Evidence of the impacts of the national housing programme on the accessibility of the low‐income population in Rio de Janeiro

The Brazilian shift from a primarily rural to a more urban society has created major challenges that public policies must address. One of the most relevant challenges is deep social exclusion in urban areas, especially in terms of adequate housing and access to urban opportunities (e.g., jobs, housing, and services). In this context, land use and transport planning play a critical role in the sustainable development agenda. The work presented here analyses the accessibility of low‐income dwellings licenced under the Brazilian housing programme to the low‐income population. To evaluate the accessibility of the programme's target population, a case study was conducted in the city of Rio de Janeiro, where 58,000 homes licensed under the programme were analysed using GIS tools in terms of the present public transport network and the location of the homes. The amount of time it takes to access public transport on foot and the homes’ locations in relation to major urban opportunities were also analysed. Finally, the same analysis was performed for the future transport network, and the results of the two analyses were compared to identify the scope of the legacy generated by investments in preparation for the 2016 network.     

Insights into the structure of urea-like compounds as inhibitors of the juvenile hormone epoxide hydrolase (JHEH) of the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta: analysis of the binding modes and structure-activity relationships of the inhibitors by docking and CoMFA calculations

Substituted urea compounds are well-known as potent inhibitors of juvenile hormone epoxide hydrolase (JHEH) of the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta. Docking simulations of 47 derivatives inside JHEH were performed to gain insight into the structural characteristics of these complexes. The obtained orientations show a strong similitude with the observed in the known X-ray crystal structures of human soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) complexed with dialkylurea inhibitors. In addition, the predicted inhibitor concentration (IC₅₀) of the above-mentioned compounds as JHEH inhibitors were obtained by a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) method by using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) applied to aligned dataset. The best models included steric and electrostatic fields and had adequate predictive abilities. In addition, these models were used to predict the activity of an external test set of compounds that was not used for building the model. Furthermore, plots of the CoMFA fields allowed conclusions to be drawn for the choice of suitable inhibitors.     

Use of biological indicators to assess water quality of the Ul River (Portugal)

Diatoms and macroinvertebrates have been extensively used as water quality indicators in Europe for the last two decades. In Portugal, the use of biological indicators to assess water quality in rivers has increased greatly. The aim of this work was to assess the water quality and ecological status of the Ul River in order to evaluate its ability for the establishment of a fluvial beach, using periphytic diatoms and macroinvertebrates as indicators. Four sites were selected along the Ul River. At each site, biological, physical, and chemical parameters were investigated. Epilithic diatoms and macroinvertebrates were sampled. The Specific Polluosensitivity Index and the Biological Diatom Index were applied to diatom data, while for macroinvertebrates, the Iberian Biological Monitoring Working Party (IBMWP) was used. According to the results obtained, it was possible to conclude that up to now, this river does not possess the ideal conditions for the establishment of a fluvial beach. We concluded that epilithic diatoms and macroinvertebrates provided consistent information on water quality assessment and can be used as biological indicators of the water quality in Ul River.     

A Preliminary Look at Source-Receptor Relationships in the Texas-Mexico Border Area

ABSTRACT

Several factors have recently caused visibility impairment at Big Bend National Park, TX, to be of interest. Analyses of historical data collected there have shown that visibility is poorer and fine particle concentrations are higher at Big Bend than at other monitored Class I areas in the western United States. In addition, air masses frequently arrive there after crossing Mexico, where emissions are not well known. During September and October 1996, a field study was undertaken to begin examining the aerosol, visibility, and meteorology on both sides of the border. Results indicate that, during the study, the largest fractions of fine mass and light extinction at Big Bend were due to sulfates and the trace elements most closely associated with sulfate particles were Na and Se. Based on back trajectory modeling and the spatial, temporal, and inter-species relationships in the fine particle concentrations measured during the study, sulfates arrived at the park from both Mexico and the United States. Se was higher in Texas than in Northern Mexico, while V, Pb, Zn, Ni, and Mn were on average much higher in Mexico.     

The use of a lacertid lizard as a model for reptile ecotoxicology studies--part 1 field demographics and morphology

At the European level, lacertid lizards have been proposed as potential model species for reptile ecotoxicology. We studied demographic and morphological aspects of natural field subpopulations of Podarcis bocagei inhabiting similar agricultural habitats which were either regularly exposed to pesticides, or not. Parameters examined in this study included population size and density, sex ratio, adult body size, fluctuating asymmetry in femoral pores and parasite prevalence. In general, we detected few statistically significant differences between the exposed and reference subpopulations. Although field situations are ecologically complex and factors other than pesticides may be acting, the absence of observable effects on field subpopulations is probably indicative that lizards are coping or compensating for this level of exposure.     

Mercury, lead and cadmium in human milk in relation to diet, lifestyle habits and sociodemographic variables in Madrid (Spain)

Background

Although breastfeeding is the ideal way of nurturing infants, it can be a source of exposure to toxicants. This study reports the concentration of Hg, Pb and Cd in breast milk from a sample of women drawn from the general population of the Madrid Region, and explores the association between metal levels and socio-demographic factors, lifestyle habits, diet and environmental exposures, including tobacco smoke, exposure at home and occupational exposures.

Methods

Breast milk was obtained from 100 women (20 mL) at around the third week postpartum. Pb, Cd and Hg levels were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Metal levels were log-transformed due to non-normal distribution. Their association with the variables collected by questionnaire was assessed using linear regression models. Separate models were fitted for Hg, Pb and Cd, using univariate linear regression in a first step. Secondly, multivariate linear regression models were adjusted introducing potential confounders specific for each metal. Finally, a test for trend was performed in order to evaluate possible dose-response relationships between metal levels and changes in variables categories.

