RCAAP Repository

Abstract Pesticides are widely used in the agricultural sector to control and prevent pests and diseases. The use of these products can adversely affect non-target organisms that have a significant role in the soil, such as earthworms. This study evaluated the toxicity of the commercial formulation of the fungicide Comet® (active ingredient - a.i. pyraclostrobin) at concentrations of 0.08, 0.17, 0.35, 0.70, 1.40 and 2.80 mg of the commercial formulation kg-1 soil and the fungicide + insecticide Standak®Top (a.i. pyraclostrobin + thiophanate-methyl + fipronil) at concentrations of 0.05, 0.10, 0.20, 0.60, 1.20 and 2.40 mg of the commercial formulation kg-1 soil, plus the control treatment, to Eisenia andrei in Tropical Artificial Soil (TAS) by means of standardized tests.

Abstract Maximum and minimum streamflow are fundamental for water resource management, especially for water rights. However, lack of monitoring and scarce streamflow data limit such studies. Streamflow regionalization is a useful tool to overcome these limitations. The study developed models for regionalization of the maximum and minimum reference streamflows for the Mortes River Basin (MRB) (Water Resources Planning and Management Unit - GD2), Southern Minas Gerais State. The study used long-term streamflow historical series provided by the Brazilian National Water Agency (ANA). Previous exploratory analysis was performed, and it was observed that the streamflow series are stationary according to the Mann-Kendall test. The estimation of the streamflow for different return periods (RP) was performed by fitting Probability Density Functions (PDFs) that were tested by the Anderson-Darling (AD) test. The Generalized Extreme Values (GEV) and Wakeby were the most appropriate PDFs for maximum and minimum streamflows, respectively. The streamflow models were fitted using a power regression procedure, considering the drainage area of the watersheds as inputs. The fittings reached the coefficient of determination (R2) greater than 0.90. Thus, the streamflow regionalization models demonstrated good performance and are a potential tool to be used for water resource management in the studied basin.

Abstract Activated carbon is commonly used as a material for contaminant-adsorption processes in aqueous systems. However, its use is more restricted to charcoal than to coal, for the most part, in view of the fact of the higher cost (~ 40%) if the mineral is a fossil fuel which needs to be extracted from the earth by mining. For this reason, the peach stone that comes from alimentary industrial tailings can be a good choice for the separation of pollutants from aqueous suspensions and other soluble substances. The purpose of this research was the development of a low-cost filter, using stones to remove atrazine from water. Appraisal and characterization studies were performed along with batch experiments to investigate dosing effects of the activated carbon, atrazine concentration, contact time, and adsorption pH on removal procedures. From the results of the experiment, an excellent removal of the analyte in question was observed under conditions that can be considered as close as possible to the environment, such as pH = 6.5, room temperature and 10 minutes of agitation time, always choosing the best alternative with the lowest cost of energy and time. Batch system application has been recommended as versatile for utilization in seasonal problems such as pesticide contamination.

Abstract Effluent collection and stormwater management make use of different drainage systems, which should remain unconnected with one another. If stormwater drains into sewage collection systems, it often causes changes in effluent quality indicators at sewage treatment plants. This study sought to quantify the changes caused by rain in a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) located in Paulista, PE, which uses the activated sludge system. Accordingly, changes in pH, temperature, BOD, and treatment efficiency at the inlet and outlet, as well as inlet flow were analyzed on dry and rainy days at the plant, which has a sewage capacity of 400 L s-1. The input volume was found to be greater than the design flow of the station, about 25%. With this, some relevant operational controls were identified, such as temporarily shutting down sewage pumping stations in order to maintain full operation of the system and avoid overload. The pH increases slightly in alkalinity, about 0.3, but this does not interfere with the treatment process. The temperature of the influent on rainy days is about 3 to 5 degrees cooler, depending on the intensity of the event. Using the T and Z tests, it was possible to identify that BOD concentrations in the influent and the effluent were not significantly different (uneq. var. t: 1.18 > 0.26 and uneq var. z: 0.71 > 0.48, respectively), and the organic load removal efficiency was maintained, contrary to what is expected with other, more simple types of treatment.

