Tuesday, April 26, 2016: 2:30 p.m.
Platte River Room (The Westin Denver Downtown)
Rosa Leal-Bautista, Ph.D.
,
Unidad de Ciencias del Agua, Centro de Investigacion Cientifica de Yucatan AC, Mexico, Mexico
Melissa Lenczewski, Ph.D.
,
Earth, Atmosphere, and Environment, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
Luis E. Marin, Ph.D.
,
Inst de Geofisica UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
Abraham Vargas-Hernandez
,
UCIA, CICY, Cancun, Mexico
Carolina Suarez
,
UCIA, CICY, Cancun, Mexico
Rodrigo Diaz
,
UCIA, CICY, Cancun, Mexico
Cinthya Hernandez-Grimaldo
,
UCIA, CICY, Cancun, Mexico
Quintana Roo, which is located in the Peninsula of Yucatan, is the state with the nation's fastest rate of tourism development. In spite of this growth, the agricultural activity represents only 4.3% of the total revenue for the state. Just ten years ago, a proposal to study the impact of organic contaminants in this area was not deemed as important; however, results from studies at cenotes (sinkholes) and wells in the State of Quintana Roo within the Rio Hondo Basin (this agricultural zone is located on the border between Mexico and Belize) where there are approximately 22,000 Ha of sugar cane. Year after year, organic compounds are used to fertilize and protect the crops (including compounds such as organochlorides, organophosphates and pyrethroids) all of them which are classified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) by the World Health Organization. A second study evaluated the presence of POP’s within water supply wells within the Tulum área. The presence of POP’s were also confirmed in this second study. The carstic aquifer of Yucatan is highly vulnerable, and thus, the presence of POP’s in water supply wells is particularly worrisome.
We are concerned that POP’s are starting to show up not only in areas where the predominant activity is agricultura, but also, in new tourist developments. Additional care will be required to ensure that we can meet appropiate drinking water standards in this región.
KEY WORDS Yucatan Peninsula Mexico, Organic compounds, karst
Rosa Leal-Bautista, Ph.D., Unidad de Ciencias del Agua, Centro de Investigacion Cientifica de Yucatan AC, Mexico, Mexico
Leal-Bautista Rosa M. is a mexican researcher atthe Water Science Unit of the Centro de Investigacion Cientifica de Yucatan. Where she has been working to understand the groundwater problematic related to transport of contaminants in the coastal-karst aquifer of Quintana Roo Mexico.
Melissa Lenczewski, Ph.D., Earth, Atmosphere, and Environment, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
Melissa Lenczewski is a Professor at Northern Illinois University. She has substantial expertise in water quality issues.
Luis E. Marin, Ph.D., Inst de Geofisica UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
Luis Marin is Professor of Geology at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. He is also the Chair of the Water Program of the Mexican Academy of Sciences, and co-chair of the Water Program for the Americas of the Inter American Network of Academies of Science. Marin has published more than 60 papers in the scientific literature. His current interest lies in improving decision-making based on science in water resources management.
Abraham Vargas-Hernandez, UCIA, CICY, Cancun, Mexico
I am a biologist performing my Mater Science program at the Water Science Unit of CICY
Carolina Suarez, UCIA, CICY, Cancun, Mexico
Carolina Suarez did her bachelor’s thesis with Dr. Leal-Bautista at CICY. She is a biologist.
Rodrigo Diaz, UCIA, CICY, Cancun, Mexico
Rodrigo Diaz is an industrial engineer who developed his master’s degree at the Yucatan Scientific Research Center (CICY) in the Water Science Unit.
Cinthya Hernandez-Grimaldo, UCIA, CICY, Cancun, Mexico
Master in Science I am part of the group of Hydrogeology of Contaminats, working in the Organic Lab of Water research unit at CICY
