Environ Monit Assess (2012) 184:1379–1389 DOI 10.1007/s10661-011-2048-0 Heavy metals in Yeniça ˘ ga Lake and its potential sources: soil, water, sediment, and plankton Yasemin Saygı · Sibel Atasagun Yi ˘ git Received: 7 September 2010 / Accepted: 18 March 2011 / Published online: 15 April 2011 © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011 Abstract The distribution and accumulation of heavy metals (Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Cd, Sn, Ba, Pb) in the water, sediments, plankton of Yeniça ˘ ga Lake, and its potential sources (creeks, sewage, artesian well, soil) were investigated during 1-year study period as month- ly or seasonally. Element analyses were per- formed by ICP–MS. Results showed that the trace and toxic elements (Al, As, Mn, Pb, Fe) concen- tration in lake water and/or its feeding sources were above the recommended water standards (WHO, EC, EPA, TS-266). It was found that the maximum accumulation of the heavy metals iron, aluminum, manganese, zinc, and barium in the sediment of Yeniça ˘ ga Lake. The accumulation order of trace metals were Fe > Al > Mn > Zn > Ba > Ni > Cr > As > Cu > Pb > Co > Mo > Sn > Cd in the lake, creeks sediment, and soil samples. The similar results suggest that the accumula- tion of heavy metals in the sediment is a natural process. Metals accumulated in the lake are natu- rally mixed from the soil. However, the presence Y. Saygı (B ) Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Hacettepe University, Beytepe 06800, Ankara, Turkey e-mail: basbug@hacettepe.edu.tr S. A. Yi ˘ git Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Ankara University, Be¸ sevler 06100, Ankara, Turkey of heavy metals in the analysis of artesian well water and sewage reveals that the transportation occurs also from the groundwater to the lake. The results obtained in plankton in Yeniça ˘ ga Lake showed that aluminum, iron, manganese, zinc, and barium were most accumulated elements in the plankton. The lower averages of lead prevalent in the water and sediment during some months were seen to have a significant mean accumulation in the plankton. Keywords Heavy metals · Bioaccumulation · Water · Sediment · Plankton · ICP–MS · Yeniça ˘ ga Lake Introduction The contamination of fresh waters with a wide range of pollutants has become a matter of great concern over the last few decades, not only be- cause of the threat public water supplies but also with the damage caused to the aquatic life. There- fore, studies related with metals have been receiv- ing increased worldwide attention, and the litera- ture has many publications on this. Heavy metal constitutes a major problem with regard to envi- ronmental contamination because they are toxic and tend to accumulate in living organisms (Bury et al. 2003). Heavy metals are produced from a variety of natural and anthropogenic sources. In