Environ Geochem Health (2007) 29:119–129
DOI 10.1007/s10653-006-9071-z
ORIGINAL PAPER
Arsenic mineralization, source, distribution, and abundance
in the Kutahya region of the western Anatolia, Turkey
Meral Dogan Æ A. Umran Dogan
Published online: 8 February 2007
Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007
Abstract Environmental exposure to arsenic
(As) in the Kutahya region of the western
Anatolia, Turkey has been reported to cause
various types of arsenic-associated skin disorders
(Dogan, Dogan, Celebi, & Baris, 2005). A
geological and mineralogical study was conducted
to find the sources and distribution of the As.
Geogenic (background) levels were measured in
samples collected from various sources in the
Gediz, Simav, Tavsanli, Emet, Yoncali, Ye-
nicekoy, and Muratdagi areas of the Kutahya
region. Based on this analysis, we determined that
natural sources are a domineering factor affecting
the distribution of As, which was found: (1)
mainly in evaporitic minerals, including coleman-
M. Dogan (&)
Department of Geological Engineering, Hacettepe
University, Ankara, Turkey
Present Address:
M. Dogan
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering,
The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
e-mail: mdogan@engineering.uiowa.edu
A. U. Dogan
Department of Geological Engineering, Ankara
University, Ankara, Turkey
Present Address:
A. U. Dogan
Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering,
The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
ite (269–3900 ppm) and gypsum (11–99,999 ppm),
but also in alunite (7–10 ppm) and chert (54–
219 ppm); (2) in secondary epithermal gypsum,
which has a high concentration of As in the form
of realgar and orpiment along fracture zones of
Mesozoic and Cenozoic carbonate aquifers; (3) in
rocks, including limestone/dolomite (3–699 ppm)
and travertine (5–4736 ppm), which are relatively
more enriched in As than volcanics (2–14 ppm),
probably because of secondary enrichment
through hydrological systems; (4) in coal (1.9–
46.5 ppm) in the sedimentary successions of the
Tertiary basins; (5) in thermal waters, where As is
unevenly distributed at concentrations varying
from 0.0–0.9 mg/l. The highest As concentrations
in thermal water (Gediz and Simav) correlate to
the higher pH (7–9.3) and T (60–83°C) conditions
and to the type of water (Na–HCO3–SO4 with
high concentration of Ca, Mg, K, SiO2, and Cl in
the water). Changes in pH can be related to some
redox reactions, such as the cation exchange
reactions driving the dissolution of carbonates
and silicates. Fe-oxidation, high pH values
(7–9.3), presence of other trace metals (Ni, Co,
Pb, Zn, Al), increased salinity (Na, Cl), high B,
Li, F, and SiO, high Fe, SO4 (magnetite, specul-
arite-hematite, gypsum), and graphite, and the
presence of U, Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, and B, especially in
the Emet, Gediz, and Simav areas, are the typical
indicators for the geothermally affected water
with high As content. A sixth source of As in this
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region is the ground (0.0–10.7 mg/l) and the
surface waters (0.0022–0.01 mg/l), which are con-
trolled by water–rock interaction, fracture system,
and mixing/dilution of thermal waters. The high
As concentration in groundwater corresponds to
the areas where pathological changes are greatest
in the habitants. Arsenic in ground water also
effects ecology. For example, only Juriperus
oxycedrus and J. varioxycedrus types of vegeta-
tion are observed in locations with the highest
concentration of As in the region. Branches and
roots of these plants are enriched in As.
Keywords Arsenic mineralization

Groundwater
Kutahya
Messinian crisis

Sources of arsenic
Turkey
Western Anatolia
Introduction
In the Mediterranean region, the Upper Miocene
was a time of convergence and interaction of
different geological processes, including tectonics,
volcanic, and hydrothermal activities, and desic-
cation of the Mediterranean Sea. The Messinian
salinity crisis was probably the most outstanding
geological event of the late Cenozoic in the
western Anatolia. Evaporation resulted in unusu-
ally high occurrences of some minerals, including
arsenic (As) and borate minerals in the Kutahya
region of the western Anatolia (Fig. 1). The
redistribution of As in response to the geologic
processes of the Messinian is reflected in the high
content of As in the minerals, rocks, and drinking
water of this area. Long-term exposure to these
naturally occurring high levels of As may increase
the risk of diseases to the inhabitants of the area,
as has been manifested by the severe health
problems that have been found in various popu-
lations drinking As-rich water for long periods of
time (Guha et al., 1998; Hopenhayn-Rich, Biggs,
& Smith, 1998; Jaafar et al., 1993; NRC, 2001;
Plesko, Vlasak, Kramarova, & Obsitnikova, 1993;
Smith et al., 1992, 2000; Tondel et al., 1999).
