Abstract.-Emet Stream is one of Turkey&apos;s most important river systems. It is used for purposes such as irrigation water, industrial water supply, receiving environment for domestic and industrial wastes and fishing activities around the regions that the stream passes. The aim of this study is to determine the lead levels both in biotic (fish tissues) and abiotic (water and sediment) components of Emet Stream. Water, sediment and fish samples (Squalius cii, (Richardson, 1857); Capoeta tinca, (Heckel, 1843); Barbus oligolepis, Battalgil, 1941) were collected from eight stations (one of them is on the Kınık Stream and one of them is on the Dursunbey Stream) on the Emet Stream seasonally between the dates of November 2010 -August 2011. According to data, the lowest Pb concentrations of water and sediment were determined in E1 station (0.00307 mg/L and 10.48 mg/kg); the highest Pb concentrations were determined in E4 station for water (0.02503 mg/L) and in E8 station for sediment (48.53 mg/kg). Pb accumulations in biotic and abiotic components of Emet Stream were determined as sediment &gt; fish tissues &gt; water; the Pb accumulations in tissues of S. cii and B. oligolepis follows as, liver &gt; kidney &gt; gill &gt; muscle; in tissues of C. tinca follows as, kidney &gt; liver &gt; gill &gt; muscle respectively and it was also determined that biotic components of system were highly affected by the lead

Arzu Çiçek

Cem Tokatli

Esengül Köse

Hayri Dayioğlu

Naime Arslan

Özgür Emiroğlu

CiteSeerX

Pakistan J. Zool., vol. 44(6), pp. 1587-1592, 2012. 
 
Lead Accumulations in Biotic and Abiotic Components of Emet 
Stream, Uluabat Lake Basin, Turkey 
 
Cem TokatlI,1* Esengül Köse,1 Arzu Çiçek,2 Özgür Emiroğlu,3 Naime Arslan3 and Hayri Dayioğlu1 
1Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Dumlupınar University, Kütahya, Turkey 
2Applied Environmental Research Centre, Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey 
3 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Turkey 
 
 Abstract.- Emet Stream is one of Turkey's most important river systems. It is used for purposes such as 
irrigation water, industrial water supply, receiving environment for domestic and industrial wastes and fishing 
activities around the regions that the stream passes. The aim of this study is to determine the lead levels both in biotic 
(fish tissues) and abiotic (water and sediment) components of Emet Stream. Water, sediment and fish samples 
(Squalius cii, (Richardson, 1857); Capoeta tinca, (Heckel, 1843); Barbus oligolepis, Battalgil, 1941) were collected 
from eight stations (one of them is on the Kınık Stream and one of them is on the Dursunbey Stream) on the Emet 
Stream seasonally between the dates of November 2010 – August 2011. According to data, the lowest Pb 
concentrations of water and sediment were determined in E1 station (0.00307 mg/L and 10.48 mg/kg); the highest Pb 
concentrations were determined in E4 station for water (0.02503 mg/L) and in E8 station for sediment (48.53 mg/kg). 
Pb accumulations in biotic and abiotic components of Emet Stream were determined as sediment > fish tissues > 
water; the Pb accumulations in tissues of S. cii and B. oligolepis follows as, liver > kidney > gill > muscle; in tissues 
of C. tinca follows as, kidney > liver > gill > muscle respectively and it was also determined that biotic components of 
system were highly affected by the lead. 
 
