Assessment of the Pollutants in Soils and Surface Waters Around Gumuskoy Silver Mine (Kutahya, Turkey)

Heavy metal concentrations in surface water and soil samples around GumuAYkoy Silver Mine, located in KopruA ren Basin, were determined to evaluate the anthropogenic level of contamination due to mining activities. The mean concentrations of As, Pb, Sb and Cd in 12 soil samples came out to be 1193, 844, 66 and 19 ppm, respectively. Soil pollution assessment was carried out by using geoaccumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF) and pollution index (PI). Igeo, EF and PI suggest anthropogenic pollution of As, Pb, Sb and Zn in the areas where there is leakage of these heavy metals from the waste pools of the silver mine facility. Water samples collected from the surface waters also have elevated concentrations of these heavy metals. The contaminants are most probably transported by surface waters in the rainy season.