Abstract In the last few years, many studies have been published by authors from several countries offering approximations and use of the inverse method. However, the unique environmental conditions and distinct properties of the tropical soils in Brazil require extra considerations and the need to adjust these methods to tropical soil conditions. Considering the above, this determined the parameters of the van Genuchten (1980) model (θs, θr, α, n) of the water retention curve in the soils. It also determined the parameter (Ks) of the soil’s hydraulic conductivity curve by solving an inverse problem using the HYDRUS-2D model, considering cumulative infiltration data collected in the field by means of an infiltration test using the tension infiltrometer. It then compared the hydraulic properties determined by these methods in relation to the standard laboratory method. The inverse method was able to efficiently determine the water retention curves in the soils here studied; however, it was not possible to reliably determine the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curve.

Abstract This study evaluated the effect of hydraulic retention time on chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total nitrogen (TN) removal in an intermittently aerated constructed wetlands. Two horizontal subsurface-flow constructed wetlands were used: one without aeration and the other aerated intermittently (1 hour with aeration/7 hours without aeration). Both systems were evaluated treating domestic wastewater produced synthetically. The flow rate into the two CWs was 8.6 L day-1 having a hydraulic retention time of 3 days. The results show that the intermittently aerated constructed wetland were highly efficient in removing COD (98.25%), TN (83.60%) and total phosphorus (78.10%), while the non-aerated constructed wetland showed lower efficiencies in the removal of COD (93.89%), TN (48.60%) and total phosphorus (58.66). These results indicate, therefore, that intermittent aeration allows the simultaneous occurrence of nitrification and denitrification processes, improving the removal of TN in horizontal subsurface-flow constructed wetlands. In addition, the use of intermittent aeration also improves the performance of constructed wetlands in removing COD and total phosphorus.

Abstract The study analyzed the quality of drinking water used in Brazilian urban slum residences according to the standards established in Brazilian regulations. Bacteriological (n=231) and physicochemical parameters (n=134) were analyzed, as the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater establishes. The results revealed that contaminants in the water consumed, for the most part, exceed the limits of drinking water quality standards, putting the population's health at risk and reinforcing the urgency of the need for public policies.

Abstract Low-order streams located near urban areas usually receive domestic, industrial, and agricultural wastewaters that negatively affect river water quality. Additionally, water pollution is associated with land-use variations around the river, which is characterized by unplanned urbanization, intense agricultural activities, and deforestation. This work correlated land-use patterns with physicochemical quality and genotoxic potential of water at four points (P1 to P4) along the Extrema River, located in an industrial and agricultural area of Central Brazil. Physicochemical analyses indicated that the water collected from the Extrema River is inappropriate for human consumption. Using the Allium cepa model, no evidence of cytotoxicity was observed at any point; in contrast, the genotoxic potential of these water samples was observed. The correlation of these results with land use showed that the water collected at P3 was the most contaminated; this is probably due to the inflow of wastewater from municipal, industrial, and agriculture activities. Different results were observed for P2 and P4, where land-use analysis attributed the water quality to forest burns. We concluded that differential use of the land changed the characteristics of the associated river water, and A. cepa parameters were more related to land-use characteristics than to physicochemical parameters. This study highlighted the importance of associating land use with the cyto genotoxic potential of water.

Abstract Nanosatellites and CubeSats were first developed for educational purposes. However, their low cost and short development cycle made nanosatellite constellations an affordable option for observing the Earth by remote sensing, increasing the frequency of high-resolution imagery, which is fundamental for studying and monitoring dynamic processes. In this sense, although still incipient, nanosatellite applications and proposed Earth observation missions are steadily growing in number and scientific fields. There are several initiatives from universities, space agencies and private companies to launch new nanosatellite missions. These initiatives are actively investigating new technologies to improve image quality and studying ways to increase acquisition frequency through the launch of larger constellations. So far, the private sector is leading the development of new missions, with proposals ranging from 12 to more than one thousand nanosatellite constellations. Furthermore, new nanosatellite missions have been proposed to tackle specific applications, such as natural disasters, or to test improvements on nanosatellite spatial, temporal and radiometric resolution. The unprecedented combination of high spatial and temporal resolution from nanosatellite constellations associated with improvement efforts in sensor quality is promising and may represent a trend to replace the era of large satellites for smaller and cheaper nanosatellites. This article first reports on the development and new nanosatellite missions of space agencies, universities and private companies. Then a systematic review of published articles using the most successful private constellation (PlanetScope and Doves) is presented and the principal papers are discussed.

