Organic pollutants in the Suquía river basin

Abstract

Organic pollutants have been detected in water, sediment, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and biota of the Suquía River Basin. It has been observed that the presence of these pollutants is closely related to the anthropic activity carried out at the basin. The upper basin shows the presence of cyanotoxins in water reservoirs due to water eutrophication caused by urban and touristic activities. In the middle basin, Córdoba City is the main source of organic pollutants. Downstream from this city, its wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) releases the highest amount and variety of organic pollutants, which are associated with human activities. Downstream from the WWTP, after the beginning of the lower basin, the riverbank is dominated by farms with diverse agricultural practices, including the use of several agrochemicals, like glyphosate and its metabolite AMPA, chlorinated pesticides and some veterinary medicines, all of them detected in the river water, sediment and biota. Some of these pollutants are retained in the sediment along the lower basin, while others are transported until reaching the river mouth at the Mar Chiquita Lake. Exposure to these pollutants, whether by drinking or ingesting them from polluted biota, represents a health risk to aquatic organisms, wildlife, domestic animals and humans.