Limonologia e qualidade ambiental de um corpo lêntico receptor de efluentes tratados da indústria de petróleo

Environmental pollution has become a subject of public interest throughout the world. Not only have developed countries been affected by environmental problems but also the developing nations have started to suffer from the serious impacts of pollution. Within this context it is necessary to collect simplified environmental data to assist in the management of water resources by the appropriate authorities. These data are obtained through an environmental index that allows a space-time comparison of points distributed in the same aquatic body, or between different water bodies, for physico-chemical and bacteriological parameters. The aim of this present study was to determine the environmental status of the Lagoa de Baixo at Guamaré/RN, where a production unit of PETROBRAS RN/CE is located. For this purpose the Water Quality Index (WQI) was used in both an add and multiply form, the Trophic State Index (TSI) and the Environmental Quality Quotient (EQQ), as well as determining the concentrations of metals. The average values obtained for the WQI, in its two forms were 68,67 and 62,76 respectively which were inside the good qualification. According to the TSI the lagoon showed characteristics of a middle trophic state, and an impact level of regular as determined by the EQQ

Estratégia de gestão ambiental baseada nos princípios da produção mais limpa : um estudo de caso focado no segmento da carcinicultura

The objective of this scientific article is to introduce the opportunities of implementation of cleaner production (CP) in a shrimp culture farm. The methodology used for this was exploratory research implemented in a production unit located in the Northeast Brazil. The scientific article approaches since generic aspects of the technique about the management to use water, energy and the effluent characterization of this productive activity. It discusses quantitative aspects, environmental questions and chances of P+L during the productive process phases. The results points to input economy in the form of feed, soil correctives, medicines, and energy applied to the process, which range from 4% to 27%, emphasizing the small profit should be viewed as a source of considerable environment return. The authors conclude for the adoption property of this technique in this agribusiness segment, point out to the management importance of the input dosage in the quality of the final effluent, besides the adoption of a physical-chemistry remediation mechanism to the residual of Sodium metabissulphite used in the process of shrimp caught

Avaliação de indicadores de impactos ambientais no perímetro irrigado Cruzeta-Região semi-árida do RN

Environmental impacts are defined as the processes of social and ecological changes caused by nuisance ambient. In agriculture are diverse, and the intensive use of land and inappropriate agricultural practices causes negative effect on the environment besides affecting crop productivity and quality of life of man. So this study was objective to analyze parameters indicators of environmental impacts in the Cruzeta the Discrict Irrigation. During the period July 2007 to March 2008 samples were collected in lot 01 and 02 of the irrigation district. The monitoring was conducted in four sampling points, three (3) located in the irrigation channels and 1 (one) located in a cacimbão. Were monitored pH, CE, STD, SS, NO3-, OD, DT, PST, RAS, CT, Ca+2, Mg+2, Na+ and K+ and heavy metals. Analysis was performed, soil fertility, determining the infiltration rate, moisture content of soil and flow measurement. The results showed that the parameters considered most effective in evaluating the indicators of environmental impacts were: Suspended solid, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and Coliform termotelerantes. The concentrations of nitrate were below the limit established by CONAMA (2005). High levels of STD were found in the point P4. The risk of salinity in cacimbão Lot 02, the water was classified as Class II, or medium risk of salinity in the remaining points was classified as Class I. The iron and aluminum were found high concentrations in four sampling points independent of the dry or rainy. On the ground, found high levels of phosphorus in both samples collected in the batch 01, as the lot 02. The pH levels found in samples of soil, the soil can be classified as neutral and moderate alkalinity. The high infiltration rate obtained in the tests performed in lots 01 and 02 indicated the high permeability of soil at these points

Estudos dos aspectos qualitativos e quantitativos da água e do sedimento no baixo curso do Rio Pitimbu (RN)

