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Natural and anthropic effects on hydrochemistry and major and trace elements in the water mass of a Spanish Pyrenean glacial lake set

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Abstract

This study presents the key hydrochemical characteristics and concentration levels of major (Ca, Mg, Na, Si, K, Sr, Fe) and trace (Ba, Sc, Cr, Mn, Al, As, Li, Co, Cu, U, Pb, Hg, Au, Sn, Zn, Cd, Ag, Ni) elements in the water mass of four selected Pyrenean cirque glacial lakes (Sabocos, Baños, Truchas and Escalar tarns) with different catchment features, between 2010 and 2013. Resulting data set is statistically analyzed to discriminate between the natural or anthropic origin of the elements. Analyses indicate that in all cases, the main source of most major and trace elements is geological weathering, being thus individual bedrock composition the main driver of differences between lakes. Several anthropogenic sources of airborne Cu, Sc, Co, and Cr must be also considered. The shallowness of the lake is also a factor that may influence element cycling and concentration levels in its water mass. Concentrations of anthropogenic elements were low, comparable to those reported in other glacial lakes, way below the WHO, US EPA, EC, and Spanish legal limits for drinking water quality, indicating the absence of serious pollution. Toxic heavy metals Cd, Pb, Hg, and Zn were not detected in any of the tarns.

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Acknowledgements

This study was partially funded by the Departamento de Ciencia, Tecnología y Universidad of the Gobierno de Aragón through a GATHERS (E52 research group) found and PhD scholarships to Z. S. and T. A. The authors wish to thank all the people and organizations that have contributed to this study, especially during the field work campaigns and sample analyses, including Laboratorio de Calidad de Aguas y Medio Ambiente de la EINA (University of Zaragoza), Zaragoza Club Odisea (ZCO), Grupo Especial de Actividades Subacuáticas de la Guardia Civil (GEAS), Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME), Aramón-Panticosa, Ayuntamiento de Panticosa, and Estación invernal de Astún.

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Santolaria, Z., Arruebo, T., Pardo, A. et al. Natural and anthropic effects on hydrochemistry and major and trace elements in the water mass of a Spanish Pyrenean glacial lake set. Environ Monit Assess 189, 324 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-6023-2

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