Physicochemical and microbiological characterization of groundwater wells of a rural sector located at low altitude in the venezuelan Andes

Abstract

Growth in human population and anthropogenic activities has increased the rate of groundwater pollution in the world, therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the potability of water from four underground wells in a rural area of Mérida State, through the physicochemical and microbiological characterization, to check the feasibility of its use as drinking water. The results indicate that the physicochemical parameters comply with venezuelan regulations. The waters have a wide variety of minerals, highlighting Ca, Na and Mg as majority cations and a hardness basically due to bicarbonate ions. The values of the isotopic distribution suggest the existence of two aquifers without hydraulic connections between wells. Bacteriological and parasitological analysis detects: heterotrophic bacteria, total coliforms and Pseudomonas, as well as Ascaris spp., Blastocystis sp., Giardia sp., and Eimeria sp., probably derived from the underground filtration of septic tanks and percolated from the surface through the sandy clay loam soil, microorganisms that have adapted to the physicochemical characteristics of waters. The results show that the water from three wells cannot be used for consumption without some conventional treatment as filtration and coagulation, and disinfection process

Keywords

• aguas subterráneas, caracterización, análisis microbiológico, parasitológico