Rn-222, Rn-220 and other dissolved gases in mineral waters of southeast Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

The influence of floc size and hydraulic detention time on the performance of a dissolved air flotation (DAF) pilot unit in the light of a mathematical model

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effects of litter manipulation in a tropical Eucalyptus plantation on leaching of mineral nutrients, dissolved organic nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon

Although many studies have shown that soil solution chemistry can be a reliable indicator of biogeochemical cycling in forest ecosystems, the effects of litter manipulations on the fluxes of dissolved elements in gravitational soil solutions have rarely been investigated. We estimated the fluxes of NH4-N, NO3-N, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Cl, dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) over the first two years after re-planting Eucalyptus trees in the coastal area of Congo. Two treatments were replicated in two blocks after clear-cutting 7-year-old stands: in treatment R, all the litter above the mineral soil was removed before planting, and in a double slash (DS) treatment, the amount of harvest residues was doubled. The soil solutions were sampled down to a depth of 4 m and the water fluxes were estimated using the Hydrus 1D model parameterized from soil moisture measurements in 4 plots. Isotopic and spectroscopic analytical techniques were used to assess the changes in dissolved organic matter (DOM) properties throughout the transfer in the soil. The first year after planting, the fluxes of NH4-N, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Cl and DOC in the topsoil of the DS treatment were 2-5 times higher than in R, which showed that litter was a major source of dissolved nutrients. Nutrient fluxes in gravitational solutions decreased sharply in the second year after planting, irrespective of the soil depth, as a result of intense nutrient uptake by Eucalyptus trees. Losses of dissolved nutrients were noticeably low in these Eucalyptus plantations despite a low cation exchange capacity, a coarse soil texture and large amounts of harvest residues left on-site at the clear cut in the DS treatment. All together, these results clarified the strong effect of litter manipulation observed on eucalypt growth in Congolese sandy soils. DOM fluxes, as well as changes in delta C-13, C:N and aromaticity of DOM throughout the soil profile showed that the organic compounds produced in the litter layer were mainly consumed by microorganisms or retained in the topsoil. Below a depth of 15 cm, most of the DOC and the DON originated from the first 2 cm of the soil and the exchanges between soil solutions and soil organic matter were low. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Implications of stillage land disposal: A critical review on the impacts of fertigation

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Dissolved uranium, radium and radon evolution in the Continental Intercalaire aquifer, Algeria and Tunisia

Natural, dissolved U-238-series radionuclides (U, Ra-226, Rn-222) and activity ratios (A.R.s: U-234/U-238; Ra-228/Ra-226) in Continental Intercalaire (Cl) groundwaters and limited samples from the overlying Complexe Terminal (CT) aquifers of Algeria and Tunisia are discussed alongside core measurements for U/Th (and K) in the contexts of radiological water quality, geochemical controls in the aquifer, and water residence times. A redox barrier is characterised downgradient in the Algerian Cl for which a trend of increasing U-234/U-238 A.R.s with decreasing U-contents due to recoil-dominated U-234 solution under reducing conditions allows residence time modelling similar to 500 ka for the highest enhanced A.R. = 3.17. Geochemical modelling therefore identifies waters towards the centre of the Grand Erg Oriental basin as palaeowaters in line with reported C-14 and Cl-36 ages. A similar U-234/U-238 trend is evidenced in a few of the Tunisian CI waters. The paleoage status of these waters is affirmed by both noble gas recharge temperatures and simple modelling of dissolved, radiogenic He-4-contents both for sampled Algerian and Tunisian CI and CT waters. For the regions studied these waters therefore should be regarded as "fossil" waters and treated effectively as a non-renewable resource. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Mimosa (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia) prevents oxidative DNA damage induced by cadmium exposure in Wistar rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

A simple method based on ICP-MS for estimation of background levels of arsenic, cadmium, copper, manganese, nickel, lead, and selenium in blood of the Brazillian population

