Assessing Heavy Metal Pollution and Usage Characteristics of Surface Water Resources of Tavşanlı District (Kütahya, Turkey)

The study examines the chemical properties of surface waters in the Tavşanlı district to determine heavy metal pollution, particularly regarding their suitability as drinking water. Thirteen water samples were taken in October (2018) to analyze surface waters' chemical properties in the study area. Chemical analyses of these samples were conducted, measuring As, Pb, Fe, Mn, Cr, and Ni concentrations to reveal heavy metal pollution. The study findings reveal that the levels of Pb, Fe, Mn, Cr and Ni in the water samples meet the regulatory threshold. However, the concentrations of As in the water specimens scrutinized vary from 8.2 μg/L to 739.1 μg/L. The As content of the water sample taken from Sekiören pond alone was measured to be below the threshold, at 8.2 μg/L. In all other water samples, arsenic was found to be significantly above the safe drinking water limits, rendering these waters unsuitable for human consumption. The contamination can be largely attributed to mining sites in the surrounding area as their wastewater mixes with the surface water. Managing mining activities in the region is essential to protect water sources from heavy metal pollution.