Water quality and heavy metal levels in the Sinú River, a drinking water source in the Colombian Caribbean

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate water quality in the Sinú River in northern Colombia, during its dry and rainy seasons. The water quality index (WQI), the heavy metal pollution index (HPI), the heavy metal evaluation index (HEI), the heavy metal toxicity load (HMTL), and the degree of contamination (Cd) were calculated based on analyses of water samples taken along the entire length of the river at sixteen sampling sites. Comprehensive and in some cases punctual samplings were performed depending on the morphology of the current. Five samplings were carried out in the dry and rainy periods from March 2008 to April 2009. All samples were taken in triplicate at each sampling site. For the determination of metals, a Thermo electron atomic absorption spectrometer, model S4AA System was used. Of the metals monitored, only zinc, iron, and manganese were identified at quantifiable levels, with average values of 8.5 x 10⁻⁵ kg m-3, 0.004 424 kg m-3 and 8.5x10⁻⁵ kg m-3, respectively in the rainy season. The obtained index values altogether (WQI =63.5, HPI=145, HEI=24, HMTL=0.1329, and Cd= 20.8) revealed the presence of contamination by heavy metals in the Sinú River, although the observed toxicity level does not imply a hazard to human health.

Keywords

• rds: contamination
• spectroscopy
• water quality
• iron
• zinc
• manganese
• sinú