Physico-chemical evaluation of the water quality in Rocha River: A qualitative and comparative analysis including aspects of social and environmental factors
(2019) In ISRN VTGM01 20182Engineering Geology
- Abstract
- In this study, a physico-chemical analysis of the Rocha River was performed during the beginning of the rainy season 2018 in order to examine the current state of the water quality in the river at six different locations. The river, located in the Cochabamba department, Bolivia, was examined from upstream in Sacaba to downstream in Sipe Sipe. An additional aim was to determine social and environmental contributing factors for the water quality of the Rocha River.
The chemical analysis was based on the following parameters: electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, 5-day biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, nitrates and fecal coliforms. To examine the state and range of usage for the water in Rocha River the results of... (More) - In this study, a physico-chemical analysis of the Rocha River was performed during the beginning of the rainy season 2018 in order to examine the current state of the water quality in the river at six different locations. The river, located in the Cochabamba department, Bolivia, was examined from upstream in Sacaba to downstream in Sipe Sipe. An additional aim was to determine social and environmental contributing factors for the water quality of the Rocha River.
The chemical analysis was based on the following parameters: electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, 5-day biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, nitrates and fecal coliforms. To examine the state and range of usage for the water in Rocha River the results of the water quality for each parameter was compared with the regulations for drinking water, agriculture water and environmental water from WHO, EPA and FAO as well as Bolivian regulations. The stage and water flow of the river at respetive locations were measured and modelled in Hec-RAS to draw conclusions on how the physical parameters might affect the distribution of the pollution in Rocha River.
The quality of the river water in this study was classified as “very”- and “highly polluted” water according to the performed organic pollution (ICO)-index. In line with previous studies, the deterioration has continued over the years since 1998 and has now reached even the outskirts of the valley from upstream in Sacaba to downstream in Sipe Sipe. From the results, the prominent parameters of the pollution were the low dissolved oxygen levels and high coliform concentrations at all locations downstream of Chiñata. The results of the high pollution is correlated with areas where the population is dense, the presence of industrial activity is high and the connection to sewage systems is poor or nonexistent. A main contributing factor of the pollution is that large volumes of untreated wastewater is directly discharged to the Rocha River along its course to the extent that it disturbs the possibilty of natural river restoration.
Based on the Bolivian Environmental Law No.1333 and the analysed parameters, the water was classified as “D” at five out of the six sampling locations. This highly constrains the usage of the river water regarding health and environmental aspects. However, the water scarcity in the area enforces the farmers to use water from the Rocha River as irrigation, which may contribute to degradation of soil, pollution of the groundwater and induce health risks. (Less) - Popular Abstract (Swedish)
- Analys av vattenkvaliteten i floden Rocha belägen i Cochabamba, Bolivia
Att det bruna vattnet i Rocha floden som rinner genom Cochabamba-dalen är förorenat råder det ingen tvekan om. Vattenbristen, befolkningsökningen och utsläpp av orenat avloppsvatten ökar föroreningen av den viktiga vattenresursen vilket begränsar användningsområdena och sätter befolkningens och omgivningens hälsa på spel.
Med resultaten från studien kunde föroreningen i floden korreleras till områden med hög befolkning, industriell aktivitet och dålig eller obefintlig anslutning till avloppssystem. Den främsta bidragande faktorn till föroreningen är att stora volymer obehandlat avloppsvatten släpps ut till Rocha-floden längs dess kurs i den omfattningen att... (More) - Analys av vattenkvaliteten i floden Rocha belägen i Cochabamba, Bolivia
Att det bruna vattnet i Rocha floden som rinner genom Cochabamba-dalen är förorenat råder det ingen tvekan om. Vattenbristen, befolkningsökningen och utsläpp av orenat avloppsvatten ökar föroreningen av den viktiga vattenresursen vilket begränsar användningsområdena och sätter befolkningens och omgivningens hälsa på spel.
Med resultaten från studien kunde föroreningen i floden korreleras till områden med hög befolkning, industriell aktivitet och dålig eller obefintlig anslutning till avloppssystem. Den främsta bidragande faktorn till föroreningen är att stora volymer obehandlat avloppsvatten släpps ut till Rocha-floden längs dess kurs i den omfattningen att det hindrar flodens förmåga att återställa sig till sitt naturliga tillstånd. Under fältstudien observerades diverse exempel på detta; privatpersoner som slängde sina sopor från broarna, kanaler med orenat hushållsavlopp som rann ut i floden samt djurdelar som flöt omkring i vattnet nedströms slakteriområdena.
