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GIS-based pollution hazard mapping and assessment framework of shallow lakes: southeastern Pampean lakes (Argentina) as a case study

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Abstract

The assessment of water vulnerability and pollution hazard traditionally places particular emphasis on the study on groundwaters more than on surface waters. Consequently, a GIS-based Lake Pollution Hazard Index (LPHI) was proposed for assessing and mapping the potential pollution hazard for shallow lakes due to the interaction between the Potential Pollutant Load and the Lake Vulnerability. It includes easily measurable and commonly used parameters: land cover, terrain slope and direction, and soil media. Three shallow lake ecosystems of the southeastern Pampa Plain (Argentina) were chosen to test the usefulness and applicability of this suggested index. Moreover, anthropogenic and natural medium influence on biophysical parameters in these three ecosystems was examined. The evaluation of the LPHI map shows for La Brava and Los Padres lakes the highest pollution hazard (≈30 % with high to very high category) while Nahuel Rucá Lake seems to be the less hazardous water body (just 9.33 % with high LPHI). The increase in LPHI value is attributed to a different loading of pollutants governed by land cover category and/or the exposure to high slopes and influence of slope direction. Dissolved oxygen and biochemical oxygen demand values indicate a moderately polluted and eutrophized condition of shallow lake waters, mainly related to moderate agricultural activities and/or cattle production. Obtained information by means of LPHI calculation result useful to perform a local diagnosis of the potential pollution hazard to a freshwater ecosystem in order to implement basic guidelines to improve lake sustainability.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the financial support of the Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata through ARQ 168/07, EXA 409/08, EXA 388/08, and EXA 494/10. The authors are also indebted to Mrs. A. Licciardo for the technical assistance and Mr. G. Bernava for the chemical analysis. Two of the authors (AR and KSE) are indebted to the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) for the fellowship support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), 7600, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    A. Romanelli & A. H. Escalante

  2. Instituto de Geología de Costas y del Cuaternario, FCEyN, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, Nivel 1, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina

    A. Romanelli & H. E. Massone

  3. Laboratorio de Limnología, FCEyN, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3250, Nivel 2, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina

    K. S. Esquius & A. H. Escalante

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  1. A. Romanelli
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  2. K. S. Esquius
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  4. A. H. Escalante
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Correspondence to A. Romanelli.

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Romanelli, A., Esquius, K.S., Massone, H.E. et al. GIS-based pollution hazard mapping and assessment framework of shallow lakes: southeastern Pampean lakes (Argentina) as a case study. Environ Monit Assess 185, 6943–6961 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3077-7

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