Resumen

FORERO-CESPEDES, ADRIANA MARCELA; REINOSO-FLOREZ, GLADYS  y  GUTIERREZ, CAROLINA. Water quality assessment of the Opia River (Tolima-Colombia), using macroinvertebrates and physicochemical parameters. Caldasia [online]. 2013, vol.35, n.2, pp.371-387. ISSN 0366-5232.

A biological and physicochemical characterization of the Opia river basin water quality was made from September to October 2009. A total of 14 sampling stations were selected. 11573 macro-invertebrates were collected, belonging to 4 phyla, 7 classes, 16 orders, 50 families and 98 genera. Additionally, 14 physicochemical variables were measured to establish how they could influence aquatic macro-invertebrates. The biotic indexes of Hilsenhoff (IBF), Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) and the Biological Monitoring Working Party for Colombia (BMWP/Col) were calculated. Also the Water Quality Index (WQI), the Polution for Mineralization Index (ICOMI) and the Suspended Solid Index (ICOSUS) were calculated in order to assess the water quality of Opia river basin. The sampling stations CR, EG, Ja, TP, Lc, EP, BD, QD and Et had the best water quality; while BO, Tv, MF, PD and QO had a low water quality. These results showed that impact on the ecosystems is related to diminished water quality, affecting ecological and physicochemical quality of the water in the Opia river basin. This study emphasizes the use of biotic and physicochemical indexes in water resources research, which allows a more comprehensive diagnosis. These results constitute one of the first initiatives in the Tolima department to use these tools to get an insight of basin status and intervention degree.

Palabras clave : Benthic fauna; water quality; Opia river basin; physicochemical variables.

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