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Total iron concentrations in waters and fish tissues in the Nam Theun 2 Reservoir area (Lao PDR)

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Abstract

Data on total iron concentrations in waters and freshwater fish tissues in man-made reservoirs are scarce, especially in Southeast Asia. Changes in total iron concentrations in water and in fish tissues were studied after the impoundment of the Nam Theun 2 Reservoir (central Lao PDR). Water quality parameters were monitored at 11 stations (reservoir, upstream area and downstream areas) from 2008 to 2010. In 2009 and 2010, total iron concentrations were measured in three different fish tissues (viscera, gills and flesh) from 14 species belonging to the omnivorous and carnivorous feeding groups. The results indicated that iron concentrations in the water were influenced by the reservoir impoundment during the first year after the creation of the reservoir. Intra-annual variations of the total iron concentration in these waters appeared to be driven by the soil leaching processes mainly during the wet season. In fish, total iron accumulated preferentially in viscera, followed by gills and flesh. Iron concentration was highly species dependant and related to the ecology of the species whereas feeding habits (omnivorous or carnivorous) did not influence total iron concentration in fish tissues. Finally, reservoir impoundment did not affect iron concentrations in fish from the reservoir and from both downstream areas.

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Acknowledgments

This research has been conducted at the Aquatic Environment Laboratory of Nam Theun 2 Power Company (NTPC) in Lao PDR whose Shareholders are Électricité de France, Lao Holding State Enterprise and Electricity Generating Public Company Limited of Thailand.

We would like to thank all the staff from the Hydrobiology team and Chemistry team of the Aquatic Environment Laboratory-Water Quality and Biodiversity Dept, Mr Ruedi Luthi (Environment and Social Director) for his advices and all staff of NTPC for their assistance with logistics and support for total iron analysis in freshwater at UAE (Bangkok, Thailand). We would like to thank EDF-CIH for supporting the total iron analyses in fish tissues at Savoie Labo (France). We also would like to thank Ms. Leah Bêche who reviewed and improved this version of the manuscript as a native English speaker. Finally, we would like to thank reviewer for their useful comments and suggestion for the manuscript improvement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nam Theun 2 Power Company Limited (NTPC), Environment & Social Division – Water Quality and Biodiversity Dept. – Gnommalath Office, PO Box 5862, Vientiane, Lao PDR

    Maud Cottet, Pierre Guédant & Arnaud Godon

  2. EDF, Hydro Engineering Centre – Savoie Technolac, 73373, Le Bourget du Lac, France

    Stéphane Descloux

  3. Hydreco, Lab. Environnement Petit-Saut, BP 823, 97388, Kourou cedex, French Guyana

    Philippe Cerdan & Régis Vigouroux

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  1. Maud Cottet
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  2. Stéphane Descloux
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Correspondence to Maud Cottet.

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Cottet, M., Descloux, S., Guédant, P. et al. Total iron concentrations in waters and fish tissues in the Nam Theun 2 Reservoir area (Lao PDR). Environ Monit Assess 187, 529 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4745-6

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