Influence of domestic sewage leakage on the collapse of tropical soils

In the studied region, 35% of the soil collapses are related to leakage from sewage ducts. The paper describes the soils from this part of Brazil and a series of laboratory tests undertaken using water and domestic sewage fluid as the wetting agents. It is considered that the presence of soaps and detergents as recorded by the sodium concentration facilitates the densification of the soils and hence has a major effect on the surface settlement/collapse.

Solubilization profiles of metal ions from bioleaching of sewage sludge as a function of pH

Two patterns of solubilization of metal ions resulting from bioleaching of sewage sludge by sulphur-oxidizing Thiobacillus spp. were established as a function of pH. Chromium and copper ions required a pH of 2-3 to initiate their solubilization, whereas nickel and zinc ions had their solubilization initiated at pH 6-6.5. The patterns obtained were independent of the sludge solids concentrations investigated (10, 17, 25, 32.5 and 40 g l(-1)).

Agronomic Traits of Corn Fertilized with Sewage Sludge

Although research on the environmental impacts of using waste as a fertilizer is of great importance, the basic principle for using a product as fertilizer is that it should provide nutrients for plants without causing any harm to them. The objective of this study was to evaluate the agronomic traits (number of nodes, plant height, leaf number, yield, and protein content of grains) and the nutritional status of corn treated with sewage sludge. The experiment was conducted in the municipality of Jaboticabal in a Red Latosol. A randomized block design with four treatments (0, 55, 110, and 167.5 Mg ha(-1) of sewage sludge) and five repetitions was used. At 30 days after emergence (DAE), the dose of 110 Mg ha(-1) dry weight presented greater values for plant height, leaf number and stem diameter. At 60 DAE, the treatments did not affect the agronomic traits. No influence from the treatments tested was observed for protein content of grains and yield. The dose of 167.5 Mg ha(-1) showed greater weight of 100 seeds. All treatments showed nutritional imbalances. This study confirmed the agricultural potential of sewage sludge as a source of nutrients.

Impact of sewage sludge on the soil bacterial communities by DNA microarray analysis

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

Fecal Sterols in Estuarine Sediments as Markers of Sewage Contamination in the Cubatao Area, São Paulo, Brazil

Sterol biomarkers serve as an alternative method for detecting sewage pollution. Sterols were extracted from samples of surface sediment collected in Cubato (the Vila dos Pescadores and Vila Esperan double dagger a communities) and quantified using GC-MS after Soxhlet extraction, cleanup, and derivatization. Fecal contamination was evaluated based on the concentration of coprostanol and the ratio of the selected sterols. The most abundant sterol was cholestanol, followed by coprostanol. The concentrations of coprostanol in surface sediments ranged from a minimum of 4.21 mu g g(-1) dry sediment (Vila dos Pescadores station) to a maximum of 8.32 mu g g(-1) dry sediment (Vila Esperan double dagger a station). A coprostanol concentration of about 10 mu g g(-1) was found, indicating areas of high sewage contamination. Coprostanol levels at sewage stations were higher than in other Brazilian coastal areas, which may be attributed to the fraction of the population without sanitation services.

Experimental investigation of soil and groundwater impacts caused by vinasse disposal

The problems caused by the residual effluents of wine distilleries for alcohol production are well known. The effluent effects in soil and groundwater are being researched in an area with sugar cane culture which receives, yearly, vinasse by dispersion. Samples are being collected from the soil, the groundwater and the existing creeks in the area. Four sub-areas are being monitored separately with a vinasse application of 300 m 3/ha year. Experimentation periods in each area have been 0, 5, 10 and 15 years. In the unsaturated zone, samples are being collected at depths of 25, 75 and 150 cm. The chemical analyses include macro and micro nutrients, organic matter and pH. Physical analyses give the soil water retention, hydraulic conductivity and soil particle distribution. These measurements permit the evaluation of nitrogen absorption and fertility changes of the soil. A tendency for the maintenance of soil fertility can be observed but with an elevation of nitrate concentration in groundwater.

Programa de controle de surto de escorpião Tityus serrulatus, Lutz e Mello 1922, no município de Aparecida, SP (Scorpiones, Buthidae).

