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Risk Assessment of Groundwater Contamination in the Gala, Tenguel, and Siete River Basins, Ponce Enriquez Mining Area—Ecuador

Author

Listed:
  • Paulo Campoverde-Muñoz

    (Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Faculty of Engineering in Earth Sciences, Campus Gustavo Galindo km 30.5 vía Perimetral, Guayaquil P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Ecuador)

  • Luis Aguilar-Salas

    (Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Faculty of Engineering in Earth Sciences, Campus Gustavo Galindo km 30.5 vía Perimetral, Guayaquil P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Ecuador)

  • Paola Romero-Crespo

    (Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Faculty of Engineering in Earth Sciences, Campus Gustavo Galindo km 30.5 vía Perimetral, Guayaquil P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Ecuador)

  • Priscila E. Valverde-Armas

    (Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Faculty of Engineering in Earth Sciences, Campus Gustavo Galindo km 30.5 vía Perimetral, Guayaquil P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Ecuador)

  • Karla Villamar-Marazita

    (Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Faculty of Engineering in Earth Sciences, Campus Gustavo Galindo km 30.5 vía Perimetral, Guayaquil P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Ecuador)

  • Samantha Jiménez-Oyola

    (Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Faculty of Engineering in Earth Sciences, Campus Gustavo Galindo km 30.5 vía Perimetral, Guayaquil P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Ecuador)

  • Daniel Garcés-León

    (Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Faculty of Engineering in Earth Sciences, Campus Gustavo Galindo km 30.5 vía Perimetral, Guayaquil P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Ecuador)

Abstract

Groundwater is a strategic resource, which is experiencing a growing threat of contamination worldwide. This study aimed to assess the vulnerability of the groundwaters in the basins of the rivers Gala, Tenguel, and Siete in the Ponce Enriquez mining area, considering as a hypothesis that anthropogenic activities (mainly mining and agricultural) conducted in the area generate a high risk of contamination. Vulnerability to contamination was quantified using the DRASTIC and GOD methods. In addition, the risk of contamination (Rc) was calculated considering the vulnerability index (I V ) and the danger index (I P ). Geographic information system (GIS) environment was used for the spatial analysis and the generation of vulnerability maps. The DRASTIC method showed that the negligible-to-low vulnerability category was predominant (50.7% of the area), followed by moderate vulnerability (25.6%), and high-to-extreme vulnerability (23.7%). Regarding the GOD method, the low and medium vulnerability categories were predominant in 41.4% and 27.5% of the area, respectively. Both methods agree that the center area, where the mining activities are located, has a vulnerability ranging from negligible to moderate. The I P was low in the eastern zone (58.7 km 2 ) and ranged from moderate (426.2 km 2 ) to high in the central and western zones (371.1 km 2 ), where mining activities predominate. The R C revealed that 20% of the study area corresponded to a high contamination index; from which, 87% comes from agricultural activities, 9% from mining activities, and 4% due to shrimp farms and urban areas. This is the first study that evaluates the vulnerability to the contamination of groundwater in a mining area of Ecuador. The results of this research can serve as a baseline for future research, since the methodology used provides information on the priority areas for the protection of aquifers, considering the current land use in the study area.

Suggested Citation

  • Paulo Campoverde-Muñoz & Luis Aguilar-Salas & Paola Romero-Crespo & Priscila E. Valverde-Armas & Karla Villamar-Marazita & Samantha Jiménez-Oyola & Daniel Garcés-León, 2022. "Risk Assessment of Groundwater Contamination in the Gala, Tenguel, and Siete River Basins, Ponce Enriquez Mining Area—Ecuador," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2022:i:1:p:403-:d:1015908
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bryan Salgado-Almeida & Daniel A. Falquez-Torres & Paola L. Romero-Crespo & Priscila E. Valverde-Armas & Fredy Guzmán-Martínez & Samantha Jiménez-Oyola, 2022. "Risk Assessment of Mining Environmental Liabilities for Their Categorization and Prioritization in Gold-Mining Areas of Ecuador," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-17, May.
    2. Yibo Zhang & Hao Qin & Guanping An & Tao Huang, 2022. "Vulnerability Assessment of Farmland Groundwater Pollution around Traditional Industrial Parks Based on the Improved DRASTIC Model—A Case Study in Shifang City, Sichuan Province, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-18, June.
    3. Yanna Xiong & Jingchao Liu & Wenchao Yuan & Weijiang Liu & Shaobing Ma & Zhiyu Wang & Tongtong Li & Yanwei Wang & Jin Wu, 2022. "Groundwater Contamination Risk Assessment Based on Groundwater Vulnerability and Pollution Loading: A Case Study of Typical Karst Areas in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-16, August.
    4. Carlos Mestanza-Ramón & Robinson Ordoñez-Alcivar & Carla Arguello-Guadalupe & Katherin Carrera-Silva & Giovanni D’Orio & Salvatore Straface, 2022. "History, Socioeconomic Problems and Environmental Impacts of Gold Mining in the Andean Region of Ecuador," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-21, January.
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    1. Jonathan I. Mendez-Ruiz & María B. Barcia-Carreño & Lisbeth J. Mejía-Bustamante & Ángela K. Cornejo-Pozo & Cristian A. Salas-Vázquez & Priscila E. Valverde-Armas, 2023. "Assessment of the Performance of a Water Treatment Plant in Ecuador: Hydraulic Resizing of the Treatment Units," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-23, January.

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