Anthropogenic impacts on mineral weathering: A statistical perspective

Correspondence Analysis was adopted as tool for investigating the statistical structure of hydrochemical and weathering datasets of groundwater samples, with the main purpose of identifying impacts on mineral weathering caused by anthropogenic activities, namely fertilizing of farmlands. The hydrochemical dataset comprised measured concentrations of major inorganic compounds dissolved in groundwater, namely bicarbonate, silica (usually by-products of chemical weathering), chloride, sulphate and nitrate (typically atmospheric plus anthropogenic inputs). The weathering dataset consisted of calculated mass transfers of minerals being dissolved in loess sediments of a region located in SW Hungary (Szigetvár area), namely Na-plagioclase, calcite and dolomite, and of pollution-related concentrations of sodium, magnesium and calcium. A first run of Correspondence Analysis described groundwater composition in the study area as a system of triple influence, where spots of domestic effluents-dominated chemistries are surrounded by areas with agriculture-dominated chemistries, both imprinted over large regions of weathering dominated chemistries. A second run revealed that nitrification of N-fertilizers is promoting mineral weathering by the nitric acid reaction (anthropogenic pathway), in concurrence with the retreating of weathering by carbonic acid (natural pathway). It also indicated that dolomite and calcite are being players in a dedolomitization process driven by dissolution of gypsum fertilizers and nitrification of N-fertilizers. © 2013 Elsevier 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.

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%.

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.

Intensificação do cultivo de Macrobrachium amazonicum: efeito das estratégias de estocagem e despesca na água dos viveiros, efluentes e sedimentação em viveiros de crescimento final

Pós-graduação em Aquicultura - FCAV

Tratamento de efluentes de piscicultura utilizando sistema tipo wetland povoado com espécies de macrófitas aquáticas de três tipos ecológicos diferentes

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Capacidade de retenção e dinâmica de um wetland construído no tratamento de águas residuais

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

Efeito do hormônio 17β-estradiol na gametogênese dos órgãos de Bidder e testículos e no tecido hepático em machos de Rhinella schneideri (Anura: Bufonidae)

Pós-graduação em Biologia Animal - IBILCE

Avaliação da toxicidade e caracterização de hidrocarbonetos presentes em águas de rios que recebem efluente de indústria petroquímica

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Celular e Molecular) - IBRC

Avaliação dos efeitos citotóxicos, genotóxicos e mutagênicos de efluentes de refinaria de petróleo, por meio dos sistemas testes de Allium cepa e Oreochromis niloticus

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Celular e Molecular) - IBRC

Avaliação dos potenciais citotóxico, genotóxico e mutagênico das águas de um ambiente lêntico, por meio dos sistemas-teste de Allium cepa e Oreochromis niloticus

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Avaliação da genotoxicidade e mutagenicidade das águas dos rios Jaguari, Atibaia e Piracicaba, na região de influência da refinaria de Paulínia - SP

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

Avaliação do potencial genotóxico e mutagênico de amostras de águas de recursos hídricos que recebem efluentes urbanos e industriais do pólo ceramista da cidade de Santa Gertrudes - SP

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Celular e Molecular) - IBRC

Avaliação dos potenciais citotóxico, genotóxico e mutagênico das águas do Ribeirão Tatu, região de Limeira/SP, após o recebimento de efluentes urbanos

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Celular e Molecular) - IBRC

Avaliação do uso de inóculos na biodigestão anaeróbia de resíduos de aves de postura, frangos de corte e suínos

Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia - IQ