Sanitary Sewer Research Articles

Estimating sanitary sewer pipeline infrastructure from basic characteristics of a service zone

The standard design and cost estimation for a sewer network involves considerable time and financial investment. There are, however, many cases where a rapid assessment of the sewer infrastructure or related costs associated with a service zone might be required. Although there are numerous approaches to rapid sewer infrastructure estimation in the literature, to date, no widely available tool has been developed that can be applied to reliably estimate the expected sewer pipeline infrastructure associated with a service zone in South Africa. The aim of this study was to develop a method for estimating the sewer pipeline infrastructure required for a service zone, based on limited information, that could be applied to future developments. A database of South African sewer network data was used in the development of three major study outcomes. Study Outcome I involved developing regression models for estimating the total sewer pipeline length using only basic service zone characteristics. Models were developed for different categories of land use and area size, allowing for estimation of the total pipeline length as a function of the service zone area size, relief, and the density of contributing users. Study Outcome II involved determining the average pipeline diameter distributions for different types of service zones, enabling disaggregation of the total pipeline length into lengths per diameter. Study Outcome III involved determining the average number of manholes per kilometre of sewer pipeline. Combined, the three study outcomes form an infrastructure estimation tool that enables the sewer pipeline length per approximate diameter and the number of manholes associated with a service zone to be estimated, applicable to service zones smaller than 450 hectares. This study illustrates how the same methodology can be followed to develop similar tools which are applicable to other specific regions or development types, provided an appropriate dataset is obtainable.

Detection, Quantification, and Simplified Wastewater Surveillance Model of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the Tijuana River.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in sewage has expanded global interest in wastewater surveillance. However, many underserved communities throughout the world lack improved sanitation and use informal combined sanitary and storm sewer systems. Sewage is transported via open channels, ditches, and rivers, where it mixes with surface water and/or stormwater. There is a need to develop better methods for the surveillance of pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 RNA in this context. We developed a simplified surveillance system and monitored flow rates and concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the Tijuana River at two locations downstream of the United States–Mexico border in California, United States. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in the upstream location on six out of eight occasions, two of which were at concentrations as high as those reported in untreated wastewater from California sanitary sewer systems. The virus was not detected in any of the eight samples collected at the downstream (estuarine) sampling location, despite the consistent detection of PMMoV RNA. Synchrony was observed between the number of cases reported in Tijuana and the SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations measured with the CDC N1 assay when the latter were normalized by the reported flow rates in the river.

First report on the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and cocaine in the coastal waters of Santa Catarina, Brazil, and its related ecological risk assessment.

The worldwide occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in aquatic ecosystems is reason for public concern. These emerging micropollutants include a large and diverse group of organic compounds, with continuous input, high environmental persistence and potential threat to biota and human health. The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, the occurrence of twenty-seven PPCPs of various therapeutic classes (including cocaine and its primary metabolite, benzoylecgonine), in the coastal waters of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. Water samples were taken in November 2020, during the low tide periods, at eight sampling points located along the coast of Santa Catarina, covering its entire geographical extension. Sampling was carried out in triplicate and at different depths of the water column. Nine compounds were detected through liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS): caffeine (12.58-119.80ng/L), diclofenac (1.34-7.92ng/L), atenolol (1.13-2.50ng/L), losartan (0.43-3.20ng/L), acetaminophen (0.21-10.04ng/L), orphenadrine (0.07-0.09ng/L), cocaine (0.02-0.17ng/L), benzoylecgonine (0.01-1.1ng/L) and carbamazepine (0.02-0.27ng/L). The highest occurrence of these compounds was detected in the northern and central coastal region of Santa Catarina, namely in Penha and Palhoça cities. Moreover, the risk assessment showed that almost compounds (atenolol, benzoylecgonine, carbamazepine, cocaine and orphenadrine) presented no ecological risk in the recorded concentrations. However, a few compounds suggest low (caffeine and diclofenac) to moderate (acetaminophen and losartan) risk taking into consideration the acute and chronic effects for the three trophic levels (algae, crustacean and fish) tested. These compounds are usually found in areas with high population density, aggravated by tourism, because of the sanitary sewage and solid waste. Although in low concentrations, the occurrence of these chemical compounds can imply deleterious effects on the environmental health of Santa Catarina coastal zone, and therefore deserve more attention by the public authorities and environmental agencies.

