IMPACT OF LAND USE AND COVER ON GROUNDWATER QUALITY, CHALLENGES OF SCARCITY AND CONTAMINATION FOR WATER MANAGEMENT IN BRAZILIAN SEMI-ARID CITIES

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4215/rm2025.e24008

Keywords:

Aquifers, Environmental contamination, Domestic effluents, Nitrogen compounds

Abstract

Groundwater is strategic for socio-economic development, especially in semi-arid environments where, in many cases, it is the only viable resource for domestic supply and various economic sectors. In the city of Apodi, in the Brazilian semi-arid region, located in the recharge area of the Açu aquifer, groundwater is used for multiple purposes, but primarily for domestic supply. This work sought to study the relationship between the use and coverage of urban land and water quality, identifying qualitative limitations, sources, and types of contamination for water use in domestic supply. To this aim, wells and potentially contaminating sources were registered, physical and chemical parameters of water samples from 26 wells were collected and analyzed. The data were discretized using ordinary kriging, which made it possible to identify the relationship between the most consolidated urban area and nitrate contamination, which reached 34.6% of the wells analyzed. This points to the risk of qualitative scarcity of this important resource, mainly due to the lack or deficiency in the collection and treatment of domestic effluents.

Keywords: Aquifers, Environmental Contamination, Domestic Effluents, Nitrogen Compounds

Author Biographies

  • Lucas Matheus Garcia Tôrres, Federal University of Paraíba< João Pessoa (PB), Brazil

    PhD student in Geography at the Federal University of Paraíba - UFPB. He is a member of the Geoprocessing Laboratory (LABGEO). Researcher at the Semi-Arid Physical Geography Research Group (GEOFISA). He has experience in the area of ​​Physical Geography, with emphasis on Geoprocessing, Territorial Planning and Hydrogeography, working mainly on the following topics: groundwater, water resource management in the semi-arid region, urban water, land use and occupation, geoprocessing applied to water resources and hydrochemistry

     

  • Filipe da Silva Peixoto, State University of Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró (RN), Brazil

    Doutor em Hidrogeologia e Gestão de Recursos Hídricos (UFC). Professor do Departamento de Geografia da UERN e professor permanente dos Programas de Pós-Graduação em Geografia (PPGEO) e em Ciências Naturais (PPGCN) da UERN. Tem experiência em estudos integrados em Hidrogeografia e Hidrogeologia, atuando principalmente nos seguintes temas: gestão de recursos hídricos no semiárido, águas urbanas, geoprocessamento aplicado aos recursos hídricos e à qualidade sanitária, segurança hídrica e conflitos pelo uso da água.

  • Suely Souza Leal de Castro, Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte

    Doutora em Química pela Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (2000). Atualmente é professora adjunto IV do Curso de Química da Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte e docente permanente do Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Naturais (PPGCN). Tem experiência na área de Química, com ênfase em Eletroquímica e Química Analítica, atuando principalmente nos seguintes temas: eletroanalítica, desenvolvimento de sensores eletroquímicos, degradação/remoção de poluentes ambientais, tratamento de águas e efluentes, e diagnóstico e monitoramento ambiental.

  • Richarde Marques da Silva, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa (PB), Brazil

    PhD in Civil Engineering from the Federal University of Pernambuco - UFPE (Area of ​​Concentration: Environmental Technology and Water Resources). He is currently Associate Professor IV and Head of the Department of Geosciences/CCEN/UFPB. Permanent professor of the Postgraduate Program in Geography/UFPB (Master's and Doctorate), at ProfÁgua - Professional Master's in the National Network in Management and Regulation of Water Resources/UNESP, and collaborating professor of the Postgraduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering/UFPB (Master's and Doctorate). He works in the following areas: Geoprocessing, Remote Sensing, Geosciences, and Physical Geography, with emphasis on hydrological modeling, analysis of land use and occupation, soil erosion, and sediment production. He has supervised 14 doctoral theses, 30 master's dissertations, 40 undergraduate course completion papers, and 36 scientific initiation students. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of the following journals: OKARA: Geografia em debate (Qualis A2), Journal of Urban and Environmental Engineering (Qualis B1), Associate Editor of Heliyon (Impact Factor 4.0), and Associate Editor of Forests (Impact Factor 3.282); and is part of the editorial board of the following journals: Revista Geociências, Revista Ambi-Água. He is currently a reviewer of scientific articles in the following journals: Science of the Total Environment, Building and Environment, Sustainable Cities and Society, Hydrological Processes, International Journal of Climatology, Hydrological Sciences Journal, Water Resources Management, Catena, Land Degradation Development, Geocarto International, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, European Journal of Remote Sensing, Advances in Space Research, Journal of Urban Technology, PLOS ONE, Remote Sensing, Ecohydrology Hydrobiology, Theoretical and Applied Climatology, ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, Journal of Coastal Conservation, Acta Geophysica, Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration, Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências, Communications in Statistics - Simulation and Computation, Scientia Agricola, Revista Brasileira de Recursos Hídricos, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences, International Journal of Digital Earth, Environmental Challenges, Environment, Development and Sustainability, Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment, Journal of Ecological Engineering, Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration, Brazilian Journal of Water Resources, Brazilian Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Arabian Journal of Geosciences, African Journal of Agricultural Research, Ambi-Água Journal, Journal of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Soils, Journal of Health Biological Sciences, Brazilian Journal of Physical Geography, Geography Journal, Geografar, OKARA: Geography in debate, Nera Journal, and Cadernos do Logepa.

  • Celso Augusto Guimaraes Santos, Universidade Federal da Paraíba

    PhD in Engineering (1997) from Ehime University (Japan). He was an Associate Professor at Ehime University (Japan) in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, living in Japan for 10 years (1991-2001). Since 2002, he has been a Professor at the Federal University of Paraíba, where he was coordinator of the Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering (PPGECAM) from August 2004 to October 2009. He is a ResearchGate researcher and has experience in the area of ​​Civil Engineering, with an emphasis on Sedimentology, working mainly on the following topics: hydrosedimentological modeling, erosion, wavelet and rainwater harvesting, and has worked in several countries.

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Published

2025-06-06

Issue

Vol. 24 (2025)

Section

Artigos

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