RECOVERY OF AN OXISOL DEGRADED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF A HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANT

ABSTRACT The removal of thick layers of soil under native scrubland (Cerrado) on the right bank of the Paraná River in Selvíria (State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil) for construction of the Ilha Solteira Hydroelectric Power Plant caused environmental damage, affecting the revegetation process of the stripped soil. Over the years, various kinds of land use and management systems have been tried, and the aim of this study was to assess the effects of these attempts to restore the structural quality of the soil. The experiment was conducted considering five treatments and thirty replications. The following treatments were applied: stripped soil without anthropic intervention and total absence of plant cover; stripped soil treated with sewage sludge and planted to eucalyptus and grass a year ago; stripped soil developing natural secondary vegetation (capoeira) since 1969; pastureland since 1978, replacing the native vegetation; and soil under native vegetation (Cerrado). In the 0.00-0.20 m layer, the soil was chemically characterized for each experimental treatment. A 30-point sampling grid was used to assess soil porosity and bulk density, and to assess aggregate stability in terms of mean weight diameter (MWD) and geometric mean diameter (GMD). Aggregate stability was also determined using simulated rainfall. The results show that using sewage sludge incorporated with a rotary hoe improved the chemical fertility of the soil and produced more uniform soil pore size distribution. Leaving the land to develop secondary vegetation or turning it over to pastureland produced an intermediate level of structural soil quality, and these two treatments produced similar results. Stripped soil without anthropic intervention was of the lowest quality, with the lowest values for cation exchange capacity (CEC) and macroporosity, as well as the highest values of soil bulk density and percentage of aggregates with diameter size <0.50 mm, corroborated by its lower organic matter content. However, the percentage of larger aggregates was higher in the native vegetation treatment, which boosted MWD and GMD values. Therefore, assessment of some land use and management systems show that even decades after their implementation to mitigate the degenerative effects resulting from the installation of the Hydroelectric Plant, more efficient approaches are still required to recover the structural quality of the soil.

Efficiency of five biosolids to supply nitrogen and phosphorus to ryegrass

Biosolids have been considered satisfactory to supply crops and plant nutrients. The ideal biosolids application rate should result in high crop yields and nutrient uptake, and leave low concentrations of nutrients in soils to avoid environmental problems. The objective of this study was to estimate the capacity of five biosolids to supply N and P to ryegrass (Lolium perenne) after a single application of either fertilizers or biosolids to a Spodosol and an Oxisol. Results showed that 6% - 36% of N and 3% - 7% of P applied as biosolids were recovered in plants grown on the Spodosol, while the range on the Oxisol was 26%-75% for N and 1.2%-3.7% for phosphorus. Biosolids' efficiency on supplying N and P to plants was similar to fertilizer on the Spodosol, but on the Oxisol it refrained to 65%-67% fertilizer's efficiency. After a single application of biosolids followed by six consecutive harvests, 25%-94% of the N and 93%-99% of the P were not used by plants and remain in the soils.

Fármacos no meio ambiente

Pharmaceutical drugs have been detected in sewage treatment plants, surface waters, underground waters and potable waters. Some investigations have been conducted in several countries such as Germany, Brazil, Canada, United States, The Netherlands, England and Italy. Patients and animals excrete part of pharmaceuticals used for human and veterinary medicine after administration in domestic sewage or on the soil. Drugs residues which have not been completely removed during passage through a sewage treatment plant (STP) enter the aquatic environment. The effects of such residual drugs in terrestrial and aquatic organisms are scarcely known.

Desreguladores endócrinos no meio ambiente: efeitos e conseqüências

There is an increasing interest in micropollutants in the environment that can interfere with the endocrine system, affecting health, growth and reproduction of animals and humans. These substances are known as Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) and can be found in domestic sewage, domestic wastewater treatment plant effluents, and in natural and potable waters. There are numerous chemicals classified as EDCs, such as pesticides, chemicals used and produced by chemical industries and natural and synthetic estrogens. EDCs can be related to the increase of the incidence of anomalies in the reproductive system of animals, cancer in humans and reduction of the masculine fertility.

