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The aims of this study were to assess Cu, Zn, and Cr pollution in a highly polluted river in Argentina (Matanza-Riachuelo) and to evaluate tolerance strategies and toxic effects in aquatic macrophytes. Chemical techniques were used to assess the bioavailability of these metals and to evaluate their uptake and translocation by plants. The ultrastructure of the roots of a free-floating plant (Eichhornia crassipes) and the leaves of an emergent macrophyte (Sagittaria montevidensis) was examined using transmission electron microscopy. In the lower basin of the river, the highest concentrations of total heavy metals were detected in water (179 µgZn/g; 54 µgCu/g; 240 µgCr/g) and sediments (1499 µgZn/g; 393 µgCu/g; 4886 µgCr/g). In the upper basin of the river, low percentages of Zn and Cu (8 to 25%) were extracted with DTPA and EDTA, probably due to the lithogenic origin of these metals. Higher extraction percentages (24 to 66%) were obtained in the lower basin, in accordance with anthropogenic pollution. For Cr, extraction percentages were low in the upper basin of the river ( 4.5%) and extremely low in the lower basin ( 0.03%). In S. montevidensis, the BCF (bioconcentration factor) and TF (translocation factor) indexes were compatible with heavy metal exclusion mechanisms in sediments, whereas in the E. crassipes, root compartmentalization could be the main tolerance strategy. The leaves of S. montevidensis showed no evidence of damage, whereas ultrastructural alterations (plasmolyzed cells, disorganized membranes) were observed in E. crassipes.

Wetlands usually provide a natural mechanism that diminishes the transport of toxic compounds to other compartments of the ecosystem by immobilization and accumulation in belowground tissues and/or soil. This study was conducted to assess the ability of Schoenoplectus californicus growing in natural marsh sediments, with zinc and lead addition, to tolerate and accumulate these metals, taking account of the metal distribution in the sediment fractions. The Zn and Pb were mainly found in available (exchangeable) and potentially available (bound to organic matter) forms, respectively. The absorption of Zn and Pb by plants increased in sediments with added metals. Both metals were largely retained in roots (translocation factor

The Reconquista River is one of the most polluted rivers in Latin America. This paper aims at identifying the dynamics of water quality in an area with low or “background” concentrations of pollutants within the Reconquista River system in order to better define levels of pollution in the main system. In order to describe the dynamics of water quality in the background area, we propose a methodology based on flow estimation with the instantaneous unit hydrograph model and on measurements of physical and chemical water variables under different hydrological conditions. Because of high dissolved oxygen and low ammonium and o-phosphate concentrations, the Arroyo Durazno, a tributary stream of the Reconquista River, is defined as a background area. When a storm event begins, the concentration of nitrates and the electrical conductivity diminish. An increase in dissolved organic carbon suggests an important input of carbon from hillslope runoff. The proportion of fulvic and humic acids also increases. On the receding limb of the hydrograph, nitrate concentration was lower than during maximum flow and organic carbon concentration remained high. This behavior, known as the “flushing effect”, suggests that the soluble material accumulated in the drainage area during dry periods is transported to the stream by leaching or “lixiviation” and surface runoff, thus raising solute concentrations during the first few hours of the storm. Water quality changes rapidly, even in background areas, due to its dependence on the flow. The methodology followed in this paper can also be applied to other basins with similar characteristics. Due to the difficulty in defining baseline areas for surface waters, a knowledge of background water quality and its dynamics is essential for understanding pollution trends and anthropogenic impacts on rivers.

There are a few studies about full scale and on-site treatments using macrophytes. In this contribution we compare the phytoremediation role of floating, submersed, and emergent macrophytes grown in natural and artificial wetlands. Metal uptake capacity of aquatic plants is low and this exclusion strategy seems to be more widespread among aquatic plants. Bioconcentration factors and translocation are lower than those calculated in bioassays conducted under laboratory conditions. There are not hyperaccumulators among the studied plants. However, regarding the capacity of accumulation of metals in the standing crop, the floating plants are most effective for phytoextraction, followed by submersed species and then emergent species. The emergent plants are more effective for phytostabilization. The metals released during the decomposition could be further retained by the new binding sites generated in bottom sediment. Use of native species in remediation projects, not always considered in scientific or technical papers is essential to preserve biological diversity and, requires more detailed studies for each natural ecosystem.