Arsenic affects many organ systems, including the
respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, ner-
vous, and hematopoietic systems. Skin lesions are
the most common manifestations of As toxicity.
An apparent dose-response relationship between
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Environ Geochem Health (2007) 29:119–129
the consumption of As-contaminated drinking
water and skin disorders was observed in the
Kutahya region when 153 individuals were
screened from the Igdekoy and Dulkadir villages
in the Emet area of the Kutahya region (Dogan et
al., 2005). Figure 2 shows As-related skin lesions
in the sole of a person from the Igdekoy area. At
Igdekoy, 30.9% of the inhabitants had As-related
skin disorders compared to 5.35% in Dulkadir,
where lower levels of As were found in the
drinking water. In the Kutahya region, typical
symptoms of chronic As intoxication in terms of
individual lesions include palmo-planter keratosis
(PPK), basal cell carcinoma (BCC), planter ker-
atodermi, planter hyperkeratosis, pigmented nod-
ular lesion, mycosis fungicides, keratic papules,
Bowenoid lesions, hyperhydrosis, verru plantaris,
and verru planteris et palmaris (Dogan et al.,
2005). Lung and bladder cancers are also ob-
served in some localities of the Kutahya region
(Turkish Ministry of Health, Department of
Cancer Control data).
Little is known about the geological processes
that determine both the emplacement and source
of the observed As enrichments in the area. A
knowledge of the surface geology and mineralogy
of the are is important to an understanding of the
origins of the observed As distribution. In turn, the
determination of the distribution of As in geolog-
ical materials is critical to determining its effect on
surface and ground water. This knowledge is also
important for defining geochemical baselines for
potentially harmful As so that any future pertur-
bations caused by human influence or natural
events may be recognized and measured. Hence,
this geological study focused on gaining an under-
standing of both the relationship of the distribution
of high contents of As and the geological controls
and mineral–water interactions in the Kutahya
area, western Anatolia, Turkey.
Materials and methods
In this study, field, mineralogical, and geochem-
ical studies were conducted to determine the
source(s) of As. Representative samples of rocks
including peridotite, serpentinite, basalt, andesite,
trachy andesite, tuff, gabbro, diorite, applite,
Environ Geochem Health (2007) 29:119–129 121

Fig. 1 Upper map location of the Kutahya region, Turkey. Lower map the locations of the study area (Gediz, Simav, Emet,
Tavsanli, Yoncali, Yenicekoy, and Muratdagi of the Kutahya region in western Anatolia)

limestone/dolomite, marl, and travertine; miner-
als, including gypsum, chert, colemanite, alunite,
and clinoptilolite; coal; water; and plant material
were systematically collected. A total of 105 rock
and mineral samples were analyzed for their As
contents by inductively coupled plasma-emission
spectrometry (ICP-ES)(Table 1) (ACME labora-
tory, Canada).
To establish the regional distribution of As in
water, we collected 40 samples directly from
water supply wells, geothermal water, cold spring
water, and creeks. Each of the water samples was
put into two plastic bottles, which were tightly
sealed and immediately analyzed to determine
the total As concentration. A portion of each
water sample was filtered through a 0.45-lm
membrane filter; this filtered sample was either
acidified to pH 2 for cation analysis, or not
acidified for anion analysis. Concentrations of As
were measured by means of graphite-furnace
atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) at
the Water and Sewer Administration of Ankara
(ASKI) and the Hygienic Institutes of Izmir,
Turkey. For verification, both sampling and anal-
yses were repeated three times for the samples
with the highest concentrations of As in the area.

