Levels of selected persistent organic pollutants in blood from delivering women in seven selected areas of São Paulo State, Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Genetic biomonitoring of an urban population exposed to mutagenic airborne pollutants

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Persistent organic pollutants in juvenile Magellan penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) found on the northern shore of the state of São Paulo and southern shore of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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

The Allium cepa bioassay to evaluate landfarming soil, before and after the addition of rice hulls to accelerate organic pollutants biodegradation

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

The Production of Ligninolytic Enzymes by Marine-Derived Basidiomycetes and Their Biotechnological Potential in the Biodegradation of Recalcitrant Pollutants and the Treatment of Textile Effluents

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

Levels of persistent organic pollutants and residual pattern of DDTs in small cetaceans from the coast of São Paulo, Brazil

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

Integrated analysis of halogenated organic pollutants in sub-millilitre volumes of venous and umbilical cord blood sera

A rapid, robust and economical method for the analysis of persistent halogenated organic compounds in small volumes of human serum and umbilical cord blood is described. The pollutants studied cover a broad range of molecules of contemporary epidemiological and legislative concern, including polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), polychlorobenzenes (CBs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), DDTs, polychlorostyrenes (PCSs) and polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Extraction and clean-up with n-hexane and concentrated sulphuric acid was followed with analysis by gas chromatography coupled to electron capture (GC-ECD) and GC coupled to negative ion chemical ionisation mass spectrometry (GC-NICI-MS). The advantages of this method rest in the broad range of analytes and its simplicity and robustness, while the use of concentrated sulphuric acid extraction/clean-up destroys viruses that may be present in the samples. Small volumes of reference serum between 50 and 1000 μL were extracted and the limits of detection/quantification and repeatability were determined. Recoveries of spiked compounds for the extraction of small volumes (≥300 μL) of the spiked reference serum were between 90% and 120%. The coefficients of variation of repeatability ranged from 0.1-14%, depending on the compound. Samples of 4-year-old serum and umbilical cord blood (n = 73 and 40, respectively) from a population inhabiting a village near a chloro-alkali plant were screened for the above-mentioned halogenated pollutants using this method and the results are briefly described. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.

Remote Sensing Detection of atmospheric pollutants using Lidar, Sodar and correlation with air quality data in an industrial area

Optical remote sensing techniques have obvious advantages for monitoring gas and aerosol emissions, since they enable the operation over large distances, far from hostile environments, and fast processing of the measured signal. In this study two remote sensing devices, namely a Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) for monitoring the vertical profile of backscattered light intensity, and a Sodar (Acoustic Radar, Sound Detection and Ranging) for monitoring the vertical profile of the wind vector were operated during specific periods. The acquired data were processed and compared with data of air quality obtained from ground level monitoring stations, in order to verify the possibility of using the remote sensing techniques to monitor industrial emissions. The campaigns were carried out in the area of the Environmental Research Center (Cepema) of the University of São Paulo, in the city of Cubatão, Brazil, a large industrial site, where numerous different industries are located, including an oil refinery, a steel plant, as well as fertilizer, cement and chemical/petrochemical plants. The local environmental problems caused by the industrial activities are aggravated by the climate and topography of the site, unfavorable to pollutant dispersion. Results of a campaign are presented for a 24- hour period, showing data of a Lidar, an air quality monitoring station and a Sodar. © 2011 SPIE.

Chemometric optimization of solid-liquid extraction with low-temperature partition (SLE-LTP) for determination of persistent organic pollutants in Caiman yacare eggs

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Atmospheric pollutants in São Paulo state, Brazil and effects on human health – a review

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

Genotoxicity evaluation of environmental pollutants using analysis of nucleolar alterations

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

Levels of persistent organic pollutants and residual pattern of DDTs in small cetaceans from the coast of Sao Paulo, Brazil

The State of Sao Paulo is the most developed area in Brazil and was impacted by persistent organic pollutants for several decades. This study investigated organochlorines in five species of small cetaceans (Pontoporia blainvillei, Stenella frontalis, Sotalia guianensis, Tursiops truncatus and Steno bredanensis) found dead along the coast of Sao Paulo between 1997 and 2003. DDTs (15.9 mu g g(-1) lipid: mean for all pooled individuals) and PCBs (8.08 mu g g(-1)) exhibited the highest concentrations in the animals, reflecting large amounts formerly used in Brazil. Lower levels of mirex (0.149 mu g g(-1)), HCB (0.051 mu g g(-1)), CHLs (0.008 mu g g(-1)) and HCHs (0.007 mu g g(-1)) were detected in all species. Residual pattern of DDTs in dolphins suggests that o,p`-DDT is more recalcitrant than p,p`-DDT in the body of the animals and/or the environment. In contrast to p,p`-DDT, residues of o,p`-DDT seem to be preferentially converted into o,p`-DDD rather than op-DDE. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Urban Air Pollutants are Significant Risk Factors for Asthma and Pneumonia in Children: The Influence of Location on the Measurement of Pollutants

