Avaliação dos impactos socioambientais dos cemitérios de Jataí-GO

Abstract

Despite a significant portion of the population being uninformed, the mismanagement of solid and liquid waste from cemeteries has been a subject for researches, emphasizing the resulting environmental and health damages. The decomposition of organic matter produces a viscous substance of grayish-brown hue and an extremely unpleasant odor, known as necrochyme. Given this situation, as cemeteries serve as repositories for cadavers, proper waste management becomes necessary, considering that the decomposition of these remains can generate numerous contaminations sources in soils and groundwater. The aim of this study was to assess the socio-environmental impacts of cemeteries on residents in the vicinity of these installations located in Jataí-GO. This evaluation process involved conducting interviews and administering questionaries to both Municipal Department of Environment and Urbanism employees and residents in the cemeteries’ surroundings. A significant conclusion of the research was the realization that current cemetery management does not comply with regulations. Instead, it relies on the personal and professional experiences of the managers of these facilities. Furthermore, it became evident that the population lacks knowledge about the contamination risks associated with these environments. As a result, it was observed that some of the interviewed families consume water from wells or cisterns and vegetables grown directly in the soil, potentially contaminated with necrochyme, without a full understanding of the risks involved.