Avaliação do teor de metais em sedimento do rio Betari no Parque Estadual Turístico do Alto Ribeira: PETAR, São Paulo, Brasil

The subsoil of the Vale do Ribeira was the focus of mining industries for the exploration of lead, mainly inside the park - PETAR. Despite the fact that the exploration has ended, the environmental effects of those activities are still present, due to great amounts of heavy metals that are leached. Concentrations of pseudo-total and bioavailable metals were determined in sediment samples of the Betari River, using atomic absorption spectrometry. The results demonstrated that the sediments are contaminated by Pb, Zn and Cu. The findings can contribute to an efficient and environmentally and economically adequate management of the park, for the conservation and the protection of the area.

Distribuição de mercúrio em diferentes solos da Bacia do médio Rio Negro-AM: influência da matéria orgânica no ciclo biogeoquímico do mercúrio

Soils play an important role in the biogeochemical cycle of mercury as a sink for and source of this metallic species to atmospheric and hydrological compartments. In the study reported here, various types of soil were evaluated to ascertain the influence of parameters such as pH, organic matter content, Fe, Al, sand, silt, clay, C/H, C/N, C/O atomic ratios, and cation exchange capacity on the distribution of Hg in Amazonia's mid-Negro River basin. The data obtained were interpreted by multivariate exploratory analyses (hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis), which indicated that organic matter plays an important role in mercury uptake in the various soils studied. The soils in floodable areas were found to contain 1.5 to 2.8-fold higher Hg concentrations than those in non-floodable areas. Since these soils are flooded almost year-round, they are less available to participate in redox processes at the soil/atmosphere interface. Hence, floodable areas, which comprise humic-rich soils, accumulate more mercury than non-floodable soils, thus playing an important role in the biogeochemical cycle of Hg in Amazonia's mid-Negro River basin.

Avaliação do impacto da agricultura em áreas de proteção ambiental, pertencentes à bacia hidrográfica do rio ribeira de iguape, São Paulo

In order to ascertain the impact of agricultural activities on water quality of the Ribeira de Iguape River Basin in the state of São Paulo, surface water areas for catchment and drinking water have been characterized. The sampling period covered March/2002 - February/2003 and January/2004 at 10 different catchment points. SPE-LC-UV/Vis was used to monitor various pesticide classes such as carbamates, triazines and nitroanilines. The results revealed that water quality is associated with seasonal variation. Of 152 samples analyzed, only 24% showed the presence of pesticides, particulary during the wet season. High variability in pH, turbidity and color were observed.

Indicadores químicos de qualidade da matéria orgânica de solo da sub-bacia do Rio das Mortes sob manejos diferenciais de cafeeiro

This work evaluated the chemical quality of organic matter (OM) of a Brazilian Oxisol cultivated with coffee plants, under organic and conventional managements. Total organic C (TOC), light fraction C (LF-C) and C in humic (HA-C) and fulvic (FA-C) acids fractions was measured. Amongst the evaluated indexes, TOC and LF-C discriminated better OM attributes as a function of management. The stratification ratio (TOC5-10cm/TOC10-20cm) did not show differences between the systems studied. The organic system can contribute to the sustainability of coffee plantations in Brazil, because it maintains the chemical attributes of OM closer to the indexes verified under forest conditions.

Avaliação da contaminação do Igarapé do Sabino (Bacia do Rio Tibiri) por metais pesados, originados dos resíduos e efluentes do Aterro da Ribeira, em São Luís, Maranhão

This work aimed to carry out an environmental monitoring in sabino narrow river (affluent of Tibiri Basin, in São Luís - MA, Brazil), in order to verify the main environmental impacts caused by effluent residues from Ribeira landfill. Chemical analysis and bibliographic and cartographic researches on this ecosystem were also carried out. In addition, heavy metals, such as Hg, Pb and Zn, were investigated in water samples by ICP-MS technique. It was observed that the contents of such heavy metals were above the tolerance limits established by the Brazilian legislation, showing a strong impact level on the evaluated ecosystem.

