Resumo

BOLANOS-ALFARO, John Diego; CORDERO-CASTRO, Gloriana  e  SEGURA-ARAYA, Gloriana. Determination of nitrites, nitrates, sulfates and phosphates in drinking water as indicators of contamination caused by human activities, in two cantons of Alajuela, province of Costa Rica. Tecnología en Marcha [online]. 2017, vol.30, n.4, pp.15-27. ISSN 0379-3982.  http://dx.doi.org/10.18845/tm.v30i4.3408.

This article consists in the analysis of nitrites, nitrates, sulfates and phosphates contained in drinking water from aqueducts of the cantons Grecia and Poás (Alajuela, Costa Rica). The research was carried out during the months of June, July and December of the years 2015-2016. Samples were taken in the following locations: La Arena, Los Angeles, Santa Gertrudis Norte and Sur, San Isidro, Carbonal, San Miguel, San Roque, Santa Rosa, Grecia and San Pedro de Poás. The results obtained are compared to the corresponding norms in the Regulation for Drinking Water Quality N.° 38924-S, which establishes the alert values ​​of concentration of these anions. Alterations shown by data are related to possible contamination originated in human activities such as industry, population growth and sewage management, among other factors that may be affecting the areas under study. As a relevant event, the analysis stablishes that the aqueducts ASADA (Administrated by Associations) of La Arena and El Cajón are the ones that represent the greatest risk for environmental and human health, since there were obtained values ​​above the norm. For this reason, anions concentrations shall be monitored as contamination indicators.

Palavras-chave : Drinking water; anions; contamination; contamination indicators; Pollution.

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