Sanitary conditions of neighborhoods near the Olympic park and the Olympic village of Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

Inadequate sewage treatment, collection and disposal are recurrent complex problems in some neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro and the lack of adequate sanitation is not related only to the level of education or social status of local population. An example is the administrative area of Barra da Tijuca, which comprise eight neighborhoods with a heterogeneous socioeconomic profile and an important lagoon complex, negatively affected by the constant discharge of raw sewage. This region has been hosting major international events, such as 2016 Olympic Games and Rock in Rio music festivals. However, even with major improvements in the region's infrastructure, including the Olympic Park and the Olympic Village, sewage system has not been improved and the environmental situation of the lagoon complex is severely deteriorating. Therefore, this study aimed to assess, through online forms, the socioeconomic profile of the population in this area and their understanding of the sanitary conditions. According to the responses, 85% were professionals with higher education, with an average income of R$8592.65 and 39.7% lived in building condominiums. In addition, 20% said they live where there is some type of private wastewater treatment, but 40.5% of interviewed said that basic sanitation in their neighborhood is “poor” or “very bad”. On the other hand, 61% would invest own resources to improve the treatment of their sewage. Another issue was the personal pharmaceutical stock and their disposal. As a result, 60% maintain a stock at home and 55% never thought that the irregular disposal of medicines (sink or toilet) and inadequate sewage treatment could be one of the main routes of these pharmaceuticals to the region's lagoons, increasing the risk of environmental damage. Despite the investments, which are extremely necessary to adequate sanitation, environmental education of inhabitants can also provide relevant improvements on environmental and human well-being and health.