Abstract
Bacanga River Basin faces environmental problems related to urbanization and discharge of untreated domestic sewage, which compromise its ecosystem health. Due to the small number of studies that assessed its water quality, the present study aimed to assess the current status of this ecosystem based on the aquatic life protection index. Samples were carried out every two months, in a total of six events, in six sites along the basin, where the water samples were collected to assess physicochemical parameters and calculate the trophic state index and the index of minimum parameters for the protection of aquatic communities. The data were also compared with values determined by the resolution National Environment Council - CONAMA 357/05. Our results reveal significant changes in the water quality of Bacanga River Basin. An increase in nutrients and chlorophyll-a concentration led it to eutrophication. The surfactant values were high and put in danger the aquatic biota. Dissolved oxygen rates were below the values allowed by the resolution in most sites sampled. The current water quality is terrible for the protection of aquatic life in 61.92% of the sites sampled.
Highlights
Aquatic ecosystems are subjected to several stressors that change their physical, chemical, and biological functions
The objective of the present study was to determine water quality in Bacanga River Basin based on the aquatic life protection index (ALPI)
The Bacanga River Basin occupies the northwestern part of the municipality of São Luís, state of Maranhão, northeastern Brazil, between the coordinates 2° 32’ 26” and 2° 38’ 07” S and 44° 16’ 00” and 44° 19’ 16” W, with an area of 11,030 ha
Summary
Aquatic ecosystems are subjected to several stressors that change their physical, chemical, and biological functions. Those stressors originate from several punctual and diffuse sources and vary in space and time (Adams, 2001). Anthropic pressure is the classic driver of environmental change It results from disorganized urban occupation around lakes, rivers, and estuaries, which makes them increasingly vulnerable (Williamson et al, 2008; Benvenuti et al, 2015). This urban population leads to the pollution of the river basin, which restricts the use of.
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