Contents, Pollution Indices, and Multivariate Associations of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils of the Ortaklar Region, Türkiye (Analiz Katkısı)
MINERALS, cilt.16, sa.9, ss.1-24, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 16 Sayı: 9
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.3390/min16090871
- Dergi Adı: MINERALS
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Earth, Atmospheric, & Aquatic Science Collection (ProQuest), Scopus, Materials Science & Engineering Collection (ProQuest), Technology Collection (ProQuest), Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), ABI/INFORM, Geobase, INSPEC
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-24
- Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Elevated potentially toxic element (PTE) contents in soils can pose important environmental concerns, particularly in regions where natural metal enrichment associated with ultramafic and mineralized geological settings overlaps with potential anthropogenic inputs. This study evaluates the distribution, enrichment, and probable controls of As, Ni, Co, Cu, Cr, Pb, and Zn in 35 geo-referenced soil samples from the Ortaklar region, Türkiye, with the aim of providing a geochemical basis for environmental monitoring and sustainable land management. PTE contents were determined by ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry), and their degree of enrichment was evaluated using the geo-accumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor (CF), and pollution load index (PLI), supported by correlation analysis and multivariate statistical approaches. Mean contents decreased in the order Ni (1972 mg kg−1) > Cr (924 mg kg−1) > Cu (290 mg kg−1) > Zn (188 mg kg−1) > Co (122 mg kg−1) > As (15.9 mg kg−1) > Pb (6.8 mg kg−1). Ni exhibited the highest degree of enrichment and was the dominant contributor to the overall PTE load, while Cr, Cu, and Co also showed substantial enrichment. Mean Igeo values indicated moderate to heavy enrichment for Ni (2.65) and As (2.36), and moderate enrichment for Cr (1.45) and Co (1.02). The mean PLI value of 6.99 indicates a substantial cumulative enrichment of PTEs relative to the adopted reference values. Strong associations among Ni, Cr, and Co are consistent with a dominant geogenic contribution from ultramafic/serpentinitic parent materials and their weathering products, whereas the distributions of As, Cu, and Zn suggest more complex controls involving lithology, mineralization, and potentially localized agricultural or other anthropogenic inputs. However, these statistical relationships indicate probable controls rather than definitively establishing elemental sources. The elevated total PTE contents and contamination indices identify the Ortaklar soils as requiring continued geochemical monitoring; nevertheless, they do not constitute direct evidence of human-health risk because metal speciation, mobility, bioavailability, and exposure pathways were not investigated. The findings provide a regional geochemical framework for distinguishing natural PTE enrichment from anthropogenic influences and for guiding future mineralogical, bioavailability, and spatial investigations in ultramafic and mineralized soil environments.