Publicações 2023

Ecological risk of mercury in bottom sediments and spatial correlation with land use in Neotropical savanna floodplain lakes, Araguaia River, Central Brazil

Lucas Cabrera Monteiro, Ludgero Cardoso Galli Vieira, José Vicente Elias Bernardi, Lilian de Castro Moraes, Ygor Oliveira Sarmento Rodrigues, João Pedro Rudrigues de Souza, Jurandir Rodrigues de Souza, Wanderley Rodrigues Bastos, Carlos José Sousa Passos, José G. Dórea

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.117231

Abstract: The Araguaia River floodplain is an important biogeographic boundary between the two largest South American biomes: the Cerrado (Brazilian Savanna) and the Amazon rainforest. The large-scale degradation due to land use conversion experienced in the Araguaia River watershed represents a potential source of mercury (Hg) transport to aquatic ecosystems. However, more information is needed about the dynamics of Hg distribution in savanna floodplains, including the Araguaia River floodplain. We analyzed total mercury (THg) concentrations in the bottom sediments of 30 lakes connected to the Araguaia River and four tributaries, aiming to evaluate the environment's integrity based on the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and the ecological risk index (ERI). The principal component analysis was applied to examine associations between Hg concentrations, environmental conditions, and land use intensity among lakes associated with different river systems. We used indicator cokriging to identify areas with a greater probability of Hg pollution and ecological risk associated with land use intensity. The land use data showed the predominance of areas used for pasture in the Araguaia River basin. THg concentrations in the sediments varied between 22.6 and 81.9 ng g⁻1 (mean: 46.5 ± 17.7 ng g⁻¹). Sediments showed no significant pollution (Igeo: 1.35 - 0.50; Classes 1 and 2) and low to considerable ecological risks (ERI: 23.5–85.1; Classes 1 to 3). THg in bottom sediments was associated with land use, water turbidity and electrical conductivity, and sediment organic matter. The indicator cokriging indicates a moderate to strong spatial dependence between land use intensity and Hg, confirming the contribution of anthropic sources to the increment of ecological risk but also the influence of extrinsic factors (such as environmental conditions, geology, and hydrology). Integrating sediment assessment and land use indices with geostatistical methods proved a valuable tool for identifying priority areas for Hg accumulation at a regional scale.

A Educação Ambiental como Ferramenta no Novo Ensino Médio em uma Escola Pública De Porto Velho (RO)

Antonio Lázaro Ponçadilha Júnior, Taíse Ferreira Vargas e Wanderley Rodrigues Bastos

Abstract: Este estudo avaliou a percepção ambiental discente sobre as águas de abastecimento na cidade de Porto Velho (RO). A ferramenta utilizada para coletar os dados foi um questionário (Google Forms) cujas perguntas foram de múltipla escolha. A partir das respostas foram estipulados valores referentes ao consumo das águas, e seus resultados divulgados aos alunos da Escola Estadual de Ensino Fundamental e Médio Professor João Bento da Costa na forma de disciplina Eletiva, intitulada “Educação Ambiental”, objetivando o uso e conservação dos recursos naturais. Sua aplicação se deu no período de agosto a novembro de 2022, se tratando de um componente obrigatório do Novo Ensino Médio. A experiencia foi considerada um sucesso.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34024/revbea.2023.v18.14898

Incêndios Florestais e Queimadas: Impactos de Saúde em Comunidades Indígenas

Valéria Moreira da Silva, Cristiano Lucas de Menezes Alves, Adnilson de Almeida Silva, Ari Miguel Teixeira OTT e Wanderley Rodrigues Bastos

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7742477

Abstract: O objetivo deste trabalho é reunir em revisão narrativa da literatura textos disponíveis sobre os impactos de saúde em comunidades indígenas pela poluição atmosférica de incêndios florestais e queimadas. Foi realizado busca utilizando descritores relacionados à poluição do ar, serviços de saúde indígena e incêndios florestais, totalizando 13 artigos. Foram considerados artigos científicos completos publicados entre 2012 e 2022 nas bases eletrônicas PUBMED e SCOPUS. Observa-se escassez de estudos específicos sobre impactos da poluição atmosférica na saúde, possíveis agravos que acometem os povos indígenas no Brasil e déficit na literatura científica sobre o monitoramento da qualidade do ar em terras indígenas. A poluição do ar é um fator limitante para o desenvolvimento humano, e há deficiência de ações de monitoramento e vigilância em saúde dos povos tradicionais na Amazônia Brasileira. É imprescindível que se elabore estratégias que favoreçam o mapeamento das áreas críticas e o monitoramento da qualidade do ar, proporcionando o conhecimento integrado do modo de vida e do grau de vulnerabilidade a que estão expostos os povos indígenas.

