Mercury in aquatic systems of Nahuel Huapi National Park: a natural hotspot in Northern Patagonia

ARCAGNI, M.; SOTO CÁRDENAS, C.; FAJON, V.; RIZZO, A.; REISSIG, M.; QUEIMALIÑOS, C.; RIBEIRO GUEVARA, S.; HORVAT, M.; PEREZ CATÁN, S.; DIÉGUEZ, M.C.

Cracovia

Conferencia; ICMGP 2019 14th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant; 2019

Nahuel Huapi National Park (NHNP) includes many freshwater oligotrophicecosystems born in the Andes that are the main water sourcefor the vast arid stretch of Northeastern Patagonia which holds mosthuman settlements and activities of the region. In headwater catchmentsseveral investigations have reported moderate to high Hg levelsin lake sediments, aquatic biota and terrestrial bioindicators, attributingthem to long and short range atmospheric transport, volcanic activity inthe Andes and biomass burning. The sharp W-E orographic precipitationgradient (3500 and 1200 mmy-1) and the contrasting atmosphericmercury fluxes recorded at the W (∼7 ngm-3) and E (