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Organic matter characterization within tributaries of the middle Rio Doce basin, Minas Gerais (Brazil). Guimarães Viola, Zenilde *,1, 2, Rodrigues Barbosa, Francisco Antônio1, Augusti, Rodinei1, Vilela Parreira, Fabrício3, Souza Pedrosa, Cláudia1, 1 Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais -UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil2 Instituto Mineiro de Gestão das Aguas - IGAM, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil3 Fundação Centro Tecnológico de Minas Gerais - CETEC, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil ABSTRACT- The middle Rio Doce basin, state of Minas Gerais (Brazil) has been suffering considerable human impacts of which untreated domestic sewage discharges and impacts due to industrial, mining, silvicultural, and agricultural activities deserve attention. Evidence of incoming domestic sewage altering the water quality are shown through the high levels of total phosphate and faecal coliforms. Moreover, the presence of organic matter has been monitored through the estimates of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The hypothesis of this project is that a considerable portion of the organic matter loadings to the Rio Doce basin is formed by non-biodegradable organic matter from municipal sewage that carries washing products, disinfectants and domestic insecticides. In order to test it the total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations and organic matter speciation have been measured. Furthermore, the results of the surface water quality monitoring in 32 sampling stations by the Instituto Mineiro de Gestao das Aguas (IGAM)have been considered, including three new sampling stations to attend specific objectives of this project. High DBO concentrations have been identified in regions of higher urban occupation and little industrial relevance. The COD occurrence most significant was verified in region that concentrates the industrial sector of the basin. The average value for the ratio COD/BOD show values well above those considered as reference for the sanitary sewage (2,5mg/L), suggesting that these rivers do not present good conditions to organic substances of difficult degradation. In the dry period rivers receiving high loads from domestic sewage and agro-chemicals show the highest TOC concentrations. Organic compounds have been identified through gaseous chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) techniques to extract the pollutants of water samples to evaluate their origin and to associate their non-biodegradable potential. Phenolic, organochlorine and derivatives of benzene compounds have already been detected. The recorded results can assist the identification of the cause-effect relation and provide basic information to allow for a rational use and management of soils and waters within the basin. SPANISH ABSTRACT- La cuenca del Río Doce, estado de Minas Gerais (Brasil), tiene sufrido considerables impactos humanos, por las aguas residuales sanitarias sin tratamiento y por las actividades industriales, minerias, forestales y agrícolas. Las características de degradación originada en las aguas residuales descargadas en los ríos urbanos son evidenciadas por grandes concentraciones de fosfato total y coliformes fecales. Por otra parte, la presencia de materia orgánica ha sido estimada por la demanda bioquímica del oxígeno (DBO) y la demanda química de oxígeno (DQO). La hipótesis es que una parte considerable de materia orgánica aportada en la cuenca del Río Doce no es biodegradable y las aguas residuales domésticas poden contribuyere con esto llevando productos de limpieza, desinfectantes y insecticidas domésticos. Para probarla, las concentraciones de carbón orgánico total (COT) y la especiación de materia orgánica fueron medidos. Los resultados de 32 puntos monitorados por el Instituto Mineiro de Gestao das |
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