Análisis comparativo de diferentes índices para evaluar la calidad de agua del río Amarillo perteneciente a la cuenca del río Puyango

Abstract

Abstract: Water pollution is a global problem and to solve it it's very important to know the previous and current conditions of the water bodies; due to the content of toxic substances, mining waste is a high risk for the ecosystem, since it is expelled into nature without prior treatment. The Amarillo river, located in the Portovelo canton, El Oro province, is frequently affected by mining activity in the area, and to characterize the riverbed, three water quality indexes adapted for the characterization of water bodies with the presence of heavy metals were applied. The historical annual AQI vary from Fair to Poor quality; CCME WQI values are 70; UWQI is 0.66 and IAP - CETESB is 23, concluding that the water quality of the Amarillo river is Fair, and its use should be restricted; due to this, the recovery of the river through remediation treatments and quality improvement is suggested.