Desenvolvendo e gerenciando compostagem de resíduos sólidos urbanos: para geração de renda e repasse de tecnologia à acrevi

Nowadays, as well as in the past decades, the dumping of biodegradable organic waste in landfill is common practice in Brazil, as well as in most parts of the world. Nevertheless due to its rapid decomposition and release of odors, this practice hamper’s the operation and implementation of a recycling system. These facts encouraged our research to find an efficient system for the management of organic waste, not only for the use of official workers responsible for managing these wastes, but also for non-governmental institutions. The Recycling for Life Community Association – ACREVI (Associação Comunitária Reciclando para a Vida), together with the municipal authorities of Mossoró-RN, Brazil, have assumed the social role of collecting and recycling solid waste produced by most of the local population. However, it was observed that the organic waste it collected was not receiving any treatment. This present work aims to make compost with mixed waste (green waste and organic household), and then do chemical analysis of the material in view to use the waste as organic fertilizer. The objective being: to share the knowledge acquired by putting it into a very simple language accessible to people with little education. The experiment was conducted at ACREVI, Mossoró (RN), and the compost was obtained following the method "windrow", forming three cells (I, II, III) with conical shape, dimensions of 1.6 meters and 2.0 meters in diameter for cells I and II, and 1.0 meters high and 2.0 meters in diameter for cell III. The process was accompanied by analysis: CHN elemental, a variation of cell temperature, humidity, pH, TKN, bulk density, nutrients and heavy metals. Stabilized organic compounds reached the C/N ratio of 10.4/1 cell I and 10.4/1 in the cell II in the cell, showing how good soil conditions, with potential to improve the physical properties of any soil and pH acid soils, has presented the cell III at the end of the process the C/N 26/1, is a high ratio may be associated with the stack size III, thus changing the optimal conditions for the occurrence of the process. The levels of heavy metals in the analyzed compounds were lower than those established by the SDA normative instruction, Nº 27, of 5 June, 2006. The use of pruning trees and grass are used in small-scale composting, while generating a quality compost in the final process, it also created an important condition for a correct sizing of the composting piles. Under the studied conditions it is not advisable to use cells with a height of 1.00 m in height and 2.00 m in diameter, as these do not prevent the rapid dissipation of heat and thus can not be a good product at the end of composting. The composting process in the shed of the association and the preparation of the primer enabled the development of an alternative technology to generate income for members of ACREVI.

Ergonomia, sustentabilidade sócio-ambiental e atividade de pesca artesanal com jangadas: estudo de caso na Praia de Ponta Negra, Natal-RN

The fishing is made possible by the handiwork of a fisherman, not using appliances that achieve the same levels of industrial fishing productivity and not causing environmental impacts on fish stocks with the same intensity. The adoption of sustainability practices in this type of fishing has been requested for the achievement of environmental and socioeconomic improvements, since its production has been decreasing over the years and overfishing has led to reduced stocks also stand out environmental aggressions such as pollution. Thus, this research aims to analyze the interference of environmental aspects/impacts that permeate the activity performed by fisherman on the beach of Ponta Negra, Natal-RN, in order to propose recommendations for environmental sustainability. We used a methodology based on the ergonomic work analysis (WISNER, 1987; GUERIN, 2001; VIDAL, 2008) using techniques such as observational and interactional observation protocols, photographs, videos, conversational action, and listening to verbalizations. To understand the vulnerability of the environment in which the activity is carried fisherman and the interferences that it suffers, we used the study of environmental aspects/impacts (SÁNCHEZ 2008). As a result, it appears that from the observations located and reports raftsmen, changes in the sea, the search for new fishing grounds farther from the coast, reducing fishery production, waste generation and pollution of the workplace, and the difficulty in docking rafts, factors arising from the pressures both for society as Seen by fisherman, denoting the necessity of drawing up recommendations and actions proposed by management activity by promoting discussion among raftsmen and accountable institutions, and training through workshops on environmental education, aiming to positive changes in the activity fisherman from Ponta Negra and the environment in which raftsmen are inserted in order to seek a sustainable activity, preserving its characteristics

Elaboração de um plano de gerenciamento integrado de resíduos sólidos no restaurante universitário da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte

