Evaluation of metals in water and sediments of micro-basins in the city of Americana, São Paulo state, Brazil

Water pollution found in major rivers in Brazil has its origin from urban sewage discharges and industrial effluent, carried out by small streams and rivers crossing cities. Therefore, studies related to hydrographic micro-basins offer the opportunity to establish environmental management strategies for restoring water resources, based on diagnosis of the water quality. Despite this understanding, few studies in urban and rural areas have been performed in a systematic manner in Brazilian micro-basins. The main goal of this research was to diagnose the water resources in micro-basins in the region of the district of Americana, São Paulo state, Brazil, through the quantification of metals in water and sediment. The methodology was based on the investigation of metals (Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn), in four micro-basins, determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The most significant result showed high concentration levels of chromium (969 μg L-1), downstream of the discharge of sewage from the city of Nova Odessa. This concentration in the river was above the allowed limit of Brazilian regulation agency (50 μg L-1 for Cr). Also high levels of Cr were found in the sediment (98.9 μg g-1) collected at the same monitored site. These results are important indicators of environmental performance and anthropogenic activities to help the government establish environmental management strategies aimed at the reduction of water pollution. © 2013 WIT Press.

Design of biogas pipeline - Energy and sanitation

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Atributos físicos de um Latossolo Vermelho distrófico degradado em resposta à aplicação de biossólidos

Sewage sludge, waste with high organic matter content and rapid decomposition, combined with sawdust, rich in carbon and slow decomposition, are suitable components for the study of degraded areas. In order to test the interactions of these residues in the recovery of a degraded soil in Selvíria - MS, four doses of sewage sludge (0, 8, 16 and 24 t ha -1, dry basis ) and four doses of sawdust particles (0, 8, 16 and 24 t ha-1, dry basis ) were tested in February 2009, in a completely randomized block design (4 × 4 + 1 factorial), with four replications. As indicators of the effects, the penetration resistance, gravimetric moisture and soil bulk density (0-0.10, 0.10-0.20; 0.20-0.40 m) were used. Significant effects were observed for the factors (sewage sludge and sawdust) and control treatment for penetration resistance in the soil depths studied, for gravimetric moisture in the intermediate layer and for the soil density in the surface and intermediate layers. Considering the type of soil and the short period of study (24 months), the use of organic wastes presented improvement in physical properties of soil in relation to control. However, it is necessary to study them for a longer period.

Contaminação das águas subterrâneas por nitrogênio devido à irrigação com efluente do tratamento de esgoto

Agriculture is an activity in which there is the possibility of using lower quality water and reuse appears as an alternative for irrigation. However, the negative environmental effects of reuse must be understood. The objective of the present work was to verify the potential of groundwater contamination by nitrogen duo to drip irrigation with effluent from domestic wastewater treatment. Three crop cycles of lettuce cv. Raider were conducted, the first between October and November 2009, the second in April and May 2010 and the third one in June and July 2010. The use of effluents was compared with potable water at accumulated water depths of 98.8 mm for the first, 98.4 mm for the second and 119 mm for the third cycle. Soil percolate concentrations of nitrate, nitrite and ammonia were studied at 0.25 m and 0.50 m depths in a completely randomized design. Percolate concentrations of nitrite and ammonia in soil irrigated with effluents showed no groundwater contamination risk. Nitrate however, caused concern, albeit with similar concentrations for both effluent and potable water.

Remoción de fósforo de diferentes aguas residuales en reactores aeróbios de lecho fluidizado trifásico con circulación interna

The wastewater discharge produces impacts on receiving water bodies. Nutrients as P produce implications on lentic systems because they accelerate the eutrophication processes. Several technologies for P removal from the wastewater have been used: physic chemical treatment systems with important effects by coagulant products addition; biological processes based on anaerobic and aerobic conditions with great implications on the required volume; natural systems as stabilization ponds and irrigation require bigger areas and post-treatment processes. The aerobic fluidized bed reactors with internal circulation (AFBRIC) are compact options with high concentrations of active biomass that have demonstrated their capacity for organic matter and N removal. For sewage from the wastewater pumping station of Ilha Solteira city and effluents of a recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) for semi-intensive tilapia farming, the reactive P and total P removal efficiency in three AFBRIC with 250 mm external tube diameter and different internal tube diameter (ITD), for two different support media at different concentrations was evaluated. The average reactive P removal efficiency for domestic wastewater to hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 3 hours and 125 mm ITD reactor varied from 25,6 to 38,4% and with 150 mm ITD reactor varied from 27,5 to 32,5%; the average total P removal for the RAS wastewater at a HRT of 0,19 hours and 100 mm ITD was of 32,7%.

