A recreational water quality index using chemical, physical and microbiological parameters

CÉSAR A. ALMEIDA; SOLEDAD OLIVA GONZÁLEZ; MIGUEL MALLEA; PATRICIA GONZÁLEZ

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH

SPRINGER HEIDELBERG

Lugar: Berlín; Año: 2012 vol. 19 p. 3400 - 3411

0944-1344

The aim of this paper was to develop a new Recreational Water Quality Index (RWQI) as a tool to ensure the health of swimmers and to take practical decisions. RWQI was elaborated with epidemiological data and we carried out an exhaustive study of the different guides for recreational waters proposed by different organisms around the world. Different parameters were chosen considering, as a priority, the swimmer´s contact and the possibility of ingestion of water during the recreational activity. Furthermore, rating curves were established to pH, chemical oxygen demand, nitrate, phosphate, detergents, enterococci, total coliforms, faecal coliforms and E. coli to convert their values in a scale between 0 and 100. Using these rating curves and associated weightings, arithmetic water quality indices were calculated and, on this basis, the spatial distribution of water with different qualities (pollution distribution) was defined for the area under study. The index was applied to the data set on water quality of the Potrero de los Funes River (San Luis, Argentina), generated during two years (2009?2010) monitoring at six different sites. Following the RWQI values classification, most of the Potrero de los Funes water samples fell in good quality range during the study period.