The aim of this study was to evaluate concentrations of heavy metals and other trace elements in the aquatic macrophyte Potamogeton pusillus, matching this information with the corresponding to water and sediment samples from the
Potamogeton pusillus is a native species widely distributed throughout the basin, which was selected considering its favorable characteristics for use as a bioindicator (big quantity, widely distribution, easy to harvest and maintain in the laboratory). Plants were collected during the wet season at two stations along the
Measured elements include Ag, Al, Ba, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ga, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, Tl, U, V, As, B, Be, Fe, Se, Zn, Ca, Hg, Pd, Pt, Au, Hf, Y, U, Yb, Tm, Th, Tb, Sm, Pr, Nd, Lu, La, Ho, Gd, Eu, Er, Dy and Ce.
Considering studied metals in both water and sediments, it can be seen that most of them have lower concentrations upstream from Córdoba city. Some elements (B, Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni. Ga, Rb, Sr, Y, Ba, Ce, Sb, Sn, Pd, Zn, Cu, Hg, Rh and Pb) have significant higher values in water and sediments downstream from Córdoba sewage discharge. Chemometrics demonstrated good matching between heavy metal and trace elements concentrations found in water and sediment with those observed in aquatic plants collected at each monitoring site, indicating the follow up of pollutants from both water and sediment to the plant. So far, we propose the use of Potamogeton pusillus as a good bioindicator of aquatic pollution.