Evaluation of the impact of anthropogenic activities on surface water quality using a water quality index and environmental assessment

Abstract

The article presents an assessment of the effects of anthropogenic activities on the quality of water in four streams flowing through a camp based on a combined assessment of environmental impacts and the water quality index. The quantitative and qualitative assessment of environmental impact was made after identifying the anthropogenic activities carried out in the camp. The water quality index (WQI) was calculated after monitoring seventeen physicochemical and microbiological variables and the Montoya index was applied. The samples were collected during 48 sampling campaigns, organised over the period of six months in eight stations. Two stations were located in each stream, one before and one after it passed through the camp. The results indicated that streams 1, 3, and 4 show a slight deterioration in water quality, affected by anthropogenic activities carried out in the said camp; meanwhile, stream 2 shows an increasing deterioration in water quality. The water quality of the streams before passing through the camp was determined to be between “uncontaminated” and “acceptable”, while after passing through the camp it was classified between “acceptable” and “slightly contaminated”. The results indicated a non-significant difference between the downstream and upstream WQI values for streams 1, 3, and 4; while stream 2 did show a significant difference in the WQI between upstream and downstream; indicating that anthropogenic activities alter the quality of the water.