The document provides a simplified assessment of the Gualaxo do Norte, Carmo and Doce Rivers and Lagoons in Espirito Santo
The new Partial Report of the Quali-Quantitative Systematic Water and Sediment Monitoring Program (PMQQS) presents an evaluation of the results of 18 physical, chemical and bacteriological parameters, in addition to rainfall and water levels, analyzed between August and October 2018, in 29 sampling points in the Gualaxo do Norte, Carmo and Doce Rivers and 14 points distributed over the Limao, Nova, Juparana, Areal, Pandolfi (Areao) and Monsaras Lagoons in the Lower Doce River region, in Espirito Santo.
PMQQS sample collection in the Doce River in Colatina – September 2018. | Photo: Nitro Images
It is worth noting that the last evaluated quarterly results (August, September and October 2018) do not show any violation of the legal reference limits for the parameters: total arsenic, total cadmium, total lead, dissolved copper, total chromium, total mercury, total nickel, total zinc, total suspended solids, turbidity and total phosphorus in the points monitored in rivers and lagoons.
However, the legal reference limit was exceeded for dissolved aluminum in the Juparana, Pandolfi (Areao) and Monsaras Lagoons; for dissolved iron in one point of the Doce River and in the lagoons Juparana, Areal, Pandolfi (Areao) and Monsaras; and for total manganese in some points of the three monitored rivers (Gualaxo do Norte, Carmo and Doce) and the Monsaras Lagoon.
In addition to these parameters, violations of the legal reference limit for Escherichia coli were also observed in samples in some points of the three monitored rivers (Gualaxo do Norte, Carmo and Doce) and the Juparana Lagoon; for dissolved oxygen in the Limao, Nova, Juparana and Monsaras Lagoons and one sample from the Doce River; and for total nitrogen in one sample from the Nova Lagoon. For heavy metals, there were no cases of extrapolations from the historical maximum values of the IGAM monitoring – carried out prior to the Fundao dam collapse.
The affected river waters are being monitored since November 2015. First, on an emergency basis and then, since August 2017, through the PMQQS program. There are 92 manual monitoring points and 22 automatic stations. This network was set up in strategic points and monitors the development of the water quality, identifying trends and supporting the elaboration of diagnoses.
Measurements of the automatic stations are hourly transmitted online to public authorities. Whereas manual collections are performed on a monthly basis. The network forms an information and alert network, which supports the preventive planning of the main public water supply systems and directs the recovery and monitoring actions of the Doce River water quality, increasing the security of information related to water quality.
Today, the PMQQS is considered the most complete monitoring program in Brazil and its results can be used as a basis for decision making by all Technical Boards that support the Interfederative Committee (CIF). The first partial report, published in July 2018, presented the results of 15 parameters in 29 monitoring points, collected between August 2017 and January 2018.
The PMQQS Annual Report of all monitored points and parameters is under review by the CIF’s PMQQS Technical Monitoring Group (GTA-PMQQS). This report will present an analysis of all physicochemical parameters analyzed in water, sediment and aquatic biota in all 92 points analyzed. In total, there will be over 1.5 million data results.