ABSTRACT

Western Anatolia in Turkey is an area of complex geology with active tectonics and high geothermal potential. This natural setting serves as a suitable environment for the presence of high levels of arsenic in subsurface waters. High arsenic concentrations in groundwater have been detected in many provinces of Western Anatolia including but not limited to I˙zmir, Kütahya, Çanakkale, Afyon, Manisa, Aydın and Denizli with values ranging from 20 to 560 ppb, exceeding the national and international drinking water quality criteria of 10 ppb. On the other hand, arsenic concentrations in geothermal fluids are about three times higher then the corresponding concentrations in groundwater. Considering the potential of contamination of regional groundwater reserves with geothermal fluids, levels in hot waters of Western Anatolia demonstrate additional problems. Based on these fundamentals, this study discusses the potential sources and concentrations of arsenic in water resources of the region with particular emphasis on local geologic and tectonic properties of the Western Anatolian Plate.