Geochemical Multi-Element Icp-Oes Analysis of Borehole Waters From Se Anatolia

Abstract

Water supply from boreholes is today used by people from rural areas of Turkey more commonly due to the reduction of available surface water. For this reason, the concentrations of A1, As, B, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, Se, Sn, and Zn in borehole waters of the Diyarbakir province (SE Anatolia) were determined in this study. Thirty borehole waters were sampled from different towns and villages. The samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The results of the analyses were compared with guidelines as set by Turkey, the WHO, and the EU. From the results it could be concluded that the ICP-OES method can be considered useful for the routine determination of trace elements in waters and similar matrices. For quality control purposes, the certified reference material TMDW-B Drinking Water was employed for validation. The recovery values were in the range of 93-101%. The Al, As, B, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, and Sn concentrations in the samples were found lower than the recommended LOD. The concentrations found were in the range of 12.71-111.4 mg/L for Na, 0.76-3.07 mg/L forK, 9.62-115.5 mg/L for Ca, 2.69-41.85 mg/L for Mg, <LOD of 0.12 mg/L for Se, <LOD of 0.21 mg/L for Fe, and <LOD of 0.52 mg/L for Zn. While some of the results were at acceptable guideline limits, the Se amount in six samples was higher than the suggested limit of >10 ug/L. In 2013, WHO estimated that lead poisoning resulted in 143,000 deaths, and causes 600,000 new cases of children born with intellectual disabilities each year (8,9). The main sources of Pb contamination for humans are food and water. Children are more susceptible to the effects of Pb because they absorb Pb more readily than adults. Pb from environmental pollution is not carcinogenic, but even a low Pb exposure has detrimental and long-lasting effects on the renal, hemopoietic, and nervous systems (10, 11). Copper (Cu) is a naturally occurring element found in rocks, soil, water, plants, and animals. It is an essential element required for the growth of both plants, animals, and humans (12). But an excess of Cu can produce toxicological effects, including vasodilation, flushing, and cardiomyopathy (13). Zinc (Zn), one of the most essential multi-elements, is a co-factor for more than 200 enzymes, and a deficiency causes nutritional problems. However, an excess of this metal can cause disturbances in the energy metabolism or an increase in oxidative stress, growth retardation, altered immune response, disturbed pregnancy, weight loss, and anorexia, among others (14). Some groundwater, surface water, and well water contains the arsenic (As) species of arsenate (As5+) and arsenite (As), which have become one of the most serious problems (15,16). Some essential trace elements in water are V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, Sr, K, Ca, Mg, and Mo (17,18). Recent environmental studies have been devoted to analyzing trace elements in order to establish the concentration of organic and inorganic pollutants and their chemical composition to protect the health of the population (19-23). Table I provides a comparison of the daily maximum allowable concentrations (MAC) of elements as regulated by WHO, the European Union (EU), the United States, Canada, Turkey, and the P.R. of China. Table II lists the daily intake of elements per day through food, water, and air, toxic quantities, mean levels in the body, and half-life of the elements (24-27). Water scarcity in some countries, such as Turkey, has become a critical issue in recent years, while the concern that fresh water will become a scarcer source in the future has been reported (28, 39). The use of borehole water is increasing in many communities of the world due to the reduction of surface water arising from the unobvious use and pollution from anthropogenic activities, etc. In this study, the analysis of borehole waters from 30 different towns and some rural areas of the Diyarbakir province (South East Anatolia of Turkey) have been investigated. The main aim of this study was to check whether the trace element levels comply with international standards for borehole waters from 30 different points of Diyarbakir.