Quantificação de fluxos de mercúrio gasoso na interface solo/atmosfera utilizando câmara de fluxo dinâmica: aplicação na bacia do Rio Negro

Gaseous mercury sampling conditions were optimized and a dynamic flux chamber was used to measure the air/surface exchange of mercury in some areas of the Negro river basin with different vegetal coverings. At the two forest sites (flooding and non-flooding), low mercury fluxes were observed: maximum of 3 pmol m-2 h-1 - day and minimum of -1 pmol m-2 h-1 - night. At the deforested site, the mercury fluxes were higher and always positive: maximum of 26 pmol m-2 h-1 - day and 17 pmol m-2 h-1 - night. Our results showed that deforestation could be responsible for significantly increasing soil Hg emissions, mainly because of the high soil temperatures reached at deforested sites.

Uso de agrotóxicos em cana-de-açúcar na bacia do Rio Corumbataí e o risco de poluição hídrica

The state of São Paulo is the main Brazilian consumer of pesticides. Sugar cane, which uses a great amount of these products, is extensivelly cultivated in this state, such as in the Corumbataí river basin, an important source of water for the region. In order to implement an efficient and low-cost monitoring program, the temporal characterization of the use of pesticides on sugar cane in this basin was performed. After knowing the seasonal trends of consumption, a better choice of sampling time, became possible. The combination of data from this survey with partitioning indices, average doses and toxicological classifications showed to be important for defining the pesticides to be included in the monitoring program.

Distribuição de mercúrio em diferentes solos da Bacia do médio Rio Negro-AM: influência da matéria orgânica no ciclo biogeoquímico do mercúrio

Soils play an important role in the biogeochemical cycle of mercury as a sink for and source of this metallic species to atmospheric and hydrological compartments. In the study reported here, various types of soil were evaluated to ascertain the influence of parameters such as pH, organic matter content, Fe, Al, sand, silt, clay, C/H, C/N, C/O atomic ratios, and cation exchange capacity on the distribution of Hg in Amazonia's mid-Negro River basin. The data obtained were interpreted by multivariate exploratory analyses (hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis), which indicated that organic matter plays an important role in mercury uptake in the various soils studied. The soils in floodable areas were found to contain 1.5 to 2.8-fold higher Hg concentrations than those in non-floodable areas. Since these soils are flooded almost year-round, they are less available to participate in redox processes at the soil/atmosphere interface. Hence, floodable areas, which comprise humic-rich soils, accumulate more mercury than non-floodable soils, thus playing an important role in the biogeochemical cycle of Hg in Amazonia's mid-Negro River basin.

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.

Avaliação do impacto da agricultura em áreas de proteção ambiental, pertencentes à bacia hidrográfica do rio ribeira de iguape, São Paulo

In order to ascertain the impact of agricultural activities on water quality of the Ribeira de Iguape River Basin in the state of São Paulo, surface water areas for catchment and drinking water have been characterized. The sampling period covered March/2002 - February/2003 and January/2004 at 10 different catchment points. SPE-LC-UV/Vis was used to monitor various pesticide classes such as carbamates, triazines and nitroanilines. The results revealed that water quality is associated with seasonal variation. Of 152 samples analyzed, only 24% showed the presence of pesticides, particulary during the wet season. High variability in pH, turbidity and color were observed.

Indicadores químicos de qualidade da matéria orgânica de solo da sub-bacia do Rio das Mortes sob manejos diferenciais de cafeeiro

This work evaluated the chemical quality of organic matter (OM) of a Brazilian Oxisol cultivated with coffee plants, under organic and conventional managements. Total organic C (TOC), light fraction C (LF-C) and C in humic (HA-C) and fulvic (FA-C) acids fractions was measured. Amongst the evaluated indexes, TOC and LF-C discriminated better OM attributes as a function of management. The stratification ratio (TOC5-10cm/TOC10-20cm) did not show differences between the systems studied. The organic system can contribute to the sustainability of coffee plantations in Brazil, because it maintains the chemical attributes of OM closer to the indexes verified under forest conditions.

