Enhanced Arsenic Mobility in a Dystrophic Water Reservoir System After Acidification Recovery

Weiske, Arndt; Hegewald, Tilo; Werner, Ingo; Schaller, Jörg; Dudel, E Gert

Enhanced Arsenic Mobility in a Dystrophic Water Reservoir System After Acidification Recovery

2017

Weiske, Arndt | Hegewald, Tilo | Werner, Ingo | Schaller, Jörg | Dudel, E Gert

Arsenic concentrations in a drinking water reservoir system in the Eastern Ore mountains (Osterzgebirge, Germany) were observed over a 17-year period. The region experienced an environmental change during the past 20 years with decreasing acid, sulphur and nitrogen deposition and a recovering vitality of forested catchment sites. An increase of the arsenic content in the reservoir waters during that change was observed. This was caused by a diminished nitrate supply leading to lower redox potential in the sediments favouring sediment arsenic release. The recent annual cycle in the Altenberg reservoir water arsenic concentration was found to be independent from artificial aeration of the hypoxic hypolimnion during the summer stratification. However, we found a strong seasonal dependent change in water As concentration, with a maximum in autumn and a minimum in spring. The low productive system is driven by peat derived organic matter. For the recent arsenic catchment yield coherencies to dissolved organic carbon export and runoff intensity were found, indicating rising arsenic loads due to climate-related soil organic matter destabilization. Thus, in the reservoir system, both dry and wet climate conditions can increase the water As concentrations due to an internal arsenic release and a catchment arsenic import.

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