Pollution in the Lower Agusan River: Determining the Causes, Its Effects, and Proposing Solutions Using the Mycoe Approach
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Pollution in the Lower Agusan River: Determining the Causes, Its Effects, and Proposing Solutions using the MyCOE Approach Glynis Robert C. Aguilar Philippine Science High School Southern Mindanao Campus, Sto. Niño, Tugbok District, Davao City, Philippines INTRODUCTION deforestation, and discharge of harmful pollutants from mining and other industries “If a man fails to honor the rivers, he (Global Environment Facility, 2009). The shall not gain the life from them.” impacts of these threats are felt throughout the whole river, especially in its lower part — The Code of Hammurabi in Butuan City and Butuan Bay. These problems, if not addressed, may lead to loss Agusan River is located in the north- of important biodiversity in the area and eastern part of the island of Mindanao in the even in international waters. Pollution may Philippines. The river is the third longest affect the estuary functioning of the Butuan river in the Philippines with an estimated Bay coastal ecosystems, which connect to an length of 350 km from its headwaters found identified marine biodiversity corridor of in the mountains of Compostela Valley global significance within the Coral Triangle down to its mouth in Butuan City (Asian (Global Environment Facility, 2009) Development Bank, 2004) Possible pollution in the river may not only An essential feature of the area is the affect flora and fauna in the area, but may Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, found in also endanger the lives and livelihoods of the middle part of the river. The marsh is the the hundreds of thousands of people that habitat of endangered fauna like Anhinga rely on it. melanogaster (Oriental Darter), This project intends to determine the Porphyrio porphyria (Purple Swamp Hen), causes and effects of pollution in the Lower and Nisaetus philippensis (Philippine Hawk- Agusan River by assessing the water quality Eagle) (UNESCO, 2006). The sanctuary is of samples from the river. Furthermore, it registered under the Ramsar convention and also seeks sustainable solutions to the is the most important freshwater wetland in problems in the area using the MyCOE the Philippines. However, this unique approach (Fig. 1). ecosystem is threatened by invasive plant and animal species, severe siltation and Author’s Email: [email protected]; stream bank erosion due to mining and Phone #: +639232510006 1 Fig. 1: The MyCOE Approach Source: http://www.aag.org/cs/mycoe/our-approach Scope of the Project: This project is limited 2012 from 8:00 am to 10:00 am. The only to the lower part of the Agusan River weather during the time of the inspection (from 8°57’10.79”N 125°32’33.84”E to 9° was sunny. 1’6.65”N 125°31’0.83”E), within the In the Lower Agusan River, it was Butuan to Magallanes portion of the river, observed that (i) the river was visibly turbid which is significant due to the presence of and murky; (ii) there was an abundance of sawmills, fish farms and residential Eichhornia crassipes (Water hyacinth) buildings. The term Lower Agusan River as especially along and near the banks; (iii) used in this project will refer to the area of there is a significant number of settlements the river within the coordinates above. on the banks of the river; (iv) people bathe and wash clothes and kitchenware in the FORMULATE THE QUESTION river; (v) people dispose of fecal matter in (Step 1) the river; (vi) there are sawmills along the river; and (vii) there are fish farms in the 1. How polluted is the Lower Agusan River? river. 2. What are the causes of pollution in the Possible sources of pollution were also Lower Agusan River? identified during the ocular inspection. 3. How does pollution in the Lower Agusan These were plotted in a map (Fig. 3). River affect the communities around it? 4. How can we promote sustainable Sampling Stations: Four sampling stations solutions for the river and those who depend were used (Fig. 4). Sampling Station 1 is on it? located 0 km from the mouth of the river. Sampling Station 2 is located 3.5 km from OBSERVE AND ACQUIRE DATA the mouth of the river. Sampling Station 3 is (Step 2) located 7.4 km from the mouth of the river and Sampling Station 4 is located 8.5 km Ocular Inspection of the Area: Initial from the mouth of the river. These stations observation of the area was done on May 20, were chosen because they lie in close 2 Fig. 2: The location of the study area (Asian Development Bank, 2004) Fig. 3: Sources of pollution identified during Fig. 4: Sampling sites numbered in order the ocular inspection from the mouth of the river *Full interactive map of Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 can be accessed at http://mycoe.