<![CDATA[Se determinó la calidad del agua en puntos afluentes del rio Cesar como el río Calenturitas, Maracas y Tucuy, utilizando macro invertebrados acuáticos como bioindicadores y aplicando el índice BMWP/Col adaptado para Colombia por Roldan (Biological Monitoring Working Party score). Se establecieron cinco estaciones y dos jornadas de muestreo (periodo seco y de lluvias). Se colectaron muestras de agua para análisis fisicoquímicos e identificación de macro invertebrados que fueron contados e identificados mediante estereomicroscopio y claves taxonómicas. En total se identificaron 1025 organismos, 589 en periodo seco y 436 en periodo de lluvias, pertenecientes a 2 phylum, 3 clases, 9 órdenes, 24 familias y 37 géneros. El valor promedio del índice BMWP/Col define la calidad del agua de la estación 1 (E1) como agua ligeramente contaminada, de calidad aceptable, E2-E3-E4 y E5 como agua moderadamente contaminada, de calidad dudosa. Agua de la estación E5 presenta el puntaje más bajo de todas las estaciones y las variables fisicoquímicas y microbiológicas más altas.]]>

Particulate Matter is the main pollutant produced in open-pit mining operations. Its emission into the atmosphere is strongly associated with adverse health effects in the surrounding communities. The objective of the study is to evaluate the impact of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the particulate matter (PM) levels in the Northern, Central, and Southern Zones of the largest open-pit coal mine in Latin America. We analyzed and compared daily data on PM10 and PM2.5 before and during the emergency shutdown from the week of March 6 through April 13, 2020, while comparing daily values from the combined product of the Terra-Aqua/MODIS satellites to elucidate the effects of the closure. Unlike other sites monitored globally, we observed an increase in the average PM10 concentrations in the Northern Zone (13–38%) and Southern Zone (4–7%) of the coal mine. Additionally, PM2.5 concentrations increased in the Southern Zone by up to 43% throughout the lockdown when compared to daily records prior to the commencement of mandatory isolation. PM10 concentrations in the Central Zone decreased (26–31%) in the course the lockdown. Further, higher aerosol optic depth (AOD) values (≥0.4) were evident over the Central and Southern study areas during the lockdown, as well as significant AOD loads upwind and downwind of the coal production pits. Wetter (up to 3.5%), warmer (up to 0.3 K), reduced planetary boundary layer height (up to 0.11 km), wind field variability, and biomass burning in rural areas determine the spatial–temporal behavior of PM. The reduction of emissions from PM-mining activities was almost compensated by changes in meteorology and external sources. These results provide a baseline for regulators to establish future mitigation plans.

Intake fraction was determined in this study to provide insight into population exposures to PM₁₀ that is effectively inhaled due to emissions of an opencast coal mine. We applied the CALPUFF model to a coal mine in Northern Colombia, which has 6 active pits with an annual production of 33.7 million tons. We estimated the intake fractions for 7 towns through the integration of dispersion model results over the population data. The resulting average intake fractions were between 6.13 × 10⁻⁹ and 3.66 × 10⁻⁸ for PM₁₀. 62.4% of the intake fractions in the domain were calculated within a 23 km radius from the coal mine and coved 44.3% of the total population in this area. We calculated an estimate point for morbidity impacts using standard epidemiological assumptions. It is estimated that there were annually 105835 restricted activity days and 336832 respiratory symptom cases due to the direct impact of the opencast coal mining. These data also provide a framework for improved understanding of the effect of coal mining in Colombia.