Investigation of Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion of Concrete in Sanitary Sewer Pipes and Manholes: Field Surveys and Laboratory Assessment

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of concrete in sanitary sewer pipe and manholes is the result of dilute sulfuric acid (H2SO4) dissolving the cement matrix. The acid is produced by a complex series of chemical and biochemical reactions. The objectives of this paper are: (1) to review the basic science of the MIC process starting with the various biological processes leading to the production of dilute sulfuric acid; (2) to discuss historical attempts to fortify concrete; (3) to present methods to reduce odors and corrosion; (4) to evaluate the technology behind the use of antimicrobial admixture. The literature review and authors’ on-site and laboratory investigations suggest that MIC of concrete is a complex process that involves varied surface interactions. The addition of liquid antimicrobial additive as per ASTM standard procedure shows the resistance of concrete to MIC and its direct relation with the mixing time of admixture. Many empirical inputs like corrosion areas, corrosion rates, the impact of cement, and aggregate types varying with installation and repair of sewer structures are identified. The results of this study show that with the use of antimicrobial in the concrete, there was no growth of Thiobacillus bacteria and hence no acid production. This research facilitates both the science and long-term field experiences for the use of antimicrobial technology to provide reductions in the acid causing bacteria in sanitary manholes, pump stations and other concrete structures.

Performance of hydrogen peroxide 35% treatment for sulfide mitigation in sanitary sewers: sewage characterization and response surface methodology

Performance of hydrogen peroxide 35% treatment for sulfide mitigation in sanitary sewers: sewage characterization and response surface methodology

Factors associated with interpersonal firearm violence in men in the municipalities of Minas Gerais, Brazil, 2009-2019

A problem observed in Brazil throughout the rest of Latin America, violence is a consequence of an imbalance in socioeconomic, political and cultural conditions, resulting from the abuse of economic and political powers and a policy of equitable distribution of living conditions and work, transforming this context. This study has a cross-sectional design, using secondary data and approaches in space and time. Spatial autocorrelation analysis was performed using the Moran Index in two steps: calculation of the Global Moran Index (I) for each explanatory variable and analysis of Local Moran Index (LISA) between each explanatory variable and the average rate, with those with the highest values of Local Moran Index being selected. Higher values of this index were observed in the variables rate of unemployed persons, people with inadequate water supply and sanitary sewage, SVI and proportion of people with income below half the minimum wage, with were selected as explanatory variables. The spatial correlation between interpersonal firearm violence and the variables presented can be interpreted as an indicator of inequality and social deprivation, resulting in conditions of vulnerability, present in Brazilian society.

Recovery of degraded pasture using biosolids and Moringa oleifera: Review

Livestock occupies a prominent place in the Brazilian economy, especially beef and dairy cattle raising, so the success of this sector is essential for the country's growth. However, the productivity of this sector is closely linked to the quality of pastures, as these are the main food source for cattle, and about half of the Brazilian pastures are with some degree of degradation, thus reducing the productivity and profitability of this sector. Because of this, the search for pasture recovery technologies has been sought, especially those that reduce costs in the recovery process, seeking to increase pasture productivity and quality, preserve the environment and maximize profits for producers. In view of this, the use of new sources of fertilization and the implementation of silvopastoral systems has been widely studied and applied to the recovery of these areas, among them we can highlight the use of biosolids, which is an organic fertilizer from the treatment of sanitary sewage, as well as the implementation of livestock-forest using Moringa oleifera a leguminous plant which fixes nitrogen in the soil and can serve as a food source for the animals. Thus, this work describes the scenario of degradation and Brazilian pastures and the use of biosolids and moringa in the recovery of these areas.

