Ciencia UNEMI (Jun 2013)
Salinidad, Fosfatos, Nitratos y problemas de infiltración En las aguas de irrigación del cantón Milagro, Ecuador
Abstract
Agriculture occupies 94% of the land area in the canton of Milagro and thus it has been considered relevant to study the water resources for irrigation. The objectives of this study were to determine the salinity, phosphate and nitrate levels and their effect on the soil through infiltration into the root zone.The concentrations of P-PO4 and N-NO3 were also measured. The study was non-experimental, crosssectional and descriptive and involved a trial in 40 sampling stations from October to December 2012.The presence or levels of cations,anions,pH,electrical conductivity,evaporated and calcined dry residue, phosphates and nitrates were determined for each water sample.We calculated the saturation index and changes in the sodium absorption ratio (SAR). Most concentrations were below 100 µS cm-1,a fact that jeopardizes soil infiltration; in the settlement Banco de Arena concentrations greater than 290 µS cm-1 were found. The concentration of P-PO4 in the origins of the rivers were low: from 0.023 mg L-1 to 1.37 mg L-1, but in the villages it varied from 9.0 mg L-1 to 49.65 mg L-1. This accelerates eutrophication. The NO3-N concentrations were below the maximum permissible limit. Thus, soils and rivers are affected.
