Considerações sobre as consequências dos Desastres Hidrometeorológicos no Brasil de 2009 a 2011

The disaster natural disaster stand as one of the greatest challenges of urban man. Cities are built and modeled as a function of economic and political issues, without respecting environmental characteristics. So it is possible to see through the data of the National Civil Defence large number of disasters occurring in Brazilian cities in the years 2009 to 2011, and in all were reported over 5000 occurrences of natural disasters over the years. The Brazilian public policy failures show up in issues of urban planning where to admit the allocation of people in inappropriate areas. Another issue to be considered is the non-response of the population to civil defense warnings, people often prefer to risk staying in high-risk areas for fear of being robbed while they are away, and end up not serving the notices given by the Civil Defense, increase thus the number of victims when in fact the weather event triggers natural disasters one

Produção e estudo da imobilização de lipases fúngicas visando à obtenção enzimática de biodiesel

A atual demanda por produtos alternativos que substituam os combustíveis fósseis, causadores de alto impacto ambiental negativo, tem fomentado pesquisas em diferentes áreas como o emprego de lipases microbianas como biocatalisadores no setor de energia. Como mais uma forma de busca por tecnologias limpas, há também interesse no aproveitamento de resíduos agroindustriais. Nessa vertente, o Brasil como grande produtor agrícola se destaca na geração de subprodutos como o bagaço de cana-de-açúcar. Uma alternativa mais ecológica para atender a essa demanda é a produção de biodiesel, produzido a partir da transesterificação de triglicerídeos de origem animal ou vegetal, tendo como características não ser tóxico, ser biodegradável e fonte renovável de energia. As lipases são enzimas que aceleram reações de hidrólise e síntese, podendo ser obtidas de microorganismos por meio de processos de fermentação em estado sólido, porém com alta demanda de recursos financeiros para sua produção. Hoje em dia, o que está em alta na indústria de tecnologia com enzimas é a utilização de resíduos agroindustriais e processos de imobilização com o intuito de diminuir os gastos em sua produção, um dos gargalos para seu uso mais amplo. Neste trabalho foi analisada a viabilidade do uso do bagaço de cana-de-açúcar misturado a farelos de soja ou trigo como meios de cultivo em fermentação semi-sólida, assim como a melhor concentração de umidade para o desenvolvimento de lipases pelo microorganismos estudados. Foi testada também a viabilidade de imobilização das lipases produzidas em suporte de celite

Impactos Ambientais do Território de Botucatu

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Fluxo institucional de resíduos de equipamentos elétricos e eletrônicos e identificação de seus potenciais impactos ambientais e na saúde

A preocupação ambiental em relação aos resíduos de equipamentos elétricos e eletrônicos (REEE) vem crescendo muito nos últimos anos devido à presença de substâncias perigosas que podem causar danos ao ambiente e à saúde. O trabalho teve por objetivo investigar o destino de REEE gerados no Campus Quadrilátero da Saúde/Direito (CQS/D) da Universidade de São Paulo (Faculdade de Medicina, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Escola de Enfermagem, Instituto de Medicina Tropical e Faculdade de Direito), a partir do momento em que os mesmos deixam as dependências da Instituição e identificar potenciais riscos à saúde e ao ambiente, decorrentes das atuais ações de gerenciamento dos REEE nas unidades estudadas. A pesquisa desenvolveu-se em 3 etapas: a) pesquisa bibliográfica e documental; b) visitas às unidades que compõem o CQS/D, e identificação de cinco intituições filantrópicas como principais destinos; c) visitas aos locais identificados para investigar as atividades desenvolvidas para a recuperação de equipamentos, componentes ou materiais recicláveis, com base em um formulário desenvolvido. Adicionalmente, foram realizadas visitas a outros quatro locais de destino de REEE. Foi identificado que as etapas realizadas nas instituições são: recebimento, teste, conserto e desmontagem manual e que o destino dos REEE pode ser considerado problemático, já que os rejeitos acabam sendo descartados como resíduo comum, podendo causar danos ao ambiente e à saúde. Além disso há riscos ocupacionais, pois os trabalhadores, além de não utilizarem equipamentos de proteção individual necessários, nem sempre recebem capacitação para exercer suas funções

