Abstract
Urbanization in river basins contributes to the anthropogenic eutrophication of their water bodies, leading to the proliferation of toxic algae such as cyanobacteria. There is a characteristic pattern of seasonality in algal blooms and cyanobacterial communities, although these algae may be present or even dominant for most of the year, causing practical problems associated with high cyanobacterial biomass and potential health threats. The increased concentration of toxins originating from these algae, cyanotoxins, in water-supply reservoirs puts the population at serious risk, since they are not removed by conventional treatment and filtration. This study analyzed possible associations between climate elements and cyanobacteria biomass in the Guarapiranga dam reservoir, located in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil. Meteorological variables were studied exclusively in relation to the cyanobacteria biomass, in order to perceive the influence of weather and climate in this complex system and to provide data for modeling future climate change scenarios. For this purpose, cyanobacteria count data were used for the period from 2010 to 2016, grouped by month, in addition to the atmospheric variables. The strongest correlation with the blooms was with Irradiation and Total Rainfall, explaining 30% of cases of the occurrence of cyanobacteria proliferation at the point of collection GU 101. Despite the notable influence of climatic seasonality on the algae blooms, this difference varies and is not homogeneous, depending on the location and the species studied.
Highlights
Urbanization in river basins contributes to anthropogenic eutrophication of their waterbodies
The problem frequently stems from a lack of basic sanitary infrastructure in informal settlements, inadequate drainage, as well as inefficient industrial discharge treatment systems and agricultural water-runoff prevention. These dynamics trigger an increase in nutrient concentrations, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, in the bodies of water, causing an imbalance in the limnologic environment and facilitating blooms or blossoming of potentially toxic algae, cyanobacteria
The increase in the concentration of toxins originating from these algae, cyanotoxins, in the water supply puts the population at serious risk
Summary
Urbanization in river basins contributes to anthropogenic eutrophication of their waterbodies. The problem frequently stems from a lack of basic sanitary infrastructure in informal settlements, inadequate drainage, as well as inefficient industrial discharge treatment systems and agricultural water-runoff prevention. These dynamics trigger an increase in nutrient concentrations, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, in the bodies of water, causing an imbalance in the limnologic environment and facilitating blooms or blossoming of potentially toxic algae, cyanobacteria. The increase in the concentration of toxins originating from these algae, cyanotoxins, in the water supply puts the population at serious risk The cyanotoxins from these algae are harmful to humans and are difficult to remove from the water with conventional treatment.
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