Risk Analysis and Occurrence of Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) in Domestic Swine in Northeast Brazil

Anti-HEV antibodies were detected in animals from abattoir and in farms from northeast Brazil. Our results suggest that HEV is highly disseminated in the swine population and might present a great risk to animal handlers and for consumption of raw or undercooked meat and meat products in northeast Brazil.     

Report: New guidelines for characterization of municipal solid waste: the Portuguese case

This report proposes a new set of guidelines for the characterization of municipal solid waste. It is based on an analysis of reference methodologies, used internationally, and a case study of Valorsul (a company that handles recovery and treatment of solid waste in the North Lisbon Metropolitan Area). In particular, the suggested guidelines present a new definition of the waste to be analysed, change the sampling unit and establish statistical standards for the results obtained. In these new guidelines, the sampling level is the waste collection vehicle and contamination and moisture are taken into consideration. Finally, focus is on the quality of the resulting data, which is essential for comparability of data between countries. These new guidelines may also be applicable outside Portugal because the methodology includes, besides municipal mixed waste, separately collected fractions of municipal waste. They are a response to the need for information concerning Portugal (e.g. Eurostat or OECD inquiries) and follow European Union municipal solid waste management policies (e.g. packaging waste recovery and recycling targets and the reduction of biodegradable waste going to landfill).     

137Cs in marine samples from the Brazilian southeastern coastal region

The present work presents the results of ¹³⁷Cs concentration in seawater, fish and sediments samples collect in 11 sampling points, crossing the Brazilian Southeastern coastal region, from Vitória (ES) to Santos (SP), on a routine basis from 1997 to 2002. This monitoring program was carried out by the Instituto de Radioproteção e Dosimetria (IRD/CNEN/MCT), in cooperation with the Instituto de Estudos do Mar Almirante Paulo Moreira (IEAPM/Brazilian Navy), aiming at determining artificial radionuclides in marine samples. Additionally to the ¹³⁷Cs results, ⁹⁰Sr concentrations in fish samples from 1998 to 2002 are also reported.The ¹³⁷Cs in seawater follows a lognormal distribution, with a geometric mean of 1.8 Bq m^-3 and a geometric standard deviation of 1.4 (n=54), decay corrected to June/2002. For ¹³⁷Cs levels in fish samples a geometric mean of 0.19 Bq kg⁻¹ and a geometric standard deviation of 2.9 (n=39), decay corrected to June/2002, with a range of 0.03 to 1.7 Bq kg⁻¹, were obtained. Based on the ¹³⁷Cs mean concentration in fish as well as in seawater, a transfer factor of 1 × 10² was calculated, which is quite in agreement with the recommended value found in the Safety Report Serie 19.     

Heavy-metal pollution assessment in the coastal lagoons of Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Jacarepaguá lagoon receives the waste from 239 industries and domestic sewage. Bottom sediment analysis revealed that metal pollution is not spread over the lagoons but restricted to the discharge areas of the main metal-carrier rivers. Metal concentrations in superficial water showed the following concentrations values in ng/ml: Zn, 9.63+/-3.59; Pb, 0.61+/-0.43; Cu, 0.94+/-0.45; Mn, 12.7+/-8.0. Metal concentration in fish (average of seven different species) presented the following results, in mg/kg wet weight: Cr, 0.08+/-0.01; Cu, 0.4+/-0.15; Zn, 4.6+/-3.4; Fe, 2.4+/-1.3; Mn, 0.4+/-0.3. These results imply, considering fish consumption rate and the RfD (USEPA Reference Dose), that the local population is not exposed to undue health risks. Metal concentrations in the water may, however, increase due to their dissolution induced by pH and redox changes in the sediments.     

Change in the antimicrobial resistance profile of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from soil after exposure to herbicides

The extensive use of pesticides represents a risk to human health and to the environment. This study aimed to investigate if the exposure to atrazine and diuron, two herbicides widely used in Brazil, could induce changes in the susceptibility profile to aztreonam, colistin and polymyxin B antimicrobials in isolates of P. aeruginosa obtained from soil samples by using the determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test. Three isolates had an increase of MIC to aztreonam after exposure to both herbicides and one isolate did not show any MIC change. The MexAB-OprM efflux pump has already been upregulated in these isolates and the herbicides atrazine and diuron did not increase MexAB-OprM overexpression. Therefore, the decrease in aztreonam susceptibility was not directly related to this pump, suggesting that probably other mechanisms should be involved.     

Evaluation of chemical and ecotoxicological characteristics of biodegradable organic residues for application to agricultural land

