Propuesta de un plan de monitoreo de estuarios y evaluación de calidad del agua. Caso de estudio: Estuario de la subcuenca del río Atacames

Abstract

The present project proposes a plan for monitoring the water quality of the estuary of Río Atacames Atacames canton province of Esmeraldas, on the basis of the applications that people give to the estuary, and the analysis of the concentration and distribution of the physical, chemical and microbiological parameters. As part of the study were analyzed water quality parameters such as: temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen (OD), chlorophyll concentration, demand biochemistry of oxygen (BOD5), concentration of iron, nitrites, nitrates, ammonia nitrogen, ortho-phosphates, concentration of silica, total solids, turbidity and fecal coliform. The samplings were carried out in dry season (low tide and tide) and during the rainy season (high & low tide) in an extension of approximately 5 km up from the Río Atacames from open sea (Pacific Ocean). To report the current state of the estuary was used the rate of trophic state TRIX (nP), with which it was determined that at low tide of dry season the water quality's state is poor. Together with the evaluation of the estuary are also proposed four sampling points, which have high concentrations of nutrients and fecal coliforms, and low concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO). These points are located at sites where the population in Atacames makes direct use of the estuary to perform their daily activities.