Evaluación del riesgo a la contaminación de los acuíferos de la Reserva Biológica de Limoncocha, Amazonía Ecuatoriana

Abstract

RESUMENEl agua subterránea es una de las principales fuentes de abastecimiento para los habitantes de las parroquias de Limoncocha y de Pompeya, ubicadas en la Amazonía ecuatoriana donde, además, se encuentra la Reserva Biológica Limoncocha (RBL) y su área de influencia (AI), cuyo ecosistema subterráneo recibe un aporte de agua proveniente de flujos externos a su límite. Tradicionalmente, el agua subterránea ha sido considerada protegida por el subsuelo, sin embargo, la disposición de contaminantes estables en zonas de infiltración favorable, podría causar que este recurso se contamine, poniendo en riesgo la salud de la población y la sostenibilidad de la reserva. Por ello, se propuso evaluar el peligro de contaminación del agua subterránea de dicha reserva, a través de la superposición de un mapa de vulnerabilidad del acuífero aplicando el método GODS, con un inventario de cargas contaminantes usando el método POSH y en función a esto, priorizar medidas en la protección de este recurso. Se determinó que, en la mayor parte del área de estudio, no existe peligro de contaminación del agua subterránea, no obstante, también se encontraron zonas de moderado y alto peligro para las que se propusieron medidas para prevenir el deterioro de la calidad del agua subterránea.Palabras clave: acuíferos, agua subterránea, contaminación del agua subterránea, sistemas de información geográfica. Avaliação do risco à contaminação dos aquíferos da Reserva Biológica de Limoncocha, Amazônia Equatoriana RESUMOA água subterrânea é uma das principais fontes para o abastecimento dos habitantes das paróquias de Limoncocha e de Pompeya, localizadas na Amazônia equatoriana, onde se encontra a Reserva Biológica Limoncocha (RBL) e sua área de influência (AI), cujo ecossistema subterrâneo recebe uma oferta substancial de água afluente de fora do seu limite. Tradicionalmente, a água subterrânea tem sido considerada como "protegida" pelo subsolo. No entanto, a disposição de poluentes estáveis de atividades humanas em áreas favoráveis de 653 Evaluación del riesgo a la contaminación de los acuíferos … Rev. Ambient. Água vol. 12 n. 4 Taubaté -Jul. / Aug. 2017 infiltração poderia causar esta contaminação dos recursos, colocando em risco a saúde da população e a sustentabilidade da reserva. Assim, é proposto se avaliar o risco de contaminação das águas subterrâneas da RBL e AI, através da sobreposição de um mapa de vulnerabilidade do aquífero usando o método GODS com um inventário de carga poluente utilizando o método POSH e, dessa forma, priorizar medidas de proteção deste recurso. Verificou-se que, na maior parte da área de estudo, não há perigo de contaminação das águas subterrâneas, no entanto, foram encontradas áreas de risco moderado e elevado para as quais foram propostas medidas para evitar a deterioração da qualidade dos recursos hídricos subterrâneos.Palavras-chave: águas subterrâneas, aquíferos, contaminação das águas subterrâneas, sistemas de informação geográfica. ABSTRACTGroundwater is one of the main supply sources of the inhabitants of...

Risk Assessment of Groundwater Contamination in the Gala, Tenguel, and Siete River Basins, Ponce Enriquez Mining Area—Ecuador

“…With these contamination data levels, a danger index map was elaborated (Figure 6), which shows a reduced I P in the central-east zone (371.1 km 2 ; 43%), whereas in the central-western zone, the I P is moderate (426.2 km 2 ; 50%) and high (58.7 km 2 ; 7%). The results of this study agree with those reported by Jarrín et al [21], who determined a high hazard index (I P ) for the aquifers of the Limoncocha Ecuadorian Amazon Reserve, mainly due to unsustainable agricultural practices.…”

“…For example, Durango-Cordero et al [19] evaluated the pollution risk of groundwater in oil areas in the north of the Ecuadorian Amazon; Loor-Bruno [20] assessed the aquifer agrochemical percolation vulnerability in Gral. Antonio Elizalde and Ribeiro et al [13] assessed the vulnerability of the Daule aquifer-Guayas province, due to agriculture activities; Jarrín et al [21] determined the pollution risk of aquifers as a consequence of oil activities in the Limoncocha Ecuadorian Amazon Reserve; and Sharadqah [22] evaluated the groundwater pollution risk in the Portoviejo-Manabí province, where agricultural activities prevailed.…”

Analysis of the threat of groundwater contamination in the Jacó aquifer, Central Pacific, Costa Rica

“…The analysis of point, linear and diffuse sources of contamination, obtained through the identification of pollution sources and their classification in categories (levels) of threat using the POSH methodology, allowed to determine, spatially, the threat implied for groundwater quality of the coastal aquifer of Jacó. The use of the POSH methodology was appropriately applied in the study area to identify potential pollution sources in a delimited area using limited available information, as was the case in the studies reported by Fonseca-Sánchez et al, (2019); Jarrín et al, (2017);Madrigal-Solís, et al, (2017);and Pinheiro et al, (2015). However, it must be considered that the threat maps generated with this methodology require constant updating due to the dynamism of the study area, which will mostly depend on the type of activities developed therein.…”

“…Given the complexity and diversity of human activities, detailed studies of these activities are difficult to address and thus, the POSH (Pollutant Origin and Surcharge Hydraulically) method was developed for the identification of those activities with the greatest potential for generating a contaminating load, based on the origin of the contaminant and its hydraulic overload (Foster et al, 2003;Hirata, 2002). This method has been used in countries such as Ecuador, Cuba, Brazil, Spain, and Argentina (Jarrín et al, 2017;Pinheiro et al, 2015).…”

Risk to pollution of aquifers associated with productive activities and environmental management of water resources: bibliometric analysis and trends

“…In the Ecuadorian Amazon basin, a study was carried out to evaluate the risk of aquifer contamination from the overlapping of vulnerability maps using the GOD method [1] and pollutant loads applying the POSH method, to prioritize water resource protection zones. Pollutant loads are identified according to the origin of the pollutant and the increase of natural water to the aquifer [30]. In the GODS method, G corresponds to the degree of hydraulic confinement, O is the attenuation capacity of the contaminant due to the substrate, depending on the soil parameters, D is related to the depth of the groundwater or aquifer top for the confined and S indicates the form of attenuation of the pollutant and its removal according to the amount of organic matter [1].…”