The map of conflicts related to environmental injustice and health in Brazil

This article discusses the experience of the map of conflicts related to environmental injustices and health in Brazil and its potential contribution to international movements for environmental justice. Inventories and maps of environmental injustices are important instruments of struggle against injustice and racism, since they increase the visibility of populations, whose lives are threatened. The Brazilian map is published online since 2010 and was an initiative of FIOCRUZ, a public health and academic institution, and the NGO FASE, in cooperation with the Brazilian Network of Environmental Injustice (RBJA), created in 2001. Environmental justice arised in Brazil as a field of reflection and mobilization, and as a rallying point to identify the struggle of several groups and entities, such as rural and urban grassroots movements, indigenous peoples, traditional populations, and peasants affected by different hazards and risks, as well as environmentalists, trade unions, and scientists. Currently, the map has 570 emblematic environmental conflicts in all regions of Brazil. Many economic activities are causing the conflicts such as mining expansion, oil and gas extractions, infrastructure (roads, mega-dams), agribusiness, and pesticide pollution, often with the support of governmental institutions.     

Evaluation of optimal conditions for determination of low selenium content in shellfish samples collected at Todos os Santos Bay,Bahia, Brazil using HG-AFS

This work proposes a procedure for the determination of total selenium content in shellfish after digestion of samples in block using cold finger system and detection using atomic fluorescent spectrometry coupled hydride generation (HG AFS). The optimal conditions for HG such as effect and volume of prereduction KBr 10 % (m/v) (1.0 and 2.0 ml) and concentration of hydrochloric acid (3.0 and 6.0 mol L^?1) were evaluated. The best results were obtained using 3 mL of HCl (6 mol L^?1) and 1 mL of KBr 10 % (m/v), followed by 30 min of prereduction for the volume of 1 mL of the digested sample. The precision and accuracy were assessed by the analysis of the Certified Reference Material NIST 1566b. Under the optimized conditions, the detection and quantification limits were 6.06 and 21.21 μg kg^?1, respectively. The developed method was applied to samples of shellfish (oysters, clams, and mussels) collected at Todos os Santos Bay, Bahia, Brazil. Selenium concentrations ranged from 0.23?±?0.02 to 3.70?±?0.27 mg kg^?1 for Mytella guyanensis and Anomalocardia brasiliana, respectively. The developed method proved to be accurate, precise, cheap, fast, and could be used for monitoring Se in shellfish samples.     

Optimisation and application of the voltammetric technique for speciation of chromium in the Patos Lagoon Estuary—Brazil

The chemical speciation analysis of chromium in one of the most important South American Estuary was performed for the first time. Samples were collected in Patos Lagoon Estuary (Brazil) and were analysed by adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry, with the following analytical figures of merit: limit of detection, 0.1 nmol L(-1); precision RSD?=?3%, n?=?7; linearity, from limit of quantitation up to 20 nmol L(-1); and accuracy of 99.8%, expressed as recovery. No labile chromium forms were identified in samples, beside industries and a city were near the study area. It is pointed out a reverse correlation between total and non-active chromium and salinity, which could be explained by biogeochemical processes.     

Spatial and seasonal distribution of 17 endocrine disruptor compounds in an urban estuary (Mondego River,Portugal): evaluation of the estrogenic load of the area

The Mondego River estuary demonstrates signs of pollution, but the levels of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), such as the natural (17β-estradiol and estrone) and pharmaceutical (17α-ethynylestradiol) estrogens, xenoestrogenic industrial pollutants (4-octylphenol, 4-nonylphenol, and their mono- and diethoxylates and bisphenol A), phytoestrogens (formononetin, biochanin A, daidzein, and genistein), and sitosterol were either poorly or never measured in this area. Thus, to conclude about the influx of EDCs in this estuary, water samples were taken every 2 months, during 1 year (2010) in low tide, at eight sites distributed along the estuary. Water samples (1 L) were preconcentrated in the Oasis HLB cartridges and cleaned in silica cartridges before their analysis by GC-MS. In summer, potentially hazardous amounts of estrogens (≈26 ng L^?1), alkylphenols (≈11.5 μg L^?1), alkylphenolethoxylates (≈13 μg L^?1), and phytoestrogens (≈5.6 μg L^?1) were measured. These data suggest that changes in the hydrodynamics of the estuary coupled with the increase of water temperatures interfere with the amount of EDCs in the water. Complementary physicochemical parameters also point to high levels of anthropogenic pollution in this area. Globally, the estrogenic load, expressed in ethynylestradiol equivalents, attained 71.8 ng L^?1 demonstrating that, all together, the measured EDCs pose important health risks for both biota and humans.     