Abstract The public water supply of the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan region is highly dependent on transposition from the Paraíba do Sul River: 70% of the water is diverted to the Piraí River and then passes through a series of other rivers and reservoirs, finally discharging in the Guandu River. During this path, the water is exposed to many sources of pollution. This makes the quality of the raw water that reaches the Guandu Treatment Station (WTS) highly vulnerable. This article reports the analysis of the cytogenotoxic potential of water samples collected at four different points along the Piraí River downstream from the transposition point, utilizing the Allium cepa test system. The samples were collected in two periods, the dry and wet seasons. The water at all four collection points presented some level of cytogenotoxicity, with the presence in the test cells of large nucleoli, multiple nucleoli, nuclear buds, lagging chromosomes, sticky chromosomes, karyorrhexis, cytoplasmic shrinkage and changes of the mitotic index. The samples collected during the dry season had a larger number of cells with alterations, indicating that the cytogenotoxic potential varies in function of the time of year, depending on the volume of contaminated effluents. The results obtained along with data from the Rio de Janeiro State Environmental Institute (INEA) for the same period reveal the importance of monitoring along with proper sanitation and sewage treatment, and that the presence of pollutants not only hampers water treatment, but also poses risks to organisms at different trophic levels, including humans.

Abstract The need to investigate viable methods to facilitate correct disposal of high-water content waste is immediate in the scenario of water source degradation. In this context, Closed Geotextile Systems (CGS) have shown promise for dewatering a variety of high water-content sediments, aiming to reduce the waste final volume, encapsulating particles, and at the same time allowing fluid drainage. Especially in Water Treatment Plants, the geotextiles generally employed in these systems have good tensile strength and rigidity to support mechanical solicitations and hydraulic properties that warrant good drainage conditions. In these applications, the geotextile element should assure the waste confinement and retention of some particles that will form a filter cake which will control internal flow conditions. The present work investigated how small portions of sand influence fine-particle retention. The sludge used consisted of a mixture of filtered water with two well-defined fractions of ground quartz: FG, a silt and CG, a fine sand. The results show that small amounts of sand are capable of leading to the formation of a pre-filter, even if the maximum diameter of the fine particles is much less than the geotextile filtration opening size. The test results indicate that the retention efficiency gradually increases as CG increases in the solution, up to a fraction of CG close to 14%, which represents only 0.7% of the total solution mass. The increase in particle retention was directly proportional to the increase in the GC fraction until reaching the filtration efficiency of approximately 72% where it stabilizes.

Abstract This study simulated nitrogen-compound concentration changes in rivers, taking into account uncertainty analysis carried out by the Monte Carlo Method. The study area is the final stretch of the Piracicaba River, located in Minas Gerais, Brazil, which is an important Doce River tributary. The uncertainty analysis took into account random generation of hydrodynamic variables, initial water quality conditions and kinetic constants. Different variation percentages for the organic nitrogen decay kinetic constants random generation did not influence considerably the ammonia or organic nitrogen maximum concentration extreme values. In the simulations, maximum organic nitrogen concentrations were most frequently between 0.20 mg.L-1 and 0.22 mg.L-1 (42%), maximum ammonia nitrogen between 0.28 mg.L-1 and 0.30 mg.L-1 (30%), maximum nitrite between 0.05 mg.L-1 and 0.07 mg.L-1 (49%) and maximum nitrate between 0.46 mg.L-1 and 0.50 mg.L-1 (37%). Estimated maximum concentrations for ammonia nitrogen, nitrite and nitrate did not exceed the environmental quality standards established by Brazilian CONAMA Resolution 357/2005 for Class 2 watercourses. Random generation of kinetic constants that regulate ammonia and nitrite decay produced significant ammonia nitrogen, nitrite, and nitrate peak concentrations value frequencies, histograms and forms changes, when considering variation percentages equal to or greater than 50%. Some simulation results showed more inhibition of oxidized nitrogen forms production.