Deforestation patterns and stages of the Southern Amazon agricultural frontier

Joiada Moreira da Silva Linhares, Bruno Motta Monteiro e Wanderley Rodrigues Bastos

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18406/2316-1817v15nunico20231739

Abstract: From 1980 to 2020, the Paciá River Drainage Basin (BHRP – Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Paciá), located in the Southern Amazon agricultural frontier, underwent an accelerated process of change in human land use and occupation. This study aimed to identify and analyze deforestation patterns, relating them to landscape metrics and the stages of expansion of the agricultural frontier. The methodology was based on the following phases: 1) organizational structure of GIS (Geographic Information System) modeling; 2) mapping and classification of deforestation patterns; 3) mapping of the expansion stages of the agricultural frontier. Diffuse and geometric patterns represented 72.5% of the polygons analyzed, corresponding to 15.64% of deforestation. However, linear and consolidated patterns, which referred to 12.5% of the polygons, represented 65.5% of the deforested areas in the BHRP. The spatial arrangements of deforestation polygons are associated with two evolutionary stages of the Amazon agricultural frontier: permanent/consolidated, which is located along the Transamazon highway, and pioneer/diffuse, located along the banks of rural roads and the main course of the Paciá River.

Trophic dynamics of methylmercury and trace elements in a remote Amazonian Lake

Claudio Eduardo Azevedo-Silva, Ana Carolina Pizzochero, Petrus M.A. Galvão, Jean P.H.B. Ometto, Plínio B. de Camargo, Antonio Azeredo, Sergio A. Coelho-Souza, Krishna Das, Wanderley R. Bastos, Olaf Malm and Paulo R. Dorneles

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.116889

Abstract: Information on pollutant trophodynamics can be crucial for public health, as contaminated food consumption may lead to deleterious effects. This study was performed in Puruzinho Lake, a remote body of water in the Brazilian Amazon from which a riparian human population obtains an important part of its animal protein intake. Samples from 92 individuals, comprising 13 species and four trophic guilds (iliophagous, planktivorous, omnivorous, and piscivorous fish) were analysed for the determination of trace elements (Fe, Cr, Mn, Ni, Zn, Ca, Sr, Cd, Sn, Tl and Pb) and methylmercury concentrations. Samples from the same individuals had already been analysed for stable isotope (SI) measurements (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) in a previous investigation and the SI data have been statistically treated with those generated in this study for the evaluation of trophic dynamics of contami- nants. Methylmercury was the only analyte that biomagnified, presenting TMF values of 4.65 and 4.55 for total and resident ichthyofauna, respectively. Trace elements presented either trophic dilution or independence from the trophic position, constituting a behaviour that was coherent with that found in the scientific literature. The similarity between Ni behaviour through the trophic web to that of essential elements contributes to the dis- cussion on the essentiality of this metal to fish. Considering the Non-cancer Risk Assessment, the calculated Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) values were higher than 1.0 for all analysed individuals for methylmercury, as well as for only one individual for nickel. No other analyte rendered THQ values higher than 1.0.

Mercury Contamination as an Indicator of Fish Species’ Trophic Position in the Middle Araguaia River, Brazil

Lilian de Castro Moraes, José Vicente Elias Bernardi, João Pedro Rudrigues de Souza, Joelma Ferreira Portela, Hasley Rodrigo Pereira, Hugo de Oliveira Barbosa, Nayara Luiz Pires, Lucas Cabrera Monteiro, Ygor Oliveira Sarmento Rodrigues, Ludgero Cardoso Galli Vieira, Carlos José Sousa Passos, Jurandir Rodrigues de Souza, Wanderley Rodrigues Bastos and José Garrofe Dórea

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11110886

Abstract:This study evaluates the use of mercury (Hg) concentrations in fish muscle tissue to determine a species’ trophic position (TP) in its environment. A campaign conducted in 2019 along 375 km in the middle Araguaia River basin, Brazil, resulted in 239 organisms from 20 species collected. The highest total mercury (THg) concentrations were found in Pellonacastelnaeana (6.93µ·g⁻¹, wet weight) and in Triportheus elongatus (3.18 µ·g⁻¹, wet weight), whose TPs were different according to the FishBase database. However, they occupied the same trophic level in this study. The intraspecific comparison showed a difference in Hg concentrations between individuals captured in distinct sites. The study of the biota–sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) showed that spatiality interferes with a species’ TP. Statistical analyses revealed that when we used a predicted species’ TP based on each individual’s size, it explained 72% of the variability in THg concentration across all fish species. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that standard length and FishBase values are positively associated with THg (R2 = 0.943). These results point to Hg as a viable indicator of a fish species’ TP since it reflects regional, biological, and environmental factors, as demonstrated here for the middle Araguaia River.

