Monitoramento da qualidade da água, saneamento e higiene em escolas públicas de Bragança, Pará

Abstract

Drinking water, sanitation and hygiene are essential for maintaining the health and well-being of human population. Since health, hygiene and learning are interconnected, schools are environments that need special attention in relationship of water quality, hygiene, and sanitation. However, in Brazil, several schools do not have access to potable water or a basic sanitation system, which is critical in the North region where only 55% of the population have access to drinking water and only 10% of the effluents are connected to the sewage network, usually untreated which can contaminate drinking water. Therefore, the present study aimed to monitor the water quality and hygienic-sanitary aspects of public schools in Bragança, Pará. Over two years, water quality and hygienic-sanitary aspects were evaluated in 16 schools in the municipality. The results showed that, in most schools, the school community consumed non-potable water during some part of the period evaluated because, of the 144 samples analyzed, 45.8% (N = 66) presented total and thermotolerant coliforms in concentrations that varied from 3.0 at >1100 NPM/100 ml. It was also identified that 56.7% of the samples exceeded the limit of 5.0 uT, established as acceptable for drinking water by the Ministry of Health. Regarding hygienic-sanitary conditions, problems were identified such as: lack of maintenance in the bathrooms, garbage accumulated on school grounds and lack of water and sewage treatment, the latter being predominantly dumped on the streets. Such results show that school managers must plead, with the competent authorities, improvement in the infrastructure of schools, treatment of drinking water, as well as developing sanitary education activities with the school community. Considering these aspects, we made available to school managers the booklet developed at the beginning of the monitoring program in schools, which contains guidelines on water treatment, and care related to hygienic-sanitary aspects. All these measures can help to improve the quality of drinking water and the hygienic-sanitary conditions of schools so that they become a healthier environment that provides the well-being of the school community.