Impacto do abastecimento irregular de água nos altos índices de dengue

Dengue fever is an infectious disease that causes thousands of deaths each year in Brazil and other tropical countries. This work demonstrates that the irregularity in the supply of water by public water supply systems is a major factor that contributes to the proliferation of breeding sites of the mosquito that transmits dengue, due to the impossibility of removing water storage tanks. 31 points in the water supply network in thirteen districts of Natal, Brazil, were monitored by the installation of pressure gauges type Datalogger. The data about pressure showed deficiency in water supplies in many neighborhoods, forcing residents to accumulate water in tanks at ground level. In addition, It was observed that in neighborhoods with regular water supply, Infestation Index per type of container (ITR) of type A2 (Deposit ground level) was 0.00% and where there were failures in the supply of water , the ITR was high (above 50%). We believe that policies to combat dengue in Brazil should be reassessed so that more resources can be directed to the improvement of water supply systems and supply companies should be blamed for the problem too

Exposed collagen in aged resin-dentin bonds produced on sound and caries-affected dentin in the presence of chlorhexidine

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

Monitoramento sanitário de um sistema integrado de tratamento de águas residuárias da suinocultura

Objective. To assess the potential for contamination of wastewaters from pig farming. Methods. Wastewaters from pig farming were stored in a tank. After 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days of hydraulic retention, they were added to lysimeters filled with argillaceous, sandy, or medium soil. Finally, these lysimeters were submitted to simulations of either a rainy season or a dry season. The number of colony-forming units (CFUs) of total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and fecal streptococci was measured in the effluents of the storage tank (for the various periods of hydraulic retention), in the percolate from the lysimeters, and in the three types of soil. The microbiological analyses were carried out using the membrane filter technique. The pH analyses were done potentiometrically. Results. For the three microorganisms, the largest decrease in bacterial counts in the storage tanks occurred with 90 or 120 days of retention. There was a marked decrease in the bacterial count in the percolates of the three soils. For the three soil types the greatest reduction in bacterial counts was found in medium soil, due to its acidity (pH < 7.0). Hydraulic retention was not sufficient to ensure the sanitary adequacy of the wastewaters and their use for irrigation, given that fecal coliform values were above 1 000 CFU per 100 mL. Therefore, adding the residues to the soil was considered a second stage of treatment. Conclusions. The retention of wastewaters followed by adding them to soil was effective in minimizing the contaminating effect of pig farming residues. The storage time for wastewaters from pig farming could be decreased from 120 to 90 days.

Coeficiente de operación de un sistema formado por un refrigerador doméstico acoplado a un acumulador de agua caliente para la recuperación de energía

An experimental apparatus containing a domestic refrigerator coupled to a vertical hot water storage tank was used for energy recovery. The original condenser of the refrigerator was maintained, but modified with a concentric tubes heat exchanger with countercurrent water and refrigerating gas flows. The coefficient of performance for the heat pump is calculated by the ratio of energy in the heat storage and the electric power consumed by the domestic refrigerator compressor. The results show that the increasing of hydrostatic pressure in the storage tank increases the water flow rate and the coefficient of performance. The proposed device also reduces the heat dissipation to the surroundings. This is more important in small confinements found in low-cost houses.

Aplicação da técnica de elementos finitos na estratificação de armazenadores térmicos com barreiras de meios porosos

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

Levantamento de coeficientes de desempenho de armazenador térmico associado a refrigerador doméstico modificado

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Análise numérica da convecção natural em dispositivos solar integrados coletor-tanque

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Caracterização geológico-geotécnica aplicada à instalação de postos de combustíveis em Rio Claro (SP)

Pós-graduação em Geociências e Meio Ambiente - IGCE

An assessment of the economic impact of climate change on the tourism sector in Montserrat

