Manejo de resíduos oriundos do agroprocessamento no município de Cachoeira do Arari, Ilha do Marajó.

Abstract

The Brazilian agricultural sector is a fundamental vector for socioeconomic development in the country, especially agro-processing. This sector, however, generates a huge volume of waste with a high potential to compromise socio-environmental quality if not properly disposed of. This condition is more problematic when such activities are the socioeconomic base of a place and for this environment there is no management planning for these materials. The objective of the study was to estimate the volume, verify the management and socio environmental impacts caused by organic waste from agro-processing in the municipality of Cachoeira do Arari, Ilha do Marajó, in order to propose sustainable alternatives for the reuse of these materials. For this purpose, surveys were carried out in three stages, the first being: consultation in an official document from the Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company of the State of Pará (EMATER-PA), for the selection of the main activities of the municipal agro sector, being cattle raising, buffalo, production of artisanal cheeses, açaí and artisanal fishing; and obtaining quantitative data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Subsequently, data were collected at the Pará State Agricultural Defense Agency (Adepará) and municipal secretariats, for activities with limited public information. The last stage consisted of on-site visits to establishments in the municipality to conduct interviews and collect information on waste management. The results reveal that an average of 238.5 t of cattle and 318 t of buffaloes are slaughtered at the municipal slaughterhouse per year, generating 260 t of disposable materials. The artisanal production of cheese varies between 10 kg/day/off-season and 110 kg/day/harvest, and can generate up to 1,100 L/day/harvest of whey + effluents. The processing of assai, which takes place at 26 commercial points in the just municipality, produces 322 t of waste (seeds + fibers) per year. The residues from the commercialization of artisanal fishing products are very small, compared to the other activities studied, considering that, traditionally, the cachoeirense population buys species from the river and that, in 80% of the cases, they are consumed without the process of cutting or filleting. Most of the waste from the agro-processing carried out in the municipality has an environmentally inappropriate destination, being discarded in a municipal dump, without receiving any prior treatment, compromising the environment and public health, especially of the urban population that lives close to the site.