Ingeniería Ambiental-Pregrado

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://dspace-test.ucuenca.edu.ec/handle/123456789/284

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Actividad vegetativa, tasas de crecimiento y estimación de la edad de los individuos en los rodales de polylepis reticulata del Parque Nacional Cajas
(2016) Saravia Jara, Gladys Estefania; Vintimilla Torres, Daniela Cristina; Gracia Alonso, Carlos
This research is related to the physiology and phenology of stands of Polylepis reticulata and its response to fluctuations in temperature. The growth of the trees is determined in the current study. At first we tried to determine the growth of the P. reticulataby analyzing the growth rings (dendrochronological method), in which no positive results were obtained due to the lack of seasonality in the climate at the study area. Therefore we chose to install dendrometers (artisanal and electronic) which allowed the continuous record of tree growth. 64 artisanal and 5 electronic dendrometers weremounted onP. reticulata trees, located on three hill sides (Taquiurco, Toreadora and San Luis) in the Cajas National Park. With the data recorded by the electronic dendrometers, we intended to determinate the phenological response of the trees through the application of a vegetative activity model using temperature as a main estimator we aimed to determine the influence of low temperatures on the vegetative activity of the tree. Analysis of the data resulted the definition of a minimum threshold of 6 ° C below which the vegetative activity decreases significantly showing that the temperature is the key factor that regulates the growth of P. reticulata. Furthermore we reconstructed thegrowth patterns of Polylepisreticulataand determined the annual increase of the cross section of trees in the different diameter classes presented in the study area. Once determined the growth rate, the age of the individuals in Cajas National Park was estimated.
Adsorción de ciprofloxacina y diclofenaco sobre arcillas naturales e hidrolizadas usando vasos agitados
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2023-02-14) Abad Delgado, Alex David; Ponce Montalvo, Jonathan Daniel; Peñafiel Tenorio, María Eulalia
Emerging contaminants such as ciprofloxacin and diclofenac are not adequately removed in wastewater treatment plants, affecting the environment. These drugs are of particular interest as they appear on the EU watch list. Several processes, such as adsorption on carbonaceous materials and agricultural waste, have been successfully tested. Against this background, the objective of this work was to find environmental, economical, and effective solutions for the removal of contaminants such as ciprofloxacin and diclofenac on clays in stirred vessel adsorption processes. The clays were characterized by determining the zero-charge point, functional groups, specific surface area, and adsorption capacity. In addition, acid hydrolysis was performed to increase their specific surface area and adsorption capacity, especially in the removal of DCF, which increased by 40 to 60%. All clays adsorbed ciprofloxacin up to 270 mg/g. Acid treatment did not significantly increase the adsorption capacity of this drug. Instead, hydrolyzed clays achieved the adsorption of diclofenac, which natural clays were unable to adsorb, indicating that ciprofloxacin has a greater affinity with clays than diclofenac. Finally, it was shown that the adsorption kinetics for all clays in the removal of CPX and DCF fit the pseudo-second-order model, indicating rapid adsorption. The equilibrium model that best fit for CPX was Freundlich, which suggests multi-layer adsorption, and for DCF was Langmuir, indicating monolayer adsorption.
