In 2007, surface waters were collected from 21 sampling points in Barcarena City in Northern Region of Brazil: one sampling point located in a stream that receives discharge of wastewater from a kaolin processing industry and flows into the Curuperê River, three sampling points located near sources that emerge on the left bank and flow into the Curuperê River, nine sampling points in Curuperê River, which flows into the Dendê River, and eight in Dendê River, a tributary on the right bank of the Pará River. For all water samples were quantified 14 physicochemical variables and levels of 12 metals. The results in the points near the sources of the Curuperê River presented physicochemical profile and metal levels which are typical of surface waters being used as reference to compare and identify possible changes in the chemical characteristics of the other sampling points. The comparison between the results obtained for the sources of the Curuperê River and the ones for the point near the discharge of industrial wastewater revealed strong changes in the values of 6 physicochemical variables (pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), sulfate (SO4), ammoniacal nitrogen (NH4-N) and salinity) and an increase in magnitude of the levels of four metals (Al, Fe, Mn and Zn). These facts characterized that the wastewaters were discharged into the environment without adequate treatment. Results in other sampling sites showed that these anomalous conditions were also found along the Curuperê and Dendê Rivers, especially during low tide. This chemical characterization of the waters allowed to identify harmful conditions to aquatic ecosystems and potential health risk for the local people, who use the rivers for drinking water, recreation and transportation.
surface water; environmental impacts; industrial wastewater; kaolin; Amazon; multivariate analyses