Results

Geometric mean Hg, Pb and Cd content in milk were 0.53 μg L⁻¹, 15.56 μg L⁻¹, and 1.31 μg L⁻¹, respectively. Decreases in Hg levels in older women and in those with a previous history of pregnancies and lactations suggested clearance of this metal over lifetime, though differences were not statistically significant, probably due to limited sample size. Lead concentrations increased with greater exposure to motor vehicle traffic and higher potato consumption. Increased Cd levels were associated with type of lactation and tended to increase with tobacco smoking.

Conclusions

Surveillance for the presence of heavy metals in human milk is needed. Smoking and dietary habits are the main factors linked to heavy metal levels in breast milk. Our results reinforce the need to strengthen national food safety programs and to further promote avoidance of unhealthy behaviors such as smoking during pregnancy.     

Dissipation of fenoxycarb and pyriproxyfen in fresh and canned peach

The objective of this work was to determine the dissipation of fenoxycarb and pyriproxyfen in fresh and canned peaches in order to know the levels of residues that can reach consumers in real circumstances. Two field dissipation studies were carried out, one of them at the pre-harvest interval (PHI) with good agricultural practice (GAP) and the other one in a situation of critical agricultural practice (CAP). Two canning dissipation studies were carried out for samples from both agricultural situations in an industrial pilot plant and the dissipation was determined in each relevant step. An analytical methodology was used including acetone-dichloromethane extraction, purification and analysis by liquid chromatography and diode array detection (LC-DAD) with a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.05 mg/kg. It was validated under SANCO/10232/2006 Guidelines. These pesticides complied with the official maximum residue limits (MRLs) in peaches at the PHI with good agricultural practices. In hypothetical situation of a second application at the PHI, fenoxycarb and pyriproxyfen residues were above the MRLs in peaches. The canning study reduced the residues to no detectable levels in the cans for consumers.     

Distribution of endocrine disruptors in the Mondego River estuary, Portugal

Recent studies in the Mondego River estuary demonstrated signs of pollution in the area, but the nature of the contamination remains unexplored. Because there seems to be any studies in that zone checking for the simultaneous presence of xenoestrogenic endocrine disrupting compounds, either of animal (estradiol and estrone), vegetal (daidzein, genistein and biochanin A), pharmaceutical (17alpha-ethynylestradiol) or industrial (bisphenol A, 4-octylphenol, 4-nonylphenol) origins, the main objective of this study was to investigate their presence, in every year season and at eight points along the estuarine gradient. For this propose, water samples (2 L) were collected in high and low tides, preconcentrated in the Oasis HLB cartridges and cleaned in silica cartridges before their analysis by HPLC-DAD and GC-MS. The current data showed the absence of contamination by animal or pharmaceutical estrogens and by alkylphenols, but demonstrated the presence of high levels of phytoestrogens (up to 1.1 mug/L) and of bisphenol A (up to 880.0 ng/L). Because these two chemicals existed in high environmental concentrations in the most upstream sampling station, and taking in account that these pollutants may additively contribute to endocrine disruption, namely on fish, it was concluded that at least this particularly area of the Mondego estuary deserves continuous monitoring programmes.     

Occurrence of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs in superficial sediment of Portuguese estuaries

Superficial sediments collected from seven estuarine systems located along the Portuguese coast were analyzed for 7 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), 10 polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and 12 dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs). Total PCDD/F concentration ranged from 4.6 to 464 pg g^?1 dry weight (dw), while that of dl-PCBs varied from 26.6 to 8,693 pg g^?1 dw. In general, the highest PCDD/F and dl-PCB concentrations were associated with densely populated and industrially impacted areas. Additionally, PCDD/F revealed a predominance of octachlorodibenzodioxin (OCDD) to total PCDD/Fs, while PCB 118 was the major contributor to total dl-PCBs. This study provided a global perspective of the contamination status of Portuguese estuaries by dioxin-like compounds and allowed a comparison between the investigated systems and other systems worldwide. PCDD/F and dl-PCB levels found in the collected sediments were lower than those of highly impacted areas from different parts of the globe. Nevertheless, comparison with guidelines and quality standards from other countries indicated that some Portuguese estuarine areas with a high industrialization level present PCDD/F and dl-PCB concentrations in superficial sediment that may constitute a risk to aquatic organisms.     

Patterns of growth and fluctuating asymmetry: the effects of asymmetrical investment in traits with determinate growth

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA, small and random deviations from perfect symmetry in otherwise bilaterally symmetrical traits) is assumed to depend directly on developmental stability (DS). However, since the processes related to DS operate at a microscopic level, the translation of microscopic errors to the macroscopic character asymmetries (i.e. the DS-FA relation) could be mediated by the cost of growth. To investigate the consequences of this hypothesis, I constructed a model with the following assumptions: the degree of development of a trait depends on the amount of resources allocated to growth, which may differ between individuals and between traits; the cost of growth increases with development, and developmental noise causes random asymmetries in biosynthesis in the two sides of the body. The model predicts that FA follows a parabolic trajectory as growth investment levels increase, regardless of DS. However, depending on the range of variation of investment levels, different relationships (positive, negative or flat) between trait size and asymmetry could be expected. This model may also explain why FA is correlated with the degree of stress in some traits but not in others, and why some traits present a higher level of FA than others. The model also suggests that FA measured on growing traits, at a certain size, could be a more reliable indicator of DS than FA measured on fully grown traits. A study analysing FA patterns of developing and fully grown feathers in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) corroborates that the levels of FA, and the relationship between asymmetry and feather length, depend on the degree of feather development.