Caracterização do risco potencial de ocorrência de doenças de transmissão hídrica em instituições de educação infantil e ensino fundamental em um município de Minas Gerais

Abstract

Water can be an important means of transmitting diarrheal and infectious diseases, which makes it essential to assess its potability standards through microbiological and physicochemical analyses, since it is intended for human consumption. Many biological agents can be found in water, such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and helminths. In this context, the aim of this study was to characterize the potential risk of waterborne disease transmission in early childhood education and elementary school institutions in the municipality of Contagem - Minas Gerais, by assessing the drinking water standards of 20 schools. The following parameters were analyzed: pH, turbidity, residual chlorine, presence of heterotrophic bacteria, Total/Termotolerant Coliforms and Escherichia coli and the potability standard was determined, as established by current legislation (GM/MS No. 888-2021). All the parameters analyzed were within the range recommended by current legislation, thus defining the potential risk of transmission of water-borne diseases in these educational institutions as low.This study concluded that the water samples from the 20 educational institutions evaluated are fit for consumption and do not pose a health risk. A technical report was sent to the selected institutions with information on the analyses, the results found and recommendations for maintaining water quality standards, and a poster was made to be distributed in schools with information on the importance of drinking water.