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River water and sediments are altered as a result of discharges of tailings and waste related to the mining activity in the Portovelo - Zaruma sector, in their composition they contain large amounts of heavy metals, generating solid and liquid waste that affect the flora, fauna and especially the populations that are settled along the riverbeds that are direct recipients of these discharges, disabling agriculture, livestock, industry and human consumption downstream of the sector. This research consists of determining the percentages of certain heavy metals such as Arsenic (As), Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg) and the chemical compound of greatest interest Cyanide (CN), through the use of ArcGis software version 9.3 and SPSS.PASW19 software for statistical analysis, the construction of thematic maps of accumulation and distribution of pollutants generated along the Calera and Amarillo riverbeds will be carried out.
About the author
Stalin Marín, civil engineer dedicated to research, evaluation and construction of civil works.María Antonieta León, middle and high school teacher dedicated to research and evaluation of educational projects.
