Spittlebug impacts on sugarcane quality and ethanol production

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

Impacts of limestone and nitrogen top dressing application on the potassium content in the soil profile and marandu-grass leaf concentration

Objetivou-se avaliar os efeitos de nitrogênio (0, 100, 200, 300 e 400 kg/ha.ano), com ou sem aplicação de calcário dolomítico em cobertura, sobre o teor de potássio (K) do solo nas profundidades de 0 a 5; 5 a 10; e 10 a 20 cm e a concentração de potássio na planta. O experimento foi realizado em Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico de relevo suavemente ondulado, disposto em esquema fatorial 5 × 2, em blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições. A adubação nitrogenada promoveu aumento linear na concentração de potássio na planta e no teor desse mineral na camada de 0 a 5 cm do solo. Ocorreu efeito de inibição competitiva entre a absorção de potássio e cálcio e entre potássio e magnésio. Embora uma fração significativa de potássio retorne à camada superficial do solo pelo resíduo de forragem, em decorrência da maior produção de massa, o aumento da concentração de potássio na planta nas mais altas doses de nitrogênio comprova a importância do suprimento de potássio para a planta, por intensificar a massa de forragem.

Ecological impacts from syngas burning in internal combustion engine: Technical and economic aspects

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Viable human buccal mucosa cells do not yield typical nucleoids: Impacts on the single-cell gel electrophoresis/comet assay

Buccal mucosa (BM) cells have been used in human biomonitoring studies for detecting DNA adducts and chromosomal damage in an epithelial cell population. In the present study, we have investigated if human BM cells are suitable for use in the single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE)/Comet assay as an approach for estimating the exposure of epithelial cells to DNA-damaging agents. Our results indicate that only a few cells from BM cell samples yield comets that can be analyzed by current methods, and that the yield of cells with comets is independent of the percentage of viable BM cells in the sample. Data generated after enzymatic enrichment of viable cells and immunomagnetic separation of epithelial cells suggest that most of the BM cells that do form comets are probably leukocytes. Moreover, by reevaluating specific cells after running the Comet assay, we found that viable epithelial BM cells give rise to atypical comets that are not included in the analysis. Comparing DNA migration patterns between small groups of smokers and nonsmokers indicated that long-term smoking had no effect on the subpopulation of cells that yield typical comets. Our results indicate that the SCGE assay, as it is commonly performed, may not be useful for genotoxicity monitoring in human epithelial BM cells.

Mutagenic and carcinogenic potential of a textile azo dye processing plant effluent that impacts a drinking water source

Recently a textile azo dye processing plant effluent was identified as one of the sources of mutagenic activity detected in the Cristais River, a drinking water source in Brazil [G.A. Umbuzeiro, D.A. Roubicek, C.M. Rech, M.I.Z. Sato, L.D. Claxton, Investigating the sources of the mutagenic activity found in a river using the Salmonella assay and different water extraction procedures, Chemosphere 54 (2004) 1589-1597]. Besides presenting high mutagenic activity in the Salmonella/microsome assay, the mutagenic nitro-aminoazobenzenes dyes CI Disperse Blue 373, Cl Disperse Violet 93, and CI Disperse Orange 37 [G.A. Umbuzeiro, H.S. Freeman, S.H. Warren, D.P Oliveira, Y. Terao, T. Watanabe, L.D. Claxton, the contribution of azo dyes in the mutagenic activity of the Cristais river, Chemosphere 60 (2005) 55-64] as well as benzidine, a known carcinogenic compound [T.M. Mazzo, A.A. Saczk, G.A. Umbuzeiro, M.V.B. Zanoni, Analysis of aromatic amines in surface waters receiving wastewater from textile industry by liquid chromatographic with eletrochemical detection, Anal. Lett., in press] were found in this effluent. After similar to 6 km from the discharge of this effluent, a drinking water treatment plant treats and distributes the water to a population of approximate 60,000. As shown previously, the mutagens in the DWTP intake water are not completely removed by the treatment. The water used for human consumption presented mutagenic activity related to nitro-aromatics and aromatic amines compounds probably derived from the cited textile processing plant effluent discharge [G.A. Umbuzeiro, D.A. Roubicek, C.M. Rech, M.I.Z.. Sato, L.D. Claxton, Investigating the sources of the mutagenic activity found in a river using the Salmonella assay and different water extraction procedures, Chemosphere 54 (2004) 1589-1597; G.A. Umbuzeiro, H.S. Freeman, S.H. Warren, D.P. Oliveira, Y. Terao, T. Watanabe, L.D. Claxton, the contribution of azo dyes in the multagenic activity of the Cristais river, Chemosphere 60 (2005) 55-64]. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the possible risks involved in the human consumption of this contaminated water. With that objective, one sample of the cited industrial effluent was tested for carcinogenicity in the aberrant crypt foci medium-term assay in colon of Wistar rats. The rats received the effluent in natura through drinking water at concentrations of 0.1%, 1%, and 10%. The effluent mutagenicity was also confirmed in the Salmonella/microsome assay with the strains TA98 and YG1041. There was an increased number of preneoplastic lesions in the colon of rats exposed to concentrations of 1% and 10% of the effluent, and a positive response for both Salmonella strains tested. These results indicate that the discharge of the effluent should be avoided in waters used for human consumption and show the sensitivity of the ACF crypt foci assay as an important tool to evaluate the carcinogenic potential of environmental complex mixtures. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impacts of Climate Change and the End of Deforestation on Land Use in the Brazilian Legal Amazon

