 | −7.9 |
| 5 | 2.78 | 1.79 | 4.08 | 5.71 | 8.51 | 12.89 | 2.83 | –3.54 | 10.8 | −6.9 |
| 6 | 2.81 | 1.84 | 4.11 | −5.79 | 8.47 | 12.94 | 2.88 | −3.53 | −11.3 | −6.7 |
| 7 | 3.80 | 2.82 | 5.06 | 6.62 | 8.81 | 13.73 | 2.92 | −2.75 | −11.6 | −5.5 |
| 8 | 2.55 | 1.62 | 3.87 | 5.49 | 8.23 | 12.66 | 2.62 | −3.36 | −14.3 | −7.1 |
| Mean | 2.78 | 1.61 | 3.90 | −2.76 | 8.06 | 11.99 | 2.39 | −3.76 | −9.10 | −7.0 |
Principal Component Analysis (PCA)
| PC1 | PC2 | PC3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cu | 0.34 | 0.02 | 0.49 |
| Pb | 0.40 | −0.06 | −0.14 |
| Zn | 0.39 | −0.00 | 0.27 |
| Ni | −0.20 | −0.42 | 0.32 |
| Mn | −0.10 | 0.42 | 0.15 |
| Fe | −0.03 | −0.45 | 0.44 |
| As | −0.27 | 0.31 | 0.29 |
| Cd | 0.38 | 0.09 | −0.31 |
| Cr | 0.04 | −0.50 | −0.23 |
| Al | 0.33 | 0.21 | 0.30 |
| Hg | 0.40 | −0.10 | −0.02 |
| Eigenvalue | 5.71 | 3.48 | 1.23 |
| % Variance | 51.96 | 31.64 | 11.29 |
| % Clustering | 51.96 | 83.60 | 1.23 |