Pesticides in surface water of the Ondas river watershed, western Bahia, Brazil: Spatial-seasonal distribution and risk assessment.

This study investigated the occurrence and seasonal distribution of different classes of pesticides in surface waters of the Ondas River Watershed, as well as potential risks to the aquatic health and human water consumption in the western region of Bahia state, Brazil. Two gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analytical methods were applied to monitor 34 pesticides in water samples collected during both the dry and rainy seasons at 17 sites. Upon individual analysis, only γ-HCH, methoxychlor, demeton-S, methyl parathion, fenitrothion, chlorpyrifos, and azoxystrobin exhibited statistically significant differences between seasons. During rainy season, concentration medians of residues were higher for γ-HCH (74.7 ng L-1), methoxychlor (25.1 ng L-1), and azoxystrobin (47.2 ng L-1), potentially linked to historical contamination or illegal use. Conversely, pesticides like methyl parathion, fenitrothion, and chlorpyrifos, belonging to the organophosphate class, showed higher concentration medians in the dry period, measuring 75.1, 5.50, and 10.8 ng L-1, respectively, probably due to region crop activities. The risk quotient (RQ) assessment for aquatic life indicated that 59.0% of the samples in the dry season and 76.0% in the rainy season had RQ values greater than one, signifying a critical scenario for species conservation. Regarding human consumption, elevated risks were observed for heptachlor in both sampling periods and for azoxystrobin during the rainy season, surpassing RQ levels above 1, indicating danger in untreated water ingestion. Additionally, 24.0% and 53.0% of the samples in the dry and rainy seasons, respectively, contained at least one pesticide exceeding the EU resolution limit (100 ng L-1). Therefore, considering this information, implementing mitigation measures to avoid the river's contamination becomes imperative.

Mercury Contamination as an Indicator of Fish Species' Trophic Position in the Middle Araguaia River, Brazil.

This study evaluates the use of mercury (Hg) concentrations in fish muscle tissue to determine a species' trophic position (TP) in its environment. A campaign conducted in 2019 along 375 km in the middle Araguaia River basin, Brazil, resulted in 239 organisms from 20 species collected. The highest total mercury (THg) concentrations were found in Pellonacastelnaeana (6.93 µg·g-1, wet weight) and in Triportheus elongatus (3.18 µg·g-1, wet weight), whose TPs were different according to the FishBase database. However, they occupied the same trophic level in this study. The intra-specific comparison showed a difference in Hg concentrations between individuals captured in distinct sites. The study of the biota-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) showed that spatiality interferes with a species' TP. Statistical analyses revealed that when we used a predicted species' TP based on each individual's size, it explained 72% of the variability in THg concentration across all fish species. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that standard length and FishBase values are positively associated with THg (R2 = 0.943). These results point to Hg as a viable indicator of a fish species' TP since it reflects regional, biological, and environmental factors, as demonstrated here for the middle Araguaia River.

Spatio-temporal study of water quality variables in the Rio de Ondas Hydrographic Basin, west of Bahia, Brazil using multivariate analysis.

Water bodies are containers that receive a large load of water quality variables through the release of domestic, industrial, and agricultural effluents. With this focus, this work aimed to conduct a temporal-spatial variability study in the Rio de Ondas Hydrographic Basin through multivariate statistical analysis. For this, seventeen collection sites were established in four stations along the Rio de Ondas and its tributaries between 2017 and 2018. Ionic chromatography with suppressed conductivity was used for ions determination, while ICP-OES determined metals' total concentrations. The land use and occupation assessment between 1985 and 2021 was using data from MapBiomas were used and the descriptive and multivariate analysis of the data using version free of the Statistica software. The results showed that, in 30 years, there was a growth of 569% of agricultural activities in the watershed area, with significant suppression of native vegetation, favoring the transport of contaminants to rivers. Ca2+, PO42-, Al, Cu, and Zn concentrations showed a statistically significant difference between the seasons, with higher medians in the rainy season. Rainy season influenced the formation of three groups in the PCA, consisting of electrical conductivity, salinity, TDS, and PO42- (group 1); temperature, Fe, SO42-, and Cl- (group 2); and Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and HCO3- (group 3). The strong correlation between parameters of each group indicates anthropic influence on the watershed's water quality. However, levels are within the potability standard.