Avaliação da qualidade das águas subterrâneas em poços do estado do Ceará, Brasil

Abstract

Groundwater, one of the most used fonts in the world for human consumption, has the potential capacity of transmission of diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms from human and animal feces, or by chemicals in concentrations beyond the standards allowed by Ordinance 2914/2011/MS, making it essential verification and monitoring of its potability. This work aims to evaluate the microbiological and chemical quality for drinking water from wells and correlate it with the sewage level of several places of the State of Ceará. From January 2008 to December 2010 were collected 230 samples of Amazons and deep tubular wells from five geographical regions of the State of Ceará, which were tested for total coliforms and Escherichia coli and physical-chemical analysis (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and chloride) were made in the laboratories of CAGECE - Ceará Water and Sewerage Company. The results showed high levels of microbial contamination in wells, with 40% of the samples attested presence of total coliforms and 12.2% of E. coli . Physical-chemicals parameters indicated contamination by organic matter in about 10% of the samples. Preventive measures such as increased sewage, should be conducted to prevent the transmission of waterborne diseases