Influência do manejo do solo em atributos químicos, físicos e microbiológicos dos córregos Jaboticabal e Cerradinho

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Antimicrobial resistance of heterotrophic marine bacteria isolated from seawater and sands of recreational beaches with different organic pollution levels in southeastern Brazil: evidences of resistance dissemination

Antimicrobial resistance of marine heterotrophic bacteria to different antimicrobials agents were evaluated in seawater, dry and wet sands from three marine recreational beaches with different pollution levels. In all studied beaches, the greatest frequencies of resistance were found in relation to penicillin. on Gonzaguinha, the most polluted beach, 72.3% of all isolated strains showed simple resistance, whilst 8.33% had multiple resistance. The values found on Ilha Porchat beach, were 70.8% and 6.9% for simple and multiple resistances, respectively. on GuaraA(0), the less polluted beach, only 35.3% of isolated strains had simple resistance. Multiple resistance was not observed. While samples from Gonzaguinha and Ilha Porchat beach showed isolated strains resistant to seven and six different antimicrobial agents, respectively, samples from GuaraA(0) beach were resistant only to penicillin and erytromicin. The positive correlations obtained between the degree of seawater contamination and frequency and variability of bacterial resistance indicate that polluted marine recreational waters and sands are sources of resistant bacteria contributing thus, to the dissemination of bacterial resistance.

Integrated sediment quality assessment in Paranagua Estuarine System, Southern Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Preconcentration and determination of Cu(II) in a fresh water sample using modified silica gel as a solid-phase extraction adsorbent

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

SPERM QUALITY IN ADULT MALE RATS EXPOSED TO CADMIUM IN UTERO and LACTATION

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

Evaluating the use of predatory insects as bioindicators of metals contamination due to sugarcane cultivation in neotropical streams

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

Role of Ca, Fe, Cu and Zn in breast cancer: Study by X-ray fluorescence techniques and immunohistochemical analysis

In recent years, several studies have shown that concentrations of trace elements are altered in neoplastic breast tissues. However, the microenvironment and metabolic changes caused by tumors are complex and still not completely understood. Under this aspect, the combination of different techniques to investigate the role of trace elements in promoting and/or maintaining a tumor is interesting once the combination of information obtained by analytical techniques and immunohistochemical assays, associated with clinicopathological data, may allow a better metabolic understanding of trace elements in breast cancer. In this work, the role of the trace elements Ca, Fe, Cu and Zn in neoplastic breast tissues was investigated by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) techniques and immunohistochemical assays. We determined concentrations of Ca, Fe, Cu and Zn in normal and neoplastic breast tissues using energy dispersive XRF, and these values were used to set the positive or negative expression of elements in normal and neoplastic tissues. These expressions were correlated with the spatial distributions of trace elements (evaluated by micro-XRF) and with immunoexpression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), tissue inhibitors of MMPs and vascular endothelial growth factor. The results revealed that the expression of the trace elements Fe, Cu and vascular endothelial growth factor are related, indicating that higher levels of these elements can be associated with the angiogenic process in breast cancer. Also, associations between Ca, Zn and MMPs expression have been observed, possibly because of the fact that both metals are present in these proteins. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Integrated quality assessment of sediments from harbour areas in Santos-São Vicente Estuarine System, Southern Brazil

Santos-São Vicente Estuarine System is a highly populated coastal zone in Brazil and where it is located the major port of Latin America. Historically, port activities, industrial and domestic effluents discharges have constituted the main sources of contaminants to estuarine system. This study aimed to assess the recent status of sediment quality from 5 zones of Port of Santos by applying a lines-of-evidence approach through integrating results of: (1) acute toxicity of whole sediment and chronic toxicity of liquid phases; (2) grain size, organic matter, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, trace metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, linear alkylbenzenes and butyltins; (3) benthic community descriptors. Results revealed a gradient of increasing contamination for metals and organic compounds, alongside with their geochemical carriers. Sediment liquid phases were more toxic compared to whole sediment. Low number of species and individuals indicated the impoverishment of benthic community. The use of site-specific sediment quality guidelines was more appropriate to predict sediment toxicity. The integration of results through Sediment Quality Triad approach and principal component analysis allowed observing the effects of natural stressors and dredging on sediment quality and benthic distribution. Even with recent governmental efforts to control, pollution is still relevant in Port of Santos and a threat to local ecosystems. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Evaluation of diffusive gradients in thin films technique (DGT) for measuring Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn in Amazonian rivers