The concern about preservation of the environment reaches different layers and sections of global society. The environmental prior quality of our planet can only be reached through changes in the attitudes taken in relation due to the waste generated by society, this also lead involving the education sector, in example of the Superior Education Institutions where the concept of ambiental management needs to gain a growing space.In the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, can be found the Universitary Restaurant as an example of a Food and Nutrition Unit, it is a restaurant destined to provide services to the academic comunity with the production and distribution of meals. In this operational context the work itself aims subsidies and funds to the search of as minimal generation of residues as possible, applying environmentally correct processes and practices. The work was developed in the period of September to October of 2009 in the Universitary Campus of Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, in the Universitary Restaurant of the referred institution. The project involved all the employees of the restaurant and used like method the action survey. The produced waste was characterized, arranged according with it s nature (organic or inorganic) classificated following the NBR ISO 14004, adapted by Kinasz (2004) that adjusts the Standards to the specific reality of Food and Nutrition Services being diagnosed an expressive amount of produced waste in the Universitary Restaurant, it can be assured that a culture of wasting is very present and exists, contributing to the rise of solid residues, damaging the environment and consequently reflecting in the costs and expenses of the Unity, a known fact that characterizes and justifies the need of a promoting and active action that leads to positive reflexes in the economic and environmental area, drafting a Plan for Integrate Management of Solid Residues on the Universitary Restaurant of Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte

Evolução da biodegradabilidade da matéria orgânica em um sistema de lagoas de estabilização

Waste stabilization ponds (WSP) have been widely used for sewage treatment in hot climate regions because they are economic and environmentally sustainable. In the present study a WSP complex comprising a primary facultative pond (PFP) followed by two maturation ponds (MP-1 and MP-2) was studied, in the city of Natal-RN. The main objective was to study the bio-degradability of organic matter through the determination of the kinetic constant k throughout the system. The work was carried out in two phases. In the first, the variability in BOD, COD and TOC concentrations and an analysis of the relations between these parameters, in the influent raw sewage, pond effluents and in specific areas inside the ponds was studied. In the second stage, the decay rate for organic matter (k) was determined throughout the system based on BOD tests on the influent sewage, pond effluents and water column samples taken from fixed locations within the ponds, using the mathematical methods of Least Squares and the Thomas equation. Subsequently k was estimated as a function of a hydrodynamic model determined from the dispersion number (d), using empirical methods and a Partial Hydrodynamic Evaluation (PHE), obtained from tracer studies in a section of the primary facultative pond corresponding to 10% of its total length. The concentrations of biodegradable organic matter, measured as BOD and COD, gradually reduced through the series of ponds, giving overall removal efficiencies of 71.95% for BOD and of 52.45% for COD. Determining the values for k, in the influent and effluent samples of the ponds using the mathematical method of Least Squares, gave the following values respectively: primary facultative pond (0,23 day-1 and 0,09 day-1), maturation 1 (0,04 day-1 and 0,03 day-1) and maturation 2 (0,03 day-1 and 0,08 day-1). When using the Thomas method, the values of k in the influents and effluents of the ponds were: primary facultative pond (0,17 day-1 and 0,07 day-1), maturation 1 (0,02 day-1 and 0,01 day-1) and maturation 2 (0,01 day-1 and 0,02 day-1). From the Partial Hydrodynamic Evaluation, in the first section of the facultative pond corresponding to 10% of its total length, it can be concluded from the dispersion number obtained of d = 0.04, that the hydraulic regime is one of dispersed flow with a kinetic constant value of 0.20 day-1

Práticas agroecológicas para o cultivo do gergelim (Sesamum indicum L.)

The exceeded use of the natural resources required by the modern agriculture has been caused soil impoverishment, soil salinization and soil compaction. The unreasonable use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides causes chemical imbalances in the plant tissues, nutritional losses, taste chances and human health problems. The monocrops are more vulnerable to the pest and disease attacks. The aim of this work were to indicate the better relative planting time of the cowpea bean for the sesame/cowpea bean intercropping based on the evaluation of agronomic, economic, ecological and physiological parameters and to evaluate the viability of the cow urine and cassava wastewater use as alternative fertilizers on the sesame cultivation. In a field essay, when the sesame/cowpea bean was evaluate, the mainly treatments were the single planting of the two cultures and the multiple cropping, with the cowpea bean being planted on the same time, 7, 14 and 21 days after the sesame. The mainly treatments of the second essay were the combined doses of the cow urine (0 and 50 ml) and cassava wastewater (0, 500 and 1000 mL). In the intercrop evaluation significant differences were found between the treatments for the most of the parameters. It was verified that as the sowing of the cowpea bean was retarded in relation to the sesame sowing, the sesame performance increased when the cowpea bean performance decreased. The treatment 7 days balanced the competition relations that occurred between the two crops in the intercrop. The sesame presented little pronounced responses to the different doses of cassava wastewater. The cow urine affected the sesame growth and the growth rates increased with the increasing of the application of the product. The responses of the sesame growth to the cow urine application must be related both the nutritional richness of the product and the presence of growth stimulating substances. The obtained results indicated that in the sesame/cowpea bean intercropping, when the sesame is planted 7 days after the sesame, there is a higher possibility of the net gains to the farmer. Cow urine and cassava wastewater may be used as additional organic fertilizers