Arsenic in the Health of Ecosystems: Spatial Distribution in Water, Sediment and Aquatic Biota of Pampean Streams

GIORGI, A.; RANIERI C.; VÁZQUEZ, CRISTINA; RODRIGUEZ CASTRO, CAROLINA; GIORGI, A,; MARCÓ, L.

ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2017 vol. 189 p. 542 - 554

0167-6369

Abstract A survey of arsenic and phosphorus in Pampeanstreams of Buenos Aires province was performed.Nitrates and ammonia were also determined. Streamwater was sampled as well as stream sediment andfilamentous algae. Results show that 32 streamsexceeded the arsenic recommended guidelines for humanconsumption of 10 μg L−1 and six exceeded recommendedvalues for aquatic organisms? protection of50 μg L−1. The average concentration found was36.54 μg L−1 and areas with more concentration of Asare located in the southern region of the province, instreams that are tributaries of the Atlantic Ocean. Otherregions with high As concentration are the MatanzaRiver tributaries and the Arrecifes River tributaries. Nodifferences of As concentration was found betweenstream sediments. Also, no seasonal pattern of As concentrationwas observed in one stream sampled during ayear, but a positive correlation between As and theconductivity (p = 0.0002) and pH (p = 0.01) of thestreams was found. Also, As bioaccumulation was detectedfor all the algae sampled, but no correlationbetween As accumulated and As in the stream waterwas found. Ammonia levels exceeded recommendedguidelines for human consumption in the Argentineanlaw in 30 streams. The characterization performed inthis study provides relevant information on the distributionof arsenic and its origin and mobility.