Estudo epidemiológico das parasitoses oculares na população de escolares da cidade de Natal-RN, Brasil

The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of Ocular Toxocariasis, Diffuse Unilateral Subacute Neuroretinitis (DUSN), Toxoplasma gondii infection and Ocular Toxoplasmosis in a student population in Natal-RN/Brazil and relate it to demographic, epidemiologic and socio-economic risk factors. The incidence of DUSN was observed in patients at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte Ophthalmology Service and the Prontoclinica de Olhos Ophthalmology clinic in Natal. In cases where a worm was found in the subretinal space, the result of treatment with photocoagulation using Green Laser (Eye Light ALCON) was evaluated in relation to final visual result. The sample was randomly selected among the schools of the four districts of Natal, according to the type of institution (public or private), its level (elementary or secondary), and study period (morning, afternoon or evening). The school population was studied from March to May, 2001. Initially, the students answered a questionnaire to evaluate demographic, epidemiologic and socio-economic risk factors. Afterwards, the following procedures were carried out: blood samples were taken for Toxoplasmosis (IgG, IgM) serology, hemogram, ophthalmological examination, consisting of clinical history, measurement of visual acuity, refraction under cycloplegia, biomicroscopy of the anterior segment and annexa, funduscopy and examination of extrinsic motility. The prevalence of Toxocariasis was 0.2% or 2 per one thousand students. The sample was insufficient to estimate the prevalence of DUSN. Seventy patients with DUSN diagnosis were examined from January, 2001 to January, 2003. A live worm was found in the subretinal space of all four patients in the acute phase, and these were treated with laser photocoagulation. After follow-up (average = 11.5 months), visual acuity improved in three eyes and remained unaltered in one eye. Worms were found in 22 of the 66 patients in the chronic phase, and these also were treated with laser photocoagulation. After a follow-up period of 13.1 months, on average, visual acuity improved in two of the patients, remained unchanged in 19 and worsened in one. The comparison of visual result before and after treatment was not statistically significant (p = 0.302). The diagnosis of DUSN in the acute phase, followed by prompt localization and destruction of the worm by photocoagulation, can improve the patient s vision. However, destruction of the worm by laser photocoagulation in eyes with DUSN in the chronic phase does not improve visual acuity. Seroprevalence for IgG was 46% (Confidence Interval CI 95%-42.9-49.2%) and for IgM it was 1.4% (CI 95% = 0.8-2.4%). The prevalence of ocular lesion was 1.15% (CI 95% = 0.6 - 2.0%). Socio-economic conditions were determinants in the prevalence of Systemic and Ocular Toxoplasmosis in the bivaried analysis and confirmed in the multivaried analysis (mother s scholarity illiterate/ OR = 2.9 and p < 0.001). The T. gondii infection prevalence, although high, was less than that found in studies performed in the South and Southeast of Brazil and that of Ocular Toxoplasmosis was completely discrepant, varying from 5 to 17 times less. Although important epidemiological variables such as owning a cat, drinking unfiltered water, and coming into contact with rivers or lakes showed an association in the preliminary analysis, they lost their influence when included in the logistic model. Future studies are scheduled to begin in March, 2004, in collaboration with other Brazilian and American universities in an attempt to discover the reason for these findings, as well as identifying the different strains of Toxoplasma gondii, and studying the sources of water utilized by the population of Natal Brazil

Aptidão física e psicológica relacionada à saúde de policiais militares da cidade de Natal

condições de saúde são questões que precisam ser investigadas na nossa sociedade. Diante da inexistência de estudos que abordem os aspectos psicológicos e físicos desses profissionais, tornou-se necessário e relevante esta investigação para a área de segurança pública num contexto multidisciplinar. O estudo objetivou verificar as características da aptidão física e psicológica relacionada à saúde de policiais militares do Batalhão de Atividades Policiais Especiais (BOPE), da Polícia Militar do Rio Grande do Norte. A amostra selecionada de forma aleatória foi composta de 64 militares de diferentes graduações, do sexo masculino com idade média de 26,2±2,6 anos. Foram utilizados como instrumentos de medida o Questionário de Saúde Geral de Goldberg para avaliar a saúde geral; uma balança digital da marca Techline®, e estadiômetro portátil da marca Sanny® para avaliar a massa corporal e a estatura; fita antropométrica metálica Sanny® para avaliar a perimetria (circunferência do braço contraído, circunferência da panturrilha); paquímetro Sanny® para avaliar os diâmetros ósseos (bi-epicondilar umeral e bi-epicodilar femural); adipômetro Harpender® para avaliar a espessura das dobras cutâneas; dinamômetro manual Jamar para avaliar a força de preensão manual; flexímetro Sanny®, fotocélulas CEFISE modelo Speed Test Fit e o YoYo Intermitent Recovery Test para avaliar o desempenho físico ( flexibilidade, agilidade, velocidade e endurance anaeróbica). Os participantes apresentaram valores elevados para risco de distúrbio ou mesmo a presença de distúrbio, no que se refere à saúde geral; o grupo estudado é classificado como mesoendomorfico, predominando características de endurance aeróbico e anaeróbico e força que foram relacionadas com os aspectos psicológicos. O perfil somatotípico meso-endomorfo parece interferir nos elevados riscos de distúrbios psicológicos advindos da atividade laboral exigida, apesar dos mesmos apresentarem um bom desempenho físico

