Qualidade da água para consumo humano no município de Quirinópolis, Goiás.

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the importance of proper water quality as an essential element for maintaining human health, as even treated water is susceptible to various types of contamination and, under such conditions, can serve as a vehicle for disease transmission. In this context, Health Surveillance carries out monthly water sampling from the distribution network to verify whether the physical-chemical and microbiological parameters meet the potability standards required by the Ministry of Health, thus ensuring that treated water supplied for human consumption is safe and poses no risk to public health. The objective of this research was to analyze the physicochemical and microbiological parameters of the water supply distributed in the city of Quirinópolis, Goiás, comparing compliance and any non-compliance with the standards set by Ministerial Ordinance No. 888/2021 of the Ministry of Health (MS). The research was divided into three chapters. In the first chapter, an integrative literature review was conducted on microorganisms associated with the contamination of water used for human consumption. The second chapter evaluated secondary data on the microbiological parameters of total coliforms and Escherichia coli in Quirinópolis' public water supply, while the third chapter assessed the parameter of free residual chlorine, using secondary data provided by Health Surveillance from 2021 to 2023, involving a total of 524 samples collected across 34 of the city's 42 neighborhoods. In addition, a bibliographic review of relevant literature and legislation on these topics was conducted. The results of the integrative review showed that there was a higher number of publications on the subject in 2015 and 2017. The countries with the highest production of scientific articles were the United States and Pakistan, and toxinproducing enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and other enteropathogenic bacteria were most prominent in studies as microorganisms associated with the contamination of water used for human consumption. The mapping of secondary data from Quirinópolis' water supply indicated that the central region of the city had the highest number of samples confirming the presence of total coliforms over all three years and Escherichia coli in 2021 and 2022. Free residual chlorine levels were found to be unsatisfactory in almost every month of the period analyzed compared to the standards required by Ordinance GM/MS No. 888/2021, except for October 2022 and 2023, with recurring concentrations below the required standard recorded in seven neighborhoods. Therefore, control and surveillance are essential actions to ensure compliance with treated water potability standards, which should not contain questionable parameters, especially microorganisms or unsafe levels of disinfectant that could pose risks or harm to human health.