Urban growth of metropolitan areas has produced impacts of considerable importance on environment and water resources. Such impacts are in general associated with human activities, such as basin area uncontrolled development. In this context, Pitimbu river watershed, located at Natal metropolitan area, has been affected by uncontrolled development caused by urban expansion. Indeed, such effects have been reflected on water quantity and quality, which may produce social consequences. Pitimbu river is an important water supplier for human consumption, actually supplying a 2600 m3/h water discharge. This study aims to analyze the qualitative and quantitative aspects of water and sediment on Pitimbu river lowland portion. For this purpose, physical-chemical water properties were analyzed, and sediment macro invertebrates benthonic were monitored in two cross sections in a period between November 8th, 2007 and October 3rd, 2008. Monitoring methodology consisted of water and sediment sampling for laboratory analysis. Water quality analysis included Dissolved Oxygen, Oxygen Biochemical Demand, Nitrate, pH and Alkalinity, Suspended and Total Solids. The analysis of heavy metals in the sediment included Cadmium, Cobalt, Copper, Chrome, Silver and Nickel. Dry season water discharge data were measured and used to adjust recession function parameters, whose values reveal quick recession and strong river-aquifer unconfined interaction. Water quality analysis revealed the absence of degradation by organic composites. However, DO and BOD levels indicate that more consistent results could be provided if sampling time interval were reduced. Biomonitoring showed signs of aquatic ecosystem degradation by the absence of sensitive and abundance of resistant benthic organisms. Obtained results demonstrate the urgent need of effective management measures to provide environmental protection. The increase of environmental degradation will certainly make impracticable the use of water for human consumption

Sistemática integrativa de Cichlasoma orientale Kullander 1983 e Crenicichla menezesi Ploeg 1991 (Teleostei: Cichlidae) das bacias hidrográficas do Nordeste do Brasil

Understanding the historical and ecological relationships which are influent in current biological diversity is one of the most challenging tasks of evolutionary biology. Recent systematics emphasizes the need of integrative approaches to delimit different lineages and species. The northeastern Brazil, mostly placed in Caatinga biome, is characterized by a semi-arid weather, low precipitation and seasonal behavior of rivers. This region is regarded lacking as ichthyological knowledge and one of the most threatened by anthropic activities. Further, will be affected by a massive water diverpsion work that will transfer waters from São Francisco basin, to other major four basins: Jaguaribe, Apodi-Mossoró, Piranhas-Açu and Paraiba do Norte. Loss of diversity and richness, hibridizitation, community interactions changes, population homogenization, changes in water quality and flow regime, are examples of environmental impacts already related with similar works. The present study aims to investigate morphological and molecular variation of Cichlasoma orientale Kullander 1983 and Crenicichla menezesi Ploeg 1991, two cichlid species present in northeastern Brazil basins. Further, the study aims to evaluate the influence of geomorphological and climatic processes in this variation, and point some possible impacts of the artificial connectivity which can be brought by São Francisco interbasin water transfer to their population dynamics. Geometric morphometrics and phylogeographical analysis were used to investigate the populations from three different hydrological regions. Our results showed a significant morphological variation of populations from basins that are involved in the São Franscisco s diversion project, not related to an ancient separation between populations, emphasizing morphological variation which could represent a set of plastic responses to the variable hydrological regime in Northeastern Brazil. The role of plastical responses in naturally variable habitats as well as the potential disturbs that could be brought by the interbasin water transfer works are discussed here. Further, our molecular data allowed us to make inferences about species distribution and their taxonomy, and identification of a potential new species of Crenicichla for São Francisco river basin. Our data also allowed to identify some shared haplotypes for both species, which could be related to lineage sorting scenarios or recent gene flow between populations. However a strong structure in most of the pairwise comparisons between populations for both species was revealed. Climatic events such as Atlantic forest regression during the Pleistocene, sea level fluctuations and dispersion by paleorivers in the mouth of Apodi-Mossoró river, and neotectonic events regulating the connection between drainages are likely to have had a contribution for the actual lineages distribution in northeastern Brazil. Further, analysis of molecular variation (AMOVA and SAMOVA) showed that the actual basin s isolation is an important factor to molecular variation, in spite of the signal of recent contact between some basins. Different genetic diversity patterns between species could be related to multiple historic events of colonization, basins landscapes or biological differences. The present study represents the first effort of integrative systematics involving fish species of northeastern Brazil, and showed important morphological and molecular patterns which could be irrecoverably affected by the artificial connection that might be caused by the São Francisco interbasin water transfer