Analysis of the Bathing Area of the main recreation points of the Grajaú-MA River

Deficiency in sanitary sewage services, mainly in sewage collection and treatment services, results in inadequate sewage disposal in receiving water bodies. This work analyzes the physicochemical and microbiological conditions of Grajaú river for the preponderant bathing conditions established for bathing defined by CONAMA Resolution 274/00. Grajaú, Prainha (P1), Canecão (P2) and Porto do Limoeiro (P3). Physicochemical analyzes of color, chloride, total hardness, alkalinity, pH and microbiological were carried out, through the indicators of the group of total coliforms and (E. coli), using the ALFAKIT methodology in the points. The result was close to 3uH, which allows us to say that the color of the water is within the references required by Conama 357/05. The total alkalinity was 300 mg.L-1 CaCO3, which allows us to conclude that the water of the Grajaú river is hard. The pH in the three samples did not change, it remained 8.0 in the three points, in view of this, these parameters are in accordance with the references of CONAMA n° 274/00. Through this study it was possible to observe that the river waters, based on the indicator, are within the accepted standards for bathing. Still, through this study, it was possible to conclude that it becomes increasingly necessary to monitor the public power facing the Grajaú river, considering that it can be observed that leisure spots are much sought after by the population.

DefectTR: End-to-end defect detection for sewage networks using a transformer

The sanitary sewer is a crucial underground infrastructure of any country that collects wastewater and carries it to the treatment plant. The damage triggered by various factors, such as external interference, long-term corrosion, and uneven distribution of pressure, could lead to various types of defects inside the sewer pipe. Previous studies primarily relied on human visual perception to evaluate the sewage system, which was tedious, time-consuming, and costly. As a result, an efficient and robust sewer defect localization framework was proposed in this manuscript. The main contributions include (1) a novel sewer defect detection system motivated by the state-of-the-art detection transformer (DETR) architecture, which views object localization as a set prediction topic; (2) a defect severity analysis approach based on the transformer’s self-attention operation to analyze defect zone of influence and defect grade; and (3) a manually validated sewer defect localization dataset that contains 10 types of commonly appeared sewer defects. The experimental results suggested that the proposed system outperformed the previous standard object detection approaches with the highest mean Average Precision (mAP) of 60.2% on the collected dataset.

Chlorine Efficiency in the Reducing Coliforms in the Sanitary Effluent of Septic Tank Treatment Systems with Anaerobic Filter

The lack of basic sanitation is still a problem in Brazil, only about half of all sewage produced undergoes treatment, due to difficulties in introducing sanitary effluent treatment plants considering that most Brazilian cities do not have financial resources for implementation and maintenance of these stations. In this way, many cities have been adopting different methods for treating sewage before discarding into the rain network. Thus, this work aimed to analyze the efficiency of chlorine in the reduction of coliforms in the sanitary effluent of a treatment system with septic tank, anaerobic filter and disinfection. Six sanitary sewage treatment systems were evaluated from different condominiums from august to december 2019. To check its efficiency, the following parameters were analyzed: pH, thermotolerant coliforms, free residual chlorine and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The results showed that of the six stations evaluated, only one (16,78%) presented the amount of thermotolerant coliforms within the permissible standards. Furthermore, of these only three stations (50%) presented the concentrations of free residual chlorine according to the required parameters. In addition, COD was high at four (66,66%) of the analyzed stations. These data allow us to conclude that the efficiency of chlorine in the reduction of coliforms in the sanitary effluent from a septic tank treatment system, anaerobic filter and disinfection unfortunately may not be happening, because this type of system needs to be well operated and inspected frequently, since the operation is mostly done by users.

Spatial Variability of Metals in Coastal Sediments of Ełckie Lake (Poland)

This study aimed to determine the content and spatial distribution of metals (Ca, Mg, Fe, Na, K, Mn, Zn, Cr, Cu, Pb, Co) in sediments in the coastal zone of Ełckie Lake located in the area of "Green Lungs of Poland" in the north-eastern part of the country, depending on the land use (urban area, agricultural and forest area, and beaches). The concentration of metals was determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. The average contents of major elements in 28 sediment samples occurred in the following order: Ca > Mg > Fe > Na > K > Mn. The order of these elements in the coastal sediments located within the different parts of the catchment was identical. These elements may originate from natural sources such as the Earth’s crust, soil, and wind-blown dust from unpaved roads. The average contents of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the sediments were as follows: Cr > Zn > Pb > Cu > Co in agricultural and forest areas and beaches (the exception was Cu for beach B, which occurred at the end of the series). A different pattern occurred in urbanized areas: Zn > Cr > Cu > Pb > Co. The spatial distribution of heavy metals in the sediments indicated the highest contents in the shoreline adjacent to the urbanized part of the catchment. The primary sources of metals in sediment are transportation, coal burning, sanitary sewage from unsewered developments on the lakeshore, and storm runoff from roads. This was confirmed by positive correlations of Zn with Cu (r = 0.58), Pb (r = 0.90), Fe (r = 0.40). No correlations between the studied metals and organic matter were found, which may indicate its insignificant influence on metal content in the sediments. Pearson correlation coefficients also showed no relationship between sediment pH and the presence of metals. Factor analysis (FA) indicated that lithogenic (geogenic) and anthropogenic factors have almost equal shares in the distribution of most of the metals studied. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the average contents of Zn, Cu, Co, and Na in the sediments from urbanized areas are statistically significantly higher than the sediments from other areas (rural/forest, beaches).