Ecotoxicological assessment of sediments from an urban marine protected area (Xixová-Japuí State Park, SP, Brazil)

This study aimed to evaluate the environmental quality of the marine portion of Xixová-Japuí State Park (XJSP), an urban marine protected area, which is influenced by multiple contamination sources, by using ecotoxicological and geochemical analyses. Sediments were predominantly sandy, with low CaCO3 and organic matter contents, and presented contamination by metals (Cd,Cu,Zn). Acute toxicity was detected in three tested samples, and copepod exposed to sediments from four stations exhibited lower fecundities, despite the absence of significant effects. Contamination and toxicity seemed to be associated, suggesting that the environment is degraded and presents risks to the biota. Whole sediment TIE indicated ammonia as a main responsible for toxicity, suggesting sewage is a main contributor to sediment degradation. As external contamination sources seem to be negatively influencing the sediment quality, the park conservation objectives are not being fully reached, demanding actions to mitigate impacts. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Pollution-induced metabolic responses in hypoxia-tolerant freshwater turtles

The physiological control to support the absence of O2 for long periods of diving, and oxidative damage impact caused by the whole process of hypoxia/reperfusion in freshwater turtles is well known. However, effects of contaminants may act as co-varying stressors and cause biological damage, disrupting the hypoxia/reperfusion oxidative damage control. In order to investigate the action of environmental stressors present in domestic or industrial wastewater effluent, we performed a biochemical analysis of biotransformation enzymes, oxidative stress, as well as neuromuscular, physiological and morphological parameters in Phrynops geoffroanus, an hypoxic-tolerant freshwater turtle endemic of South America, using animals sampled in urban area, contaminated by sewage and industrial effluents and animals sampled in control area. Here we demonstrate the physiological and biochemical impact caused by pollution, and the effect that these changes cause in antioxidant activity. Animals from the urban area exhibited higher EROD (ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase, CYP1A1), GST (glutathione S-transferase), G6PDH (glucose-6-phosphate deshydrogenase), AChE (acetilcholinesterase) activities and also TEAC (trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity) and TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) values. We examined whether two morphometric indices (K - condition factor and HIS - hepatosomatic index) which help in assessing the general condition and possible liver disease, respectively, were modified. The K of the urban animals was significantly decreased compared to the control animals, but the HIS value was increased in animals from the urban area, supporting the idea of an impact in physiology and life quality in the urban freshwater turtles. We propose that this freshwater turtle specie have the ability to enhance its antioxidants defenses in order to protect from tissue damage caused by hypoxia and reperfusion, but also that caused by environmental contamination and that the oxidative damage control in hypoxic conditions has resulted in an adaptive condition in hypoxic-tolerant freshwater turtle species, in order to better tolerate the release of contaminated effluents resulting from human activity. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Lodos de esgoto, escória de aciaria e lama cal na cultura da soja sob sistema plantio direto em latossolo vermelho

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Níveis de lodo de esgoto no desenvolvimento, nutrição e produtividade da cultura do girassol

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Adubação mineral, esterco de curral e lodo de esgoto no desenvolvimento inicial do cafeeiro

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Adubação fosfatada e lodo de esgoto compostado na nutrição da mamoneira de porte baixo, cultivada sob calagem e silicatagem

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Agricultura) - FCA

Avaliação da qualidade de efluentes na criação de rã-touro (Lithobates catesbeianus)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Ictiofauna nos trechos médio e baixo rio Pardo, Alto Paraná: inventário

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Caracterização morfofisiológica dos hemócitos do Diplópodo Rhinocricus padbergi antes e após exposição a substrato contendo lodo de esgoto

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Avaliação do potencial citotóxico, genotóxico e mutagênico de esgoto por meio dos sistemas-teste Allium cepa e Tradescantia pallida

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)