Keywords: Emet Stream, Lead, Squalius cii, Capoeta tinca, Barbus oligolepis  
 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 Water pollution originates from both 
natural and anthropogenic sources. Especially after 
the industrial revolution, almost all aquatic 
ecosystems were contaminated by human activities. 
Lead (Pb) is found in the earth’s crust in small 
amounts, but over 90% of Pb in sediments and water 
is associated with human activities and lead sources 
in surface water and sediment are deposits of lead-
containing dust from the atmosphere, waste water 
from industries, urban runoff and mining piles 
(ATSDR, 2007).  
 Emet Stream is the most important branch of 
Uluabat Lake Basin and also one of Turkey's most 
important river systems. Uluabat Lake, which has an 
important biological diversity and is located on the 
migration route for many bird species, is a Ramsar 
area and one of the most important wetlands not 
only for Turkey but also for Europe and the Middle 
East (Magnin and Yarar, 1997). In addition to 
_______________________ 
* Corresponding author: tokatlicem@gmail.com 
0030-9923/2012/0006-1587 $ 8.00/0 
Copyright 2012 Zoological Society of Pakistan 
geographic location and proximity of urban areas, 
the Emet Stream Basin is one of the most important 
mining areas of Turkey. So it is very clear that the 
investigation of lead levels of the system is very 
important for both ecosystem and human health. 
 The aim of our study is to determine Pb levels 
in biotic (muscle, gill, liver and kidney tissues of 
Squalius cii, (Richardson, 1857), Capoeta tinca, 
(Heckel, 1843) and Barbus oligolepis, Battalgil, 
1941) and abiotic (water and sediment) components 
of Emet Stream. 
 
MATERIALS AND METHODS 
 
Study area and collection of samples 
 The stations selected on the Emet Stream for 
determination of the lead levels are shown on the 
map (Fig. 1). Field studies were made seasonally 
and completed in one year. The samples were 
collected in the dates of November 2010, February 
2011, May 2011 and August 2011. Sediment and 
water samples were collected seasonally from all 
stations by using sediment dipper, Ekman grab and 
suitable containers. Fish samples were collected in 
winter season (February 2011) from E2, E4, E7 and 
E8 stations.  
C. TOKATLI ET AL. 1588
 
 
 Fig. 1. Emet Stream, Uluabat Lake Basin, 
Turkey showing different station from where 
sampling was done. 
 
Chemical analysis 
 Fish samples were dried for 24 h at 105oC. 
Sediment samples were dried for 3 h at 105oC. 0.25 
g of each sample was placed in Pyrex reactors of a 
CEM Mars Xpress 5 microwave digestion unit. 
HClO4:HNO3 acids of 1:3 proportions were inserted 
in the reactors respectively. Samples were 
mineralized at 200oC for thirty minutes. Afterwards, 
the samples were filtered in such a way as to make 
their volumes to 100 ml with ultra-pure distilled 
water.  
 Water samples (1 liter) were taken at each 
sampling point and was adjusted to pH 2 with 2 ml 
of HNO3. Element levels in samples were 
determined by ICP-OES (Varian 720 ES). The 
element analyses were recorded as means of 
triplicate measurements (ASTM, 1985; APHA, 
1992; EPA, 1998, 2001).  
 
Statistical analysis 
 Cluster similarity and distance analysis, 
Boxplot and Matrixplot diagrams was applied to the 
results by using the Past package program. The 
graphics of water, sediment and tissues of fishes 
were made by using the Microsoft office 2007 
package program. 
 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
 
 Pb values determined in water and sediment 
of Emet Stream are given in Tables I and II. The 
average Pb values of fish tissues are given in Table 
III. 
 
Table I.-  Seasonal variations in levels of lead (mg/L; 
mean±SE) in water of Emet Stream, Uluabat 
Lake Basin, Turkey. 
 
Stations Autumn Winter Spring Summer 
     
E1 3.12±0.29 3.07±0.28 4.88±0.38 3.50±0.12 
E2 5.08±0.27 5.19±0.25 15.81±0.39 2.80±0.11 
E3 40.0±0.332 4.25±0.217 21.01±0.376 4.47±0.11 
E4 3.99±0.27 4.14±0.39 25.03±0.34 8.56±0.13 
E5 5.92±0.26 4.82±0.36 15.46±0.38 6.57±0.12 
E6 5.05±0.31 5.10±0.31 19.81±0.37 7.62±0.13 
E7 3.11±0.30 3.12±0.35 6.25±0.33 4.20±0.12 
E8 12.74±0.30 12.83±0.34 16.77±0.33 18.29±0.36 
     
 
Table II.- Seasonal variations in levels of lead (mg/kg; 
Mean±SE) in sediment of Emet Stream, 
Uluabat Lake Basin, Turkey. 
 
