Cadmium availability and accumulation by lettuce and rice

Among the toxic elements, Cd has received considerable attention in view of its association with a number of human health problems. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the Cd availability and accumulation in soil, transfer rate and toxicity in lettuce and rice plants grown in a Cd-contaminated Typic Hapludox. Two simultaneous greenhouse experiments with lettuce and rice test plants were conducted in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The treatments consisted of four Cd rates (CdCl2), 0.0; 1.3; 3.0 and 6.0 mg kg(-1), based on the guidelines recommended by the Environmental Agency of the State of São Paulo, Brazil (Cetesb). Higher Cd rates increased extractable Cd (using Mehlich-3, Mehlich-1 and DTPA chemical extractants) and decreased lettuce and rice dry matter yields. However, no visual toxicity symptoms were observed in plants. Mehlich-1, Mehlich-3 and DTPA extractants were effective in predicting soil Cd availability as well as the Cd concentration and accumulation in plant parts. Cadmium concentration in rice remained below the threshold for human consumption established by Brazilian legislation. on the other hand, lettuce Cd concentration in edible parts exceeded the acceptable limit.

Actuación ante exposición laboral a Tos ferina en Hospital Terciario de la Comunidad de Madrid: a propósito de un caso

Objetivos: Conocer el procedimiento de actuación ante una exposición laboral a Tos ferina. Material y Métodos: Exposición laboral del personal sanitario ante un paciente trasplantado renal e inmunosuprimido, que ingresa en la urgencia de un hospital terciario de la comunidad de Madrid, que posteriormente fue diagnosticado de Tos ferina. Notificación al SPRL e identificación de los Servicios en los cuales permaneció ingresado el paciente, para el posterior seguimiento del personal expuesto. Resultados: Acudieron 43 trabajadores, 39 de ellos recibieron quimioprofilaxis, se inició tratamiento con claritromicina, hasta disponer de azitromicina, por mejor cumplimiento por parte del personal. Se recomendó refuerzo vacunal anti Tos ferina (dTpa) a todos los expuestos. Conclusiones: La situación epidemiológica actual de la Tos ferina en España nos obliga a tener presente la actuación a realizar ante una exposición laboral a Tos ferina y la necesidad de incorporar nuevas estrategias vacunales para un mejor control de la infección.

Efeito da aplicação continuada de biosólido na compartimentalização de metais em solo cultivado com banana (Musa spp).

EFEITO DA APLICAÇÃO CONTINUADA DE BIOSÓLIDO NA COMPARTIMENTALIZAÇÃO DE METAIS EM SOLO CULTIVADO COM BANANA (MUSA SPP). MA040 Germana Breves Rona1; Fernanda Ardilha1; Fernanda Serrenho1; Sarai de Alcantara1; Daniel Vidal Perez2; Luiz A.S. Melo3., germanarona@hotmail.com 1Instituto de Química/UFRJ, Av. Brig. Trompovsky, s/nº, Cidade Universitária, CEP 21949-900, Rio de Janeiro (RJ); 2Embrapa Solos, R. Jardim Botânico, 1024, CEP: 22460-000, Rio de Janeiro (RJ). 3Embrapa Meio Ambiente, Caixa Postal 69, CEP: 13820-000, Jaguariúna (SP) (INTRODUÇÃO) O lodo de esgoto é rico em matéria orgânica e nutrientes, podendo substituir, ainda que parcialmente, os fertilizantes minerais. Graças a essas características, esse resíduo pode desempenhar importante papel na produção agrícola e na manutenção da fertilidade do solo. Entretanto, esse composto apresenta materiais pesados em sua composição. Assim torna-se necessário ponderar as variações das formas disponíveis desses elementos. Nesse sentido, a extração seqüencial é uma metodologia que permite avaliar o destino principal de dado metal no solo em função de suas preferências de ligação química na matriz organomineral. No entanto, essa análise consome muito tempo e reagente. A possibilidade de relacionar essa extração complexa com uma mais simples seria interessante. É o objetivo do presente trabalho, portanto, avaliar a relação entre uma metodologia de extração seqüencial e os dois métodos de extração simples mais usados no Brasil, Mehlich 1 e DTPA. (METODOLOGIA) As amostras foram coletadas em um ensaio instalado no campo experimental da Embrapa-Meio Ambiente (Jaguariúna, SP) em um Argissolo Vermelho- Amarelo. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos ao acaso com 5 repetições. Os tratamentos estudados foram: 1. fertilização mineral (NPK), com base na análise de solo; 2. aplicação de lodo de esgoto com base na sua concentração de nitrogênio e mantendo a metade da quantidade aplicada na fertilização mineral (N/2); 3 aplicação de lodo de esgoto mantendo a quantidade de N aplicada na fertilização mineral (N); 4. duas vezes a concentração de lodo de esgoto aplicada no tratamento 3 (2N). Dois tipos de lodo foram aplicados: entre 2000 e 2004 usou-se lodo originário da região de Barueri (SP), tipicamente industrial.; em 2005 foi aplicado lodo originário do município de Jundiaí (SP), que pode ser considerado de característica doméstica. Ambos foram fornecidos pela SABESP, na forma adequada para aplicação agrícola. As amostras de solo foram coletadas na profundidade de 0-20 cm no ano de 2006. A extração seqüencial foi a descrita por Wasserman et al. (2005). As extrações simples, DTPA e Mehlich 1 seguiram a metodologia da Embrapa (1997). A determinação de Fe, Cu, Zn e Cr foi realizada por ICP-OES (PE OTIMA 3000). (RESULTADOS) As extrações simples de Fe, Cu, Zn e Cr correlacionaram-se positiva e significativamente com as principais fases do solo ligadas à biodisponibilidade. Os elementos Fe e Zn, extraídos tanto por Mehlich 1, como por DTPA, correlacionaram-se com mais significânica com a Fase 1, ligada à CTC do solo. Já os elementos Cu e Cr, correlacionaram-se melhor com a Fase 3, relacionada à matéria orgânica. O Mn extraído por DTPA apresentou melhor correlação com a Fase 1. (CONCLUSÃO) Todos os metais analisados apresentaram uma tendência em aumentarem sua concentração total em função da dose de lodo aplicada. As fases 1 e 3 apresentam importância neste sentido, sendo este um motivo de grande preocupação, por serem frações biodisponíveis, podendo agravar seriamente, os riscos de contaminação pelos metais em questão. No entanto, as concentrações encontradas são bem menores que aquelas recomendadas pela CONAMA no375/2006. Agradecimentos: CNPq, FAPERJ, FUJB, Embrapa

