Educação ambiental: instrumento de mudança de percepção ambiental de catadores de materiais recicláveis organizados em associação

This work aimed to evaluate the change in environmental perception of recyclable material collectors associated with ARENSA (Association of Recyclable Materials of Our Nossa Senhora Aparecida) Campina Grande-PB. The formation process of the collectors of recyclable materials takes place since 2008. However, the exploratory research, conducted from January to February 2012, was built from the comparative analysis of data collected in 2010 and 2012. The change in perception has provided collectors of recyclable materials entering them into the social environment and allowed the understanding of the value of the occupation of the current context. Moreover, perceived job satisfaction shows that the group holds great esteem, apart from the idea that scavenging of waste is lower activity and shameful, contrary to the Brazilian scenario. Despite advances originated the process of environmental education since 2008, there are challenges to overcome, among them worthy monthly income and infrastructure conditions.Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a mudança de percepção ambiental dos catadores de materiais recicláveis associados à ARENSA (Associação dos Catadores de Materiais Recicláveis de Nossa Senhora Aparecida) Campina Grande–PB. O processo de formação dos catadores de materiais recicláveis acontece desde 2008. Contudo, a pesquisa exploratória, realizada de janeiro a fevereiro de 2012, foi construída a partir da análise comparativa de dados colhidos em 2010 e 2012. A mudança de percepção proporcionou aos catadores de materiais recicláveis a sua inserção no meio social permitindo o entendimento do valor da profissão exercida hodiernamente. A satisfação profissional demonstra que o grupo é detentor de grande autoestima, abstraindo-se da ideia de que a catação de resíduos é uma atividade inferior e vergonhosa, contrariando o cenário brasileiro. Apesar dos avanços originados do processo de educação ambiental desde 2008, há desafios a serem superados, dentre os quais: renda mensal digna e condições de infraestrutura

Temperature Effects Explain Continental Scale Distribution of Cyanobacterial Toxins

Insight into how environmental change determines the production and distribution of cyanobacterial toxins is necessary for risk assessment. Management guidelines currently focus on hepatotoxins (microcystins). Increasing attention is given to other classes, such as neurotoxins (e.g., anatoxin-a) and cytotoxins (e.g., cylindrospermopsin) due to their potency. Most studies examine the relationship between individual toxin variants and environmental factors, such as nutrients, temperature and light. In summer 2015, we collected samples across Europe to investigate the effect of nutrient and temperature gradients on the variability of toxin production at a continental scale. Direct and indirect effects of temperature were the main drivers of the spatial distribution in the toxins produced by the cyanobacterial community, the toxin concentrations and toxin quota. Generalized linear models showed that a Toxin Diversity Index (TDI) increased with latitude, while it decreased with water stability. Increases in TDI were explained through a significant increase in toxin variants such as MC-YR, anatoxin and cylindrospermopsin, accompanied by a decreasing presence of MC-LR. While global warming continues, the direct and indirect effects of increased lake temperatures will drive changes in the distribution of cyanobacterial toxins in Europe, potentially promoting selection of a few highly toxic species or strains.Peer reviewe

Impactos ambientais e sociais na bacia hidrográfica do Rio Paraíba decorrentes do uso do solo e da transposição do Rio São Francisco

The objective of this work was to identify the environmentaland social impacts in the Paraíba River basin due to the use of the soil and the transposition of the São Francisco River, which generate impacts to water quality, proposing actions that allow adequate management of water resources. For the identification of impacts, semi-structured interviews were conducted with municipalities managers and population living in areas near the Paraíba river. The water quality analyzes were performed in 12 sampling points, corresponding to 4 reservoirs and 8 points in the river channel, between March 2016 and January 2017, and May and July 2017, after the transposition of the waters of the São Francisco river. Several impacts of rural and urban origin were identified, the first being mainly related to the use of indiscriminate fertilizers and agrochemicals. For the urban environment was highlighted the release of domestic effluents, resulting from the absence or insufficiency of effluent collection and treatment systems. Regarding water quality, the Camalaú and Epitácio Pessoa reservoirs presented higher water quality, which were associated to the high transparency of the water, the presence of submerged macrophytes and the tucunaré fish. For the points located in the river bed, it was evident the interference of the cities, after the urban agglomerations, the water presented inferior quality to water collected before the river to cross the city. The transposition of the waters of the São Francisco river to the Paraíba River has altered the quality of the water in the reservoirs. It was observed the increase in nutrient concentration, mainly Total Phosphorus, Phosphate and Ammonia in the three studied reservoirs, Nitrate in Potions Reservoir and Nitrite in Epitácio Pessoa Reservoir. The increase in the water volumes in the dams did not, during the study, improve the Indexes of Trophic States observed in the dams before transposition. Even though during the Transposition works, negative impacts were generated, the arrival of the waters in Paraíba rekindled the hope of the population that depends on the waters of the river, highlighting the need for good management to this resource in the region.NenhumaO objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar os impactos ambientais e sociais na bacia do Rio Paraíba decorrentes do uso do solo e da transposição do Rio São Francisco, que geram impactos à qualidade das águas, propondo ações que possibilitem o gerenciamento adequado dos recursos hídricos. Para a identificação dos impactos foram realizadas entrevistas semi-estruturadas com gestores das prefeituras e população que vive nas áreas próximas ao Rio Paraíba. As análises da qualidade das águas foram realizadas em 12 pontos amostrais, correspondendo a 4 açudes e 8 pontos no leito do rio, entre março de 2016 e janeiro de 2017. Após a transposição do Rio São Francisco, as coletas foram realizadas nos 3 açudes que começaram a receber as águas do Rio São Francisco, em maio e julho de 2017. Foram identificados vários impactos de origem rural e urbana, sendo o primeiro principalmente em relação aos usos indiscriminados de fertilizantes e agrotóxicos. Para o meio urbano destacou-se o lançamento de efluentes domésticos, resultado da ausência ou insuficiência dos sistemas de coleta e tratamento de efluentes. Em relação à qualidade da água, os reservatórios Camalaú e Presidente Epitácio Pessoa apresentaram melhor qualidade, associada à elevada transparência da água, à presença de macrófitas submersas e do peixe tucunaré (Cichla ocelaris). Para os pontos localizados no leito do rio, ficou evidente a interferência das cidades; após as aglomerações urbanas, a água apresentou qualidade inferior àquela coletada antes do rio atravessar a cidade. A transposição das águas do Rio São Francisco para o Rio Paraíba tem alterado a qualidade das águas nos reservatórios. Foi observado o aumento na concentração de nutrientes, principalmente Fósforo Total, Fosfato e Amônia nos três açudes estudados, de Nitrato no Açude Poções e de Nitrito no Epitácio Pessoa. O aumento dos volumes de águas nos açudes não proporcionou, durante o estudo, melhoria dos Índices de Estado Trófico observados nos açudes antes da transposição. E, ainda que durante as obras da Transposição tenham sido gerados impactos negativos, a chegada das águas à Paraíba reacendeu a esperança da população que depende das águas do rio, destacando-se a necessidade de uma boa gestão das águas na região

