Análise multivariada na identificação dos fatores determinantes da qualidade da água na Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Jaibaras-Ceará

Abstract

Aiming to identify the apportionment of pollution sources/factors with a view to get better information about the water quality at Jaibaras watershed, a research composed of three steps was developed. In the first step (Step I), it was identified the water pollution sources at the upland of Jaibaras watershed until Ayres de Souza dam. The survey occurred from May/2004 to Jul/2005. The pollution sources are related about domestical sewages and land disposal, which are poured in the river and close to the repair zones. Few pollution sources can be related to agricultural activity. The Ayres de Souza dam is also under the effect of domestical swage, land disposal as well as other human activities. In the second step (Step II) multivariate statistical techniques (Cluster Analysis/Principal Component Analysis, CA/PCA) were applied to identify weather influence on temporal variability and the factors that determined the water quality in Ayres de Souza dam. It was measured 28 physical, chemical and biological variables in four sampling stations sited in the reservoir, and in four different campaigns from Sept/2004 to May/2005. The CA allowed the identification of the weather variability influency under water quality. Two principal components were extracted, explaining the 82% of the data variance. The first principal component was mainly associated with K+, PO-3 4, Ca2+ e DBO (anthropogenic factor). The second principal component showed a strong loading on Na+ and SAR. It was basically assigned to sodicity factor. Although, there are an intensive fishing activities in the dam it was not possible to relate this activity as a source of water pollution. In the least step (Step III) PCA was applied to the data set on water quality of the Jaibaras River, from Ayres de Souza dam to the mouth of the river, generated during three years (Apr/2002-Jun/2005), to define pollution factors. It was measured 13 physico-chemical variables (pH, EC, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+), bicarbonato (HCO- 3), fosfato (PO- 3 4), cloreto (Cl-), amônia (NH+ 4), nitrato (NO- 3), sulfato (SO- 4) and Relação de Adsorção de Sódio (RAS) in the two sampling stations (Ayres de Souza dam gallery and Jaibaras mouth). At Ayres de Souza aqueduct three factors were extracted which explained 80% of the total variance. The first factor represent “weathering” processes from rocks (meneralization factor). The second factor can be interpreted as an organic pollution and domestical sewages. At Jaibaras River mouth two factors were extracted, explaing 81% of the total variance in the original data set. The identified factors were related do human action (fertilizers and sewages). The multivariate statistical technique allowed the identification of the chemical and weather actions over the water quality at Jaibaras River.