AGRICULTURA: EDUCAÇÃO, CULTURA E NATUREZA

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1 IMPACT OF RIO DOCE RIVER WATER CONTAMINATION WITH MINING REJECTS ON WATER CONSUMPTION IN GOVERNADOR VALADARES, M.G. Hernani Ciro Santana Doctoral Human Sciences student, Federal University of Santa Catarina Eider Bruno de Lourdes Undergraduate Pharmacy student, Institute of Life Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, campus Governador Valadares, MG Franciele Silva Correia Tatiana Cordeiro Pacheco Dayanne Paula Nascimento Undergraduate Nutrition students, Institute of Life Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, campus Governador Valadares, MG Michele Corrêa Bertoldi Professor at Pharmacy Department, Institute of Life Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, campus Governador Valadares, MG ABSTRACT This study aimed to verify changes in water consumption in the neighborhood Araújos Island in Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, after contamination of the Rio Doce river with mining rejects in 2015, and to evaluate the citizens perception regarding the quality of public water supply and information disclosed. Data were collected through hundred individual interviews using semi-structured questionnaires in residences of Araújos Island in Governador Valadares. Results were analyzed descriptively. After the environmental disaster, changes in the use of water were verified mainly for drinking, washing food and cooking. Furthermore, the majority consider the quality of public water supply of poor quality. It can be concluded that behavior changes is probably associated to their negative perception related to the quality of public water supply, awareness of health risk related to contaminated water exposure as well as lack of transparency and reliability in information disclosed. KEYWORDS: behavior; habits; mining; perception; public water supply. 1. INTRODUCTION Water is critical for socio-economic development, healthy ecosystems, food and energy production and for human survival. It has been estimated that water scarcity affects forty per cent of people worldwide while thirty per cent of them lack access to safe, readily available water at home (United Nations, 2015). The worst environmental disaster in Brazil's history, caused by the rupture of the tailings dams in Mariana, in 2015, poured toxic mud more than 600 kilometers down the Rio Doce river. As a result, several cities bathed by Rio Doce river was seriously harmed, including Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, which is the hub city in eastern Minas Gerais that currently has the Rio Doce river as the main source of water catchment for urban supply. The river was contaminated at high levels with various toxic metals including arsenic, barium, lead and others (Portal Guandu, 1

2 2015). Therefore, the lack access to safe water compromises coastal community s activities including swimming, fishing, irrigating crops or even capture the raw water to boil, filter on the hoist and then consume. Risk perception associated with ingestion or use of contaminated water or even with consumption of plant and animal products contaminated with it, might modify behavior related to the use of water and food consumption in Governador Valadares, MG. These habit changes may affect the city's economy of cities supplied by Rio Doce river and even compromise the income of farmers and familiar producers who depends on river. Therefore, this study aims to verify changes in water consumption in the neighborhood Araújos Island in Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, after contamination of the Rio Doce river with mining rejects in 2015, and to evaluate the citizens perception regarding the quality of public water supply and information disclosed. Information from this study may help to direct trade and government agencies strategies with regard to the main concerns and demands of citizens in relation to the theme. 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS A descriptive research (survey) was performed in the neighborhood Araújos Island in Governador Valadares, which population is 7659 habitants, according to information from the last Census 2010 (IBGE, 2018). A hundred individual interviews using semi-structured questionnaires were performed randomly with residents. The neighborhood was chosen because is entirely bathed by the river Rio Doce, which supplies water for all, after treated. The sample size was defined according to Andrade and Bertoldi (2012), considering a confidence level of 90% (z = 1.645), margin of error of 8% (E = 0.08) and maximum variability of 50 % (p = q = 0.5). Research was conduct after approval by Human Research Ethics Committee (CAAE ) under its recommendations. 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents, residents in Araújos Island neighborhood in Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, are shown in Figure 1. 2