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122 Environ Geochem Health (2007) 29:119–129

Table 1 Average and range of the As concentrations in

the mineral and rock samples collected from the study
area
Rock/sediment/ As concentration Number of
mineral type average and range analyses
(ppm) (samples)

Peridotite/ 9.6 (<2–53) 9

serpentinite
Basic rocks 14.8 (<2–140) 8
(basalt)
Basic rocks 61.6 (<2–129) 6
(gabbro/diorite)
Intermediate 50.0 (2–150) 8
(andesite,
trachyandesite)
Acidic rocks 3.5 (3–4) 3
(aplite)
Ignimbirites (tuff) 9.6 (<2–21) 4
Limestone/ 140.44 (3–699) 17
dolomite
Travetene 4,28 (5–4,736) 6
Marl 23.0 (15–30) 5
Zeolite 0.6 (<2–2) 5
(clinoptilolite)
Chert 110.75 (54–219) 5
Gypsum 16,677.83 (11– 6
99,999)
Allunite 8.01 (7–10) 3
Colemanite 2,800 (269–3,900) 5
Coal 13.6 (1.9–46.5) 13
Plant 0.425 (0.35–0.50) 2
Fig. 2 Arsenic-related skin lesions in a palm and sole of
an inhabitant of Emet
(1990) suggested that the melting plumes, em-
placed at shallow depths in the crust, supply the
The pH and temperature data were obtained by heat for the thinning of the rift structure. A high
the Water Work Department of Turkey. Ground- mantle contribution to surface heat flow has also
water samples were collected from aquifers com- been suggested by Alptekin, Ezen, and Ucer
posed of metamorphic rocks, limestone/dolomite, (1990).
and travertine. Root and branches of some plants A generalized stratigraphy of the area was
(Juriperus oxycedrus and J. varioxycedrus type) established and is summarized in Fig. 3. The
present in the area were also analyzed for As oldest exposed basement rocks are Carbonifer-
content by AAS. ous-Permian low-grade metamorphic rocks,
including meta-sediments, ophiolitic fragments,
gneiss, schists, and marble. Overlying the Car-
Geological settings boniferous-Permian rocks are Mesozoic platform
sequences representing the Anatolide continental
Kutahya region is located in the western part of margin, and these include an ophiolitic mélange,
Anatolia within the Izmir-Ankara-Erzincan Late Cretaceous Kinik ophiolite, and Tertiary
(IAE) ophiolitic zone representing the northern cover units (Ozcan & Cagatay, 1989). Several
branch of Neo-Tethys (Brinkmann, 1972) as part lacustrine basins developed in the western Turkey
of the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt. The during the Tertiary. These basins are generally
subduction of the African-Arabian plate beneath represented by volcano-sedimentary successions.
the Anatolian plate is widely accepted. Kocak Evaporitic (i.e., colemanite and gypsum)

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Environ Geochem Health (2007) 29:119–129
Fig. 3 Generalized stratigraphic section of the study area (modified from Akdeniz and Konak, 1979)
sequences are represented in the stratigraphic
record and consist of several episodes of evapo-
ration in these lacustrine basins of the area.
Volcanic activity occurred in the area from Early
Miocene to Late Miocene (Helvaci, 1984). Vol-
canic rocks comprise calc-alkaline and alkaline
lava suites, including trachyte, basalt, and andes-
ite. Tertiary sedimentary successions are con-
glomerate, marl, sandstone, limestone, dolomite,
and gypsum. These intervals in the Tertiary
section are especially important because they
preferentially host ore minerals such as Fe,
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Cu–Pb–Zn, Sb, S, Cr, Au, Mn, and magnesite
(Table 2). The mining of Fe deposits ceased in the
area because of the high As, S, and SiO2 content
of the ore. Lead and silver mining has taken place
in the Kutahya region for thousands of years ago,
continuing up to the present time. Kaptan (1981)
described metallurgical remnants and old under-
ground mining dating back as early as the
beginning of second millennium BC, and an
‘‘ore crushing and grinding tool’’ from the second
century AD were found at the entrance of
another adit in the western Anatolia. Tertiary
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Table 2 Important mineral deposits in the study area
Locations Ore minerals
Emet Borate (colemanite), Fe, Mn, kaolinite
Gediz Alunite, Hg, gypsum, kaolinite, Mn, Fe,
Sb
Simav Sb, Cu–Pb–Zn, Fe, S, kaolinite
Tavsanlı F, Mn, magnesite
Kapıören- Au
Aktepe
Kütahya Graphite, calcite, Cr
Ilıca Magnesite
volcanic units are either intercalated with borates
or constitute a major component of bedded
epiclastic material in the basin; these units con-
tain, in some regions, important resources of fossil
fuels and industrial minerals, including lignite,
bituminous shale, clays, and zeolites (clinoptilo-
lite). Helvaci (1995) suggested that the borate
deposits formed by evaporation in shallow playa
lakes. There are two colemanite lenses recognized
in these successions. Gypsum and celestine are
also present. Quaternary units are composed of
sand, gravel, clay, and travertine.
