Geração eletroquímica do hidreto de selênio em sistema de injeção em fluxo com detecção por espectrometria de absorção atômica com chama Ar-Glp

This paper presents a system for electrochemical hydride generation using flow-injection and atomic absorption spectrometry to determine selenium in biological materials. The electrolytic cell was constructed by assembling two reservoirs, one for the sample and the other for the electrolytic solution separated by a Nafion membrane. Each compartment had a Pt electrode. The sample and electrolyte flow-rates, acidic media, and applied current were adjusted to attain the best analytical performance and ensure the membrane lifetime. The atomisation system used a T quartz tube in an air-LPG flame. The composition of the flame, the observation height, and the argon flow rate used to carry the hydrides were critically investigated. The system allowed to perform thirty determinations per hour with a detection limit of 10 mug L-1 of Se. Relative standard deviations were in general lower than 1.5% for a solution containing 20.0 and 34.0 mug L-1 of Se in a typical sample digest. Accuracy was assessed analysing the certified materials: rice flour (NIST-1568) from National Institute of Standard and Technology and dried fish (MA-A-2), whole animal blood (A-2/1974) from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Estudo de metais e de substâncias tóxicas em brinquedos

The main goal of the present study is the analysis of toxic elements in plastic toys commercialized in Brazil. Metals like cadmium, lead, chromium, zinc, and aluminum, along with organic substances, such as phthalates, were identified in different toys by quantitative analytical techniques. Traces of thorium were detected in one of the studied samples. Although the measured radioactive dose was rather low, the presence of such a radioactive contaminant is against to the International Agency of Atomic Energy regulations. Similar toys manufactured in Brazil were analyzed and found to observe the standards defined by the National Institute of Metrology (Inmetro).

Análise exploratória rápida e não destrutiva (screening) da presença de elementos químicos tóxicos em material escolar por fluorescência de raios x

Compulsory in Brazil, toy certification aims to prevent possible risks in toy use. The Brazilian National Institute of Metrology (INMETRO) establishes the maximum concentration of toxic elements (TE) that may be present in toys. This study evaluates the presence of TE in different crayons, gouache and modeling clays using X-ray fluorescence. This technique is fast, has low operating cost and minimum sample pretreatment, resulting in a clean procedure without reagent consumption and waste generation. Bromine (in gouache) and Barium (in crayons) were the only potentially TE identified in the samples studied.

Inovação & propriedade industrial & indústria química

ABSTRACT The main aim of this paper was to contribute to reflections in Brazil on the need to transfer knowledge held at universities and R&D institutions over to companies, i.e. to transfer scientific knowledge of chemistry to technology. It discusses how the competitiveness of countries is increasingly dependent on their technological capacity. The chemicals industry is a fundamental driver of social, environmental, economic and industrial indicators of sustainable development. In Brazil, the chemicals industry's deficit has grown over the last three decades. Patents are important sources of information because patent documents contain 75% of all technological information available. The National Institute of Industrial Property in Brazil has created a Technology Observatory with the purpose of identifying and analyzing technological information contained in patent documents within the ambit of partnerships with government entities or business associations, in order to support their technology-related decision-making processes. The paper gives examples of ethanol and biotechnology patent documents, including pharmaceuticals, of which there are very few in Brazil. However, a few of the patent applications identified are filed in Brazil, giving the country the opportunity to transform this scientific knowledge into technology by means of partnership agreements with companies. Finally, the paper presents information on the patent applications filed by the world's leading chemicals companies as measured by their revenues, and the respective numbers of patent applications in the last five years in organic chemistry and polymers, sectors in which Brazil is currently dependent on imports for over 50% of its needs. The patent assignees in these sectors in Brazil are also identified, and the paper concludes that Brazil needs to invest in the development of professionals, providing clearly-defined career paths in technology innovation teams at R&D institutions, and to foster more initiatives such as the creation of a new research and innovation entity, EMBRAPII, since investing in science and technology is a prerequisite for knowledge production, industrial property, economic development and, consequently, the competitiveness of the country.

