A Study on Water Quality of Karasu Stream (Van, Turkey) and Assessment of Usage in Drinking, Irrigation and Fisheries

Abstract

In this study, some water quality parameters were analyzed to investigate water quality changes in Karasu Stream which inflows to Lake Van. The in situ measurements and laboratory analyses were made on water samples taken from 4 sampling points on the Karasu Stream Bed monthly, between November 2009 and October 2010. In the study, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, dissolved oxygen saturation; conductivity, pH, calcium, magnesium, total hardness, total alkalinity, carbonate and bicarbonate, chloride, salinity, nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, ammonia, phosphorus and sulfate were analyzed. They were determined that average water temperature was 13.4 degrees C, dissolved oxygen between 10.03 mg/L, saturation 119.4%, pH 8.23, conductivity 601.4 S/cm, salinity 0.08 parts per thousand, chloride 47.66 mg/L, calcium 31.0 mg/L, magnesium 111.2 mg/L, total hardness 536 mg/L, bicarbonate 452.2 mg/L, total alkalinity 370.3 mg/L, nitrate 4.1 mg/L, nitrite 0.017 mg/L, ammonium 0.41 mg/L, ammonia 0.40 mg/L, total phosphorus 0.06 mg/L and sulfate 19.5 mg/L. At the all sampling points and all months, carbonate was not encountered. Karasu Stream is in first and second water quality classes all of water quality criteria.