Background: Air pollution is associated with a substantial burden on human health; however, the most important pollutants may vary with location. Proper monitoring is necessary to determine the effect of these pollutants on respiratory health. Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the role of outdoor, indoor and personal exposure to combustion-related pollutants NO2 and O-3 on respiratory health of children in a non-affluent urban area of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Methods: Levels of NO2 and O-3 were continuously measured in outdoor and indoor air, as well as personal exposure, for 30 days using passive measurement monitors. Respiratory health was assessed with a Brazilian version of the ISAAC questionnaire. Results: Complete data were available from 64 children, aged 6-10 years. Respiratory morbidity was high, with 43 (67.2%) reporting having had wheezing at any time, 27 (42.2%) wheezing in the last month, 17 (26.6%) asthma at any time and 21(32.8%) pneumonia at any time. Correlations between levels of NO2 and O-3 measured in the three locations evaluated were poor. Levels of NO2 in indoor air and personal exposure to O-3 were independently associated with asthma (both cases P=.02), pneumonia (O-3, P=.02) and wheezing at any time (both cases P<.01). No associations were seen between outdoor NO2 and O-3 and respiratory health. Conclusions: Exposure to higher levels of NO2 and O-3 was associated with increased risk for asthma and pneumonia in children. Nonetheless, the place where the pollutants are measured influences the results. The measurements taken in indoor and personal exposure were the most accurate. (C) 2012 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.

Levels of selected persistent organic pollutants in blood from delivering women in seven selected areas of Sao Paulo State, Brazil

Persistent organic pollutants (POPS) present in the living environment are thought to have detrimental health effects on the population, with pregnant women and the developing foetus being at highest risk. We report on the levels of selected POPs in maternal blood of 155 delivering women residing in seven regions within the Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The following selected POPs were measured in the maternal whole blood: 12 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) congeners (IUPAC Nos. 99, 101, 118, 138, 153, 156, 163, 170, 180, 183, 187, 194); dichlordiphenyltrichloroethane p,p'-DDT, diphenyldichloroethylene p,p'-DDE and other pesticides such as hexachlorocyclohexanes (alpha-HCH, beta-HCH, gamma-HCH), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), chlordane derivatives cis-chlordane, trans-chlordane. oxy-chlordane, cis-nonachlor and trans-nonachlor. Statistical comparisons between regions were performed only on compounds having concentrations above LOD in 70% of the samples. PCB118 congener was found to be highest in the industrial site (mean 4.97 ng/g lipids); PCB138 congener concentration was highest in the Urban 3 site (mean 4.27 ng/g lipids) and congener PCB153 was highest in the industrial and Urban 3 sites with mean concentration of 7.2 ng/g lipids and 5.89 ng/g lipids respectively. Large differences in levels of p,p'-DDE between regions were observed with the Urban 3 and industrial sites having the highest concentrations of 645 ng/g lipids and 417 ng/g lipids, respectively; beta-HCH was found to be highest in the Rural 1 site; the gamma-HCH in Rural 1 and industrial; the HCB in the Rural 1 and industrial sites and oxy-chlordane and t-NC in the Rural 2 sites. An association between levels of some contaminants and maternal age and parity was also found. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Models of the Distribution of Persistent Organic Pollutants in the Marine Environment

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is a group of chemicals that are toxic, undergo long-range transport and accumulate in biota. Due to their persistency the distribution and recirculation in the environment often continues for a long period of time. Thereby they appear virtually everywhere within the biosphere, and poses a toxic stress to living organisms. In this thesis, attempts are made to contribute to the understanding of factors that influence the distribution of POPs with focus on processes in the marine environment. The bioavailability and the spatial distribution are central topics for the environmental risk management of POPs. In order to study these topics, various field studies were undertaken. To determine the bioavailable fraction of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) the aqueous dissolved phase were sampled and analysed. In the same samples, we also measured how much of these POPs were associated with suspended particles. Different models, which predicted the phase distribution of these POPs, were then evaluated. It was found that important water characteristics, which influenced the solid-water phase distribution of POPs, were particulate organic matter (POM), particulate soot (PSC), and dissolved organic matter (DOM). The bioavailable dissolved POP-phase in the water was lower when these sorbing phases were present. Furthermore, sediments were sampled and the spatial distribution of the POPs was examined. The results showed that the concentration of PCDD/Fs, and PCNs were better described using PSC- than using POM-content of the sediment. In parallel with these field studies, we synthesized knowledge of the processes affecting the distribution of POPs in a multimedia mass balance model. This model predicted concentrations of PCDD/Fs throughout our study area, the Grenlandsfjords in Norway, within factors of ten. This makes the model capable to validate the effect of suitable remedial actions in order to decrease the exposure of these POPs to biota in the Grenlandsfjords which was the aim of the project. Also, to evaluate the influence of eutrophication on the marine occurrence PCB data from the US Musselwatch and Benthic Surveillance Programs are examined in this thesis. The dry weight based concentrations of PCB in bivalves were found to correlate positively to the organic matter content of nearby sediments, and organic matter based concentrations of PCB in sediments were negatively correlated to the organic matter content of the sediment.