Assessment of anthropogenic pollution using multiple hydrogeochemical tools and statistical analysis in rural plain basins of the Argentinian Pampean Plain

BORZI, GUIDO; IDASZKIN, YANINA L.; TANJAL, CAROLINA; GALLIARI, JULIETA; CAROL, ELEONORA

RIVER RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONS

JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD

Año: 2021

1535-1459

Chemistry of surface water and groundwater can be conditioned by geology,anthropic influence, and exchange of flow between them. The Pampean Plain locatedin Argentina has gaining streams and mainly rural activities. An increase in the concentration of chemical values of surface waters with respect to groundwater can beattributed to the anthropogenic contribution. The aim of this work was to identifythe natural and/or anthropic processes that determine the chemistry of surface waterand groundwater in a sector of the Pampean Plain of Argentina through the analysisof major and trace elements, 18O and 2H isotopes, and statistical tools. A surfacewater and groundwater sampling network was designed, where physicochemicalparameters were measured, and samples were taken to determine major and traceelements and stable isotopes of water. The results indicate that dissolution, cationexchange, and evaporation are the main processes that determine the chemistry ofthe major elements associated with natural processes without showing evidence ofanthropic involvement. Some trace elements that are statistically associated withmajor ions evidence water-sediment interaction within the aquifer. On the otherhand, trace elements, as heavy metals, present a higher concentration in surfacewater compared to groundwater. This fact, evidences an anthropogenic contributionattributable to anthropic activities. The multivariate statistical analysis allowed discriminating between those trace elements associated with natural processes fromthose influenced by anthropic activity, even when these elements´ concentration wasvery low.