Estimation of environmental impacts on the water quality of Incesu-Dokuzpınar Springs in Kayseri, Turkey

Abstract

Industrial and agricultural activities have directly or indirectly affected the concentrations of a large number of inorganic chemicals in groundwater, for example NO3, N2, Cl, SO4, H+, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, Cu, B, Pb and Zn, as well as a wide variety of pesticides and other organic compounds. For reactive contaminants like NO3, it is recommended that a combination of hydrochemical and environmental-tracer analytical approaches might be required to resolve changing inputs from subsequent alterations as causes of concentration gradients in groundwater. The water type of Incesu-Dokuzpinar Springs is mainly Na–Mg–Ca–Cl–HCO3. Note that the water types of the Springs were directly related to the hydrogeochemical properties of outcrops at the study area. Thus, the high concentration of Ca+2 and HCO3 is mainly related to the high CO2 contents in the marbles, whereas the high Na concentration arises from the existing syenite, volcanic ash, basalt and clay units, although the Incesu-Dokuzpinar Springs cover most of the drinking and irrigation water demands at the study area. Therefore, relevant hydrogeochemical and statistical studies were carried out for estimating the mentioned environmental impacts on the water quality of Incesu-Dokuzpinar Springs.