Resumen

ESPINOSA, Carlos  y  MARQUEZ, Kretheis. Water quality impact assessment in the influence area of the Batalla de Santa Inés Refinery, Barinas, Venezuela. Rev. Fac. Ing. UCV [online]. 2014, vol.29, n.2, pp.51-60. ISSN 0798-4065.

This paper presents the evaluation of the impact on the surface water quality in the influence area of the refinery Batalla de Santa Inés, Barinas State, Venezuela, based on the development and implementation of an empirical model of firstorder plug flow and the definition of environmental transformation curves and environmental quality indexes. The implemented model simulations allowed determine the environmental quality index for the conditions “with-project” and “without-project”, as well as the difference between these two conditions, i.e., the magnitude of the refinery´s impact on the receiving surface water bodies. The conclusions and recommendations highlight that the magnitude of impact that will be generated by the operation of the refinery on the water quality reaching the surface water receptor can be defined as a “lightly negative change” as established by Jensen in 1998, and the urgent needing to finish and put in operation the biolagoons to remove phenols in the Sivan Flow Station.

Palabras clave : Environmental impact; Water quality; Empirical model; Environmental transformation curve; Environmental quality index.