Proposal of a Water-Quality Index for High Andean Basins: Application to the Chumbao River, Andahuaylas, Peru

Abstract

The water from the high Andean rivers is peculiar due to its composition and the geomorphology of its sources, and naturally or anthropogenically contamination is not discarded along its course. This water is used for agriculture and human consumption, therefore knowing its quality is important. This research aimed to proposing and formulate a water-quality index for high Andean basins through the Delphi method, and its application in the Chumbao River located in Andahuaylas-Peru. Forty-three water-quality parameters were evaluated through the Delphi method, and the water-quality index (WQIHA) was formulated with a weighted average of the weights of the selected parameters, it was compared with the WQI Dinius. For this purpose, ten sampling points were considered along the Chumbao River located between 4274 and 2572 m of altitude and the WQIHA was applied. In addition, field and laboratory analyses were carried out in 2018, 2019, and 2021, in dry and rainy seasons. Twenty parameters were grouped in the physicochemical sub-index (SIPC), heavy metals sub-index (SIHM), and organic matter sub-index (SIOM). Each group contributed with weights of 0.30, 0.30, and 0.40, respectively, for the WQIHA formulation. The SIPC and SIOM showed that the areas near the head of the basin presented excellent and good quality, while the urbanized areas were qualified as marginal to poor; SIHM reported good quality in all points and seasons. Regarding the WQIHA, the index shows good quality in the zones above 3184 m of altitude, contrasting with poor quality downstream, decreasing notably in both seasons, suggesting continuous degradation of the water body.

Water quality assessment methods of the highland Andean rivers: A scoping systematic review

“…The metrics based on trophic characteristics were highly correlated with the BMWP/Col and ABI indices. Therefore, these indices can be used to estimate river water quality and provide information on its functioning 7 SC Choque-Quispe, D. et al [ 68 ] Proposal of a Water-Quality Index for High Andean Basins: Application to the Chumbao River, Andahuaylas, Peru 2022 Formulate a water-quality index for a high Andean River through the Delphi method, taking it as an application case the river of the Chumbao micro-basin, Andahuaylas, Apurímac, Peru, covering the seasons 2018 to 2021. The application of WQIHA in the water from the high Andean basin of the Chumbao river showed that the areas surrounding the head of the basin present good quality, and they are not threatened, showing levels close to the natural state, and that it is rarely seen.…”

Biosynthesis of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles and Using it to Support the Efficiency of Wastewater Filtration System

“…Sample analysis was done according to (Quispe et al, 2022) which included: turbidity, total solid (TS), total dissolved solid (TDS), total suspended solid (TSS), hardness, biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrate (No3 -1 ), phosphate (Po4 -2 ), sulfate (So4 -1 ), and analysis of some heavy metals (Na, K, Pb, Cu, Cd, Ni). Biological analysis included total plate count (TPC), total coliform (TC), total fecal coliform (TFC) and fungi analysis.…”

Changes in Surface Water Quality of the El Salvador River in La Joya de los Sachas, Ecuadorian Amazon Region

“…The early detection of worrying trends in water quality is the only way to identify the adverse effects of pollution and apply corrective and preventive measures [10]. Source water monitoring should become one of the main strategies [11]. One tool to assess water quality [12] is the Water Quality Index (WQI), based on a combination of physical, chemical, and biological factors, which are condensed into a single value ranging from 0 to 100 [13][14][15][16].…”