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Iron and manganese content in groundwater on the northeastern coast of the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

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Abstract

The iron and manganese content in groundwater on the northeastern coast of the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, was analyzed. Borehole sampling and chemical analyses were performed and evaluated based on the hydrogeological characteristics of the phreatic aquifer located in the coastal barrier, which is the only supply source to the population. Fe concentrations in groundwater fluctuate between 0.03 and 3.5 mg/L, with a mean value of 0.33 mg/L, whereas Mn varies between 0.03 and 1.20 mg/L, with a mean value of 0.24 mg/L. There is a relationship between the geomorphological environments and the distribution of major ions, except the case of Fe and Mn. The sand that constitutes the aquifer contains pyroxenes, amphiboles, biotite, Fe oxides and hydroxides, and volcanic groundmass stained by hydroxides, all of which are the source of Fe and Mn—whose concentrations are unrelated to each other, to Ph or to Eh due to a state of redox disequilibrium. Possible health risks due to Fe and Mn excess in water are considered. According to the international guidelines for Fe, 38 % of the samples exceed the acceptable values, while 33 % exceed the Argentine standards. As regards Mn, the samples with excess Mn are 53 and 38 %, respectively. Further groundwater quality monitoring and chemical studies are necessary, especially regarding the evolution of Fe and Mn contents. To offer an adequate supply of drinking water to the population, it is necessary to remove Fe and Mn so that the concentrations are within the drinking water guidelines.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are indebted to the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (Nacional Council for Scientific and Technological Research) of Argentina for financially supporting this study by means of the Grant PIP 0403/13. We would also like to thank Lic. Marcos Macchioli Grande for his contribution to this work, as well as the reviewers and editors for the valuable comments that improved the quality of the manuscript.

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  1. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Cátedra de Hidrología General, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 64 nº 3 (1900) La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Silvina Carretero & Eduardo Kruse

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  1. Silvina Carretero
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  2. Eduardo Kruse
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Correspondence to Silvina Carretero.

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Carretero, S., Kruse, E. Iron and manganese content in groundwater on the northeastern coast of the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Environ Earth Sci 73, 1983–1995 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3546-5

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