Impactos sócio-econômicos e ambientais da introdução da Tilápia do Nilo, Oreochromis niloticus, em açudes públicos do semi-árido nordestino, Brasi

The stocking of exotic fish, especially the tilapia, has become a common practice in the public reservoirs of the Brazilian semi-arid region. The stocking of tilapias has had as its main aim the improvement of the fisheries in the reservoirs and consequently the improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the families that have fishing as the main source of income. However, the environmental risks associated with this practice are high and can lead to a loss in aquatic biodiversity and to changes in the quality of the water. The object of this work was to quantify the socio-economic and environmental effects of the introduction of the Nile tilapia in the public reservoirs of the semi-arid northeastern Brazil. The analysis of the fish yield of 100 public reservoirs from 1970 to 2000 demonstrated that the introduction of the Nile tilapia apparently contributed to an increase in the total fish yield from the late 1970 s until the mid-1980 s. Nevertheless, from that time onwards the fish yield in these reservoirs has fallen into decline to levels inferior to those observed prior to the introduction of the tilápia. The analysis of the fishing activity statistics of the Gargalheiras reservoir located in the city of Acari, Rio Grande do Norte, demonstrated that the introduction of the Nile tilapia in the reservoir has not significantly increased the fish yield, the gross overall income, the gross per capita income nor the number of fishermen actively fishing in the reservoir. On the other hand, the analysis of the fishing activity statistics of the Gargalheiras reservoir has revealed a significant reduction in the captures of other commercially important fish species after the introduction of the tilapia. This result suggests that the Nile tilapia could have negatively affected other species of fish in the reservoir, contributing to the decline in their stocks. In order to assess the perception of the fishermen concerning the effects of the Nile tilapia over other species of fish and the quality of the water, questionnaires containing open and multiple choice questions were applied with 30 fishermen from the colony of the Gargalheiras reservoir. The great majority of the local fishermen stated that the tilapia is currently the most important species of fish to those who depend on fishing as a source of income and that they have not caused damage to other species of fish nor to the quality of the water in the reservoir. However, the results of the present work indicate that the alleged socio-economic benefits, employed to justify the introduction of the Nile tilapia in the reservoirs, are overestimated while the environmental impacts of the introduction of this exotic species are underestimated

Using chemical and physical parameters to define the quality of Pardo River water (Botucatu-SP-Brazil)

This paper aims to study the ecological system of the Pardo River, at the source and lower-order passages, which are in the Botucatu area, São Paulo State, Brazil. This study was carried out to determine water quality with some chemical-physical indicators, coliforms, and chemical species of samples taken monthly, 1995/02-1996/01, from eight sampling stations sited along the Pardo River. The results in the river monitoring are discussed based on annual averages, analysis of variance, and compared to Tukey's Studentized Range-HSD, and principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to normalize data to assess association between variables. We can conclude that the variables used are very efficient for identifying and that the dry season shows the worst water quality. These were caused by organic matter, nutrients (originate) from anthropogenic sources (spatial sources) and mainly municipal wastewater, affecting the quality and hydrochemistry of the river water, which have been differentiated and assigned to polluting sources. Meanwhile, the degree of degradation of the Pardo River is low (sewage treatment carried out by the city of Pardinho is efficient), leaving the water of the river suitable for use by the population of Botucatu, after conventional treatment (Conama, Resolucao No. 20, CONAMA, Brazilia DF, 09-23, 1986-the water of the Pardo river is classified as level 03). (C) 2001 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Micronucleus and chromosome aberrations induced in onion (Allium cepa) by a petroleum refinery effluent and by river water that receives this effluent