Reinvenção da cidade, produção fílmica e visibilidade sociocultural: o uso do território na roliúde nordestina - Cabaceiras - PB

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Natal como destino turístico : um estudo das imagens (re)veladas pela mídia, pelos turistas e suas implicações educacionais e culturais

This thesis is a result of a research on Natal/RN as a tourist destination. We understand that cities are chosen as tourist destinations beyond its cartographic localization, from other dimensions of meanings that, in its set, constitute images. These images are, probably, very different of the images constructed by native and resident populations, who possess relations of identity with the place. The knowledge of the meanings that others attribute to this city as tourist destination, bring us near to the symbolic bonds established by individuals or social groups on the act of their choices, as well as bring us near to the interaction process city-tourists where the expectations are confirmed or not. The images divulgated by the media also participate of the complex formation of the tourist image that is being constructed and available for the different public, in different social contexts. The tourism constitutes a symbolic asset of the modern society, being considered by the studious, as one of the most expressive phenomena of the modernity, for involving each year displacement and the interaction of thousand of people of different cultures in the entire world. All this people s mobilization points to practical social related to personal motivations, to the entailed desired to the idea to travel and to exceed borders. It is already consensus that tourism is a phenomenon of economic growth, generating jobs, income, professional, qualification, bringing improvements for the host cities. Since 1995, in Brazil, the tourism as a sector of the economy, passed to be considered one of the national priorities, and in this perspective, the national politics of the tourism invested in infrastructure of Brazilian cities with high tourist potential, objecting to increase the flows of Brazilian and foreign tourists. Owing to this fact, the country still invests in programs of tourist marketing, mainly divulging the images of the natural beauties of Brazil abroad. And for Brazilians, the campaigns appeal to rescue the feeling to be Brazilian, associating the idea to travel and know its country. Natal city possesses an excellent positioning in the tourist marketing, being predominantly divulgated in national and international level, for its naturalistic singularity, where the images of its natural enchantments as warm water beaches, white dunes, warm weather, constant breeze and an always blue sky are shown as the favorite scene on this city. From what was viewed above that the choice of a tourist destination articulates from a determined imaginary of a place, already constructed or in process of construction, we consider the knowledge of this imaginary a basic learning for the population of the city and especially, for educators, in the formation of professionals in this area and for tourism managers, elaborators of public politics. Based on this estimative, we developed this research that had as a general objective to identify the images that illustrate Natal city as a tourist destination - our objective of study, particularly the meanings and senses attributed by the tourist marketing (hotel s folders) and by the tourists that visited the city during this study. The discussions and reflections that had guided this research had been given from the theoretical link between imaginary and social representation, also considering some interfaces between the fields of communication and symbol. From the studied authors, Baczko (1985) clarifies that the study of social imaginary is directed for the mechanisms and structures of the social life, especially for the intervention accomplishes and efficient of the representations and symbols in the practical collectives, as well as in its direction and orientation . Following this same thought, Moscovici (1978) says that the social representation are produced in communicational and symbolic contexts, and these representations once that already constituted circulate socially as almost tangible entities. Based on this fundament and on the analyze of Barthes (1990), particularly in the approach given to the reading of photographic image, we could observe on hotel s folders that each page evidences senses and meanings of functionality of internal and external spaces, pointing to the way of leisure offered by the keepers of city which is the hotels. About, the leisure that they offer, it is directed to young public, giving meaning to the young myth of personalized leisure tourism on children, young and adults images. The image about security that hotels offer and the singular image of Natal city as a paradise place, provide an idealization of pleasure through the sun, dunes, and beaches and also due to the hospitability of the natives who are assigned as educated . For the tourist that participated on this research, Natal city is tied only by the imaginary of leisure and nature which constitute the emotional link of the relation media-city-tourist. And with such force and fullness of directions the city discloses without tensions and contradictions as a place protected by a mythical and sacred aura. The study also demonstrates us that the potiguar culture remains (almost) forgotten, due to the silenced in this imaginary. In this perspective, we highlight that this culture silence is very close related to the disvalue of education in its general meaning. We defend that the imaginary apprehended constitutes a new reading and a new looking and understanding the tourist reality that comes historically consolidating in this city. In this direction, we glimpse that this study and its future dismemberments can collaborate with the process of rescue the cultural values of the potiguar people, in the way that the meaning of tourist may be redefined, and the tourist image of the city can be also disclosed for its identities particularities of its culture

