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Integrating three tools for the environmental assessment of the Pardo River, Brazil

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Abstract

There is a growing need for strategic assessment of environmental conditions in river basins around the world. In spite of the considerable water resources, Brazil has been suffering from water quality decrease in recent years. Pardo River runs through Minas Gerais and São Paulo, two of the most economically important states in Brazil, and is being currently promoted as a future drinking water source. This study aimed at integrating three different tools to conduct a hydromorphological assessment focused on the spatial complexity, connectivity, and dynamism of the Pardo River, Brazil. Twelve sampling stretches were evaluated in four sampling campaigns, in dry and rainy seasons. In each stretch, permanent preservation areas (PPAs), hydromorphological integrity by rapid assessment protocol (RAP), and physicochemical parameters were qualified. The kappa coefficient was used to assess statistical agreement among monitoring tools. The PPA analysis showed that in all stretches, the vegetation was modified. RAP results revealed environmental deterioration in stretches located near human activities and less variability of substrates available for aquatic fauna and sediment deposition as well. Low values for dissolved oxygen in the river mouth were noted in the rainy season. Electrical conductivity was higher in stretches near sugarcane crops. The poor agreement (k < 0.35) between the RAP and physicochemical parameters indicates that the tools generate different and complementary information, while they are not replaceable. Potential changes of the hydromorphological characteristics and variations in physicochemical indicators must be related to extensive PPA modification.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) (Grants 2010/50226-7 and 2013/07238-2), the State Water Resources Fund (FEHIDRO), Brazil (Grant SINFEHIDRO: PARDO 105/2013), and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID), Spain (Grants A/025409/09 and A/032274/10). The author thanks Dr. Isabel C. M. Freitas (University of São Paulo) for statistical assistance. All authors have contributed to this manuscript and are aware of the paper content.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Parasitology, College of Nursing at Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil

    Carolina S. Machado, Renato I. S. Alves, Brisa M. Fregonesi, Cassio F. Beda, Meire N. Suzuki, Rudison B. Trevilato & Susana I. Segura-Muñoz

  2. Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Catalonia, Spain

    Martí Nadal & José L. Domingo

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  1. Carolina S. Machado
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  2. Renato I. S. Alves
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  3. Brisa M. Fregonesi
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  4. Cassio F. Beda
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  9. Susana I. Segura-Muñoz
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Correspondence to Susana I. Segura-Muñoz.

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Machado, C.S., Alves, R.I.S., Fregonesi, B.M. et al. Integrating three tools for the environmental assessment of the Pardo River, Brazil. Environ Monit Assess 187, 569 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4788-8

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