Tokatli, CemBastatli, Yasin2024-06-122024-06-122016978-80-88042-04-41805-997X1805-9961https://doi.org/10.12955/cbup.v4.851https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14551/22390CBU International Conference on Innovations in Science and Education (CBUIC) -- MAR 23-25, 2016 -- Prague, CZECH REPUBLICThe Meric River, the longest river of the Balkans, is the most important aquatic ecosystem within the Thrace Region of Turkey, along with its main tributaries, the Tunca and Ergene Rivers. In this study, the sediment quality of Meric, Tunca, and Ergene Rivers was evaluated by using the Potential Ecological Risk Index (RI) and the Biological Risk Index (mERM-Q), both widely used methods in sediment quality assessment studies, to assess the ecological and biological risks of heavy metals within the river ecosystems. According to the results of the Biological Risk Index, nickel and chromium displayed the highest risk factors, and in terms of the Potential Ecological Risk Index, cadmium yielded the highest risk factor across all the investigated lotic ecosystems.en10.12955/cbup.v4.851info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessMeric RiverTunca RiverErgene RiverSediment QualityBio-Ecological Risk IndicesHeavy-MetalsConference Object4785790N/AWOS:000392271000120