Uma conversa na escola: o diálogo e a mídia

The dialogue represents an essential condition for the complete realization of the Communication. In Paulo Freire we find a concept of dialogue which expresses itself, fundamentally, in two dimension: on one hand, in the confluence of subjectivities; on the other, in action. Dialogue would not be, therefore, a thinking for , but a thinking with . On the other hand, the media, here understood as synonym of technical media of information and expression is spread all over society as synonym of communication media. In this direction, this paper intends to check if the media allows the dialogue, in the heart of the Freirean concept of communication. We start from the premise that it is not possible to come to an answer if we continue to accept the theoretical approach which polarizes the process of communication between emitter and receptor. By using elements of the ethnomethodology such as the analysis of the conversation and the reflexivity, we dived in the school everyday life of educators and students of an elementary level public school in the city of Natal, capital of Rio Grande do Norte, in order to, through some experiences with the media, corroborate Paulo Freire's ideas, stating the mediation made by the world and seeking a bias for the use of the media to enable a more dialogic education

Habitus, representações sociais e a construção do ser professora da educação infantil da cidade de Campina Grande - PB

We present here the results of a study whose objectives were to identify the social representation of being a professor of early childhood education in Campina Grande - PB, in the public state and municipal levels, and detect structural diagrams of a possible mental habitus of professorial faculty of education child, which would form the basis for the construction of this representation. As a theoretical base, we adopted the model developed by Domingos Sobrinho (1998, 2000, 2003, 2010, 2011), which articulates the Theory of Social Representations, Serge Moscovici, and the foundations and concepts of Pierre Bourdieu praxiology. It is based also on the Central Nucleus Theory, which focuses on the structural approach of social representations. Thus, puts in evidence the relational dynamics and symbolic, through which individuals come into contact, describe, understand and reproduce the outside world in his image and likeness. 199 teachers participated in the study of child care and pre-schools of Campina Grande - PB and 109 of the state. The methods and techniques used were: a) participant observation of everyday life of teachers of kindergartens and preschools, b) semi-structured interview, c) free associations of words with inducing the expression 'being a professor of early childhood education is ...' and d) semi-structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed in the case of interviews through the categorical content analysis, as proposed by Bauer (2010); free-associations, using the software Ensemble L'Analyse des Programmes Permettant evocations (EVOC), developed by Vergès (2002), which combines frequency and average order of recall (or association) and the questionnaire data, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). It was verified the existence of a unique social representation shared by the population studied, but its content is structured differently. For local teachers, the centrality of the content is given by the elements commitment, dedication, responsibility, and rewarding teachers for this state revolves around the elements of love, patience, and rewarding responsibility. However, it is constructed mainly based on the related produced by a religious habitus and maternal habitus, which are part of the genesis of the establishment of professorial habitus in focus, among other cultural references of secondary influence. We conclude that a teacher of early childhood education actually researched, is materialized in the practices of educating and caring, in a clear fusion of the role of teacher and mother

