Cluster analysis approach to identify metal sources in bottom sediments of Sultan Marsh canals, Turkey

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine heavy metal contents of the bottom sediments in Sultan Marsh water canals and drainage canals and possible sources of those heavy metals. The dendogram based on cluster analyses of the elements revealed two distinct groups of metals. There was a strong, positive correlation between some elements and their possible sources. Fe, Mn, Al, Ti, Cu, Zn and Cd concentrations in the canals were found to be high. It was attributed to the Fe mine in the south of the study area and the Fe smelting plants in the west of the study area. The heavy metals shown to reach high levels in the canals were thought to have toxic effects. The sediments of Sultan Marsh were affected by anthropogenic factors. That is, they were polluted by mines and industrial plants, and the ecological balance of Sultan Marsh is threatened. Copyright © 2009, Inderscience Publishers.