CrVI contaminated groundwater in the Mediterranean: Case study from Mersin, Turkey

Increasing population, industrialization, agricultural and tourism activities in Mediterranean countries not only increase the water demand but also led to deterioration of water quality. Water quality degredation is a common problem in all circum-Mediterranean countries and there is an increasing need for development of a common approach in tackling water resources management problems. ERANETMED CrITERIA project aims to assist the water resources management organizations with an optimization tool that includes documentation and database for decision support. Greece, Italy, Turkey, Cyprus, Jordan and Omman are the partners of the project. The project area in Turkey covers Mersin city and its surrounding. This region is located on the Mediterranean coast and consist of two main hydrogeological parts; the Coastal Aquifer and the Hillside Aquifer. The Coastal Aquifer is represented by a deltaic environment and The Hillside Aquifer is composed mainly of sedimentary and ophiolitic rocks. Within the scope of the study, surface and groundwater samples were collected from the region in May 2017, October-November 2017 and May-June 2018. About 50 sites were sampled in each period. It is determined that none of the samples has above the 50 µg/L limit of EU drinking water standard for total Cr, but some of the samples have CrVI contents above 10 µg/L. CrVI is regarded as a potential carcinogen.