Aislamiento de hongos potencialmente micorrízicos presentes en tres especies de orquídeas epífitas nativas del cantón de Gualaceo, Azuay, Ecuador
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2022-08-10) Chamba Valarezo, Evelyn Lizeth; Palacios Padrón, María Gabriela; Durán López, María Elisa; Narváez Vera, Mónica Alexandra
In this study, 19 strains of potential mycorrhizal fungi (MF) were isolated from the root system of three native orchid species in the Aguarongo Protected Forest: Cyrtochilum sp, Odontoglossum pardinum and Pleurothalis sp. Root samples were collected during the rainy season at an altitude range between 3183- 3218 m a.s.l. The processing of the samples and subsequent isolation of the colonies was carried out considering different criteria that allow a higher probability of the presence of MF. Sixty samples were obtained by collecting 20 root fragments per species three root sections: basal (A), middle (B) and apical (C). Fungi Insolation Medium was used to evaluate the growth of potential MF colonies, which were then selected, isolated and purified on Potato Dextrose Agar medium. Viable and contamination-free cultures were subjected to a macroscopic and microscopic evaluation to identify morphological characteristics that define them as potential MF colonies. Although a greater number of pelotons were observed from section A (basal) of the root, the greatest number of potential MF strains resulted from section B (middle). Finally, the isolation of three possible genera of mycorrhizal fungi was achieved: Ceratobasidium, Tullasnella and Sebacina, the first being the most abundant possible genus among the isolated strains. The greatest number of potential MF were isolated from the epiphyte Odontoglossum pardinum. The results of this research will allow the promotion of a potentially mycorrhizal fungal species bank, useful for improving orchid symbiotic propagation protocols.
Aislamiento de hongos potencialmente micorrízicos presentes en seis especies de orquídeas nativas del sector San Pedro de Yumate, Molleturo, Azuay, Ecuador
(2017) León Chuñir, Blanca Claudina; Romero Jiménez, Santiago Adrián; Durán López, María Elisa; Narváez Vera, Mónica Alexandra
In Ecuador, studies related to the role of mycorrhizal fungi in orchids have been scarce. These mycorrhizal fungi play a vital role, allowing the germination, nutrition and development of the family Orchidaceae. It is possible to isolate some of these mycorrhizal fungi by extracting the roots of the orchids. This work focused on isolating fungi; For this purpose the fragments of young roots of native orchids were collected in the months of October and December 2016 in the San Pedro de Yumate community at an altitude between 3000 - 3100 m.a.s.l, to later isolate and identify potentially mycorrhizal fungi present in the different basal, medium and apical roots of the species: Pleurothallis sp, Edipendrum (2 species), Odontoglossum hallii, Cyrtochilum macranthum and Odontoglossum pardinum. Twenty young root fragments were harvested per species and seeded in Fungi Insolation Medium (FIM) culture medium, obtaining 60 fragments corresponding to the different sections of the root (basal, medial, apical). Subsequently, the replanting was carried out in Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) culture medium, being able to isolate 28 colonies of fungi that probably belong to the genera Tulasnella and Ceratobasidium, due to their morphological characteristics. The isolated fungi will be identified by systematic molecular analysis, corresponding to the second phase in the project "Study of the symbiotic relationship orchid-mycorrhiza in the province of Azuay, Ecuador" funded by the DIUC.
Análisis comparativo de cuatro modelos de evapotranspiración de referencia en la microcuenca del río Quinuas
(2015) Contreras Silva, Juan José; Carrillo Rojas, Galo José; Córdova Mora, Mario Andrés
The accurateestimation of reference evapotranspiration (ETo) is an essential requirement in hydrological, ecohydrological and biometeorological studies. Despite this importance, the ETo has been scarcely studied in the paramo. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of 4 models of ETo (FAO 56 PM, Hargreaves, Priestley-Taylor and Valiantzas) in a Andean mountain gradient, for this: (I) ETo was estimated using different models in the gradient, (II) ETo estimates for different models were compared in the gradient against the reference model of the FAO 56 P-M, (III) the impact of the estimates of the 4 models was analyzed by a sensitivity analysis. The study was conducted with meteorological data sampled between August 2013 and July 2014, in 3 meteorological stations in the Quinuas micro-river basin (Cajas National Park, Azuay).The results show that ETo has a similar pattern in the study places throughout the year, the maximum value was recorded in November and the minimum value in June. The best daily ETo estimates were obtained using the Valiantzas method and the best monthly estimates using the Priestley-Taylor when compared to the FAO 56 P-M model. The sensitivity analysis showed that ETo is most sensitive in the paramo to relative humidity and solar radiation, followed by temperature and less to wind speed. The sensitivity to the ETo to the meteorological parameters differs in each model.
