Heavy metals, which are among the important pollutants that threaten ecosystems, have been a particularly intriguing subject of accumulation studies. The present study aimed to reveal the water and sediment quality, pollution status, and their usability for living organisms in 10 stations for the first time in İnaltı cave, which has two underground ponds. Concentrations of 9 heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Mn, Fe, Cd, Cr, Al) and 1 metalloid (As) were determined in samples taken. These results were compared to the limit values in Sediment Quality Guides (SQGs) and analyzed further using different sediment evaluation methods. SQGs values revealed that the amounts of Cd and Ni are of concern. Examining the concentrations of metals in the water, the ranking by concentration was found to be Al > Cr > Pb > Cu > As > Mn and the elements were considered not to pose any environmental risk. The enrichment of detected Cd metal in the sediment is remarkable. In addition, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and hierarchical clustering analysis were carried out in order to make the obtained data easier to understand and interpret. While designing the most appropriate action plans for water management, more clear and understandable information can be obtained by using these methods and interpreting the raw data. In the cave, individuals belonging to the Niphargus genus, a member of the Malacostraca class, Niphargidae Family, were identified in the sediment.

No abstract

Bakırçay, one of the important rivers of Western Anatolia, has a length of 129 km and its basin covers approximately 3160 km2 area. In addition to the existence of settlements, industrial and intensive agriculture-livestock activities are carried out, especially in the lower parts of the river. The objectives of this study are; a) to determine the diversity of benthic invertebrates distributed in Bakırçay, b) to evaluate the obtained data using various biological indices, c) to determine the interactions of species with environmental variables, and d) to estimate the water quality level of the river using BMWP and ASPT analyzes. Samplings were carried out at 15 stations between October 2017 and July 2018, seasonally. 11897 specimens belonging to 136 benthic invertebrate taxa were determined. Diptera and Oligochaeta were the dominant groups with 32 and 25 taxa, respectively. Station 4 has the highest species richness with 49 taxa. The highest individual number (3421) was at the 14th station. Tubifex tubifex and Physella acuta have the highest dominancy (25.76%) and frequency (51.67) values, respectively. Diversity (H’) values of the stations fluctuated between 1.367 (st. 13) and 3.154 (st.12). Similarity analysis showed that the 3rd and 11th stations have the highest similarity (> 90%), while the 14th station was an outgroup and has 28% similarity ratio. According to BMWP and ASPT scores, there was no 1st class water quality in the river, but the results of the TR-BMWP score suggested that the 1st, 4th and 6th stations had 1st class water quality.

Bu çalışma, Türkiye'nin 25 nehir havzasından biri olan Batı Karadeniz Havzası'nın Ephemeroptera faunasını tespit etmeyi ve türün ekolojisini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Batı Karadeniz Havzasında akarsu ve göller dahil 24 istasyon belirlenmiştir. Makrobentik omurgasızlardan örneklemeler Mayıs 2014 ile Ekim 2015 arasında 24 istasyonda mevsimsel olarak gerçekleştirilmiş olup, aynı lokasyonlarda çevresel değişkenler ölçülmüştür. Belirlenen istasyonlardan toplanan Ephemeroptera örneklemesi sonucunda 9 familya, 19 cins ve 39 türe ait toplam 2460 birey tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca çalışma alanında tespit edilen türler saprobik sisteme uygulanarak istasyonların su kalitesi açısından mevcut durumu ortaya konulmaya çalışılmıştır.