Master Degree / Yüksek Lisans Tezleri

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11147/3008

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  • Master Thesis
    Risk Assessment for Children's Exposure to Trace Elements Via Dust
    (01. Izmir Institute of Technology, 2025) Kromah, Abdullah Samukaı; Sofuoğlu, Sait Cemil
    Çocuklar, ev, çocuk parkı ve sokak tozu ve toprağın diyet dışı sindirimi ve solunması yoluyla iç ve dış mekanlarda eser elementlere maruz kalabilirler. Bu maruziyet yolları, elllerini ağızlarına götürmeleri nedeniyle kritik olabilir. Bu çalışma, literatürden ölçülen seviyeleri derleyerek Türkiye genelinde toprak ve tozdaki eser element konsantrasyonlarını ve Türk çocuklarında maruziyeti ve ilişkili kanser ve kronik toksik riskleri değerlendirmeyi amaçlamıştır. Türkiye genelinde 20 yerde toplam 43 çalışmada 14 element düzeyleri bildirilmiştir. Maruziyet senaryoları (5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, ve 95th yüzdelikler) oluşturularak ilişkili riskler hesaplanmıştır. Ortalama sindirim kronik toksik riski çocuk parkı tozunda sırasıyla Cd, Co, Cr (VI) için 4,3, 2,8 ve 2,1; toprakta Cd, Ni ve Sb için 5,2, 1,4 ve 1,2; sokak tozunda Co, As, Cd ve Mn için 7,3, 5,9, 2,3 ve 1,1 olarak hesaplanmıştır. Ortalama sindirim As, Cr (VI), Pb kanser riski toprak ve sokak tozu için sırasıyla 1.4×10-5, 3.6×10-6, 1.1×10-6 ve 1.5×10-4, 2.8×10-6, 9.5×10-7 olarak bulunurken çocuk parkı tozu için 10-6 ile 10-7 arasında kalmıştır. Eşik değer olan '1'in iki katından yüksek kronik toksik riskler ve >1.0×10-5 olan kanser riskleri dikkate alınması gereken düzeyler olup Türk çocukları için toprak/toza maruziyetin önemli olduğunu göstermektedir.
  • Master Thesis
    Assessment of concentrations and air-dust partitioning of azaarenes in an urban primary school
    (01. Izmir Institute of Technology, 2024) Başar, Aleyna; Sofuoğlu, Aysun; Sofuoğlu, Sait Cemil
    Polisiklik aromatik hidrokarbonlar (PAH'lar), fosil yakıtların eksik yanma ürünleri olup önemli hava kirleticileridir. Özellikle on altı PAH, kanserojen ve toksik özelliklerinden dolayı çevre ve insan sağlığı üzerinde büyük bir etkiye sahiptir. Son çalışmalar, PAH türevlerinin ana bileşiklerinden daha zararlı olabileceğini ve bazılarının kanserojen özellikler taşıdığını göstermektedir. Bu çalışmada, PAH türevi olan Azaarenlerin (Kinolin, İzokinolin, Akridin Benzo[f]kinolin, Karbazol) derişimleri, 2022-2023 eğitim-öğretim yılı boyunca İzmir'in kentsel alanında yer alan bir ilkokulda, hava ve çökelmiş toz fazlarında ölçülmüştür. Örnekleme okulu, otoyol ve sanayi bölgelerine yakınlığı ve sınıfta mekanik havalandırma bulunması nedeniyle seçilmiştir. Aktif örnekleme hem iç ortamda mekanik (MV) ve doğal havalandırmalı (NV) ve dış ortamda gerçekleştirilmiştir. Sonuçlarda güz dönemi ortalama derişimleri, bahar dönemine göre daha yüksek bulunmuş ve dönemler arasında önemli bir fark görülmüştür. Azaarenler için örnekleme boyunca toplam ortalama (ΣAZA5) derişim değerleri gaz fazı için 27.17 ± 25.19 ng/m3, toz fazında 8.97 ±10.01 μg/g bulunmuştur. En sık tespit edilen bileşikler kinolin ve izokinolindi. Kimyasal denge modeli temelli gaz-oktanol dağılım parametresi olan Koa değerleri bulundu. Bazı limitasyonlara rağmen korelasyon düşük olsa da model yaklaşık tahmin için kullanılmıştır.
