Correlation between water quality and pollution parameters in the surface waters of the coastal areas of the Sea of Marmara, Türkiye

Abstract

The coastal areas of the Sea of Marmara expose to many sources of pollution and pollutants. In addition to these sources, freshwater sources such as rivers and streams also flow into this inland sea, causing serious stress. In this study, dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH values were found to be high in the stations where the water circulation was active, and these results were similar with chlorophyll-a values. In addition, when the water quality parameters are evaluated according to the continental surface water quality criteria, the surface waters of the coastal area of the Sea of Marmara were found to be in the moderate class water quality in terms of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). The highest values of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and anionic surfactant (AS) among the determined pollution parameters were found in Polonezköy station. The findings of this study may shed light and provide a basis for long-term studies in order to make a complete assessment of water quality in these areas.

Keywords

• Sea of Marmara
• water quality
• pollution

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