Search Results (8)

Malodorous gases—particularly hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), ammonia (NH₃), and volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs)—significantly degrade water quality, threaten public health, and disrupt ecosystems. Their production stems from microbial activity, nutrient overload, and industrial discharges, often magnified by low dissolved oxygen. This review integrates current insights into the microbial sulfur and nitrogen cycles to elucidate how these gases form, and surveys advances in detection technologies such as gas chromatography and laser-based sensors. We also assess diverse mitigation methods—including biotechnological approaches (e.g., biofilters, biopercolators), physicochemical treatments, and chemical conversion (Claus Process)—within relevant regulatory contexts in Colombia and worldwide. A case study of the Bogotá River exemplifies how unmanaged effluents and eutrophication perpetuate odor issues, underscoring the need for integrated strategies that reduce pollution at its source, restore ecological balance, and employ targeted interventions. Overall, this review highlights innovative, policy-driven solutions and collaborative efforts as pivotal for safeguarding aquatic environments and surrounding communities from the impacts of odorous emissions. Full article

The objective of this paper is to use autoregressive, integrated, and moving average (ARIMA) and transfer function ARIMA (TFARIMA) models to analyze the behavior of the main water quality parameters in the initial components of a drinking water supply system (DWSS) of a megacity (Bogota, Colombia). The DWSS considered in this study consisted of the following components: a river, a reservoir, and a drinking water treatment plant (WTP). Water quality information was collected daily and over a period of 8 years. A comparative analysis was made between the components of the DWSS based on the structure of the ARIMA and TFARIMA models developed. The results show that the best water quality indicators are the following: turbidity > color > total iron. Increasing the time window of the ARIMA analysis (daily/weekly/monthly) suggests an increase in the magnitude of the AR term for each DWSS component (WTP > river > reservoir). This trend suggests that the turbidity behavior in the WTP is more influenced by past observations compared to the turbidity behavior in the river and reservoir, respectively. Smoothing of the data series (moving average) as the time window of the ARIMA analysis increases leads to a greater sensitivity of the model for outlier detection. TFARIMA models suggest that there is no significant influence of past river turbidity events on turbidity in the reservoir, and of reservoir turbidity on turbidity at the WTP outlet. Turbidity outlier events between the river and reservoir occur mainly in a single observation (additive outliers), and between the reservoir and WTP also have a permanent effect over time (level shift outliers). The AR term of the models is useful for studying the transfer of effects between DWSS components, and the MA term is useful for studying the influence of external factors on water quality in each DWSS component. Full article

Effective stakeholder engagement is vital for sustainable water management in the Bogotá River Basin, which faces serious environmental and socio-economic challenges, including water scarcity, pollution, and inequitable distribution. Engaging diverse stakeholders can promote shared decision-making, identify common goals, and enhance the implementation of sustainable water governance strategies. Taking this into account, this research evaluates multi-stakeholder engagement in the Bogotá River Basin in Colombia over the past 30 years to promote sustainable water management in the face of current global challenges. The research methodology includes a desk-based and systematic review, as well as policy analysis using descriptive and quantitative methods. With the use of MAXQDA software, we identified 74 national, regional, and local policies focused on stakeholder engagement for water management in Colombia, which were narrowed down to 22 documents for the Bogotá River Basin. The policy analysis is based on the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) indicator for Principle 10 to self-assess the level of legal framework implementation and stakeholder engagement. The self-assessment pointed out that despite the strong legal background and the enhancement of stakeholder engagement via formal and informal participatory mechanisms in the first stages of policy-making, there is a lack of engagement in the evaluation and follow-up phases, leading to box-ticking mechanisms. The findings suggest that effective stakeholder engagement needs to be comprehensive in policy-making processes, especially in the evaluation and follow-up stages. Moreover, the river basin’s management can improve by making a clear disclosure about the outcomes of participatory processes. This research concludes that promoting shared decision-making, identifying common goals, and enhancing the implementation of sustainable water management strategies can greatly benefit the Bogotá River Basin. These efforts can lead to more effective and efficient use of water resources and ultimately contribute to a healthier and more sustainable environment. Full article

Currently, one of the main environmental problems that need to be addressed is the pollution inflicted upon different ecosystems by anthropic activities. One example of this problem can be seen in the Bogotá River, a major river in the Cundinamarca department of Columbia and the main water source supplying the Bogotá savannah, which reaches the Colombian capital city. The Bogotá River is highly affected by effluents and wastewater of domestic and industrial origin, among others. These pollutants are generated and accumulated throughout the entire basin, without ever receiving any type of treatment. The pollution levels to which the Bogotá River is subjected can be determined with the calculation of environmental indices, including microbiological contamination indicators such as total coliforms (TC) and fecal coliforms, which include Escherichia coli, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Serratia, Edwardsiella, and Citrobacter bacteria, living as independent saprophytes. This paper assesses the quality of the water in the Bogotá River, using microbiological indicators and data provided by the Regional Autonomous Corporation (CAR) of Cundinamarca to assess water samples, extracted based on the climatic bimodality exhibited in the basin in dry and wet seasons. The scope of this study was limited to the 35 monitoring Regional Autonomous Corporation of Cundinamarca (CAR) stations located throughout the middle basin. For these purposes, a multitemporal analysis of the TC and Escherichia coli variables was conducted for the 2007–2019 period, which evidenced the contamination levels in this section of the water body. In broad terms, the current state of the middle section of the Bogotá River basin is unacceptable, due to the different activities occurring within its riparian buffer zone, such as uncontrolled domestic, industrial, and/or commercial wastewater discharges. To optimize water treatability, the continuous improvement of existing treatment plants is expected, as well as the implementation of new sustainable treatment alternatives aimed at improving water quality. Full article

