The Rio Doce’s basin, which is the fifth greatest basin of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, is severely degraded by the direct impacts on vegetation, soil, biodiversity, and water quality. Due to the importance of this basin, the use of aquatic bioindicators is one of the most modern methods to detect differentiated levels of organic matter, and its study and application is a relevant issue. This paper proposes the use microscopic organisms such phytoplankton, which combined with physicochemical parameters, would indicate pollution on its different levels. The applied methodology was according to Sladecek (1973) and Greenberg (1992). It was sampled seven collect stations on the Capim stream, in an area under the influence of a recycling paper industry, being the objective to assess the possible impacts on the trophic chain. The analysis presented the existence of 41 taxa, emphasizing the predominance of Oscilatoria and Anacystis genus, that belong to the Cyanophyta division, on more disturbed areas, while organisms from the Chlorophyta division were identified on the other sampled locations. Moreover, it was observed the ability that some genus like the Euglena and Navicula have to adapt to their environment, since these organisms were present on almost all samples.
Bioindicators; phytoplankton; saprobiotic system; paper industry
