Biogeochemical fluxes of iron from rainwater,rivers and sewage to a Galician Ria (NW Iberian Peninsula). Natural versus anthropogenic contributions |
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Authors: | Ana V Filgueiras Ricardo Prego |
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Institution: | (1) Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas (CSIC), C/Eduardo Cabello, 6, 36208 Vigo, Spain |
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Abstract: | The total iron (TFe) concentrations in five rivers to a Galician Ria (averages 1.0–4.5 μM) was within the pristine range,
but in rainwater it was higher (17 μM). TFe values of small sewage treatment plants (STP) ranged between 3 and 4 μM, whereas
in the largest was 11 μM. Particulate iron in rivers was five times more abundant than dissolved iron, except in the Lagares
where it was 20 times higher, but in the STDs the dissolved/particulate coefficients varied from 0.1 to 1.1 and in the rainwater
it was lower than 0.4. Equations of water flow versus iron flux were obtained to quantify the iron contribution from the freshwater
sources to the Vigo Ria. It receives annually 490 tons of iron (6% in dissolved form) and 90% of this comes from industries
focused on metal processes. The contaminated Lagares River accounts for the main input of TFe (327 t a−1), followed by rainwater (78 t a−1), the Oitavén River (28 t a−1) and Vigo STP (33 t a−1). Anthropogenic activities have increased the amount of iron flowing into the Ria by roughly ten times and this could upset
the biogeochemical cycle in similar coastal systems. |
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Keywords: | Dissolved Freshwater Iron NW Spain Particulate |
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