A GEOQUÍMICA MULTIELEMENTAR NA GESTÃO AMBIENTAL IDENTIFICAÇÃO E CARACTERIZAÇÃO DE REGIÕES DE RISCO PARA A SAÚDE NOS MUNICÍPIOS DO SUDOESTE DO ESTADO DE GOIÁS, BRASIL.

Abstract

The geochemical responses of the environment are controlled first by natural geologic, pedologic, climatic, and biological processes. Superimposed on these natural influences, human activity plays an important role due to the possibilities of alteration of the geochemical environment caused by urban centers, as well as by industrial and agricultural activities. Multielemental geochemical surveys show their discriminatory capacity to research the geographical relationship among distribution of chemical elements, natural patterns, and anthropogenic alterations. In this study, we monitored the quality of water intended for human consumption in the 18 municipalities of the Southwestern micro-region of the state of Goiás, Brazil. Water samples collected in the Water Treatment Plants (WTPs) underwent multielemental chemical analyses (ICP OES method) in order to correlate the obtained data to waterborne diseases that can pose a threat to human health. Using the results of these analyses, we built up a correlation matrix (defining geochemical associations) and maps of chemical elements distribution. The integrated analysis of these data revealed the presence of high concentrations (values of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd order) of the elements Fe, Pb, Zn, as well as NO3 in the water samples collected in the WTPs of Aparecida do Rio Doce, Chapadão do Céu (artesian well), Jataí, and Mineiros. We also visited the Health Secretary of the state of Goiás aiming to collect as many epidemiological data as possible for the region under study. All the information collected is going to be included in DATASUS, SEPLIN/GO, and SVS/MS database. The importance of this study lies in the possibility of employing it as an instrument to release information using geoprocessing tools and searching for the incorporation of new technological, human, and logistic means to develop a policy for funding financial and material resources in order to achieve the effective decentralization of actions on health in the state of Goiás, as well as to establish priorities and strategies to enhance the health policy in the region under study.