Evaluación de la calidad del agua del río Quimi, tramo Sucúa mediante macroinvertebrados bentónicos como bioindicadores

Abstract

The objective of this research was to evaluate the water quality of the Quimi River using the Water Quality Index (ICA-NSF) and the Biological Monitoring Working Party/Colombia Index (BMWP/COL) in the north-south section of the Sucúa canton. To start, it carried out field observation to establish the three stations PQ-1, PQ-2 and PQ-3, doing a monitoring that for three months in May, June and July by collecting samples for the physical-chemical and microbiological analysis of the ICA-NSF. The results found by the IQAData software are estimated within the range 51 to 70 being classified as REGULAR, compared to the criteria in Chart 2: ACCEPTABLE QUALITY CRITERIA FOR THE PRESERVATION OF AQUATIC AND WILD LIFE, MARINE AND ESTUARIAN WATERS with Ministerial Agreement 097 finding parameters of temperature, fecal coliforms, phosphates and turbidity. A total of 320 macroinvertebrates were identified in 11 orders and 12 families classifying the water quality as CRITICAL, due to the organic matter present in the Quimi River. On the other hand, the aforementioned indexes were compared; concluding that the presence or absence of aquatic macroinvertebrates is affected by anthropogenic activities, finding individuals of the Caenidae family that can live in polluted and eutrophicated waters with high temperatures and low oxygen levels, in comparison with the Gammaridae family whose cycles of life is short, besides little tolerance to pollution and inhabit waters that contain a lot of organic matter, presenting deterioration in water quality. Because of the abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrates, the climatic conditions depend on. Finally, it is recommended to collect in the dry season in order to obtain a greater quantity of aquatic organisms providing more information for future research.