A Comparative Study of Inland Water Quality – São Paulo (Brazil), France and England

Reports on inland water quality are often published in many countries. These reports present the results of monitoring networks and show the evolution of the water pollution control situation in these countries. The data in the reports published in France (Ministere du Environnement et Cadre de Vie, 1976) and England and Wales (Department of the Environment and the Welsh Office, 1975) were compared with similar data surveyed by CETESB (the Brazilian Environmental Protection Agency) in São Paulo State, Brazil. Some difficulties had to be overcome regarding adequate data processing to permit the comparison to be made. Moreover, it was necessary to deal with non-updated data. The main conclusion is that although some countries such as France and England traditionally have more resources and experience available than Brazil, they have not been able to solve pollution problems in a much more efficient way.