Environmental implications of a hydrogeochemical survey for drinking water in Kirsehir region

A hydrogeochemical survey of springs was carried out in Kirsehir, Turkey and fluoride, heavy metals, and mineral contents were analyzed. The highest fluoride levels were detected in Mahmutlu with 2.1 ppm. The fluoride content of Pohrenk was, on average, 1.1 ppm. Consequently, dental fluorosis and dental stains were observed in both villages. Although the fluoride concentrations were within the suggested limits, dental stains and fluorosis were commonly observed among the villagers especially kids. The fluoride concentrations of 0.7–1.0 ppm were the lowest in Cevirme, which is to the northwest of fluoride ore. The heavy metal concentrations of resources around the three villages were compared with and were found lower than WHO’s provisional guideline values. However, the Fe, Zn, and Cr concentrations in hot springs were much higher than cold springs with as much as 100 ppb for Fe, 50 ppb for Zn, and 15 ppb for Cr.