Water Quality Assessment of Jose Antonio Alzate Dam, the Lerma River and Its Tributaries in the State of Mexico, Mexico

Icela Barceló-Quintal, Edgar López-Galván, Hugo Solís-Correa, Eloisa Domínguez-Mariani, Sergio Gómez-Salazar

área de Química y Fisicoquímica Ambiental, Depto de Ciencias Básicas, División de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería, UAM-Azcapot- zalco, Ciudad de México, D.F., México.
Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Guadalajara. Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.

DOI: 10.4236/jep.2012.328103                

Abstract

Water quality was evaluated at sites of the Jose Antonio Alzate Dam, the rivers Lerma, Tejalpa and Temoaya in the State of Mexico, Mexico. The variables measured included pH, conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), ammonia, nitrates, sulfates, sulfides and metal concentrations (Cu and Pb). Chemical speciation for dissolved metals in the aqueous phase was obtained using measured concentrations and the software MINEQL+ (4.5); metal partition coefficients was also obtained using dissolved and particulate concentrations of metals. Hydraulic behavior of the studied water bodies was investigated and the fate of Cu and Pb ions was simulated. The simulation results indicate that the Lerma River provides the majority of organic matter and metal contaminants as a result of a poor oxygen saturation velocity, and showed a slight improvement when the Lerma River is subjected to its tributaries Tejalapa and Temoaya Rivers. Under the reducing conditions predominating along the dam and from the results of aqueous phase chemical speciation, it was found that sulfide metal-associated species are the ones that predominate. It was demonstrated that in general, the rivers Tejalapa and Temoaya presented the best water quality. The Lerma River oxygen saturation improves after the rainy season, but it worsens during the dry season. Due to irregular topography, the small slope prevailing in the Lerma River, and the almost nonexisting water flow, zones with different characteristics are formed within the dam. The sedimentation contributes in the generation of local eddies causing the existence of a small diffusive flow. The order of partition coefficient was Pb > Cu. Cu presented the highest risk levels in the dissolved phase.

Keywords

Water Quality; Copper; Lead; Partition Coefficients; Chemical Speciation

1. Introduction

The southern part of Toluca Valley is a lacustrine zone typical of highly elevated regions of Mesoamerica. Its systematic study started about a decade ago after the disappearance of the aquatic deposit contained within its central area. The cienega or Lerma Lagoon, is one of the most important lacustrine water bodies of State of Mexico which was dry between 1942 and 1951 due to the construction of an aqueduct that supplied water from the Alto Lerma Basin to Mexico City [1,2]. By the end of 1950´s, it was already known that this lagoon was passing through a desiccation process, and it was expected that this process will be more drastic as more and more water was extracted. A second factor influencing the desiccation process, was the agreement established between the State of Mexico and Federal governments signed in 1971, whereby more water volumes were allowed, during 1971 the flow rate permitted was 13 - 14 m³/s, whereas during 1974, 14.6 m³/s were extracted [3]. Since 1978, a decline of water volumes extracted from the lagoon was observed due to the start of the hydric Cutzamala System (that supplies most of the water consumed by nearby Mexico City). During the next years, the flow rates extracted from the lagoon continued declining until it was stabilized at 4 - 5 m³/s during the 1990s [4].

The health status of the ecosystem of this Basin becomes a more complex problem when drinking water supply is done to the population and to industries of the Toluca Valley by means of groundwater exploitation. Consequently, the 4.3 m³/s of clean water that was expected to be dumped into the Lerma River from the Chignahuapan Lagoon, are substituted by 20 m³/s of wastewater that are dumped at the original start of the Lerma River through the dicharges of town Almoloya del Rio. As the Lerma River path moves northward, more inputs are located from sanitary and industrial origin from the populations of Almoloya del Rio, Tultepec, Santiago Tiangistenco, Calimaya, Metepec, San Mateo Atenco, and San Antonio la Isla, as well as agricultural runoffs from the creeks Tejalpa and Temoaya [5]. Finally, when the Lerma River enters Jose Antonio Alzate Dam, this last one becomes not only a useless ecosystem but it also acquires sanitary conditions with whith high exposure potential risks [6]. From the water quality point of view, the dilution factor decreases significantly during the months of May through August due to the low water volumes of the dam and the contaminant concentrations can increase [7], despite the fact that keeping the water levels close to the operational minimum during four consecutive months is not justifiable due to the poor water quality used for agricultural purposes. Eutrophication phenomenon, caused by the elevated volumes of organic matter, phosphates and nitrogen derivatives contained in the discharges received by the dam, considerably affects this water body and favors the growth of aquatic shrubs [8].

