Evaluación del funcionamiento de filtros de biocarbón /arcilla en la potabilización de agua mediante análisis fisicoquímicos y microbiológicos

Abstract

This research was carried out in the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences of the Universidad de El Salvador and in the Integral Training Center of ANDA, with the purpose of evaluating the filtering capacity of physicochemical and microbiological contaminants that biochar / clay filters have. Two water sources were used to evaluate the filters, one located in the municipality of Ilobasco, department of Cabañas in El Salvador, which was selected for its high content of contaminants, and the second sample from the municipality of San Salvador, in the department of San Salvador, which was potable water obtained from the top and prepared at the laboratory level with known concentrations of heavy metals of arsenic (As) and lead (Pb). Water samples were collected every 15 days for a period of six months, giving continuous use to the filters. Samples of raw and filtered water were transported to the Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Centro de Formación Integral de la Administración Nacional de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (CFI-ANDA), where microbiological determinations were made analyzing Total Coliforms, Escherichia Coli and Pseudomona aeruginosa, for which were taken four samples of 100 ml of treated water, two samples per filter, and two samples of 100 ml of raw water, obtaining results in Probable Number of bacteria. For the analysis of physicochemical parameters the samples were taken to the agricultural chemistry laboratory of the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences of the University of El Salvador and the following parameters were analyzed: turbidity in nephelometric units (NTU) through the nephelometric method, likewise , the heavy metals Iron (Fe), Arsenic (As) and Lead (Pb) were analyzed, using the method of Atomic Absorption and Manganese (Mn) by the colorimetric method, which expressed the data in mg / L, for these determinations were taken two samples of 500 ml each of treated water, one per filter and a sample of 500 ml of raw water. The results obtained from the analyzes were compared with the Norma Salvadoreña Obligatoria de Agua Potable NSO 13.07.01: 08, to verify if the filters have the necessary capacity to remove pollutants to provide quality water, suitable for human consumption; The highest average removal of metals was obtained in lead, with 99.91%, for arsenic it was 87.84%, for iron 83.21% and for manganese 55.78%, this being the lowest; Regarding the physical parameter of turbidity, the percentage of removal was 98.77%; the best result of microbiological removal was obtained for Escherichia Coli, reaching a final average of 95.49%, for Total Coliforms it was 54.90% and for Pseudomona aeruginosa was 72.27%.