Análisis comparativo de Downscaling estadístico y dinámico en las cuencas de los ríos Paute y Jubones
(2015) Guanuchi Quito, Juan Carlos; Samaniego Alvarado, Esteban Patricio
Global circulation models are a powerful tool for climate prediction. The coarse scale of their results makes them difficult to apply to decision-making processes at local and regional level. Aiming at the incorporation of regional and local information, several downscaling techniques have been devised. Notwithstanding, their application, the results exhibit errors; to tackle this problem, the technique known as Quantile Mapping allows a consistent change on the results distribution, so that they are fitted to the observations distribution. This technique is applied to downscaling results for the Paute and Jubones basins, located in Southern Ecuador. It is observed that they depend on the Quantile Mapping variant applied. Even though it is clear that errors cannot be completely eliminated, improvement of up to 70% has been attained in dynamical downscaling; in statistical downscaling, just a slight improvement is observed. To identify and generate projections of climate change in the basins, Delta method was applied, with their results seasonality, anomalies, and climate variability were analyzed.
Análisis comparativo de la influencia del caudal base de las subcuencas de los ríos Machángara, Tarqui y Yanuncay en el caudal base del río Paute durante el periodo de estiaje de los años 2009 a 2011
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2020-01-02) Quezada Ochoa, Christian Andrés; Quizhpi Calle, María del Carmen; Khachatryan, Aleksandr; Guzmán Cárdenas, Pablo Ismael
Drying is a natural phenomenon that is manifest through rainfall below normal limits with duration, frequency and severity difficult to predict (Pacheco, Parra, & Avilés, 2017). During the dry season, the flow of the rivers comes mainly from the flow of groundwater (base flow). In the period 2009 to 2011 Ecuador went through different critical dry seasons, affecting the country's electricity generation. The Paute Hydroelectric Complex was also affected due to the low level of its reservoir, whose main tributary is the Paute river; and with it the water supply of the sub-basins that converge in it. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to know how in that period the base flow of the Paute river was influenced by the sub-basin of the Machángara river with artificial regulation in relation to the sub-basins of the Tarqui and Yanuncay rivers in which there is only natural regulation, and to carry out a comparative analysis of the characteristics associated with the base flow rate between them, through the use of non-linear recession analysis and digital filters. The sub-basin of the Machángara river during the analysis period contributed with 15% of base flow to the middle basin of the Paute river, in relation to the sub-basins of the Tarqui and Yanuncay rivers with 6% and 12% respectively. Also, its storage capacity was higher compared to the other sub-basins, a condition that may be due to existing reservoirs in the area. This study constitutes a hydrological analysis tool for the adequate arrangement and management of the water resource through the understanding of the physical characteristics associated with the base flow in sub-basins with natural and artificial regulation in the Andean region of Ecuador, especially in the Paute river basin.
Análisis comparativo de las propiedades químicas e hidrofísicas del suelo con diferente cobertura vegetal en las microcuencas Yutujapina y Lluchucarrumi, ubicadas en la parroquia Cumbe del cantón Cuenca
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2023-06-27) Méndez Contreras, Karina Raquel; Molina Cabrera, Syayna Alejandra; Ramírez Matamoros, Marco Tulio; Morales Matute, Oscar Patricio
Paramos are natural water regulators and therefore important ecosystems. They are also fragile systems where soils play an elemental role as indicators of their health, and can be degraded mainly by human activities and changes in land use. In this context, this research was carried out in two micro-watersheds, one altered (Yutujapina) and the other in the process of passive recovery (Lluchucarrumi), located in the San Luis de Cumbe parish of the Cuenca canton. The objective was to compare chemical and hydrophysical properties of the soil with different vegetation cover, to determine whether or not the change in land use affects these parameters. By taking georeferenced points, the study areas were delimited and the land uses were defined, where altered and unaltered samples were taken and in situ tests were carried out. The main results indicated that the changes in land use were mainly due to anthropization processes and the introduction of pine forest, an exotic species. This affected the different variables analyzed, with the Yutujapina micro-watershed showing the greatest disturbance. The degraded covers presented lower values of organic matter, nitrogen and saturated hydraulic conductivity, but when analyzing potassium, bulk density, phosphorus and cation exchange capacity, they showed higher results. Through the construction of the pF curves, it was found that the grassland and pasture land uses have a higher water availability and the pine forest has a water content well below that of all the coverages analyzed.
