ABSTRACT
Confronted with the need for accessible sources of good quality water and in view of the fact that the threat to public health posed by arsenic occurs mainly through the ingestion of contaminated drinking water, the presence and distribution of arsenic was evaluated in the southern Pampa Plains of Bahía Blanca district in Argentina. The findings show variable concentrations of arsenic in a complex distribution pattern. Complementary information is provided on the behavior of the groundwater resource and its salinity in terms of dissolved ions. Groundwater is the most severely affected, 97% of the samples exceeding the guideline value for arsenic in drinking water as recommended by the WHO (Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality, 2004). and showing maximum concentrations of up to 0.30 mg/L. Informing those responsible for preventive medicine and alerting the community at large will facilitate measures to mitigate exposure and ensure the safety of drinking water.
Subject(s)
Arsenic/analysis , Drinking Water/analysis , Environmental Monitoring/methods , Groundwater/analysis , Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis , Argentina , Arsenic/chemistry , Drinking Water/chemistry , Groundwater/chemistry , Public Health , Water Pollutants, Chemical/chemistryABSTRACT
Changes in the quality of groundwater resources are related to the presence and concentration of contaminants, especially trace elements such as arsenic, boron, fluoride and vanadium. Vanadium is a rare element naturally abundant, generally found in combination with other elements. Vanadium pentoxide is known to have aneugenic effects. Thus, a study was carried out to assess the presence of vanadium in the groundwater of the southeastern pampean region of Argentina, which constitutes the main water supply for the local population. Statistical and correlational analyses were applied to identify possible interrelationships between vanadium and another chemical elements. Vanadium was found in all groundwater samples. The minimum and maximum vanadium concentrations found were 0.05 mg/l and 2.47 mg/l, respectively. Vanadium is significantly correlated with other trace elements such as arsenic, fluoride and boron. The interrelationship between vanadium and the presence of volcanic glass in sediments is not significant as expected.
Subject(s)
Vanadium/analysis , Water Pollutants, Chemical , Anions , Argentina , Arsenic/analysis , Boron/analysis , Cations , Elements , Fluorides/analysis , Models, Statistical , Regression Analysis , Vanadium Compounds/chemistry , Water Purification , Water SupplyABSTRACT
En el presente trabajo se evalúa la calidad de las aguas y las posibles fuentes de contaminación de la cuenca superior del Río Sauce Grande que, a través del dique Paso de las Piedras, abastece de agua potable a la ciudad de Bahía Blanca(300.000 hab.). Teniendo en cuenta la construcción de tal infraestructura se analiza el posible impacto ambiental a fin de lograr determinar un índice de calidad ambiental regional
