First surface water monitoring conducted at the São Donato Biological Reserve (ReBio)

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.51572826020411

• Palavras-chave: Wetland. Environmental Quality. Conservation Unit.

• Keywords: Wetland. Environmental Quality. Conservation Unit.

• Abstract:

  Surface water monitoring is an essential tool for environmental assessment, as the quality of water resources comprehensively reflects the biological, ecological, physical, and chemical conditions of a study area. With the aim of assessing water quality—which is correlated with purification capacity—the first systematic water monitoring was carried out in 2024 and 2025 at the São Donato Biological Reserve, a state conservation unit that recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its legal establishment. The characterization comprised field and laboratory stages, during which the physicochemical and biochemical properties of samples collected at three strategic points adjacent to Highway BR-472—a road that cuts through the reserve and demarcates the municipalities of Itaqui and Maçambará in this section—were evaluated. The acidity of the collected samples indicates that the pH of the surface waters is balanced; analysis of temperature and dissolved oxygen showed that the water bodies formed around the aqueducts beneath BR-472 operate aerobically and occasionally anaerobically, some parameters are influenced by agricultural activity in the region, such as turbidity and COD. BOD and water hardness showed values considered appropriate for a balanced aquatic environment. Overall, the high environmental quality of the analyzed samples was confirmed, demonstrating that the protected wetland within this conservation unit fulfills the function of mitigating any imbalances that occur in the hydrograph of the analyzed area.