Oceanografia e Química: unindo conhecimentos em prol dos oceanos e da sociedade

The marine environment is certainly one of the most complex systems to study, not only because of the challenges posed by the nature of the waters, but especially due to the interactions of physical, chemical and biological processes that control the cycles of the elements. Together with analytical chemists, oceanographers have been making a great effort in the advancement of knowledge of the distribution patterns of trace elements and processes that determine their biogeochemical cycles and influences on the climate of the planet. The international academic community is now in prime position to perform the first study on a global scale for observation of trace elements and their isotopes in the marine environment (GEOTRACES) and to evaluate the effects of major global changes associated with the influences of megacities distributed around the globe. This action can only be performed due to the development of highly sensitive detection methods and the use of clean sampling and handling techniques, together with a joint international program working toward the clear objective of expanding the frontiers of the biogeochemistry of the oceans and related topics, including climate change issues and ocean acidification associated with alterations in the carbon cycle. It is expected that the oceanographic data produced this coming decade will allow a better understanding of biogeochemical cycles, and especially the assessment of changes in trace elements and contaminants in the oceans due to anthropogenic influences, as well as its effects on ecosystems and climate. Computational models are to be constructed to simulate the conditions and processes of the modern oceans and to allow predictions. The environmental changes arising from human activity since the 18th century (also called the Anthropocene) have made the Earth System even more complex. Anthropogenic activities have altered both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and the legacy of these impacts in the oceans include: a) pollution of the marine environment by solid waste, including plastics; b) pollution by chemical and medical (including those for veterinary use) substances such as hormones, antibiotics, legal and illegal drugs, leading to possible endocrine disruption of marine organisms; and c) ocean acidification, the collateral effect of anthropogenic emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere, irreversible in the human life time scale. Unfortunately, the anthropogenic alteration of the hydrosphere due to inputs of plastics, metal, hydrocarbons, contaminants of emerging concern and even with formerly "exotic" trace elements, such us rare earth elements is likely to accelerate in the near future. These emerging contaminants would likely soon present difficulties for studies in pristine environments. All this knowledge brings with it a great responsibility: helping to envisage viable adaptation and mitigation solutions to the problems identified. The greatest challenge faced by Brazil is currently to create a framework project to develop education, science and technology applied to oceanography and related areas. This framework would strengthen the present working groups and enhance capacity building, allowing a broader Brazilian participation in joint international actions and scientific programs. Recently, the establishment of the National Institutes of Science and Technology (INCTs) for marine science, and the creation of the National Institute of Oceanographic and Hydrological Research represent an exemplary start. However, the participation of the Brazilian academic community in the latest assaults on the frontier of chemical oceanography is extremely limited, largely due to: i. absence of physical infrastructure for the preparation and processing of field samples at ultra-trace level; ii. limited access to oceanographic cruises, due to the small number of Brazilian vessels and/or absence of "clean" laboratories on board; iii. restricted international cooperation; iv. limited analytical capacity of Brazilian institutions for the analysis of trace elements in seawater; v. high cost of ultrapure reagents associated with processing a large number of samples, and vi. lack of qualified technical staff. Advances in knowledge, analytic capabilities and the increasing availability of analytical resources available today offer favorable conditions for chemical oceanography to grow. The Brazilian academic community is maturing and willing to play a role in strengthening the marine science research programs by connecting them with educational and technological initiatives in order to preserve the oceans and to promote the development of society.

Desenvolvimento de método espectrofotométrico para análise de paraformaldeído em saneantes comerciais e industriais

O presente artigo descreve uma metodologia espectrofotométrica para a análise de paraformaldeído presente em amostras de saneantes comerciais e industriais, utilizando-se ácido cromotrópico (ACT), ácido clorídrico concentrado e peróxido de hidrogênio, produzindo um composto púrpura - avermelhado (lambda max = 575 nm). A lei de Beer é obedecida numa faixa de concentração de 0,8 - 4,8 mg L-1 em formaldeído, apresentando excelente coeficiente de correlação (r = 0,9999). Os valores obtidos nas análises concordaram muito favoravelmente com os obtidos pelo procedimento padrão recomendado pelo NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health).

Potential of utilization of rain water excess for irrigation of green roofs in Mato Grosso, Brasil

The aim of this study was to identify the relation between the evapotranspirometer demand and the supply of water from local rainfall, evaluating the possibility of using water excess for irrigation of Green Roofs in the State of Mato Grosso, in Brazil. The study was done using a series of historical data provided by the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET - Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia) which has official climatological stations in 12 cities and regions of the State. The evapotranspiration values were obtained by the Penman-Monteith method and by the Climatic Water Balance (CWB) by the Thornthwaite and Mather method using Available Water Capacity (AWC) of 12mm. With the CWB the excess and deficit were calculated, which were used for the estimative of the volume and area of a reservoir as a function of a collector area of a roof of 100m² and the volume of supplementary water for irrigation. With the obtained results, it was found that in most investigated regions of the State the use of green roofs is not compromised by the water deficiency. On the other hand, the use of a reservoir to accumulate the rain water excess may be impractical, because it requires a considerable area for installation and also because of the high cost of the land.

The impact of the law 10,267/2001 in the brazilian rural registration

The publication of the Law 10,267 of 08/28/2001 changed the paradigm of rural registration in Brazil, because this law known as the "Law of Georeferencing" has created the National Registration of Rural Property, that unifies in a common basis different registrations present in several government agencies, such as the National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform (INCRA), the Secretariat of Federal Revenue, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Natural Resources, and the National Indian Foundation. Also, this new registration system has a graphical component which has not existed until such date, where the boundaries of rural property are georeferenced to the Brazilian Geodetic System. This new paradigm has resulted in a standardization of the survey and its representation of rural properties according to the Technical Standard for Georeferencing of Rural Properties, published by INCRA in compliance with the new legislation. Due to the georeferencing, the creation of a public GIS of free access on the Internet was possible. Among the difficulties found it may be observed the great Brazilian territory, the need for specialized professionals, and especially the certification process that INCRA has to perform for each georeferenced property. It is hoped that this last difficulty is solved with the implementation of the Land Management System that will allow automated and online certification, making the process more transparent, agile and fast.

