The effects of anaerobic reactor post-treatments by rapid filtration systems and conventional techniques

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Although anaerobic reactors are an excellent alternative in the treatment of domestic effluents, they have the disadvantage of requiring...     

Biological index based on epiphytic diatom assemblages is more restrictive than the physicochemical index in water assessment on an Amazon floodplain,Brazil

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Canadian Water Quality Index (CWQI) provides protection for freshwater life promoting healthy ecosystems and safeguarding human health. Biological...     

Development,validation and matrix effect of a QuEChERS method for the analysis of organochlorine pesticides in fish tissue

This study aims to develop and validate a method to determine OCPs in fish tissues, minimizing the consumption of sample and reagents, by using a modified QuEChERS along with ultrasound, d-SPE and gas chromatography with an electron capture detector (GC-ECD), refraining the pooling. Different factorial designs were employed to optimize the sample preparation phase. The validation method presented a recovery of around 77.3% and 110.8%, with RSD lower than 13% and the detection limits were between 0.24 and 2.88 μgkg^?1, revealing good sensitiveness and accuracy. The method was satisfactorily applied to the analysis of tissues from different species of fish and OCPs residues were detected. The proposed method was shown effective to determine OCPs low concentrations in fish tissues, using small sample mass (0.5 g), making the sample analyses viable without the need for grouping (pool).     

Public expenditure and the environmental management of Brazilian municipalities: a panel data model

Environmental expenditure can be classified as an indicator to measure the efforts of public agents with the environment. Cities and countries seek to understand the determinants of environmental spending over time. This research aims to analyze the variables that influence the environmental spending of Brazilian municipalities between the years 2012 and 2016. Thus, this research helps fill the gap on lack of longitudinal research that involves local contexts in relation to public municipal expenditures on the environment. The research method consists of the panel data model. Data were collected on the environmental expenditures of the municipalities and other variables of 4269 Brazilian municipalities, the collection generated 21,329 observations. The results showed that the municipalities of the state of Amapá had better relative expenditure averages, it was also observed that the municipalities in the Northeast region show the worst results. The municipality of Itamaracá, located in the state of Pernambuco, presented the best percentage of the country, 9.47% of the environmental expenditure in relation to total expenditure. Regarding the results of panel data, the variables revenue, population, density, GDP, and HDI presented significance in all models; the models estimated by fixed effects ensure the consistency of the parameters.     

Amazonian freshwater habitats experiencing environmental and socioeconomic threats affecting subsistence fisheries

Matching the trend seen among the major large rivers of the globe, the Amazon River and its tributaries are facing aquatic ecosystem disruption that is affecting freshwater habitats and their associated biodiversity, including trends for decline in fishery resources. The Amazon’s aquatic ecosystems, linked natural resources, and human communities that depend on them are increasingly at risk from a number of identified threats, including expansion of agriculture; cattle pastures; infrastructure such as hydroelectric dams, logging, mining; and overfishing. The forest, which regulates the hydrological pulse, guaranteeing the distribution of rainfall and stabilizing seasonal flooding, has been affected by deforestation. Flooding dynamics of the Amazon Rivers are a major factor in regulating the intensity and timing of aquatic organisms. This study’s objective was to identify threats to the integrity of freshwater ecosystems, and to seek instruments for conservation and sustainable use, taking principally fish diversity and fisheries as factors for analysis.     

Modification by genetic polymorphism of lead-induced IQ alteration: a systematic review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - As well as a lead-related environmental factor, genetic factors could also corroborate important changes in intelligence quotient (IQ) through...     

Activity of nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase, 5′-nucleotidase,and adenosine deaminase in cattle fed on pastures treated with different nitrogen fertilizers

The aim of this study was to evaluate nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase, 5′-nucleotidase, and adenosine deaminase activities in cattle fed on cuttings from pastures fertilized with urea compared to animals fed on cuttings from organically fertilized or from non-fertilized pastures. Blood samples were collected up to 9 h after feeding, and nitrite and enzyme activities were evaluated. The animals feeding on urea-fertilized pasture suffered subclinical intoxication. Serum nitrite levels increased by about 50% and adenosine deaminase activity increased almost sixfold 4 and 6 h after feeding on urea-fertilized pasture, and adenosine deaminase in platelets almost doubled 6 and 9 h after feeding. In platelets, nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase activity with adenosine triphosphate as substrate increased 2, 4, 6 and 9 h after feeding while nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase with adenosine diphosphate as substrate and 5′-nucleotidase activities increased only 9 h after feeding. Increased activities of these enzymes may be implicated in the pathophysiology of subclinical intoxication since they are involved in many biochemical functions.     

Physical–chemical processes of sustainable materials’ production from hazardous toner waste,galvanic glass waste and spent foundry sand

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Several sustainable white ceramic composites were prepared from 3 to 7 wt.% of hazardous toner waste, 30–40% of spent foundry sand,...     

Hazardous bauxite red mud and ferrous slag management to produce sustainable construction materials

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - This paper reports the development and characterization of new ceramics from hazardous bauxite red mud (50...