Calidad Sanitaria del Agua de la Ciénaga Mata de Palma en el Departamento del Cesar, Colombia

The Mata de Palma wetland, located in the department of Cesar, Colombia, is being affected by the different productive activities that are performed in the area, which has altered ecosystem function. This represents wetland depletion and degradation due to deforestation, entry of waste water, changing water regimes and the use of inappropriate methods of exploitation of fish, which deplete natural resources, causing poverty in the population. When used as a means of disposal of excreta and other organic wastes, water is a source of transmission of many microorganisms, prevailing those of intestinal origin. It is for this reason that health checks are done based on the presence of total coliform, fecal coliform and Enterococcus. From the microbiological point of view, consideration of the sanitary quality of water is designed to determine the presence of certain groups of bacteria, which are indicative of fecal contamination or organic matter. The counts of faecal pollution indicators showed that the water is unfit for human consumption or for recreational use. In this swamp were identified a variety of microorganisms that show bacterial diversity, which can be used in biotechnology and biological indication and medical interest, as they affect human health and other organisms.