Approximately one million inhabitants in an area of more than 1x10^6 km^2 in Argentina are potentially exposed to natural high arsenic water (As >50 μg l-1) and, consequently, are at a high risk of arsenicosis. The origin of arsenic has been associated with in-situ volcanic ash weathering, although there are not conclusive evidences on that. The available information points out an origin related to the volcanism and the associated hydrothermalism in the Andes Cordillera between 14 and 28oS. Transportation by surface waters brought this arsenic to the Chaco-Pampean Plain. The reconstruction of Quaternary paleoenvironments and paleohydrology seems to be the key to define effective criteria of water management, particularly for exploration and exploitation of low arsenic waters.

Este trabajo se ha llevado a cabo en el marco de los Grups Consolidats de Recerca SGR-2005-795 PEGEFA (Petrología y Geoquímica Fundmantal y Aplicada) y SGR-2005-00589 (Recursos Minerales), financiados por AGAUR-DURSI, Generalitat de Catalunya.

Este trabajo ha sido financiado por una Acción Complementaria del Programa Nacional de Cooperación Internacional del Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (Ref. CTM2004-0260-E).

Peer reviewed