2. • Water is a vital resource used for many purposes such as
human consumption and animals, irrigation in agriculture,
industrial consumption and generation of electric power,
navigation, forestry and recreation. Each application
represents different parameters on the quality of water,
for analysis parameters or indicators physicists and
chemists are used to evaluate conditions and trends.
3. • The Medellín River or river Aburrá is a Colombian
River which flows through the city of Medellín and its
metropolitan area. Born to 3100 meters above sea
level in the high of San Miguel, in the municipality of
Caldas, South of the Aburrá Valley, and 100
kilometers later, already with the name of Rio Porce,
pours its waters into the river Nechi.
• El río Medellín pierde su nombre a la altura del
municipio de Barbosa, en donde comienza a ser llamado
río Porce, que desemboca unos kilómetros más tarde
en el río Nechí, que a su vez se vierte en el río Cauca,
cuyas aguas desembocan en el rio Magdalena en
Bolívar.
4. • Throughout the history of the city, the river fulfilled the
role of landfill of sewage, which is still contaminated with
tons of organic matter and toxic waste as cyanides,
phenols, sulphides, mercury and lead. Apart from the
pollution that is inherent, the river has suffered other
concurrent problems such as deforestation, solid wastes,
landfill debris, etc.
5. • Since decades behind the Medellin River has been one
of the major concerns of the local City Hall, as one
hundred kilometers that runs along the River, just three
miles are free of contamination.
6. • From the third kilometer, sand extraction and the
dumping of the waste water of the city were to be a very
polluted river that produced very strong smells in summer
situation that was improving thanks to the opening of the
center of wastewater treatment in the South of the Aburrá
Valley.
7. • Since 1996 the river has been one of the major concerns of the local
City Hall, as one hundred kilometers that runs along the River, just
three miles are free of contamination. From the third kilometer, sand
extraction and the dumping of the waste water of the city were to be a
very polluted river that produced very strong smells in summer situation
that was improving thanks to the opening of the center of wastewater
treatment in the South of the Aburrá Valley; that is why the Mayor of
Medellín, with the help of the Metropolitan Area, have planned a
contingency plan, which foresees the creation of two plants for
wastewater treatment, as well as the prohibition of discard wastewater
directly to the river without having a minimum treatment.
8. • Agents pathogens-bacteria, viruses, protozoa, parasites
that enter the water from organic waste.
• Waste requiring oxygen-organic waste can be
decomposed by bacteria that use oxygen to
biodegradable's. If there are large populations of these
bacteria, they can deplete the oxygen from the water,
killing aquatic life forms as well.
• Inorganic chemicals-acids, compounds of toxic metals
(mercury, lead), poison the water.
• Plant nutrients can cause excessive growth of aquatic
plants that then die and decompose, depleting oxygen
from the water and thus kill marine species (dead zone).
9. • Organic chemicals-petroleum, plastics, pesticides,
detergents, life-threatening.
• Sediments or suspended matter-insoluble soil particles
that cloud the water, and which are a major source of
pollution.
• Heat-water revenue hot reduced oxygen content and
makes very vulnerable aquatic organisms.
10.
11. • Rivers, by its ability to drag and the movement of water,
are able to withstand greater amount of pollutants.
However, the presence of so many waste household,
fertilizers, pesticides and industrial waste alters aquatic
flora and fauna.
• Rivers are the main source of supply of drinking water of
human populations. Its pollution limits the availability of
this vital resource for life.
