Fuzzy Index for Public Supply Water Quality

Human population growth and increased industrial activity in recent decades have contributed to a range of environmental problems, including the contamination of groundwater and surface water. In order to help in the management of these resources, water quality indices are used as tools to summarize multiple parameters and express them in the form of a single number. The ability to provide both an integrated assessment of changes in environmental variables, as well as performance tracking, has resulted in such indices being increasingly employed in surface water monitoring programs. The aim of this study was to develop an Index for Public Supply Water Quality (IPS) using a fuzzy inference methodology. Linguistic systems generally provide satisfactory tools for qualitative purposes, enabling the inclusion of descriptive variables with reduced loss of individual information. Validation of the technique was achieved by analysis of measurement data obtained for the Sorocaba River, provided by CETESB. The new procedure proved more rigorous, compared to classical IPS. It could be readily applied in the evaluation of other water bodies, or be adjusted to incorporate additional parameters also considered important for the assessment of water quality.

EFFECT OF FOOD SHORTAGE ON GROWTH, ENERGETIC RESERVES MOBILIZATION, AND WATER QUALITY IN JUVENILES OF THE REDCLAW CRAYFISH, CHERAX QUADRICARINATUS, REARED IN GROUPS

The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of food shortage on growth performance, by means of energetic reserves (proteins, glycogen and lipids) mobilization and hepatopancreas cells analysis in C. quadricarinatus juveniles maintained in groups, as well as the effect on culture water quality. Two experiments were performed, each of them with two feeding regimes during 45 days. The Control feeding regime, in which crayfish were fed daily (once a day) throughout the experimental period (DF), and the Cyclic feeding regime, in which juveniles were fed for 2 or 4 days (once a day) followed by 2 or 4 days of food deprivation (2F/2D and 4F/4D, respectively) in repeated cycles. Cyclic feeding influenced growth, biochemical composition from hepatopancreas and muscle, and water quality. Juveniles cyclically fed were unable to maintain a normal growth trajectory during 45 days. Apparent feed conversion ratio, apparent protein efficiency ratio, hepatosomatic index and relative pleon mass were similar in cyclic and daily fed animals and no structural damage was found in the hepatopancreas of juveniles subjected to cyclic feeding. The novelty of this study was the significant accumulation of proteins in pleonal muscle in both cyclic feeding regimes (approx. 18%) suggesting that the storage of this constitutive material during food shortage may be an adaptation for a compensatory growth when food becomes abundant again. The cyclic feeding regimes had a positive effect on water quality decreasing inorganic nitrogen concentration. This was due to the reduction in the amount of animal excretes and feces in the group that received approx. 50% less feed. Additionally, water pH was higher in cyclic feeding tanks, as a result of lower organic matter decomposition and consequent release of CO2. Accordingly, total ammonia in the water was significantly lower for the cyclic feeding regimes compared to their respective controls. This study suggests that the protocol of cyclic feeding could be applied at least 45 days in 1 g juveniles maintained in group conditions, without affecting the energetic reserves and hepatopancreas structure, emphasizing the high tolerance of this species to food restriction.

Evaluation of the Atibaia River water quality using Lecane bulla as a test organism

In view of the diversity of environments found in the Brazilian territory, it is understandable that the use of native species can provide more relevant information for ecotoxicological studies. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the quality of water samples from the Atibaia River in an area that is under the influence of petroleum refinery using a native test-organism and submitting the data to PCA statistical analysis. Therefore, acute toxicity assays with Lecane bulla (Rotifera) were performed in four locations of the river, as well as physical-chemical analyses. Sampling was drawn in the dry and rainy seasons. The bioassays were static and lasted 48 hours; dead organisms were quantified at the end of the tests. Toxicological differences among the samples/per location and control were compared by means of the Analysis of Variance. Physical-chemical and mortality variables were simultaneously analyzed by multivariate analysis of the principal components and the Pearson correlation coefficient. Water samples from the exit of the refinery stabilization pond (location S.1) were toxic to L. bulla in both seasons, with significant differences in relation to the control and between the seasons. The statistical treatment of data showed that mortality was strong and positively correlated with total hardness, chlorides and EC, which together with pH presented higher values in location S.1, in the dry and in the rainy seasons. Due to its sensibility to the quality of the Atibaia river water samples, the potential use of L. bulla for ecotoxicological studies as an alternative test organism could be demonstrated.

Organic farm does not improve neither soil, or water quality in rural watersheds from southeastern Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Influence of landscape properties on stream water quality in agricultural catchments in Southeastern Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Does the plankton community follow the horizontal water quality heterogeneity in a tropical urban reservoir (Guarapiranga reservoir, Sao Paulo, Brazil)?

