ROADS TO POLLUTION: BRAZIL´S AQUATIC BIODIVERSITY AFFECTED BY TRUCK LEAKS

Abstract

Roads are responsible for various negative impacts on terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity. However, the negative effects of roads used by vehicles on aquatic biodiversity have been little explored. In this study, based on reports obtained from digital media and technical reports, we provide an overview of the pollution in Brazilian aquatic ecosystems caused by leakage from trucks. We found 73 truck leaks that reached Brazilian waterbodies, polluting them with fuel, pesticides and other substances. Pollution events caused the deaths of crustaceans, fish, and other vertebrates. According to the data obtained in our search, fish were the most impacted group, with records of at least 20 tons killed from a single spill. Measures must be adopted to prevent the entry of pollutants into waterbodies through truck leaks.