1,1- 1Middle East Technical University, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Geological Engineering Department, Ankara, Türkiye (atilla.kilic@metu.edu.tr)
- 2Hacettepe University, Geological Engineering Department, Türkiye
- 3Ministry of Interior Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, Türkiye
Tuzköy village (Nevşehir, Cappadocia, Türkiye) is known as an epidemic location for mesothelioma cases due to exposure to erionite fibers. In this study, health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soil and bedrocks of the village has been interpreted, as well. 87 topsoil and 10 rock samples were geochemically analysed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Hazard Index (HI) was calculated through As, Ba, Be, Cd, Co, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, and Zn results, while As, Be, Cd, Ni, Pb results were used for determination of Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) values. In addition, contamination factor (CF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and pollution load index (PLI) were calculated.
Risk assessment results demonstrate that median and mean values of HI for adults are 0.280 and 0.376 respectively, and these values of ILCR for adults are equal to 9.93E-05, 1.34E-04. Moreover, median and mean values of HI for children are determined as 1.774 and 2.371 respectively, and these values of ILCR are equal to 5.97E-04, 8.4E-04. For children, both HI and ILCR values are above acceptable levels. Based on HI values, adults are not susceptible to risk as both the median and mean are below 1, but the mean ILCR value is above the acceptable limit of 1E-04.
Spatial risk maps indicate higher levels of risk in the northwest and eastern parts of the village for adults while the risk for children is widespread across the entire area, and is also considerably high in the same regions. Arsenic enrichment is considered as the main contributor to both HI and ILCR values. To conclude, in addition to erionite-related fiber exposure, arsenic-related soil contamination poses a significant health concern in Tuzköy, especially for children.
Keywords: Soil contamination, geochemical risk assessment, arsenic, incremental lifetime cancer risk, hazard index
How to cite: Kılıç, A., Toksoy Köksal, F., Çubukçu, H. E., Koca Akçay, G., Demir, A., İlgen, H. G., Demir, S., and Aykasım, D.: Geochemical Risk Assessment Of Elements in Tuzköy, Türkiye, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-1178, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-1178, 2026.
