Integral assessment of pollution in Suquía River (Córdoba, Argentina) as a contribution of lotic ecosystem restoration programs

A. ABRIL; C. MERLO; E. WANNAZ; H. A. CARRERAS; M.V. AMÉ; A.C. HUED; L.N. GALANTI; M.V. MONFERRÁN; C.M. GONZÁLEZ; V.M. SOLÍS; M.S. CHIAPPERO; G.A. ARGÜELLO

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2011 vol. 409 p. 5034 - 5034

he Suquía River lower–middle basin (Córdoba, Argentina) is subject to a strong anthropic impact because itreceives pollutants from different sources (industries, wastewaters, heavy traffic, agricultural land use, etc.)We have assessed the degree of watershed degradation of Suquía River lower–middle sections through theanalysis of different ecosystem compartments (air, water, riparian soil, sediments and biota), in order to provideuseful data to be considered in future river restoration programs. Four study sites were selected alongthe river (La Calera city, Córdoba city, Corazón de María village and Río Primero city) which were sampledduring the low- and high-water flow periods. We analyzed: a) chemical and physical characteristics ofwater, sediments, and riparian soil; b) heavy metal content of water and sediments, and c) semi-volatile organiccompounds in air. Besides, pollutant bioindicators such as fish assemblages, lichens (Usnea amb