Evaluation of surface water quality for human consumption potential in the upper reaches of Sis Icán, Guatemala

Evaluation of surface water quality for human consumption potential in the upper reaches of Sis Icán, Guatemala

Authors

  • Milton Leonel Chán Santisteban Profesor Titular del Centro Universitario del Sur Occidente, Universidad de San Carlos; Guatemala
  • Wagner Peña Cordero Cátedra Gestión Sostenible del Suelo, UNED, San Pedro, Costa Rica

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22458/urj.v7i1.838

Keywords:

Chemical pollution index, microbiological pollution, drinking water, Sis Ican, basin, quality water, Guatemala

Abstract

In Guatemala 90 % of urban water has a rural origin and 70% of the sources are superficial. We selected three rivers of the upper basin of Sis Icán (Chita, and Sacobá Ixconá-Sis; Pacific coast) to asses drinking water. The watersheds have agriculture and livestock farms, as well as urban and rural populations. Water quality was assessed in the origin and end of each river, in 2012. The variables measured were: NO3, NO2 =, SO4 =, Fe, Cl, Mn, hardness, total coliforms and fecal coliforms. We applied the water pollution index, which is the average of the ratios between observed parameters and regulated standard values. We found statistically significant inputs for chemical and microbiological contaminants (total and fecal coliforms). The level of chemical contaminants does not compromise the quality of water for human consumption, but the biological contamination does.

Published

2015-06-04

How to Cite

Chán Santisteban, M. L., & Peña Cordero, W. (2015). Evaluation of surface water quality for human consumption potential in the upper reaches of Sis Icán, Guatemala. UNED Research Journal, 7(1), 19–24. https://doi.org/10.22458/urj.v7i1.838

Issue

Section

Articles
Loading...