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ICP-MS based seasonal and spatiotemporal evaluation of potentially toxic and major elements in surface waters of Akdağ National Park, Türkiye

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Abstract

Understanding how potentially toxic and major elements (PTMEs) vary in freshwater systems is essential for evaluating environmental and public health risks. This study explored the seasonal and spatial variations of PTMEs in the surface waters of Akdağ National Park, Türkiye, using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).Water samples were collected from nine stations across four seasons and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Among the trace elements, Fe, Mn, and Al ranged from 120-460 µg/L, 15-310 µg/L, and 70-380 µg/L, respectively, while Pb and As remained low (1.2-8.4 µg/L and 2.3-6.1 µg/L), all within international safety limits. In contrast, Ca and Mg concentrations (18-72 mg/L and 3.5-12 mg/L) mainly reflected local geological conditions rather than contamination. Spatial interpolation (IDW) within a GIS framework indicated slightly higher PTME levels at certain locations compared with less affected sites. Overall, the results provide the first spatiotemporal baseline of PTMEs for this protected area, emphasizing the need for continuous monitoring to support sustainable water resource management and ecosystem conservation.

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Acknowledgements

All data and tables supporting the findings of this study are included in this manuscript.

Funding

This research project was supported by the Afyon Kocatepe University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit under Project No: 21.VF.02.

The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Chemical Processing Technologies, Çay Vocational School, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Türkiye

    Zeyneb Karakuş

  2. Department of Food Hygiene and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Türkiye

    Recep Kara

  3. Department of Geomatics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Türkiye

    Mustafa Yalçın

  4. Department of Cinema and Television, Faculty of Fine Arts, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Türkiye

    Hakan Yılmaz

  5. Department of Wild Animal Diseases and Ecology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Türkiye

    Hesna Kandır

  6. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Türkiye

    Abdurrahman Fatih Fidan

Authors

  1. Zeyneb Karakuş
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  2. Recep Kara
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  3. Mustafa Yalçın
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  4. Hakan Yılmaz
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  5. Hesna Kandır
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  6. Abdurrahman Fatih Fidan
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Contributions

Zeyneb Karakuş: Conceptualization, methodology, supervision, writing original draft. Recep Kara: Laboratory analyses. Mustafa Yalçın: Data interpolation and visualization. Hakan Yılmaz, Hesna Kandır, Fatih Fidan: Data collection and laboratory analyses. All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to
Zeyneb Karakuş.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethics

This study did not require ethical approval as it did not involve any human or animal subjects. Permission for water sampling within Akdağ National Park was obtained from the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks of Türkiye. The official permit document is publicly available at the following link: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:AP:fcc0ca3a-a61d-4f86-be42-cff0c04b3e2a.

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Karakuş, Z., Kara, R., Yalçın, M. et al. ICP-MS based seasonal and spatiotemporal evaluation of potentially toxic and major elements in surface waters of Akdağ National Park, Türkiye.
Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-35053-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-35053-z

Keywords

  • ICP-MS
  • GIS mapping
  • Spatial interpolation
  • Freshwater quality
  • PTMEs
  • Akdağ national park

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