Análisis comparativo de los niveles de presión sonora registrados en el área urbana del cantón Cañar
(2017) Araujo Flores, Fabian Antonio; Astudillo Alemán, Ana Lucía
Noise is a type of energetic pollution that can negatively affect ecosystems as well as endanger human health. The objective of this current project is to determine the levels of sonar pressure that can be registered in the urban area of Cañar. For this reason, certain points within the district have been selected at random and monitored, according to the political map of the town limits with the aid of the program Arcgis 10,3. All of the monitored spots have been geo-referenced, and during this process, the vehicular flow and its temporariness have also been registered. The analysis took place at what is considered to be peak hours for influx of noise, from 07:00h to 08:00h, 13:00h to 14:00h, and 20:00h to 21:00h. The equipment used was a sound level meter PCE-322A class 2, pressure levels were captured in an acoustic map which displayed the locations with the highest concentration of noise pollution. The analysis was completed over a radius of thirty unique spots located in the urban region of Cañar from the months of August to September of 2016. The obtained results showed levels of sonar pressure between 51,23dB and 82,09dB and this fact is attributed to vehicular traffic and current environmental conditions in Cañar such as wind. Furthermore, the zones with the greatest noises were those in near distance to Panamericana and Jaime Roldós (in front of the terminal), as well as Panamericana and 24 de Mayo, with noise levels above seventy five decibels. With the fabrication of the acoustic map, the first sonar pressure diagnostic of the urban region of Cañar was completed
Análisis comparativo de metodologías de evaluación de impactos ambientales aplicadas en el sector de la construcción
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2022-11-11) Rodas Urgiles, María Isabel; Vanegas Peña, Paúl Fernando; Sucozhañay Idrovo, Gabriela Carolina
Buildings account the 19 % of global resource consumption, the construction sector consumes 40 % of energy and materials, and 16 % of water. In Ecuador this sector was the third economic activity generating environmental impact for three consecutive years, and more than 74 % of construction companies did not have any type of environmental permission for their operation until 2018. Ecuador's environmental regulations establish the maximum permissible limits and the variables that must be considered in an environmental evaluation. However, it does not detail a methodology or guidance for conducting an environmental assessment in the construction sector. The present research aims to establish guidelines that facilitate the selection of an appropriate environmental evaluation methodology for the construction sector. For this purpose, it was carried out a multi-criteria comparative analysis of methodologies such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Water Footprint, Carbon Footprint, Leopold matrix, Battelle Columbus Environmental Evaluation and Conesa Fernández method. The comparative analysis has a set of 7 criteria, 21 sub-criteria and 62 variables that determine the evaluation performance of each methodology in 100 points. Additionally, a construction section was defined that analyzes the performance of the methodologies in 18 impact categories and 19 impact activities throughout the life cycle of a building. The results showed that the LCA was the methodology with the best performance with a score of 100. The Conesa Fernández method showed the next best performance with 75. The Battelle Columbus and Leopold matrices scored 68 and 60 respectively. The Water Footprint scored 47, and the Carbon Footprint scored very low at 14 points. Finally, 50 guidelines were proposed and were validated with experts, reaching an acceptance level of 80 % without any major observations. It was concluded that the main difference between them is the level of analysis they allow when identifying, assessing, or evaluating environmental impacts, to select a methodology of environmental evaluation is important to consider several criteria, and guidelines support the evaluator in making informed decisions
Análisis de comparación de datos de contaminantes atmosféricos: CO, SO2, NO2, O3, CH2O entre Sentinel 5P y productos satelitales de OMI, MERRA-2 y AIRS en Ecuador
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2022-03-21) Padrón Crespo, César Israel; Cabrera Carrión, Carlos Xavier; Mejía Coronel, Julio Danilo
