Sanitation and water quality in the Paciência River basin, Maranhão Island, Brazil

Abstract

Sanitation has great influence on the quality of life of the population, because in the absence of the same, increases the incidence of cases of disease and, in General, causes impacts on the environment.  In this context, water as a resource of the utmost importance for maintaining life, became the primary vehicle of contamination and proliferation of disease due to inadequate sewage discharges (effluent release household in natura and waste solids), which in your time, intensifies the process of degradation of watersheds. Therefore, the development of evaluation studies and monitoring the quality of watersheds makes if necessary, and in this way, actions for the management team and conservation of waters. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the basic sanitation in the catchment area of the River Patience, on the island of Maranhão. Specifically, the objectives were: to assess the performance indicators of the basic sanitation; assess the quality of water through the analysis of physical, chemical and biological parameters and finally determine the water quality Index- IQA. It was noted that data on the incidence of sanitation along with IQA, the study area is compromised, indicating water bodies pollution making it unfit for use. This situation mainly associated to the use and occupation of the soil and the deficiency of sanitation in the basin.