Preliminary Water and Sediment Quality Assessment of the Meycauayan River Segment of the Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River System in Bulacan, the Philippines.
John Vincent R Pleto, Veronica P Migo, Mark Dondi M Arboleda
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引用次数: 7
Abstract
Background: The Meycauayan River is considered one of the most severely polluted rivers in the Philippines due to heavy metal and organic pollution that has caused environmental degradation.
Objectives: The aim of the present study was to provide insight on the current status of the Meycauayan River and outline an appropriate strategy to solve problems of organic and heavy metal contamination.
Methods: The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the water and sediments were analyzed and evaluated based on available local and international standards. Three sites (upstream, midstream and downstream) of the river were considered for the evaluation of water and sediment quality.
Results: Dissolved oxygen, measured in the morning, was very low at the upstream sampling station (1.87 ppm) and even lower at the downstream site (0.49 ppm). The temperature for the three sites ranged from 28.03°C (upstream) to 30.75°C (downstream). Visual inspection indicated that the color of the water was gray upstream and midstream, and black at the downstream station. Biochemical oxygen demand exceeded the recommended limits of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of 7.0 ppm with values of 13.22 ppm (upstream) and 12.02 ppm (downstream). Chemical oxygen demand exceeded the limit of 20 ppm at the downstream site at 84 ppm. Dissolved oxygen did not reach the recommended limit of 5.0 ppm of the DENR. There was a high coliform count at both the upstream (3.5 × 104 colony-forming unit (cfu)/ml) and downstream (2.5 × 104) sites, which exceeded the limit of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) of 126 cfu/100 ml. Heavy metals such lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and chromium (Cr) exceeded the severe effect level of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which could be detrimental to humans and aquatic life. The results of one-way analysis of variance showed significant differences (p <0.001) in pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, total dissolved solids, chemical oxygen demand, nitrates and phosphates for water quality and Pb, Zn, Cu, Mn and Cr for sediment quality across the study sites.
Conclusions: The results of the present study indicate that the downstream site was more polluted, possibly due to the accumulation of pollutants coming from the upstream site. The deterioration of the Meycauayan River is a result of rapid industrialization, urbanization and population growth. Examination of the water quality of the Meycauayan River indicates that it is very polluted and requires an immediate solution. The results of the present study should be used as a basis for crafting strategies to rehabilitate the Meycauayan River.
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests. This study was funded by Pure Earth.
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The Journal of Health and Pollution (JH&P) was initiated with funding from the European Union and World Bank and continues to be a Platinum Open Access Journal. There are no publication or viewing charges. That is, there are no charges to readers or authors. Upon peer-review and acceptance, all articles are made available online. The high-ranking editorial board is comprised of active members who participate in JH&P submissions and editorial policies. The Journal of Health and Pollution welcomes manuscripts based on original research as well as findings from re-interpretation and examination of existing data. JH&P focuses on point source pollution, related health impacts, environmental control and remediation technology. JH&P also has an interest in ambient and indoor pollution. Pollutants of particular interest include heavy metals, pesticides, radionuclides, dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), air particulates (PM10 and PM2.5), and other severe and persistent toxins. JH&P emphasizes work relating directly to low and middle-income countries, however relevant work relating to high-income countries will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
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