Boron-doped diamond electrodes degrade short- and long-chain per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances in real industrial wastewaters

Electrochemical oxidation (ECO) with boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode of six legacy perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) present in semiconductor fabrication wastewaters was investigated in single-solutes, multi-solutes, and real wastewater matrices. ECO degradation kinetics decreased as carbon length decreased in single-solute systems. Because heterogeneous catalysis involves PFAS interacting at the electrode surface, the impact of PFAS in solution on altering the potential affinity for PFAS itself on the surface was quantified. The BDD electrode surface wettability, defined by the surface contact angle, increased with longer chain length and diminished with increasing PFAS concentration. PFASs with a sulfonated head group degraded 2–3x faster than their carboxylic counterparts. Industrial wastewaters can have high background organic concentrations and have a large pH range prior to discharge, offering different opportunities to treat for PFAS near the semiconductor manufacturing tool or prior to pH adjustment and discharge to sanitary sewers. Increasing pH (up to 12) decreased the evolution of reactive oxygen species on the electrode surface and therefore decreased removal kinetics compared to pH 3 and 7. The presence of surfactants (tetramethylammonium hydroxide [TMAH] and sodium dodecyl sulfonate [SDS]) in the wastewater significantly reduced the degradation efficiency of ECO. However, compared to single-solute PFAS systems, multi-solute solutions (mixture of 6 PFASs) had higher degradation rates during ECO. In a real wastewater (originated from RO concentrate), PFASs were efficiently removed in ~320 min reaction time. These results demonstrated the promise for ECO to treat PFAS contained in industrial manufacturing processes at both tool level and blended wastewater.

High carriage of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes by cefotaxime-resistant Escherichia coli recovered from surface-leaking sanitary sewers.

There is a rapid rise in the incidence of quinolone resistant bacteria in Nigeria. Most studies in Nigeria have focused on isolates from the clinical settings, with few focusing on isolates of environmental origin. This study aimed to investigate the antibiogram and carriage of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes by quinolone-resistant isolates obtained from a pool of cefotaxime-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) recovered from sewage leaking out of some surface-leaking sanitary sewers in a University community in Nigeria. Isolation of E. coli from the sewage samples was done on CHROMagar E. coli, after enrichment of the samples was done in Brain Heart Infusionbroth amended with 6µg/mL of cefotaxime. Identification of presumptive E. coli was done using molecular methods (detection of uidA gene), while susceptibility to antibiotics was carried out using thediscdiffusion method. Detection of PMQR genes (qnrA, qnrB, qnrS, aac(6')-lb-cr, qepA and oqxAB) was carried out using primer-specific PCR. A total of 32 non-repetitive cefotaxime-resistant E. coli were obtained from the sewage, with 21 being quinolone-resistant. The quinolone-resistant isolates showed varying level of resistance to the tested antibiotics, with imipenem being the only exception with 0% resistance. The PMQR genes: aac(6')-lb-cr, qnrA, qnrB, qnrS and qepA and oqxAB were detected in 90.5%, 61.9%, 47.6%, 38.1%, 4.8% and 0% respectively of the isolates. The findings of this study showed a high level of resistance to antibiotics and carriage of PMQR genes by quinolone-resistant E. coli obtained from the leaking sanitary sewers, suggesting a potential environmental and public health concern.

