ANÁLISE DA PRESENÇA DE RESÍDUOS DE AGROTÓXICOS NA ÁGUA DE ABASTECIMENTO PÚBLICO DA BACIA HIDROGRÁFICA DO RIO ITAJAÍ-AÇÚ

Abstract

The use of pesticides in agricultural crops can contaminate water bodies. This study aimed to evaluate the presence of pesticide residues in the public water supply in the Itajaí-Açú River basin in 2018 and 2019. A descriptive and exploratory study was conducted based on water monitoring data for human consumption provided by the Santa Catarina State Attorney's Office. The presence of pesticide residues was detected in 16 municipalities, with Rio do Sul and Imbuia being the cities with the greatest diversity of compounds detected in water. Among the active ingredients identified, 2,4-D stood out due to the greater number of observations, benomyl and metolachlor, as they were not regulated in Brazil during the period studied, and atrazine, as it was identified in water from an underground source. Due to the potential risk to human health posed by pesticides, it was necessary to re-evaluate the number of active substances covered by the legislation and the maximum permitted level of pesticide residues in public water supplies. Finally, it should be noted that conventional water treatment is not able to remove the variety of active substances used, such as 2,4-D, which shows the importance of discussing and implementing new alternatives.