Distribution and Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Streams of Amanos Mountains from Southern Turkey

Assessing the potential ecological risks of chemical pollutants like heavy metals is a key tool of a sustainable environment. With this goal, ecotoxicological significant metal (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) levels of the water (n = 32) and sediment (n = 32) samples of streams [rural (8 points) and urban (8 points) sides] on Amanos Mountains were determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and ecotoxicological risk assessment was performed through the potential ecological risk index (RI). The study region with intense urban activities has also ecological importance with regards to wildlife. It is located on the migration route of birds, hosts loggerhead and green sea turtles, Mediterranean seals, and some terrestrial species like mountain gazelle and striped hyena. All calculated RI values were below the potential risk limits and the ecotoxicological risk was observed to be very low. Metal levels should be monitored periodically, and necessary measures should be taken before the reflection of the increase to be determined by the risk assessment on the ecosystem.