Avaliação da qualidade de sedimentos - estudo de caso: sub-bacia do Ribeirão Espírito Santo, afluente do Rio São Francisco

This study evaluated the environmental impact resulting from surface water and sediment contamination by metals in a watershed affected by a tailing basin that controls effluents coming from a zinc-ore beneficiation plant. The studies combined assessments of sediment chemistry (exceedances of sediment quality guidelines), benthic assemblage structure and acute and chronic ecotoxicity. The results showed that the levels of metal contamination in sediments are not yet enough to cause deleterious effects to the biota. However, the ecotoxicity tests indicated the occurrence of chronic effects, demonstrating that other factors, as the use of fertilizers, could also be a source of contamination.

Emissões naturais e antrópicas de metais e nutrientes para a bacia inferior do rio de contas, Bahia

Emission factors of anthropogenic activities and natural processes were used to estimate nutrients and metals loads to the Contas River lower basin, Southern Bahia, Brazil. Among natural sources, emission from soil leaching is larger for N, Cu and Pb. Atmospheric deposition is the major natural source of P, Zn, Cd and Hg. Among anthropogenic sources, agriculture is the major source of N, Cu and P. Urban sources are the major contributors to the other elements. Present anthropogenic land uses are already responsible for 78 and 99% of total N and P loads and about 50% of total Cu and Hg.

Distribuição de Hg total e suas associações com diferentes suportes geoquímicos em sedimentos marinhos da margem continental brasileira: Bacia de Campos - Rio de Janeiro

Mercury distribution and geochemical support on the Continental Margin was evaluated at the Campos Basin, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. The average concentrations for all analyzed elements were, respectively, 20 ± 5 ng g-1 (Hg); 30 ± 14 mg g-1 (Al); 16 ± 6 mg g-1 (Fe), and 254 ± 83 µg g-1 (Mn). Silt and clay content, total carbonate and Hg, and organic carbon increased with depth. Finally, the relationship between Hg and silt clay showed significant positive correlation. Total Hg concentrations are the background level described primarily (~40 ng g-1).

Avaliação e identificação de parâmetros importantes para a qualidade de corpos d'água no semiárido baiano. Estudo de caso: bacia hidrográfica do rio Salitre

Objective of this work was identifying superficial water quality parameters, significant to semi-arid hydrographic basins, minimizing costs of water monitoring. The Salitre river basin, an important sub-basin of the São Francisco river, was used as a case study. STD, Cl-, DO, BOD, pH, NO3-, PO4(3-), Al, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and Pb were considered the most significant parameters, with concentration levels found in some stretches of the basin not compliant with the current legislation. Some of the Salitre river basin sediments may represent a risk to the quality of the water body in relation to levels of nickel and zinc.

Emissões naturais e antrópicas de nitrogênio, fósforo e metais para a bacia do Rio Macaé (Macaé, RJ, Brasil) sob influência das atividades de exploração de petroleo e gás na Bacia de Campos

Emission factors of natural processes and anthropogenic activities were used to estimate nutrients and metal loads for the lower Macaé river basin, which hosts the operational base for the offshore oil and gas exploration in the Campos Basin. The estimates indicated that emissions from anthropogenic activities are higher than natural emissions. Major contributing drivers include husbandry and urbanization, whose effluents receive no treatment. The increasing offshore oil exploration along the Brazilian littoral has resulted in rapid urbanization and, therefore might increase the inshore emission of anthropogenic chemicals in cases where effective residue control measures are not implemented in fluvial basins of the region.

Análise espacial e quimiométrica da distribuição de espécies metálicas em solos alagáveis e não alagáveis da Bacia do Médio Rio Negro, Amazônia

This study used chemometric tools and a Geographic Information System (GIS) to determine the influence of organic matter and anthropogenic activity on the distribution of metal species between two major communities of the Middle Negro River Basin-AM. Higher concentrations of metal species were determined in flooded regions. The chemometric analysis showed the affinity of organic matter for potentially toxic metals, indicating its selectivity. GIS spatial analysis has shown that proximity to urban areas is a variable that is likely to influence the pattern of concentration of organic matter, and consequently the distribution of metal species between flooded and non-flooded areas.

