Cemeteries may bring along serious environmental consequences, particularlyon the quality of groundwater. Concerned with the possibleconsequences that cemeteries may cause to the environment, the objectiveof this study was examine the vulnerability of groundwater inareas occupied by four cemeteries in the municipality of Santa Maria– Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Monitoring wells have been installed inSanta Rita de Cássia, Jardim da Saudade, Ecumenical Municipal andSão José Cemeteries, where the parameters of apparent color, turbidity,electric conductivity, total alkalinity, biochemical oxygen demand, nitrate,phosphorus, sodium, total and fecal coliforms were analyzed fromMarch to September of 2009. Based on the analyses results, it hasbeen concluded that the groundwater surrounding the cemeteries has no drinking water standard, and therefore it is not advisable to use it forconsumption. Parameters such as fecal coliforms, total coliforms andnitrate had values altered in some cemeteries, indicating possible contaminationof groundwater by necrochorume from the decompositionof human bodies.
