Chemical composition and suitability of some Turkish thermal muds as peloids

Abstract

Thermal muds have been used in many spas for the treatment of different diseases as well as to clean and beautify the skinand in different forms such as mud baths, masks, and cataplasms. Mineralogical and chemical compositions and the possible toxicityof the peloids were investigated and compared with some limits to determine whether they have any health benefits and potentialapplications for pelotherapeutic treatments. The studied peloid samples were collected from 19 spas in different parts of Turkey and theywere classified as neutral to slightly alkaline, with a high electrical conductivity value that had a high chlorine content and was regardedas highly conductive. The temperature of the peloids was between 23.2 and 61.0 °C. The mineralogical composition mainly comprisedsmectite and illite, partially quartz and feldspar, some carbonate (calcite and dolomite), and other minerals. The most abundant claymineral was Ca-montmorillonite. The major and trace element contents of some of the peloids were similar to each other, while thecontents of some toxic elements showed a clear variation. Toxic element contents, e.g., As, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Sb, of the peloids were higheror lower than the commercial herbalist clay, pharmaceutical clay, natural clay, average clay, and Canadian Natural Health ProductsGuide. The toxicity of some hazardous elements was compared, especially that of the pharmaceutical clay, and evaluated together withother parameters. Toxic elements were higher than in the pharmaceutical clay in most of the peloids.