Metamorphic rocks of Paleozoic and carbon-
ates of Mesozoic and Cenozoic rocks host the
majority of the thermal waters and ground water
in the study area. To the southwest, in Gediz
graben, alluvium, and Quaternary travertine are
also host to the ground water.
The area is seismically very active with a
number of earthquakes with a magnitude of over
six being recorded in the past. Seismic events
directly affect the surface expression of the
hydrology of the area. Springs have been ob-
served to stop flowing and new springs have been
found to appear in response to earthquakes.
Results and discussion
Source and initial enrichment of arsenic and
its distribution in minerals and rocks
Serpentinized peridotite, basalt, gabbro, diorite,
andesite, trachy andesite, applite, tuff, marl,
limestone/dolomite, travertine rock samples; and
gypsum, alunite, clinoptilolite, colemanite min-
eral samples were analyzed for their As content.
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Environ Geochem Health (2007) 29:119–129
Table 1 shows the average and range of the As
content of these samples. Gypsum is interbedded
in the mixed sequences of volcano-sedimentary
rocks of Tertiary deposits and was formed by
evaporation in a playa environment. It also occurs
as veins along the fracture zones of the Cenozoic
limestone-dolomite aquifer located to the north
of the area. The gypsum in the veins was formed
following calcite and dolomite precipitation, pos-
sibly as hydrothermal fluids moved through the
karstic rocks of these younger aquifers in the
area. The high concentrations of As detected in
the gypsum veins in the Emet region are attrib-
uted to the accumulation of As from dissolution,
with evaporation of the bedded sulfate, and
hydrothermal activity in the area. Arsenic in the
veins is present as realgar and orpiment, which
appear as epithermal deposits occurring at the
temperature of 50–200°C, low pressure, and
shallow depth. The gypsum crystals are largely
grown as open space filling in cavities and vugs.
The veins commonly show a crustiform ‘‘banded’’
structure, sometimes called a ‘‘comb’’ structure.
The gypsum crystals making up the vein fill grew
perpendicular to the fracture walls, suggesting
that opening and filling of the fractures was
contemporary and that the fractures are exten-
sional.
Arsenic is particularly enriched in the follow-
ing minerals and rocks in these sequences:
colemanite (269–3900 ppm), evaporitic gypsum
(11–99,999 ppm), and travertine (5–4736 ppm).
It is also relatively enriched in alunite
(7–10 ppm), limestone/dolomite (3–699 ppm),
and chert (54–219 ppm). Western Turkey pos-
sesses two thirds of the boron (B) resources in
the world. Colemanite mined in the Emet
district of Kutahya, and hydrothermally gener-
ated B-rich springs associated with volcanic
rocks supply B to form colemanite (Helvaci,
1995; Inan, Dunham, & Esson, 1973). Gundogdu,
Yalcin, Temel, and Clauer (1996) suggested that
the most important chemical changes occurred
during the diagenetic transformation of silicic
volcanic glasses that enriched in B. However,
Floyd, Helvaci, and Mittwede (1998) suggested
four stages of transportation for B: (1) initial
concentration in subduction-derived fluids; (2)
incorporation into continental crust via arc
Environ Geochem Health (2007) 29:119–129
magmatism; (3) melting of the B-enriched con-
tinental crust to produce ignimbrites; and (4)
selective mobilization of B from ignimbrites by
local hydrothermal activity. We suggest that the
observed enrichment of As and B are the result
of hydrothermal and evaporitic conditions, with
some redistribution of both elements during
diagenesis. The reaction of the primary and
secondary phases with circulating water has
produced high levels of As in some geothermal
water and ground water used for drinking water
supplies in the area.
Arsenic content of water
The presence of As in the ground water has been
commonly related to the dissolution of sulfide
minerals (Chowdhury et al., 2001), the dissolution
or desorption from iron oxyhydroxides (Bhat-
tacharya, Chatterjee, & Jacks, 1997; Nickson
et al., 1998), or the up flow of geothermal water
(Welch, Helsel, Focazio, & Watkins, 1999).
