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In this study, the water quality of the Coruh River Basin, which is located in the Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey, was evaluated. The water quality data measurement results obtained by the State Hydraulic Works 26th Regional Directorate from four different sites over a course of 4 years between the years 2011 and 2014 in the Coruh River Basin were used as the data. In this study, the water quality was evaluated by using the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environmental Water Quality Index (CCME WQI) method and discriminant analysis (DA). The water quality of the Coruh River Basin was calculated as 30.4 and 71.35 by using the CCME WQI and classified as "poor," "marginal," and "fair". These values show that the water of the Coruh River Basin is degraded and under threat and its overall quality is not close to natural or desired levels. The monitoring sites were divided into two groups by the cluster analysis (CA). DA is a multivariate analysis technique used to divide individuals or objects into different groups and assign them into predetermined groups. As a result of DA, calcium (Ca) and sulfate (SO) were determined to be significant parameters in the determination of the water quality of the Coruh River Basin. The success of DA depends on the percentage of correct classification. As a result of the analysis, 23% of the parameters in the first measurement point, 69.2% of the parameters in the second and third measurement points, and 76.9% of the parameters in the fourth measurement point were classified correctly. Since the second measurement point is the discharge point of a copper mine, it can be said that the water quality parameters measured may provide accurate results in detecting pollution at this point.

The experiment was carried out in order to evaluate the effects of trace element immobilizing soil amendments, i.e., chalcedonite, dolomite, halloysite, and diatomite on the chemical characteristics of soil contaminated with Cr and the uptake of metals by plants. The study utilized analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA) and Factor Analysis (FA). The content of trace elements in plants, pseudo-total and extracted by 0.01 M CaCl2, were determined using the method of spectrophotometry. All of the investigated element contents in the tested parts of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) differed significantly in the case of applying amendments to the soil, as well as Cr contamination. The greatest average above-ground biomass was observed when halloysite and dolomite were amended to the soil. Halloysite caused significant increases of Cr concentrations in the roots. The obtained values of bioconcentration and translocation factors observed for halloysite treatment indicate the effectiveness of using Indian mustard in phytostabilization techniques. The addition of diatomite significantly increased soil pH. Halloysite and chalcedonite were shown to be the most effective and decreased the average Cr, Cu and Zn contents in soil.

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of 24 water parameters, measured semi-annually between 2011 and 2013 in Coruh Basin (Turkey), based on the quality of the water. The study utilised analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA) and factor analysis (FA) methods. The water-quality data was obtained from a total of four sites by the 26th Regional Directorate of the State Hydraulic Works (DSI). ANOVA was carried out to identify the differences between the parameters at the different measuring sites. The variables were classified using factor analysis, and at the end of the ANOVA test, it was established that there was a statistically significant difference between the downstream and upstream waste waters released by the Black Sea copper companies and between the Murgul and Borcka Dams, in terms of water quality, while no statistically significant difference was observed between the Murgul and Borcka Dams. It was determined through factor analysis that five factors explained 81.3% of the total variance. It was concluded that domestic, industrial and agricultural activities, in combination with physicochemical properties, were factors affecting the quality of the water in the Coruh Basin.

Landfill leachates are potentially harmful to the environment and to human health. The objective of this study was to characterize leachates in order to analyze whether a relationship exists between the stored waste and the composition of leachates, and to detect possible leakages of pollutants into the environment. To achieve these objectives, field data, Global Positioning System data and physico-chemical data were used. Biological tests are becoming increasingly popular in determining leachate toxicity; therefore, two toxicity tests were performed with the seeds of white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) and duckweed (Lemna minor L.). Leachates were sampled from the leachate pond. Groundwater quality was monitored by using drill holes. The research and analysis carried out are important to determine their potential impact on agricultural areas located near the landfill. Demonstrably increased (P < 0.05) concentrations of heavy metals were detected only in the leachate pond which closes the landfill body, where it links up with the landfill insulation layer. Water sampled from drill holes reaching into groundwater was not contaminated. The results showed that the leachates did not leak outside the landfill. Nevertheless, they were found to be phytotoxic. Both toxicity tests showed that the increasing amount of leachates resulted in the increasing growth inhibition of the tested plants. The proper handling of leachates should have been ensured.

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the water quality data and heavy metal analysis results in Coruh basin by using multivariate statistical analysis methods. Measurement of 21 water quality parameters was evaluated by collecting monthly samples between June 2014 and May 2015 from 14 monitoring sites in Coruh basin. These data were interpreted by using statistical methods such as analysis of variance (ANOVA), cluster analysis, factor analysis/principal component analysis. According to ANOVA analysis, there are statistically significant differences between samples obtained from these 14 monitoring sites in terms of electrical conductivity, Zn, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, NO 2 , SO 4 , alkalinity, Na, K, Ca parameters (p \ 0.05). Two groups were obtained by cluster analysis. The first group consists of the areas with wastewater of mining fields with high heavy metal pollution, and the second group includes areas with domestic wastewater and wastewater coming from agricultural areas causing less pollution. As a result of factor analysis/principal component analysis, four factors were determined. These four factors explain 62.7 % of the data of water quality. It is concluded that water quality is affected by mining activities, domestic wastewater, geological structure and wastewater of agricultural areas. In this study, environmental hazards affecting the water quality of Coruh river basin at different points are identified. Thus, it is expected to guide decision makers and administrators in environmental management works conducted to improve water quality in Coruh basin.

In many post-industrial sites, the high contents and high mobility of different potentially toxic elements (PTEs) make the soils unsuitable for effective management and use. Therefore, immobilization of PTE seems to be the best remediation option for such areas. In the present study, soil samples were collected in post-industrial areas in Northeastern Poland. The analyzed soil was characterized by especially high contents of Cd (22 mg·kg−1), Pb (13 540 mg·kg−1), and Zn (8433 mg·kg−1). Yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L.) and two types of mineral-based amendments were used to determine their combined remediation effect on PTE immobilization. A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of chalcedonite and halloysite on plant growth, chlorophyll a fluorescence, the leaf greenness index (SPAD), PTE uptake, and the physicochemical properties and toxicity of soil. The application of chalcedonite resulted in the greatest increase in soil pH, whereas halloysite contributed to the greatest reduction in the contents of Ni, Pb, Zn, and Cr in soil, compared with the control treatment. The addition of halloysite significantly increased plant biomass. The application of mineral-based amendments increased the ratio of variable fluorescence to maximum chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) in yellow lupine leaves. The leaf greenness index was highest in plants growing in soil amended with chalcedonite. The results of this study suggest that mineral-based amendments combined with yellow lupine could potentially be used for aided phytostabilization of multi-PTE contaminated soil in a post-industrial area.