Journal of Tropical Diseases & Public Health

Abstract

Guidelines for Recreation Water Quallity in Brazil, USA and Canada: Enteric Viruses as Faecal Pollution Indicators

Rodrigo Pratte-Santos, Adilson P. Ribeiro and Jairo P. Oliveira

Investigation of the quality of drinking waters and recreational has become an important research area in world. However, in most countries there is no consensus on what parameters should be analyzed to establish that quality. Article summarizes conceptual basis and principles that guided revision of brazilian legislation, contextualizing with guidelines established for monitoring water quality in the US, Canada and Brazil. Brazilian potability standard is analyzed together with these countries, especially with regard to microbiological analysis, including group of enteric viruses. This evaluation, highlights huge disparities between standards in various countries, especially in terms of microbiological standards. In Brazil, only the Ministry of Health recommends that enteric viruses are monitored, but does not set limits for these pathogens, as the resolutions of the National Environmental Council does not cite the virus in their regulations. In US and Canada, health and environmental guidelines are more insightful and include a range of species of microorganisms in their monitoring, including group of enteric viruses.