A study was conducted in Manhuaçu city, Minas Gerais, aiming to study the effects of pesticides used in coffee crops on surface and ground waters. Manhuaçu is located in an important Brazilian region of agricultural production. Moreover, the city possesses many different water sources directed to the public water supply, and 13 points of surface and groundwater pumping. There have also been several occurrences of cancer in the local population. A survey conducted among cities of Minas Gerais identified 122 cities with high occurrences of death due to cancer, among which was Manhuaçu. The physico-chemical properties and applied mass of the active ingredients of each pesticide studied were surveyed. Goss and GUS algorithms were applied to estimate the risk of surface and ground water contamination, respectively. Some of the most widely used pesticides in the region, whose contamination potential was estimated as high, were later detected in surface waters through LC/MS-MS. This study can help agriculturists and officials of environmental organizations select and control, respectively, less harmful products to the water.
pesticides; water contamination; GUS index; Goss' algorithm
