COMPARISON OF THE QUANTIFICATION OF ESCHERICHIA COLI AMONG RURAL BALNEARYS IN RELATION TO THE PLUVIOMETRIC INDEX

Abstract

Although the water in the agricultural balnearys of the Sinos Hydrographic Basin is, by common sense, considered "clean", it was necessary to evaluate it in terms of bathing, since in high temperatures there are great variation of people. Analyzed, was confirmed that, according to the Resolução do Conselho Nacional do Meio Ambiente nº 274/2000, these waters were inappropriate for the parameter, because, several samples presented a NMP / 100mL of E. coli superior than allowed. According to the literature and the quantification of precipitation accumulated in the periods when were realized the collections, a correlation between the pluviosity recorded hours before collection or in a longer period before collection with the concentration of E. coli was identified.