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=1c96c48653d34c749f7a6b48f7aac968 3 Fig. 5: Zoning map of Butuan City Source: City Government of Butuan proximity to possible sources of pollution in water to be collected. One half-gallon grab the river, which were identified during the sample was collected in each sampling ocular inspection and using Butuan City’s station. Immediately after sampling, the jugs zoning map (Fig. 5). were put in an ice box to reduce the temperature and preserve the samples. After Materials and Methods: Sampling was collection, the samples were sent to the done on May 24, 2012, from 8:00 am to laboratory of the Environmental 11:00 am. The weather was sunny for the Management Bureau – Region XIII (EMB- duration of the sampling activity. Half- XIII) for analysis. The parameters to be gallon plastic jugs were used for water tested include temperature, apparent color, sampling. Prior to sample collection, all jugs pH, conductivity, total suspended solids were washed with distilled water multiple (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), times and were dried overnight. At each dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen sampling station, one half-gallon jug was demand (BOD) and salinity. used. Since the river was not wadable, a boat was used to traverse its course and to Results: Table 1 is a summary of the results facilitate sample collection. Before of the physicochemical analyses of water collecting the final samples in each station, samples from the sampling stations shown the jugs were rinsed three times with the on Fig. 4. 4 Table 1: Physicochemical parameters of the sampling stations at Lower Agusan River on May 24, 2012, 8 to 11 am. Parameters Method Station 1 Station 2 Station 3 Station 4 Temperature Multiparameter 27.55 27.58 27.60 27.44 (°C) Water Quality Checker Apparent Color Visual 38 67 33 40 (CU) Comparison Method pH Multiparameter 7.87 7.22 7.25 7.29 Water Quality Checker Conductivity Multiparameter 3.48 0.169 0.153 0.157 (mS/cm) Water Quality Checker Total Suspended Gravimetric 16 14 17 29 Solids (TSS) Method (mg/L) (dried at 103- 105°C) Total Dissolved Multiparameter 2, 220 110 100 102 Solids (TDS) Water Quality (mg/L) Checker Dissolved Azide 6.5 6.5 7.3 5.4 Oxygen (DO) Modification (mg/L) Method Biochemical Azide 0.3 0.4 0.6 0.6 Oxygen Demand Modification (BOD5) at 20°C Method (mg/L) Salinity Multiparameter 1.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 (ppt NaCl) Water Quality Checker The methods used for analyses of the dissolved oxygen. A multiparameter water physicochemical parameters include: quality checker was used to analyse gravimetric method for total suspended temperature, pH, conductivity, total solids, visual comparison method for dissolved solids and salinity. apparent color and azide modification The temperatures in all four stations were method for biochemical oxygen demand and not significantly different from each other. 5 Conductivity The pH and salinity values also did not 4 differ significantly among the different 3 stations. Parameters with significant fluctuations in values among the stations 2 mS/cm sampled include conductivity (Fig. 6), TSS 1 and TDS (Fig. 7) and DO and BOD (Fig. 8). 0 Among the parameters with significant 1 2 3 4 fluctuations in value, Station 1 had the Sampling Station highest value for conductivity and TDS, Station 3 had the highest value for DO, and Fig. 6: Conductivity at different sampling Station 4 had the highest value for TSS and stations BOD. TSS and TDS 2500 ANALYZE 2000 (Step 3) 1500 Temperature: Temperature is a measure of mg/L 1000 how much heat is present in the water 500 (National Environmental Education 0 1 2 3 4 Foundation, 2009). It controls the rate of metabolic activities, reproductive activities Sampling Station and the life cycles of aquatic organisms. TSS TDS Temperature affects the concentration of Fig. 7: TSS and TDS at different sampling dissolved oxygen in a water body. Oxygen is stations more easily dissolved in cold water. Table 1 shows that the average DO and BOD temperature of all the four stations is about 8 27.5 °C. This is within the allowable range 6 set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (Department of 4 mg/L Environment and Natural Resources, 2007). 2 0 Apparent Color: During the ocular 1 2 3 4 inspection, it was observed that the water Sampling Station was murky and turbid. This affects the DO BOD aesthetic value of the water. Aesthetic value means freedom from visible materials that Fig. 8: DO and BOD at different sampling will settle to form objectionable deposits, stations floating debris, oil, scum and other matter 6 (Department of Environment and Natural In Table 1 it is shown that Station 4 had Resources, 2007). A low aesthetic value the highest amount of suspended solids. It is implies that the water is undesirable for possible that because of the high activity of industrial and domestic uses.