Fältarbetet utfördes i slutet av 2018 med syftet att undersöka det nuvarande tillståndet av vattenkvaliteten längs floden. Detta genomfördes genom att mäta flödet samt ta vattenprover från ett antal ställen längs floden, uppströms till nedströms. Resultaten analyserades sedan i ett flödesmodelleringsprogram samt jämfördes med internationella och nationella regleringar för dricksvatten, jordbruksvatten och naturliga vattendrag. Ett ytterligare mål var att undersöka vilka faktorer som bidrar till föroreningen av floden samt eventuella konsekvenser för befolkningens hälsa och naturen runtomkring.
Kvaliteten på flodvattnet i denna studie klassificerades som "kraftigt förorenat" vatten enligt den kemiska analysen av organisk förorening. I linje med tidigare studier har försämringen av kvaliteten fortsatt under de senaste 20 åren och föroreningen har spridit sig och når nu även utkanterna av dalen från uppströms till nedströms. De mest framträdande parametrarna av föroreningen var de låga syrehalterna och höga koncentrationerna av koliforma bakterier. Enligt den Bolivianska miljölagen kan vattnet som bäst klassas enligt den lägsta kvalitetskategorin baserat på de analyserade parametrarna. Detta begränsar användningen av flodvattnet i fråga om hälso- och miljöaspekter. Då flodvattnet används som bevattning av jordbruk kan detta leda till jordförstörning, minskad skörd, begränsad möjlighet till variation av grödor samt potentiell kontamination av grundvattnet. Enligt internationella standarder kan vattnet i floden sägas vara “dött” och inga större organismer kan överleva. Det höga fekala innehållet kan leda till allvarliga sjukdomar för människor i nära kontakt med vattnet, samt för konsumenter av de grödor som bevattnas med flodvattnet. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8972972
- author
- Jacobson, Stina LU and Sekizovic, Ida
- supervisor
- organization
- alternative title
- Fysikalisk-kemisk utvärdering av vattenkvaliteten i Rocha floden
- course
- VTGM01 20182
- year
- 2019
- type
- H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
- subject
- keywords
- Cochabamba, Rocha River, water quality analysis, water pollution, wastewater, regulations, ICO-index, Hec-RAS, minor field study
- publication/series
- ISRN
- report number
- ISRN LUTVDG/(TVTG-5160)/1-65/(2019)
- other publication id
- ISRN LUTVDG/(TVTG-5160)/1-65/(2019)
- language
- English
- additional info
- Examiner: Jan-Erik Rosberg
- id
- 8972972
- date added to LUP
- 2019-03-19 11:57:10
- date last changed
- 2020-09-10 09:38:36
@misc{8972972,
abstract = {{In this study, a physico-chemical analysis of the Rocha River was performed during the beginning of the rainy season 2018 in order to examine the current state of the water quality in the river at six different locations. The river, located in the Cochabamba department, Bolivia, was examined from upstream in Sacaba to downstream in Sipe Sipe. An additional aim was to determine social and environmental contributing factors for the water quality of the Rocha River.
The chemical analysis was based on the following parameters: electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, 5-day biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, nitrates and fecal coliforms. To examine the state and range of usage for the water in Rocha River the results of the water quality for each parameter was compared with the regulations for drinking water, agriculture water and environmental water from WHO, EPA and FAO as well as Bolivian regulations. The stage and water flow of the river at respetive locations were measured and modelled in Hec-RAS to draw conclusions on how the physical parameters might affect the distribution of the pollution in Rocha River.
The quality of the river water in this study was classified as “very”- and “highly polluted” water according to the performed organic pollution (ICO)-index. In line with previous studies, the deterioration has continued over the years since 1998 and has now reached even the outskirts of the valley from upstream in Sacaba to downstream in Sipe Sipe. From the results, the prominent parameters of the pollution were the low dissolved oxygen levels and high coliform concentrations at all locations downstream of Chiñata. The results of the high pollution is correlated with areas where the population is dense, the presence of industrial activity is high and the connection to sewage systems is poor or nonexistent. A main contributing factor of the pollution is that large volumes of untreated wastewater is directly discharged to the Rocha River along its course to the extent that it disturbs the possibilty of natural river restoration.
Based on the Bolivian Environmental Law No.1333 and the analysed parameters, the water was classified as “D” at five out of the six sampling locations. This highly constrains the usage of the river water regarding health and environmental aspects. However, the water scarcity in the area enforces the farmers to use water from the Rocha River as irrigation, which may contribute to degradation of soil, pollution of the groundwater and induce health risks.}},
author = {{Jacobson, Stina and Sekizovic, Ida}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
series = {{ISRN}},
title = {{Physico-chemical evaluation of the water quality in Rocha River: A qualitative and comparative analysis including aspects of social and environmental factors}},
year = {{2019}},
}