Abstract
This study aimed to analyze the water quality of a river in the Eastern Amazon and relate the results obtained with the lack of basic sanitation in the region. Two samples were collected from strategic points of the river and were submitted to the collimetry technique with multiple tubes to calculate the most probable number (MPN) of thermotolerant coliforms present in the water. The samples were then seeded on CLED and Hektoen agar and analyzed in a mass spectrophotometer for final identification of microorganisms. A high number of thermotolerant coliforms was detected, in addition to bacteria of clinical importance, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella spp. and Cronobacter sakazakii. The lack of basic sanitation in the community surrounding the river is the main cause for the significant number of thermotolerant coliforms, demonstrated by the discrepancy in the MPN between samples 1 and 2. The difficulties in guaranteeing basic sanitation in the Amazon are highlighted and the need to implement public policies and carry out health surveillance studies in these populations is reinforced.
Highlights
Water is an indispensable resource for the maintenance of life in the biosphere, as it is responsible for the terrestrial balance, participates in the composition of complex structures of living beings, acts in the osmotic transport of substances, allows the existence of chemical reactions, not to mention of being a natural habitat for countless species, from large marine animals to microscopic bacteria (Martins; Da Luz; Adamatti, 2017).As stated by the Brazilian Ministry of Environment, water pollution is one of the main threats to human health and the environment
This study aimed to analyze the water quality in an Eastern Amazon river, through a bacteriological assessment, and to discuss how the results are influenced by the poor sanitary coverage in the region, since the literature still lacks of further elucidation about the quality and potability of water in small villages and riverside communities in the Amazon, a neglected territory that has been suffering from excessive water pollution and deficits of social and environmental assistance
It was detected on Cystine Lactose Electrolyte Deficient (CLED) agar plates, purple colonies that suggest the presence of Cronobacter spp., in addition to the change of colors, from light blue to yellow, which shows the presence of lactase-positive microorganisms, typically Escherichia coli, according to the fabricant’s manual (Figure 6)
Summary
As stated by the Brazilian Ministry of Environment, water pollution is one of the main threats to human health and the environment. The Ministry has reported several recurrent environmental problems in the north of Brazil, including the lack of basic sanitation, pollution and inadequate use of water resources, along with the indiscriminate use of groundwater (Brasil, 2020; Gorayeb; Lombardo; Pereira, 2009). A health survey carried out in the northern state of Amazonas identified a rate of 32.7% of diarrhea in riverside communities, the most prevalent symptom reported by the interviewed persons. Other symptoms such as gastritis (28.6%), heartburn (22.4%) and vomiting (16.3%) were reported (Gama et al, 2018). The main hypothesis for such high numbers is the ingestion of food and water contaminated with microorganisms that infect the gastrointestinal tract
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