Spatial distribution and sources of BTEX and TPH contamination in freshwater sediments from Lake Iznik, NW Turkey

Iznik Lake is an important water supply deteriorating gradually due to anthropogenic pollution. Concentration and distribution of monoaromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and three xylene isomers; BTEX) were detected in the lake sediments using a static headspace GC-MS. ∑BTEX concentrations varied between 10.6 and 272.3 µg kg-1 dry weight (dw), with an average of 88.3 µg kg-1 dw. The light aromatic fraction of m-,p-Xylene was the most abundant compound (50.0% in average), followed by toluene (31.2%), o-xylene (12.2%), ethylbenzene (5.3%) and benzene (1.3%). Multivariate statistical analyses indicated that the BTEX levels and their distributions were controlled mainly by morphological and textural features of the sediment; anthropogenic inputs transported by the surrounding rivers, mainly influenced by agricultural facilities; absorbance of BTEX compounds in sediment; and biodegradation processes. Due to lack of any national sediment quality guideline regarding BTEX, the results will establish a significant baseline that will shed light on the administrative authorities for formulating their rational environmental strategies.

Keywords:

Monoaromatic Hydrocarbons;, Contaminated Sediment;, Pollution Sources Lake;, Multivariate Analysis,

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