Tools for monitoring aquatic environments to identify anthropic effects

Abstract

Anthropic activities are directly related to the contamination of aquatic ecosystems owing to the release of numerous chemicals from agricultural and urban waste. These contaminants cause environmental degradation and a decrease in the availability of water quality. The objective of this search was to evaluate the efficiency of physicochemical, chemical, and microbiological tests; extraction of chlorophyll a; and genetic parameters to identify anthropic activities and weather condition effects on the stream water quality and the consequences of its use by the population. The physicochemical parameters were within the limits allowed by the Brazilian law. However, contamination by metals (Cd 0.510 mg L, Co 0.405 mg L, and Ni 0.316 mg L) has been found at various collection points to be more than the allowable values. The antibiotic oxytetracycline was detected in stream water in quantities of up to 89 μg L. In relation to microbiological contamination, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas spp. have been isolated. The averages of chlorophyll a were up to 0.15558 mg cm. Genetic tools identified greater number of micronuclei and DNA damage in periods that showed lower rainfall rates and lower amounts of metals. The analysis used for monitoring was efficient to verify the interference that animal breeding and planting of different cultures have caused on that stream. Thus, the continued use of this water for drinking, irrigation of vegetables, and recreational activities makes the population susceptible to contamination by bacteria and creates conditions for the development of genetic alterations in the long run.

Ecosystemic Assessment of Surface Water Quality in the Virilla River: Towards Sanitation Processes in Costa Rica

“…Untreated wastewater discharges are the main source of surface water pollution in urban areas [7][8][9][10]. They reduce the quality of the water body and stimulate the proliferation of pathogenic organisms that can cause severe diseases concerning public health [11][12][13].…”

The Influence of Anthropogenic Activities on the Concentration of Pesticides, Physicochemical and Microbiological Properties in the Chumbao River, Andahuaylas, Perú

“…Anthropogenic activities are related to the contamination of aquatic ecosystems by the discharge of various chemical products from rural and urban activities. These products generate problems in the environment and a decrease in the availability of quality water [2], [6], [7].…”

High iron content in river waters: environmental risks for aquatic biota and human health

“…Previous studies have demonstrated metal concentrations, particularly Iron (Fe), in the rivers of the Ivinhema River sub-basin exceeding the threshold defined by the National Legislation Conama 357 of 2005 (Souza, 2007;Kottwitz, 2012;Gonçalves, 2013;Dourado et al, 2017;Maceda et al, 2015;Da Rocha et al, 2018;Dalla Costa and Roche, 2020;Dos Santos et al, 2020;Viana et al, 2020). Metal enrichment in aquatic environments, even those considered essential for the maintenance of life, such as Fe, can cause toxicity, representing environmental risks to local biodiversity and compromising human health through the consumption of contaminated water and fish (Sang et al, 2019;Kortei et al, 2020;Yu et al, 2020).…”