DETECTING AND MAPPING CONCENTRATIONS OF HEAVY METALS IN THE ARGENTINE BASIN

Located near two heavily populated cities, the Argentine Basin is crucial for the fishing and mining industries for both Uruguay and Argentina. Nearby waterways and an estuary that feeds into the Basin have seen increased concentrations of heavy metals in recent surveys; there is a strong link to industrial and metallurgic waste being a source for the decrease in water quality for this aquatic system. Thus, understanding the reach that these anthropogenic hazards have in the Basin is a cause for concern and curiosity. Here we present data from cores collected offshore Argentina and Uruguay during research expeditions R/V Meteor M78/2 and R/V Sonne SO260. Surface sediment samples (top 2 cm) were analyzed for their Cr, Cu, Pb, Cd, and As contents via a three-acid digestion technique followed by inductively coupled mass spectrometry. The concentration data of the metals were collected and spatial distribution maps were created using ArcGIS. Preliminary findings indicate that heavy metal accumulation is overall higher on the upper shelf and decreases downslope with relatively copious amounts even reaching the deeper basin. There were a few anomalies with Cr and As specifically where there was an unexpected lower concentration in one data point near a cluster of three other core locations that had a higher ppm on the upper shelf. This shows a consistent dispersion and distribution of these pollutants overall and could indicate a far reaching travel from the original source. The potential for heavy metal contamination is possible from continued and increasing heavy metal pollution which is often accompanied by eutrophication-causing constituents. These can lead to algal blooms and, in combination with heavy metal pollution, potentially kill native aquatic species, impact recreational use of the coastlines, and increase costs for industrial equipment upkeep in the basin due to corrosion and clogging from the algae.