Distribuição de mercúrio total como indicador de poluição urbana e industrial na costa brasileira

The monitoring of the pollution status of the Brazilian coast is hampered by the lack of a consistent environmental indicator. We propose Hg as an environmental proxy to anthropogenic pollution of coastal regions due to its absence in the Brazilian geology, its ubiquity in anthropogenic effluents, and its toxicity. Available data suggest Hg "backgrounds" in coastal sediments of 1-10 ng g-1, in the East and 15-30 ng g-1 in the South. We suggest short sediment cores to establish these values estimating a geo-accumulation index to compare all areas. The distribution of index values showed the majority of southern coast at least moderately contaminated whereas many eastern areas are still pristine.

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.

METODOLOGIAS DE COLETA, PRESERVAÇÃO E ARMAZENAMENTO DE AMOSTRAS DE ÁGUA PARA ANÁLISE DE MERCÚRIO - UMA REVISÃO

Knowing the mercury levels of an environment allows a diverse array of biogeochemical studies into the mercury cycle on a local or global scale. Among matrices commonly evaluated, water remains a challenge for research because its mercury levels can be very low, requiring development of complex analytical protocols. Currently, sample preservation methods, protocols that avoid contamination, and analytical techniques with low detection limits allow analysis of mercury in pristine waters. However, different protocols suggest different methods depending on a range of factors such as the characteristics of water sampled and storage time. In remote areas, such as oceanic and Amazonian regions, sample preservation and transport to a laboratory can be difficult, requiring processing of the water during the sampling expedition and the establishment of a field laboratory. Brazilian research on mercury in water can be limited due to difficulty obtaining reagents, lack of laboratory structure, qualified personnel, and financial support. Considering this complexity for analyzing water, we reviewed methodologies for sampling, preservation, and storage of water samples for analysis of the most commonly evaluated mercury species (dissolved gaseous mercury, reactive mercury, methylmercury and total mercury).

CARACTERIZAÇÃO E AVALIAÇÃO IN VITRO DE NANOCOMPÓSITOS DE POLI (L-ÁCIDO LÁTICO) E NANOTUBOS DE CARBONO DE PAREDES MÚLTIPLAS PURIFICADOS

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been studied for biomedical applications due to their unique properties. However, pristine CNT have structural features and impurities that can cause toxicity to biological systems. In this work, we describe a method to purify multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) by chemical modification and subsequent attachment of hydroxyl and carboxyl groups to improve dispersion and to decrease toxic effects. Nanocomposites from poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and nanotubes were produced by the solvent casting method and characterized and evaluated for cytocompatibility with Vero cells. The nanocomposite interactions with Vero cells demonstrated that the cells were able to adhere and sustain proliferation and showed favorable cytocompatibility. In vitro studies also revealed an increase in fibroblast cell viability in the nanocomposites, compared with neat PLLA.

Forest spatial heterogeneity and palm richness, abundance and community composition in Terra Firme forest, Central Amazon

The mechanisms that maintain tree diversity in tropical rain forests are still in debate. Variations in forest structural components produce forest microenvironmental heterogeneity, which in turn may affect plant performance and have been scarcely analyzed in the Amazon. Palms are widespread in the Neotropical rainforests and have relatively well known taxonomy, apart from being ecologically and economically important. The understanding of how palms respond to variation in the forest structural components may help to explain their abundance and richness in a given area. In this study, we describe a palm community and analyze how it is affected by forest microenvironmental heterogeneity. In a pristine "Terra Firme" forest at Reserva Ducke, Manaus, we recorded all adult palm trees in twenty 100 × 10 m plots. In the same plots we recorded the variation in canopy openness, the leaflitter thickness and counted all non-palm forest trees. A total of 713 individuals in 29 palm species were found. The three most abundant species were Astrocaryum sciophilum (Miq.) Pulle, A. gynacanthum Mart. and Attalea attaleoides (Barb. Rodr.) Wess. Boer. The most locally abundant species were also very frequent or occurred in a larger number of plots. There were no significant effects of litter depth, forest canopy openness and forest tree abundance on palm richness. However, in areas where leaf litter was thicker a significant lower number of palm trees occurred. In microsites where proportionally more incident light was reaching the forest understory, due to higher canopy opening, significantly more palm trees were present.