Air pollution is an environmental problem caused by gases emitted mainly by anthropogenic activities. The exposure of people to these pollutants mainly affects the respiratory and circulatory systems. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out studies on the conservation and concentration of pollutants to predict their behavior and take future actions. The present study statistically analyzes the quality of the data of atmospheric pollutants CO, SO2, NO2, O3 and CH2O measured by the Sentinel 5P satellite (TROPOMI Sensor) with respect to those equipped by the predecessor sensors (MERRA-2, OMI and AIRS). ) in the Republic of Ecuador from January 2019 to December 2020. The methodology performs a resampling or modification of the pixel size, matching the spatial resolution of the different ones for subsequent statistical analysis. It was obtained as a positive R2 coefficient value for O3 for AIRS and MERRA-2. For the other pollutants analyzed, determination coefficients were acquired that do not represent a correlation between the satellite products and Sentinel 5P. For a better analysis, data from ground stations located in the cities of Cuenca and Quito were used, thus determining a positive relationship for all the pollutants treated with the different satellite products, that is, the data obtained on the ground have an incidence with what is obtained in the satellite images. Subsequently, time series graphs were made to identify outliers, sudden changes, seasonal patterns, trends, etc. In addition, a resampling of a different pixel size was carried out to contrast it with the one carried out in principle, and it was determined that Sentinel 5P better explains the concentrations of the other satellite products.
Análisis de estrategias para el aprovechamiento de residuos sólidos orgánicos en el cantón Cuenca
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2022-03-23) Bustamante Montesdeoca, Jhonny Mauricio; Perez Rocano, Christian Vinicio; Vanegas Peña, Paúl Fernando; Sucozhañay Idrovo, Gabriela Carolina
The growing generation of Organic Solid Waste (OSW) has caused global, regional and local governments to adopt mitigation measures that promote the reduction of the impacts associated with inadequate management. The canton of Cuenca, through Municipal Sanitation Company of Cuenca (EMAC EP), has implemented composting and vermicomposting as measures for waste valorization; and the use of biogas produced in the Pichacay landfill as an energy recovery. However, the management continues to be a challenge due to the lack of data and baseline studies. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyze OSW treatment strategies through an inventory and Material Flow Analyze of the management system for 2019, which includes all the flow identified in the composting Plant and Pichacay landfill. In addition, a literature review of processing technologies on management systems was carried out. The results showed that during 2019, 115 467,76 tons of OSW was generated from seven generators, being households the highest generation with 68%. In addition, it was identified that initial decomposition is the process that requires priority attention in the current management system because it loses about 50% of the organic material in the form of energy and mass. Finally, the analysis of strategies identified that the use of biodigesters favors the energy recovery of the composting Plant.
Análisis de factibilidad de la implementación de una planta de producción de biodiesel a partir de aceite residual de cocina en la ciudad de Cuenca
(2018-11-15) Castillo Fereño, Carlos Augusto; Ordóñez Auquilla, Geovanna Gabriela
The present study comes from the existing preoccupation about the pollution problems caused by poor disposal of residual oils of kitchen (ARC), and the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) emitted by automobiles. The proposal collects information about ARC in the urban area of Cuenca in order to identify their characteristics, estimate their quantity, and determine the viability to be used for biofuel production. Experimental creation of biofuels from ARC using transesterification succeeded in obtaining 85% biodiesel and 14% glycerol, which was evaluated according to the regulations INEN 2482: 2009 and ASTM D6751: 09. With the sample obtained, practical tests were carried out to determine the performance of biodiesel. Finally, a plant with capacity for the supply of ARC was designed in the city of Cuenca with the B5 production calculated to supply the fleet of urban buses that run through the city.
