Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Climate Change Impacts on Sediment Quality of Subalpine Reservoirs: Implications on Management

Laura Marziali
* ORCID logo ,
Gianni Tartari
ORCID logo ,
Franco Salerno
ORCID logo ,
Lucia Valsecchi
,
Clara Bravi
,
Erika Lorenzi
,
Pietro Genoni
,
Licia Guzzella
Version 1 : Received: 4 September 2017 / Approved: 5 September 2017 / Online: 5 September 2017 (04:13:17 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Laura, M.; Tartari, G.; Salerno, F.; Valsecchi, L.; Bravi, C.; Lorenzi, E.; Genoni, P.; Guzzella, L. Climate Change Impacts on Sediment Quality of Subalpine Reservoirs: Implications on Management. Water 2017, 9, 680. Laura, M.; Tartari, G.; Salerno, F.; Valsecchi, L.; Bravi, C.; Lorenzi, E.; Genoni, P.; Guzzella, L. Climate Change Impacts on Sediment Quality of Subalpine Reservoirs: Implications on Management. Water 2017, 9, 680.

Abstract

Reservoirs are characterized by accumulation of sediments where micropollutants may concentrate, with potential toxic effects on downstream river ecosystems. However, sediment management such as flushing is needed to maintain storage capacity. Climate change is expected to increase sediment loads, but potential effects on their quality are scarcely known. In this context, sediment contamination by trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn) and organics (PAHs, PCBs, C>12) was analyzed in 20 reservoirs located in Italian Central Alps. A strong As and a moderate Cd, Hg and Pb enrichment was emphasized by Igeo, with potential ecotoxicological risk according to PEC quotients. Siltation, granulometry, total organic carbon (TOC) and altitude resulted as the main drivers governing pollutant concentrations in sediments. According to climate change models, expected increase of rainfall erosivity will enhance soil erosion and consequently the sediment flow to reservoirs, potentially increasing coarse grain fractions and thus potentially diluting pollutants. Conversely, increased weathering may enhance metal fluxes to reservoirs. Increased vegetation cover will potentially result in higher TOC concentrations, which may contrast contaminant bioavailability and thus toxicity. Our results may provide elements for a proper management of contaminated sediments in a climate change scenario aiming at preserving water quality and ecosystem functioning.

Keywords

dams; trace metals; contaminated sediments; siltation; sedimentation rate

Subject

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Environmental Science

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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