Influence of mining in the physicochemical characteristics in its middle and low part the Quito river, Chocó, Colombia

Abstract

The Quito river is the main stream that runs through the territory of the municipality of the same name, which has a summer flow of 200 m³/sec making it navigable throughout the year. On this and some of its tributaries, mining activities are developed. In situ and laboratory measurements of physicochemical variables such as temperature, conductivity, dissolved solids, suspended solids, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, pH, iron, nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, phosphate, total solids, fats and oils were performed in both the average as low of the basin taking into account some confluences of other bodies of water to it. This is done with the purpose of analyzing the contaminant inputs from water sources that flow into the Quito river. Six sampling points were selected in the middle and four in the lower part, for a total of ten sampling points; from the analysis carried out on the sampled sections, it is revealed that the development of mining activities on the Quito river and other bodies of water that discharge it represents a high influence on the physicochemical characteristics of the water and therefore on the quality of the same especially in the middle part. The above taking into account that the values of solids dissolved, suspended and total, as well as turbidity of water and other physicochemical variables such as some nutrients together with fats and oils.