Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
ARCTIC Journal, cilt.79, sa.3, ss.100-118, 2026 (Scopus)
Heavy metals (HMs) in aquatic environments pose a potential risk to the survival of aquatic insects. These metals are common pollutants in water bodies and tend to sink and accumulate in sediments. This study examined the distribution of aquatic insects and their correlation with HMs concentrations in the waters of Ardahan, Kars and Iğdır provinces in Northeast Anatolia (Türkiye), bordering the Caucasus mountain range. In this region, HMs pollution is generally low because of minimal motorized traffic and limited industrial activity. Correlation analysis revealed positive relationships between insects abundance and Mo (r =0.55), Co (r =0.49), Ni (r =0.42), and Fe (r =0.41). In contrast, As (arsenic) showed a weak correlation (r =+0.08), while Si (r =–0.13) and Hg (r =–0.12) exhibited slight negative associations. Silicon dominates in Ardahan due to siliceous volcanic sedimentary geology with Cd and Pb largely absent, Kars exhibits extremely high Al and Fe with localized As enrichment from basaltic volcanic and hydrothermal inputs and Iğdır shows moderate overall levels with the exception of extreme Fe and As linked to Mount Ağrı’s volcanism and alluvial sediment transport. These patterns suggest a complex, nonlinear ecological response to varying element levels. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that sufficient insect samples were obtained from sites with relatively low HMs concentrations. These findings provide valuable insights into the dynamics of HMs in minimally industrialized freshwater systems and can inform future monitoring and assessments in both natural and industrial areas.