title: Introducing Simple Detection of Bioavailable Arsenic at Rafaela (Santa Fe Province, Argentina) Using the ARSOlux Biosensor.
abstract: Numerous articles have reported the occurrence of arsenic in drinking water in Argentina, and the resulting health effects in severely affected regions of the country. Arsenic in drinking water in Argentina is largely naturally occurring due to elevated background content of the metalloid in volcanic sediments, although, in some regions, mining can contribute. While the origin of arsenic release has been discussed extensively, the problem of drinking water contamination has not yet been solved. One key step in progress towards mitigation of problems related with the consumption of As-containing water is the availability of simple detection tools. A chemical test kit and the ARSOlux biosensor were evaluated as simple analytical tools for field measurements of arsenic in the groundwater of Rafaela (Santa Fe, Argentina), and the results were compared with ICP-MS and HPLC-ICP-MS measurements. A survey of the groundwater chemistry was performed to evaluate possible interferences with the field tests. The results showed that the ARSOlux biosensor performed better than the chemical field test, that the predominant species of arsenic in the study area was arsenate and that arsenic concentration in the studied samples had a positive correlation with fluoride and vanadium, and a negative one with calcium and iron.
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH-UFZ, Department Environmental Microbiology, Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany. konrad.siegfried@ufz.de.
authors.forename: Konrad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Siegfried
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH-UFZ, Department Environmental Microbiology, Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany. sonja.hahn-tomer@ufz.de.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hahn-Tomer
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH-UFZ, Department Environmental Microbiology, Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany. andreas.koelsch@ufz.de.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koelsch
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH-UFZ, Department Environmental Microbiology, Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany. eva.osterwalder@ufz.de.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Osterwalder
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH-UFZ, Department Analytical Chemistry, Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany. juergen.mattusch@ufz.de.
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mattusch
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH-UFZ, Department Analytical Chemistry, Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany. ha-jo.staerk@ufz.de.
authors.forename: Hans-Joachim
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Staerk
authors.affiliation: Facultad Regional Buenos Aires, Universidad Tecnologica Nacional, Medrano 951, Argentina. marta.litter@gmail.com.|Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rivadavia 1917, Argentina. marta.litter@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jorge M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Meichtry
authors.affiliation: Facultad Regional Buenos Aires, Universidad Tecnologica Nacional, Medrano 951, Argentina. egdeseta@yahoo.com.ar.
authors.forename: Graciela E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: De Seta
authors.affiliation: Facultad Regional Buenos Aires, Universidad Tecnologica Nacional, Medrano 951, Argentina. fernando-reina@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Fernando D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Reina
authors.affiliation: Facultad Regional Rafaela, Universidad Tecnologica Nacional, M. Acuña 49, Rafaela 2300, Argentina. cecipanigatti@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Panigatti
authors.affiliation: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Rivadavia 1917, Argentina. marta.litter@gmail.com.|Gerencia Química, Centro Atómico Constituyentes, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Av. Gral. Paz 1499, San Martín 1650, Argentina. marta.litter@gmail.com.|Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental, Universidad de General San Martín, Peatonal Belgrano 3563, San Martín 1650, Argentina. marta.litter@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marta I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Litter
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH-UFZ, Department Environmental Microbiology, Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany. hauke.harms@ufz.de.
authors.forename: Hauke
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Harms
mesh_terms: D001118:Argentina; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D005459:Fluorides / Q000032:analysis; D060587:Groundwater / Q000032:analysis*; D010710:Phosphates; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D010710:Phosphates; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014867:Water; C012980:fluorophosphate; D001151:Arsenic; D005459:Fluorides
keywords: Argentina; Chaco Pampean plain; bioavailable arsenic; biosensor; ground water