Throughout the world, biomonitoring has become the standard for assessing exposure of individuals to toxic elements as well as for responding to serious environmental public health problems. However, extensive biomonitoring surveys require rapid and simple analytical methods. Thus, a simple and high-throughput method is proposed for the determination of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and selenium (Se) in blood samples by using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICPMS). Prior to analysis, 200 ml of blood samples was mixed with 500 ml of 10% v/v tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution, incubated for 10 min, and subsequently diluted to 10 ml with a solution containing 0.05% w/v ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) + 0.005% v/v Triton X-100. After that, samples were directly analyzed by ICP-MS (ELAN DRC II). Rhodium was selected as an internal standard with matrix-matching calibration. Method detection limits were 0.08, 0.04, 0.5, 0.09, 0.12, 0.04, and 0.1 mg//L for As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Se, respectively. Validation data are provided based on the analysis of blood samples from the trace elements inter-\comparison program operated by the Institut National de Santé Publique du Quebec, Canada. Additional validation was provided by the analysis of human blood samples by the proposed method and by using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). The method was subsequently applied for the estimation of background metal blood values in the Brazilian population. In general, the mean concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Se in blood were 1.1, 0.4, 890, 9.6, 2.1, 65.4, and 89.3 mg/L, respectively, and are in agreement with other global populations. Influences of age, gender, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, and geographical variation on the values were also considered. Smoking habits influenced the levels of Cd in blood. The levels of Cu, Mn, and Pb were significantly correlated with gender, whereas Cu and Pb were significantly correlated with age. There were also interesting differences in Mn and Se levels in the population living in the north of Brazil compared to the south.

Effects of hormonal priming on seed germination of pigeon pea under cadmium stress

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Analytical procedures for cadmium determination in facial make-up samples by graphite furnace AAS

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

The application of neural networks to the analysis of dissolved gases in insulating oil used in transformers

The state of insulating oils used in transformers is determined through the accomplishment of physical-chemical tests, which determine the state of the oil, as well as the chromatography test, which determines possible faults in the equipment. This article concentrate on determining, from a new methodology, a relationship among the variation of the indices obtained from the physical-chemical tests with those indices supplied by the chromatography tests.The determination of the relationship among the tests is accomplished through the application of neural networks. From the data obtained by physical-chemical tests, the network is capable to determine the relationship among the concentration of the main gases present in a certain sample, which were detected by the chromatography tests.More specifically, the proposed approach uses neural networks of perceptron type constituted of multiple layers. After the process of network training, it is possible to determine the existent relationship between the physical-chemical tests and the amount of gases present in the insulating oil.

Cadmium stress antioxidant responses and root-to-shoot communication in grafted tomato plants

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Influência do manejo do solo em atributos químicos, físicos e microbiológicos dos córregos Jaboticabal e Cerradinho

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Histological analysis of healing process after rat teeth replantation maintained in Resveratrol dissolved in dimethyl sufoxide (DMSO)

Tissue repair after replantation of avulsed teeth is directly related to the extent of damage to the cells of the periodontal ligament. Thus, immediate replantation is the treatment of choice for avulsed permanent teeth. To achieve more favorable prognostics, adequate storage media must be used to preserve periodontal ligament cells. A series of storage media are studied and show good results, such as saliva, milk, Hank's balanced solution (HBSS) and ViaSpan. However, recent studies were performed using news and promising storage media. Resveratrol has been extensively studied because of its antioxidant properties and its ability to prolong life of many organisms from yeast to mammals. One of its limitations is its poor solubility in aqueous vehicles. For this reason, the aim of this study was to evaluate the healing repair process after replantation of teeth of rats kept in Resveratrol using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a vehicle. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee on Research with Animals, of the School of Dentistry of Araçatuba, Univ. Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Araçatuba, SP, Brazil. Were used 40 male rats, under general anesthesia upper right incisor were extracted and replanted. Treatments were done, dividing in four groups, of 10 animals each. In group I, the teeth were be extracted and immediately replanted into their sockets of origin (positive control). In group II, the teeth were immersed in 50 mL of resveratrol in DMSO (0.0512 g / ml) for 60 minutes. In group III teeth were kept for 60 minutes in 50 ml of DMSO. In group IV, the teeth were kept in dry for the same period (negative control). Then the teeth of animals in Groups II, III and IV were replanted in their sockets. Systemic antibiotics were administrated in all groups, and 60 days post-operative the animals were euthanized. The specimens were processed and stained in HE for histomorphological analysis. The results showed that resveratrol as storage media, was not able to improve the rep

Cassava root husks as a sorbent material for the uptake and pre-concentration of cadmium(II) from aqueous media

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)