Karasu River Research Articles

Earthworm (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae) Populations of the Karasu River Basin (Central Caucasus)

The species composition, population structure, and synecological characteristics of earthworms inhabiting forest and meadow formations of unique beech–hornbeam woodland of the Karasu River basin have been studied. Thirteen Lumbricidae species were found. The species composition and earthworm population structure depend on phytocenosis edificators. The greatest diversity, namely, species, chorological, and ecological, was recorded in soils of relict beech phytocenosis. It was shown that in the case of forest clearing its earthworm’s fauna remains intact. In the secondary meadows, the following was noted: the lowest species diversity of Lumbricidae, domination of soil species proper, and dramatically increasing diversity indices compared to forest associations.

Determining the lengths of dry periods in annual and monthly stream flows using runs analysis at Karasu River, in Turkey

AbstractDrought analysis is a vital component of water resources planning and management for dam and hydroelectric power plant (HPP) construction, reservoir operation and flood control. In this study, stochastic models were developed to estimate the monthly and annual flows of the Karasu River in the upper section of the Euphrates River valley. A time series model of flows was established based on the Box–Jenkins methodology. An autoregressive (AR) model was selected as the most suitable model. One hundred synthetic series, having the same length as the historical series (40 years), were produced using the AR model. It was also possible to control whether or not the generated time series maintained the statistical characteristics (mean and standard deviation) of the historical time series. After applying specified threshold levels (q = 0.5; q = 0.3; q = 0.1), the historic and synthetic flow series were subjected to runs analysis. Dry period lengths (run sum and run length) of historic and synthetic flow series were determined. Future droughts are estimated using maximum dry period lengths.

Length-Weight and Length-Length Relationships of Alburnus mossulensis and Acanthobrama marmid (Heckel, 1843) in Karasu River (Turkey)

Bu calismada, Karasu Nehri’nin (Firat Nehri kolu) 15 farkli istasyonundan yakalanan A. mossulensis ve A. marmid (Heckel, 1843)’in boy-agirlik ve boy-boy iliskileri belirlenmistir. Ekim 2014-Eylul 2015 tarihleri arasinda elektrosoker ile 228 A. mossulensis ve 365 A. marmid yakalanmistir. Total boy-agirlik iliskileri A. mossulensis icin W=0,0128L 2,81 (r 2 =0,93); A. marmid icin W=0,0055L 3,30 (r 2 =0,97) olarak tespit edilmistir. A. mossulensis ’ in tum bireylerinde negatif allometrik ve A. marmid ’ te ise pozitif allometrik buyume bulunmustur. A. mossulensis ’in boy-boy iliskisi TB=0,3611+1,0737CB, CB=0,3132+1,0549SB ve SB=0,0709+0,8325TB; A. marmid ’in ise TB=0,2043+1,0767CB, CB=0,1062+1,0999SB ve SB=0,1125+0,8047TB olarak hesaplanmistir.

Heavy metal accumulation in some aquatic insects (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) and tissues of Chondrostoma regium (Heckel, 1843) relevant to their concentration in water and sediments from Karasu River, Erzurum, Turkey.

The objectives of this research were to determine and compare the heavy element concentrations in two study areas in Erzurum, Turkey (Aşkale and Dumlu sites). Assessment of some heavy elements in sediment, water, fish (Chondrostoma regium) tissues, and some aquatic insects (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) were carried out in June to August 2014. Heavy element levels in aquatic insect samples and their associated water and sediment were analyzed by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer. Fish tissues, from the same habitat, were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Eleven elements (Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, Pb) were measured in fish tissues, and 14 elements (Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Sr, Br, Pb) were measured in insects. According to the results, it can be said that insects were contaminated by water and sediment, thus accumulated higher concentration of some elements than their environment. The fish, which was caught from Aşkale station, accumulates significantly higher level of heavy metals than Dumlu station's fish. The results were compared with national and international standards. The values of some heavy elements were found at higher concentration than the acceptable limits. The possible consequences of these results are briefly discussed from the point of potential hazards to ecology and human health. Element concentrations in fish tissue are below the limits, which are proposed by Turkish Food Codex, FAO/WHO, and EC, and safe for human consumption in the edible parts of fish species in the regions.

