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Arsenic in the health of ecosystems: spatial distribution in water, sediment and aquatic biota of Pampean streams

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Abstract

A survey of arsenic and phosphorus in Pampean streams of Buenos Aires province was performed. Nitrates and ammonia were also determined. Stream water was sampled as well as stream sediment and filamentous algae. Results show that 32 streams exceeded the arsenic recommended guidelines for human consumption of 10 μg L−1 and six exceeded recommended values for aquatic organisms’ protection of 50 μg L−1. The average concentration found was 36.54 μg L−1 and areas with more concentration of As are located in the southern region of the province, in streams that are tributaries of the Atlantic Ocean. Other regions with high As concentration are the Matanza River tributaries and the Arrecifes River tributaries. No differences of As concentration was found between stream sediments. Also, no seasonal pattern of As concentration was observed in one stream sampled during a year, but a positive correlation between As and the conductivity (p = 0.0002) and pH (p = 0.01) of the streams was found. Also, As bioaccumulation was detected for all the algae sampled, but no correlation between As accumulated and As in the stream water was found. Ammonia levels exceeded recommended guidelines for human consumption in the Argentinean law in 30 streams. The characterization performed in this study provides relevant information on the distribution of arsenic and its origin and mobility.

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Acknowledgments

Authors would like to thank Eduardo Zunino for his collaboration in the sampling. Also, we would like to thank the reviewers for their suggestions.

Funding information

This project was financed partially by PICT Number 1017/14 and the National University of Luján. Also, this project was financed partially by an UBACYT project of the Universidad de Buenos Aires, code 20020150100177BA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Ecología de Protistas y Hongos, Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable (INEDES) UNLu—CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    M. C. Rodríguez Castro & A. Giorgi

  2. Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Nacional de Luján, Luján, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    M. C. Rodríguez Castro, M. C. Ranieri & A. Giorgi

  3. Universidad Centroccidental “Lisandro Alvarado” Decanato de Agronomía, Redoma Agua Viva Núcleo Tarabana, módulo I Dpto. Química, Cabudare, Lara, Venezuela

    L Marcó P

  4. Gerencia Química, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    C. Vázquez

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Rodríguez Castro, M.C., Marcó P, L., Ranieri, M.C. et al. Arsenic in the health of ecosystems: spatial distribution in water, sediment and aquatic biota of Pampean streams. Environ Monit Assess 189, 542 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-6255-1

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