Chemical changes and heavy metal partitioning in an oxisol cultivated with maize (Zea mays, L.) after 5 years disposal of a domestic and an industrial sewage sludge.

The need for solutions to minimize the negative environmental impacts of anthropogenic activities Fhas increased. Sewage sludge is composed of predominantly organic matter and can be used to improve soil characteristics, such as fertility. Therefore, its application in agriculture is an adequate alternative for its final disposal. However, there is a lack of information on its long-term effects on soil changes in tropical areas. Thus, the objectives of this study were to determine (i) the effect of sewage sludge application on heavy metal build-up in soil and maize grains and leaves, and (ii) the effects of soil amendment with sewage sludge on the chemical properties of a Brazilian oxisol. Besides the increasing levels of Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr, amending soil with sewage sludge also alters the distribution of these metals by increasing the mobile Phases, which correlated significantly with the increase in metal extraction with two single extractants, Mehlich 1 and DTPA (Diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid). The levels of Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu in maize grains and leaves increased with the type and rate of sewage sludge application. Nevertheless, metal build-up in soil and plants was within the allowed limits. Significant differences were also found in soil characteristics like humic fractionation with the applied sewage doses. The data obtained does not indicate any expressive drawbacks in the use of sewage sludge as a soil amendment, as the heavy metal concentrations observed are unlikely to cause any environmental or health problems, even overestimated loadings, and are in accordance with the Brazilian regulations on farming land biosolid disposal.

Postnatal Evaluation and Outcome of Prenatal Hydronephrosis

Background: Prenatal hydronephrosis (PNH) is dilation in urinary collecting system and is the most frequent neonatal urinary tract abnormality with an incidence of 1% to 5% of all pregnancies. PNH is defined as anteroposterior diameter (APD) of renal pelvis ≥ 4 mm at gestational age (GA) of < 33 weeks and APD ≥ 7 mm at GA of ≥ 33 weeks to 2 months after birth. All patients need to be evaluated after birth by postnatal renal ultrasonography (US). In the vast majority of cases, watchful waiting is the only thing to do; others need medical or surgical therapy. Objectives: There is a direct relationship between APD of renal pelvis and outcome of PNH. Therefore we were to find the best cutoff point APD of renal pelvis which leads to surgical outcome. Patients and Methods: In this retrospective cohort study we followed 200 patients 1 to 60 days old with diagnosis of PNH based on before or after birth ultrasonography; as a prenatal or postnatal detected, respectively. These patients were referred to the nephrology clinic in Zahedan Iran during 2011 to 2013. The first step of investigation was a postnatal renal US, by the same expert radiologist and classifying the patients into 3 groups; normal, mild/moderate and severe. The second step was to perform voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) for mild/moderate to severe cases at 4 - 6 weeks of life. Tc-diethylene triamine-pentaacetic acid (DTPA) was the last step and for those with normal VCUG who did not show improvement in follow-up examination, US to evaluate obstruction and renal function. Finally all patients with mild/moderate to severe PNH received conservative therapy and surgery was preserved only for progressive cases, obstruction or renal function ≤35%. All patients’ data and radiologic information was recorded in separate data forms, and then analyzed by SPSS (version 22). Results: 200 screened PNH patients with male to female ratio 3.5:1 underwent first postnatal control US, of whom 65% had normal, 18% mild/moderate and 17% severe hydronephrosis. 167 patients had VCUG of whom 20.82% with VUR. 112 patients performed DTPA with following results: 50 patients had obstruction and 62 patients showed no obstructive finding. Finally 54% of 200 patients recovered by conservative therapy, 12.5% by surgery and remaining improved without any surgical intervention. Conclusions: The best cutoff point of anteroposterior renal pelvis diameter that led to surgery was 15 mm, with sensitivity 88% and specificity 74%.

