Degradation of dipyrone via advanced oxidation processes using a cerium nanostructured electrocatalyst material

This work studied the degradation of dipyrone, via electrochemical processes and via electro-Fenton reaction using a 4% CeO2/C gas diffusion electrode (GDE) prepared via modified polymeric precursor method. This material was used to electrochemically generate H2O2 through oxygen reduction. The mean crystallite sizes estimated by the Scherrer equation for 4% CeO2/C were 4 nm for CeO2-x (0 4 4) and 5 nm for CeO2 (1 1 1) while using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) the mean nanoparticle size was 5.4 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements revealed nearly equal concentrations of Ce(III) and Ce(IV) species on carbon, which contained high oxygenated acid species like CO and OCO. Electrochemical degradation using Vulcan XC 72R carbon showed that the dipyrone was not removed during the two hour electrolysis in all applied potentials by electro-degradation. Besides, when the Fenton process was employed the degradation was much similar when using cerium catalysts but the mineralization reaches just to 50% at -1.1 V. However, using the CeO2/C GDE, in 20 min all of the dipyrone was degraded with 26% mineralization at -1.3 V and when the Fenton process was employed, all of the dipyrone was removed after 5 min with 57% mineralization at -1.1 V. Relative to Vulcan XC72R, ceria acts as an oxygen buffer leading to an increase in the local oxygen concentration, facilitating H2O2 formation and consequently improving the dipyrone degradation © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

Influência do relevo e erodibilidade nos atributos químicos em área degradada de Gilbués, PI

Soil degradation can be defined as a process that reduces the ability of soil to produce property or services. Thus, the objective was to study the influence of topography and erodibility in the distribution of the chemical attributes of an Alfissol in degraded areas of Gilbués in the State of Piaui, Brazil. In the chosen area a sampling grid of 1 ha was demarcated, with points spaced at 10 x 10 m, and 121 samples were collected at intersections, in 0-0.20 m depth. Each point was georeferenced as a way to demarcate the area and prepare a topography map. For all samples pH, organic matter, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, hydrogen and aluminum were determined. The estimate of erodibility was calculated from the equation proposed by Denardin. Based on the experiment and the results obtained it is concluded that the number of samples used was sufficient to determine the variability of soil in degraded areas of the Gilbués municipality. The discontinuity in the topography of the landscape and erodibility cause a moderate degree of heterogeneity in most chemical properties of the studied soil, establishing specific management zones.

Sorption and desorption of phosphate on biochar and biochar-soil mixtures

The term biochar refers to materials with diverse chemical, physical and physicochemical characteristics that have potential as a soil amendment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the P sorption/desorption properties of various slow biochars and one fast pyrolysis biochar and to determine how a fast pyrolysis biochar influences these properties in a degraded tropical soil. The fast pyrolysis biochar was a mixture of three separate biochars: sawdust, elephant grass and sugar cane leaves. Three other biochars were made by slow pyrolysis from three Amazonian tree species (Lacre, Ingá and Embaúba) at three temperatures of formation (400 °C, 500 °C, 600 °C). Inorganic P was added to develop sorption curves and then desorbed to develop desorption curves for all biochar situations. For the slow pyrolysis, the 600 oC biochar had a reduced capacity to sorb P (4-10 times less) relative to those biochars formed at 400 °C and 500 °C. Conversely, biochar from Ingá desorbed the most P. The fast pyrolysis biochar, when mixed with degraded tropical mineral soil, decreased the soil's P sorption capacity by 55% presumably because of the high soluble, inorganic P prevalent in this biochar (909 mg P/kg of biochar). Phosphorus desorption from the fast pyrolysis biochar/soil mixture not only exhibited a common desorption curve but also buffered the soil solution at a value of ca. 0.2 mg/L. This study shows the diversity in P chemistry that can be expected when biochar is a soil amendment and suggests the potential to develop biochars with properties to meet specific objectives. © 2013 British Society of Soil Science.

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.

Integridade, disponibilidade e acurácia no posicionamento RTK e RTK em rede: Investigação no contexto da rede GNSS ativa do Estado de São Paulo

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Diversidade de vespas sociais (Hymenoptera: Vespidae; Polistinae) em fragmentos de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual no noroeste paulista

Pós-graduação em Biologia Animal - IBILCE

Contribuição diferencial de quatro famílias de aves dispersoras de sementes na recuperação de habitats florestais

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Comportamento reprodutivo e cooperação no ciclídeo neotropical Laetacara sp

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)

Detecção da citotoxicidade, genotoxicidade e mutagenicidade do inseticida fipronil no organismo teste Allium cepa

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Estudo de SNPs do cromossomo Y na população do Estado do Espirito Santo, Brasil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Utlização do DNA mitocondrial no contexto forense brasileiro

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Análise de polimorfismos da região controle do dna mitocondrial em indivíduos nascidos e residentes no estado do espírito santo para utilização na identificação humana

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Avaliação da chuva e banco de sementes em áreas de restinga, morfoecologia e potencial biótico de espécies ocorrentes nestes locais

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)