Arsenic concentrations in surface water, thermal
wells, ground, and spring waters of the study area
vary greatly with location, as does the chemical
composition of the thermal waters. The origin of
thermal waters from western Anatolia was stud-
ied by Gulec (1988) and Ercan, Matsuda, Nagao,
and Kita (1994) using 3He/4He data. Their results
indicated that helium (He) is partly derived from
the mantle in the thermal waters. Giggenbach
(1991) used lithium (Li) as a tracer alkali metal
for the initial deep rock dissolution processes to
evaluate the possible origin of the chloride (Cl)
and B constituents of thermal waters. Boron
isotopic data in the thermal waters of the area
indicated either the leaching of B from the rocks,
or a B(OH)3 degassing flux from the deep sources
in the area (Vengosh, Helvaci, & Karamanderesi,
2002). The circulation of these thermal waters in
the western Anatolia is related to major faults
and fracture zones, and discharge along these
structures.
In this study, As concentrations of the thermal
waters of the Kutahya region, which include those
from Emet, Tavsanli, Yenicekoy, Simav, Gediz,
Yoncali, and Muratdagi were analyzed, and the
types of water identified. Figure 4 shows the type,
temperature, pH, and As contents of the
125
geothermal water. Total As content of the ther-
mal waters was found to vary with temperature
and pH, ranging from 0.05 mg/l to 0.95 mg/l.
Although the expected type of thermal waters
in the aquifers is initially Na–HCO3 in the
western Anatolia (Gemici, Tarcan, Colak, &
Helvaci, 2004), mixing during up flow and the
re-equilibration process cause Na–HCO3-type
waters to change into various other types. This
conditions that prevail in the formation of
Na–HCO3-type waters contribute to the B enrich-
ment in thermal fluids. Na–HCO3-type thermal
waters with increasing Na and HCO3 concentra-
tions can be used as an indicator of the degree to
which the water–rock interaction take place.
Based on their chemical composition, the
thermal waters can be divided into two main
groups that are largely based on the function of
their host rock. To the east of the area (Yoncali,
Tavsanli, and Muratdagi), the main water type is
either Ca–SO4–HCO3 or Ca–HCO3 with high Mg
content. Mesozoic and Cenozoic carbonate rocks
are the main reservoir rocks in this region.
Yoncali geothermal water in the northeast corner
of the study area had the lowest temperatures
(30°C) and lower As (0.0 mg/l) and pH (6.52)
values, with high concentration of dissolved Mg.
Lower temperatures indicate the influence of
meteoric and/or ground waters on the geothermal
water, while high Mg content indicates the water–
rock interactions at low temperatures and/or
mixing with cold ground waters. To the west of
the area (Yenicekoy, Simav, and Gediz), the
water type is Na–SO4–HCO3 or Na–Ca–SO4–
HCO3 , with high K, SiO2, and Cl contents. Simav
geothermal water, with a temperature of 83°C
and a pH of 9.3, had a very high concentration of
As (0.9 mg/l). The Na–Ca–HCO3-type of thermal
water in Emet had a higher As content (0.17–
0.213 mg/l) and a high Cl content, with a slightly
lower temperature than the Ca–SO4–HCO3 type
water. The dissolution of Ca–SO4 and Na–Ca–
SO4 are important processes in the water–rock
interaction to the west of the area. Based on these
observations, increasing Na and Ca concentra-
tions can be used as an indicator of the degree to
which the water–rock interaction takes place. The
relatively high Cl contents of the second group of
thermal waters indicate that the waters are fed
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Fig. 4 Location of geothermal water sample sites and types of water. Temperature ( T), pH, and As concentrations (see text
for explanation)
from deeper reservoirs at high temperatures with
less groundwater mixing. The level of SO4 in this
group of thermal waters is likely to be controlled
by dissolution and/or oxidation of S and SO4 to
form minerals such as epithermal and evaporitic
gypsum and pyrite in Emet, evaporitic gypsum in
Gediz, and S in Simav. In the Emet area, both
main types of water are present due to heavy
fracturing and different reservoirs. The As con-
tent of the second type of thermal water in Emet
is 0.067–0.106 mg/l. High As concentrations in the
ground water correspond to areas where patho-
logical changes and a dose-response relationship
between the amount of As exposure and fre-
quency of various skin lesions has been observed
(Dogan et al., 2005).
