First approach of a method to assess water quality for arid climate bay in the Gulf of California

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 347; no. 1; pp. 208 - 216
• Main Authors: MENDOZASALGADO, R, LECHUGADEVEZE, C, ORTEGARUBIO, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 15.07.2005; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Applied sciences; Arid climate; Bahía Concepción; Biological and medical sciences; Brackish; Desert Climate; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental index; Environmental Monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gulf of California; Marine and brackish environment; Mexico; Models, Theoretical; Natural water pollution; Nitrates - analysis; Nitrites - analysis; Oxygen - analysis; Phosphates - analysis; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Quality assessment; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds - analysis; Regression Analysis; Seawater; Seawaters, estuaries; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water treatment and pollution; Mexico; Mexico, California Gulf; ISE, Mexico, California Gulf; Gulf of California; Arid climate; Environmental index; Quality assessment; Bahía Concepción; Phosphates; Ammonium; Sensitivity analysis; Nitrites; Water quality standard; Nitrates; Coastal zone; Arid region; Water quality; Nutrient; Bay; Seawater; Environment quality
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2004.12.020

This work proposes a water quality model based on the pooled effects of nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, and orthophosphate concentration as the main causatives of environmental water quality changes. One of the main characteristics of the model is assigning an environmental weight for each variable ( ζ i ) according to threshold concentrations of nutrients capable of inducing water changes condition. The model validation demonstrated adequate sensitivity to different data arrangements; as observed in an arid climate bay, showing annual stratification resulting in a variable content in nitrogen-forms and phosphorous. The model can be continuously calibrated over time by adding more N and P data to specific nutrient functions, and tested on sites with high NO 3, NO 2 or NH 4 concentrations.