PARASITOLOGICAL BIOINDICATORS AS SENTINELS OF ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING: RELATIONS BETWEEN WATER QUALITY IN THE CONSOLIDATION OF PRACTICES ALIGNED WITH THE ONE HEALTH CONCEPT

Abstract

Monitoring the quality of water bodies is essential to understanding the impacts of pollution resulting from urbanization and agricultural activity. In this context, parasitological bioindicators stand out as sensitive tools for detecting ecological changes, reflecting the physicochemical and sanitary conditions of the aquatic environment. This study conducted a literature review encompassing publications from the last fifteen years to evaluate the role of fish parasites as environmental bioindicators and discuss their contributions to water quality analysis and biomedical applicability. National and international databases were consulted, with emphasis on studies on thermotolerant coliforms, benthic macroinvertebrates, and physicochemical parameters, aiming to establish correlations between different monitoring methods. The analysis revealed that parasites, especially monogeneans and cestodes, are sensitive to heavy metals and organic pollutants, acting as biological markers of early contamination. The variation in parasitic communities showed a direct relationship with different environmental loci—urban rivers, estuaries, and agricultural areas—highlighting their effectiveness in the integrated assessment of ecosystems. Coliforms predominated in urban environments and macroinvertebrates in agricultural regions, confirming the importance of combined approaches for robust diagnoses. Based on Moraes (2003), the discursive textual analysis identified three interpretative axes: ecological surveillance, technical-institutional approach, and ecological and systemic integration. Thus, it is concluded that parasitological bioindicators are key instruments for the early diagnosis of water pollution and for strengthening interdisciplinarity between environmental health and public health, aligning with the principles of One Health.