A influencia dos incêndios rurais na qualidade de águas superficiais

ABSTRACT: This study focuses on the impact of rural fires on water quality in the Mondego River basin in Portugal. An analysis of water quality was conducted to assess the interaction between fires, land use, geology, and precipitation. Data from a monitoring program conducted over two hydrological years were statistically analyzed and compared to a geochemical background. The results reveal substantial increases in the concentrations of Ca, K, Mg, NO3, SO4, and As in surface waters after the fires. These changes are accompanied by an increase in electrical conductivity. While some parameters returned to normal concentrations in the following months, As kept with elevated grades in some sites, which appear to reflect complex interactions between post-fire processes and geology.