SAO CAETANOSTREAM WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT IN BOTUCATU-SP

Abstract

Water quality of Sao Caetanostream in Botucatu-SP was analyzed considering physicochemical parameters as air and water temperatures, hydrogen potential (pH), electrical conductivity (EC), turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO), oxygen biochemical demand (BOD), total organic carbon (TOC) and nitrogen. The study was conducted from November 2010 to September 2011, bimonthly collecting in four sampling points in two seasons: rainy and dry, aiming at detecting possible changes throughout the water system. The stream is rated Class 3. There was predominance of acid pH in wet season and base pH in drought thus contributing for salt dilutions or concentrations. This may damage the waterquality of rural area usually used for crop irrigation and animal consumption, highlighting EC with average value at P1 point of 327.4 mu S.cm(-1) andDO at P4 point with 1,383 mg O2 center dot L-1 concentration. The other parameters did not show values that impair pollutant concentrations. The other parameters did not show values that impair pollutant concentrations.