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

Measurements of labile Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn levels at a northeastern Brazilian coastal area under the influence of oil production with diffusive gradients in thin films technique (DGT)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Rainwater major and trace element contents in Southeastern Brazil: an assessment of a sugar cane region in dry and wet period

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

Determination of heavy metals and genotoxicity of water from an artesian well in the city of Vazante- MG, Brazil

The city of Vazante-MG is of great socioeconomic and environmental interest because it is the most important zinc producer district of Brazil. The mineral processing and geochemical processes may determine high concentrations of heavy metals in water intended for human consumption. Thus, the present study aimed to quantify and evaluate the heavy metal genotoxicity of artesian water in the city by Atomic absorption spectrophotometer analysis and testing with the Allium cepa test, respectively. This study reveals a chemical contamination in well water in the city, caused by the presence of heavy metals. Therefore, it can be considered that the high levels of heavy metals found in water samples are correlated with the genotoxic events observed in root cells of A. cepa.

Inorganic and organic trace mineral supplementation in weanling pig diets

A study was conducted to evaluate the s of dietary inorganic and organic trace minerals in two levels of supplementation regarding performance, diarrhea occurrence, hematological parameters, fecal mineral excretion and mineral retention in metacarpals and liver of weanling pigs. Seventy piglets weaned at 21 days of age with an average initial body weight of 6.70 ± 0.38 kg were allotted in five treatments: control diet (no added trace mineral premix); 50% ITMP (control diet with inorganic trace mineral premix supplying only 50% of trace mineral requirements); 50% OTMP (control diet with organic trace mineral premix supplying only 50% of trace mineral requirements); 100% ITMP (control diet with inorganic trace mineral premix supplying 100% of trace mineral requirements); and 100% OTMP (control diet with organic trace mineral premix supplying 100% of trace mineral requirements). Feed intake and daily weight gain were not affected by treatments, however, piglets supplemented by trace minerals presented better gain:feed ratio. No differences were observed at calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sodium and sulfur excreted in feces per kilogram of feed intake. Treatments did not affect calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur and iron content in metacarpals. Trace mineral supplementation, regardless of level and source, improved the performance of piglets.

Direct determination of Cu, Cd, Ni and Pb in aquatic humic substances by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

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

Antimicrobial resistance and species composition of Enterococcus spp. isolated from waters and sands of marine recreational beaches in Southeastern Brazil

Density, species composition and antimicrobial resistance in bacteria of the Enterococcus genus were evaluated in seawater and sands from 2 marine recreational beaches with different levels of pollution. The 2 beaches showed predominance of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium, in the water and the sand. Dry sand presented higher densities of Enterococcus sp. and higher frequency of resistant strains than wet sand and seawater. The beach with a higher degree of pollution presented higher percentages of resistant strains (66.7% and 61.5%, in sand and in water, respectively) and resistance to a larger number of antimicrobials compared with the less polluted beach, Ilha Porchat (35.7% and 31.25% of resistant strains in sand and water, respectively). in water samples, the highest frequencies of resistance were obtained against streptomycin (38.5%) and erythromycin (25%), whilst in sand, the highest frequencies were observed in relation to erythromycin and tetracycline (38.1% and 14.3%, respectively). These results show that water and sands from beaches with high indexes of faecal contamination of human origin may be potential sources of contamination by pathogens and contribute to the dissemination of bacterial resistance. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.