Heavy metal assessment in drinking waters of Ecuador: Quito, Ibarra and Guayaquil

Abstract

Chemical elements, which are present in drinking water, could vary due to water sources, treatment processes or even the plumbing materials. Most of these elements do not represent a threat, while others, such as heavy metals, have been proven to cause harmful effects over human and aquatic wildlife. In this study, the quality of drinking water in three cities in Ecuador, Quito, Ibarra and Guayaquil was assessed through a multielement analysis and the heavy metal pollution index (HPI). A total of 102 drinking water samples and six natural water samples were collected and analyzed. Within the scope of analysis, results show that water quality complies with local and international guidelines. HPI did not show significant differences in the water that is supplied to the different neighborhoods of the three cities studied. However, actions should be taken to protect the sources of water, especially in Guayaquil, due to the presence of lead and chromium. For instance, lead was found in 2.8% of the samples in concentrations above World Health Organization (WHO) recommended values. Thus, we suggest to assessing the quality and age of the plumbing system within the whole country, in order to avoid drinking water contamination with heavy metals.

Construcción de co-gobernanza: desafíos del largamente esperado proyecto regional de agua potable Pesillo-Imbabura en Ecuador

“…In 2019, according to the mayor of Ibarra (also president of the Mancomunidad), Andrea Scacco, farmers from the province did not allow the machines on their land to install the pipes for the project, as the farmers wanted to be paid in compensation. The project did not foresee payment as the communities will benefit from the project and the pipes will be buried and the loss of land is small and for a brief period only (La Hora, 2019; 2010) 9 .…”

Pollution Appraisal, Health Risk Assessment and Source Apportionment of Reservoirs’ Heavy Metals in an Agricultural Base, Northern Anhui Province, China

“…Plenty of researchers and scholars have invested lots of time and efforts in studying the heavy metals in different water bodies. Especially in recent years, with the development of industrialization, agriculture, building, etc., heavy metal pollution in reservoirs has occurred frequently [4][5][6]. To study these water bodies, researchers have mainly focused on the hydrogeochemistry and environmental geochemistry, including conventional ions (K + , Na + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , CO 3 2-, HCO 3 -, Cl -, and SO 4 2-), isotopes ( 2 H and 18 O), and heavy metals (Mn, Zn, Co, As, Cd, Cu, Cr, and Ni, etc).…”

Hydrochemical characterization of water in Santa Rosa community, southern Ecuador.

“…En Ecuador existen varios estudios que informan sobre el deterioro de la calidad de los recursos hídricos, principalmente en áreas con actividades extractivas [7]- [9]. Así mismo, la calidad del agua potable en muchas ciudades ha sido ampliamente cuestionada debido a la contaminación de las fuentes de abastecimiento o a los deficientes procesos de tratamiento [10]- [12].…”