  • Master Thesis
    Investigation of a Novel Personal Sampler Material for the Identification of Human Exposure To Semivolatile Organic Compounds
    (2024) Akmermer, Zülfikar; Demirtepe, Hale; Sofuoğlu, Sait Cemil
    SVOCs are widespread indoors, where they occur at high levels. Humans spend most of their time indoors and are regularly exposed to these compounds. Various methods exist to assess human exposure to SVOCs. However, a novel personal sampler material, i.e. silicone wristband, has been used for the last decade. Due to its commencing use, the uptake capacity of silicone wristbands for SVOCs still needs to be discovered. This study aims to investigate the SVOC uptake rate and equilibrium partitioning coefficients of silicone wristbands. To achieve this aim, an analysis method for determining SVOCs in silicone wristbands was developed and validated with wristbands worn by academic personnel of IZTECH. The results showed that among polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) acenaphthylene, among organophosphate esters (OPEs), tris (2-butoxyethyl) phosphate and among phthalate esters, di(2- ethylhexl) phthalate were found as the dominant SVOCs in silicone wristbands. Then, the uptake capacity of silicone wristbands for PAHs was investigated by deploying them in a school environment for 36 days, together with polyurethane foam passive air samplers. The uptake rates varied three orders of magnitude for compounds reaching equilibrium, i.e. acenaphthene, acenaphthylene, fluorene, phenanthrene, and anthracene (0.010 – 25.93 m3/day), while for fluoranthene, chrysene, and pyrene uptake rates were close to each other (0.17 – 0.50 m3/day). Furthermore, silicone wristband-air partitioning coefficients were in the range of 5.93 to 7.43 for acenaphthene, acenaphthylene, fluorene, phenanthrene, and anthracene. Lastly, daily and chronic toxic exposures and lifetime cancer risk for school children were assessed using PUF-PAS concentrations, and no significant risk was identified.
  • Master Thesis
    Inhalation Exposure To Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Izmir
    (Izmir Institute of Technology, 2022) Edebali, Özge; Sofuoğlu, Sait Cemil; Sofuoğlu, Aysun
    Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are chemicals that are classified as hazardous air pollutants with carcinogenic and chronic-toxic effects on human health. People may be exposed to these chemicals indoors and outdoors via inhalation of indoor and outdoor air. Their production and use were banned worldwide with the Stockholm Convention. Since the Turkish government became an official signatory to the Stockholm Convention in year of 2010, the determination of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in environmental compartments in Türkiye has gained importance. PCBs are still present in the environment because they are found in materials such as those used in heat transfer, electrical, and hydraulic systems manufactured before the ban due to their persistence to degradation in environment. Industrial processes have an important effect on their environmental concentrations due to unintentional emissions. Therefore, they are still present in air and investigations show that industrial and urban areas have higher levels. The aim of this study was to measure concentrations of PCB compounds in indoor-outdoor air samples collected at homes and schools, and to estimate exposure and associated carcinogenic health risks. Samples were collected at randomly selected sites in urban, semi-urban, and rural areas with polyurethane foam – passive samplers. Samples were analyzed by using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry after Soxhlet extraction. The estimated carcinogenic risks even at the 95th percentile were calculated below the acceptable risk level (10-6), indicating that the population carcinogenic risk associated with inhalation of gas-phase PCBs is not considerable. However, aggregate risks that could be estimated by addition of other plausible exposure pathways would drive the levels above the acceptable level.
  • Master Thesis
    Long Range Atmospheric Transport of Persistent Organic Pollutants To Izmir
    (01. Izmir Institute of Technology, 2021) Ayri, İlknur; Sofuoğlu, Sait Cemil; Sofuoğlu, Aysun
    In this study, passive samplers were placed in 10 provinces and an active sampler in Izmir in order to examine the long-range transport of POPs that are released into the environment due to the effects of the war in countries next to our southeast border. The ten cities were classified into three proximity groups: close, middle, and far. According to correlation analysis, central tendency statistics for various congeners showed an increasing trend with proximity to the war zone. However, support by hypothesis testing with Kruskal-Wallis or ANOVA tests were limited: PBDE-183, Σ45PCB and dieldrin in winter, PBDE-28, PBDE-99, PBDE-154, p,p'-DDE, Σ14PBDE and Σ25OCP in the transition period, and PBDE-28, PBDE-99, PBDE-85, PBDE-154, PBDE-190, PCB-52, Σ45PCB, p,p'-DDE and Σ25OCP in the whole sampling period. Back-trajectory frequency analysis of passive sampling indicated that air masses were transported from the war zone to the close region, but it was limited for middle and far regions deeming support by back-trajectory analysis of active sampling not possible, which show that the main route of air masses were Europe, Russia, and the former Soviet Union countries, and North Africa. Concentrations measured by passive air sampling being relatively higher both in the close-group and far-group especially in winter than in the middle-group. The result of passive sampling indicates that the southwest border of Turkey was impacted by POPs which were transported from the war zone while the west of the country was impacted by those from areas in north and northeast.