Aplicação de resíduos de construção e demolição em estruturas de pavimento

The objective of this work was collect information of articles published previously and carry out a study about them, including contents and interesting stuff that bring growth regarding the construction residues utilization and demolition (RCD), that today provides many environmental impacts. The need of utilization of the RCD in Brazil and in the world earned bigger attention world speaking, therefore the industry of the civil construction is had as one of the biggest present residues output springs. For it present a point that can be applied the RCD, is discussed in that work the kinds and structures of floors, where are presented the layers and, finally, a short argument about the possible and economic feasabilities job of the residues recycled in some layers of the structure of floor

Bioma cerrado: um estudo de valoração e conservação da biodiversidade e dos recursos naturais

The region of the biome Cerrado is under threat due to the replacement of their native areas for expansion of agriculture and livestock. This occupation is responsible for the loss of about 50% of two million square kilometers of original native savannah. The land use, without control or zoning, has caused serious damage to natural resources of this biome, considered as an international hotspot area. As a result, some problems caused by ecological imbalances already topping the urban and rural environments, such as species extinction, water scarcity and desertification. Any occupation in this biome should be evaluated with caution, because this region, besides being considered one of the most productive of Brazil, is also rich in biodiversity and water resources. The understanding of the importance of the Cerrado biome and its remaining areas, allows the preparation of detailed studies of environmental valuation, which is essential for the development of conservation policies, avoiding even greater environmental impacts. To meet the growing demand for food, you can increase productivity through agroforestry, for example, and to preserve the remaining areas, you can create new protected areas and tailor existing units

Os impactos da política nacional de resíduos sólidos no setor de eletrônicos

A Revolução Tecnológica vem colocando no mercado um número cada vez maior de equipamentos eletrônicos, enquanto a absorção dos impactos pelo ecossistema se torna cada vez mais difícil. A Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos reúne o conjunto de princípios, diretrizes, metas e ações para o gerenciamento ambientalmente adequado dos resíduos. Comparando o cenário brasileiro com medidas de outros países, a proposta é analisar os impactos econômicos e ambientais da nova lei sobre a indústria de produtos eletroeletrônicos

Urbanização, turismo e seus impactos nos recursos naturais no município de Ilhabela - SP

The urbanization process in the Brazilian cities is directly linked to its main economic activities, and causes several impacts on the natural resources. It can be seen at the city of Ilhabela, an archipelago located at the north coast of the state of São Paulo, that still has a great area of preserved Atlantic Rainforest, and where today the tourism is the main economic activity. With this in sight, this paper aimed to make a prospect of the current situation of the city, looking at the main aspects of its economic and urban development and the environmental impacts related to them. Among the aspects studied, are the irregular occupations at preservation areas on the island: the pressure on the sea ecosystems by the fishing and the boat circulation, and at the beaches by the tourists flow. Were also observed the characteristics of the city’s urban infrastructure, such as the water supply, sewer and road networks and the waste collecting. Finally, it was analyzed the way that the government acts over the preservation of the island’s natural resources, by the Municipality and the Ilhabela State Park, so that the acting of these two agents could be compared

Fungos fitopatógenos associados às formigas cortadeiras (Formicidae: Tribo Attini)