Sediment Mercury, Geomorphology and Land Use in the Middle Araguaia River Floodplain (Savanna Biome, Brazil)

Lilian Moraes, José Vicente Elias Bernardi, João Pedro Rodrigues de Souza, Joelma Ferreira Portela, Ludgero Cardoso Galli Vieira, Carlos José Sousa Passos, Jurandir Rodrigues de Souza, Wanderley Rodrigues Bastos, Lucas Cabrera Monteiro, Ygor Oliveira Sarmento Rodrigues and José Garrofe Dorea

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems7040097

Abstract: In order to assess the influencing factors of the presence of mercury in a river within the Savanna biome (Cerrado), we surveyed total mercury (THg) in bottom sediment from 50 lakes along 750 km of the Middle Araguaia floodplain. The sampling sites included non-urban and urban surroundings over three distinct geomorphologies. We measured water physicochemical parameters at each site and tested statistically if land use nested within the geological formation influenced the THg concentration in bottom sediments and related water parameters. Multivariate results indicate that the interaction between geological groups and land use is statistically significant (p < 0.05). Nested ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests confirmed that the geological formation with its nested land use influences the THg, pH, DO, conductivity, and TDS (p < 0.05). THg was significantly lower in Quaternary terrains (p < 0.05) and differed significantly between non-urban and urban areas in Neoproterozoic terrains (p = 0.02). The spatial projections of the THg eigenvector on the main axes with the scoring factors of the Neoproterozoic/Paleoproterozoic terrains, and urban/non-urban, confirmed the spatial correlations. These results indicate that the association of land use and geology could be the main driver of THg in the bottom sediments of lakes from the Middle Araguaia floodplain.

Riscos Potenciais à Saúde Humana e Ambiental com o uso do Mercúrio na Atividade de Garimpo Artesanal de Ouro no Alto Rio Madeira, Amazônia Ocidental

Roberto Pinto Monte Junior, Wanderley Rodrigues Bastos, Isabela Esteves Cury Coutinho e Izidro Ferreira de Sousa Filho

DOI: https://doi.org/10.25248/reas.e12840.2023

Abstract: Objetivo: Apresentar resultados recentes sobre a existência de mercúrio nos compartimentos no metabolismo humano, provocados em razão da exploração de ouro na área de proteção ambiental do Rio Madeira, e registrar as mudanças na legislação referente a atividade de garimpo de ouro. Revisão bibliográfica: O alto rio Madeira, especialmente na Área de Proteção Ambiental (APA), tem sido impactado em decorrência das atividades relacionadas ao exercício do garimpo de ouro artesanal, desmatamento e queimadas, esses para extração de madeira, agropecuária e projetos hidrelétricos. Todas essas atividades acabam contribuindo para a liberação e ciclagem de mercúrio (Hg) no ecossistema amazônico e, consequentemente, colocando em risco de exposição ao metilmercúrio (MeHg) a população tradicional ribeirinha. Considerações finais: Do ponto de vista da exposição humana ao MeHg deve-se adotar os procedimentos de monitoramento promovidos pela área de saúde, especialmente às comunidades ribeirinhas mais isoladas que poderia estar conectado ao programa de Saúde da Família.

Mercury in muscle and liver of Plagioscion squamosissimus (Acanthuriformes: Sciaenidae) from the Machado River, Brazilian Amazon

Igor David da COSTA, Elisabete Lourdes do NASCIMENTO, Missilene Silva de Almeida FACCHETI, Natalia Neto dos Santos NUNES, João Paulo de Oliveira GOMES, Ronaldo de ALMEIDA6, Wanderley Rodrigues BASTOS

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1809-4392202001032

Abstract: The Machado River is the main tributary of the Madeira River in the state of Rondônia, a region that has been impacted by deforestation, livestock, urban development, alluvial gold mining and urban and industrial effluents that likely contribute o the introduction of mercury (Hg) in the aquatic system. We aimed to determine the concentrations of total Hg (THg) in muscle and liver of Plagioscion squamosissimus, a main fishing resource in the region. Fish were sampled for two years at five sites, along a 90-km stretch of the middle Machado River. THg concentrations were analyzed in 64 muscle and 54 liver samples by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry (FIMS-400). THg levels were related with fish size and sex and with periods of the hydrological cycle. THg concentrations in both organs were positively and significantly related with fish body size. There was no significant variation in THg among periods of the hydrological cycle. Mean THg concentrations in muscle (1.09 ± 0.72 mg kg⁻¹) and liver (1.28 ± 1.23 mg kg⁻¹) were higher than the limit established by the WHO. Our results suggest that residual mercury from former alluvial gold extraction and lixiviation of mercury naturally occurring in the soil due to large-scale deforestaion is accumulating in the aquatic food chain in the Machado River. We conclude that it is necessary to monitor the levels of mercury in commercially important fish species in the region.