Zooplâncton: uma ferramenta para avaliar a qualidade ecológica de lagos e albufeiras

O plâncton é o conjunto de organismos, em geral microscópicos, que flutuam errantemente na coluna de água. Considera-se como fitoplâncton os organismos fotossintéticos como as microalgas e as cianobactérias. O zooplâncton engloba os animais. Os animais que são considerados como verdadeiramente planctónicos pertencem a três grandes grupos: os Rotiferos e os Crustáceos: Cladoceros e Copépodes. Também se pode encontrar entre o verdadeiro zooplâncton larvas de vários invertebrados, de peixes e protozoários. O zooplâncton tem um papel chave nos lagos e albufeiras devido às interações que estabelece com os níveis mais baixos (fitoplâncton) e mais elevados (invertebrados e peixes) das teias alimentares. As características das comunidades zooplanctónicas associadas à sua sensibilidade e resposta rápida às variações ambientais tornam-nas boas sentinelas de eventuais alterações na qualidade da água e na integridade ecológica de lagos e albufeiras. O conhecimento dos factores que desencadeiam a formação de formas de diapausa é também importante para compreender a capacidade de resiliência dos lagos e albufeiras. Assim, os objetivos do presente comunicação são: (1) explicar como é que o zooplâncton poder ser utilizado para monitorizar a qualidade da água e a integridade ecológica de lagos e albufeiras e para estudos de ecotoxicologia (2) demostrar o seu potencial interesse para ser utilizado projectos de educação ambiental que visem estudar e monitorizar pequenos lagos e charcos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

CONJUGATE TREATMENT OF LEACHATE FROM LANDFILL AND SEWAGE IN DOMESTIC STABILIZATION PONDS

In Brazil, the per capita generation of municipal solid waste is approximately 0.80 kg hab-1 day-1, which implies daily production of 156 tons, whereas on average 50% of this quantity of waste is composed mainly of putrescible organic material that will contribute to the leachate generation process directly influencing the qualitative and quantitative aspects. Landfill leachate basically originates from the percolation process of different types of water and is considered a wastewater to cause in significant environmental impact on the environment, given in possession of high concentration of ammonia nitrogen, organic matter difficult to biodegradation, metals heavy and xenobiotics. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a series of stabilization ponds, the treatment process conjugate of landfill leachate fresh more domestic sewage in the proportion of 1 plus 99% (volume percent), respectively. The experimental system consisted of four stabilization ponds in series, being a facultative pond, followed by three maturation ponds. . The applied surface charge (λs) the series of stabilization ponds was 320 kg DBO5 ha-1 day-1 with hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 17 days for the series. The average removal efficiency of BOD5 and ammonia was 69 and 86% respectively, while removing coliform efficiency always in the 99.9% threshold during the monitoring period was 220 days. Overall it can be concluded that treatment conjugate landfill leachate and sewage in stabilization ponds, in northeastern Brazil, is emerging as a promising technological alternative, given the comfortable area availability in northeastern Brazil, conditions climate favorable and the ponds system present low ratio cost / benefit when compared to other waste treatment systems of this nature

Stratification strength and light climate explain variation in chlorophyll a at the continental scale in a European multilake survey in a heatwave summer

To determine the drivers of phytoplankton biomass, we collected standardized morphometric, physical, and biological data in 230 lakes across the Mediterranean, Continental, and Boreal climatic zones of the European continent. Multilinear regression models tested on this snapshot of mostly eutrophic lakes (median total phosphorus [TP] = 0.06 and total nitrogen [TN] = 0.7 mg L−1), and its subsets (2 depth types and 3 climatic zones), show that light climate and stratification strength were the most significant explanatory variables for chlorophyll a (Chl a) variance. TN was a significant predictor for phytoplankton biomass for shallow and continental lakes, while TP never appeared as an explanatory variable, suggesting that under high TP, light, which partially controls stratification strength, becomes limiting for phytoplankton development. Mediterranean lakes were the warmest yet most weakly stratified and had significantly less Chl a than Boreal lakes, where the temperature anomaly from the long-term average, during a summer heatwave was the highest (+4°C) and showed a significant, exponential relationship with stratification strength. This European survey represents a summer snapshot of phytoplankton biomass and its drivers, and lends support that light and stratification metrics, which are both affected by climate change, are better predictors for phytoplankton biomass in nutrient-rich lakes than nutrient concentrations and surface temperature