The monitoring of water wells as health evaluation strategy in Rural Community in São Luís City, MA, Brazil

Abstract

As sanitation is scarce or nonexistent in a rural environment, the monitoring of water sources allows for the diagnosis of risks and precarious sanitation situations. This study seasonally monitored the water quality of wells in the rural community of Cinturão Verde by means of physical and chemical analysis and colimetric and parasitological assays, and identified sources of contamination due to the lack of adequate sanitation. Samples collected in four seasonal periods detected levels of coliform in wells above the potability standards of the Health Ministry in three of the periods, and detected the presence of parasites in the dry season. Physical and chemical parameters also exceeded legal standards in some periods, and it was found that these risks were due to lack of proper sanitation practices, such as water supplied by untreated wells, improper drainage and the proximity of water sources to livestock. Water monitoring enabled the detection of risk periods when using well waters, the evaluation of regional differences, and the showed the need for water disinfection before use. These rural sanitation measures can help to ensure the protection of groundwater sources.

Keywords: groundwater; environmental health; sanitation; sanitary quality.