A histopathological study on the freshwater fish species chub(Squalius cephalus) in the Karasu River, Turkey

The present study examined the gills and liver histopathology of the freshwater fish chub caught from three different sites (Site A: Aşkale, Site D: Dumlu, and Site S: Serçeme) in the Karasu River. At Site A, the concentrations of some metals such as cadmium, aluminum, arsenic, lead, and manganese exceeded acceptable levels according to the Turkish Standards Institute. Moreover, the concentrations of metals in the liver and gills of the collected fish were determined. The presence of histological alterations was assessed by the degree of tissue change. The quantitative histological assessment indicated that the histological lesions were comparatively most severe in the liver. The results revealed that anthropogenic pollution of aquatic ecosystems affected the fish in their natural habitat.

Karasu Nehri’ndeki (Doğu Anadolu, Türkiye) Capoeta umbla’nın boy-ağırlık ve boy-boy ilişkileri

In this study, the length-weight relationships and length-length relationships were determined for shiraz barb ( Capoeta umbla (Heckel, 1843)) captured in the 15 different site of Karasu River (Tributary of Fırat River). A total of 407 specimens were catched by electroshocker, gill nets, trammel nets between October 2014 to September 2015. The total length-weight relationships were determined W=0.0113L 2.99 for females, W=0.0117L 2.84 for males and W=0.0115L 2.93 for all individuals. The types of growth for all individuals were negative allometric for C. umbla . Length-length relationships were determined as TL=0.734+1.084FL, FL=2.883+1.070SL and SL=-2.840+0.858TL.

Alterations in histology and antioxidant defense system in the testes of the lake Van fish (Alburnus tarichi Güldenstädt, 1814).

Recent reports have demonstrated gonadal abnormalities in the Lake Van fish (Alburnus tarichi) from Lake Van caused by increasing pollution. In the present study, the fish was collected from an area of Lake Van receiving mainly sewage treatment plant effluent at prespawning period (April) and from a river (Karasu) which is close to the polluted area of the lake and where the fish migrates at spawning period (May). Collected specimens were examined for testicular alterations, gonadosomatic index (GSI), condition factor (CF), and antioxidant defense system biomarkers based on comparison with a reference lake (Erçek) and a reference freshwater inlet (Memedik River). Histological examinations of the testes of fish from the polluted area and the connected river showed various alterations consisting of macrophage aggregates, vacuolation, pyknosis, germ cell degeneration, seminiferous tubule dilation, disorganization of tubules, reduced spermatozoa, and fibrosis. A lower GSI and CF were also observed. Moreover, alterations in the antioxidant system biomarkers were determined in the testis tissues of fish from the Lake Van and Karasu River, indicating oxidative stress. These results suggest that the abnormalities in the testes are causally related to the increased oxidative stress, and pollution in Lake Van may have adversely affected the reproductive health of the lake Van fish.

Streamflow Forecasting Using Different Neural Network Models with Satellite Data for a Snow Dominated Region in Turkey

Data driven models such as Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) became a very popular tool in hydrology for a long time, especially in rainfall⿿runoff modelling. However, it does not have common usage in mountainous catchments, where snowmelt plays an important role, due to lack of continuous snow observations. In order to improve the accuracy of snowmelt modeling, recently available satellite snow products are considered as an alternative input to these models. In this study, two different ANN models are employed and compared with each other using novel MODIS satellite snow covered area products as an alternative input into climatic data based models. Firstly, flows are modelled with Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) network using gradient-based Levenberg⿿Marquardt algorithm. Secondly, Radial Basis Function (RBF) network is developed. Both models are performed to estimate the daily flows of Karasu River in the Upper Euphrates Basin, Turkey using 2002 ⿿ 2011 data. The main difference between the RBF network and MLP network is in the nature of the nonlinearities associated with hidden nodes. The nonlinearity in MLP is implemented by a fixed function such as a sigmoid. On the other hand, the RBF method bases its nonlinearities on the training set data. In the study the determination of model architectures, optimization algorithms and methods to avoid overfitting are elaborately investigated.