A scorpion control program was proposed for the town of Aparecida (SP), an endemic region of Tityus serrulatus. Clusters of scorpions in urban and rural areas, environmental degradation of the town's outskirts and new scorpion procreation and dispersal habitats were studied. In addition, infrastructure problems such as the disposal and collection of residential and municipal refuse, sanitation (sewage and storm sewer), condition of vacant lots and constructions in the urban area were evaluated. After an epidemiological study, educational measures such as the distribution of pamphlets, cleaning group work, visits to residences and cooperation from High School teachers and students were also suggested. Chemical control was indicated in high-risk sites, especially those of near-school buildings. Furthermore, the use of natural predators was also mentioned within the present sanitation regulations for urban areas. The authors assert that these procedures must be integrated and continued uninterruptedly for several years. They also suggest a collaborative work with those responsible for the dengue eradication program, as well as the institution of the scorpion study week, which would greatly contribute to the education of the population, to preventive programs and to scorpion control.

Hydrochemistry on a waste disposal area of sand mining activities at Analandia, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, and their implications on the mobilization of uranium

Groundwaters and surface waters from an area of treatment of sand for industrial purposes at Analandia municipality, nearly in the center of Sao Paulo State, Brazil, were chemically and isotopically analyzed with two aims: to evaluate if the anthropogenic activities that has taken place for the last 6 years is affecting the quality of the hydrological resources and to relate the hydrogeochemical behaviour of the uranium isotopes 234U and 238U with the pattern of circulation of groundwaters.

Nickel in a tropical soil treated with sewage sludge and cropped with maize in a long-term field study

Sewage sludge produced by the SABESP wastewater treatment plant (Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo), located in Barueri, SP, Brazil, may contain high contents of nickel (Ni), increasing the risk of application to agricultural soils. An experiment was carried out under field conditions in Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil, with the objective of evaluating the effects on soil properties and on maize plants of increasing rates of a sewage sludge rich in Ni that had been applied for 6 consecutive years. The experiment was located on a Typic Haplorthox soil, using an experimental design of randomized blocks with four treatments (rates of sewage sludge) and five replications. At the end of the experiment the accumulated amounts of sewage sludge applied were 0.0, 30.0, 60.0 and 67.5 t ha-1. Maize (Zea mays L.) was the test plant. Soil samples were collected 60 d after sowing at depths of 0-20 cm for Ni studies and from 0 to 10 cm and from 10 to 20 cm for urease studies. Sewage sludge did not cause toxicity or micronutrient deficiencies to maize plants and increased grain production. Soil Ni appeared to be associated with the most stable fractions of the soil organic matter and was protected against strong extracting solutions such as concentrated and hot HNO3 and HCl. Ni added to the soil by sewage sludge increased the metal concentration in the shoots, but not in the grain. The Mehlich 3 extractor was not efficient to evaluate Ni phytoavailability to maize plants. Soil urease activity was increased by sewage sludge only in the layer where the residue was applied. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Some reflections on the future of the water quality of the corumbataí River basin, São Paulo state, Brazil

The waters of Corumbataí River in the middle and eastern part of São Paulo State, Brazil, are extensively used for human consumption; their water quality has been modified mainly due to increasing pressure caused by population growth, accompanied by a more accentuated industrial development for the whole São Paulo State in the early 1970s. The Corumbataí River basin has, over time, received significant emissions of municipal waste products and discharges of wastewater, sludge, sewage, sanitary and industrial effluents, but the first effluent treatment plant at Rio Claro city was only inaugurated at the end of the 1990s. Data on river water quality from two widely spaced locations in the Corumbataí River basin are reported in this paper; they indicate the need for continuous initiatives and efforts by decision makers in order to improve and preserve the water quality in the basin for the 21st century. Copyright © 2007 IAHS Press.

Groundwater quality on a waste disposal area due to sand mining activities in São Paulo state, Brazil

This investigation reports the results of a study realized in an area related to the development of sand mining activities, which belongs to Sibelco Mineração Ltd. The site is located around Analândia municipality, nearly in the center of São Paulo State, Brazil. Hydrochemical analyses of groundwater were realized under different periods of time, with the aim of evaluating the possibility of release of several constituents to the liquid phase, which may be a source of pollution of the surface hydrological resources and of the deeper Guarani aquifer. This is because the site is located at the recharge area of Guarani aquifer and some tributaries from Corumbataí river may also be suffering contamination, implying on the impoverishment of the water quality that are very important resources in the region, as they are extensively used for drinking purposes, among others.© 2011 WIT Press.

