Appraisal of the water quality in beaches of Fortaleza city’s western coastline, Ceará State, Brazil

Abstract

The appraisal of the water quality off Fortaleza city’s beaches has been addressed in this paper based on samples  taken in six critical sites of its western coastline, in bimonthly periods over 12 months, from April, 2010 to February,  2011. For the analysis of that attribute, countings were made of the concentration of total coliforms, thermotolerant  coliforms and  Escherichia coli , as an indication of the environmental impact’s intensity by those groups of bacteria. The  results show that the sewerage system that runs through stormwater pipes, as a part of the urban draining, represent  the main vector accountable for the contamination and exposure of the sanitary conditions of those beaches. The high  estimated concentration values of coliforms and  E. coli are looked at as cause for alarm so that a regular monitoring plan  is deemed necessary to such an extent as to enable the identification and exclusion of the main sources of water pollution,  whereby the environment quality of Fortaleza city’s coastal zone can be preserved.