巴西中小企业的清洁生产挑战

微型、小型和中型企业创造了巴西的主要财富.但是这些企业却难以遵守环境法律.在这种情况下,清洁生产意义重大;它使得应用简便、廉价、持续的解决方案帮助小企业减少其环境影响、降低雇员的健康和安全风险成为可能.清洁生产战略通过把中心放在减少浪费和损耗上而改善环境条件.在实施清洁生产措施的同时,对一些措施的环境效率和经济可行性进行评估.采用最多的是良好的内务管理等简便措施.良好的内务管理包括业务参数的最优化、程序的标准化、改进买卖系统以及维护、信息和培训程序的最优化.巴西良好的内务管理战略所占的优势表明了对低成本解决方案的优先选择.     

Historical biogeography and speciation in the Creole wrasses (Labridae, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clepticus</Emphasis>)

We tested whether vicariance or dispersal was the likely source of speciation in the genus Clepticus by evaluating the evolutionary timing of the effect of the mid-Atlantic barrier, which separates C. brasiliensis and C. africanus, and the Amazon barrier, which separates C. parrae and C brasiliensis. Genetic data from three mitochondrial genes and one nuclear gene were used. Mitochondrial genes separated Clepticus into three well supported clades corresponding to the three recognized allopatric morpho-species. All analyses provided consistent support for an initial separation (~9.68 to 1.86 mya; 4.84% sequence divergence) of the Caribbean and South Atlantic lineages, followed by a much more recent divergence (~ 0.60 to 0.12 mya; 0.3% sequence divergence) of the Brazilian and African sister morpho-species. Both these phylogenetic events occurred well after the formation of the two barriers that currently separate those three allopatric populations. The planktonic larval duration of these species (35–49 days) and coastal pelagic habits may have facilitated dispersal by this genus across those dispersal barriers after they formed.     

Soils from abandoned shooting range facilities as contamination source of potentially toxic elements: distribution among soil geochemical fractions

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Civilian and military shooting range facilities cause environmental issues in several countries due to the accumulation of Potentially Toxic Elements; as a...     

Adsorption mechanism of chromium(III) using biosorbents of Jatropha curcas L.

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The removal of Cr3+ from water solutions by biosorbents from the rind, endosperm, and endosperm + episperm of the Jatropha curcas was evaluated....     

Temporal pessimism and spatial optimism in environmental assessments: An 18-nation study

The personal assessments of the current and expected future state of the environment by 3232 community respondents in 18 nations were investigated at the local, national, and global spatial levels. These assessments were compared to a ranking of each country's environmental quality by an expert panel. Temporal pessimism (“things will get worse”) was found in the assessments at all three spatial levels. Spatial optimism bias (“things are better here than there”) was found in the assessments of current environmental conditions in 15 of 18 countries, but not in the assessments of the future. All countries except one exhibited temporal pessimism, but significant differences between them were common. Evaluations of current environmental conditions also differed by country. Citizens' assessments of current conditions, and the degree of comparative optimism, were strongly correlated with the expert panel's assessments of national environmental quality. Aside from the value of understanding global trends in environmental assessments, the results have important implications for environmental policy and risk management strategies.     

PCBs and HCHs in a salt-marsh sediment record from South-Central Chile: use of tsunami signatures and 137Cs fallout as temporal markers

This paper documents the occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) deposition inferred from a sedimentary record exposed in a salt-marsh trench in South-Central Chile. Sediments were carefully collected every 1 cm from the trench wall. The samples were analyzed for PCBs, HCHs, 137Cs, organic carbon and grain size. The 137Cs fallout and the sedimentary signature left by the 1960 Chilean tsunami were used as temporal markers to estimate the stratigraphic chronology and the sedimentation rates. PCBs were quantified by gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD), and positive samples were confirmed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry detection (GC-MS). Based on these results, PCBs and HCHs deposition over the last 40 years was estimated. No PCBs were detected below the tsunami signature. Total concentrations ranged from undetectable (ND) to 32 ng/g d.w. for PCBs and from undetectable (ND) to 1.29 ng/g d.w. for HCHs. The highest PCB concentrations were found in the upper 7 cm of the core. Even though PCBs were banned in 1982 as electrical fluids in Chile, total estimated PCB fluxes have increased approximately 20 times during the last 40 years: from undetectable values to 102.6 ng/cm2/year, reflecting that PCBs are still in use and being released into the environment.     

Allelopathic effects of aconitic acid on wild poinsettia (Euphorbia heterophylla) and morningglory (Ipomoea grandifolia)

High infestations of alexandergrass (Brachiaria plantaginea) in experimental area have reduced seedbank of some weed species in soil at a greater degree compared to those obtained with the use of an efficient herbicide. Aconitic acid (AA) has been identified in those plants in high concentration. Thus, two experiments were carried out in the laboratory to determine the effects of pure AA on weed seed germination and on endophytic fungi in wild poinsettia (Euphorbia heterophylla) and morningglory (Ipomoea grandifolia) weed species. Doses of AA (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mM) were introduced in agar-water 0.5% medium and weed seeds treated with and without external sterilization by sodium hypochloride. Four replications of fifty seeds of each species by treatment were sown in plastic boxes with cover and maintained in germination chamber for 12 days. Reduction in germination rate, root and stem growth were observed in both species, as well as reduction in root number in morningglory were also observed at 2.0 mM concentration of AA. An increase in number of seeds with presence of endophytic fungi was also observed in both species, independently of seed sterilization, mainly of a green type fungi coloration in wild poinsettia. Aconitic acid presents allelopathic activity and can stimulate endophytic fungi species growth in weed seeds.     

Pesticides in the surface waters of the Camanducaia River watershed,Brazil

Abstract

Camanducaia River is part of the Piracicaba watershed responsible for pumping water into the Cantareira System, which is one of the main water sources for the metropolis of São Paulo and Campinas, Brazil. Intensive use of pesticides and hilly topography represents a situation of high risk for river water contamination. Therefore, water samples from 12 locations were collected along the Camanducaia River and its tributaries, over a period of 4?mo during the rainy season, and analyzed by GC-MS/MS or UPLC- MS/MS for the presence of 46 pesticides. Seven pesticides (fipronil, methyl parathion, metolachlor, atrazine, carbofuran, diuron, and simazine) were positively detected. Only atrazine (the most frequently detected) and diuron were present at concentrations above the limit of quantification of the analytical method (0.32 and 0.57?μg L^?1 for atrazine and diuron, respectively). Pesticides detection frequency was higher than expected for a river system where only 11.8% of the land area is under agriculture. The vulnerability of the Camanducaia basin to pesticide contamination is attributed to the high annual precipitation (> 1.5?m y^?1 in the headwaters), associated with topographical features (steep terrain) and soil types that favor surface runoff, which has been exacerbated by poor soil management practices.