Abstract
In Panama City, the water supply sources for the population come mainly from surface waters, but in times of drought and extreme natural phenomena, the need to resort to underground sources is explored. This paper concerns an exploratory investigation with the aim of assessing the quality of groundwater in the southeastern part of the Province of Panama and to determine its possible use as drinking water during extreme natural phenomena. Monthly monitoring over a period of 15 months was carried out. The study included the sampling and analysis of groundwater by different physic-chemical, hydrochemical and biological parameters. The results showed that most of the parameters in the analysed groundwater conformed to the Panamanian drinking water norm and the water potability diagram, this is a convenient source of raw water for purification. As for other uses for this water source, it should be used with caution since it represents a medium risk of soil salinization for irrigation water; and it is a moderately hard water for industrial uses.
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adapted from IGNTG 2018)
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank the Technological University of Panama (UTP) and its Research Centers that provided collaboration for this research work. Thanks are due to the Center for Hydraulic and Hydrotechnical Research (CIHH) and the Experimental Center for Engineering (CEI), and within the latter the Laboratory of Industrial Analysis and Environmental Sciences (LABAICA), Ing. David Vega and Dr. Cecilio Hernández. Thanks are also due to Dr. Freddy Ortiz of USFDA/EPA for all his collaboration, and Neil Thompson (PhD in Chemistry, Scientific English) for the revision of the English style of the manuscript. To the National Secretary of Science and Technology (SENACYT) and the Institute for the Training and Use of Human Resources (IFARHU) of Panama, for their help for research.
Funding
This study was funded by the National Secretary of Science and Technology (SENACYT) and the Institute for the Training and Use of Human Resources (IFARHU) of Panama (270–2019-109); and Fondos para Grupos de Investigación UCLM (2019-GRIN-27011).
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The paper was written by Ana González, Miguel Vargas Lombardo, Pablo Higueras, Francisco Jesús García Navarro, Efrén García Ordiales and Raimundo Jimenez Ballesta. Ana González performed the field and laboratory work.
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González-Valoys, A.C., Vargas-Lombardo, M., Higueras, P. et al. Hydrochemistry of groundwater from Tocumen sector, Panamá city: an assessment of its possible usage during emergency events. Environ Earth Sci 80, 176 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-021-09497-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-021-09497-7