Report: citizen participation as a part of integrated solid waste management: Porto Alegre case.

This study presents the effects of citizen participation on integrated solid waste management. Porto Alegre was chosen as the area of study since its system is a good example for developing countries, based on the partnership between local government and the former scavengers' association that implements selective collection in the city. A life-cycle approach was used to estimate environmental loadings and economic costs based on solid waste generation, and a survey assessment tool was used to analyse social aspects. The results showed a decrease in environmental and economic impacts in the current situation, allowing Porto Alegre to have one of the most affordable integrated solid waste management systems in Brazil. The survey assessment pointed out that public campaign changed the perceptions and practices of most of Porto Alegre's citizens regarding solid waste management. On the other hand, it also pointed out that citizens need more education to increase their participation. Therefore, more research is needed to increase cooperation among all stakeholders, improve citizen participation, and consequently, further decrease the environmental impacts and economic costs.     

Gametogenesis,embryogenesis, and larval features of the oviparous sponge <Emphasis Type="Italic">Petrosia ficiformis</Emphasis> (Haplosclerida,Demospongiae)

This study describes the reproductive cycle of Petrosia ficiformis and documents for the first time embryogenesis in an oviparous haplosclerid demosponge. Gonochoric adults, occurring in 2:1 female/male ratios, spawned in late autumn, after a 7-month long oogenesis and a 2.5-week-long spermatogenesis. Following a remarkable migration, the oocytes were released as 250 μm eggs bearing attached polar bodies and a thin mucous cover. Round-headed spermatozoa with three large mitochondria, and many proacrosomal vesicles fertilized the eggs externally. A fertilization membrane appeared around the zygotes. Nearly equal and total cleavage led to a stereoblastula that subsequently became an entirely ciliated larva. The larva alternated spherical and multilobate body shape and consisted of undifferentiated cells. It had poor abilities to swim and glide, probably experiencing passive dispersal and unselective attachment. Settlers developed choanocyte chambers after 1.5 months. Symbiotic microbes were absent from gametes and larvae, being necessarily acquired from the ambient at each sponge generation. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Abundance,population structure and claw morphology of the semi-terrestrial crab <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pachygrapsus marmoratus</Emphasis> (Fabricius, 1787) on shores of differing wave exposure

Wave action is known to influence the abundance and distribution of intertidal organisms. Wave action will also determine the duration and suitability of various foraging windows (high-tide and low-tide, day and night) for predation and can also affect predator behaviour, both directly by impeding prey handling and indirectly by influencing prey abundance. It remains uncertain whether semi-terrestrial mobile predators such as crabs which can access intertidal prey during emersion when the effects of wave action are minimal, are influenced by exposure. Here, we assessed the effect of wave action on the abundance and population structure (size and gender) of the semi-terrestrial intertidal crab Pachygrapsus marmoratus on rocky shores in Portugal. The activity of P. marmoratus with the tidal cycle on sheltered and exposed shores was established using baited pots at high-tide to examine whether there was activity during intertidal immersion and by low-tide searches. Because prey abundance varies along a wave exposure gradient on most Portuguese shores and because morphology of crab chelipeds are known to be related to diet composition, we further tested the hypothesis that predator stomach contents reflected differences in prey abundance along the horizontal gradient in wave exposure and that this would be correlated with the crab cheliped morphology. Thus, we examined phenotypic variation in P. marmoratus chelipeds across shores of differing exposure to wave action. P. marmoratus was only active during low-tide. Patterns of abundance and population structure of crabs did not vary with exposure to wave action. Stomach contents, however, varied significantly between shores of differing exposure with a higher consumption of hard-shelled prey (mussels) on exposed locations, where this type of prey is more abundant, and a higher consumption of barnacles on sheltered shores. Multivariate geometric analysis of crab claws showed that claws were significantly larger on exposed shores. There was a significant correlation between animals with larger claws and the abundance of mussels in their stomach. Variation in cheliped size may have resulted from differing food availability on sheltered and exposed shores.     

Evaluation of violations in water quality standards in the monitoring network of São Francisco River basin,the third largest in Brazil

The São Francisco River is the largest river located entirely within Brazil, and water scarcity problems have been a major concern of Brazilian society and government. Water quality issues are also a concern and have worsened with the recent intensification of urbanization and industrialization. In this study, violations to water quality standards established by local legislation were calculated as a percentage for 26 selected parameters over a monitoring period of 14 years. The violation percentages were analyzed spatially using the Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by multiple comparison analysis. Temporal analysis was performed using the Mann-Kendall test and Spearman correlation. Some parameters could be identified as cause for concern due to high violation levels, such as the fecal coliform indicator (FCI) and phosphorus—both related to domestic and effluent disposal without treatment or with insufficient treatment—and color, turbidity, manganese, and total suspended solids—which can be affected by erosive processes of natural and anthropogenic causes. The study found that these violations are concentrated in the most urbanized and industrialized areas of the basin. Some metallic parameters, such as iron and arsenic violations, may be related to mining activities in the rich soil of the Iron Quadrangle area located within the Minas Gerais State. Trend analysis results indicated that most monitoring stations did not have significant modification (elevation or reduction) trends over time, which, together with the high violation percentages, might indicate the maintenance of a scenario of constant pressure upon water resources, in particular in those more urbanized areas.     

