Environmental assessment in the coastal marine zone of Lambayeque (June 2017)

Abstract

The coastal marine zone of Lambayeque extends from the mouth of the Drain 1000 (Bodegones) to the mouth of the Zaña River. In June 2017, we conducted a study of the intertidal and subtidal areas to evaluate the environmental quality of the waters based on physicochemical and oceanographic indicators. The temperature range was from 17.6 to 24.1 °C, positive thermal anomalies varied from +3.7 to + 6.0 °C. The surface salinity fluctuated between 34.149 and 35.245; in the intertidal, the values were lower due to the influence of the discharges of the rivers of the Region. Dissolved oxygen varied from 2.20 to 9.73 mg/L. pH ranged from 7.77 to 8.30. In the subtidal, fecal pollution did not exceed 2 NMP/100 mL for Total Coliforms (TC) and Thermotolerant Coliforms (TTC), in the intertidal TC fluctuated between <1.8 and 2.2x104 NMP/100 mL, and TTC between <1.8 and 1.4x104 NMP/100 mL. Nutrients (phosphates, silicates, nitrites, and nitrates) increased when compared to the survey of May-June 2016, originated by the rivers that flowed into the coastal marine zone. Copper in sediment ranged from <0.030 to 6.91 μg/g, zinc from 19.59 to 38.4 μg/g, and lead from 2.50 to 5.41 μg/g. Cadmium varied from <0.020 to 1.14 μg/g.