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Effects of the lack of basic public sanitation on the water quality of the Caeté River estuary in northern Brazil

2021; Elsevier BV; Volume: 21; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.ecohyd.2020.12.003

2080-3397

Luci Cajueiro Carneiro Pereira, Natália do Socorro da Silva Sousa, Laiane Maria dos Santos Rodrigues, Marcela Cunha Monteiro, Suellen Raiane Santos da Silva, Antonio Rafael Gomes de Oliveira, Ana Beatriz Brito Dias, Rauquı́rio Marinho da Costa,

Fecal contamination and water quality

The present study investigated the evolution of the contamination of the estuary of the Caeté River by thermotolerant coliforms over the past decade. The hypothesis tested was that the conditions of the Caeté estuary have worsened over this period due to a combination of population growth and the lack of investment in public sanitation by the local authorities. Samples for hydrological and microbiological analysis were collected at eight sample points in 2013, 2014, 2018, and 2019. The upper sector of the estuary was represented by the samples from P1–P4. This sector is the most urbanized, and the most affected by human activities, with 100% of the samples collected presenting thermotolerant coliform concentrations of over 1,100 MPN 100 mL−1. Conditions were also considered to be "inappropriate" for human use in other areas at certain times of year. Despite being located within a protected area, the implementation of a public sanitation system, proposed in the master plan of the municipality of Bragança almost two decades ago, has yet to be initiated. Compared with the results of previous studies of the Caeté estuary, more than a decade ago, the contamination of the water has increased considerably. Based on the criteria of the current Brazilian legislation, all types of human use of the water are compromised, although socioeconomic activities continue as normal. This situation may eventually impact the health of the local population and affect economic activities. The conditions found in the Caeté estuary appear to be typical of other coastal Amazonian municipalities.