Investigation of heavy metal pollution in sediments of southern Marmara sea (the Kocasu Delta)

In order to investigate the heavy metal accumulation and its spatial distribution, the extent of the pollution and possible sources, gravity cores and surface sediments were collected from the Kocasu Delta located at the south of the Sea of Marmara. Grain size, organic carbon, total carbonate analyses, geochemical analyses carried out on the samples. The relationships between elements and other variables have been examined and possible metal contamination in the samples have been determined. Accordingly, the results of the mean enrichment factor (EF) and the pollution factor (Cf), especially the Cr, Ni and Pb metals, indicated that the enrichment/contamination was "low and/or moderate", the results of the average geo-accumulation index (Igeo) showed that core and surface sediments were of "low contamination" levels for Cr, Ni and Pb metals. No contamination was found by the other metals and it has been determined that the work area in general is not polluted. The influence of the presence of various metal ores and magmatic rocks with high baseline (background) values in the southern drainage basin of the Marmara Sea, many industrial untreated wastewater discharges, domestic wastewater, solid waste and livestock manure storage areas, fertilizers and pesticides used in agricultural activities, and mining activities are the main source of point pollution in the study area and these are the possible sources of Cr, Ni and Pb elements that provide "low to moderate" enrichment/contamination in this study area.