Revista Ambiente & Água - An Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Science

1-12

Authors: Bruna Ferreira dos Anjos; Tatiane Kelly Barbosa de Azevêdo; Bruna Rafaella Ferreira da Silva; Renata Martins Braga; Alexandre Santos Pimenta; Francisca Adriana Ferreira De Andrade

Concern about the overexploitation of natural resources has increased in recent decades, especially involving water and its treatment. Paradoxically, one of the sources of water pollution is the treatment itself, due to the use of chemical flocculants, which end up generating sludge that may be highly aggressive to the environment. One of the ways to solve this problem is to use natural flocculants for this purpose, since they are biodegradable and do not harm nature. This study evaluated the efficiency of a natural flocculant produced from tannins extracted from the bark of the cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) and compared it with two commercial coagulants, Tanfloc® and iron chloride. The water for treatment was collected from a weir. The cashew trees’ bark was collected, ground, and submitted to hot-water extraction to yield the tannins, and the extraction product was cationized. The flocculation tests were carried out using the jar test with solutions having concentrations of 33.3, 66.7, and 100 mg L-1. Turbidity and pH were analyzed before and after flocculation. Among the assessed flocculants, the cationized tannins produced the best responses both for removal of turbidity and final pH of the treated water. Tanfloc® also produced satisfactory results regarding turbidity removal. The iron chloride, besides not properly clarifying the water, left it very acidic. Since the cationized tannins practically did not change the pH and were effective in the removal of turbidity, they represent an interesting, sustainable alternative product to treat the water.

1-11

Authors: Natasha Berendonk Handam; Ana Beatriz Loureiro Gonçalves da Silva; Rodrigo Bezerra da Silva; Priscila Gonçalves Moura; Elvira Carvajal; Adriana Sotero-Martins; José Augusto Albuquerque dos Santos

Reused water is produced from treated effluents, and can be an alternative source of water for agriculture. However, its quality must be assessed to avoid causing damage to human and environmental health. This study evaluated the sanitary quality (bacteriological and physicochemical) of reused water samples for agricultural irrigation, compared with those described in Brazilian and international regulations. Bacteriological analyses were performed, and the results were compared with the norm of the Brazilian Association of Technical Norms (ABNT) NBR nº 13.969/1997. Physical and chemical analyses of the reused water samples were carried out, and the results were compared with the standards described by regulations: Resolution of the State Council for the Environment of Ceará No. 2 of 2017; Resolution of the Bahia State Water Resources Council No. 75 of 2010; and “Guidelines for Water Reuse” from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - EPA. According to Brazilian regulations, bacteriological analyses showed that the "chlorinated" and "polished" samples were suitable for agriculture. However, the “biological" sample was unsuitable for use, and showed a high level of thermotolerant coliforms (25.800 CFU / mL). According to bacteriological and physical-chemical analyses, the “polished” sample was only proper for agriculture irrigation. Therefore, the work suggests the creation of federal law regarding agricultural reuse to control the sanitary quality of water for human and environmental health.

1-16

Authors: Beatriz Milz; Patricia Oliveira de Aquino ; Jean Carlo Gonçalves Ortega; Ana Luisa Vietti Bitencourt; Cristina Souza Freire Nordi

The Billings Reservoir is an important water body for public supply of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, Brazil, and water captation for public supply is located in the Rio Grande environmental compartment. This article evaluates the water quality of the environmental compartment Central Body I of the Billings Reservoir, which receives the reversed waters from the polluted Pinheiros River, at four sampling points with different contributions from the surroundings, seeking to verify the influence of seasonality on water quality and whether there was a difference in water quality between the sampling points. Water sampling was carried out on the surface at four points, in a longitudinal profile, covering two periods (dry and rainy) distributed in six samplings between 2016 and 2019. Analyzed variables included temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, electrical conductivity, chlorophyll-a and nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen). Space-Time Interaction tests revealed that physicochemical variables did not vary due to the interaction between sampling periods and points, but several variables varied significantly during the sampling period. The results of the Trophic State Index show that waters of Central Body I are classified as Hypereutrophic, highlighting the degradation of water quality in this compartment. This research will better inform public managers and assist their efforts to minimize and mitigate the effects of progressive water quality degradation in this reservoir.

1-11

Authors: Willian dos Santos Oliveira; Elias Silva de Medeiros; Alessandra Querino da Silva ; Luciano Antonio de Oliveira

Precipitation is an important object of study and plays an important role in the dynamics of rainfall distribution in a region. This study investigated the spatial and temporal variation of precipitation in the São Francisco River Basin (SFRB). A historical series of data from 1989 to 2018 was analyzed, and a random function was decomposed into trend and residual components for analysis of precipitation. Interpolation techniques were used to analyze precipitation spatial behavior over time, using high-resolution precipitation maps. Our results showed that the exponential model prevailed in four periods. The findings also showed a high precipitation variability in the SFRB and enabled us to monitor precipitation behavior over the years, as well as in the different sub-regions in SFRB. Finally, important information was obtained, enabling, for instance, the identification of vulnerable areas suffering from lack of rainfall.