A safety culture maturity model for petrochemical companies in Brazil

A framework to measure safety culture maturity in the Brazilian oil and gas companies was formulated based on the model of Hudson (2001). Following a review of the safety culture literature, a questionnaire was designed to measure five aspects of organisational safety indicative of five levels of cultural maturity. The questionnaire was completed by the safety managers of 23 petrochemical companies based in Camacari, Bahia, Brazil and they were interviewed one month later. The reliability of the questionnaire was tested by asking the same questions in an interview and comparing the results (alternate forms reliability). The correlation coefficients between the questionnaire and interview scores on each dimension ranged from r = 0.7 to 0.9, demonstrating good reliability of the measures used. The research findings demonstrated that the 23 companies studied showed characteristics of different levels of safety culture maturity. Most scores were at the level of proactive. The model of Hudson (2001) and the revised framework and questionnaire were found to be practical to use, making it possible to identify levels of safety culture maturity in the context of the Brazilian petrochemical industry.     

Bacterial communities of the marine sponges Hymeniacidon heliophila and Polymastia janeirensis and their environment in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In this study we performed a survey of the bacterial communities associated with the Western Atlantic demosponges Hymeniacidon heliophila and Polymastia janeirensis, based on 16S rRNA sequencing and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We compared diversity and composition of the sponge-associated bacteria to those of environmental bacteria, represented by free-living bacterioplankton and by bacteria attached to organic particulate matter in superficial sediments. Partial bacterial 16S rRNA sequences from seawater, sediment, and sponges were retrieved by PCR, cloning, and sequencing. Sequences were subjected to rarefaction analyses, phylogenetic tree construction, and LIBSHUFF quantitative statistics to verify coverage and similarity between libraries. Community structure of the free-living bacterioplankton was phylogenetically different from that of the sponge-associated bacterial assemblages. On the other hand, some sediment-attached bacteria were also found in the sponge bacterial community, indicating that sponges may incorporate bacteria together with sediment particles. Rare and few prokaryotic morphotypes were found in TEM analyses of sponge mesohyl matrix of both species. Molecular data indicate that bacterial richness and diversity decreases from bacterioplankton, to particulate organic sediment, and to H. heliophila and P. janeirensis. Sponges from Rio de Janeiro harbor a pool of novel and exclusive sponge-associated bacterial taxa. Sponge-associated bacterial communities are composed of both taxons shared by many sponge groups and by species-specific bacteria.     

Effects of realistic concentrations of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> and ZnO nanoparticles in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Prochilodus lineatus</Emphasis> juvenile fish

The impact of nanoparticles on fish health is still a matter of debate, since nanotechnology is quite recent. In this study, freshwater benthonic juvenile fish Prochilodus lineatus were exposed through water to three concentrations of TiO₂ (0.1, 1, and 10 μg l^?1) and ZnO (7, 70, and 700 μg l^?1) nanoparticles, as well as to a mixture of both (TiO₂ 1 μg l^?1?+?ZnO 70 μg l^?1) for 5 and 30 days. Nanoparticle characterization revealed an increase of aggregate size in the function of concentration, but suspensions were generally stable. Fish mortality was high at subchronic exposure to 70 and 700 μg l^?1 of ZnO. Nanoparticle exposure led to decreased acetylcholinesterase activity either in the muscle or in the brain, depending on particle composition (muscle—TiO₂ 10 μg l^?1; brain—ZnO 7 and 700 μg l^?1), and protein oxidative damage increased in the brain (ZnO 70 μg l^?1) and gills (ZnO 70 μg l^?1 and mixture) but not in the liver. Exposed fish had more frequent alterations in the liver (necrosis, vascular congestion, leukocyte infiltration, and basophilic foci) and gills (hyperplasia and epithelial damages, e.g., epithelial disorganization and epithelial loss) than the control fish. Thus, predicted concentrations of TiO₂ and ZnO nanoparticles caused detectable effects on P. lineatus that may have important consequences to fish health. But, these effects are much more subtle than those usually reported in the scientific literature for high concentrations or doses of metal nanoparticles.     

Integrated farming systems for improving soil carbon balance in the southern Amazon of Brazil

Regional Environmental Change - Integrated farming systems (IS) are one of the main strategies of the Brazilian government to reduce or compensate for carbon emissions from agriculture with...     

Planarian neoblast micronucleus assay for evaluating genotoxicity

Planarian neoblasts are somatic stem cells that have the potential to be used in genotoxicity assays due to their proliferative nature, sensitivity to genotoxic agents, and experimental accessibility. Two freshwater planarian species, Girardia tigrina and Girardia schubarti, were used to develop a neoblast-based micronucleus (MN) assay to assess genotoxicity. Intact or regenerating planarians were exposed to gamma-rays, methyl methanesulphonate (MMS), or cyclophosphamide (CP), and neoblast MN frequency was measured. Exposure to the clastogens had no detectable effect on the MN frequency of intact planarian neoblasts. However, for regenerating individuals, active neoblast proliferation was induced by decapitation, and gamma-ray doses as low as 0.5 Gy, and MMS and CP concentrations as low as 0.8 microM and 100 mM, respectively, induced a significant increase in MN frequency. Exposure to higher doses of gamma-rays consistently resulted in detectable increases in MN frequency. For MMS and CP, concentrations of up to 1.6 microM and 200 mM, respectively, resulted in significant increases in MN frequency, but exposures to higher concentrations led to a decrease to non-significant levels, possibly due to cytotoxic effects of MMS and CP. After completion of regeneration, the MN frequencies returned to those of non-exposed controls, indicating that the neoblast MN assay for regenerating G. tigrina or G. schubarti reflects chromosomal damage caused by acute exposure to clastogenic agents. Upon standardization, this assay may represent an interesting alternative that allows damage caused to freshwater organisms by potentially genotoxic environmental pollutants to be monitored.     

