Contaminación microbiológica del agua del río VRAEM y sus implicancias para la salud ambiental

Microbiological contamination of VRAEM River water and implications for environmental health

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Publicado: 2026-09-18
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33996/revistaalfa.v10i30.504
Palabras clave:
"Agua superficial"; "Contaminación microbiológica"; "Coliformes termotolerantes"; "Calidad del agua"; "Río VRAEM"
Keywords:
"Microbiological contamination"; "Surface water"; "Thermotolerant coliforms"; "VRAEM River"; "Water quality";

Contenido principal del artículo

Heydrich Didier Gutierrez Alamo
Universidad César Vallejo. Lima, Perú
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7752-9573
Nicolas Hurtado Totocayo
H & J Ingenieros consultores SAC. Lima, Perú
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0887-0097
Denis Huamani Huamani
Universidad César Vallejo. Lima, Perú
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8938-487X
Katiuska Livia Milagros Flores Balbuena
Universidad Federico Villarreal. Lima, Perú
https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0409-6218
Contexto: La contaminación microbiológica de las aguas superficiales constituye un problema ambiental y sanitario, especialmente en usos recreativos con contacto directo. Objetivo: Evaluar la contaminación microbiológica del agua del río VRAEM mediante la determinación de coliformes termotolerantes en dos puntos ubicados aguas abajo del puente Pichari-Kimbiri durante cuatro periodos de muestreo de 2025. Metodología: Se realizó una investigación cuantitativa, observacional, descriptiva y longitudinal; se analizaron ocho muestras ambientales (enero, abril, agosto y septiembre) mediante el método del Número Más Probable. Resultados: Las concentraciones oscilaron entre 1,9 × 10⁴ y 1,25 × 10⁵ NMP/100 mL; todas superaron el valor de referencia de 200 NMP/100 mL, con excedencias de 95 a 625 veces. El punto aguas abajo presentó incrementos de 26,1 % a 50,6 %; las mayores concentraciones ocurrieron en septiembre. Conclusiones: El tramo evaluado presentó contaminación persistente y elevada; se recomienda fortalecer la vigilancia del agua e investigar sus fuentes.
Context: Microbiological contamination of surface waters constitutes an environmental and health problem, especially in recreational uses involving direct contact. Objective: To evaluate the microbiological water contamination of the VRAEM River by determining thermotolerant coliforms at two points located downstream of the Pichari-Kimbiri bridge during four sampling periods in 2025. Methodology: A quantitative, observational, descriptive, and longitudinal study was conducted; eight environmental samples (January, April, August, and September) were analyzed using the Most Probable Number method. Results: Concentrations ranged from 1.9 × 10⁴ to 1.25 × 10⁵ MPN/100 mL; all exceeded the reference value of 200 MPN/100 mL, with exceedances ranging from 95 to 625 times. The downstream point showed increases from 26.1% to 50.6%; the highest concentrations occurred in September. Conclusions: The evaluated stretch presented persistent and high contamination; it is recommended to strengthen water surveillance and investigate its sources.

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Número

Vol. 10 Núm. 30 (2026): Alfa Revista de Investigación en Ciencias Agronómicas y Veterinarias

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INVESTIGACIONES

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1.
Contaminación microbiológica del agua del río VRAEM y sus implicancias para la salud ambiental. Alfa Revista de Investigación en Ciencias Agronómicas y Veterinarias [Internet]. 2026 Sep. 18 [cited 2026 Sep. 24];10(30):1-13. Available from: https://www.revistaalfa.org/index.php/revistaalfa/article/view/706
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