Karasu Nehri (Erzurum) Havzasında Yaşayan Pelophylax ridibundus (Anura: Ranidae) Kurbağalarında Kirliliğin Neden Olduğu Eritrositik Çekirdek Anormalliklerinin Tespiti

Karasu River, which is the only river in the Erzurum plain, is the source of the river Euphrates (Eastern Anatolia of Turkey). The river is in a serious environmental situation as a result of pollution by agricultural and industrial sewage and domestic discharges. The present study aims to evaluate genotoxic effects of toxic metals in marsh frog, Pelophylax ridibundus collected from two contaminated wetlands environments of the Karasu River Basin, in comparison with frogs from one non-polluted reference site. Heavy metal concentrations in surface water of the river were determined. Genotoxicity assays such as micronucleus (MN) and other nuclear abnormalities (NA) were carried out on the frogs studied. MN and NA (kidney-shaped nucleus, notched nucleus and lobed nucleus) were assessed in peripheral blood erythrocytes of the frog. A significant elevation in MN and NA frequencies was observed in frog collected from the polluted sites compared with those from the reference site. Results of the current study suggest that there is a close realtion between increasing of erythrocytic nuclear abnormalities and environmental contamination. High concentrations of heavy metals have a potential genotoxic effects, and the toxicity is possibly related to industrial, agricultural and domestic activities.

Uptake of selected heavy metals and their effects on some physiologic parameters and mineral nutrition in Phragmites australis in Karasu River-Turkey

<div> <p>Water contamination by heavy metals is a serious global problem due to increased environmental and health-related issues. In this study, we have comparatively investigated the heavy metal concentrations and mineral nutrient levels in Karasu river sediments and in plants samples of <em>Phragmites australis </em>(Cav.) in order to assess the biomonitoring capacity. Plant and sediment samples were collected from four different localities along Karasu River, and those samples were analyzed in terms of heavy metals such as Fe, Zn, Mn, Ni, Cr, Cu, Pb, Co and Cd, and in terms of mineral elements such as K, Ca, Mg, Na, Al, and B using ICP-OES. In addition, lipid peroxidation, chlorophyll and carotenoid levels in plant samples were also checked. Sediments in Karasu River contained high concentrations of Ni and Cr metals. Moreover, <em>P. australis </em>showed hyper-accumulation for Cd and Zn in root and leaf samples, respectively. Although there was no significant difference in chlorophyll amounts among locations, lipid peroxidation was found to be high in samples taken from İliç. </p> </div> <p> </p>

Vitellogenin in the male Lake Van fish (Chalcalburnus tarichi Pallas, 1811).

Chalcalburnus tarichi is an endemic cyprinid species living in Lake Van, Turkey. In the present study, we investigated vitellogenin (Vtg) in the plasma of adult male C. tarichi, sampled monthly from Edremit, Campus and Çarpanak sites of Van Edremit Gulf (VEG) of lake, between October 2004 and May 2005. The fish living around VEG winters in deep water around Edremit site. University and Çarpanak sites are also on fish migration way from VEG to fresh water (Karasu River). The levels of measured plasma Vtg changed from trace levels to 26.35µg/mL. The highest level of plasma Vtg was detected in April, with a concentration of 21.60±1.29µg/mL. We also performed immunohistochemical Vtg staining in the liver sections of male fish and determined Vtg positive hepatocytes in the liver of 1/10 sampled fish. Our results indicated that C. tarichi living in Lake Van might be exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

Heavy metals accumulation causes toxicological effects in aquatic Typha domingensis Pers

Typha domingesis is a herbaceous plant growing around the swaps, lakes, and riverbeds. In this study, concentrations of heavy metals and mineral elements in root, stem, leaf, and sediment samples of T. domingensis were analyzed. Samples were collected from four different locations around Karasu River (Ulukoy, Bessaray, Saztepe, Kilimli) as one of the most important tributaries of the River Euphrates. Additionally, chlorophyll and carotenoid levels and lipid peroxidation features of the plant samples were investigated. Variations between the sampling locations and the correlation between the parts of plants were statistically evaluated. As revealed by the data, there were no significant differences between chlorophyll and carotenoid levels or lipid peroxidation in samples collected from different locations. Al showed the highest concentration in sediments, and K was the highest in samples obtained from different parts of the plants that were studied. It was observed that T. domingesis was acceptable as a good biomonitor plant for different metals.

Genotoxic effects of water pollution on two fish species living in Karasu River, Erzurum, Turkey.

