Effects of river pollution on its biota: results from 20 years studies in the Suquía River basin (Córdoba, Argentina)

Abstract

The presence of numerous and diverse pollutants and natural toxins hasbeen reported in the Suquía River Basin over 20 years. The fate of thesetoxic compounds can be mainly attributed to anthropic activities, startingwith the release of nutrients from untreated sewage, causing eutrophication,cyanobacteria, and cyanotoxins in the upper basin, followed by poorlytreated city sewage, which results in high loads of both inorganic and organiccontaminants at the end of the middle basin. Last, but not least, intensiveagriculture contributes with agrochemicals and veterinary medicines in thelow river basin. Consequently, the inhabiting biota is exposed to a complexmixture of xenobiotics and natural toxins. In this chapter, we discuss on thedeleterious effect caused by these toxic compounds on this biota, including theuptake, organ distribution, bioaccumulation, variations in different endpoints(biomarkers), and even changes at community level observed in some cases. Themain goal of this chapter is to present a typical basin from a developing country in Latin America, showing both augmented levels and increased sophistication of pollutants found throughout the studied period. Unfortunately, this is a quite common situation in other developing countries, not only from Latin America;thus, this chapter could serve as a guide for future studies in other river basins affected by a complex contaminant mixture elsewhere.