Lentic habitats as study models for assessing aquatic contamination

Abstract

Given water scarcity and climate change caused by human activities, the degradation of water resources, such as lentic habitats, is currently a major concern worldwide because of the direct or indirect damage it can cause to the health and survival of exposed organisms. One contributing factor to water quality alteration is the discharge of effluents, mainly domestic and industrial, containing several substances potentially toxic to the aquatic environment. This review focuses on the aquatic contamination of lentic habitats, due to their importance and lack of information when compared to studies on rivers. The present paper presents information on the characterization, the legislation for the classification of these habitats in Brazil, their main contaminants and the effects on organisms, in addition to the case study of a lake in the state of Sao Paulo.