Estudo da radiação ultravioleta na Cidade de Natal-RN

There were studied the variation of the solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in four wavelengths (305 nm, 320 nm, 340 nm e 380 nm) and erythemic dose, measured in Natal RN Brazil, from January 2001 until December 2007, using the ground ultraviolet radiometer of the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais / Centro Regional do Nordeste INPE-CRN, fixed on the roof of the Laboratório de Variáveis Ambientais Tropiciais LAVAT-INPE-CRN. It was verified that the mean value of the UVR in the city reachs the HIGH index before 09h00 a.m. and VERY HIGH before 09h40 a.m.; it was also verified that, except in the months of June and July, in the other months of the year the UVR reachs the HIGH index before 10h00 a.m., despite of the recommendations broadcasting in the media about the safe time to people stay ashore on the beaches of the city. After 14h30 p.m., the UVR reachs the MODERATE index in any month of the year. These evidence are valid to all years of the period studied, i.e., 2001 to 2007. The year of 2004 presented the lower mean values of UVR indices, and the year of 2007 presented the higher mean values of UVR index. It was prove, by means of the analysis of variance (ANOVA), the variation in the four wavelengths and in the erythemic dose. Considering that the city has high indices of skin cancer and cataract, the results of the research may be use as a data source to studies that intend to support programs of public health. At the same time, the results of the research may be applied to material science and agriculture studies

Cidade e identidade: discursividades imagético-espaciais e a construção da identidade espacial do Recife, Veneza Brasileira

This treatise analyzes the identitary setting called Veneza Brasileira (Brazilian Venice) which is subscribed to the discoursive materialization related to the imagetic setting (literary and mediatic) produced about the city of Recife. The main investigation of this research is to examine the way how the identitary setting called Veneza Brasileira has been constructed in the imagetic setting practices about the city of Recife in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This study is subscribed to the Applied Linguistics and considers the theoretical perspectives that come from the Cultural Studies which investigation basis is focused on authors such as: Hall (2006); Bauman (1999; 2001;2005); Silva (2000); and Castells (2000) related to the discussion over identity, as well as the discussion over Urban Studies presented in Santos (1997; 1999); Ferrara (1998); and Pesavento (2001). Moreover it is also based on the theoretical basis found in Foucault (2004; 2006; 2007). Furthermore theoretical-methodological approaches rely on the French Discourse Analysis (DA) found in Orlandi (2001); Gregolin (2007); and Courtine (2006). On being so, this treatise aims to: analyze the meaning effects over the production of the identitary setting, especially the so-called Veneza Brasileira, in the imagetic setting discoursive practices (Poems, Post Cards and Touristic Guides) which are produced over the urban setting of the city of Recife. This research is characterized by being qualitative and interpretative and the theoretical analytical approaches contributed to the reading of both poetic and iconic images presented in the excerpts of poems from the nineteenth century and early twentieth century in: Manuel Bandeira s poems, Carlos Pena Filho s poems, and João Cabral de Melo Neto s poems which were produced in the early and late twentieth century. Moreover, this study observed some photographic images in Post Cards and Touristic Guides related to the visiting of historical sites in Recife. One could conclude that the imagetic setting discourse about Recife produced different identitary effects over the so-called Veneza Brasileira along these three centuries: in the nineteenth century, the poetry constructed the utopia city along with the meaning effect of identitary unit; as for the twentieth century, one observed an oscillation between a utopia/heteroutopia city meaning effect of both united and fragmented identity, the latter one is prevalent. As for the twenty-first century, the media reconstructed over again the utopia city, and consequently, produced meaning effect of identitary unit. These same meaning effects of identity either corroborate or contradict to/with the concepts of the postmodernism over identity along these three centuries. In other words, considering the imagetic setting, this oscillation occurs in the proportion of one finds an (ex) inclusion of social agents that construct these same identities.

A imagem do Brasil na mídia impressa portuguesa: um estudo do caso diário de notícias e público

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Saúde física e emocional de cuidadores da cidade de Santa Cruz-RN: perfil epidemiológico e fatores associados

Taking care for an impaired elderly is a hard and costly task that could affect directly the caregiver health. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physical and mental health of elderly caregivers from the city of Santa Cruz-RN and analyze the potential correlated factors through an observational analytic design of a crosssectional. A multidimensional questionnaire was used to evaluation of the social demographics characteristics and those related to the care activity, as well as the caregivers´ physical and mental health. It was realized a descriptive analyze using frequency distribution and measures of the central tendency and dispersion to description of the caregivers. To verify the magnitude of the association between the variables was used the bivariate analysis through the Pearson and Spearman correlations and qui-square test. To evaluation of the association of the correlated factors to the adverse outcome with the caregivers´ physical and mental health was made a multivariate analysis by logistic binary regression and multiple linear regression models. The final sample was constituted by 304 persons, mostly women with a mean age of 50.3 ±16.8 years. The principal factors related to the physical health were age, stress and life satisfaction. Be a male caregiver, caring for a little while the elderly with cognitive deficit and not been spouse were related to worse mental health. Have worse physical health, high stress, depressive symptomatology, burden and low levels of satisfaction were also related to the mental health. After adjust through multiple linear regression was observed R2 values of R2=0,21 for Stress, R2 =0,17 for Depressive Symptomatology, R2 =0,21 for Burden and R2 =0,16 for Satisfaction. The attainment of the factors associated with caregiver´s health can help in the elaboration of specifics politics witch the goal is the integral attention to the elderly and his caregiver. The inability of continuous taking care could result in adverse outcomes such as institutionalization, impairment and death

