Revista Ambiente & Água - An Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Science

1-18

Authors: Cristiane Figueira da Silva; Marcos Gervasio Pereira; Luiz Alberto da Silva Rodrigues Pinto ; Sabrina Aparecida Teodoro ; Marcelo Antoniol Fontes; João Henrique Gaia-Gomes; Eliane Maria Ribeiro da Silva

Water erosion is one of the main forms of soil degradation, causing economic, environmental, and social damage. This study evaluated the effects of different formation stages of gullies (initial - IG; juvenile- JG; mature - MG; and senile - SG) on the chemical, organic carbon and microbiological attributes of soil, using a secondary forest (SF) and two areas of pasture as references in the “Mar de Morros” environment of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome. Soil samples (depth 0–0.05 m) were collected at the end of the rainy and dry seasons. Gullies in different stages of formation promote a decrease in soil fertility and modification of microbiological attributes, particularly when compared with secondary forest areas. Reductions of over 60% in total organic carbon (TOC), oxidizable organic carbon (POXC), FDA activity, β-glycosidase, acid phosphatase, C and N from microbial biomass, basal soil respiration (BSR) and glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) were observed in gullies in early (IG) and intermediate (JG and MG) stages when compared to SF. It was found that the effect of erosion on soil chemical and microbiological attributes is more intense in gullies in the initial and intermediate stages compared with those in the senile stage (SG). Using multivariate PCA, the microbiological and chemical attributes of the soil are discriminated between gullies with distinct formation stages. Chemical attributes, TOC, POXC, FDA activity, β-glycosidase, acid phosphatase, MBC and MBN, BSR, and GRSP are good indicators for evaluating the process of erosion stabilization in gullies.

1-11

Authors: Adriana Sotero-Martins; Aloysio da Silva Ferrão-Filho; José Augusto Albuquerque dos Santos; Priscila Gonçalves Moura; Natasha Berendonk Handam; Nelson Peixoto Kotowski-Filho; Rodrigo Jardim Monteiro da Fonseca; Elvira Carvajal

At the beginning of 2020, about 9 million inhabitants of the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro, dependent on the Guandu Basin, experienced a water-supply crisis when their water tasted badly and gave off an odor. This work presents the results of analyses of the sanitary quality of raw water in this system at two different times during the water crisis, with respect to the presence of cyanobacteria found using metagenomic studies, and cyanotoxins, microcystin (MC) and saxitoxin (SXT) quantified by ELISA. Analyses of raw water quality parameters were carried out through the determination of total coliforms and Escherichia coli levels and some physical-chemical parameters. The raw water collected in both periods presented levels of Escherichia coli levels above the maximum allowed values (MAV) described in Resolution 357/2000 of the National Environmental Agency, as well as the levels of MC in a filter sample. The physical-chemical parameters analyzed and the SXT levels were in accordance with this resolution. The most abundant cyanobacterial genus in the critical period was Planktothricoides sp. Therefore, it is necessary to implement basic sanitation in cities upstream from the point of capture of raw water from this source, so that events similar to those that occurred in the 2020 water crisis do not recur.

1-12

Authors: Hadijah Hadijah ; Mardiana Mardiana ; Erni Indrawati ; Sutia Budi ; Zainuddin Zainuddin

This study investigated the use of a combined formula of artificial feed and fresh marine algae Gracilaria sp in a submerged cage culture system and its effect on Haliotis squamata relative growth and survival rates. The experiment was performed in Lae-Lae Island, Makassar from May to October 2016. The sample Abalone juvenile larvae were 1.5 cm in size and stocked at a density of 30 pcs/cage. The cage size was 30 cm x 15 cm x 7 cm and equipped with a 2-inch Paralone pipe. This experiment employed a completely random design (CRD) with 3 treatments and 3 replicates. The applied treatment included the combination of artificial feed and fresh marine algae Gracilaria sp. Each treatment included: A. 25% artificial feed + 75% fresh marine algae, B. 50% artificial feed + 50% fresh marine algae, C. 75% artificial feed + 25% fresh marine algae, and was given at the proportion of 20% of the abalone's weight. The results of the study indicated that the use of a combined artificial feed with fresh marine algae (Gracilaria sp.) had no significant effect on relative growth and survival rates of Haliotis squamata. Although feed treatment did not significantly affect the relative growth and survival rate, descriptively, treatment A contributed to the most optimal relative growth and the survival rate compared to treatments B and C.

1-16

Authors: Laís Carlos Boaventura Santos ; Thaís Andrade de Sampaio Lopes; Luciano Matos Queiroz; Viviana Maria Zanta

Environmental and operational performance of a full-scale small and decentralized construction and demolition waste (C&DW) recycling unit (SDRU) were evaluated. The SDRU was defined as having a production capacity of up to 5 m3 per hour, occupying up to 100 m2. The operational and environmental performance indicators of the SDRU were obtained from the literature and validated by expert judgment. Subsequently, the values of these indicators were obtained from a real-scale SDRU in Bahia state, Brazil. The results showed that the SDRU presented lower levels of noise emission, very small water and energy consumption, and inhalable-particle concentration values lower than the requirements of Brazilian environmental legislation. It was observed that 90% of the C&DW in the storage area had recycling potential. The characteristics of the fine recycled aggregate make it suitable for use in road or sidewalk paving, and the coarse recycled aggregate is suitable for use in concrete without structural function. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the SDRU was also applied and it was concluded that the use of the recycled aggregate for manufacturing concrete without structural function reduced the environmental impact in all the categories considered, compared with the impact of natural sand and gravel extraction from nature. It was possible to conclude that the implementation of the SRDU in developing countries can provide an effective step towards reducing environmental impacts from the construction sector.