Karasu River, which is the only river in the Erzurum plain, is the source of the Euphrates River (Eastern Anatolia of Turkey). The river is in a serious environmental situation as a result of pollution by agricultural and industrial sewage and domestic discharges. The present study aims to evaluate genotoxic effects of toxic metals in chub, Leuciscus cephalus, and transcaucasian barb, Capoeta capoeta, collected from contaminated site of the Karasu River, in comparison with fish from an unpolluted reference site. Heavy metal concentrations in surface water of the river were determined. The condition factor (CF) was taken as a general biomarker of the health of the fish, and genotoxicity assays such as micronucleus (MN) and other nuclear abnormalities (NA) were carried out on the fish species studied. MN and NA such as kidney-shaped nucleus, notched nucleus, binucleated, lobed nucleus, and blebbed nucleus were assessed in peripheral blood erythrocytes, gill epithelial cells, and liver cells of the fish. A significant decrease in CF values associated with a significant elevation in MN and NA frequencies was observed in fish collected from the polluted sites compared with those from the reference site. Results of the current study show the significance of integrating a set of biomarkers to identify the effects of anthropogenic pollution. High concentrations of heavy metals have a potential genotoxic effects, and the toxicity is possibly related to industrial, agricultural, and domestic activities.

An age of rockslides and paleoearthquakes in the Karasu River valley (Talas-Fergana Fault, Kyrgyzstan)

The study of the segment of the Karasu River valley (Kyrgyzstan), where it coincides with the Talas-Fergana Fault, the largest shear zone in Central Asia, was conducted. All the age data available for strong paleoearthquakes and significant rock landslides that occurred in the region were collected and analyzed; new age data were obtained using lichenometric and radiocarbon analyzers. It was established that the majority of earthquakes and landslide phases are coeval (within the limits of error of determination methods). This confirms the supposition that significant rockslides were induced by strong seismic events.

Histopathological changes in gill and liver of Capoeta capoeta living in the Karasu River, Erzurum

The contamination of surface waters by different pollutants is an important problem worldwide. In this study, the histopathological effects of water pollution were investigated on freshwater fish species Capoeta capoeta caught from the Karasu River. Fish were caught at three different sites in the Karasu River, namely, Aşkale, Dumlu, and Serçeme. The histological changes in gill and liver of fish were detected microscopically and evaluated with quantitative analyses. In addition, heavy metals have also been determined in surface water samples from these sites. Results showed that the Aşkale site was polluted by different kinds of heavy metals. In Aşkale site, some heavy metals such as Cd, Al, As, Pb, and Mn levels were mostly detected at concentrations above than the accepted values by the Turkish Standards Institute. The presence of gill and liver histological alterations were assessed by the degree of tissue change (DTC). In gill filaments, hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the gill epithelium, lamellar epithelial lifting, lamellae shortening, vasodilatation, lamellar disorganization, blood congestion, fusion, and aneurysm were observed. In the liver, the changes included an increase in the number and size of melanomacrophage aggregates, nonhomogenous parenchyma, proliferation of the hepatopancreas, sinusoidal dilatation, vacuolization, hypertrophy of the hepatocytes, congestion and degeneration of central vein, blood congestion, pyknotic nucleus, focal necrosis, and hepatic granuloma. The histological lesions were comparatively most severe in liver. The DTC means were varied from slight to moderate of gill and moderate to severe of liver tissue in the Aşkale site, thus the site is considered to be of low quality. Some pathological alterations were observed in the Serçeme site, although their distribution was lower than sites Dumlu and especially Aşkale. The least DTC means of the Serçeme site demonstrated their good environmental quality. The results suggest that there is a close relationship between amounts of pathological alterations and environmental contamination.

Evaluation of liquefaction in Karasu River floodplain after the October 23, 2011, Van (Turkey) earthquake

The eastern shore of Lake Van was shaken by a powerful earthquake (M w 7.2) on October 23, 2011. The epicenter of the earthquake was located at about 30 km north of the Van Province, which is one of the main cities in the Eastern Anatolia. The Van Province and particularly its largest district Ercis were adversely affected by the earthquake, and unfortunately, a total of 600 people lost their lives. Besides severe constructional damages and building collapses, ground deformations were widespread at many locations nearby the Lake Van and Karasu River floodplain. Numerous sand boils and lateral spreading cracks were observed at the left and right embankments of the Karasu River, which is one of the major streams in the region. In this study, field observations on liquefaction and lateral spreading features triggered by the M w 7.2 Van earthquake are initially presented. Then, the results of subsurface investigations including trial pits, drillings and geophysical surveys on specific large-scale sand boils are explained. Subsequently, liquefaction back-analysis is performed considering the gathered subsurface data. The analysis indicates that the liquefaction occurred in a shallow zone with approximately 4 m thickness in the investigated area. The Liquefaction Potential Index method reveals high liquefaction potential for the analyzed sand boil location. In addition, the effect of cap soil thickness on liquefaction is once more validated by this case.