This report provides an analysis and evaluation of the likely effects of climate change on the tourism sector in Montserrat. Clayton (2009) identifies three reasons why the Caribbean should be concerned about the potential effects of climate change on tourism: (a) the relatively high dependence on tourism as a source of foreign exchange and employment; (b) the intrinsic vulnerability of small islands and their infrastructure (e.g. hotels and resorts) to sea level rise and extreme climatic events (e.g. hurricanes and floods); and, (c) the high dependence of the regional tourist industry on carbon-based fuels (both to bring tourist to the region as well as to provide support services in the region). The effects of climate change are already being felt on the island. Between 1970 and 2009, there was a rise in the number of relatively hot days experienced on the island. Added to this, there was also a decline in mean precipitation over the period. Besides temperature, there is also the threat of wind speeds. Since the early 20th century, the number of hurricanes passing through the Caribbean has risen from about 5-6 per year to more than 25 in some years of the twenty-first century. In Montserrat, the estimated damage from four windstorms (including hurricanes) affecting the island was US$260 million or almost five times 2009 gross domestic product (GDP). Climate change is also likely to significantly affect coral reefs. Hoegh-Guldberg (2007) estimates that should current concentrations of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere rise from 380ppm to 560ppm, decreases in coral calcification and growth by 40% are likely. The report attempted to quantify the likely effects of the changes in the climatic factors mentioned above. As it relates to temperature and other climatic variables, a tourism climatic index that captures the elements of climate that impact on a destination’s experience was constructed. The index was calculated using historical observations as well as those under two likely climate scenarios: A2 and B2. The results suggest that under both scenarios, the island’s key tourism climatic features will likely decline and therefore negatively impact on the destination experience of visitors. Including this tourism climatic index in a tourism demand model suggests that this would translate into losses of around 145% of GDP. As it relates to coral reefs, the value of the damage due to the loss of coral reefs was estimated at 7.6 times GDP, while the damage due to land loss for the tourism industry was 45% of GDP. The total cost of climate change for the tourism industry was therefore projected to be 9.6 times 2009 GDP over a 40-year horizon. Given the potential for significant damage to the industry, a large number of potential adaptation measures were considered. Out of these, a short-list of 9 potential options was selected using 10 evaluation criteria. These included: (a) Increasing recommended design wind speeds for new tourism-related structures; (b) Construction of water storage tanks; (c) Irrigation network that allows for the recycling of waste water; (d) Enhanced reef monitoring systems to provide early warning alerts of bleaching events; (e) Deployment of artificial reefs and fish-aggregating devices; (f) Developing national evacuation and rescue plans; (g) Introduction of alternative attractions; (h) Providing re-training for displaced tourism workers, and; (i) Revised policies related to financing national tourism offices to accommodate the new climatic realities Using cost-benefit analysis, three options were put forward as being financially viable and ready for immediate implementation: (a) Increase recommended design speeds for new tourism-related structures; (b) Enhance reef monitoring systems to provide early warning alerts of bleaching events, and; (c) Deploy artificial reefs or fish-aggregating devices. While these options had positive benefit cost ratios, other options were also recommended based on their non-tangible benefits: an irrigation network that allows for the recycling of waste water, development of national evacuation and rescue plans, providing retraining for displaced tourism workers and the revision of policies related to financing national tourism offices to accommodate the new climatic realities.

Epidemiologia molecular aplicada ao monitoramento de estirpes de Staphylococcus aureus na produção de queijo Minas frescal

We studied the molecular epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus strains potentially toxigenic, isolated from the production process of Minas frescal cheese in a small dairy plant in the state of São Paulo. For this, samples were taken during the period from June 2008 to July 2009. Samples were collected from the surface of the receiving and storage tanks of raw milk, the surface of the balance tank of pasteurized milk, the water supply system, the pipes and equipments, the hands of the handler and from the packaged cheese, totaling 140 samples. The colonies isolated on Baird-Parker Agar confirmed as Gram positive and positive for catalase, coagulase and acetoin production, were submitted to extraction of bacterial DNA using the Invitek - Uniscience® kit. Confirmation of the isolated species and enterotoxins SEA, SEB, SEC, SED and TSST-1 toxin was carried out through the amplification of specific fragments of chromosomal DNA. Among the 74 strains of isolated coagulase-positive staphylococci, only 41 (55.4%) strains were confirmed as Staphylococcus aureus, of which 25 (61.0%) were positive to the presence of staphylococcal toxins. The most frequently identified enterotoxin was SEA. The toxigenic strains of Staphylococcus aureus were more frequently isolated from hands of the handler (16.0%), raw milk receiving tank (12.0%), pasteurized milk for cheese making (12.0%) and fresh white cheese ready for consumption (12.0%).