Contextualizing Inflow and Infiltration Within the Streamflow Regime of Urban Watersheds

AbstractDefects in sanitary‐sewer infrastructure enable exchange of large volumes of fluids to and from the environment. The intrusion of rainfall and groundwater into sanitary sewers is called inflow and infiltration (I&I). Though long recognized in the assessment of sewers, the impacts of I&I on streamflow within urban watersheds are unknown. We quantified rainfall‐derived I&I (RDI&I), groundwater infiltration (GI), and total I&I using measured flows within sanitary‐sewer pipes serving four watersheds near Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Flows were monitored in pipes that parallel local stream channels and compared with streamflow measured at nearby gauging sites. Freshwater diverted into the sewer system due to I&I ranged from 24% to 36% of the flow measured within individual pipes. The RDI&I was the smaller component of I&I, ranging from 4.2 to 9.8 mm per year among watersheds. The GI was typically an order of magnitude greater than RDI&I, ranging from 24 to 41 mm per year among watersheds with annual stream discharge of approximately 500 mm. The I&I occurring at specific moments in time commonly represented 0%–20% of the flow measured in the adjacent stream. The enhancement of low flows in streams that could be achievable if I&I were abated ranges from as much as 6%–36% across watersheds. Our discussion presents explanations for the seasonality of I&I and associated impacts on streamflow in urban watersheds, while identifying important sources of remaining uncertainty. Our results support the conclusion that I&I substantially reduces flows in urban streams, especially low flows during dry weather.

Study of simultaneous adsorption efficiency of metals using modified organic and synthetic adsorbents

Water contamination by heavy metals represents a high risk of environmental pollution and a precursor of several human diseases. The presence of these metals at high levels in wastewater treatment plants and industrial effluents motivated the search for remediating these pollutants. Among remediation methods, adsorption is extensively used to decontaminate waters containing these metals. Thus, this study prepared, characterized, optimized, and applied two types of adsorbents to a prepared metal ion solution (PMS): a bioadsorbent based on banana peel flour (BPF) and a synthetic adsorbent based on magnetite encapsulated by chitosan (MEC). A systematic study was performed with PMS containing Al (III), Ba (II), Pb (II), Cu (II), Cr (III), Fe (II), Mn (II), and Zn (II) to determine the best conditions for simultaneous metal ion adsorption Adsorption studies evaluated the experimental adsorption isotherms according to the variation in pH values, the mass of adsorbents, and contact time, and the kinetic study applied pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order models. The best parameters were the pH of 6, a mass of adsorbents of 25 mg, and fast saturation time of around 10 minutes. The kinetic model that best fitted the process was the pseudo-second-order for all metals in both adsorbents. The PMS adsorption capacity achieved by MEC was higher than BPF. The removal by MEC was Al=Fe=Pb=Cu=Cr> Zn>Mn>Ba, in the percentages of 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 98, 88, and 76%, respectively. The BPF showed Pb>Fe>Cr>Cu>Al>Zn>Ba>Mn, in the percentages of 97, 67, 63, 50, 46, 45, 44, and 5%, respectively. The results suggest that the affinity between adsorbents with certain metal ions is due to the characteristics of the adsorbent surface and the number of chemical species available in the solution, which may interfere with the adsorptive process. Above all, the percentage of simultaneous removal of metal ions by both adsorbents was relevant, making them promising for remediating heavy metal ions in sanitary sewage after conventional treatment and industrial effluents containing mixed metal ions.

A Practical Statistical Method to Differentiate Inflow and Infiltration in Sanitary Sewer Systems

AbstractBesides collecting legitimate wastewater, municipal sanitary sewer systems, even when separated from storm sewer systems, also receive unwanted inflow and infiltration (I/I) that adversely ...

MONITORAMENTO DA CARGA VIRAL DE SARS-COV-2 EM ÁGUAS RESIDUAIS NA CIDADE DE GOIÂNIA: EPIDEMIOLOGIA BASEADA EM ESGOTO E UM SISTEMA DE ALERTA PRECOCE PARA COVID-19

SARS-COV-2 VIRAL LOAD IN GOIÂNIA WASTEWATER: WASTEWATER-BASED EPIDEMIOLOGY FOR A COVID-19 EARLY WARNING SYSTEM. COVID-19 is currently the most critical disease in the world. Thus, several tools have been used in the last two years to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2. In this perspective, Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) provides valuable data by including symptomatic, pre-symptomatic, and asymptomatic individuals and anticipating clinical cases. For 37 weeks, the SARS-CoV-2 viral load was monitored in sanitary sewage samples from Goiânia-Brazil. Through pre-concentration, extraction, and purification of viral RNA, followed by RT-qPCR, it was detected in 83.78% (31/37) of the weeks the presence of fragments of the genetic material SARS-CoV-2 with viral loads ranging from 105 to 108 genome copies L-1. The viral load in the wastewater samples was related to the clinical data of the municipality, demonstrating its ability to promote an Early Warning System (EWS). In early 2022, it was possible to predict the increase in clinical cases 3 weeks in advance and issue an alert note to the health authorities. Prevalence estimates ranged from 0.003 to 0.5% and showed good agreement with observed values. Thus, monitoring effluents become another essential tool that can help combat the pandemic’s advance, especially in countries with scarce resources.

