Aplicación de los índices de calidad del agua como indicadores para la clasificación del agua del río cutuchi de la provincia de cotopaxi y evaluación de la incidencia de los centros poblados

Abstract

Population growth and anthropogenic activities have caused the Cutuchi River to be considered one of Ecuador's four most polluted rivers. The objective of the study was to evaluate the incidence of populated centres on the water quality of the Cutuchi River in two periods of time, one in the dry season and the other in the rainy season, for which the areas of vulnerability to direct and diffuse discharges in the monitoring zones, considering the areas of Mulalo, Tanicuchi and Latacunga which present domestic and industrial wastewater discharges and the zones of diffuse discharges in Mulalo, Tanicuchi, Guaytacama, San Miguel and Panzaleo with flower and livestock activities. Conventional ecological indices (physical-chemical and microbiological parameters) were applied, determining the areas and the amount of existing contamination where phosphates, COD, DB05, faecal coliforms and OD have high contamination levels in all study areas, the most contaminated areas are San Miguel and Panzaleo. Non-conventional ecological indices such as River Habitat Index (IHF), Riverside Forest Quality Index (QBR-And) and the Water Quality Index (ICA) determined the environmental quality of the river, the most affected areas and the quality of the river. The water in the areas of Guaytacama and San Miguel obtained a terrible quality of water and extreme degradation, and the areas of Mulalo, Tanicuchi, Latacunga and Panzaleo with a beginning of alteration with an intermediate quality of degradation. This is attributed to the microbiological analyzes and physicochemical tests carried out with a regular level of conservation. The presence of Bioindicator macroinvertebrates, corresponding to the Hialellidae, Chironomidae and Hirudinea families, was verified. The Cutuchi River water system decreases its conservation in areas where there is a more significant number of anthropogenic activities and populated areas.