Wireless sensor networks Zigbee applied on sewage treatment station

The good efficiency in a sewage treatment plant (WWTP) is a great importance to the environment. The management of electromechanical equipment installed in these stations is a major challenge due to the fact that they are installed on areas of difficult access and maintenance unhealthy and making the time for the correction of any faults is extended. This paper proposes the development of a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), in order to monitor electromechanical equipment, allowing the Concessionaire a predictive control in real time. The design of a wireless sensors network for monitoring equipment requires not only the development and assembly of the sensor modules, but must also include the development of software for managing the data collected. Thus, this work includes a Zigbee WSN, small, adapted for monitoring of electromechanical equipment and environmental conditions of a WWTP, type stabilization pond, installed in an area of approximately 0.15 km 2 and the average flow of 320 liters of treatment per second. The experimental results show that this monitoring system can perform with the collection of parameters of performance and quality assessment at the station.

Efeitos ambientais da disposição oceânica de esgotos por meio de emissários submarinos: Uma revisão

Oceanic disposal systems of domestic sewage, or submarine sewage outfalls, have been historically used around the world as a solution for urban effluents, in special due to economic aspects. However, release into the ocean, in shallow or deep waters, may induce a set of negative environmental impacts, as eutrophication, toxic algal blooms, pathogenic microorganisms introduction and contamination by chemical substances which are capable of causing toxic effects to the biota and bioaccumulation. Thus, the release of untreated sewage into the sea does not constitute an adequate environmental practice; then, urban effluents should be treated in order to remove nutrients, contaminants and pathogenic organisms and avoid environmental degradation.

Biosolid soil application: Toxicity tests under laboratory conditions

A large volume of generated sewage sludge makes its disposal a problem. The usage of sludge in agriculture is highlighted by a number of advantages. However, heavy metals and other toxic compounds may exercise harmful effects to soil organisms. This study evaluated the possible toxic effects of a biosolid sample, under laboratory conditions, for 30 days, using diplopods Rhinocricus padbergi and plants Allium cepa (onion) as test organisms. The data obtained demonstrated that the biosolid raw sample had genotoxic potential for Allium cepa root tip cells. In the diplopods exposed to biosolid sample, epithelium disorganization in the midgut and a reduction of the volume of the hepatic cells were observed after 7 days of exposure. After 30 days, the animals still showed a reduction of the volume of the hepatic cells, but in minor intensity. Allium cepa analysis showed genotoxicity, but this effect was reduced after 30 days of bioprocessing by diplopods. This study was important to know the effects as well as to determine how this waste could be applied concerning the soil living organisms and plants. © 2012 Cintya Ap. Christofoletti et al.

Biomass and yield of peanut grown on tropical soil amended with sewage sludge contaminated with lead

Application of sewage sludge with high lead (Pb) contents may pollute soils and contaminate crops. The objective of this work was to evaluate peanut responses to application of sewage sludge with varying Pb contents in order to supply phosphorus (P) to the plant. A greenhouse experiment was carried out with peanut grown on soil sample from a medium-textured Haplustox. Treatments were arranged in 3 × 2 + 2 factorial scheme, replicated three times, distributed in randomized block design, and consisted of: three Pb rates applied to soil with sewage sludge (3, 21, and 42 mg kg-1) × two times of sewage sludge application (30 days before peanut sowing and at the day of the sowing) + mineral fertilization + control (without sewage sludge and mineral fertilization). Sewage sludge was efficient to supply P to peanut. Sewage sludge containing high rates of Pb, when applied, did not harm biomass and yield of the plant, but increased HCl-extractable Pb in soil and Pb content in shoot, roots, and pod husks. Increase of Pb content in pod husks may represent contamination risk of kernels and their products with fragments from husks detached during manipulation or industrial processing of peanuts. © 2012 Fábio Camilotti et al.