Avaliação da radioatividade natural em tintas de uso comercial no Brasil

A radioatividade natural presente em solos, rochas e materiais de construção, devida ao 40K e às séries radioativas do 232Th e 238U é a principal contribuição à exposição externa aos seres humanos. Neste trabalho, determinou-se as concentrações de atividade de 226Ra (da série do 238U), 232Th e 40K presentes em 50 amostras de tintas látex de cor branca comercializadas no Brasil, especificamente, 15 do tipo econômico, 15 do tipo standard, 20 do tipo premium e em uma amostra de dióxido de titânio. As amostras foram seladas e armazenadas por um período mínimo de 30 dias para se alcançar o equilíbrio radioativo secular nas séries do 238U e do 232Th e medidas pela técnica analítica de espectrometria gama de alta resolução. As concentrações de atividade foram calculadas utilizando-se as médias ponderadas pelas incertezas do 214Pb e 214Bi para o 226Ra e médias ponderadas pelas incertezas do 228Ac, 212Pb e 212Bi para o 232Th. A concentração de atividade do 40K foi determinada pela sua transição única de 1460,8 keV. Fatores de autoatenuação gama foram calculados e utilizados para correção da concentração de atividade das amostras com densidade maior que 1,0 g.cm-3. Os índices radiológicos equivalente em rádio (Raeq), índice de concentração de atividade (Iγ), índice de risco à exposição gama interna (Hin), o índice de risco à exposição gama externa (Hex) e a taxa de dose (D) e dose efetiva anual (Def) foram calculados a partir das concentrações de atividade do 226Ra, 232Th e 40K. As concentrações de atividade de 226Ra das tintas variaram entre valores abaixo da atividade mínima detectável e 38,7 Bq.kg-1, as de 232Th variaram entre valores abaixo da atividade mínima detectável e 101,2 Bq.kg-1 e as de 40K variaram entre valores abaixo da atividade mínima detectável e 256 Bq.kg-1. O Raeq variou entre 1,41 Bq.kg-1 e 203 Bq.kg-1, o Iγ variou entre 0,0047 e 0,720, o Hin variou entre 0,0076 e 0,653 e o Hex variou entre 0,0038 e 0,549. A taxa de dose variou de 0,170 nGy.h-1 a 21,3 nGy.h-1 e a dose efetiva anual variou entre 0,83 μSv.a-1 e 104,2 μSv.a-1. Estes resultados mostram que as concentrações de atividades das tintas utilizadas neste estudo estão abaixo dos limites recomendados por Hassan et al. para Raeq (370 Bq.kg-1), pela Comissão Européia para o Iγ (limite de 2 para materiais superficiais) e pela Organização para Cooperação Econômica e Desenvolvimento para Hin e para Hex (ambos com limite de 1), para todas as 50 amostras estudadas, mostrando assim a segurança destas tintas com relação a proteção radiológica.

Soil quality response to land-use change for sugarcane expansion in Brazil

Globally, increasing demands for biofuels have intensified the rate of land-use change (LUC) for expansion of bioenergy crops. In Brazil, the world\'s largest sugarcane-ethanol producer, sugarcane area has expanded by 35% (3.2 Mha) in the last decade. Sugarcane expansion has resulted in extensive pastures being subjected to intensive mechanization and large inputs of agrochemicals, which have direct implications on soil quality (SQ). We hypothesized that LUC to support sugarcane expansion leads to overall SQ degradation. To test this hypothesis we conducted a field-study at three sites in the central-southern region, to assess the SQ response to the primary LUC sequence (i.e., native vegetation to pasture to sugarcane) associated to sugarcane expansion in Brazil. At each land use site undisturbed and disturbed soil samples were collected from the 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm depths. Soil chemical and physical attributes were measured through on-farm and laboratory analyses. A dataset of soil biological attributes was also included in this study. Initially, the LUC effects on each individual soil indicator were quantified. Afterward, the LUC effects on overall SQ were assessed using the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF). Furthermore, six SQ indexes (SQI) were developed using approaches with increasing complexity. Our results showed that long-term conversion from native vegetation to extensive pasture led to soil acidification, significant depletion of soil organic carbon (SOC) and macronutrients [especially phosphorus (P)] and severe soil compaction, which creates an unbalanced ratio between water- and air-filled pore space within the soil and increases mechanical resistance to root growth. Conversion from pasture to sugarcane improved soil chemical quality by correcting for acidity and increasing macronutrient levels. Despite those improvements, most of the P added by fertilizer accumulated in less plant-available P forms, confirming the key role of organic P has in providing available P to plants in Brazilian soils. Long-term sugarcane production subsequently led to further SOC depletions. Sugarcane production had slight negative impacts on soil physical attributes compared to pasture land. Although tillage performed for sugarcane planting and replanting alleviates soil compaction, our data suggested that the effects are short-term with persistent, reoccurring soil consolidation that increases erosion risk over time. These soil physical changes, induced by LUC, were detected by quantitative soil physical properties as well as by visual evaluation of soil structure (VESS), an on-farm and user-friendly method for evaluating SQ. The SMAF efficiently detected overall SQ response to LUC and it could be reliably used under Brazilian soil conditions. Furthermore, since all of the SQI values developed in this study were able to rank SQ among land uses. We recommend that simpler and more cost-effective SQI strategies using a small number of carefully chosen soil indicators, such as: pH, P, K, VESS and SOC, and proportional weighting within of each soil sectors (chemical, physical and biological) be used as a protocol for SQ assessments in Brazilian sugarcane areas. The SMAF and SQI scores suggested that long-term conversion from native vegetation to extensive pasture depleted overall SQ, driven by decreases in chemical, physical and biological indicators. In contrast, conversion from pasture to sugarcane had no negative impacts on overall SQ, mainly because chemical improvements offset negative impacts on biological and physical indicators. Therefore, our findings can be used as scientific base by farmers, extension agents and public policy makers to adopt and develop management strategies that sustain and/or improving SQ and the sustainability of sugarcane production in Brazil.