BIOLOGICAL QUALITY IN AN AQUATIC SYSTEM INFLUENCED BY MINING AND AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES: RIVER SALITRE, BOYACÁ (COLOMBIA)

Abstract

Background. The study and monitoring of water quality is commonly carried out through the characterization of physicochemical and bacteriological parameters. However, the presence of point pollutants that are discharged at times when an exact record of their incidence may not be achieved, has led to the exploration of different methodologies in order to determine the quality of a body of water, one of which is the bioindication through the study of aquatic organisms. Objective. Analyze the biological quality of the Salitre river basin, Boyacá (Colombia) in areas of influence of mining and agricultural activity in the rainy season (April-May 2019) and dry season (September-October 2019). Methodology. The study was conducted by determining the diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates present in three stations distributed in the upper (P1), middle (P2) and lower (P3) part of the river. Results. 3573 individuals distributed in eight orders, 28 families and 39 genera were observed, standing out in wealth and abundance: Diptera (79.54%), Ephemeroptera (9.51%) and Odonata (6.07%). Implications. The main limitation of this work was the transfer of the water samples to the laboratory for the physicochemical analysis, for the maintenance of the cold chain during all the samplings. Conclusions. Changes were registered in physicochemical and biological conditions of the system, mainly for the diversity in the three sampling points, which represents a low capacity of this system to take better and better use of nutrients and energy in areas of anthropogenic intervention, affecting self-purification of the river and the biological activities of the ecosystem.