Investigation of heavy metal pollution in Konya Beyşehir Lake waters

Beyşehir Lake is Turkiye's third largest lake and has the largest fresh water resource, located in the provinces of Konya and Isparta.. The main livelihood of the area is agriculture, animal husbandry, and fishing. The lake water is crucial for irrigation in agriculture, industrial use, drinking water supply, as well as recreation and tourism. Additionally, there are various scales of industrial facilities in the basin. The basin's economy is undergoing a similar transformation to the national economy, evolving from an agriculture-focused structure towards industry. The increase in industrial facilities around the basin has led to the presence of heavy metal pollution in the lake water. The use of lake water, declining water quality, increasing pollution, challenges in determining the coastline, and the adverse effects of large-scale plans, along with management and planning deficiencies, are the primary issues in the basin. Beyşehir Lake is affected by the increase in untreated industrial wastewater due to the rise of arms factories in the vicinity and the influence of agricultural irrigation waters. The trophic level of the lake changes negatively due to the impact of point and non-point pollution sources. The study identified two different points where heavy metals from Beyşehir Lake contribute to water systems. The first point selected is where the Büyükköprü Stream, discharging from arms factories in Huğlu and Üzümlü, mixes with the lake water. The second point is determined as a location within the lake where dilution is high. Samples will be collected seasonally (autumn, winter, spring) from these identified points, and the lake water analyses will be evaluated according to the Water Pollution and Control Regulation (SKKY) criteria. During the sampling processes, these stations were determined on the map using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The analyses examined alkalinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, and heavy metals (Fe, Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Mn, As, Ag, and Zn). The objective was to investigate the levels of metal pollution in the lake and their seasonal variations. The results showed a decreasing metal concentration profile in the order of Fe > Al > As > Cu > Mn > Cr > Ni > Zn > Cd. This situation is presumed to be due to the presence of aluminum and chromium used in the region's arms industry.