Método de análise espaço-temporal para priorização do monitoramento de agrotóxicos em mananciais de abastecimento humano

Abstract

Brazil, a country with a strong agricultural sector, has stood out worldwide in terms of the consumption of pesticides. These substances are among the main organic contaminants from the agricultural sector, representing a risk to aquatic ecosystems. Consolidation Ordinance No. 5 of 2017 provides for the mandatory monitoring of pesticides in the water supplied to the Brazilian population, however, a small number of municipalities comply with the determination. It should be noted that due to the magnitude of Brazil and its different characteristics, the compounds listed in the specific ordinance may not represent a local reality. The ordinance itself recommends a sampling plan based on the use of pesticides in the watershed as well as an analysis of the seasonality of the crops. In this sense, the objective of the present study is the proportion of method for prioritizing crops, active ingredients, and times for monitoring pesticides in water sources, with the state of Espírito Santo as a case study. Data on areas planted with crops were used; marketing of pesticides and their physicalcompound characteristics; the phenology and plant health of crops; and climatic conditions for the selection of pesticides and priority seasons. In the state of Espírito Santo, coffee, sugar cane, corn, and banana crops were indicated as priorities by the proposed method. Of the 86 pesticides sold in the state, 54 were selected for monitoring. The rainy season of the year is the time of highest priority for monitoring the listed pesticides due to their high concentration of use of these substances. It was found that there are differences between the norms of pesticides in water in the priority and non-priority months, corroborating the effectiveness of the method for defining the time for monitoring pesticides. Thus, it is important to highlight the potential of the proposed method for auxiliary states, municipalities, and regions to select, prioritize and monitor pesticides in their sources more assertively and adapted to local singularities.