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Studies dme between 1974 end 1978 in El Estero del Muerto (a branch of Ed,ero
Salado) sfrowed bacteriological eounts of 5,fl)0 to 49),fi)0 coliforms/I00 ml, and low oxygen
levels of about 0.6 ml/l (Valencia et g{.r L979). According to Solorzano (198I), de Guzman
found between 680 and 2,400 faecaiAo-ilforms MPN/100 ml in fgZ:.
In the survey by Solorzano (1981), deta were obtained for 80 indurtricr which discharge
wastes into the Gulf of Guayaquil, 62 of them located in Guayaquil. Only 27 industries do
some type of treatment (Tabb 4). This information is incomplete because the city Potable
Water Departmenl registered a total of 856 industries (1978) for Guayaquil and its
surroundings. In general, they discharge their wastes into the two sewerage systems: one for
rain water and other for sanitary wastes. The lack of information ebout the pollution
problems caused by industrial wastes is even more noticeable than in the case of pollution by
dornestic wastes.
Tabb 4 : Industries discharging into the Gutf of Guayaquil
(Solorzano, l98l)
Lmation Industry Number Treatment Effluent disposal
Guayaquil
Pt. Bolivar
Machala
Anconcito
Pcorja
Chanduy
Fisheries
Fruits, vegetables
Oils, fats
Brewery
Others (food)
Milk
Metalworking
Textiles
Tannery
Cement
Plesties
Batteries
Others
Fisheriee
F isheries
F isheries
Fiaheries
25
I
2
t
10
I I
4
4
4
2
6
6
?
?
2 Skimmers
Oxidation pond
I Septic tank
2 Skimmers
I Decantation
) Septic tanks
5 Septic tanks
I Sedimentation
t?
I Neutralization and
sedimentation
I Stabilizetion pond
Stabilizer sediment.
?
I Septic tank
2 Deposit
I Nme
2 Primary
T?
2 Septic tank
?
?
?
.)
Direct to river or rpwer
?
Storm drain
Individual collector
Storm drain
Sanitary sewer
7 Storm drain
J?
Storm drain
Storm drain
Storm drain
Storm dain
I Sanitary lnwer
2?
Storm drain
2
In reference to oil pollutiur, the main sources include the loading and unloading
qerations in the ssaporl (Estero Salado) in Guayaquil, s well as in Puerto Bolivar (El Oro
province), Duran (Rio Guayas)r el Salitral (Estero Salado), and places where the fishing fleet
operates (Anconcito, Chanduy, Pcorja). A probable aource of oil pollution ie the exploratory
drilling m the Continental Shelf of the Gutf.
In errnrnary, marine pollution in the Gulf of Guayaquil is concentrated in the estuary of
the Guayas River, especially in the Estero Salado. This body of water hes a very slow
turnover that depends on tidal flushing; the retention time for pollutants has been estimated
at 45 to 90 days. The most important problems are:
i) discharge of domestic and industrial wastes, practically without treatmenq
ii) biological pollution, especially in the Estero Salado;
iii) dunping of oil, lLbricants and fuels from the city of Guayaquil and its port; and
iv) a possible drainage of agro-chemical zubstances from farming and animal husbandry
activities in the Guayas River basin.
?
?
?