Abstract Gala Lake National Park that has an international importance is one of the most important wetland ecosystems for Turkey. As same as many aquatic habitats, Gala Lake is under a significant anthropogenic pressure originated from agricultural activities conducted around the lake and from industrial discharges by means of Ergene River. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sediment quality of Gala Lake and Irrigation Canal by investigating some toxic element accumulations (As, B, Ni, Cr, Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu) from a statistical perspective. Pearson Correlation Index (PCI) and Factor Analysis (FA) were applied to detected data in order to determine the associated contaminants and effective factors on the system. Potential Ecological Risk Index (RI) and Biological Risk Index based sediment quality guidelines (mERM-Q) applied to detected data in order to assess the ecological and biological risks of heavy metals in the ecosystem. Also Geographic Information System (GIS) technology was used to make visual explanations by presenting distribution maps of investigated elements. According to the results of PCI, significant positive correlations were recorded among the investigated toxic elements at 0.01 significance level. According to the results of FA, two factors, which were named as “Agricultural Factor” and “Industrial Factor”, explained 86.6% of the total variance. According to the results of Potential Ecological Risk Index, cadmium was found to be the highest risk factor and according to results of Biological Risk Index, nickel and chromium were found to be the highest risk factors for Gala Lake and Irrigation Canal. As a result of the present study, it was also determined that heavy metal contents in sediments of Gala Lake National Park reached to critical levels and the system is intensively under effect of agricultural and industrial originated pollution.

中文翻译：

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全球重要湿地沉积物中有毒金属的生物生态和统计风险评估：加拉湖国家公园（土耳其）

摘要 具有国际重要性的加拉湖国家公园是土耳其最重要的湿地生态系统之一。与许多水生栖息地一样，嘎拉湖面临着巨大的人为压力，该压力源于湖周围的农业活动和额尔金河的工业排放。本研究的目的是通过从统计角度调查一些有毒元素（As、B、Ni、Cr、Pb、Cd、Zn 和 Cu）的积累，评估嘎拉湖和灌溉渠的沉积物质量。将 Pearson 相关指数 (PCI) 和因子分析 (FA) 应用于检测数据，以确定系统上的相关污染物和有效因子。潜在生态风险指数 (RI) 和基于生物风险指数的沉积物质量指南 (mERM-Q) 应用于检测数据，以评估生态系统中重金属的生态和生物风险。地理信息系统 (GIS) 技术也被用来通过呈现调查元素的分布图来进行可视化解释。根据PCI的结果，被调查的有毒元素之间在0.01的显着性水平上记录到显着的正相关。根据FA的结果，被命名为“农业因素”和“工业因素”的两个因素解释了总方差的86.6%。根据潜在生态风险指数的结果，发现镉是最高的风险因素，根据生物风险指数的结果，发现镍和铬是加拉湖和灌溉渠的最高风险因素。作为本研究的结果，还确定加拉湖国家公园沉积物中的重金属含量达到临界水平，并且该系统受到农业和工业源污染的强烈影响。