C, δC and total C content in soils around a Brazilian PWR nuclear power plant

Nuclear power plants release ¹⁴C during routine operation mainly as airborne gaseous effluents. Because of the long half-life (5730 years) and biological importance of this radionuclide (it is incorporated in plant tissue by photosynthesis), several countries have monitoring programs in order to quantify and control these emissions. This paper compares the activity of ¹⁴C in soils taken within 1 km from a Brazilian nuclear power plant with soils taken within a reference area located 50 km away from the reactor site. Analyses of total carbon, δ¹³C and ¹³⁷Cs were also performed in order to understand the local soil dynamics. Except for one of the profiles, the isotopic composition of soil organic carbon reflected the actual forest vegetation present in both areas. The ¹³⁷Cs data show that the soils from the base of hills are probably allocthonous.     

Effects of four rice herbicides on some metabolic and toxicology parameters of teleost fish (Leporinus obtusidens)

Effects of different herbicides on acetylcholinesterase (AChE), catalase and TBARS formation in teleost fish (Leporinus obtusidens) were studied. Fish were exposed during 30 days at concentrations of herbicides used in rice field. AChE activity in the brain decreased significantly after exposure to the herbicides clomazone and quinclorac. However, AChE activity increased significantly in muscle tissue after exposure to clomazone, propanil and metsulfuron methyl. Fish exposed to quinclorac, propanil and metsulfuron methyl showed TBARS decreased levels in brain and muscle tissues. However, TBARS and catalase activity increased in liver tissue after clomazone and propanil exposure. This study pointed out long-term effects on AChE activity, oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme catalase in tissues of L. obtusidens after exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of rice field herbicides. These parameters have been used to monitor fish toxicity in rice field system.     

Aspergillus sclerotiorum lipolytic activity and its application in bioremediation of high-fat dairy wastewater environments

Oils and grease (O&G) have low affinity for water and represent a class of pollutants present in the dairy industry. Enzyme-mediated bioremediation using biocatalysts, such as lipases, has shown promising potential in biotechnology, as they are versatile catalysts with high enantioselectivity and regioselectivity and easy availability, being considered a clean technology (white biotechnology). Specially in the treatment of effluents from dairy industries, these enzymes are of particular importance as they specifically hydrolyze O&G. In this context, the objective of this work is to prospect filamentous fungi with the ability to synthesize lipases for application in a high-fat dairy wastewater environment. We identified and characterized the fungal species Aspergillus sclerotiorum as a good lipase producer. Specifically, we observed highest lipolytic activity (20.72 U g⁻¹) after 96 h of fermentation using sunflower seed as substrate. The fungal solid fermented was used in the bioremediation in dairy effluent to reduce O&G. The experiment was done in kinetic from 24 to 168 h and reduced over 90% of the O&G present in the sample after 168 h. Collectively, our work demonstrated the efficiency and applicability of fungal fermented solids in bioremediation and how this process can contribute to a more sustainable wastewater pretreatment, reducing the generation of effluents produced by dairy industries.

     

Mercury pollution and childhood in Amazon riverside villages

Mercury is a hazardous metal responsible for environmental contamination and human intoxication. Methylmercury, a very toxic organic compound, bio-accumulates through food chain, and is responsible for chronic mercury exposure of riverside Amazonian communities with a diet rich in fish. Uncertainties about the reference exposure dose that could have damaging consequences for nervous system development makes necessary the biomonitoring of these Amazonian populations, especially children. In this work, a comparative study was performed in exposed and non-exposed children living in the Amazon. A total of 168 children were analyzed to find possible correlations between gender, age, location, and hair mercury content. For each location, no statistically significant differences (P<0.05) were detected for gender and age versus mercury content. However, mean mercury levels in hair samples may indicate a tendency of boys to average higher hair concentrations. Also, in the community with highest levels of mercury, the limit of 10 micro g/g of mercury was surpassed by 65% of 2-6 years and 50% of 7-12 years children but only by 27% of 0-1 year babies, pointing to a lower bioaccumulation and/or the existence of a protection mechanism in babies. Log normal distributions of mercury concentrations for each location showed that children from populations under influence of gold mining activity contain the highest mercury levels in hair samples, though this intoxication may have decreased when compared to previous studies. Knowledge originated by this monitoring will better assist in the development of prevention strategies and government actions targeting the mercury contamination of Amazonian environment.     

Influence of support material on the immobilization of biomass for the degradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate in anaerobic reactors

Two horizontal-flow anaerobic immobilized biomass reactors (HAIB) were used to study the degradation of the LAS surfactant: one filled with charcoal (HAIB1) and the other with a mixed bed of expanded clay and polyurethane foam (HAIB2). The reactors were fed with synthetic substrate supplemented with 14 mg l(-1)of LAS, kept at 30+/-2 degrees C and operated with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 12h. The surfactant was quantified by HPLC. Spatial variation analyses were done to quantify organic matter and LAS consumption along the reactor length. The presence of the surfactant in the load did not affect the removal of organic matter (COD), which was close to 90% in both reactors for an influent COD of 550 mg l(-1). The results of a mass balance indicated that 28% of all LAS added to HAIB1 was removed by degradation. HAIB2 presented 27% degradation. Molecular biology techniques revealed microorganisms belonging the uncultured Holophaga sp., uncultured delta Proteobacterium, uncultured Verrucomicrobium sp., Bacteroides sp. and uncultured gamma Proteobacterium sp. The reactor with biomass immobilized on charcoal presented lower adsorption and a higher kinetic degradation coefficient. So, it was the most suitable support for LAS anaerobic treatment.