Tratamento estatístico dos parâmetros da qualidade das águas da bacia do alto curso do Rio das Velhas

Water quality was monitored at the upper course of the Rio das Velhas, a major tributary of the São Francisco basin located in the state of Minas Gerais, over an extension of 108 km from its source up to the limits with the Sabara district. Monitoring was done at 37 different sites over a period of 2 years (2003-2004) for 39 parameters. Multivariate statistical techniques were applied to interpret the large water-quality data set and to establish an optimal long-term monitoring network. Cluster analysis separated the sampling sites into groups of similarity, and also indicated the stations investigated for correlation and recommended to be removed from the monitoring network. Principal component analysis identified four components, which are responsible for the data structure explaining 80% of the total variance of the data. The principal parameters are characterized as due to mining activities and domestic sewage. Significant data reduction was achieved.

Alteraciones químicas y fitodisponibilidad de níquel en suelo tratado con lodo albañal

The alteration of soil chemicals and its influence on availability (DTPA extractant method) and phytoavailability (63Ni L-value, isotopic method) of Ni was studied in sewage sludge-amended soil at different pHs. The soil pHs were 4.3, 5.3 and 5.9 and the rates of sewage sludge (SS) 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 Mg ha-1. The chemical and physicochemical soil characteristics were altered by the SS rate and increased the Ni availability and phytoavailability. The isotopic method (63Ni L-value) was more efficient in predicting the Ni phytoavailability that the Ni-DTPA extractant in soil pHs 5.3 and 5.9.

Fitodisponibilidad de Cd en suelo de diferente pH tratado con lodo albañal estimada por método isotópico y extracción química

The Cd phytoavailability in sewage sludge-amended soils of different pHs using the 109Cd L-value isotopic method and Cd extracted by DTPA has been determined. Maize plants (Zea mais L.) were grown under greenhouse conditions in a xanthic ferralsol at different pHs amended with five sewage sludge (SS) rates, and labeled with 74 kBq kg-1 of 109Cd. The SS rates altered the properties of the soil chemicals and these influenced the isotopic parameter (L-value) and percent of Cd uptake by plants from soil (%Cdpdfs) and SS (%CdpdfSS). L-values and Cd extracted by DTPA correlate significantly with SS rates and Cd uptake by plants and are efficient for predicting the Cd phytoavailability in the sewage sludge-amended soil.

Avaliação da composição química de sedimentos do Rio Barigüi na região metropolitana de Curitiba

Sediment samples from the Barigui River in Curitiba, south of Brazil, were evaluated following granulometric composition, organic carbon content, nitrogen, phosphorus and metals such as zinc, lead, chrome, nickel and cadmium. The sediments shown high percentage of phosphorus and nitrogen. Also the elemental organic C:N:P exceed the Redfield ratios possible because the large amount of sewage input into river. The presence of metals is also high, however the metal cadmium has not been found. But the other metals are in greater concentrations and possibly the presence of these metals is given by industrial and domestic sewage.

Extração sequencial de zinco e cobre em solos tratados com lodo de esgoto e composto de lixo

This work aimed to access the contents and chemical forms and to estimate mobility and availability of cooper and zinc in samples from two soils (Haplortox and Paleudult) previously treated with doses of sewage sludge (SS) and municipal solid waste compost (MSWC), besides a control treatment. Largest percentages of Cu and Zn were determined in the organic matter fraction. Zn showed higher percentages of soluble and exchangeable fractions than Cu. Treatments with SS showed higher potential of Cu and Zn availability. Modifications in soil attributes due to residue application affected metal mobility and availability indexes.

Sorção e lixiviação de tiametoxam em solos tratados com lodo de esgoto e cultivados com cafeeiro

The objective of this study was to evaluate the sorption and leaching of thiamethoxam in dystrophic Red-Yellow Latosol (LVAd), dystroferric Red Latosol (LVdf) and Red-Yellow Argisol (PVAd) with coffee under the effect of sewage sludge doses. There was thiamethoxam sorption decreasing at higher doses of sewage sludge in LVAd and LVdf. In the PVAd, sorption was higher in samples that received the highest dose of sewage sludge. At 150 days after the application of thiamethoxam, the compound began to be detected in the effluent, in all soils. Dissolved organic carbon had no influence on the thiamethoxam leaching.

