Abstract
Bioconcentration and bioaccumulation levels of lead, zinc, iron and arsenic in Scirpus californicus of the Paca and Tragadero Lagoons, Jauja, Peru, were evaluated. Water, sediment and Scirpus californicus samples were collected from each lagoon, which were transported to the laboratory for the analytical determination of lead, iron, zinc and arsenic, which was performed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry based on the methodology recommended by FAO. The results obtained reveal the current status of the quality of the aquatic environment of natural wetlands in the central region of Peru in terms of heavy metals and arsenic, which provide an important source of water for the populations of large cities in the central region of Peru. The presence of heavy metals and arsenic with great impact on the quality of these water bodies may be due to the pressure exerted by anthropogenic activities such as mining, agriculture, industrial and domestic wastewater. The sediments of Paca and Tragadero Lagoons showed high concentrations of Fe, exceeding international standards. Aquatic vegetation represented by Scirpus californicus in both lagoons bio accumulated mainly Zn, without exceeding international standards.
Highlights
Lagoons are among the most important ecosystems in the world, but due to significant anthropogenic impacts there is a high degree of contamination of the aquatic environment
Concentration of Pb, Zn, Fe and As in water from Paca and Tragadero Lagoons Regarding the concentration of elements in water in Paca and Tragadero (Table 2), the results show that Pb concentrations exceeded the standards in Tragadero and were at the limit in Paca, according to Canadian water standards (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, 2001) and the environmental quality standard for water (EQS) established by Peruvian legislation for Pb of 0.01 mg L-1 (MINAM, 2017)
Concentration of Pb, Zn, Fe and As in sediment from Paca and Tragadero Lagoons In relation to the concentration of elements in sediment in Paca and Tragadero (Table 3), the results show that Pb concentrations exceeded the standards for both lagoons, according to the Canadian standards for freshwater sediment (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, 2001) that evaluate their biological impacts with 35 mg kg-1 as the environmental quality standard (EQS)
Summary
Lagoons are among the most important ecosystems in the world, but due to significant anthropogenic impacts there is a high degree of contamination of the aquatic environment. It is necessary to have a permanent monitoring program to prevent further deterioration and the risk of people using contaminated water and consuming waters with metals that are harmful to health (Odjer-Bio et al, 2015). Heavy metals are the group of pollutants of greatest interest due to their potential toxicity, persistence and bioaccumulation (Kara et al, 2017). In aquatic environments, these toxic elements can be released from sediment through adsorption and desorption processes, which prolongs the residence time of heavy metal contamination, constituting an important source of contamination for the water column (Hassan et al, 2015). Degradation of water quality by these metals leads to serious risks to human health and ecosystems, loss of biodiversity and deterioration of environmental quality (Hou et al, 2019)
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