Stations Autumn Winter Spring Summer 
     
E1 13.83±0.22 18.33±0.34 10.48±0.35 12.37±0.26 
E2 18.33±0.12 17.93±0.34 14.32±0.39 15.44±0.39 
E3 19.93±0.16 21.73±0.35 31.50±0.44 29.14±0.34 
E4 19.06±0.16 31.06±0.19 37.95±0.44 29.33±0.36 
E5 26.13±0.19 30.66±0.24 26.73±0.30 28.12±0.20 
E6 26.06±0.16 33.46±0.28 40.42±0.61 31.35±0.31 
E7 12.26±0.13 17.6±0.23 18.78±0.38 14.66±0.25 
E8 33.06±0.22 35.62±0.30 48.53±0.59 37.40±0.25 
     
 
 The highest Pb concentrations of water were 
determined in E4 station (0.02503 mg/L) in spring 
season and the lowest Pb concentrations of water 
were determined in E1 station (0.00307 mg/L) in 
winter season. The highest Pb concentrations of 
sediment were determined in E8 station (48.53 
LEAD ACCUMULATIONS IN BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC COMPONENTS OF EMET STREAM 1589
mg/kg) in spring season and the lowest Pb 
concentrations of sediment were determined in E1 
station (10.48 mg/kg) in spring season. 
 
Table III.- Concentration of lead (mg/kg; Mean±SE) in 
different tissues of Squalius cii, Capoeta tinca 
and Barbus oligolepis collected from different 
stations (E2, E4, E7, E8) of Emet Stream, 
Uluabat Lake Basin, Turkey. 
 
Stations Fish  
tissues E2 E4 E7 E8 
     
S. cii 
Muscle 0.68±0.12 0.89±0.13 1.13±0.14 1.21±0.13 
Gill 2.59±0.34 2.29±0.29 2.17±0.22 2.72±0.32 
Liver 4.49±0.31 4.73±0.24 4.18±0.24 5.36±0.30 
Kidney 4.38±0.30 4.21±0.13 4.45±0.23 4.99±0.36 
     
C. tinca 
Muscle 0.72±0.13 1.45±0.15 1.11±0.14 1.42±0.15 
Gill 1.67±0.31 3.49±0.27 2.36±0.28 2.70±0.27 
Liver 2.15±0.21 4.17±0.25 3.30±0.21 4.26±0.32 
Kidney 2.57±0.15 4.14±0.23 3.44±0.29 4.39±0.34 
     
B. oligolepis 
Muscle 0.26±0.09 0.68±0.08 0.76±0.16 1.01±0.14 
Gill 0.62±0.17 1.89±0.27 1.90±0.15 1.95±0.18 
Liver 3.09±0.26 4.03±0.35 3.95±0.31 4.07±0.26 
Kidney 3.03±0.22 4.01±0.32 3.52±0.25 3.87±0.37 
     
