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Environmental Concentrations of Metals in the Catalan Stretch of the Ebro River, Spain: Assessment of Temporal Trends

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the environmental impact and the human health risks associated with exposure to a number of metals before and after initiating the decontamination process in Flix dam (Catalonia, Spain). The concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Hg, Ni, and Pb were determined in samples of drinking water, river water, and soils collected in the Catalan stretch of the Ebro River, Spain. The results were compared with those of previous surveys performed in the same zones. Human exposure to metals, as well as the associated carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks, was also estimated. In river and drinking waters, most analyzed metals showed increases, being significant that of Cr. The movements of polluted sludge in Flix dam could be the reason for the Cr levels found in the current survey. However, Hg was not detected in both drinking and river waters. Important differences on Mn levels were found, being higher those in river water than in drinking water. In turn, although soil concentrations of all analyzed metals showed a decreasing temporal trend, the reductions were only significant for Ni. The hazard quotient (HQ) of all elements was below the unity, considered the safe threshold. For carcinogenic risks, all values were found to be lower than 10−5, which has been defined as the maximum recommended excess of cancer risk according to the Spanish Legislation. The only exception was the As exposure through soil and drinking water, which slightly exceeded this threshold. The current results indicate the need to perform a continuous assessment of metal levels not only in river waters, but also in drinking water in order to assure the harmlessness of the decontamination process for the health of the population living downriver (Ebro) the Flix dam.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support was provided by “Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili”, through project 2010/IISPV/08.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sant Llorenç 21, 43201, Reus, Catalonia, Spain

    Lolita Vilavert, Clara Sisteré, Marta Schuhmacher, Martí Nadal & José L. Domingo

  2. Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Departament d’Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans 26, 43007, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain

    Marta Schuhmacher

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  1. Lolita Vilavert
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Correspondence to Martí Nadal.

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Vilavert, L., Sisteré, C., Schuhmacher, M. et al. Environmental Concentrations of Metals in the Catalan Stretch of the Ebro River, Spain: Assessment of Temporal Trends. Biol Trace Elem Res 163, 48–57 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-014-0140-3

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