Conferencia: Toxics and toxins, from man to the aquatic environment and back to man.

WUNDERLIN D.A.

Porto Alegre

Congreso; Toxi-Latin 2014; 2014

Toxilatin Sociedad Lationoamericana de Toxicología

Human activities are affecting the environment worldwide. Some of these activities release toxic compounds to the atmosphere, water courses, soil, etc. resulting in environmental pollution at emission points (point pollution). Point pollution can be evident and so controlled by regulatory authorities. However, in many circumstances, point pollution is not the rule but non-point pollution is. Non point pollution is the common situation with sewage, urban run-off and other common human activities, usually named anthropic pollution. Anthropic pollution is a common source for both nitrogen and phosphorous, which results in eutrophication of lakes, causing excessive production of algae and cyanobacteria and their associated cyanotoxins. Urban run-off can be a common source for heavy metals affecting the aquatic environment. On the other hand, man is also releasing metabolic byproducts like pharmaceuticals and their metabolites, which are emerging contaminants in water bodies. Finally, the intensive production of foods for human consumption has led to the uncontrolled use of agrochemicals, pesticides and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The Suquía River basin in Córdoba (Argentina) is an endorheic basin affected by most of the previously mentioned pollutants, having a negative impact on drinking water sources and small fisheries that are used for human consumption, thus bringing anthropic pollutants back to man. Results on the evaluation of pollutants in the basin and their follow up to aquatic biota, including edible fish will be presented. A final hypothesis on the use of modern methods to trace the origin of non-point anthropic pollutants and the consequences of uncontrolled sewage discharges in the river basin, affecting its associated biota and anthropic activities, will also be discussed.