[Pollutants in water bodies in the south of Sonora]. / Contaminantes en los cuerpos de agua del sur de Sonora.

OBJECTIVE: To contribute to the knowledge on the impact of human productive activities on the environment, human health, and the survival of animal species. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A study case of water bodies in the south of Sonora was conducted in 1996. The software Decision Support System for Industrial Pollution Control DSS-IPC (IPC)IPC developed by the World Bank and the Pan American Health Organization was used to analyze data. RESULTS: At least three factors have contributed to the loss of fish and shrimp hatcheries in the municipality of Huatabampo: the filtration of fertilizers and pesticides into the irrigation drainage system, blockage produced by the continuous disposal of industrial waste water, and the discharge of sewer water into the drainage system. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings provide evidence that environmental deterioration resulting from human activity is decimating the population of fish and shrimp in the area. The English version of this paper is available at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html