ABSTRACT
The Tunuyán and Mendoza River Basins (Province of Mendoza, Argentina) have been selected as a representative semiarid region to test the applicability of an integrated water quality evaluation. To detect spatio-temporal variations of anthropic contamination, physicochemical and bacteriological parameters, as well as three ecotoxicological assays, were assessed in reference sites for 3 years. Bioassays based on the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the vascular plant Lactuca sativa, and the algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata were performed and toxicological categories were established. Our results showed that water quality, as well as water toxicity, deteriorates as both river systems run through urban areas. Interestingly, monitoring sites with good physicochemical and bacteriological qualities but with toxicity were identified, illustrating that traditional water quality studies do not predict potential toxic effects on living organisms. In addition, a multivariate statistical analysis was performed to detect clusters of monitoring sites according to the water quality status. In the context of climate change, this study provides information to support that integrated water monitoring is an essential tool to ensure sustainable water management and to guarantee economic growth, human health, food security, and environmental protection.
Subject(s)
Chlorophyceae , Water Pollutants, Chemical , Humans , Water Quality , Rivers/chemistry , Environmental Monitoring/methods , Argentina , Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysisABSTRACT
Determination of water quality status in rivers is critical to establish a sustainable water management policy. For this reason, over the last decades it has been recommended to perform integrated water assessments that include water quantities and physicochemical, ecological and toxicological tests. However, sometimes resources are limited and it is not possible to perform large-scale chemical determinations of pollutants or conduct numerous ecotoxicological tests. To overcome this problem we use and measure the growth, as a response parameter, of the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to assess water quality in rivers. The C. elegans is a ubiquitous organism that has emerged as an important model organism in aquatic and soil toxicology research. The Tunuyán River Basin (Province of Mendoza, Argentina) has been selected as a representative traditional water monitoring system to test the applicability of the C. elegans toxicological bioassay to generate an integrated water quality evaluation. Jointly with the C. elegans toxic assays, physicochemical and bacteriological parameters were determined for each monitoring site. C. elegans bioassays help to identify different water qualities in the river basin. Multivariate statistical analysis (PCA and linear regression models) has allowed us to confirm that traditional water quality studies do not predict potential toxic effects on living organisms. On the contrary, physicochemical and bacteriological analyzes explain <62% of the C. elegans growth response variability, showing that ecotoxicological bioassays are important to obtain a realistic scenario of water quality threats. Our results confirm that the C. elegans bioassay is a sensible and suitable tool to assess toxicity and should be implemented in routine water quality monitoring.
Subject(s)
Caenorhabditis elegans/drug effects , Environmental Monitoring/methods , Rivers/chemistry , Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis , Water Quality , Animals , Argentina , Water Pollutants, Chemical/toxicitySubject(s)
Argentina , Environment , Agricultural Irrigation , Sewage , Water Purification , CoursesABSTRACT
El objeto del presente trabajo es identificar la terminología y las definiciones en áreas irrigadas, según las normas establecidas por el ICID (International Cambiasen on Irrigation and Drainage). También se mencionan definiciones de eficiencia calculadas para las condiciones locales, se demuestra que son compatibles con las del ICID y se dan resultados de evaluaciones en áreas irrigadas del país
Subject(s)
Argentina , Environment , Sewage , Water Purification , Agricultural Irrigation , Agriculture , CoursesABSTRACT
El objeto del presente trabajo es identificar la terminología y las definiciones en áreas irrigadas, según las normas establecidas por el ICID (International Cambiasen on Irrigation and Drainage). También se mencionan definiciones de eficiencia calculadas para las condiciones locales, se demuestra que son compatibles con las del ICID y se dan resultados de evaluaciones en áreas irrigadas del país
