title: Natural origin arsenic in aquatic organisms from a deep oligotrophic lake under the influence of volcanic eruptions.
abstract: Volcanic eruptions are recognized sources of toxic elements to freshwater, including arsenic (As). In order to study the short term changes in the bioaccumulation of naturally occurring As by aquatic organisms in Lake Nahuel Huapi (Argentina), located close to the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcanic complex (PCCVC), we described As concentrations at different trophic levels and food web transfer patterns in three sites of the lake prior to the last PCCVC eruption (June 2011), and compared As concentrations in biota before and after the eruption. The highest As concentrations and greater variations both between sites and position in the water column, were observed in phytoplankton (3.9-64.8 µg g(-1) dry weight, DW) and small zooplankton (4.3-22.3 µg g(-1) DW). The pattern of As accumulation in aquatic organisms (whole body or muscle) was: primary producers (phytoplankton) > scrapper mollusks (9.3-15.3 µg g(-1) DW) > filter feeding mollusks (5.4-15.6 µg g(-1) DW) > omnivorous invertebrates (0.4-9.2 µg g(-1) DW) > zooplankton (1.2-3.5 µg g(-1) DW) > fish (0.2-1.9 µg g(-1) DW). We observed As biodilution in the whole food web, and in salmonids food chains, feeding on fish prey; but biomagnification in the food chain of creole perch, feeding on benthic crayfish. The impact of the 2011 PCCVC eruption on the As levels of biota was more evident in pelagic-associated organisms (zooplankton and planktivorous fish), but only in the short term, suggesting a brief high bioavailability of As in water after ash deposition. In benthic organisms As variations likely responded to shift in diet due to coverage of the littoral zone with ashes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Análisis por Activación Neutrónica (LAAN), Centro Atómico Bariloche, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Av. Bustillo 9500, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina; Centro Científico Tecnológico - CONICET - Patagonia Norte, Av. de los Pioneros 2350, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina. Electronic address: rominajuncos@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Romina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Juncos
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Análisis por Activación Neutrónica (LAAN), Centro Atómico Bariloche, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Av. Bustillo 9500, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arcagni
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Análisis por Activación Neutrónica (LAAN), Centro Atómico Bariloche, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Av. Bustillo 9500, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina; Centro Científico Tecnológico - CONICET - Patagonia Norte, Av. de los Pioneros 2350, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science, Saint Mary's University, 923 Robie St., Halifax, NS B3H 3C3, Canada.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Análisis por Activación Neutrónica (LAAN), Centro Atómico Bariloche, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Av. Bustillo 9500, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arribére
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Análisis por Activación Neutrónica (LAAN), Centro Atómico Bariloche, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Av. Bustillo 9500, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina.
authors.forename: Sergio Ribeiro
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Guevara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000737:chemistry*; D001118:Argentina; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis*; D058448:Biota / Q000187:drug effects; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D020387:Food Chain; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000737:chemistry; D060106:Lakes / Q000737:chemistry*; D010471:Perches / Q000254:growth & development; D018707:Volcanic Eruptions; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D015048:Zooplankton / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: Arsenic; Food web; Lake Nahuel Huapi; Trophic transfer; Volcanic eruptions