Evaluación de la acumulación de metales pesados en sedimento versus los bioíndices ecológicos dentro de un gradiente fluvial a lo largo de la cuenca del río Daule

Abstract

The present study is a comparison between the concentration of heavy metalsin fluvial sediments with several water parameters monitored in situ, and some ecological indexes derived from the macroinvertebrate biodiversity. Copper, lead, cadmium and zinc were quantified. The aim was to raise useful information for future monitoring of lotic and lentic ecosystems in the area studied. The sites have a variable degree of intervention, mainly influenced for the QBR index (quality of riparian vegetation), water turbidity, copper present in the sediment, and nitrates in the water column. The presence of large monocultures in the study area is apparently the main factor behind the values variation in the sites.