Avaliação da qualidade da água e autodepuração do Rio Jordão, Araguari (MG)

Abstract

This study evaluated the capacity of self-depuration of the Jordão River considering the true contributions of the Brejo Alegre stream in time of drought and during the rainy period, having in sight the launching of effluents of part of Araguari town, Minas Gerais, in the stream using QUAL-UFMG model. There was the simulation of two situations, considering estimated pollutant loads of Sewage Treatment Plants and the low capacity of dilution of the river for the critical flow, using anaerobic lake treatment system followed by facultative lake (1st Situation) and by conventional activated sludge (2nd Situation), launched directly at the confluence of Brejo Alegre stream and Jordão River. Parallel to the study of self-depuration it was determined the key-curve in a specific point of the Jordão River, beyond the Water Quality Index in the Brejo Alegre stream right at the confluence with the Jordão River, and along the Jordão River, for the periods of drought and rain. In the tracing of the key-curve, the data measured adjusted well to the estimated ones of flow, reaching the equation Q = 9.804.(h+0.7)3.672, attributing the Coefficient of Determination to equal to 0.815 until the absence of rotation counter of the reel s helices in the beginning of the experimental activities. The study of Water Quality Index for the period of drought detected a good level for the Jordão River at all points, coinciding with the level encountered in the 2nd trimester of 2010, in according to the Instituto Mineiro de Gestão de Águas monitoring, resulting Water Quality Index equal to 66.92, 87.90, 86.73, 87.79 and 87.97, respectively, for the Brejo Alegre stream, points A, B, C and D of the Jordão River, from upstream to downstream. Yet in the rainy period it achieved medium level of Water Quality Index for the Brejo Alegre stream and point A of the Jordão River upstream from the confluence of the stream and a good level for the Jordão River downstream from the confluence, being equal to 57.77, 52.59, 86.29 and 77.73, respectively, for the Brejo Alegre stream, points A, B and D of the Jordão River, from upstream to downstream. The simulations for the drought period and rainy period presented satisfactory adjusts to the data measured to the estimated, showing the prevalence of the deoxygenating by carbonaceous demand over the nitrification and the importance of the natural repair in the self-depurating process. The dissolved oxygen, nitrogen and fractions, phosphorus and fecal coliform (Escherichia-coli in this study) parameters respected the limits recommended by the Conselho Nacional do Meio Ambiente, Resolution 357:2005, in all its extension, for the Class 2 rivers, classification in which the Jordão River fits. In regard to biochemical oxygen demand, the whole section is out of the regulation due to the reception of pollutant loads from the Brejo Alegre stream. As for the simulating of extreme situations, a pollution estimated for 7422 habitants for the 1st Situation and 14840 habitants for the 2nd Situation would guarantee the capacity of self-depuration of the Jordão River, respecting the recommendations of the Resolution 357:2005, considering the imprecision of the methodology of analysis of the biochemical oxygen demand and that in the simulations it was used a critical flow of the Jordão River 2.6 times inferior to the smallest flow measured in the period of drought.