Is there heavy metals contamination in the abiotic components (water and sediment) reflecting on biotic communities (plankton, aquatic macrophytes and zoobenthonic organisms) (Paiva Castro Reservoir, São Paulo-Brazil)?: Water Framework Directive

• Grant number: 09/16652-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2010
• End date: January 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Environmental Sanitation
• Principal Investigator: Marisa Dantas Bitencourt Pereira
• Grantee: Marisa Dantas Bitencourt Pereira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Increased urbanization has endangered the health of water bodies. Contamination by heavy metals has been a great threat in these ecosystems. Juquery sub-basin is the last one from a total of five basins that composes the Cantareira cascade system, which is the greater system for public water supply in the metropolitan area of São Paulo. It is in the Juquery sub-basin that is situated the Paiva Castro reservoir, from where water is taken in for public supply. Despite its importance, Juquery sub-basin has experienced constant increase in degradation of its waters due to urban growth observed in this region and to so called management measures such as application of copper sulphate to control potentially toxic cyanobacteria growth in the water. In this context, this work we will evaluate the spatial and temporal distribution of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Ni, Cd, Cr and Cu) and other elements in water (reservoir and main tributaries) and sediment in the Juquery river micro basins; we will analyze total concentrations of trace metals in biota (plankton, aquatic macrophytes and zoobenthonic organisms) verifying if possible heterogeneity in the abiotic environment is reflected on the biota; we will examine the concentrations of metals in sediment from different depths (cores), correlating, through 210Pb dating, core depths with different periods of time and the potential impact occurred around Paiva Castro reservoir; we will also carry out quantitative and qualitative analysis of the planktonic community. Sampling will take place at different times of the year at stations distributed throughout the Juquery sub-basin, different micro basins and the main body of the reservoir. This proposal will also aim application of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), developed by European Community and defined as an instrument for the protection of the inner waters (surface and ground waters, transition and coastal waters), in order to secure the uses of water in good status (quantity and quality) for current and future generations. The WFD establishes as environmental objectives the prevention of the deterioration and the "good status", including, for surface water, "good chemical state" and the "good ecological state" or the "good ecological potential", defined by "reference situation". Data statistical analysis will be performed by PCA (Principal Components Analysis) and ACC (Canonical Correspondence Analysis). (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

NISHIMURA, PAULA YURI; MEIRINHOL, PATRICIA DO AMARAL; MOSCHINI-CARLOS, VIVIANE; MARTINS POMPEO, MARCELO LUIZ. Does the plankton community follow the horizontal water quality heterogeneity in a tropical urban reservoir (Guarapiranga reservoir, Sao Paulo, Brazil)?. LIMNETICA, v. 33, n. 2, p. 263-280, DEC 2014. (09/16652-1, 08/00784-3)