Utilization of UV‐A and UV‐C radiation in advanced oxidation processes with the intention of removing color and organic matter from the gross leachate of a stabilized sanitary landfill

The present work investigated color and biochemical oxygen demand (COD) removal from treated landfill leachate via advanced oxidative processes (AOPs) artificially emitted. The AOP H₂O₂/UV, TiO₂/UV, and photolysis were tested in two bench‐scale photoreactors: The first one with UV‐C lamp and the other with UV‐A lamp associated or not with coagulation / flocculation pretreatment. Crude leachate samples with pH ranging from 8 to 3 were used, and time varied in 30, 45, and 60 minutes. Experiments were performed in two stages: step 1 with a 20 mL volume from each sample and step 2 with repetition of the best results from the previous step, adopting the 150 mL volume. In step 1, the AOP applied in the crude leachate sample showed the best results, standing out H₂O₂/UV‐C with 30 minutes and TiO₂/UV‐A with 60 minutes. In step 2, H₂O₂/UV‐C had a 60% color removal and 25% COD reduction, while TiO₂/UV‐A had a 10% color removal and 20% COD reduction. Therefore, the H₂O₂/UV‐C process was the most efficient, because the complex characteristics of the effluent interfered in the TiO₂/UV‐A efficiency, but it is necessary to eliminate the process interferences. The use of artificial radiation is a viable alternative; however, it can be costly, being relevant in the associations between processes with artificial UV and solar UV, as the natural radiation becomes more attractive and allows the process operating costs reduction.     

Contamination Levels and Preliminary Assessment of the Technical Feasibility of Employing Natural Attenuation in 5 Priority Areas of Presidente Bernardes Refinery in Cubatão, São Paulo, Brazil

Five priority areas of potential impact by contaminants (API) were investigated at the Presidente Bernardes Refinery in Cubatão, São Paulo, Brazil with the following aims: (i) to identify both organic and inorganic contaminants present in soil and groundwater; (ii) to define the environmental conditions relevant for microbial activity at the site and (iii) to evaluate the feasibility of employing natural attenuation for treatment of the hydrocarbon contamination. One area (API 1) was an uncontrolled landfill, where waste materials from the refinery were deposited between 1954 and 1986, and four areas (API 4, 5, 7 and 11) were located in the operational section of the refinery. Soil contamination by regulated BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, total xylenes) was restricted to two samples from API 1. Nonregulated ethylbenzene was detected in one soil sample from API 4, one from API 5 and two from API 1. No soil contained regulated PAH above threshold levels. Several nonregulated PAHs were found in 6 soil samples from API 1, 3 soil samples from API 4 and 1 soil sample from API 5. Site soils contained very high aluminium concentrations, but metal contamination was restricted to one soil sample from API 1, which contained nickel above threshold limits. BTEX contamination of groundwater was due mostly to benzene. Of the 17 PAH molecules tested, only naphthalene and 2-methylnaphthalene occurred in groundwater. The sum of total BTEX and total PAH exceeded 200 μg/L in only a few monitoring wells in API 4, 5 and 11 and was always below 2.640 μg/L. Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Se, Ag, Tl and Zn were not detected in groundwater, which was contaminated in a few locations by aluminium (mostly below 1 mg/L), lead (<0.066 mg/L) and arsenic (<0.056 mg/L). S, K, Ca, Mg and Fe were present in groundwater in excess of physiological requirements for microbial growth, but low concentrations of N and P could become growth limiting. However, BTEX were efficiently degraded in saturated and unsaturated zone microcosms and nutrient amendments did not stimulate biodegradation rates measurably. The inorganic carbon pool in groundwater was up to one order of magnitude larger than the organic carbon pool. Total inorganic carbon (TIC) in API groundwater exceeded TIC of clean groundwater by factors of 2 (API 4), 6 (API 5, 7 and 11) or 10 (API 1). Most of the inorganic carbon incorporated into groundwater beneath the refinery originated from biodegradation in the unsaturated soil, which contained a microbiota (10⁶ cells/g on average) capable of growth with most of the pure (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene) and mixed hydrocarbons tested (diesel oil, gasoline, naphtha, condensate, aromatic residue and fuel oil). A viscous hydrocarbon paste uncovered in API 1 was insoluble in water but dissolved in dichloromethane. Many organic components of this paste were biodegradable as evidenced by weight reduction of the hydrocarbon paste and by the growth of suspended and attached biomass in saturated zone microcosms, where the paste was the only carbon source. This study indicates that monitored natural attenuation may be a technically feasible and efficient means for plume control in API 1, 4 and 5, provided the plumes in API 4 and 5 are not expanding. This technique is not suitable for contaminant reduction in API 11.     