Large variations in the pH and temperature
were also found in the waters of drilled wells and
springs (Fig. 5). The temperatures of the ground-
water ranged from 12° to14°C, with the exception
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Environ Geochem Health (2007) 29:119–129
of Yoncali (40–42°C). The higher temperature of
the well and spring water from Yoncali, which is
higher than that of the geothermal water in this
location, indicates the effects of deeper sources
along the fracture systems. Groundwater in Emet
showed the highest total As concentration, vary-
ing from 8.9 to 107 mg/l. Thus, As is not
controlled by either temperature or pH in the
groundwater of the cold water (drilled well and
cold-spring water) in the area. The proposed
source of As is believed the result of a reaction
between circulating water and the As-containing
components of the rocks. The contribution of
thermal waters to cold groundwater aquifers and
surface water also causes some degree of con-
tamination. The concentrations of As in the
surface water varied from 0.0022 mg/l to
0.01 mg/l, while As content in the groundwater
(drilled wells and spring water) was found to vary
among locations and with time at the same
Environ Geochem Health (2007) 29:119–129
Fig. 5 Location of representative groundwater sample sites and types of water, pH, and As concentrations (see text for
explanation)
location (Figs. 4, 5). Groundwater in some parts
of the area were found to have higher concentra-
tions of As than the thermal water, surface water,
and surface soil. The supply of As to ground
water is attributed to the dissolution of As-rich
phases. Arsenic in groundwater can reach up to
10.7 mg/l (Igdekoy, Emet) and exceed provisional
guideline concentrations for drinking water set by
the World Health Organization (WHO) (10 lg/l).
However, the reduction of As to 10 ppb will
require remediation or, as an alternative, the
closure of wells and cessation of water usage in
the area.
Arsenic content of plants
In the study area, vegetation is poor in the
locations with high As contents. Locations with
very high concentrations of As (i.e., Igdekoy,
9.3–10.7 mg/l) in the ground water have only
Juriperus oxycedrus and J. varioxycedrus types of
127
trees. Roots and branches of these plants were
found to be enriched in As (Table 1). Because
these plants are commonly used for cooking,
drying food, and heating, inhabitants may be
exposed to greater amounts of As.
Conclusion
Arsenic is a naturally occurring element in
minerals, including evaporitic minerals such as
colemanite and gypsum, as well as alunite and
chert in Tertiary deposits, in secondary epither-
mal gypsum in the form of realgar and orpiment
along the fracture zones in the carbonates rocks,
in limestone/dolomite and travertine, volcanic
rocks and coal of the Tertiary age volcano-
sedimentary sequences, and in the thermal,
ground and surface waters in the Kutahya
region, western Anatolia, Turkey. This contam-
inant has been found to occur at concentrations
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128
that exceed the provisional guidelines set by the
WHO for As concentrations in drinking water.
The release and transfer of As from the local
rocks and minerals to plants and humans via
water is one of the important mechanisms for
the As contamination. We suggest that the
observed enrichment of As in the study area is
the result of both hydrothermal and evaporitic
conditions, with some redistribution of both
elements during diagenesis, and rock/mineral–
water interaction. The reaction of the primary
and secondary phases with circulating water has
produced high levels of As in some geothermal
and ground waters.
The occurrence, origin, and mobility of As in
groundwater are primarily influenced by the local
geology, hydrogeology, and geochemistry of the
sediments. The underlying factors attributing to
the observed variations are mineral/rock–water
interaction, hydrological network, meteorological
factors, and seismicity of the region. As a conse-
quence of earthquakes in the area, some springs
have been found to cease flowing, and new ones
have been found to appear. The level of Asin the
ground water in the area is related to the
dissolution of sulfide minerals, the dissolution or
desorption from iron oxyhydroxides and/or up
flow of geothermal water. High As concentrations
in the ground water correspond to the areas
where pathological changes are the most pre-
valent among the habitants.
Arsenic in ground water also effects ecology.
For example, only the Juriperus oxycedrus and J.
varioxycedrus type of vegetation was observed at
locations with the highest concentrations of As.
The branches and roots of these plants were also
found to be enriched in As.
Acknowledgements Financial support for this work was
partially provided by the Department of Cancer Control,
the Ministry of Health of Turkey. We also extend our
appreciation to DSI (Water Work Department), and MTA
(General Directory of Mineral Research and Exploration)
of the Ministry of Energy, Turkey.
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