In this study, micronucleus (MN) and chromosome aberration (CA) tests in Allium cepa (onion) were carried out in order to make a preliminary characterization of the water quality of the Atibaia River in an area that is under the influence of petroleum refinery and also to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatments used by the refinery. For these evaluations, seeds of A. cepa were germinated in waters collected in five different sites related with the refinery in ultra-pure water (negative control) and in methyl methanesulfonate solution (positive control). According to our results, we can suggest that even after the treatments (physicochemical, biological and stabilization pond) the final refinery effluent could induce chromosome aberrations and micronucleus in meristematic cells of A. cepa and that the discharge of the petroleum refinery effluents in the Atibaia River can interfere in the quality of this river. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chromosome aberration and micronucleus frequencies in Allium cepa cells exposed to petroleum polluted water - A case study

In the present study, we applied Chromosome Aberration (CA) and Micronucleus (MN) tests to Allium cepa root cells, in order to evaluate the water quality of Guaeca river. This river, located in the city of Sao Sebastiao, SP, Brazil, had been affected by an oil pipeline leak. Chemical analyses of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPHs) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) were also carried out in water samples, collected in July 2005 (dry season) and February 2006 (rainy season) in 4 different river sites. The largest CA and MN incidence in the meristematic cells of A. cepa was observed after exposure to water sample collected during the dry season, at the spring of the river, where the oil leak has arisen. The F, cells from roots exposed to such sample (non-merismatic region) were also analyzed for the incidence of MN, showing a larger frequency of irregularities, indicating a possible development of CA into MN. Lastly, our study reveals a direct correlation between water chemical analyses (contamination by TPHs and PAHs) and both genotoxic and mutagenic effects observed in exposed A. cepa cells. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fish community alterations due to pollution and damming in Tiete and Paranapanema rivers (Brazil)

The Tiete River crosses the metropolitan region of São Paulo (Brazil) and receives a large amount of pollution, in contrast to Paranapanema River which runs in a less populated area. In the inferior portions of the basins of these rivers, a series of reservoirs has been built for hydroelectric energy generation which improve the water quality due to the decantation of suspended soils and aeration in the water spills.Twenty-nine sampling sites were established along the two rivers and in each sampling site, two groups of eight gillnets were used with standardized sizes in two seasons: winter (dry season: June-September 1994) and summer (rainy season: December-March 1995). The fishes were measured and weighed.Twenty-five parameters related. to the water were recorded. PCA and cluster analysis helped to identify two groups of sampling sites. The first one corresponds to the rainy season samples, while the second corresponds to the dry season samples, so evidencing strong seasonal environmental variation. However, the dry season group is still divided into polluted and non-polluted sites, showing that during drought there are larger effects of pollutant concentration due to the decreased flow.A total of 415 kg of fish were caught, corresponding to 8324 individuals belonging to 64 different species, in 22 families and four orders of Teleostei. The largest catches occurred in the middle Tiete River. The catches in the reservoirs of the Tiete River, during the rainy season are superior to those of the dry season. on the other hand, sampling sites located in running water presented an inverse pattern with the largest catches in the dry-season. In river Paranapanema, catches are lower than in the Tiete River, except in Rosana Reservoir during the rainy season. Fish diversity was shown to be a good-indicator of environmental stress. In Tiete River an expressive fall in species richness was detected in the polluted stretches, with dominance of one or two species. In the intermediary stretches, the presence of rapids increases the amount of dissolved oxygen, allowing the development of the most abundant and diverse fish community of the river. Fish communities in the reservoirs of the inferior stretch of Tiete River are more diverse. on the other hand, the damming of the superior reaches of Paranapanema River provoked a decrease in diversity. 0 the whole, types of local fish communities detected, showing different compositions and specific abundances, revealed different ecological situations. A discriminant analysis revealed that the parameters of the water influencing the fish community were: dissolved oxygen, conductivity, nitrogen (nitrate, ammoniacal and albuminoid), phosphate, alkalinity, hardness and iron. Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.

