Public health risk assessment of groundwater contamination in Batman, Turkey M. Tahir Nalbantcilar and Sukru Yavuz Pinarkara ABSTRACT In this study, a comprehensive analysis of groundwater was performed to assess contamination and phenol content in Batman, Turkey, particularly in residential areas near agriculture, livestock and oil industry facilities. From these areas, where potentially contaminated groundwater used for drinking and irrigation threatens public health, 30 groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for heavy metal concentrations (Al, As, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Cl, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, NO 3 , P, Pb, phenol, S, Sb, Se, SO 4 , Sr, U, and Zn). Compared with the standards of the Environmental Protection Agency, Al, Fe, and Mn concentrations in groundwater exceeded secondary drinking water regulations, NO 3 concentrations were high for maximum contaminant levels, and As, Pb, and U concentrations exceeded maximum contaminant level goals in all samples. Ni, Sb, and Se concentrations also exceeded limits set by the Turkish Standards Institution. Nearly all samples revealed concentrations of Se, Sb, Hg, and phenol due to nearby petroleum refineries, oil storage plants, and agricultural and livestock areas. The results obtained from this study indicate that the groundwater in Batman contains elements in concentrations that approach or exceed limits and thus threatens public health with increased blood cholesterol, decreased blood sugar, and circulatory problems. M. Tahir Nalbantcilar (corresponding author) Geological Engineering Department, Batman University, Batman, Turkey E-mail: tahir111@hotmail.com Sukru Yavuz Pinarkara KOP Regional Development Administration, Konya, Turkey Key words | contamination, groundwater, health, phenol, Turkey INTRODUCTION Located in Southeastern Anatolia, Turkey, the city of Batman has developed rapidly with the growth of the local agriculture and livestock sectors, until the discovery of oil in the area pro- moted the growth of the oil industry (Figure 1). Accounting for approximately 80% of all oil extraction in Turkey, Batman has become an attractive labor destination and cur- rently supports a population of more than 400,000 people. The city also hosts agricultural, livestock, and oil industry activities, including oil drilling and storage by the Turkish Pet- roleum Corporation (TPAO), oil transfer by the Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (BOTAS), and oil refinery by the Turk- ish Petroleum Refinery Corporation (TUPRAS). In fact, the city produces approximately 26,000 barrels of oil per day, all refined in local facilities of TUPRAS. Both crude and refined oil are then transferred to other cities and harbors by pipelines and trucks. Leakage from petroleum storage and from pipelines constitutes a threat in terms of ground- water contamination in the research area. Furthermore, agricultural activities including the use of fertilizer, pesti- cides, and manure piles from livestock have important effects on groundwater contamination. The globally pervasive development of industry has prompted researchers worldwide to scrutinize the phenom- enon of groundwater contamination (Sponza & Karaoglu ; Gowd & Govil ; Krishna & Mohan ), in which use of water for drinking is critically at risk and thereby threatens public health (Yildiz et al. ). Although some of these researchers have shown that industrial zones indeed cause water contamination (Aremu et al. ; Sponza & Karaoglu ; Nalbantcilar & Guzel ; 650 © IWA Publishing 2016 Journal of Water and Health | 14.4 | 2016 doi: 10.2166/wh.2016.290 Downloaded from https://iwaponline.com/jwh/article-pdf/14/4/650/394412/jwh0140650.pdf by guest on 28 December 2018