Water pollution by metals is mainly associated to water discharges from industrial processes ending up into the Lerma River and into the Jose Antonio Alzate Dam. These metals alter the aquatic systems where they remain trapped and are accumulated due to sedimentation [9]. The uncontrolled wastewaters discharges from municipal and industrial activities, as well as from agricultural runoffs [10], untreated or partially treated; induce contamination of water sources, risking more and more its complete use.

In this work, a study is presented about the water quality of Lerma River, two of its tributaries (Tejalapa and Temoaya Rivers) and some sites of the Jose Antonio Alzate Dam. In addition, copper and lead concentrations evolution with respect to the time based on previous works [11,12] in which point evaluation was insufficient to establish the water quality of the dam, is presented. Given the actual septic conditions of the dam, it was required to establish recovery zones so that simulation of metals transport could be performed. In fact, it has been reported that the water quality variables were related to the kinematics of water quality (BOD₅ and DO) [13]. In their study, a mathematical model was complemented by including advection and dispersion processes and resulting into two simultaneous partial differential equations which were solved, in the case of real water bodies using numerical methods establishing initial and boundary conditions.

2. Materials and Methods

Figure 1 shows the sampled sites along the Lerma River and Jose Antonio Alzate dam along with their corresponding keys (Table 1). This figure includes the sites selected within the dam to conduct chemical speciation and evaluation of the partition coefficients. pH, temperature, and conductivity were measured in situ using a Corning instrument (calibrated according to method 120.1 de EPA-600/4-79-020) [14]; dissolved oxygen (DO), was measured with a digital oxymeter YSI model 58. Water samples were collected from each site from the water column at 20 cm deep (considered as surface sampled to avoid contact with atmosphere) and from the bottom using a vanDorn instrument; avoiding remove sediment when sample was collected [8]. Water samples were collected in five polyethylene bottles of one liter with HNO₃ acid (1 mL, suprapur) added to preserve samples for analysis of total metal, dissolved metals (filtered to 0.45 micron pore) and suspended solids at each site, where the results were used to calculate the partition coefficients.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	B. A. Albores Zárate, “Tules y Sirenas. El Impacto Ecológico y Cultural de la Industrialización en el Alto Lerma, México,” El Colegio Mexiquense, A.C. Gobierno del Estado de México, Secretaría de Ecología, México, 1995.
[2]	Gustavo Garza Villarreal, “El Proceso de Industriali- zación en la Ciudad de México 1821-1970,” El Colegio de México, México, 1985, p. 446.
[3]	Comisión Nacional del Agua, “Actualización de la Información de los Acuíferos del alto Lerma (valles de Toluca e Ixtlahuaca, Edo. de México), y la Adaptación de su Modelo DAS al Lenguaje Basic,” Documento de la DGCOH, México, 1993.
[4]	W. Contreras, “Situación Actual y Perspectivas de los Recursos Forestales, suelo y agua de la Región valle de Toluca,” UAEM, 1989, p. 376.
[5]	M. V. Pe?a, H. M. Orozco, M. C. Olivera, P. R. Franco, M. C. Casta?os, S. J. Infante and C. J. Gutierrez, “Atlas Ecológico de la Cuenca Hidrográfica del río Lerma,” Comité Editorial del Estado de México, Tomo 5, 2000, pp. 13-14.
[6]	Secretaria de Ecología del Estado de México, “Diag- nóstico Preliminar Ambiental de la presa José Antonio Alzate,” Dirección General de Estudios y Proyectos Ecológicos, Gobierno del Estado de México, México, Informe Técnico, 1993.
[7]	I. D. Barceló-Quintal, A. L. Bussy and H. E. Solís-Correa, “Applications of Analytical Chemistry in Environmental Research,” Manuel Palomar, Editorial Research Signpost, India, Chapter 10, 2005, pp. 161-188.
[8]	I. D. Barceló-Quintal, “Estudio de la Movilidad de Ca, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb y Zn en Sedimentos de la presa José Antonio Alzate en el Estado de México,” Ph.D. Disser- tation, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, 2000.