Decision-making in highly altered catchments occurs at different temporal and spatial scales, requiring integration of various datasets and models. This paper introduces two of the components of an environmental multiscale decision support system (EMDSS) for highly altered catchments, designed to make decisions at different time scales. First, an integrated dynamic flow and water quality model is proposed to analyze the river system, including wastewater discharges and water intakes. This integrated model is capable of representing unsteady flow conditions, allowing analysis at different time scales. Second, three postprocessing tools are presented to support short- (hours to days), medium- (days to months), and long- (years to decades) term operational, management, and planning decisions. The water quality component of the model can represent conventional and toxic determinands to simultaneously analyze domestic and industrial pollution throughout a river system. The first postprocessing tool of the EMDSS is useful in defining concentration limits for wastewater discharges for different water users downstream. The second tool allows the assessment of river water quantity and quality to determine water availability for intake extensions and medium-term wastewater flow augmentation. The third makes it possible to simulate and perform effective operational reservoir releases to improve water quality in the river during short-term pollution incidents. The proposed integrated model and postprocessing tools are applied in the upper Bogotá River stretch in Colombia, one of the most altered catchments and polluted rivers in the world. The results obtained illustrate the utility of the proposed EMDSS for river management and decision making regarding water quality at different time scales. Full article

Usually, megacities expand without proper planning in a context of demographic growth and are increasingly dependent on the natural resources related to the occupied area. This is a major challenge for the sustainable management of these territories, justifying the need for a better knowledge of land use/land cover (LULC) distribution and characteristics to observe spatial anthropogenic dynamics. In this study, the Bogotá river basin and the Bogotá megacity were analyzed as a case study. The main objective of this work was to analyze the historical LULC dynamics from 1985 to 2014. Reliable forecasting scenarios were developed using the Land Change Modeler to support sustainable management and planning. Results show an expansion of the Bogotá megacity toward the Northeast and an increase of urban areas within the basin. These changes implied a loss of 58% of forest surface, a strategic ecosystem, from 1985 to 2014. This dynamic is expected to continue, with a 50% increase of urban areas between 2012 to 2050, thus the megacity and neighbor cities potentially become an “urban continuum”. A replacement of crop and pasture lands near the city is expected, even though Bogotá lands are among the best agricultural lands in the Andean region of Colombia. Full article

Bogotá is the capital of Colombia and represents the most important urban center in the country. Bogotá’s population and economic growth have accelerated exponentially in recent years and this growth has brought with it a variety of environmental impacts, including degradation of surface water quality. Government agencies have developed the water quality network of Bogotá that spans across four large rivers, including the Tunjuelo. According to measurements since 2009, water quality has changed in association with the dynamics of the city. This article utilizes a spatial and temporal analysis with multivariate statistics (Principal Components Analyses, dendograms, and Kruskal-Wallis) to propose a redesign of the Tunjuelo River water quality network. Based on these analyses, the number of monitoring stations can be reduced from nine to seven and the measurement frequency can be reduced. Together, the proposed spatial and temporal redesign would reduce the sample acquisition and analysis costs across the network by 50%. Full article

This article provides a deep analysis of the water quality at the upper basin of the Bogota River (Colombia) between 2008 and 2017. The Water Quality Index has been the indicator employed to determine the ecological status of the river. This index was chosen in order to normalize the analysis, given that it is commonly used by the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies, a government agency of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia, to determine the state of surface effluents. The results obtained were organized in a double-entry matrix in order to relate the variables of the sample period and the sampling station. The research revealed an insufficient quality of water, demonstrating that the high stretch of the Bogota River basin has, in general, regular or acceptable water quality, while only five stations showed an acceptable status. Surprisingly, the stations located close to the wastewater treatment plants of the municipalities of Choconta, Suesca, Gachancipa, and Tocancipa, as well as Rio Negro, have a poor water quality, discharging a high load of contaminants into the river. Although great efforts have been made by Colombian authorities to restore the critical state of the majority of their aquatic ecosystems, recent implementation of policies and instruments have not shown significant achievements yet. For this reason, this study aims to present a powerful decision-tool for the monitoring and evaluation of correction measures implemented on this river basin. The data used in this research were provided by the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Cundinamarca. Full article