O uso combinado de informação paleolimnológica e limnológica histórica para identificar mudanças ambientais naturais e antropogênicas

Abstract Aim Urbanization leads to rapid changes in ecosystem structure and function. Wetlands on university campuses under urbanization pressure could be used as case studies of multidisciplinary aquatic research and good environmental practices promoting sustainability. Methods A paleolimnological study was undertaken in a semi-artificial lake on a university campus in southern Brazil to trace historical impacts and ecological changes back to the mid-1970s through complementary approaches: historical data, nutrients, δ13C and δ15N stable isotopes, diatoms, microplastics and associated microbial community analysis. Results The eutrophication process started to intensify after the lake was used for nocturnal roosting by waterbirds, and especially after the establishment of constructions along the margins with septic tank sanitary sewage, which eventually spilled and leached into the lake. Over decades, we identified a limnological hypertrophication process leading to recurrent cyanobacterial blooms and massive macrophyte proliferation coupled with changes in isotopic ratios and algal occupation with several transitions between shallow lake alternative states. Such a limnological process has resembled the paleolimnological eutrophication trends and isotopic changes in sedimentary organic matter. The microplastic deposition was detected as a proxy for the intensification of urbanization, especially during the construction of the University facilities. Conclusions The combined use of paleolimnological and historical limnological data represents a powerful approach for inferring both natural and cultural impacts on the lake, and identifying management strategies based on such scientific information.

Sanitary sewage

The treatment and disposal of domestic sewage is one of Brazil's main challenges. Sewage composition varies with the habits of the population and the frequency with which new contaminants are released into the environment. This study is a bibliographical review of the main aspects related to the characterization and composition of sanitary sewage, types of sewage treatment systems and pertinent legislation; and toxicity of domestic effluents. The review was based on publications available on Science Direct, Google Scholar and Scielo, as well as on printed publications, relevant legislation, and normative instructions. The research period adopted for the selection of publications was from 2005 to 2021. We found out that, in addition to the levels of organic matter from domestic sewage, residues from products used in daily life, such as pharmaceuticals and cleaning products, can be found in effluents in concentrations harmful to the environment. Often, the types of treatment used in municipal sewage treatment plants do not efficiently remove these contaminants. Thus, even if sewage is treated to meet the limits required for the physical-chemical and biological parameters established by law, domestic effluent can present a high potential for toxicity to various aquatic species such as microcrustaceans, mollusks and fish. Thus, ecotoxicological analyses represent a remarkable mechanism for indicating the efficiency of removal of emerging contaminants present in treated sanitary effluent, in addition to indicating the deleterious effects caused by these residues to the environment and ecosystems associated with the receiving water body.

Sanitary conditions diagnosis in vulnerable communities in the City of Recife and its influence on Covid-19 cases

The Covid-19 pandemic calls into question deficiencies in current public policies and infrastructure of basic services to the population in large urban centers. From health systems, environmental sanitation and social protection, particularly for the low-income population, this opens the debate of the values and priorities at different scales. The research study area are subnormal settlements located in the neighborhoods of Pina and Brasília Teimosa in the Metropolitan Region of Recife. The aim was to assess the sanitary conditions in ZEIS, by conducting semi-structured interviews and assessing secondary data. Among the interviewees, only 56.3% said they had sanitary sewage collection and another 74.4% (n=1041) had access to water supply by Compesa, showing a significant deficit in the provision of basic services. With the pandemic, the necessary production of detailed empirical field data from the perspective of the peripheries faces great scientific challenges. Ensuring access to ideal sanitary conditions is a right for all and is related in an integrated way to multiple SDGs of the 2030 agenda. Demanding safe, adequate and affordable housing, and inclusive and sustainable urbanization, with capacity for planning and management of participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlements.