Urban aquatic pollution in Brazil

One of the greatest problems observed in Brazilian urban watersheds is the amount of solid residue, domestic sewerage, and sediments that is disposed in rivers and streams. This chapter reviews the current environmental assessment approaches in use around three Brazilian states and some key issues in the field of sediment contamination, identifying areas requiring additional future attention. Despite the problems associated with effluent discharges, contaminated sites, and water quality standards, ecological risk assessment approaches have been introduced in South American countries. Many of the studies carried out on urban aquatic systems in Brazil have identified the role of wastewaters and sewage in their contamination. The water resources of the Rio Grande do Sul State have been the subject of numerous studies over the past decades, with regard to morphological sedimentological, physical, chemical, and biological aspects. Urban watercourses in São Paulo state suffer from the same environmental problems as Rio Grande Do Sul and Paraná.