 
 According to the Water Pollution Control 
Regulation in Turkey (SKKY, 2004), all stations 
except E8 have I. Class (< 0.01 mg/L) water quality 
in autumn, winter and summer seasons and E8 
station has II. Class (0.01-0.02 mg/L) water quality 
in all seasons in terms of Pb levels. In spring season, 
E1 and E7 stations have I. Class, E2, E5, E6 and E8 
stations have II. Class and E3 and E4 stations have 
III. Class (0.02-0.05 mg/L) water quality in terms of 
Pb levels. 
 According to the sediment quality criteria 
specified by MacDonald (McDonald et al., 2000) 
the Pb levels of sediment in E1, E2, E5 and E7 
stations in all seasons, E3 station except spring 
season, E4 station except winter and spring seasons, 
were under the limit values. The Pb levels of 
sediment in E8 station in all seasons and E6 station 
except autumn season were over the limit values. 
Especially in E8 station, the accumulation of Pb in 
sediment has reached critical levels. Furthermore, 
Pb levels of sediment in spring season have outrun 
the minimal effect threshold value (MET, 42 mg/kg) 
in E8 station. 
 If we describe the seasonal variations of Pb 
levels in water and sediment, the Pb accumulations 
show a significant increasing in spring season and 
decreasing in autumn season. Lead may enter rivers, 
lakes, and streams when soil particles are moved by 
rainwater and also lead is moved from the air by the 
rain to surface and groundwater (ATSDR, 1990, 
2007). In spring season, more rainfall in Emet 
Stream Basin may explain the sudden rise of Pb 
levels in water. 
 There is no study about lead accumulations in 
Emet Stream but according to an investigation made 
in the Uluabat Lake, the determined Pb levels in 
water were about similar to the recent results 
(annual average was 0.025 mg/L), but the 
determined Pb levels in sediment were significantly 
lower than the recent results (annual average was 13 
mg/kg) (Elmacı et al., 2007). If we compare the 
result, it can be clearly understood that Emet Stream 
is a major source of lead for Uluabat Lake (Ramsar 
area). 
 Boxplots deviation diagrams show the range 
and mean concentrations of Pb levels in Emet 
Stream water and sediment in Figure 2. According 
to the boxplot diagram in water and sediment, the 
highest deviation of Pb levels were observed in 
spring season for water and sediment; the lowest 
deviation of Pb levels were observed in winter 
season for water and in autumn season for sediment. 
 
 
 
 Fig. 2. Boxplots for water and sediment. 
 
 The matrixplot distribution diagrams with 
contour lines show the distribution of Pb 
concentrations in Emet Stream water and sediment 
for all stations and seasons (Fig. 3).  
 
C. TOKATLI ET AL. 1590
 
 
(ATM: Autumn; WNT: Winter; SPR; Spring; SMR: Summer) 
 
 Fig. 3. Matrixplots with contour lines for 
water (left) and sediment (right). 
 
 According to the Cluster similarity and 
distance analysis based on the Pb values of Emet 
Stream (in water and sediment), E4 and E6 stations 
show the highest similarity (94.4%) and E1 and E8 
stations show the lowest similarity (52.4%). While 
the stations of E1, E2 and E7 with low Pb 
concentrations are forming a group with each other, 
the stations of E3, E4, E6 and E8 with high Pb 
concentrations are forming a group with each other 
(Fig. 4). 
 
 
 
 Fig. 4. Diagram of cluster analysis. 
 
