ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Assessment of the Effects of Large Borate
Deposits on Surface Water Quality by Multi
Statistical Approaches: A Case Study
of Seydisuyu Stream (Turkey)
Cem Tokatli1, Esengül Köse2, Arzu Çiçek3
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1Department of Laboratory Technology, Ipsala Vocational School, Trakya University, İpsala/Edirne, Turkey
2Department of Environmental Protection and Control, Eskişehir Vocational School,
Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Turkey
3Applied Environmental Research Centre, Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2014;23(5):1741-1751
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
In the present study, water quality of Seydisuyu Stream Basin were investigated by determining temperature,
conductivity, salinity, TDS (total dissolved solid), pH, ORP (oxidation-reduction potential), dissolved
oxygen, nitrate (NO3), nitrite (NO2), orthophosphate (PO4), sulphate (SO4), COD (chemical oxygen demand),
BOD (biological oxygen demand), calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, arsenic, and boron parameters
seasonally in 2012 at 15 stations. All the data obtained were compared with SKKY (Water Pollution Control
Regulation in Turkey) and evaluated as drinking water according to the criteria of TS266 (Turkish Standards
Institute), EC (European Communities), and WHO (World Health Organization). Some mono (one-way
ANOVA test, Pearson Correlation Index) and multi (factor and cluster analysis) statistical techniques were used
to evaluate the data properly. Also, the ArcGIS package program was used to make distribution maps of arsenic
and boron in order to provide visual summaries of these elements’ accumulation in the basin. According to the
results of FA, four factors named as “Nutrient,” “Agricultural,” “Boron,” and “pH” explained 77.4% of the total
variance, and according to the results of CA, three statistically significant clusters, named “Low,” “Moderate,”
and “High” polluted areas were formed. In a macroscopic point of view, Seydisuyu Stream Basin has class IV
water quality in terms of boron; downstream of the basin has class II, upstream has class III water quality in
terms of arsenic. It was also determined that arsenic and boron concentrations in Seydisuyu Stream Basin water
were much higher than the drinking water limits.