Mudanças químicas e fitodisponibilidade de zinco estimada por método isotópico, em solo tratado com lodo de esgoto

Zn availability in Red Latossol (Rhodic Ferralsol) of different pH amended with different rates of sewage sludge was studied by the isotopic 65Zn L value method. Soil chemical properties were found to be altered by SS addition. Zn concentration and Zn derived from SS (ZnpfSS) in plant, and Zn phytoavailability (L value), were increased with increasing SS rates. The linear correlation coefficient of plant Zn with SS rates and with L value was significant at 1% probability. The L value proved an efficient method for predicting Zn phytoavailability in sewage sludge-amended soil with different pH under the soil conditions studied.

Otimização e validação da extração sólido-líquido e purificação em baixa temperatura de HPAs em lodo de esgoto

In this study, a method of solid-liquid extraction and purification at low temperature (SLE-PLT) to determine 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sewage sludge was optimized and validated. The analyses were performed by HPLC-UV. The extraction phase, homogenization procedure, influence of pH, ionic strength and clean-up of the extracts were optimized. Recoveries were higher than 63.4% for 11 PAHs. The correlation coefficients were greater than 0.99 and limits of detection and quantitation were less than 0.060 and 0.15 µg g-1, respectively. These values were lower than the maximum residue limits of PAHs established by European legislation. SLE-PLT proved a more practical, economical method with fewer steps compared to Soxhlet extraction (reference method) for PAHs in sewage sludge.

Occurrence of Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts in activated sludge samples in Campinas, SP, Brazil

Giardia and Cryptosporidium have caused several outbreaks of gastroenteritis in humans associated with drinking water. Contaminated sewage effluents are recognized as a potential source of waterborne protozoa. Due to the lack of studies about the occurrence of these parasites in sewage samples in Brazil, we compared the efficiency of two procedures for concentrating cysts and oocysts in activated sludge samples of one sewage treatment plant. For this, the samples were submitted to i) concentration by the ether clarification procedure (ECP) and to ii) purification by sucrose flotation method (SFM) and aliquots of the pellets were examined by immunofluorescence. Giardia cysts were present in all samples (100.0%; n = 8) when using ECP and kit 1 reagents, while kit 2 resulted in six positive samples (85.7%; n = 7). As for SFM, cysts were detected in 75.0% and 100.0% of these samples (for kit 1 and 2, respectively). Regarding Cryptosporidium, two samples (25.0%; kit 1 and 28.5% for kit 2) were detected positive by using ECP, while for SFM, only one sample (examined by kit 1) was positive (12.5%). The results of the control trial revealed Giardia and Cryptosporidium recovery efficiency rates for ECP of 54.5% and 9.6%, while SFM was 10.5% and 3.2%, respectively. Considering the high concentration detected, a previous evaluation of the activated sludge before its application in agriculture is recommended and with some improvement, ECP would be an appropriate simple technique for protozoa detection in sewage samples.

Diversity of Campylobacter Isolates from Three Activated Sludge Systems

Thermophilic campylobacters were isolated from three sewage plants in Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil and identified. Laboratory analysis of 390 sewage samples showed the presence of 169 thermophilic strains. The results demonstrated that human and animal pathogenic biotypes could be isolated from activated sludge during the initial processing steps. The aeration tank could be considered a barrier to Campylobacter survival. C. jejuni was the prevalent species isolated (40.8%).The most common biotypes were C. jejuni biotype I (21.3%), C. coli biotype I (16%) and C. jejuni biotype II ( 14.8%).

Molecular detection of human astrovirus in an urban sewage treatment plant in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and dissemination of human astroviruses (HAstV) in the environment by analyzing urban sewage samples from a wastewater treatment plant in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A one-year study was performed with a total of 48 raw and treated sewage composite samples, which were collected biweekly from an activated sludge plant. Virus particles were concentrated by the adsorption-elution method using negatively charged membranes associated to a Centriprep Concentrator® 50 (Nihon Millipore). HAstV were detected in 16.7% of the samples in raw and treated sewage by using both qualitative and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR and qPCR, respectively). Positive untreated sewage sample exhibited mean values of 1.1 x 10(4) gEq/mL. The qPCR sensitivity was 18 gEq/reaction. Through utilization of qPCR, a HAstV recovery efficiency of 4.2% and 4.3% was demonstrated for raw and treated sewage samples, respectively. The presence of HAstV in both the raw and treated sewage samples demonstrated the dissemination of these viruses in the environment as well as viral permanence after sewage treatment. There was a reduction in the total and faecal coliform levels, indicating efficiency of the wastewater treatment plant.