Phylogeography of the European stalked barnacle (Pollicipes pollicipes): identification of glacial refugia

The alternation of glacial and interglacial events during the Pleistocene has produced changes in species distribution ranges leading to bottlenecks and alterations of patterns of gene flow. The European stalked barnacle, Pollicipes pollicipes, is a sessile pedunculate cirripede that inhabits the rocky intertidal frame, from Senegal to the northwestern coast of France. In this work, we have analyzed a fragment of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I for 569 individuals of P. pollicipes in order to investigate whether the shifts in climatic conditions that occurred during the Pleistocene influenced the current pattern of distribution of genetic variation of P. pollicipes. A pre-last glacial maximum pattern of demographic expansion was found, in concordance with many other North Atlantic marine species. On the other hand, three potential glacial refugia were identified: North African coasts, northwestern Iberian Peninsula and English Channel/Brittany.     

An experiment in the electrokinetic removal of copper from soil contaminated by the brass industry

The feasibility of electrokinetic remediation of copper-contaminated soil was evaluated following eight days of electroreclamation. The results indicate that electrokinetic reclamation of Cu is totally ineffective in soil composed primarily of clay minerals and organic matter. The strong absorption of copper by this kind of soil, in our view mainly a result of retention by the clay component, makes it resistant to mobilization by the electrogenerated acidic front as well as by citrates (the competitors of natural chelating agents, i.e., humates). Such conditions, while adverse for the electroremediation process, may cause this kind of soil to act as a natural barrier to the leaching of copper ions.     

Factors influencing lead sorption-desorption at variable added metal concentrations in Rhodoxeralfs

The response of ten soils of the lithic Rhodoxeralf type to the supply of lead at concentrations of 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000 mg kg-1 was examined in batch sorption-desorption tests. Lead availability in the soils was found to depend on its partitioning between the soil solution and the solid phase as reflected in adsorption isotherms. The isotherms, of the H type, were consistent with a high affinity of the sorbent for the metal, with which it forms stable inner-sphere complexes on the soil surface. Sorption-desorption tests revealed that some properties of the soils such as their pH (mean=8) and high contents in clays (particularly in kaolinite) and crystalline iron oxides significantly influence Pb sorption, the effect being especially marked at high added metal concentrations. Added lead is largely retained by crystalline iron oxides and the soil clay fraction; the pH of the soil favours the release of variably-charged sites from both. The extent of Pb desorption was small, particularly at the lowest added levels (500 and 1000 mg kg-1). Desorption increased with increasing added Pb concentration and exceeded 50% at 5000 and 6000 mg kg-1; this suggests that Pb is present not only as inner-sphere complexes, but also as outer-sphere complexes and, partly, as precipitates. The desorption isotherms consist of three segments that exhibit significant differences depending on the added Pb concentration, namely: 500-1000, 2000-4000 and 5000-6000 mg kg-1.     

Analysis of organophosphorus pesticides in whole milk by solid phase microextraction gas chromatography method

Solid phase microextraction (SPME) was used for the extraction of residual coumaphos and dichlorvos in whole milk. The residues were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography equipped with nitrogen phosphorus detector (GC-NPD). A manual SPME holder with a 100-microm polyacrylate fiber was used. The optimized conditions for extraction by SPME method were: sample agitation, absorption temperature of 30 degrees C, absorption time of 40 min, desorption time of 10 min, and sample volume was 16.0 mL in the vial. Under these conditions, the calibration graphs were linear in the range of 0.17 microgL-1 to 1.75 microgL-1 for coumaphos and 0.69 microgL-1 to 6.90 microgL-1 for dichlorvos. Precision was good with RSD values of 13% for coumaphos and 14% for dichlorvos. The detection limits (LOD) were 0.060 microgL-1 for dichlorvos and 0.052 for coumaphos. The quantification limits (LOQ) were 0.086 microgL-1 for dichlorvos and 0.066 microgL-1 for coumaphos. The results obtained in this study suggest that SPME is a suitable technique for residual pesticide analysis of milk. The data demonstrate that particular OP pesticides used in dairy farming in the region of Minas Gerais were found to contaminate cow whole milk, and the residues are not removed by treating the milk by boiling.     

Anaerobic mesophilic treatment of cattle manure in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor with prior pasteurization

Different autonomous communities located in northern Spain have large populations of dairy cattle. In the case of Asturias, the greatest concentration of dairy farms is found in the areas near the coast, where the elimination of cattle manure by means of its use as a fertilizer may lead to environmental problems. The aim of the present research work was to study the anaerobic treatment of the liquid fraction of cattle manure at mesophilic temperature using an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor combined with a settler after a pasteurization process at 70 degrees C for 2 hr. The manure used in this study came from two different farms, with 40 and 200 cows, respectively. The manure from the smaller farm was pretreated in the laboratory by filtration through a 1-mm mesh, and the manure from the other farm was pretreated on the farm by filtration through a separator screw press (0.5-mm mesh). The pasteurization process removed the pathogenic microorganisms lacking spores, such as Enterococcus, Yersinia, Pseudomonas, and coliforms, but bacterial spores are only reduced by this treatment, not removed. The combination of a UASB reactor and a settler proved to be effective for the treatment of cattle manure. In spite of the variation in the organic loading rate and total solids in the influent during the experiment, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the effluent from the settler remained relatively constant, obtaining reductions in the COD of approximately 85%.