Abstract Consumption of non-potable water is a relevant public health problem due to the possibility of transporting numerous chemical and microbiological contaminants. In 2005, the Brazilian Ministry of Health created the National Program of Surveillance in Environmental Health related to the Quality of Water for Human Consumption (VIGIAGUA), with the primary purpose of managing risks related to water supply to human populations in Brazilian territory. However, VIGIAGUA does not have a methodology capable of characterizing or managing risks. The objective of this research is to create a working model to transform raw data into conceptual data related to low-, medium- and high-risk levels. The data used in the application of the model were obtained through the analyses of water-quality surveillance conducted by the Regional Health Management of Itabira, a municipality with less than 10 thousand inhabitants, whose history of water contamination is alarming. Twelve samples/month were collected between May 2017 and April 2018. The results of the treated water analyses were classified according to the presence of hazards and categorized into risk levels. The results showed 83.3% contamination by total coliforms at the treatment plant and 91.6% in the distribution system. The Escherichia coli contamination was 16.7% in the treatment plant samples and 45.2% in the distribution system. The system was categorized as "High Risk". The analysis of untreated water samples was carried out for the purpose of knowing the contamination pattern of the raw water of the region, finding 100% contamination by total coliforms and 97.2% contamination by E. coli.

Abstract This study sought to create a better fermentation medium to maximize lactase production by Saccharomyces fragilis IZ 275 using different carbon sources, including reconstituted powdered cheese whey. A factorial design 24 was applied to evaluate the significant effects of variables which compose the fermentation medium. Then, a steepest descent-ascent design was applied to obtain the maximum activity. A Rotational Central Composite Design (RCCD) 24 was made to optimize the fermentation medium. We verified that the cheese whey, a by-product of the dairy industry, can be employed as an excellent fermentation medium by yeast, within the bioeconomy concept and used by the dairy industry as product with additional value. The employed methodology is an efficient tool in the optimization process for β-galactosidase production. In the optimized fermentation medium, the maximum production of β-galactosidase (54.68 U/mL) by S. fragilis IZ 275 is obtained with 14 g/L sucrose, 17.7 g/L reconstituted powdered cheese whey, 5.14 g/L yeast extract and 8.85 g/L peptone.

Abstract This study assessed the degradation of bromothymol blue in a Venturi device based on a hybrid process that combines hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). A Rotatable Central Composite Design (RCCD) was used to optimize the following variables: pressure, reaction time and molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide. Degradation efficiencies were evaluated based on Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and color removals before and after Venturi treatment. Maximum COD (93.42%) and color (93.28%) removals were observed at 4.0 bar inlet pressure, at a treatment time of 25 minutes and at H2O2/effluent (dye) molar ratio of 30:1. The hydrodynamic cavitation/hydrogen peroxide system has great potential to remove normally recalcitrant organic pollutants.

Abstract The chemical composition of rainfall is influenced by natural or anthropogenic factors; the amount of nutrients deposited is increased by the amount of rainfall. This work sought to estimate the amount of nutrients deposited by precipitation in the Pampa biome, the seasonal variation of the chemical composition of rain water, and the origin of nutrients found in the water. Precipitation collectors were installed in the open area to measure precipitation volumes biweekly over 2 years, and the samples were chemically analyzed. Concentrations of nutrients in the rain water increased over winter; however, since there was less precipitation, the total deposition was similar to the other seasons. Correlation analysis using the Pearson coefficient showed a negative correlation between rain volume and ion contents, indicating a dilution effect. The total amount of nutrients from precipitation during the study was 72.7 kg ha-1, representing an average of 36.3 kg ha-1 year-1. The Ca2+ and K+ ions are predominantly of litholical origin, whereas the SO4 2- and NO3 - ions were of anthropogenic origin. The balance between the sum of cations and the sum of anions was shown to be unitary, indicating excellent data validation. The input of these nutrients occurs gradually, avoiding excessive losses, increasing the stock in the soil.