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Water quality and communities associated with macrophytes in a shallow water-supply reservoir on an aquaculture farm

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Águas superficiais na bacia do Ribeirão Água Parada no município de Bauru-SP: potencial de utilização para o abastecimento público

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Using chemical and physical parameters to define the quality of Pardo River water (Botucatu-SP-Brazil)

This paper aims to study the ecological system of the Pardo River, at the source and lower-order passages, which are in the Botucatu area, São Paulo State, Brazil. This study was carried out to determine water quality with some chemical-physical indicators, coliforms, and chemical species of samples taken monthly, 1995/02-1996/01, from eight sampling stations sited along the Pardo River. The results in the river monitoring are discussed based on annual averages, analysis of variance, and compared to Tukey's Studentized Range-HSD, and principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to normalize data to assess association between variables. We can conclude that the variables used are very efficient for identifying and that the dry season shows the worst water quality. These were caused by organic matter, nutrients (originate) from anthropogenic sources (spatial sources) and mainly municipal wastewater, affecting the quality and hydrochemistry of the river water, which have been differentiated and assigned to polluting sources. Meanwhile, the degree of degradation of the Pardo River is low (sewage treatment carried out by the city of Pardinho is efficient), leaving the water of the river suitable for use by the population of Botucatu, after conventional treatment (Conama, Resolucao No. 20, CONAMA, Brazilia DF, 09-23, 1986-the water of the Pardo river is classified as level 03). (C) 2001 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soil loss risk and habitat quality in streams of a meso-scale river basin

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Laboratory essays on solid residues from an area of sand mining activities at Analandia, São Paulo, Brazil, and implications to the water resources quality

This investigation reports the results of tests performed in a laboratory with solid waste samples from an area belonging to Sibelco Mineracao Ltd., which is located around Analandia municipality, nearly in the center of São Paulo State, Brazil. Dissolution and leaching essays were realized under different experimental conditions in four samples collected from the mining front and decantation pool, with the aim of evaluating the possibility of release of several constituents to the liquid phase.

Interaction between GIS and hydrologic model: a preliminary approach using ArcHydro Framework Data Model

In different regions of Brazil, population growth and economic development can degrade water quality, compromising watershed health and human supply. Because of its ability to combine spatial and temporal data in the same environment and to create water resources management (WRM) models, the Geographical Information System (GIS) is a powerful tool for managing water resources, preventing floods and estimating water supply. This paper discusses the integration between GIS and hydrological models and presents a case study relating to the upper section of the Paraíba do Sul Basin (Sao Paulo State portion), situated in the Southeast of Brazil. The case study presented in this paper has a database suitable for the basin's dimensions, including digitized topographic maps at a 50,000 scale. From an ArcGIS®/ArcHydro Framework Data Model, a geometric network was created to produce different raster products. This first grid derived from the digital elevation model grid (DEM) is the flow direction map followed by flow accumulation, stream and catchment maps. The next steps in this research are to include the different multipurpose reservoirs situated along the Paraíba do Sul River and to incorporate rainfall time series data in ArcHydro to build a hydrologic data model within a GIS environment in order to produce a comprehensive spatial-temporal model.

Empirical models for estimating the suspended sediment concentration in Amazonian white water rivers using Landsat 5/TM

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Influence of microbiological quality of drinking water in the intestinal morphology of broilers

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Bacteriological quality of irrigation water from vegetable gardens in the municipalities of Araraquara, Boa Esperança do Sul and Ibitinga, SP

This work aimed to assess the bacteriological quality of water used in the irrigation of vegetable gardens in the municipalities of Araraquara, Boa Esperança do Sul and Ibitinga, São Paulo, Brazil. A total of 80 samples of water used in the irrigation of 40 vegetable gardens were analyzed, two samples coming from each vegetable garden. They were collected at the same site in different months, which resulted in two sample collection groups. The most probable number (MPN/100mL) of total coliforms, thermotolerant coliforms and enterococci was identifi ed by means of the multiple tube technique. The analysis of the fi rst group samples showed quantities of thermotolerant coliforms above the amount allowed by current law for irrigation water (CONAMA Resolution n. 357) in nine cases. The owners of those vegetable gardens were then instructed in water disinfection procedures. After the analysis of the second group samples, it was noticed that only one sample did not meet the quality standards, and it was collected at a site where no disinfection procedure had been carried out. According to the results, 77.5% of the vegetable gardens were using water whose samples meet the quality standards. After the owners were instructed with regard to disinfection procedures, that number changed to 97.5%, which confi rms the importance of controlling and supervising irrigation water quality