Análisis de la calidad de agua de la microcuenca del río Alcacay como herramienta de gestión de los recursos hídricos
(2019-04-08) Samaniego Astudillo, Gabriela Araceli; Espinoza Gárate, Juan Diego; Cabrera Salinas, Lautaro Armando
The water quality of the watershed of the Alcacay river can be affected by different human activities that are carried out in the area. These represents a risk to the population of the lower part. Therefore, to carry out this study is fundamental because the water of the watershed is destined for the consumption of the population in the cantonal center of Sígsig. This research aims to analyse the quality of water at different altitude levels of the watershed, which may be influenced by agricultural activities. For this, four sampling points were determined in the river based on the use of soil. Subsequently, information was raised in the area to know the variables that can influence the quality of water by means of surveys. Then, three monitoring was carried out in the months of September (dry season 44.38 mm), October and November (rainy season 56.6-121.12 mm). The National sanitation Foundation Water quality index (ICA-NSF) was applied to determine the water quality at the specified points. It is verified if there is a relation of the variables atmospheric pressure, temperature and altitude with the ICA. Finally, on the basis of the results, measures of control and mitigation of the impacts caused to the water by this activity were raised. The results obtained from the ICA-NSF ranged from 61.28 to 72.07. The values obtained indicate that the water quality oscillates between medium and good. However, the quality that predominates is medium in most of the monitoring points. The most influential parameter was fecal coliforms, reaching an extreme value of 920 NMP/100ml in the rainy season. However, the other parameters except for the biochemical demand for oxygen, nitrates and total phosphorus, increase as the altitude of the watershed decreases. From the variables analyzed with respect to ICA, the ambient temperature is the variable that can influence the ICA with 45.6%.
Análisis de la calidad del aire ambiente en el casco central de la parroquia rural El Valle del cantón Cuenca-Ecuador
(2020-03-03) Quezada Ochoa, Marcelo Israel; Astudillo Alemán, Ana Lucía
Globally, air quality has been disturbed in recent years by anthropic activities which has caused the degradation of the flora, fauna and health of people. This project seeks to evaluate the ambient air quality of the El Valle parish in the Cuenca canton through of pollutants such as: noise (Sound Pressure Level), sediment material, particulate material (PM10 and PM2.5). For this study 12 sampling points were considered. For Sound Pressure Level analysis a brand sound level meter (TESTO t-816-1) with IEC 61672-1 Class 2 specifications was used; for the determination of the concentrations of particulate material (PM10 and PM2.5) an automatic equipment DustScan ScoutTN model 3020 was utilized, and for the study of sedimentable material the methodology “Method 502 methodology: Air sampling and analysis method, 3rd. Edition, Intersociety Committee, Lewis Publishers, Inc. 1988” was employed which is stipulated in the Unified Text of Secondary Environmental Legislation of the Ministry of Environment of Ecuador. The monitoring was carried out during the months of June and July of 2019. For noise monitoring the measurement time was 1 hour during the rush hours (06: 30h to 07: 30h, 12: 30h to 13: 30h and 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.). The monitoring time of particulate material (PM10 and PM2.5) was 30 minutes with each filter. The recorded sound pressure levels ranged from 44.31 dB to 76.33 dB; these results exceeding the national regulations corresponding to 83 % of the monitoring sites. The concentrations of particulate material PM10 ranged from 5.56 µg/m3 to 118.81 µg/m3 where 17 % of monitored sites do not comply with national regulations; for PM2.5 the concentrations ranged from 3.20 µg/m3 to 131.27 µg/m3 where 42 % of the monitoring sites failed to comply with national regulations, and finally, the concentrations of sediment material oscillated from 0.22 mg/cm2 to 4.24 mg/cm2 where 33 % of the monitoring sites do not comply with national regulations. It is concluded that in the 3 monitoring points locate on the main CuencaSígsig road presented high sound pressure levels high concentration of particulate material (PM10 and PM2.5) and sediment material; being the main emitting source the vehicular flow.