Degradação de membrana impermeabilizante de polietileno de alta densidade usada em tanques de armazenamento de vinhaça

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) water-proof membranes are used as coatings in vinasse (leachate from sugar cane) storage tanks. The leachate is pumped into the tanks at temperatures of 80-90 °C. Due to these high temperatures and acidity of the waste, these membranes can be degraded, cracked and then loose the function for which they have been designed. This may cause contamination of the soil and groundwater. This study evaluated the effect of vinasse in HDPE membranes after 4 months of exposure in a controlled environment. An aggressive, alkaline pH liquid (sodium hydroxide) was also used. The objective was to evaluate the membrane resistance in contact with acidic and alkaline residues. Physical and mechanical tests, measurement of the carbon black content and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to determine degradation of polymer membranes after chemical immersion. While sodium hydroxide resulted caused only minor changes in the physical properties, vinasse induced a thickness change of 7.8%. With immersion in vinasse, an average decrease in strength and deformability (yield) of 34% and 23.5% were measured, respectively. The stiffness increased by 7.8% (average) and the tear strength decreased by 2.7% (average).

Contaminação das águas subterrâneas por resíduos de postos de combustíveis: uma abordagem no município de Rio Claro

The contamination of underground waters is a subject of great importance, since a lot of people use this kind of source for public supply. This paperwork manages with how gas stations can contaminate these waters and what are some remediation techniques, used nowadays to solve this problem. The contamination caused by the gas stations can have its origin in the underground storage tanks when they suffer corrosion and show leaking problems. It’s a topic of great relevance, because the hydrocarbons derivated from petroleum present in the fuels can stay for a long time in the environment. Besides that, an analyses of the risk of contamination by gas stations in the city of Rio Claro was made based on three parameters: density of the gas stations, depth of the underground water and hydraulic conductivity. To achieve such goal, maps were elaborated considering those parameters individually and considering the three of them together. Analyzing those maps, it was concluded see that the spots that represent the biggest risks of contamination in Rio Claro are located southeast and center-west.

Proposta de elaboração de carta de sensibilidade ambiental aplicada a postos de combustíveis em Rio Claro-SP

Leaking of hydrocarbon in fuel underground storage tanks constitute object of concern for urban environmental management, because therefore they provoke damages to the physical, biological and socioeconomic environment. Though laws that regulate this essential activity exist, aiming at to prevent contamination with hydrocarbon, we observe that this still happens. This fact evidences that the selection of places for installation of gas stations has not considered the characteristics of the natural environment, implying in more critical consequences associated to the leaking. The objective of this work is to elaborate a chart applied to the gas stations in Rio Claro/SP. The determination of the Index of Environmental Sensitivity for elaboration of such chart was carried through breaking the selection of factors of Environmental Sensitivity of physical, biological and socioeconomic environment. The balance of these factors was given by means of Ad hoc consultation. The crossing of the information was carried through using the method of overlapping of overlays. The result is a chart that shows us areas with classes of high, middle and low Environmental Sensitivity. One gives credit that this type of material can be used as criterion in the selection of adjusted areas for installations of new gas stations and management of the already installed gas stations. The diagnosis of the current situation of the gas stations in the area and recommendations had also been elaborated.

Avaliação reológica do óleo de abacate (Persea americana mill) e estudo da estabilidade sob condições de aquecimento e armazenamento à temperatura ambiente

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Vulnerabilidade ambiental ao óleo em ambiente fluvial: estudo de caso rio Tietê/Reservatório de Barra Bonita

Pós-graduação em Geociências e Meio Ambiente - IGCE