INDICADORES DE QUALIDADE DA ÁGUA PARA CONSUMO HUMANO EM MUNICÍPIOS DA BAIXADA MARANHENSE.

Abstract

This research aimed to evaluate the quality of water for human consumption in cities of Maranhão Lowlands - MA seeking to correlate the data with the human development index of the object of the study area. The municipalities selected for the study were Pinheiro, Arari, Viana, Matinha and St. Benedict (greater IDHM); Bela Vista do Maranhão, Monsoon, Cajari, Rosario and Pedro Conceição do Lago Açu (lower IDHM). For six months, three months in the period of low rainfall (October, November and December 2015) and three months in high season rainfall (January, February and March 2016) was collected samples of public supply water for microbiological analyzes to search the NMP of total coliforms, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis and physicochemical to measure the total hardness parameters, total alkalinity, chloride, conductivity, total dissolved solids, NaCl, pH, turbidity, residual free chlorine content, nitrite nitrate and iron. The spatial distribution of the results was made through the preparation of environmental vulnerability maps. During the study period, it was observed that the amount of micro-organisms was always higher in the untreated water compared to treated water, and municipalities with the lowest IDHM presented more micro-organisms compared to the municipalities most IDHM. The physico-chemical variables showed non-compliance to the total hardness parameters, chlorides, pH, free chlorine, nitrite, nitrate and iron. Considering the average levels for the different microbiological indicators, physical and chemical for each municipality, it was found that existing health problems are complex and pose risks to the local population establishing itself as a critical factor in improving water quality for human consumption. The use of geoprocessing to specialize information regarding the quality of water constituted an important tool contributing to the implementation of control measures. It was made an educational booklet containing basic knowledge about the quality of water for the local population.