Environmental pollution in disasters: 1999 Marmara earthquake example

The environment is a physical, social, biological and cultural area in which people and other living things live and interact with each other. The environment is an important factor affecting the lives of people in a positive or negative way. Impurities in the environment significantly affect the quality of human life. Some of the impurities in the environment are air pollution, water pollution, and soil pollution. For the control of pollution in the environment such as mentioned, the authorities should make various arrangements and studies to minimize pollution. Disasters are called extraordinary situations that cause physical, spiritual, social and economic losses of individuals by interrupting people's lives. After the disaster occurs, many hazards and risks may arise. One of these risks is environmental pollution. The pollution in the environment where the disaster occurs are interrelated. After the disaster has occurred, the surrounding impurities may increase. Therefore, many diseases, especially infectious diseases, may occur. For this reason, authorities should define both social and institutional duties and responsibilities in order to prevent environmental risks after disaster occurs. These definitions should be prepared by taking into account the regional risk factors. In this study, the environmental pollution that occurred after the disasters was examined in the context of environmental pollution and disasters; and heavy metal pollution in Adapazarı street dust in the 7th August 1999 Marmara Earthquake is presented. Keywords: Environmental Pollution, Disaster, Heavy Metal Pollution