Estimation methods of reference evapotranspiration (ETo) for Uberlândia -MG

One approach to verify the adequacy of estimation methods of reference evapotranspiration is the comparison with the Penman-Monteith method, recommended by the United Nations of Food and Agriculture Organization - FAO, as the standard method for estimating ET0. This study aimed to compare methods for estimating ET0, Makkink (MK), Hargreaves (HG) and Solar Radiation (RS), with Penman-Monteith (PM). For this purpose, we used daily data of global solar radiation, air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed for the year 2010, obtained through the automatic meteorological station, with latitude 18° 91' 66" S, longitude 48° 25' 05" W and altitude of 869m, at the National Institute of Meteorology situated in the Campus of Federal University of Uberlandia - MG, Brazil. Analysis of results for the period were carried out in daily basis, using regression analysis and considering the linear model y = ax, where the dependent variable was the method of Penman-Monteith and the independent, the estimation of ET0 by evaluated methods. Methodology was used to check the influence of standard deviation of daily ET0 in comparison of methods. The evaluation indicated that methods of Solar Radiation and Penman-Monteith cannot be compared, yet the method of Hargreaves indicates the most efficient adjustment to estimate ETo.

Perfil de susceptibilidade a antimicrobianos em amostras de cocos Gram-positivos, catalase negativos, isoladas de mastite subclínica bubalina

Estudou-se o perfil de susceptibilidade a antimicrobianos em cocos Gram-positivos catalase negativos (21 amostras de Lactococcus garvieae e 6 de Enterococcus gallinarum), isoladas do leite de fêmeas com mastite subclínica e pertencentes a uma população composta por seis rebanhos bubalinos localizados no Estado do Rio de Janeiro. O teste utilizado foi o da difusão de discos em agar Müller Hinton, segundo recomendações do National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards - NCCLS, tendo sido testados discos com ampicilina (10mg), cefalotina (30mg), cefotaxima (30mg), cefoxitina (30mg), cloranfenicol (30mg), eritromicina (15mg), gentamicina (10mg), nitrofurantoína (300mg), norfloxacina (10mg), penicilina (10 UI), tetraciclina (30mg) e vancomicina (30mg). Os resultados evidenciaram que em se tratando de Lactococcus garvieae, o antimicrobiano mais eficiente foi o nitrofurantoína com 85,71% de sensibilidade, seguido da cefotaxima (61,90%), vancomicina (52,38%), norfloxacina (47,62%) e cefalotina (47,62%). A maior resistência foi desenvolvida frente a penicilina e ampicilina, com 95,24% de resistênciapara os dois antimicrobianos testados. O perfil de susceptibilidade desenvolvido pelas amostras de Enterococcus gallinarum, mostrou baixa sensibilidade frente aos antimicrobianos testados, onde os maiores índices foram observados frente eritromicina e gentamicina, com 33,34% de sensibilidade para ambos; quanto à resistência desenvolvida, foi possível observar 100% de resistência com relação a vancomicina e tetraciclina, seguindo-se cloranfenicol, penicilina, ampicilina, cefoxitina, cefalotina, cefotaxima, norfloxacina e nitrofurantoína, todas evidenciando uma resistência de 83,33% das amostras testadas.

Occurrence of Haemophilus influenzae strains in three Brazilian states since the introduction of a conjugate Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine

Few vaccines in history have induced such a dramatic decline in incidence over such a short period of time as the Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) conjugate. This vaccine was introduced in 1988 in the United States, but only in 1999 was Hib immunization introduced by the Brazilian Ministry of Health as part of the routine infant National Immunization Program. The authors analyzed 229 H. influenzae (Hi) isolates from Public Health Laboratories in three Brazilian states: Pernambuco (Northeast, N = 54), Santa Catarina (South, N = 19), and Rio de Janeiro (Southeast, N = 156). The isolates were collected from Brazilian children 0-10 years of age with meningitis and other infections from 1990 to 2003 and were part of the research collection of the National Institute of Quality Control in Health, FIOCRUZ. Bacterial strains were characterized by serotyping and biotyping. During the pre-vaccination period the prevalence infection due to Hib was of 165 isolates and only 2 non-b Hi among all the notified meningitis infections caused by Hi. Our results showed a significant decrease in the prevalence of Hib meningitis from 165 to 33 isolates after 1999. However, during the post-vaccination period of 2001-2003 we observed an increase in the number of non-b Hi isolates: only 2 non-b strains isolated from 1990 to 1999 and 29 from 1999 to 2003. Based on the present data, the authors emphasize the need for more sensitive epidemiological and bacteriological studies aiming the improvement of the available Hib vaccine, in order to protect the susceptible population to infections due to other serological types of Hi and the reevaluation of immunization schedules used by the National Immunization Program.