Brazilian Journal of Environmental Sciences (Online)

Priority pesticides not covered by GM Ordinance of the Ministry of Health No. 888, of 2021, on water potability standard in Brazil

2022-05-18T18:07:31+00:00

The intense use of pesticides can be harmful to the environment and human health, being necessary to monitor the environmental concentrations of pesticides. The legislation on drinking water for human consumption is one of the guiding regulations about monitoring priority. Therefore, a systematic review was carried out to compile information on the contamination of surface water, groundwater, and treated water in Brazil. Thereby, we selected those pesticides which, although they are authorized for use and are among the topselling pesticides, are not regulated by GM Ordinance of the Ministry of Health (GM/MS) No. 888, of May 4, 2021. The databases used were PubMed, Scielo, Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science. Of the 122 pesticides in the market, 11 were selected. Analyses of environmental dynamics, concentration, and health effects were carried out. The Goss methodology and the Groundwater Ubiquity Score (GUS) index were used to estimate the risk of surface water and groundwater contamination, respectively. The concentrations found were compared with the values provided for in the guidelines adopted by international agencies, determining the Brazilian population’s margin of exposure (MOE) to the target pesticides. The results indicate a high probability of finding imidacloprid and hexazinone in the water, the prevalence of studies on surface waters, and the need to conduct additional studies as papers on some of the target pesticides were not found. It is concluded that the pesticides studied pose a low risk to human health, however, further studies are still required.

Potential of carbon credits generation from organic waste composting of large generators: an alternative to the final disposal in sanitary landfills

2022-05-18T18:34:52+00:00

This study aims to measure the potential for reducing Greenhouse Gases by surveying the amount of methane avoided by a company that collects and processes organic waste from large generators through composting. The applied methodology was the avoidance of methane emissions through composting, from the Clean Development Mechanism, considering as a baseline the emissions of the Santa Rosa sanitary landfill, located in the city of Seropédica, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. With data on the amount of organic waste composted by the company, the emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2_eq) were calculated, considering the standard emission factors established in the methodological instrument. The data show that the emission of 22,062 tons of CO_2eq was avoided, which corresponds to a reduction of 83.5% of CH₄ emissions, if the waste composted by the company were deposited in the Santa Rosa sanitary landfill. In terms of carbon credit, according to the calculation, this value would correspond to approximately 17 thousand euros annually (considering current values). Thus, the applicability of this study contributes as a scientific basis to assist decision-making and effectiveness of other composting projects, enabling greater reductions in emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the long term and adequacy to the future perspectives of carbon market development. At the same time, it contributes to the construction of alternative scenarios for mitigation and reduction of Greenhouse Gases emissions in Brazil and promotes sustainable waste management, as determined by the National Solid Waste Policy.

Critical assessment of restrictive socioeconomic measures taken during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and their impact on air quality worldwide

2022-06-06T11:23:16+00:00

The ongoing global pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 has been a public health emergency of international concern. Countries have adopted several restriction measures. Because of this fateful moment, it was possible to assess the effect of anthropogenic activities on air pollutants in an unprecedented way. This work aims to outline changes in the air quality levels of several cities worldwide after the COVID-19 pandemic. Data on the criteria pollutants found in these cities before and during the pandemic were used to evaluate air quality performance. The collection of most of the data was possible thanks to the constant monitoring methods applied in some countries. The severe limitation of people’s movements significantly reduced pollutants concentration, mainly due to the traffic of vehicles. Carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter 2.5 μm, and particulate matter 10 μm (CO, SO₂, NO₂, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀) concentration reductions were observed due to more restrictive or flexible lockdowns. In almost all cities evaluated, WHO’s air quality guidelines have been achieved, except for tropospheric ozone, which has been increasing with the reduction of nitric oxides (NOx) emissions. The increment in the concentrations of the pollutants immediately after the end of the restrictions is an indication that control strategies must be implemented to improve air quality.

