Heavy Metals in Wetlands in Turkey

Abstract

Wetland areas are one of the most precious ecosystem because they contain rare ecological assets. The total area of wetlands of Turkey is 9.861 km2 and wetlands cover 1.2% of total area of Turkey. Unfortunately, most wetland areas of Turkey face great challenges due to various pollution factors including heavy metals pollution caused by rapid industrialization and urbanization. In this chapter, current heavy metal pollution status of wetland areas, especially Ramsar Sites in Turkey, was assessed by more than 60 articles dealing with concentrations of heavy metals in sediment, water, and aquatic organisms. The results from the literature demonstrated that anthropogenic activities were closely related to heavy metal pollution causing a significant threat to wetlands including some Ramsar sites. In this respect, Ramsar areas of Lake Uluabat and Gediz Delta were severely contaminated by heavy metals. Moreover, heavy metal pollution in other Ramsar sites such as Kizilirmak Delta, Sultan Marshes, Lake Manyas, Lake Burdur, and Seyfe Lake had moderate levels. Low potential heavy metal pollution risk was reported for a Ramsar site of Akyatan Lagoon. On the other hand, high levels of heavy metals were found in various wetland areas of Turkey, and heavy metal concentrations in water of Lake Hazar, Yenicaga Lake, Terkos Lake, and Beysehir Lake were higher than the permissible levels for drinking water suggested by WHO (World Health Organization). Plankton, zoobenthos, and fishes which lives in polluted wetland habitats had also higher concentrations of heavy metals in their tissues, and thus heavy metal pollution can pose a potential risk for food chain both in wetland and terrestrial ecosystems of Turkey.