Tendency towards homogenization in fish assemblages in the cascade reservoir system of the Tiete river basin, Brazil

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

Fish assemblage structure and aquatic pollution in a Brazilian stream: some limitations of diversity indices and models for environmental impact studies

The aim of this study was to describe and quantify the effect of aquatic pollution on the fish assemblage structure of the Corumbatai River (Brazil), by comparing two sites with different water quality characteristics. The results revealed that abundance of individuals was low at the polluted site (B). However, the two sites did not differ significantly in species richness (total and average). This fact contradicts theories stating that portions where the transverse area of the channel is larger should present a higher biological richness. It was also observed that the ichthyofauna of site B had higher evenness, and, consequently, a tendency to a higher diversity than that at site A. This demonstrates that diversity estimates should be used cautiously in environmental impact studies, as they do not necessarily indicate better conditions of communities living in more preserved environments.

The natural radioactivity in water by gross alpha and beta measurements

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

Environmental color affects Nile tilapia reproduction

We investigated the effects of environmental color on the reproductive behavior of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Two environmental colors were tested by covering the aquarium (60 x 60 x 40 cm) with white (12 groups) or blue (13 groups) cellophane and observing reproductive behavior in groups of 2 males (10.27 ± 0.45 cm) and 3 females (10.78 ± 0.45 cm) each. After assignment to the respective environmental color (similar luminosity = 100 to 120 Lux), the animals were observed until reproduction (identified by eggs in the female's mouth) or up to 10 days after the first nest building. Photoperiod was from 6:00 h to 18:00 h every day. Food was offered in excess once a day and water quality was similar among aquaria. Daily observations were made at 8:00, 11:00, 14:00 and 17:00 h regarding: a) latency to the first nest, b) number of nests, c) gravel weight removed (the male excavates the nest in the bottom of the aquarium), d) nest area, and e) mouthbrooding incubation (indication of reproduction). The proportion of reproducing fish was significantly higher (6 of 13) in the group exposed to the blue color compared the group exposed to the white color (1 of 12; Goodman's test of proportions). Moreover, males under blue light removed significantly larger masses of gravel (blue = 310.70 ± 343.50 g > white = 130.38 ± 102.70 g; P = 0.01) and constructed wider nests (blue = 207.93 ± 207.80 cm² > white = 97.68 ± 70.64 cm²; P = 0.03) than the control (white). The other parameters did not differ significantly between light conditions. We concluded that reproduction in the presence of blue light was more frequent and intense than in the presence of white light.

Influência do cultivo de camarões marinhos em tanque-rede sobre a qualidade da água e a estrutura da comunidade zooplanctônica na Baía de Guaratuba, Paraná

Objetivou-se com este estudo avaliar os impactos ambientais causados por um sistema de cultivo de camarões marinhos em tanque-rede sobre a qualidade da água e sobre a estrutura da comunidade zooplanctônica. O estudo foi realizado na Baía de Guaratuba, onde os cultivos eram realizados em 300 tanques-rede (3,6 m de comprimento, 3,6 m de largura e 2 m de profundidade) distribuídos em uma área de 4.200 m², em densidade de 720 camarões/m². As concentrações de amônia, nitrito e fosfato na água foram monitoradas e amostras de zooplâncton foram coletadas no local dos cultivos (ponto 1) e em outros três pontos localizados a aproximadamente 200 m para oeste, noroeste e sudeste dos tanques. O ponto 5, usado como controle, localizava-se a aproximadamente 1.000 m a sudoeste da área de produção. As concentrações de nitrogênio amoniacal, nitrito e fosfato não diferiram entre os pontos amostrados, assim como a estrutura da comunidade zooplanctônica, que foi semelhante entre os pontos amostrados. Não foram evidenciados impactos significativos do empreendimento sobre a qualidade da água ou sobre estrutura das comunidades zooplanctônicas no local do cultivo e em áreas adjacentes, durante o período em que a investigação foi conduzida.