Evaluation of Water Quality for Bathing Conditions in the Hydrographic Basin of Francisquinha in Porto Nacional

Abstract

The search for recreational activities is letting the bathers vulnerable to possible contamination in the bathing places, generated by waste from the sewage, accumulation of waste, pollutants present in the atmosphere, pesticides used in plantations that somehow reach the riverbeds, among several others that end up causing, for the most part, the emergence of bacteria such as total coliforms and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The objective of this article is to evaluate the water quality of the Francisquinha stream in the municipality of Porto Nacional - Tocantins, promoting a bathing conditions study, where microbiological analyzes were performed through the indicators of the total coliform group and Escherichia coli (E. coli) defined by CONAMA Resolution No. 274/00. Through the Colilert technique employed, it was possible to detect simultaneous, specific and confirmatory identifications of these bacteria. The results of the monitoring of the chosen points were compared with the parameters established for bathing purposes, with the conditions being categorized as being proper or inappropriate for bathing.