The ants of genus Atta belong to the Attine tribe (order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae, subfamily Myrmicinae) and are commonly known as leaf-cutting ants for having the habit of cutting several vegetable species used as substrate for growing mutualistic fungus (Agaricales: Lepiotaceae). Recent studies showed that, in addition to that, other fungi may occur in the nests in a dorment state or participate in the functioning dynamic of this symbiosis. Researches related to surveys of fungus biodiversity in nests of different Atta species have found important phytopathogenic representatives. In Brazil, studies about integrated management of plagues, developed by Embrapa Meio Ambiente (Embrapa Environment), point out the need of higher investments in projects that involve the phytopathogenic transmission by insects in order to reduce costs to control them or minimize environmental impact. The purpose of this study was to broaden the knowledge about the ecology of these fungi, isolating and identifying species associated with Attine tribe ants, thus understanding the scope of pathogenic and phytopathogenic species spread by these ants. For that reason, gynes were collected from Atta laevigata and Atta capiguara anthills located at Unesp Botucatu (São Paulo, Brazil) campus. In order to isolate the fungus, the mineral oil floating technique was used. The identification of the isolated fungi was done based on microscopic and molecular characteristics using DNA ribosomal sequencing. The most highly abundant genera found so far were: Cladosporium, Exophiala, Penicillium, Acremonium, Phialophora and Teratosphaeria. Representatives of the genera Exophiala, Phialophora and Cladosporium may be human pathogens, whereas Teratosphaeria and Penicillium are related to diseases in Eucalyptus and citric fruits, respectively. The results show that these ants may host important fungal species besides the ones already... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Caracterização física e mecânica de compensado produzido com dois diferentes adesivos em duas variações de pressão de prensagem

The adhesives used in the production of engineered boards have been object of study over the years in order to improve the properties of the boards with less energy consumption, lower production costs and reduced environmental impact. In addition to that, process variables may affect the properties of the board. The present study aimed to characterize sheets of plywood, manufactured with two types of adhesives, under two different pressing conditions. The adhesives used for the study were Phenol-formaldehyde and Polyurethane castor oil based. The pressure of pressing was varied in a range from 75 to 160 Bar, in order to verify how they influence the physical and mechanical properties of the board. The tests performed resulted in a conclusion that shows that the moister content of the veneers interferes on the physical and mechanical tests. In general, boards produced with polyurethane resin showed superior physical and mechanical results; although the ones produced with phenol formaldehyde at a pressure of 75 Bar had always equal or higher values, compared to what is found in literature

Produção e caracterização físico-mecânica de painel de compensado de Eucalyptus sp. e adesivo PVA

Studies on new adhesives and resins for bonding wood and wood products are being conducted with the intention of improving their properties, taking into account a lower environmental impact. For this reason new formulations of polyvinyl acetate (PVA) adhesives have been developed, because they have no chemicals in its composition extremely polluting and harmful to health, as is the case of formaldehyde-based resins, which in turn are the most commonly used today for wood panels production. This study tested three different formulations of PVA adhesives, with different times and temperatures of pressing for the production of Eucalyptus sp. Plywood, coming up in satisfactory results with respect to shear strength at the bondline, which was higher for the PVA adhesives compared with urea-formaldehyde and phenol. The results of MOE and MOR were lower than those values of the panels produced with urea and phenol-formaldehyde, and the results of physical tests showed to be close to the panels produced with these same adhesives

Técnicas construtivas e procedimentos sustentáveis – estudo de caso: edifício na cidade de São Paulo

The environmental problems generated by construction activity have been widely discussed in Brazil, which has begun to incorporate sustainable building techniques in your ventures. Based on these facts, this work focused on addressing the main characteristics of a sustainable building project. Among them are water conservation, energy efficiency in buildings, managing a construction site with little environmental impact and reuse of materials and construction elements. This work, after the presentation of the main characteristics of a sustainable building project, shows a case study about the implementation of environmental certification LEED Gold level in a large building, located in São Paulo - SP, Brazil. With that, we want to produce a research document about the topic of sustainable buildings

Análise da viabilidade de motorização elétrica do soprador no ciclo regenerativo da unidade de craqueamento catalítico fluidizado em uma refinaria