Comunidade arbórea de uma floresta estacional decídua sobre afloramento calcário na Bacia do rio Paraná

A bacia do rio Paraná (GO e TO), com 5.940.382 ha, tem alta diversidade de fitofisionomias, com sua flora pouco conhecida. As atividades de extração de madeira e implantação de pastagem contribuíram decisivamente para a remoção da vegetação. Este estudo foi conduzido em uma floresta estacional decídua sobre afloramento calcário (aproximadamente 13º41'16"S e 46º44'20"W e 462 m de altitude) - fazenda Canadá (São Domingos-GO). Foram demarcadas cinco linhas paralelas, a intervalos de 100 m, onde foram distribuídas aleatoriamente 25 parcelas de 20 x 20 m (total de 1 ha). Em cada parcela foram amostradas todas as árvores com diâmetro do caule a 1,3 m de altura do solo (DAP) > 5 cm, nos quais foi medido o DAP, estimada a altura máxima e identificada a espécie. Foram amostrados 924 indivíduos de 48 espécies, 38 gêneros e 24 famílias e obtidos o índice de Shannon-Wienner de 2,99 nats/ind. e a equabilidade de 0,77. As espécies que apresentaram maior valor de importância (VI) foram Myracrodruon urundeuva (36,09), Pseudobombax tomentosum (34,75), Dilodendron bipinnatum (26,61), Combretum duarteanum (22,19), Jacaranda brasiliana (21,57), Commiphora leptophloeos (19,18), Astronium fraxinifolium (13,84), Tabebuia impetiginosa (13,79), Pseudobombax longiflorum (11,64) e Machaerium scleroxylon (10,00), que juntas somaram 69,9% do VI total. A diversidade foi próxima à encontrada em outros trabalhos em floresta estacional decídua sobre solo e afloramento na região.

Caracterização morfométrica da bacia hidrográfica do rio Debossan, Nova Friburgo, RJ

O objetivo deste trabalho foi fazer a caracterização morfométrica a partir de alguns parâmetros físicos da bacia hidrográfica do rio Debossan, Nova Friburgo, RJ. Para isso, gerou-se inicialmente o Modelo Digital de Elevação Hidrologicamente Consistente (MDEHC) a partir de cartas topográficas do IBGE, na escala 1:50.000, utilizando o sistema de informações geográficas, através dos softwares ArcVIEW e Arc/INFO. A partir do MDEHC, foram calculados alguns parâmetros morfométricos para o estudo do comportamento hidrológico da bacia. A área de drenagem encontrada foi de 9,9156 km² e o perímetro, de 17,684 km. A bacia hidrográfica do rio Debossan tem formato alongado, coeficiente de compacidade de 1,5842, fator de forma de 0,3285 e índice de circularidade de 0,3985. A densidade de drenagem obtida para a bacia foi de 2,3579 km/km². A forma mais alongada da bacia hidrográfica indica que a precipitação pluviométrica sobre ela se concentra em diferentes pontos, concorrendo para amenizar a influência da intensidade de chuvas, as quais poderiam causar maiores variações da vazão do curso d'água.

Caracterização hidroambiental da bacia hidrográfica do rio Debossan, Nova Friburgo, RJ

O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar o comportamento hidrológico, o volume de entrada e saída de água da bacia hidrográfica do rio Debossan, onde se localiza uma importante estação de captação de água, administrada pela Concessionária de Águas e Esgotos de Nova Friburgo LTDA. (CAENF), inserida na Reserva Ecológica de Macaé de Cima, Município de Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro. Para isso, foram obtidos dados de vazão e precipitação diários do período de janeiro de 2002 a dezembro de 2004. A partir desses dados, foram calculados alguns parâmetros hidrológicos, como vazão específica e deflúvio. A precipitação média observada nos três anos foi de 2.163 mm, sendo que os meses de dezembro/2002 e janeiro/2003 apresentaram os máximos valores. A vazão média anual no período foi de 0,86 m³/s, apresentando o mês de dezembro de 2002 com maior índice e setembro de 2004 com o menor. O balanço hídrico, em termos médios anuais nos três anos de medições, apresentou uma evapotranspiração de 1.923,04 mm, equivalendo a 88% da precipitação convencional. Pode-se dizer que o ecossistema florestal exerce efeito tamponante sobre a quantidade de água da bacia hidrográfica, mantendo uma grande vazão nos meses de menor pluviosidade. Ao analisar a relação entre a entrada de água na bacia, o uso atual do solo e a quantidade de água produzida, concluiu-se que uma bacia hidrográfica bem preservada tem fundamental importância na manutenção constante da vazão ao longo do ano, além da visível participação na qualidade da água.