Metals in Two Species of Fish in Karasu River

In this study, cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) levels were determined in the tissues (muscle, liver and gills) of two fish species, Capoeta capoeta umbla and Chalcalburnus mosullensis, collected from three stations of the Karasu River. The lowest metal accumulation was detected in the muscle tissues. Moreover there was some variability in the metal concentrations measured in the same tissues from samples obtained from the three different stations. A positive correlation was observed for the concentration of metal pairs Fe-Cu, Fe-Zn, Ni-Pb, Pb-Zn. These findings were also compared with national and international food standards, and Pb and Cd concentrations were determined to be above the level set by the standards. In conclusion, it was supposed that excessive consumption of these two fish species, which already occurs in this region, might pose a public health risk.

Distribution and accumulation of heavy metals in the sediments of Akkaya Dam, Nigde, Turkey

Twenty-one surface sediment samples were collected from Akkaya Dam. Heavy metal concentrations (Mo, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Mn, Fe, Cr, As, V and Cd), grain size, organic carbon and carbonate contents were studied in order to assess the extent of environmental pollution and to discuss the origin of these contaminants in sediments of dam. The sediments in the study area are mostly very fine sands. However, mud was observed in the northeast of the dam. Sediment pollution assessment was carried out using enrichment factor. The calculation of enrichment factors showed that Mo is depleted by 1.0 whereas Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Mn, As, V, Cr and Cd are enriched by 3, 5.4, 7, 2.7, 2.2, 3.4, 42.3, 2.1, 1.8 and 7.2, respectively. Relatively high concentrations heavy metals occurred in north (textile industry area) and east (Karasu River) due to enrichment controlled by anthropogenic wastes. The results of correlation analysis show low-medium positive and negative correlations among metals, grain size, carbonate contents and organic carbon and indicate that heavy metals in sediments of the Akkaya Dam have different anthropogenic sources.

Stochastic modelling of mean monthly flows of Karasu River, in Turkey

Stochastic modelling of streamflows is vital for planning water resource systems. In this study, a stochastic model of the mean monthly streamflows at 2154 Asagιkagdaric Gauging Station on Karasu River was constructed. Studies were carried out using data from the water yearbooks published by chk later onEIE. The modelling procedure for streamflows with constant coefficient autoregressive moving average (ARMA) models was given in detail and indicated models were constructed. Analysis with streamflows at 2154 Asagιkagdaric Gauging Station showed that the autoregressive (AR) (1) model is the most appropriate model among the competing models. While selecting the most efficient model the Akaike information criterion (AIC) was used. The Port-Manteau test showed that residuals are white noise series. Using the AR(1) model, 100 synthetic series were generated and the time series generated were found to have the same statistical parameters (monthly mean, monthly standard deviation and autocorrelation) as historic time series within 95% confidence intervals.

The Study of the Genotoxic Effect of the Karasu River Surface Water Containing Local Fat Plant Waste Water on the Drosophila melanogaster Using the Wing Somatic Mutation and Recombination Test (SMART)

In the present study, the genotoxic effect of wastewater including heavy metals was investigated. For this purpose, the induction/reduction of mutation and recombination of surface water sampled before and after the discharge points (station-I,II) of the local fat plant (Erzurum, Turkey) were investigated by wing Somatic Mutation and Recombination Test (SMART) of the Drosophila melanogaster. In this study, thirdinstar larvae, which are trans-heterozygous for the third chromosome recessive markers with multiple wing hairs (mwh) and flare-3 (flr3) were separated into groups and were exposed to two different water samples including high and low metal ion concentrations. These larvae were kept in the culture media until the adult stage. Wing preparates of obtained adult individuals were prepared and examined under a light microscope. Frequencies of mutant clones formed through application of surface water samples taken from station I and station II in different periods and frequencies of the control group were compared by a Conditional Binominal Test. While it was observed that the samples taken from station I did not cause an increase in the total mutant clone frequency whereas the samples obtained from station II did. It was suggested that the metal ion concentration was determined to be higher in station II which might have lead to this result.