Infância na publicidade: um estudo sobre o trabalho de crianças na publicidade na cidade de Natal-RN

In Brazilian scene the child labor is a serious and relevant theme regarding issues that involve infancy, arousing the interest and concerning of public and private institutions, and organized civil society. Thus, the child labor is forbidden by the law, considered that the child worker have a distinguished life experience, especially because it is demanded them the early mature of some skill, generating implications on their physical, emotional, cognitive, social and psychological development. Observing those issues, we proposed think the child labor, over and above those considered the worst forms of one and more found in literature, what lead us to think the child labor in the advertising. In that way, this research aimed to investigate the insertion and development conditions of children who work in advertisements, and the possible effects on their lives in the face of that insertion. Participated of this study: three advertising agencies, six video producers companies, one child model s agent and five children with their respective families. Those children were four boys and two girls, with ages between seven and eleven years old, which one that have accomplished four or more advertisements, in Natal city, Rio Grande do Norte. Based on social-historical perspective, we used the semi-structured interview as methodological instrument, which underlays the comprehension of the data obtained in field research processes. This study revealed that when children are inserted in the advertising activities they are submitted to irregular and adverse work situations, what occurs in others productive activities mentioned in the literature. The data still exposed that the family is the main responsible to the children insertion in the advertisement work; moreover, there is an ambiguousness of wishes in relation of that activity. On the other hand, we realized that the legal content concerning to the child labor forbidding, carries contradictory aspects in face of the ECA s 149 article, that one, under some conditions, allows that a child take part in the activities of advertising context. This highlights the necessity of a rigorous evaluation of the children insertion in the advertising, in order to ensure the whole children and adolescents protection. This study put in evidence the complexity that involves the child labor in this context, mainly, due to the exposition and manipulation of the childish image on the media. Besides, we understand that the discussion on this subject should be stimulated and, therefore, enlarged this on over and above those considered the worst forms of child labor

Imagem sócio-ambiental do bairro de Cidade Nova, Natal-RN, por seus moradores

This dissertation investigates how the neighborhood of Cidade Nova, located in the western side of the of Natal, is perceived by its residents in order to understand its socio-environmental image, intending to contribute both to define strategies of urban intervention and environmental education in the area and to consolidate a methodology that addresses this kind of problem. The completion of field research used a multimethod strategy to study the socio-environmental image of urban areas. It consists of: (a) review of local history from literature research, data recorded by the City Hall, news published on the city's newspapers and interviews with former inhabitants, (b) application of questionnaires to inhabitants including emotions, visual perception, memory and local social activities, (c) development of a drawing of the district, (d) conducting focus groups with inhabitants, using as a starting point the results obtained in the previous activities. In steps "b" and "c" attended 32 neighborhood residents, 16 of them being Community Health Workers and other 16 persons appointed by them. In step "d" 10 individuals took part, divided into two groups. The result of the research showed a picture of residents coincident with the image conveyed by the media in relation to the issues: violence, garbage, public policy/social support and appreciation of the beauties of environmental (dunes and Parque da Cidade park). Although Cidade Nova has been regarded as a dirty, noisy and dangerous place, most of the participants say they enjoy living on the neighborhood. Overall, the results corroborate and gain theoretical explanations, as they are interrelated. The socio-environmental image is expressed for instance in the elements dunes, dump, railroad tracks and Central Avenue that gain symbolic connotation influenced by time and socio-economic context. The insecurity and other negative characteristics assigned by the inhabitants and the media are parallel to the place attachment, since the environmental legibility, the time/familiarity and territoriality offer inhabitants the preference for place of residence, setting up their social identity.