[9]	P. Avila-Pérez, G. Zarazúa, L. Carapia-Morales, S. Tejeda, C. Díaz-Delgado and I. D. Barcelo-Quintal, “Evaluation of Heavy Metal and Elemental Composition of Particles in Suspended Matter of Upper Course of the Lerma River,” Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 273, No. 3, 2007, pp. 625-633. doi:10.1007/s10967-007-0922-6
[10]	Consejo de Subcuenca del Río Lerma, “Minuta de la Cuarta Sesión Ordinaria,” Palacio Municipal, Xonacatlan, Estado de México, 26 de marzo de 2007.
[11]	I. D. Barceló Quintal, E. López-Galván, S. Rosas de Alva, A. L. Bussy Beaurain and H. E. Solís Correa, “Ensayo Metodológico para la Obtención de Datos Cinéticos para el dise?o de un Sistema de Tratamiento que pueda Mejorar la Calidad del agua del río Lerma Como Influente de la Presa José Antonio Alzate,” Memorias del Foro Metropolitano del Agua en el Valle de México, Tlalpan, D.F., 2007.
[12]	P. Avila-Pérez, G. Zarazúa-Ortega, I. D. Barceló-Quintal, C. Díaz-Delgado and I. Rosas Pérez, “Afección a los Sistemas Acuáticos por Actividades Antrópicas,” In: C. Díaz Delgado, M.V. Esteller Alberich, F. López-Vera and Editorial RIPDA-CYTED, Eds., Cap. VIII-5 en Recursos hídricos—Conceptos Básicos y Estudios de caso en Iberoamerica, CIRA y Piriguazu, Uruguay, 2005, pp. VIII41-VIII108.
[13]	Streeter and Phelps, “A Study of the Pollution and Natural Purification of the Ohio River,” US Public Health Service, 1925.
[14]	L. Keith, “As Sampling and Analysis Methods,” Lewis publishers, Inc., 1992.
[15]	Standard Method, “Standard Methods for the Examina- tion of Water and Waste Water,” 20th Edition, American Public Health Association, Washington DC, 1988.
[16]	Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática (INEGI), “Conjunto de Datos Vectoriales y Toponímicos Correspondientes a las Cartas Topográficas E14A37 y E14A38,” México, 1997.
[17]	US Army Corps, “Users Guide to RMA2 WES Version 4.3,” Wextech Systems, 1997, p. 227.
[18]	US Army, “Users Guide to RMA4 WES Version 4.5,” Wextech Systems, 2001, p. 171.
[19]	Diario Oficial de la Federación, “Norma Oficial Mexi- cana NOM-001-ECOL-1996, que establece los Límites Máximos Permisibles de Contaminantes en las Descargas Residuales en Aguas y Bienes Nacionales,” 6 de enero de 1997.
[20]	Diario Oficial de la Federación, “Criterios Ecológicos de la Calidad del Agua (CE-CCA-001-89),” 13 de Diciembre de 1989.
[21]	I. D. Barceló-Quintal, H. E. Solís-Correa, A. L. Bussy and A. Allende, “Determination of Cd, Cu and Pb Con- tamination in Water and Sediment from a Mexican Reservoir Receiving Industrial and Domestic Wastewaters,” 5th IWA Chemical Industry Group Conference, Trends in Sustainable Production: From Wastewater Diagnosis to Toxicity Management and Ecological Protection, N?mes, Francia, 2002.
[22]	P. Avila-Pérez, M. Balcázar, G. Zarazúa-Ortega, I. D. Barceló-Quintal and C. Díaz-Delgado “Heavy Metal Concentrations in Water and Bottom Sediments of a Mexican Reservoir,” The Science of the Total Environ- ment, Vol. 234, No. 1-3, 1999, pp. 185-196.
[23]	P. Avila-Pérez, “Dinámica de Metales Pesados no Esenciales en la Interacción Agua-Sedimento-Biota de la presa José Antonio Alzate,” Ph.D. Dissertation, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, 2001
[24]	E. López-Galván, I. D. Barceló-Quintal, A. L. Bussy, H. E. Solís-Correa and P. ávila-Pérez, “Coeficiente de Partición del Cadmio y Plomo en la presa José Antonio Alzate en el Estado de México, México,” Memorias del XXX Congreso de la Asociación Interamericana de Ingeniería Sanitaria y Ambiental (AIDIS), Punta del Este, Uruguay, 2006.
[25]	E. López-Galván, I. D. Barceló-Quintal, A. L. Bussy, H. E. Solís-Correa and P. ávila-Pérez, “Coeficiente de Partición del Hierro y cromo en la presa José Antonio Alzate en el Estado de México, México,” Memorias del XV Congreso Nacional de Ingeniería Sanitaria y Ambiental (FEMISCA), Guadalajara, Jalisco, 2006.
[26]	E. López-Galván, “Determinación de la Movilidad Geohidrodinámica de Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn y Pb en la presa José Antonio Alzate en el Estado de México,” Ph.D. dissertation, Instituto Tecnológico de Toluca, Metepec, Estado de México, 2010.
[27]	M. Márquez Vázquez, “Aplicación de un Modelo de Dispersión Superficial de Cu y Cd, en una Sección de la presa José Antonio Alzate,” M.Sc. Universidad Autó- noma Metropolitana, Unidad Azcapotzalco, 2007.