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Abstract
In this work, an assessment of groundwater quality and its compliance with Brazilian environmental protection standards was carried out. Ground waters from the Serra Geral aquifer are currently used for human consumption at the western region of the Brazilian state of Paraná. Ground water samples from 10 wells covering the entire Toledo municipality rural region were collected and analysed by two highly accurate and sensitive spectrometric techniques: inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and total reflection X-ray spectrometry (TXRF). Among all detected elements, 18 elements (As, Ba, Br, Ca, Pb, Cl, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, P, S, Mn, Ni, K, Ti, V and Zn) were measured by the TXRF technique while three elements (B, Mg and Na) were measured by ICP-OES. Trace element concentration levels were then compared with Brazilian environmental legislation (BEL). From the results obtained, concentrations of chromium, iron, arsenic, selenium, manganese and barium were detectable in some wells at slightly above the maximum limits allowed by the BEL.