DETERMINATION OF SOME METAL LEVELS IN WATER, SEDIMENT AND FISH SPECIES OF TERCAN DAM LAKE, TURKEY

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the metal (Al, As, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) levels in the gill, liver, and muscle tissues of some fish species, water and sediment samples taken from Tercan Dam Lake (Erzincan, Turkey). Initially, some physico-chemical parameters of the water such as temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen were measured, and the relationship was determined between these parameters and the metal levels detected in the water. According to the analysis conducted on the water and the sediment, the most frequent metal was determined to be Fe. During the analyses conducted in the water, Pb and Zn metals were not detected, and all metals were detected in the sediment. It was determined that metals accumulated to a higher degree in the liver and gill tissues compared to muscle tissues. The harmfulness of the metal amounts determined in the water, sediment, and fish tissues was evaluated by comparing them to the acceptable values determined by national and international institutions.