This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
    Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2024, 41(2): e244117 April-June. ISSN 2477-9407.
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Resumen
El agua es un recurso natural y vital para los seres vivos y los 
ecosistemas. Las aguas subterráneas son de gran importancia para el 
consumo humano y actividades agrícolas, pero con los años, se ha 
convertido en un recurso cada vez más escaso. El objetivo de esta 
investigación fue evaluar la calidad del agua subterránea extraída 
de pozos utilizados para el riego de cultivos en Balzar, provincia de 
Guayas, Ecuador. Se utilizaron cuatro tratamientos y tres repeticiones; 
agua subterránea extraída de tres pozos, más un testigo de agua 
destilada. Se realizaron análisis físicos, químicos, microbiológicos y 
un  ensayo  de  totoxicidad  con  incubación  en  oscuridad  a  semillas 
de rábano (Raphanus sativus L.), cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) y 
maíz (Zea mays L.). La turbidez superó los niveles permitidos según 
las regulaciones TULSMA y los niveles de bicarbonatos y cloro 
excedieron  el  límite  permitido.  El  análisis  microbiológico  reejó 
valores de coliformes fecales por encima de 1000 UFC.100 mL
-1
 
de agua, indicando la presencia de contaminantes en las fuentes de 
agua. Las pruebas de toxicidad realizadas con semillas de rábano 
mostraron un estímulo en el crecimiento de la radícula en el pozo uno 
y toxicidad leve en los pozos dos y tres. Para las semillas de cacao y 
maíz se evidenció toxicidad moderada y leve, respectivamente en los 
tres pozos. Pese a que se superaron los límites máximos permisibles 
en algunas variables, el agua de los tres pozos puede ser utilizada 
para riego, sin embargo, existe la necesidad de tomar medidas para 
mejorar la calidad del agua en estos pozos.
Palabras clave:  agua  de  riego,  calidad  sicoquímica,  calidad 
microbiológica, pruebas de totoxicidad.  
Resumo
A água é um recurso natural e vital para os seres vivos e 
ecossistemas. As águas subterrâneas são de grande importância para 
o consumo humano e para as atividades agrícolas, mas ao longo 
dos anos tornaram-se um recurso cada vez mais escasso. O objetivo 
desta pesquisa foi avaliar a qualidade da água subterrânea extraída 
de poços utilizados para irrigação de culturas em Balzar, Guayas, 
Equador. Foram utilizados quatro tratamentos e três repetições; água 
subterrânea extraída de três poços mais um núcleo de água destilada. 
Foram realizadas análises físicas, químicas, microbiológicas e teste 
de toxicidade com incubação no escuro em sementes de rabanete 
(Raphanus sativus L.), cacau (Theobroma cacao L.) e milho (Zea mays 
L.). A turbidez excedeu os níveis permitidos pelas regulamentações 
da TULSMA e os níveis de bicarbonato e cloro excederam o limite 
permitido.  A  análise  microbiológica  reetiu  valores  de  coliformes 
fecais acima de 1000 UFC.100 mL
-1
 de água, indicando presença de 
contaminantes  nos  mananciais.  Testes  de  totoxicidade  realizados 
com sementes de rabanete mostraram estímulo ao crescimento de 
radículas no poço um e leve toxicidade nos poços dois e três. Para 
sementes de cacau e milho, foi evidente toxicidade moderada e 
leve, respectivamente, nos três poços. Embora os limites máximos 
permitidos tenham sido ultrapassados   em algumas variáveis, a 
água dos três poços pode ser utilizada para irrigação, no entanto, há 
necessidade de tomar medidas para melhorar a qualidade da água 
nestes poços.
Palavras-chave:  água de irrigação, qualidade físico-química, 
qualidade microbiológica, testes de totoxicidad.
Introduction
Water is a basic human right; however, its quality continues 
to  be a problem  in  dierent  areas.  The  evaluation  of  water  quality 
allows control, treatment and mitigation actions to be taken, seeking 
to guarantee the supply of safe water (Valenzuela and Yucra, 2021). 
Water  is  a  natural  resource  destined  to  fulll  dierent  functions 
that contribute to the sustainability and survival of living beings 
(Castillo et al., 2022). It is a vital resource for living beings and their 
ecosystems, which is why comprehensive management should be 
made with emphasis on a sustainable world (Fuerte, 2019).
For Gutiérrez et al. (2022), groundwater is an important source 
of water for human consumption, crop irrigation, industrial use, 
among others, but it is becoming an increasingly scarce resource. The 
assessment of groundwater quality becomes relevant for activities 
that require its use, especially agriculture, which, according to the 
Statistics Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of 
the United Nations [FAOSTAT] (2018), accounts for 70 % of the 
freshwater withdrawn in the world. 
Water quality includes an assessment of its physicochemical 
and  biological  properties,  as  well  as  the  eects  that  may  inuence 
the health of aquatic systems and humans. Population growth, 
pollution,  surface  leaching,  runo,  and  extensive  use  of  fertilizers 
in agricultural areas are considered the main causes of groundwater 
quality deterioration (Kumar et al., 2021).
Groundwater is a resource that provides development opportunities 
to Balzar, with great importance for irrigation in dierent crops found 
in the area; being of great help in economic and social aspects, among 
others. For Llerena et al. (2017) the importance of irrigation water 
lies in the fact that agriculture is one of the activities that consumes 
large amounts of water, due to the fact that irrigation of crops needs 
water daily for them to develop. According to Grammont (2010), crop 
yields that can be obtained with irrigation can be more than double 
those that can be obtained in rainfed conditions.
For Kaloterakis et al. (2021)  irrigation  water quality  inuences 
soil salt content. The salinity content of irrigation water has an impact 
on plant growth. The slope of the land aects the increase of salinity 
content in the water of rivers and reservoirs, due to soil erosion, which 
transports minerals to rivers and subway aquifers.
The quality of water in rivers, groundwater and reservoirs depends 
on several factors, such as general geology, ion exchange, degree of 
mineral  weathering,  evaporation,  groundwater  ow  and  dierent 
human activities. Groundwater in dierent areas may have dierent 
qualities and properties for agricultural use (Pant et al., 2021). 
In another context, and as mentioned above, in the province of 
Guayas, specically in  La Carlota area of Balzar canton, there are 
dierent  crops  that  are  irrigated  with  groundwater  extracted  from 
wells, including radish (Raphanus sativus L.), a plant belonging to 
the Brassicaceae family, corn (Zea mays L.) of the Poaceae family, 
and cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.), a perennial plant of the Malvaceae 
family.
Accordingly, it is necessary to review the quality of groundwater 
used for irrigation purposes in order to apply corrective measures 
where necessary. The objective of this research was to evaluate the 
quality of groundwater from wells used for crop irrigation in La 
Carlota area of the Balzar canton, Guayas province, Ecuador.