1-18

Authors: Ana Paula Morais de Lima ; Rachel Bardy Prado ; Agnieszka Ewa Latawiec

The reduction of tropical forests has generated a loss of ecosystem services across the globe. In Brazil, essential biomes related to water provision (such as the Atlantic Forest and Savanna) have been degraded, compromising water-ecosystem services. Payment for water-ecosystem services (water PES) has been implemented as a tool to stimulate changes in the use and management of these areas. Many water PES projects have emerged in Brazil using forest restoration, aiming to improve water ecosystem services. In this context, this study identified the types of monitoring carried out in Brazilian water PES projects, to include their main characteristics and gaps. Five Brazilian projects were selected for analysis as case studies. Interviews were then conducted with stakeholders to get current data on their monitoring practices. The data from the literature review, case study approach, and interviews were analyzed from the perspective of monitoring guides recommendations. Different aspects were analyzed, such as objectives, institutional arrangements, type of monitoring, indicators, and frequency of monitoring. The study indicates that there is a lack of standardized methods, making it difficult to specify the results of the implemented actions. The central gap is related to benefit monitoring. It is necessary to establish a holistic monitoring system, dealing with the ecosystem as a complex socio-ecological system. Some perspectives to solve the problems were proposed. The results of this work may help not only improve the current and future PES schemes in Brazil but also in other countries, especially developing ones, where vulnerable populations depend upon them.

1-16

Authors: Vitor Hugo de Oliveira Barros ; Artur Paiva Coutinho ; Adriana Thays Araújo Alves; Severino Martins dos Santos Neto; Fernando Xavier de Assis; Valmir Félix de Lima; José Romualdo de Sousa Lima; Antonio Celso Dantas Antonino

The Local Production Arrangement, located in the Pernambuco’s Agreste state, has been significantly developing the region's economy. Despite its importance, industrial activity has caused relevant environmental concerns regarding the disposal of textile effluents, especially from industrial laundries. This waste is made up of many chemicals, and among them are various types of heavy metals. The evaluation of the sorption behavior of contaminant transport mechanisms such as heavy metals is essential to assess the risk of contamination of alluvial aquifers. This study evaluated the sorption of heavy metals (Cu and Cd) in an alluvial sediment deposit in the Capibaribe River. Kinetics and isotherm experiments allowed the analyses of Cu and Cd sorption. Kinetics sorption showed an equilibrium tendency after 16 h for Cu and 18 h for Cd and was better described by a pseudo-second order model. The isotherm data were adjusted to the Linear, Freundlich and Langmuir models. Both linear and Freundlich models satisfactorily described sorption isotherms for the two pollutants. The metals in the study represent a risk of contamination of the groundwater of alluvial aquifers, mainly due to physicochemical attributes of the soil, such as high sand content (85%), low MO (2.1 g kg-1) and alkaline pH (8.2). The environmental conditions decrease absorption and facilitate metal mobility, greatly increasing the environmental risks inherent in pollutant leaching. Cu showed a higher affinity with the soil studied in all assays performed compared with the results of the tests for Cd.

1-15

Authors: Rodrigo Augusto Klamt ; Eduardo Alexis Lobo; Adilson Ben da Costa

This research developed a Water Quality Index (WQI) for public supply in the Vale do Rio Pardo Region, RS, Brazil (WQI-VRP), from the database of the 13th Regional Health Coordination, totaling 1175 samples. A filtration process resulted in 285 samples with the variables free residual chlorine, turbidity, apparent color, pH, fluoride, total coliforms and Escherichia coli. For water consumption purposes, the Water Quality Index developed by the Sanitation Company of Goiás, Brazil, was used. A multivariate calibration of the weights of importance of the parameters included in the original index was performed, resulting in the WQI-VRP. Comparing the medians of the two indexes, it was found that there were significant differences (p<0.05), qualifying the WQI-VRP as more restrictive. The results indicated that 89.8% of the samples were classified as non-compliant samples by WQI-VRP, while 10.2% were classified as compliant samples. Of the 285 samples analyzed, 72 samples of chlorine, 12 of total coliform, 5 of E. coli, 2 of color, 200 of fluoride and 26 of pH, were below or above the minimum or maximum values required by Brazilian legislation. The pH and fluoride correspond to the critical variables of the study region, as they were the parameters that showed the greatest increases in relative weights when comparing the original index with the calibrated one. These results confirm the use of the WQI-VRP as an efficient tool to assess the quality of drinking water in Brazilian subtropical and temperate lotic systems.

1-13

Authors: Pareng Rengi; Polaris Nasution ; Arthur Brown; Ayu Nita Ervina Tambunan

Selectivity is a fishing gear characteristic capable of catching fish of a specific size and species from the existing population distribution. Mesh size is one of the important factors that influence gillnets’ selectivity, because different length-classes of fish are caught by them. This report focuses on the selectivity of two mesh sizes of gillnets (8.89 cm and 10.16 cm) on mackerel's catch and constructing a gillnet in Sungailiat waters. Experimental fishing methods and selectivity analysis were used for the fishing gear’s more selective preparation, if the largest fishing ratio's value at the fork length (L) is high and the standard deviation value (S) is closer to 1. It is concluded that to be more selective a largest S (L) value of 0.999267194 at fork length (L=54.95 cm), and with a larger value of S (L) 0.997096071 and with (L=66.55 cm) for mesh Sizes 8.89 cm and 10.16 cm, respectively.