Modélisation pharmacocinétique en imagerie par résonance magnétique et en tomographie d’émission par positrons appliquée à un modèle de glioblastome chez le rat

Résumé : En imagerie médicale, il est courant d’associer plusieurs modalités afin de tirer profit des renseignements complémentaires qu’elles fournissent. Par exemple, la tomographie d’émission par positrons (TEP) peut être combinée à l’imagerie par résonance magnétique (IRM) pour obtenir à la fois des renseignements sur les processus biologiques et sur l’anatomie du sujet. Le but de ce projet est d’explorer les synergies entre l’IRM et la TEP dans le cadre d’analyses pharmacocinétiques. Plus spécifiquement, d’exploiter la haute résolution spatiale et les renseignements sur la perfusion et la perméabilité vasculaire fournis par l’IRM dynamique avec agent de contraste afin de mieux évaluer ces mêmes paramètres pour un radiotraceur TEP injecté peu de temps après. L’évaluation précise des paramètres de perfusion du radiotraceur devrait permettre de mieux quantifier le métabolisme et de distinguer l’accumulation spécifique et non spécifique. Les travaux ont porté sur deux radiotraceurs de TEP (18F-fluorodésoxyglucose [FDG] et 18F-fluoroéthyle-tyrosine [FET]) ainsi que sur un agent de contraste d’IRM (acide gadopentétique [Gd DTPA]) dans un modèle de glioblastome chez le rat. Les images ont été acquises séquentiellement, en IRM, puis en TEP, et des prélèvements sanguins ont été effectués afin d’obtenir une fonction d’entrée artérielle (AIF) pour chaque molécule. Par la suite, les images obtenues avec chaque modalité ont été recalées et l’analyse pharmacocinétique a été effectuée par régions d’intérêt (ROI) et par voxel. Pour le FDG, un modèle irréversible à 3 compartiments (2 tissus) a été utilisé conformément à la littérature. Pour la FET, il a été déterminé qu’un modèle irréversible à 2 tissus pouvait être appliqué au cerveau et à la tumeur, alors qu’un modèle réversible à 2 tissus convenait aux muscles. La possibilité d’effectuer une conversion d’AIF (sanguine ou dérivée de l’image) entre le Gd DTPA et la FET, ou vice versa, a aussi été étudiée et s’est avérée faisable dans le cas des AIF sanguines obtenues à partir de l’artère caudale, comme c’est le cas pour le FDG. Finalement, l’analyse pharmacocinétique combinée IRM et TEP a relevé un lien entre la perfusion du Gd-DTPA et du FDG, ou de la FET, pour les muscles, mais elle a démontré des disparités importantes dans la tumeur. Ces résultats soulignent la complexité du microenvironnement tumoral (p. ex. coexistence de divers modes de transport pour une même molécule) et les nombreux défis rencontrées lors de sa caractérisation chez le petit animal.

Assessment of heavy metals in soils of a vineyard region with the use of principal component analysis.

Agricultural management with chemicals may contaminate the soil with heavy metals. The objective of this study was to apply Principal Component Analysis and geoprocessing techniques to identify the origin of the metals Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cr and Cd as potential contaminants of agricultural soils. The study was developed in an area of vineyard cultivation in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Soil samples were collected and GPS located under different uses and coverings. The metal concentrations in the soils were determined using the DTPA method. The Cu and Zn content was considered high in most of the samples, and was larger in the areas cultivated with vineyards that had been under the application of fungicides for several decades. The concentrations of Cu and Zn were correlated. The geoprocessing techniques and the Principal Component Analysis confirmed the enrichment of the soil with Cu and Zn because of the use and management of the vineyards with chemicals in the preceding decades.