The use of organic waste and compost as a source of organic matter and nutrients is a common practice to improve soil physico-chemical properties, meanwhile reducing the need for inorganic fertilisers. Official guidelines to assess sewage sludge and compost quality are mostly based on total metal content of these residues. Measurement of the total concentration of metals may be useful as a general index of contamination, but provides inadequate or little information about their bioavailability, mobility or toxicity when the organic residue is applied to the soil. However, ecotoxicity tests provide an integrated measure of bioavailability and detrimental effects of contaminants in the ecosystem. In the present study, three different types of biodegradable organic residues (BORs) have been considered: sewage sludge from municipal wastewater treatment (SS), compost from the organic fraction of unsorted municipal solid waste (MSWC), and garden waste compost (GWC). The BORs were subjected to chemical characterisation and total metal quantification (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn), in order to verify their suitability for land application. Water leachability was determined through the DIN 38414-S4 method, while the modified BCR sequential extraction procedure was used for metal speciation. Ecotoxicity of the BORs was studied by direct and indirect bioassays. Direct toxicity bioassays were: plant growth tests with cress (Lepidium sativum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and earthworm (Eisenia fetida) mortality. On the other hand, indirect exposure bioassays, with leachate from the residues, took into account: luminescent bacteria (Vibrio fischeri), seed germination (L. sativum and H. vulgare) and Daphnia magna immobilization. As far as total metal concentration is concerned, with particular reference to Zn, SS resulted neither suitable for the use in agriculture nor compatible to be disposed of as an inert material into landfill, according to the Directive 1999/31/EC. Zinc in SS was mainly present in exchangeable form (28.5%), appearing as highly bioavailable. As a consequence, SS exhibited either high ecotoxicity effects with the indirect exposure bioassays or significant mortality with the earthworm bioassay. Total content of metals in MSWC allowed its classification as "stabilised biowaste", according to 2nd draft [DG Env.A.2. Working document of Biological treatment of biowaste - 2nd draft. Directorate-General Environment, Brussels, 12th February; 2001. accessed in:http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/waste/facts_en.htm, at 10/09/2002] while leachate, on the basis of the concentration of these contaminants, could be classified as "inert waste". This residue showed significant ecotoxicity effects with direct exposure bioassays as well as with the luminescent bacteria bioassay. However, it resulted less toxic than SS. Finally, GWC could be classified as a Class 2 compost, with no detectable toxic effects on the organisms used in the bioassays, except for the luminescent bacteria. In this case, an EC(50) of 73.0% was observed. Considering the results, the use of a battery of toxicity test in conjunction with chemical analysis should be suggested, in order to correctly assess possible environmental risks deriving from disposal or land application of biodegradable organic residues.     

Critical analysis of the waste management performance of two uranium production units in Brazil--part II: Caetite production center

This paper discusses the environmental waste management of the Heap-Leach Uranium Production Facility of Caetité located in a semi-arid region in Brazil. A comparison is made with the first uranium production site of the country located in Poços de Caldas. It is demonstrated that differences in the operational process along with different environmental conditions can lead to different impacts. In the present case groundwater is the potential most sensitive environmental medium despite the well-established consensus in the literature that radon and aerosol emissions may turn-out to be the most relevant environmental aspects of an installation located at this type of region. Most of the ²²⁶Ra content in the ore remains in the leached ore that is deposited with the waste rock. A lack in appropriate prediction of the hydrological balance has been causing unanticipated emissions of liquid effluents into the environment. Chemical treatment of this effluent may be needed. Contamination of groundwater in the short term by the waste ponds is not to be expected but it can be a relevant issue in the long term. As a consequence, careful closure schemes will need to be put in place. Finally, the overall costs with remediation in the Caetité production center are lower than those observed at the Poços de Caldas mining site.     

Environmental assessment of water-courses of the Turvo Limpo River basin at the Minas Gerais State, Brazil

A study was performed to evaluate the environmental contamination in the Turvo Limpo River basin which receives effluent discharges from domestic (residential and commercial) activities. The watercourses examined were the São Bartolomeu Stream, Turvo Sujo River, and Turvo Limpo River, located in the Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Water samples were collected at the river-side and analyzed for evaluation of pollutant inputs. The pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, redox potential (Eh), dissolved oxygen (DO), total and settleable solids, visual color, hardness, chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chloride, total phosphate, total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate, total coliforms and E. coli, as well as the Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn speciation were determined in the watercourses. The data obtained were compared with those of the Brazilian Environmental Standards and with data from non-contaminated areas. River water characteristics in some sites were far from the limit values established for superficial waters with satisfactory quality. For instance, the BOD values reached 411 mg L^?1 for a maximum limit of 10.0 mg L^?1, while the ammonia nitrogen concentration reached 28 mg L^?1 for a maximum limit of 13.3 mg L^?1. Some sites showed E. coli values above those of non-contaminated regions. Besides the effects of sewage discharges into the water-courses, agriculture activities and the use of the area for cattle husbandry influenced the quality of the river waters, for instance, the pH of a spring-water sample reached the value of 4.3. The São Bartolomeu Stream has been contributing to the deterioration of the water quality of the Turvo Sujo River, while the Turvo Limpo River has also been affected by anthropogenic discharges in the Turvo Sujo River. The speciation of Cd, Cu and Pb showed that these metals were mainly found in the particulate fraction (i. e., associated with the suspended material). Fifty five percent of the water samples showed labile Zn concentrations greater than that of the nonlabile Zn.     

Evaluation of genotoxicity and toxicity of water and sediment samples from a Brazilian stream influenced by tannery industries

This paper reports results of genotoxicity and toxicity studies of water and sediment samples collected from the Estancia Velha stream of southern Brazil, a stream transporting both domestic sewage and effluents from regional factories working in the leather industry. Three sites were selected: in the stream headwaters (Site 1), located downstream of an urban area (Site 2), and near the basin outfall (Site 3). Results obtained with Allium cepa showed no evidence of chromosomal mutation, either in water or in sediment, during winter or summer seasons, but samples collected below Site 1 showed high toxicity. Physical and chemical analyses showed high concentrations of pollutants at these sites. Ecotoxicity tests with Daphnia magna and Ceriodaphnia dubia measured toxicity in water from Sites 2 and 3 in summer 2004. A toxic effect on Hyalella azteca was only found in sediment from Site 3 during winter 2003 and summer 2004. The results suggest that the synergy among different compounds in domestic and industrial sewage discharges can make it difficult to maintain system stability.