Conhecimento sobre energia eólica: um estudo exploratório a partir das redes semânticas naturais de estudantes da cidade de Natal

The human being has a fundamental role in issues concerning scarcity of energy resources as well as in the success of technologies which favor the use of renewable sources, such as wind energy. But what does wind energy mean for people? What are the psychological meanings concerning this term? Aiming to answer these questions, the general objective of this dissertation was to identify and to analyze the knowledge about wind energy taking into account a network of psychological meanings. One hundred and ninety one (191) university students from Natal-RN participated in the study, being male the majority (53%); aged between 17 and 51 years old (M=23.3 years; SD=5.7). Participants responded to self reports using the Natural Semantic Networks (NSW) technique, as well as to several sociodemographic questions. The results showed a consistent, positive and useful general semantic network. In this semantic network, knowledge about wind energy was represented by words that correspond to the appeal of (pro) environmental stance (e.g., clean and nature), that evinced both the technological aspect (e.g., force) and the economic aspect (e.g., economy). Results from different groups were also analyzed. The first set of groups (non-environemental and environmental) was divided considering the course (e.g., ecology and economy). The second set of groups(non-caretaker and caretaker) was divided based on the practice of environmental care expressed. Subtle differences were observed in the semantic networks of caretakers, who emphasized environment, an attribute not mentioned by non-caretakes. This indicates a construction of knowledge that is influenced by the presence or absence of the environmental commitment. Such findings may be useful in the construction of instruments for surveys and in the development of public and educational policies. Additionally, they may assist the media towards a more objective performance concerning wind energy

Natal Condomínio Clube : inovação espacial nos eixos de valorização da zona sul da cidade

This dissertation is about new real estate development in the southward expansion area in Natal, Brazil, by use of high-rise condos, so-called club-condominiums. The area includes part of the neighboring municipality, Parnamirim, and focuses on the role played by urban developers in the housing market. The main feature in these condos are common areas filled with leisure equipments, allegedly to grant quality of life, comfort and tranquility to residents. The rapid development of the area takes advantage of large plots of land available as well as of urban infrastructure. Overall preference of middle-class sectors for the South area of Natal (and adjoining part of Parnamirim) is also a factor worth of note. For this reason, this part of the city constitutes one of the preferred areas of urban developers. This dissertation includes a discussion of Henri Lefebvre s production of space, emphasizing its tridimensional features. It draws on David Harvey s works to deal with transformations of the built environment regarding the dynamics of real estate markets; in particular, it considers the idea of creative destruction. Finally, the dissertation discusses the concepts developed by Pedro Abramo regarding the forms of operation by urban entrepreneurs, in particular the concepts of urban convention and spatial innovation. For the empirical work, a number of interviews with key entrepreneurs and civil servants were undertaken. In more general terms, it is worth observing that there is a direct relationship between the location of such developments and the process of spatial fragmentation, seen both as a consequence and a strategy of the way urban developers operate

Monitoramento da qualidade das ásguas de chuvas conforme a atuação dos sistemas sinóticos na cidade de Natal/RN

Acid rain is a major assault on the environment, a consequence of burning fossil fuels and industrial pollutants the basis of sulfur dioxide released into the atmosphere. The objective of this research was to monitor and analyze changes in water quality of rain in the city of Natal, seeking to investigate the influence of quality on a local, regional and global, in addition to possible effects of this quality in the local landscape. Data collection was performed from December 2005 to December 2007. We used techniques of nefanálise in identifying systems sinóticos, field research in the search for possible effects of acid rain on the landscape, and collect and analyze data of precipitation and its degree of acidity. Used descriptive statistics (standard deviation and coefficient of variation) used to monitor the behavior of chemical precipitation, and monitoring of errors in measurements of pH, level of confidence, Normalized distribution of Gauss, confidence intervals, analysis of variance ANOVA were also used. Main results presented as a variation of pH between 5,021 and 6,836, with an average standard deviation of 5,958 and 0,402, showing that the average may represent the sample. Thus, we can infer that, according to the CONAMA Resolution 357 (the index for fresh water acidity should be between 6.0 and 9.0), the precipitation of Natal / RN is slightly acidic. It appears that the intertropical convergence zone figures showed the most acidic among the systems analyzed sinóticos, taking its average value of pH of 5,617, which means an acid value now, with a standard deviation of 0,235 and the coefficient of variation of 4,183% which shows that the average may represent the sample. Already in field research and found several places that suffer strongly the action of acid rain. However, the results are original and need further investigation, including the use of new methodologies