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Multivariate analyses of the effect of an urban wastewater treatment plant on spatial and temporal variation of water quality and nutrient distribution of a tropical mid-order river

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Abstract

Freshwater resources are increasingly scarce due to human activities, and the understanding of water quality variations at different spatial and temporal scales is necessary for adequate management. Here, we analyze the hypotheses that (1) the presence of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and (2) a polluted tributary that drains downstream from the WWTP change the spatial patterns of physicochemical variables (pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and electrical conductivity) and nutrient concentrations (reactive soluble phosphorus, total phosphorus, nitrogen series, total nitrogen, and total dissolved carbon) along a mid-order river in SE Brazil and that these effects depend on rainfall regime. Six study sites were sampled along almost 4 years to evaluate the impacts of human activities, including sites upstream (1–3) and downstream (5–6) from the WWTP. The impacts were observed presenting an increasing trend from the source (site 1) towards Água Quente stream (site 4, the polluted tributary), with signs of attenuation at site 5 (downstream from both WWTP and site 4) and the river mouth (site 6). Input of nutrients by rural and urban runoff was observed mainly at sites 2 and 3, respectively. At sites 4 and 5, the inputs of both untreated and treated wastewaters increased nutrient concentrations and changed physicochemical variables, with significant impacts to Monjolinho River. Seasonal variations in the measured values were also observed, in agreement with the pluviometric indexes of the region. Univariate analyses suggested no effect of the WWTP for most variables, with continued impacts at sites downstream, but non-parametric multivariate analysis indicated that these sites were recovering to chemical characteristics similar to upstream sites, apparently due to autodepuration. Therefore, multivariate methods that allow rigorous tests of multifactor hypotheses can greatly contribute to determine effects of both point and non-point sources in river systems, thus contributing to freshwater monitoring and management.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Coordination for Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES, research grant no 3039/2010), the National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, grant no. 134191/2013-7 and 403580/2013-7), and to the ANP-Petrobras (grant no. 0050.0043 180.08.4, agreement 4600295977) for the financial support for this project. This financial support has been provided to the last two authors. This work was the main subject of a MSc dissertation of the first author. We also thank Dr. L. E. Moschini for the map of the study area.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luis, Km 235-SP 310, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil

    Pedro Ivo Isá Barrenha, Glaucia Pantano, Gustavo Henrique Moraes, Chubraider Xavier, Almas Taj Awan, Guilherme Martins Grosseli, Pedro Sérgio Fadini & Antonio Aparecido Mozeto

  2. Departamento de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luis, Km 235-SP 310, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil

    Marcel Okamoto Tanaka & Frederico Yuri Hanai

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  1. Pedro Ivo Isá Barrenha
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  2. Marcel Okamoto Tanaka
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Barrenha, P.I.I., Tanaka, M.O., Hanai, F.Y. et al. Multivariate analyses of the effect of an urban wastewater treatment plant on spatial and temporal variation of water quality and nutrient distribution of a tropical mid-order river. Environ Monit Assess 190, 43 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-6386-4

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