Evaluation of surface water quality in the Southern Marmara Agricultural Basin

Ciner M. N., Özcan H. K.

International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Food Sciences, cilt.9, sa.2, ss.296-308, 2025 (TRDizin)

Özet

The Southern Marmara Agricultural Basin (SMAB) is a strategic region located in the northwest of Turkey, covering a significant portion of the Marmara Region. Rich in agriculture, industry, tourism, and water resources, this basin is one of the critical areas that must be protected and managed in line with Turkey's sustainable development goals. Due to its strategic importance, the basin is exposed to multiple diffuse pollution sources, which pose significant environmental challenges.Therefore, the protection and implementation of sustainable management strategies for the basin are of great importance. In this study, the current water quality was evaluated according to the Surface Water Quality Regulation using samples taken from points where diffuse pollutant sources are dense in the basin. Additionally, correlation matrices were created to examine the relationships between water quality parameters. The study results revealed significantly high concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) at the sampling points, indicating substantial nutrient loading. Moreover, the high correlation coefficients between pollutants increase the likelihood that pollution is reaching the receiving environment from non-point (diffuse) sources. These findings indicate that TN and TP loads significantly impact water quality in the SMAB.