3 GENDER Male Female 45,0% 55,0% AGE Up to 20 years 21 to 30 years 31 to 40 years 41 to 50 years Over 50 years 17,0% 21,0% 14,0% 1 30,0% MARITAL STATUS Single Stable union Divorced/widower 23,0% 36,0% 41,0% SCHOOLING Fundamental Education Middle Education Higher Education/Graduation Other 4,0% 30,0% 5 PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY Employee of private company Employee of public company Autonomous Housewife Retired Student Other 6,0% 6,0% 12,0% 2 32,0% GROSS MONTHLY HOUSEHOLD INCOME Up to 1 minimum salaries 1 to 3 SM minimum salaries 3 to 6 SM minimum salaries 6 to 9 SM minimum salaries Above 9 minimum salaries 5,0% 9,0% 16,0% 22,0% 40,0% NUMBER OF RESIDENTS UP TO 18 YEARS None One Two or more 9,0% 26,0% 65,0% RESIDENTS One Two Three Four Five or more 13,2% 14,2% 19,8% 21,7% 31,1% Figure 1- Sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents. Gender and marital status were well distributed, with predominance (68.0%) of respondents up to 40 years, with middle education and gross monthly family income up to six minimum salaries (67.0%). Most of the families included two and four members (72.6 %) with none or one child or adolescent years old (87.0 %). The higher percentage of respondents with lower level of education might be justified by the supposed absence of the family member who had a higher education level and was supposedly at work at the moment of the interview, which was conducted during work schedule. It is suggested because a representative part of interviewed were students (28%), housewives (6.0 %) and retired (6.0 %). These results are partially in accordance with information published by Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics or IBGE (IBGE, 2014). Most of the respondents (73.0%) changed their habits related the use of water after two years of contamination of the Rio Doce river with mining rejects. Before this disaster, public water supply was the main source of water used by the residents for all domestic purposes (Figure 1). After that, 3

4 Frequência relativa (%) Frequência relativa (%) public water supply was replaced by mineral water mainly for drinking, cooking and washing food. It is important to highlight that water quality concerned population before disaster because mineral water was used by 44% of residents in that time. 86% 90% 89% 83% 85% 88% 90% 50% 44% Água de abastecimento Poço artesiano Outro Cisterna Água mineral Nascente 6% 10% 10% 11% 10% 9% 10% 10% 4% 6% 6% 1% 0% 2% Drink Cook Laundry Bath Water livestock Garden Wash food Brush teeth Figure 1 Domestic water uses in the neighborhood Araújos Island in Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, before contamination of the Rio Doce river with mining rejects in % 81% Água de abastecimento Outro Água mineral Poço artesiano Cisterna Nascente 58% 53% 36% 42% 14% 11% 18% 18% 19% 18% 5% 4% 12% 11% 24% 25% 23% 18% 4% 7% Drink Cook Laundry Bath Water livestock Garden Wash food Brush teeth Figure 2 Domestic water uses in the neighborhood Araújos Island in Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, after contamination of the Rio Doce river with mining rejects in The water source was changed for all domestic use. Drinking, cooking and washing food were the most frequent, while minor changes were observed for laundry (8%), watering livestock (25%), gardening (17%) and bathing (8%) purposes (Table 1). Table 1- Relative frequency (%) of the residents of the Araújos Island neighborhood in Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, who replace the water source for different domestic purposes after contamination of the Rio Doce river with mining rejects. Domestic water use Relative frequency (%) Drinking 38% Laundry 8% Washing food 37% Cooking 53% Bathing 8% Watering livestock 25% Gardening 17% Brush teeh 20% 4

5 After the environmental disaster, the majority considered the quality of public water supply very bad (8%), bad (22%) or reasonable (52%) and 59% of them did not believe in information regarding portability of water supply. According to most interviewed (84%), contamination of the Rio Doce river bring some kind of harm to family, mainly related to financial (69%), psychological (55%) and health risk (39%) aspects, among others described in Table 2. Table 2- Relative frequency (%) of harm perceived by residents of the Araújos Island neighborhood in Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, after contamination of the Rio Doce river with mining rejects. Harm Relative frequency (%) Financial 69% psychological 55% health risk 39% Physical risk 12% Recreation 11% Waste of time 14% Other 1% None 16% Results from this work suggest that changes in habits related to water use might be mostly associated to negative perception about water quality, awareness of health risk related to contaminated water exposure as well as the lack of credibility and reliability in information disclosed about the water resources in Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais. 4. CONCLUSIONS Changed in domestic water use in Araújos Island, Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais is probably associated to their negative perception related to the quality of public water supply, awareness of health risk related to contaminated water exposure as well as the lack of reliability in information disclosed about the water resources from the city. 5. REFERENCES Andrade, L.M.S. & Bertoldi, M. C. (2012). Attitudes and motivations towards organic foods consumption in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Brazilian Journal of Food Technology (Online), 4, Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (2018). Population estimates for Brazilian municipalities, Available at Portal Guandu. SAAE of Baixo Guandu discloses analysis of the water of the Rio Doce. (2015) Available at United Nations. (2015). In.: The Millennium Development Goals Report Available at 5