Evaluation of bisphenol A levels in Nigerian thermal receipts and estimation of daily dermal exposure

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Bisphenol A (BPA) is a high production volume chemical that has wide industrial applications, especially as a color developer in thermal papers. The...     

Exposure to sublethal concentrations of Zn(II) and Cu(II) changes biochemical parameters in Leporinus obtusidens

The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of the exposure of Leporinus obtusidens (Piava) to zinc and copper on catalase activity in the liver, delta-aminolevulinate dehidratase (delta-ALA-D) activity in liver, muscle, brain and kidney, and thiobarbituric reactive species (TBARS) in brain, muscle and liver. In addition, hematological parameters were measured in blood. The fish were exposed to 10% and 20% of the derived LC(50) values, 2.3 and 4.6 mg Zn l(-1) and 0.02 and 0.04 mg Cu l(-1), and sampled on days 30 and 45. Exposure to Zn(II) and Cu(II) decreased hematological parameters and also delta-ALA-D activity mainly in liver and kidney at all concentrations tested. Liver catalase activity increased after zinc or copper exposure at all concentrations and exposure times tested. Thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS) increased in the brain and liver of the fish exposed to zinc(II) for 45 days at both metal concentrations. In muscle, zinc(II) increased TBARS production at both exposure times and concentrations tested. Copper(II) exposure reduced the TBARS levels in liver at both concentrations and times tested. In brain, there was a decrease in TBARS levels only after 45 days of exposure. In muscle, this decrease was observed after 30 days of exposure at both concentrations. Although zinc and copper are required as microelements in the cells, our results showed that the sublethal concentrations of these metals can change biochemical parameters which may alter normal cellular function. These results pointed out the differential sensitivity of fish tissues to essential, but also toxic and environmentally relevant metals. The alterations of distinct biochemical parameters in fish tissues certainly contribute to the toxicity of Zn and Cu, and are of importance for an area that has been growing and has still been poorly explored in the literature.     

Evaluation of exposure to fluoride in child population of North Argentina

Fluoride is an important element for humans. It inhibits initiation and progression of dental caries and stimulates bone formation. However, excessive intake may lead to the appearance of dental and/or skeletal fluorosis and a decrease in intellectual coefficient in child populations. This study evaluates exposure to fluoride in the child population of Chaco province (Argentina) by analysis of drinking water, food and its bioaccessible fraction (quantity of fluoride solubilised by gastrointestinal digestion and available for intestinal absorption) and urine as a biomarker of internal dose. The concentration of fluoride in drinking water varied between 0.050 and 4.6 mg L^?1, and 80% of the samples exceeded the WHO drinking-water guideline value (1.5 mg L^?1). Fluoride concentrations in food ranged between 0.80 and 3.0 mg kg^?1 fresh weight (fw), being lower in bioaccessible fraction (0.43–1.9 mg kg^?1, fw). On the basis of the consumption data declared for the young child population, fluoride intake varies between 4.1 and 6.5 mg day^?1, greater than the level recommended for this age group. Moreover, in some cases, concentrations of fluoride found in urine (0.62–8.9 mg L^?1) exceeded those reported in areas with declared fluorosis. All data obtained show the worrying situation of child population in this area of Argentina.