Contribución al conocimiento de las algas unicelulares de las lagunas de bioestabilización en San Juan, Lima

Abstract

In large population centers the treatment of vast quantities of municipal sewage to render them suitable for other uses is becoming more and more important. This is particularly necessary in dry or semi-arid regions, where waste of water can be dangerous to survival

Lima, which is situated in a semi-arid area, has in the area of San Juan, a series of ponds for the biostabilization of part of its municipal sewage. This sewage, which is exposed to decantation, aeration, and the action of sunlight, wind, and biological purification agents for almost two months, loses its excessive load of solid and particulate organic matter, and takes up oxygen on contact with the air and as a result of the action of aquatic vegetation. In the meantime, sunlight exerts a germicidal action on pathogenic agents

At present, the vegetation primarily consists of unicellular algae, which appear as heterogeneous populations with a predominance of Chlorella and Euglena rubra in the primary pools

The plankton algae in the secondary and tertiary pools are surprinsingly diverse and abundant and are involved in several phases of the process of self-purification of sewage during its stay in the pools. When the treatmetn is completed, the water in the tertiary pools is as pure as natural water, which, together with its high production capacity, can, within limits be used in agriculture and forestry and also for ...(AU)