Nutrientes (K, P, Ca, Na, Mg e Fe) em sedimentos (solos aluviais) e cultivares (feijão e milho) de praias e barrancos de rios de água branca: a bacia do purus no estado do Acre, Brasil

The present research highlights the macronutrient abundance in the sediments of beaches and cliffs and cultivates in the river Purus and flowing, southwest of Amazon. The concentrations found in leaves and bean seeds and corn leaves reflect the mineralogical and chemical nature of those rich sediments in K2O and Na2O, which are formed by smectite, illite and K-feldspar. The factors of transfer of the elements in the corn leaves and bean (Ca>K>Na) and bean seeds (Na>K>Ca) demonstrate that the nutrient needs of the cultivate were found appropriately in the sediments (soils) of the beaches and cliffs.

Mecanismos químicos e mineralógicos de transformação da magnesioferrita de solo derivado de tufito, da região do Alto Paranaíba, MG

Magnetic soils forming on tuffite of the region of Alto Paranaíba, Minas Gerais, Brazil, usually contain iron-rich spinels exceptionally rich in magnesium and titanium. In this work, samples of the magnetically separated portion from the sand fraction of a Brunizém (Chernossolo) and from its mother-rock material were analyzed with synchrotron X-ray diffraction and 57Fe-Mössbauer spectroscopy. Magnesioferite (MgFe2O4) and maghemite (its pure non-stoichiometric spinel structure, Fe8/3 ⊕ 1/3 O4, where ⊕ = cation vacancy, corresponds to γFe2O3) were the magnetic iron oxides so identified. Basing on these data, a consistent chemical-mineralogical model is proposed for the main transformation steps involving these iron oxides in the pedosystem, starting on magnesioferrite to finally render hematite (αFe2O3), passing through maghemite as an intermediate specie.

Avaliação da qualidade de sedimentos - estudo de caso: sub-bacia do Ribeirão Espírito Santo, afluente do Rio São Francisco

This study evaluated the environmental impact resulting from surface water and sediment contamination by metals in a watershed affected by a tailing basin that controls effluents coming from a zinc-ore beneficiation plant. The studies combined assessments of sediment chemistry (exceedances of sediment quality guidelines), benthic assemblage structure and acute and chronic ecotoxicity. The results showed that the levels of metal contamination in sediments are not yet enough to cause deleterious effects to the biota. However, the ecotoxicity tests indicated the occurrence of chronic effects, demonstrating that other factors, as the use of fertilizers, could also be a source of contamination.

Emissões naturais e antrópicas de metais e nutrientes para a bacia inferior do rio de contas, Bahia

Emission factors of anthropogenic activities and natural processes were used to estimate nutrients and metals loads to the Contas River lower basin, Southern Bahia, Brazil. Among natural sources, emission from soil leaching is larger for N, Cu and Pb. Atmospheric deposition is the major natural source of P, Zn, Cd and Hg. Among anthropogenic sources, agriculture is the major source of N, Cu and P. Urban sources are the major contributors to the other elements. Present anthropogenic land uses are already responsible for 78 and 99% of total N and P loads and about 50% of total Cu and Hg.

Avaliação e identificação de parâmetros importantes para a qualidade de corpos d'água no semiárido baiano. Estudo de caso: bacia hidrográfica do rio Salitre

Objective of this work was identifying superficial water quality parameters, significant to semi-arid hydrographic basins, minimizing costs of water monitoring. The Salitre river basin, an important sub-basin of the São Francisco river, was used as a case study. STD, Cl-, DO, BOD, pH, NO3-, PO4(3-), Al, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and Pb were considered the most significant parameters, with concentration levels found in some stretches of the basin not compliant with the current legislation. Some of the Salitre river basin sediments may represent a risk to the quality of the water body in relation to levels of nickel and zinc.