Contributions of the periphyton to the growth of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings on different fixation substrates: an ecological approach

2022-06-05T12:04:00+00:00

Knowing about the ecological aspects involved in the commercial breeding of aquatic organisms becomes an important tool to make aquaculture more productive and less impactful. Thus, periphyton taxon composition and biomass on different substrates and the influence of these on water quality and growth parameters of Nile tilapia fingerlings were examined. An experiment with three treatments (substrates for growth of periphyton: geomembrane, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and bamboo) and a control (without substrate), each with five replicates, was conducted in a greenhouse with controlled aeration and temperature. Each mesocosm was populated with ten tilapia fingerlings with an average weight of 2.3 g for 30 days. Water quality parameters were not significantly different among treatments but remained within that established by the environmental legislation. In all treatments, 36 periphyton taxa were observed. The bamboo substrate was the most diverse, which could be attributed to the fact it was a natural substrate. Regarding fish growth, there was a significant difference among the treatments, with the PET treatment having a higher condition factor (kn). The bamboo substrate was good for colonization concerning alga diversity; however, fish in the PET treatment and control exhibited higher performance and algae consumption values, respectively.

Remotely piloted aircraft-based landfill monitoring

2022-06-13T17:49:59+00:00

Solid waste causes big problems to the environment and public health when disposed of inadequately. Law 14,026/2020 updated the legal framework for sanitation and amended Federal Law 12,305/2012, which establishes the National Policy for Solid Waste, and is regulated by Federal Decree 10,936/2022, which addresses waste management. The stability of waste massifs in landfills can be compromised by vertical and horizontal displacements. To ensure landfill environments’ physical and economic safety, operational measurements for monitoring such displacements are essential. Due to technological advances, new equipment and topographic survey techniques have emerged. Among them, the use of the remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) is an alternative for fast and effective monitoring, which can support strategic planning in landfills. The aim of the study was to identify displacements in waste massifs of the municipal sanitary landfill of Lages - SC using the RPA. The aerial survey was performed using the RVJET and Phantom 4 Advanced platforms with ground control points. Subsequently, orthomosaics and digital elevation models were produced. The identification of instability points in the landfill was performed. High displacement velocity was identified only at the massifs in operation. The landfill presented uniform surface settlement intensity and steady deformation velocity, not exceeding the warning level. This study calculated the displacement velocity with longer intervals between measurements than those currently used in traditional methods. Despite this, it was possible to build a database and carry out analysis by visual inspections and variations in the elevation of the massifs for preventive and corrective control of the landfill. RPA demonstrated to be adequate to monitor landfills. However, this assessment must be complemented with other instrumental analyses to understand waste massifs’ behavior over time.

Electrical installations running through masonry walls: developing waste generation indicators for environmental performance analysis

2022-06-20T17:28:33+00:00

Waste generation is one of the most relevant environmental aspects of the construction industry. About 47 million tons of construction and demolition waste are collected annually by Brazilian municipalities. One of the activities that generates waste is cutting chases on walls for installations. However, there are no waste generation indicators for this activity. Understanding waste generation processes enables managers to prevent them and promote their proper environmental management. This study assessed the generation of waste resulting from the cutting of clay bricks for electrical installations using three tools: milling cutter, marble saw, and cold chisel. The study included data collected from residential construction works and experimental data collected from the construction of real-scale walls. In a laboratory, five different wall configurations were built and the three tools mentioned were used to cut a chase on the walls. The results were statistically analyzed to define a waste generation index (WGI) by linear regression. The type of tool employed had no influence on the waste generation index, which was 26.5 ± 2.6 kg/m2. However, the tools used directly influenced the quality of the service, productivity, and the volume of waste generated. The waste from the milling cutter showed the smallest maximum aggregate size and the largest bulk density, followed by the waste resulting from the marble saw and the cold chisel. The marble saw and cold chisel waste samples had around 78% of their composition in the coarse aggregate grain size range. The milling cutter waste samples were the finest and had on average 60% of their composition in the fine aggregate grain size range. The width of the chases made with the milling cutter were smaller and more consistent than those made with the cold chisel, which showed irregularities and larger dimensions than necessary. From the waste generation indicators obtained in this study, construction managers will be able to choose more appropriate cutting tools and improve their planning and management systems to minimize associated environmental impacts.