Análisis de la calidad del aire de la ciudad de Cuenca durante el año 2022 basadas en la red de microsensores a escala urbana
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2023-07-21) Chavez Loja, Kevin Paul; Jerves Cobo, Rubén Fernando
Population growth in urban areas has caused the deterioration of air quality, affecting the health of its inhabitants and the environment; consequently, the monitoring of air pollution is an important tool for its control. In this sense, the city of Cuenca - Ecuador, has implemented a monitoring network consisting of microsensors located on a neighboring scale and automatic analyzers on an urban scale. The study consisted of a descriptive and correlational analysis using the information obtained by the microsensors and automatic analyzers belonging to the Cuenca Monitoring Network during the year 2022. The analysis corresponds to air quality information from parameters such as MP10, MP2.5, CO, O3, NO2, and SO2 and from weather variables such as wind speed and wind direction. Furthermore, the observational analysis allowed to distinguish the behavior of the concentrations of indicated pollutants and their comparison with national regulations as well as with the recommendations given by the World Health Organization. The information was processed by various functions of the "Openair" package by means RStudio software, resulting in outcomes that served for the interpretation of air quality on a neighboring and urban scale. Additionally, a good correlation was determined between the values obtained by the CO and NO2 microsensors, and a good adjustment to a linear model was made for the O3 microsensor compared with values recorded from the automatic station. Finally, the present study allowed us to suggest possible emission sources and distinguish pollution patterns.
Análisis de la disponibilidad hidroeconómica futura del agua en la cuenca del río Tomebamba usando el modelo WEAP
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2022-10-21) Baculima Cabrera, Kely Alexandra; Avilés Añazco, Alex Manuel; Galán Montero, Luciano Agustín
The Tomebamba sub-basin is one of the four largest sub-basins in the city of Cuenca, with an area of 38,041 ha. The river is born in the "three crosses", an area belonging to the Cajas National Park and ends at the junction with the Machángara River forming the Cuenca River. The basin has suffered great alterations over the last decades due to anthropogenic activities, the same ones that deteriorate the hydric capacity and the quality of the water, as well as the climatic variability that has played an important role in this sense. This has caused great economic and material losses. In this aspect, with the purpose of solving this problem, different hydroeconomic models have been implemented in similar basins in order to generate scientific evidence for decision making. In this study, the future hydroeconomic availability of water in the Tomebamba river basin was analyzed using the WEAP model. For the development of the model, remote sensing data, climatic, hydrological, water demand, from various digital databases were used. Based on the results generated by the model, the necessary data was obtained to determine the future behavior of the Tomebamba river basin in the years 2021 - 2050, which depended on the climatological and hydrological variations that occurred in the base years (1998 - 2014). Based on different climatic and demographic scenarios, information was generated on the analysis of water supply and demand in the Tomebamba river basin, based on different climatic and demographic scenarios. Finally, an economic analysis of water availability was carried out, highlighting the unsatisfied demands for water in the different current and future scenarios.