  • Master Thesis
    The Use of Vetiveria Zizanioides (l) Nash and Cyperus Alternifolius L. by Floating Wetland Treatment To Improve Water Quality
    (Izmir Institute of Technology, 2018) Yücel, Arzu; Sofuoğlu, Aysun; Sofuoğlu, Sait Cemil
    The olive mill wastewater (OMW), arises during the production process of olive oil, is an important problem in all Mediterranean countries. OMW shows seasonality, and contain high organic pollutant. Eventhough various methods have been studied for the treatment, olive oil producers neither can afford the cost of these methods, nor it can provide the discharge standards. The capacity of phytoremediation of Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash (vetiver) and Cyperus alternifolius L. (umbrella palm) species was evaulated in the treatment of OMW by floating treatment wetland (FTW) method. The 5 and 15% concentrations of OMW (OMW-5 and OMW-15) were remediated by these plants, and unplanted sets as triplicates for 67 days to determine their organic and nitrogen reduction. Therefore, total organic carbon (TOC), total phenol and total nitrogen (TN) in the OMW were measured. The amount of biomass at the beginning of the experiment were 2.5 and 4.0 kg OMW-5 and OMW-15 respectively. The highest biomass growth rate (149%) and total phenol accumulation in plant (439%) were observed in umbrella palm. The results showed that umbrella palm achieved 95%, 99%, 82% removal in TOC, total phenol, TN while these removals were 85%, 93%, 40% in vetiver planted OMW-5 tanks. Similarly, the removal in OMW-15 were comparable with 90, 97, 41 percentages with umbrella palm and 79, 92, and 21 percentages for vetiver respectively. As a result, it seems that umbrella palm and vetiver have potential in diluted OMW treatment by FTW for future.
  • Master Thesis
    Exposure and Risk Assessment for Arsenic in Simav Plain by Ingestion of Edible Crops
    (Izmir Institute of Technology, 2017) Terzi, Begüm; Sofuoğlu, Sait Cemil; Gündüz, Orhan
    Ingestion is the main route of exposure to arsenic. The pathways of concern are ingestion of drinking water and arsenic-accumulating plants. Simav plain has been shown to have the natural arsenic conamination of waters and soil. However, foodstuff was not made a subject of investigation. In this study, arsenic exposure via ingestion of edible plants cultivated in Simav plain was investigated based on the modeling of the measured soil concentrations and data collected from the literature, which were for bioconcentration factors, plant consumption rates, background arsenic concentrations in plants, plant root depths, and body weights. Eighteen plant species, which are bean, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, corn, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, lettuce, okra, onion, potato, radish, spinach, sunflower seed, tomato, and wheat were studied. Chronic-toxic and carcinogenic risks associated with the consumption contaminated foodstuff were assessed with two approaches: scenario based point estimates (deterministic approach) and population based estimates (probabilistic approach). Monte Carlo simulation was used to determine chronic-toxic and carcinogenic risks via ingestion of edible plants probabilistically. Wheat was found as the plant variety with the highest non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks which was followed by potato, tomato, cucumber, corn, cabbage, eggplant, and onion. Non-carcinogenic risk levels for broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, and radish were below the threshold level. However, their carcinogenic risk levels were considerable. The risk levels estimated in this study are exceptionally high, indicating consumption of the plants cultivated in Simav may pose significant chronic-toxic and carcinogenic health risks.
  • Master Thesis
    Environmental Impact and Capacity Analysis of Renewable Energy Resources: Case Study of Wind Energy in Turkey
    (Izmir Institute of Technology, 2016) Değirmenci, Sinem; Bingöl, Ferhat; Sofuoğlu, Sait Cemil; Bingöl, Ferhat; Sofuoğlu, Sait Cemil
    The majority of electricity in Turkey is generated from coal and natural gas; however, renewable energy, especially wind power, is a promising energy source for Turkey. Development of new wind energy project requires complex planning process involving many social, technical, economic, environmental, political concerns and different agents such as investors, utilities, governmental agencies or social groups. To address the proper site selection, a Geographic Information System (GIS) based Multi- Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) method has been used in previous studies. The aim of this study is to develop a GIS-based multi-criteria decision making application which can be updated by the changing regulations to identify potential sites for wind power plants in Turkey. A variety of constraints and factors were identified based on a literature review, regulations and gathered from variety of agencies. After excluding of infeasible sites, pairwise comparisons was carried out using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) as MCDM method by the study group to estimate relative importance of the criteria. The suitability map obtained from MCDM analysis was divided into four classes from the low suitable to extremely suitable area. As a final stage, decision making was carried out with the objectives by environmental impact approach. The output of this study can be used by energy planners to estimate the extent that wind energy can be developed based on public perception, administrative and environmental aspects.
