Correlación de indicadores de contaminación fecal en los cuerpos superficiales: caso de estudio: ríos de la ciudad de Cuenca

Abstract

An alternative to perform reliable control the microbiological water rivers quality control is the use of faecal contamination indicators, such as total coliforms, fecal coliforms, faecal streptococcus and enterococcus. These microorganisms are part of the microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract of man and warm-blooded animals that are excreted through feces. In this investigation the study of the microbiological quality of the rivers of the city of Cuenca were carried out, using the aforementioned indicators and covering representative hydrological periods: high, medium and low flow. In specific stations of the rivers 12 monitoring campaigns were carried out, with a total of 78 specific samples. For all indicators, the Multiple Tubes technique was used, the results of which are reported as NMP/100ml. The results indicate that faecal streptococcus and enterococcus can be used as reliable indicators of faecal contamination; They are very sensitive to changes in quality, provide information when defining water uses and present some advantages over traditional indicators: total and fecal coliforms, so they show the real extent of pollution. The comprehensive analysis of water pollution requires the use of all these indicators, especially in peculiar environments, while allowing specific corrective measures to be taken to control pollution. This work deepens the knowledge of the microbiological quality of the rivers of Cuenca and is part of the research that derives from the project “Integral Management of Water Quality”.