Sediment pollution in aquatic environments of the metropolitan region of Buenos Aires (MRBA), Argentina

Abstract

Sediment pollution is a very frequent situation in aquatic environments in urban-industrial areas around the world. The metropolitan region of Buenos Aires (MRBA) is one of the largest and most populated metropolises in the world, and as expected, this issue is registered in its rivers, streams and wetlands. The region is settled on several hydrological basins with diverse land uses, even at the sub-basin level. The present work aims to highlight several investigations carried out on the pollution of sediments in the MRBA in the last decades. All the analyzed cases show some type of contamination associated with the discharge of liquid effluents and urban runoff, standing out the pollution by metals. The basins of Luján, Reconquista and Matanza-Riachuelo rivers, the largest in the MRBA, show a notable deterioration in the quality of the sediments in their middle and lower sub-basins. This impact is also observed in other smaller basins located in the south of the MRBA, sectors of the lower delta of Paraná river and also in the coastline of the Río de la Plata. Based on the analyzed works, some alternatives are proposed for the management and remediation of contaminated sediments.