One of the biggest environmental problems of today is the climate change. Experts affirm that this global warming is related to the greenhouse effect. Its causes are directly related to human activity, especially the use of fossil fuels. In this context, companies around the world are challenged to improve energy efficiency in order to reduce the environmental impact and work toward the so-called tripod of sustainable development that focuses on the social, economic and environmental aspects of a business strategy. The first step a company can make in this regard is to conduct an inventory of emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The reduction of GHG emissions in a refinery can be achieved by replacing steam turbines with electric motors to drive big machines, this reduction is achieved by relieving the steam consumption for electric power available or purchased. An important aspect associated with the reduction of GHG emissions is the best performance of the Energy Intensity Index (ERI). The objective of this study was to analyze the feasibility of the blower motorization in the regenerative cycle of a fluidized catalytic cracking unit at a specific refinery. For development work, two methods were used, the initial screening and optimization scenarios with the help of software Butyl. The results indicate that after a certain cost of natural gas this substitution becomes favorable. In addition, there is a large reduction of CO2 emissions avoided by burning fuel

Proposta para melhoria da qualidade dos produtos cerâmicos e de criação de um polo cerâmico artesanal na cidade de Indiana - SP

This work presents a proposal to create a Polo Ceramic Craft in the town of Indiana - SP, through the potter’s organization in a cooperative that will coordinate activities to add value to ceramic pieces. To achieve this, two things are essential: improving the ceramic body and improve the properties of the ceramic material. For the first action it’s necessary to create a Central Mass Production of Ceramics, to provide raw materials and homogeneous composition that results in differentiated ceramic after burning process (sintering). To this end, we propose the incorporation of additives (which act as fluxes) to the clay material. These additives can be mineral such as feldspar and nefelinas or leavings, such as glass powder obtained from disposable containers. For the second action is necessary to acquire an oven, electric or gas, it reaches higher temperatures (around 1200 ° C). The presence of the additive and burning at higher temperatures will enable better production of sintered ceramic material with less porosity and water absorption and higher mechanical strength, and pieces vitrified and glazed, allowing them to assign a higher value. For the production of these materials (thinner walls) requires a smaller volume of clayey raw materials. Besides benefiting the ceramic pieces, the proposed changes reduce the environmental impact caused by burning wood, since it will be replaced by natural gas (or electricity), and even will reduce the disposal of glass containers in the environment by recycling and incorporating this material in the clay. From a social standpoint, the cooperative is crucial to the viability of the proposed project, to coordinate activities and commercial production, which will result in better wages and profits for companies and consequently for the city and its population

Incorporação de um sistema nobreak com ultracapacitor em um microcomputador

The objective of this work is to analyze the viability of incorporation in a microcomputer box of a nobreak with an ultracapacitor as energy storage device, substituting the conventional chemical battery. An advantage of this inclusion is cost reduction because a specific metallic or plastic frame won’t be necessary to protect the components of the nobreak; the microcomputer metallic frame offers the necessary protection for both equipments. Moreover, a large quantity of internal space of microcomputers box isn’t used, and is possible to use it to wrap up the nobreak. This work uses data about average power consumption of microcomputers; operation of switching mode power supplies for microcomputers; electrical and mechanical characteristics of ultracapacitors and operation of power circuits of nobreaks, with the purpose of present a study of energy storage capacity that an ultracapacitor should have to allow a safe switching off of a microcomputer in case of electrical network fail. It was noticed that the use of ultracapacitors is feasible to feed an 180 W load for 75 s, using a capacitive bank with sixteen ultracapacitors, with a total capacitance of 350 F and voltage of 10,8 V. The use of the proposed nobreak increases the reliability of the microcomputer by reducing the probability of user data losses in case of an electrical network fail, offering a high cost/benefit product. The substitution of the battery by an ultracapacitor allows a quick nobreak recharge, with low maintenance costs, since ultracapacitors have a lifetime bigger than batteries; beyond reducing the environmental impact, because they don’t use potentially toxic chemical compounds