Análisis de la eficiencia del tratamiento con microalgas Chlorella vulgaris y Nannochloropsis sp para la remoción de nutrientes y materia orgánica de aguas residuales domésticas provenientes de una vivienda de la parroquia Baños
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2024-09-10) Carchi Brito, Kimberly Maylee; Guanga Tuquiñagui, Camila Lisseth; Guanuchi Quito, Juan Carlos
The contamination of water caused by untreated domestic wastewater leads to environmental issues, such as eutrophication. A laboratory-scale study was conducted to evaluate the removal capacity of nitrates, nitrites, ammonium, and phosphorus using the species Chlorella vulgaris and Nannochloropsis sp.. The tests were performed under the following light intensities: 480 μmol/m²s, 360 μmol/m²s, and 240 μmol/m²s. It was determined that there were no significant differences in removal rates influenced by light intensity. However, at 240 μmol/m²s over 200 minutes, the following growth rates were recorded: 4,44 day⁻¹ for Chlorella vulgaris and 2,17 day⁻¹ for Nannochloropsis sp.. The biomass concentration variation tests lasted 7 days, and specific growth rates were obtained during the exponential phase, with 0,2810 day⁻¹ for the lowest biomass concentration and 0,2194 day⁻¹ for the highest in Chlorella vulgaris. For Nannochloropsis sp., the rates were 0,1666 day⁻¹ and 0,1416 day⁻¹, respectively. The respective doubling times for the microalgae were 2,46, 3.15, 4.16, and 4,89 days. Additionally, the removal percentages for nitrites, nitrates, ammonium, and phosphorus reached values of 87,5%, 95,12%, 97,3%, and 78% for Chlorella vulgaris, and 85,7%, 95,12%, 35,39%, and 28,57% for Nannochloropsis sp.. The COD for both species exceeded 70%. The harvested microalgae after treatment showed a carbon-nitrogen ratio of 1,8:1 for Chlorella vulgaris and 1,2:1 for Nannochloropsis sp.
Análisis de la influencia de las propiedades microfísicas de la lluvia en el índice de erosividad para eventos de precipitación en la ciudad de Cuenca
(2019-05-15) Pesántez Vallejo, Diana Valeria; Romero Añazco, María Augusta; Célleri Alvear, Rolando Enrique; Orellana Alvear, Johanna Marlene
Rainfall erosivity is one of the main factors used to predict soil erosion. This factor depends on the microphysical properties of the rainfall, i.e. the diameter and the velocity of the raindrops. Nowadays, in our study site (city of Cuenca) there is a lack of information about the parameters that affect soil degradation processes and the type of rainfall that causes the greatest hydric erosion in its soils. Hence, our aim is to analyze the influence of the rainfall microphysical properties in the erosivity index. Our data corresponds to the period February 2017 - February 2018, measured with a Thies laser disdrometer and a Micro Rain Radar, both located at University of Cuenca's Balzay campus. Within this time period, five erosive events were found, for which the erosivity index (EI) was determined. The results showed that the microphysical properties of the rainfall have a direct influence in the EI index. Furthermore, raindrops with larger diameter and faster velocity had the greatest impact in the EI index. Finally, the analysis of the vertical profile showed that the behavior of the microphysical properties of the rainfall is different in each erosion event.
Análisis de la precipitación mediante la evaluación de índices climáticos extremos en el territorio ecuatoriano continental
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2022-05-26) Saritama Chérrez, Hugo Giordano; Valdivieso García, Katy Viviana; Avilés Añazco, Alex Manuel; Contreras Silva, Juan José
Today, climate change is one of the main environmental threats affecting the world. The consequences of constant meteorological variations can become catastrophic, an example the increase in extreme weather events such as droughts and floods, due to the variability of precipitation; hence the importance of studying climate trends. The present study analyzed the extreme climate events of precipitation at the spatio-temporal level in continental Ecuador for the historical period 1980-2015 and future 2016-2070 under the projections RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, based on the evaluation of 11 extreme climate indices proposed by the Expert Group on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI). For this purpose, daily precipitation data from 41 stations subject to rigorous quality control intended for a training set to improve the spatio-temporal representation using the RF-MEP methodology that combines ground data and satellite images by means of random forests. On the other hand, for the use of RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 a statistical downscaling was performed using the quantile delta mapping (QMD) method. Consequently, extreme precipitation indices were calculated using the RClimdex package, a trend analysis was performed using the Mann Kendall test and Sen's method was applied to determine their magnitude. The results and analysis of precipitation indices showed the occurrence of historical extreme events related to the El Niño phenomenon, as well as an increase in precipitation trends in future scenarios, especially in RCP8.5. This research provides a general idea of the historical changes in precipitation through the indexes, as well as the possible scenarios of future changes in the short, medium and long term, so that climate hazard analysis studies can be carried out; making it possible for decision-makers and citizens to apply measures for the control, regulation and protection of water resources.