Effects of drill cuttings discharge on meiofauna communities of a shelf break site in the southwest Atlantic

The present study investigates the effects of drill cutting discharges on the structure of meiofauna communities in an area of the shelf break at Campos Basin, Southeast Brazil. Drilling activities were operated, in a first phase, with water-based fluid and, in a second phase, with synthetic fluid paraffin-based (NAF-III). A total of 135 samples taken at a pre-drilling situation (MS1) and two post-drilling moments (MS2 and MS3—3 and 22 months post-drilling, respectively) were analyzed. Effects on meiofauna were dependent on two main factors: 1—the impact received during drilling operation, if water-based or synthetic/water-based drilling fluid and 2—the background state, if it already presented signs of previous drilling activities or not. Based on univariate and multivariate analysis, there were evidences that the most affected area after drilling was those under the influence of synthetic-based fluid and that already had signs of previous drillings activities. The region impacted only by water-based fluid was less affected and the only one that completely recovered after 22 months. Nematodes and copepods had different responses to the impact. While copepods flourish in the impacted area and recovered 22 months after drilling, nematodes were adversely affected shortly after drilling and the community structure only recovered where hydrocarbons had been depleted.     

Sustainable consumption in Brazil: Identification of preliminary requirements to guide product development and the definition of public policies

Sustainable product development is closely related to sustainable consumption. The understanding of consumers' purchase, use and discard behaviours may facilitate the identification of requirements to guide manufacturers in the development of sustainable goods and services. The aim of this paper is to investigate consumers' perception about factors that motivate or discourage the consumption of sustainable products to identify demands and convert them into requirements. South Brazilian green and traditional consumers were asked to complete an exploratory qualitative questionnaire. Their answers were organized and compared to identify differences and similarities between the demands of these two groups. Furthermore, demands were converted into requirements for packages, products, manufactures, stores planning and discard systems. The interpretation of factors that motivate or discourage the purchase of sustainable products given by interviewees led to the creation of a list of possible public policies or programmes, aiming to support sustainable consumption. The results demonstrate the necessity of further quantitative investigation between consumer groups, for validation purposes.     

On-site analytical support: A cost-effective alternative to fixed laboratory services

Two recent projects involving soils remediation at Superfund sites in southern New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania exemplify the power of “real time” field analytical support in reducing time and expense during a project's remedial phase. The remediation efforts at both of these CERCLA sites were supported by ERM-FAST on-site analytical facilities which, in a “real-time” scenario, achieved all data quality objectives (DQOs), met all regulatory agency requirements, and satisfied the client's needs. Both of these sites offer illustrations of the effectiveness of field analysis for vastly differing site contaminants. The client benefited from substantial savings on analytical cost as well as the savings realized through efficient and effective process and schedule management.     

Cascading Effects of the Introduced Nile Perch on the Detritivorous/Phytoplanktivorous Species in the Sublittoral Areas of Lake Victoria

In the 1980s an explosive increase of the introduced Nile perch ( Lates sp.; Harrison 1991) in Lake Victoria caused the destruction of approximately 65% of the endemic haplochromine cichlids. The eradication of approximately 200 vertebrate species in less than a decade may well represent the largest extinction event among vertebrates during this century. The introduction of the Nile perch can be considered as a large-scale, albeit unintended, experiment. Farreaching changes in the food web are taking place. We present data on the importance of haplochromines in the ecosystem prior to the Nile perch boom. An analysis of the pelagic community in the sublittoral area of the Mwanza Gulf revealed that the phytoplanktivores formed 18% of the biomass of the total haplochromine community. In the benthic community, the detritivores that frequently included phytoplankton in their diet comprised 31% of the biomass. We examine the hypothesis that algal grazing was reduced by the disappearance of haplochromine phytoplanktivores and detritivores. The disappearance of these groups may have contributed to the recent algal blooms. To investigate this hypothesis we consider a second major change in the system. Coinciding with the decrease of the haplochromines, the number of atyid prawns, Caridina nilotica , has strongly increased. We present preliminary evidence that the stock of the detritivorous haplochromines that formerly comprised most of the demersal ichthyomass has (partially?) been replaced by the prawn. We discuss the possible mechanisms underlying this major change in the food web. With respect to the conservation of the Great African Lakes, tbe collapse of Lake Victoria's ecosystem should serve as an example of how easily a complex ecosystem can be irreversibly destroyed.     

Gastroenteric Viruses Detection in a Drinking Water Distribution-to-Consumption System in a Low-Income Community in Rio de Janeiro

Food and Environmental Virology - The availability of drinking water is one of the main determinants of quality of life, disease prevention and the promotion of health. Viruses are important agents...