An integrated approach for the assessment of land-based pollution loads in the coastal zone

摘要: Abstract The identification and prioritization of pollution sources is essential to coastal zone management. This task complicated when a variety are found by limited data availability, which can result in an inconclusive assessment differing public perceptions, ultimately hindering the progress management actions. case Cartagena Bay (Colombia), Caribbean hot-spot pollution, receives large freshwater discharges from Magdalena River drained via Dique Canal along with industrial effluents untreated domestic wastewater parts population. study presents methodology for integrated anthropogenic discharged into estimating their loads comparing relative contributions receiving waters. Given lack available on water quality, approach applied combining various methods load estimation while emphasizing importance calculating confidence intervals each value. Pollution nearby wastewater, continental runoff were assessed respect coliforms, total suspended solids, nitrogen, phosphorus, biological oxygen demand (BOD). Loads canal's surface calculated monthly discharge quality data. Domestic computed using GIS analyses population sewerage coverage combination export coefficients daily per capita. Industrial estimated based previous studies. Results show that type land-based source responsible different impacts observed Bay. Occasionally, inadequate recreational be attributed contribute highest coliform (6.7 ± 3.9 × 1015 MPN/day). Continental contributes greatest sediment (2.5 ± 1.9 × 103 t/day) causing bay's turbid plumes related ecosystem issues. Hypoxic conditions bay all three significant BOD (2–8 t/day), phosphorus comes (3.2 ± 2.4 t/day) nitrogen flow canal (3.7 ± 3.1 t·NO3-N/day) sector (3.1 ± 4.1 t·N/day). these projected increase future years, this highlights mitigation demonstrates method could other places similar problems Wider Region.