Comparison of the physical, chemical and biological parameter magnitudes and cyanobacterial bloom in the Alagados reservoir of Ponta Grossa - PR

Abstract The cyanobacterial bloom is a consequence of eutrophication in a lentic environment. It is attributed to the contribution of nutrients related to anthropic action, as well as geographic and physico-chemical conditions. Water quality parameters of Alagados reservoir, which supplies Ponta Grossa, were determined between 08/2013 and 08/2014 to evaluate their effects on the occurrence of bloom. Some parameters, such as pH (9.1), DO (4.2 mg L-1), BOD (39 mg L-1), TP (0.86 mg L-1) and number of cyanobacterial cells (372,536 cells mL-1), were outside the limits recommended by CONAMA 357/05 for Class II and Decree 2,914/11 of the Ministry of Health. The bloom was predominantly caused by the overdevelopment of Cylindrospermopsis sp. and required additional use of chemical products in the treatment of municipal water supplies, to include coagulant (19.6%), polymer (21.0%) and activated carbon (1,889%), with a corresponding cost increase of 58%. The Water Quality Index confirmed the worsening of reservoir water quality during bloom. The Principal Component Analysis of historical data (01/2003 to 08/2014) did not discriminate the cyanobacteria levels classes (< 2,000, 2,000-20,000, 20,000-50,000 and > 50,000 cells mL-1) based on Brazilian standards, which was confirmed by the Hierarchical Cluster Analysis; although it confirmed a logical correlation between some parameters (climatic condition-reservoir rainfall-reservoir level and BOD-COD). The unidentified correlations can be attributed to the adaptability of Cylindrospermopsis sp. and the ecological complexity that requires higher sampling frequency.