  • Master Thesis
    Persistent Organic Pollutants in Turkey's Atmosphere: Spatial Variation
    (Izmir Institute of Technology, 2015) Çiçek, Tuğba; Sofuoğlu, Sait Cemil; Kurt Karakuş, Perihan Binnur
    The objectives of this study was to measure ambient air levels of 43 PCBs and 22 OCPs in 16 cities at urban and background sites by using polyurethane foam discs (PUF) as passive air samplers (PAS), to investigate spatial variations, and to generate a baseline database which is the first large-scale nationwide database for POP residues in air of Turkey. Air sampling was conducted from May 2014 to April 2015 with three-month sampling periods. Samples were analyzed by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry after extraction, clean-up, and volume reduction. The one-year overall average Σ43PCBs concentration was 108±132 pg/m3. The one-year average of Σ43PCBs ranged from 14.5±14.3 pg/m3 (Kayseri) to 403±428 pg/m3 (İzmir) at urban sites with a mean of 116±141 pg/m3, and from 19.0±22.7 pg/m3 (Aksaray) to 217±353 pg/m3 (Kastamonu) at rural sites with a mean of 101±122 pg/m3. PCB 118 had the highest mean concentration (26.3±44.6 pg/m3) among the 43 PCB congeners. The PCB homologue group with the highest contribution was penta-CBs with 54.3%. Overall one-year average Σ22OCPs concentration was 341±870 pg/m3 with a range of 55.3±36.5 pg/m3 (Çankırı) and 1294±2153 pg/m3 (Kırklareli). ΣDDT had the highest overall mean level with 134±296 pg/m3 among the OCP groups. The highest concentration OCPs were p’p-DDE (97.6±236 pg/m3), HCB (45.3±197 pg/m3), α-HCH (22.0±92.8 pg/m3), β-HCH (21.8±96.1 pg/m3), and p’p-DDT (21.3±77.4 pg/m3). Principle Components Analysis showed that, in addition to the OCP with the highest concentration (p’p-DDE), parent OCP compounds such as α-endosulfan, α-HCH, HCB, and p’p-DDT differed from the others, and some of the remaining decay products were grouped together indicating similar behavior. Highly chlorinated PCBs were clustered together. Mann-Whitney U test indicated that the difference in the median concentrations of urban and rural sites was not significant. It was also used to test the significance of temperature effect on the median concentrations at a high and a low temperature range. The medians were significantly different for HCB, dieldrin, p’p-DDT, and β-endosulfan at urban sites but not significant for the remaining OCPs and ΣPCBs. The difference in the medians was significant for HCB, heptachlor, dieldrin, endrin, p’p-DDE, Mirex, and ΣPCBs at rural sites
  • Master Thesis
    Ambient Air Persistent Organic Pollutant Monitoring, Backtrajectory Modeling, and Health Risk Assessment
    (Izmir Institute of Technology, 2015) Güngörmüş, Elif; Sofuoğlu, Aysun; Sofuoğlu, Sait Cemil
    Turkish Government has officially become a party to the Stockholm Convention as of 2010, therefore, determination of POPs in environmental compartments in Turkey is a critical concern. In this study, 22 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and 43 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in gas and particulate phases of ambient air samples collected in Izmir and Istanbul from May to October 2014 on a weekly basis. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to quantify the targeted pollutants. Potential source regions were assessed by applying back-trajectory and Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF). Population carcinogenic risk levels associated with inhalation exposure were estimated by using Monte Carlo simulation, for which sensitivity and uncertainty analyses were also conducted. The highest mean concentration compounds were heptachlor (61±126 pg/m3) and p,p’-DDE (54±57 pg/m3) in Izmir and Istanbul, respectively. The mean Ʃ43PCBs concentration was found as 232±224 pg/m3 in Izmir, and 104±48 pg/m3 in Istanbul. Gas phase concentartions of OCPs and PCBs were generally much higher than particle phase. The PSCF results pointed out different potential source regions: Middle East, Eurasia, and Europe. All the estimated carcinogenic risks based on the 95% percentile values for individual OCPs and Ʃ43PCBs were calculated below the acceptable risk levels (10-6), indicating no significant potential health risk via inhalation route.