 E1 and E2 stations were closed to the source 
of Emet Stream, so these stations were not exposed 
to Pb discharge as much as the other stations. E7 
station was located on the Dursunbey Stream. 
Although E7 station was located on the down side 
of Dursunbey Stream, it has a low lead content. So 
we can say that, Dursunbey Stream is not exposed to 
Pb discharge and does not constitute any risk for 
Emet Stream Basin in term of lead. 
 E8 station is located in the down side of Emet 
Stream Basin and exposed to domestic, agricultural 
and industrial pollutions. These adverse effects are 
causing to high Pb accumulations in water, sediment 
and fish tissues.  
 Once lead falls onto soil, it sticks strongly to 
soil particles and remains in the upper layer of soil. 
That is why past and present uses of pesticides are 
so important in the amount of lead found in soil 
(ATSDR, 2007). Also, hunting activities are a 
significant factor for accumulation of Pb to the 
nature and it is known that each bullet contains 32 
gr lead (Akman et al., 2004). Intensive agricultural 
activities are carried out around the E3 and E4 
stations. Excessive use of pesticides and hunting 
activities around the region can cause the high Pb 
accumulation in water, sediment and finally in biotic 
components of ecosystem.  
 Burning leaded gasoline is a large source of 
lead emissions and also contaminated air, soil and 
water (ATSDR, 2007). E6 station was located at the 
side of a highway. So this situation can explain the 
high Pb levels around this station. 
 E5 station was located on the Kınık Stream 
and far away from domestic and agricultural 
activities. But this stream is under pressure of 
Harmancık chromium mine and although it is not 
exposed to organic pollution, it is exposed to an 
important inorganic pollution.      
 In this study, three fish species were used as 
biotic components of Emet Stream to determine the 
bioaccumulation of Pb levels. The Pb accumulation 
in tissues of S. cii and B. oligolepis follows as, liver 
> kidney > gill > muscle; in tissues of C. tinca 
follows as, kidney > liver > gill > muscle, 
respectively. The highest Pb concentration of tissues 
were determined in E8 station (5.36 mg/kg) in liver 
of S. cii and the lowest Pb concentration of tissues 
were determined in E2 station (0.26 mg/kg) in 
muscle of B. oligolepis.  
 Pb levels that we determined in water and 
sediment of E7 station show that there is no 
significant Pb source around the region and abiotic 
components are not contaminated by the Pb.  But 
the Pb levels of fish tissues in E7 station show that 
the bioaccumulation factor is very high for region. 
LEAD ACCUMULATIONS IN BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC COMPONENTS OF EMET STREAM 1591
The reason of high Pb levels in biotic components 
was the location of the station. As we say before, it 
was located on the Dursunbey Stream and very 
closed to E8 station. So fishes are affected from the 
Emet Stream which has a high content of lead close 
to E7 station. 
 According to the Turkish Food Codex quality 
criteria (TGK, 2002), the muscle tissues of all fish 
species caught from E2, E4, E7 and E8 stations 
(except B. oligolepis caught from E2 station) 
contains high levels of Pb and highly above the limit 
value (the limit value is 0.4 mg/kg). Pb content of 
muscle tissues in all fish species especially caught 
from E7 and E8 stations reach up to three times of 
the limit value. So consumption of these fish species 
is very dangerous for human health. 
 The matrixplot distribution diagram shows 
the distribution of average Pb concentrations in 
muscle, gill, liver and kidney tissues of three fish 
species according to the stations given in Figure 5. 
 
 
 
      Fig. 5. Matrixplot for tissues of fish species. 
 
 Generally, the higher metal accumulation in 
fish tissues is seen in liver tissues and the lover 
accumulation is seen in muscle tissues. The metals 
(non-lethal concentrations) are accumulating in 
metabolically active tissues (Kargın and Erdem, 
1992). As many researchers have identified, 
generally muscle tissues of fishes accumulate lead 
lower than metabolically active tissues 
(Kamaruzzaman et al., 2008; Shirvani and Jamili, 
2009; Kamaruzzaman et al., 2011). Similar to all 
these literature information in this study, the lowest 
Pb levels were determined in muscle tissues of all 
fish species and the highest Pb levels were 
determined in liver tissues of S. cii and B. oligolepis, 
in kidney tissues of C. tinca. 
 
CONCLUSIONS 
 
 As a result, the study clearly indicates that, 
the Pb accumulations of water and sediment in the 
entire river are rising in parallel of rainfall and 
although the abiotic components of system are not 
highly affected by the lead (except spring season), 
biotic components of system are highly affected. 
This adverse situation poses an important risk factor 
not only for the aquatic system but also for public 
health around the region.    
 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
 
 This study is a part of Cem TOKATLI’s PhD 
thesis entitled "An Investigation on Heavy Metal 
Accumulations in Water, Sediment and Fishes of 
Emet Stream". 
 
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Lead Accumulations in Biotic and Abiotic Components of Emet Stream, Uluabat Lake Basin, Turkey

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Lead Accumulations in Biotic and Abiotic Components of Emet Stream, Uluabat Lake Basin, Turkey

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