TITLE:
Assessing Fecal Contamination in Groundwater from the Tulum Region, Quintana Roo, Mexico
AUTHORS:
Rosa Ma. Leal-Bautista, Melissa Lenczewski, Cheyenne Morgan, Amy Gahala, Jean E. McLain
KEYWORDS:
Groundwater; Microbial; Chemical Contaminants; Transport; Yucatan Peninsula; Quintana Roo
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.4 No.11,
November
28,
2013
ABSTRACT: The Yucatan Peninsula’s groundwater is
experiencing increases in degradation due to swelling population and tourism;
yet little is known about sources and transport of contaminants in drinking
water supplies. The karst allows for rapid transport of microbial and chemical
contaminants to the subsurface, resulting in significantly increased potential
for pollution of groundwater. The objective of this research is to determine
the occurrence, source, and extent of fecal contamination in the Tulum region
of the Peninsula. A multi-analytical approach was undertaken in impacted and
unimpacted groundwater locations; measurements included physicochemical
parameters, total coliform and E. coli, Bacteroides (human vs total) and caffeine. The results indicate a
variation in geochemistry from impacted to protected sites. The total coliform
and E. coli show fecal contamination is wide spread. However, the presence
of human Bacteriodes and caffeine in
the water in the Tulum well field indicates that the recent human activities
next to the well field are impacting the drinking water supply. This project is
an assessment of the area’s current water quality conditions and the probable
impact that the aforementioned growth would have on the area’s water supply. By
applying multiple source parameter measurements, including molecular
microbiology and chemical indicators it was confirmed the extent of fecal
contamination of human origin covered the entire sampling region.