Influência de rodovias na qualidade da água adjacente: um estudo de caso no sul da mata atlântica

Abstract

Highways cause disturbances in ecosystems, including the pollution of water bodies by metallic elements derived from traffic. This study aimed to assess the presence and concentration of metallic elements in water bodies with (CI) and without (SI) the influence of highways with different traffic volumes. The study was conducted in the vicinity of the RS-135 (high traffic) and RS-331 (low traffic) highways, in an Atlantic Forest region in southern Brazil. Water samples were collected in August and September 2025 and analyzed for 24 metallic elements. Of the 14 elements that presented values above the detection limit, all had higher mean concentrations in the areas with highway influence (CI) compared to the areas without influence (SI). V presented a significantly higher concentration in the CI areas. A counterintuitive finding was that the low-traffic highway (RS-331) presented significantly higher concentrations of Sr, Na, K, Ca, and Mg in its CI areas compared to the high-traffic highway (RS-135). Concentrations of Al, Fe, and Mn exceeded the limits established by CONAMA Resolution n. 357/2005, predominantly at the CI sites. It was concluded that highway operation promotes an increase in the concentration of metallic elements in surface waters, and that traffic volume is not the sole determining factor, as contamination is also influenced by local environmental factors.