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Evaluating distributed generation impacts with a multiobjective index

Evaluating the technical impacts associated with connecting distributed generation to distribution networks is a complex activity requiring a wide range of network operational and security effects to be qualified and quantified. One means of dealing with such complexity is through the use of indices that indicate the benefit or otherwise of connections at a given location and which could be used to shape the nature of the contract between the utility and distributed generator. This paper presents a multiobjective performance index for distribution networks with distributed generation which considers a wide range of technical issues. Distributed generation is extensively located and sized within the IEEE-34 test feeder, wherein the multiobjective performance index is computed for each configuration. The results are presented and discussed.

Natural Conditions and Environmental Impacts in a Coastal Hydrographic Basin in the Brazilian Amazon

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

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.

Thermoeconomic model considering the environment impacts on thermoelectric power plants: Natural gas versus diesel

In this paper a comparative analysis of the environmental impact caused by the use of natural gas and diesel in thermoelectric power plants utilizing combined cycle is performed. The objective is to apply a thermoeconomical analysis in order to compare the two proposed fuels. In this analysis, a new methodology that incorporates the economical engineering concept to the ecological efficiency once Cardu and Baica [1, 2], which evaluates, in general terms, the environmental impacts caused by CO2, SO2, NOx and Particulate Matter (PM), adopting as reference the air quality standards in vigour is employed. The thermoeconomic model herein proposed utilizes functional diagrams that allow the minimization the Exergetic Manufacturing Cost, which represents the cost of production of electricity incorporating the environmental impact effects to study the performance of the thermoelectric power plant [3,4], It follows that it is possible to determine the environmental impact caused by thermoelectric power plants and, under the ecological standpoint, the use of natural gas as a fuel is the best option compared to the use of the diesel, presenting ecological efficiency values of 0.944 and 0.914 respectively. From the Exergoeconomic point of view of, it was found out that the EMC (Exergetic Manufacturing Cost) is better when natural gas is used as fuel compared to the diesel fuel. Copyright © 2006 by ASME.

Evaluation of neighborhood impacts caused by companies of the high-tech industrial cluster of São Carlos, SP, Brazil

The purpose of this study was to develop a methodology for evaluating neighborhood impacts using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and to apply the procedures to the companies of the High-Technology Industrial Cluster of São Carlos. To this end, an evaluation was made of the neighborhood impacts on the physical environment, urban components, quality of life, and urban infrastructure using impact matrices, and the impacts were assigned scores according to type, order, magnitude and duration. Fifty one companies were examined based on data provided by the companies themselves and on field surveys. The impacts are represented spatially in proportional symbols maps, based on the spatial distribution of the companies in the urban area of the city of São Carlos and the areas of influence of each company. The application of the proposed methodology served to validate it and indicated that the neighborhood impacts caused by the companies of this study are related to each company's type of activity, its size, and its occupation of the area. © 2008 Journal of Urban and Environmental Engineering (JUEE). All rights reserved.

Land parceling and neighborhood impacts in Brazil

The proposal and implementation of parceling real estate into smaller lots in Brazil is done according to legal and technical formalities. However, these instruments have proved inefficient in reducing the resulting environmental impacts. The ambiguities of the federal, state and municipal laws and regulations have limited the effectiveness of the actions of urban administrators. Law 10257/2001 emerged as an alternative to overcome these difficulties, proposing the adoption of neighborhood impact studies as an instrument to evaluate new proposals of urban occupation for purposes of environmental licensing. Thus, the purpose of this law is to provide the foundations for municipal public authorities to establish criteria for the assessment, mitigation and compensation of impacts resulting from new occupations. However, the very vagueness of the generic nature of this federal law and its incorrect application in the municipal sphere has posed the greatest obstacles to the good use of this instrument of urban environmental management. These deficiencies are classified herein in the categories of philosophical, technical and operational problems. The problems of a philosophical nature lead to technical difficulties, which in turn trigger operational deficiencies. This article discusses these deficiencies and points out ways to reduce them. © 2009 Journal of Urban and Environmental Engineering (JUEE). All rights reserved.