Abstract Successful streamflow forecasts depend on an adequate performance evaluation of the hydrological model. In this study, the hydrological responses were compared using two hydrological models, physic-based and semi-distributed, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC), using input data from the Verde River Watershed, located in the Minas Gerais state in southern Brazil. This is a study of one of the most important headwater watershed regions of Brazil (Mantiqueira Range). Both models were suitable for streamflow simulation, with values of R2 (determination coefficient) and NSE (Nash-Sutcliffe) higher than 0.8, NSELog higher than 0.35 (Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency of the logarithmic values of discharge) and PBIAS (percentage deviation) less than 25%. The integration of SWAT and VIC models can be useful in different water-resource assessment studies. Therefore, based upon this study further investigations should be conducted using various hydrological models and climate, land-use and land-cover changes scenarios in the region.

Abstract The pulp industry uses more than 40 m3 of water per ton of pulp produced, generating high effluent flows. In general, it presents high concentrations of organic matter, color and ecotoxicity. The most widely used effluent treatment systems in the pulp industry are biological, including moving bed biofilm systems that are efficient in removing biodegradable organic matter. This work evaluated the removal of organic matter, total phenolic compounds, color and lignin derivatives in the treatment of Kraft cellulose effluent using the moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR), and also evaluated the support media biofilm development by solid analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The parameters evaluated during treatment were: BOD5, COD, color, total phenolic compounds, lignin derivatives, and solids, with tests performed on organic loads from 0.7 and 8.9 kgCOD m-3 d-1. Organic matter removal remained stable, being over 80% to BOD5 and over 42% to COD. The color and the total phenolic compounds were removed up to approximately 7 and 28%, respectively. Over 19% removal of derivatives of lignin compounds was observed in both organic load rates. In the MBBR, biofilm was confirmed and enabled this biological system to treat the cellulose effluent in a stable way.

Abstract The main objective of this study was to synthesize a nanocomposite using graphene and manganese ferrite nanoparticles (MnFe2O4-G) and to evaluate its antibacterial activity for water treatment purposes. Its morphological characteristics were evaluated by instrumental techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The characterization results indicated that the nanocomposite presented nanoparticles of approximately 25 nm well dispersed in transparent and large (14 μm) graphene nanosheets. The antibacterial activity was evaluated in a batch experiment using a concentration of 40 μg mL-1 of nanocomposite (MnFe2O4-G, bare MnFe2O4 nanoparticles or graphene oxide), 1x105 CFU mL-1 of Escherichia coli, and 8 h of contact time at room temperature. The highest antibacterial capacity was observed for the hybrid nanocomposite (91.91%), due to the synergic effect of graphene and MnFe2O4 nanoparticles. Various mechanisms were proposed to explain the effective antibacterial activity of MnFe2O4-G, such as wrapping, oxidative stress, sharp-edge cutting effect, among others. The results showed that MnFe2O4-G is a potential alternative in water treatment processes as an antibacterial agent.

Abstract The objective of this work was to propose and evaluate a model to estimate transit water losses and surface runoff in a Brazilian semi-arid basin, fundamental components in the hydrological studies of the region, such as in the verification of hydrological connectivity. The study area was the Orós Reservoir Basin, located in the state of Ceará. The modeling of transit water loss and surface runoff were developed based on the work of Araújo and Ribeiro (1996) and Peter et al. (2014). In the proposed model, the parameter of loss in transit (k) was estimated at 0.027 km-1 for a section of the river basin, and when simulated for other stretches it provided good flow results at the end of the stretch, obtaining an NSE of 82%. The value of the runoff coefficient was estimated at 3% and when evaluating a spatial variation of this coefficient in the basin, the values varied from 2% to 12%, and the use of specialized runoff coefficient (RC) values promoted a higher NSE in the discharge simulation in the basin. It is concluded that the proposed model to estimate transit water losses and surface runoff demonstrated a high efficiency in the simulation of hydrological processes. The basin of Orós reservoir presented a high variability of the coefficient of surface runoff, justifying the need for a greater spatiality of this coefficient in heterogeneous environments.