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Analysis of risk associated to water quality and its relationship with environmental indicators in Rio Grande do Norte reservoirs - RN
No full textThe state of Rio Grande do Norte is located in the Brazilian semiarid with more than 3.5 million inhabitants. Due
to its environmental characteristics, it faces problems with water scarcity, aggravated in the last years due in part
to the climate changes represented in the last almost 10 years of extreme drought, the worst of the last 50 years.
Therefore, the few available water resources become strategic matters, so that they are conducive to human
development. This scenario is aggravated when the quality of the water is affected due to the geological
characteristics and the anthropic activities developed in the region. In this sense, it is eminent that effective
actions need to be implemented in a satisfactory way, encouraging the conservation of water bodies. The study
aimed to analyze factors resulting from human development and natural characteristics that may influence the
environmental quality of some of the most representative water reservoirs in the state. With this purpose, a
geospatial analysis with satellite images was carried out to map the changes in land use and occupation of the
productive activities carried out in the years 2008 and 2017 within a 5 km area from the edges of the reservoir. A
significant socio-demographic increase was observed, highlighting a growing of activities with polluting
potential, such as mining, pisciculture and ceramic industries in a polarized way, remarking the generalized
growth of agriculture in the environments of all reservoirs. However, the most important point to stand out in
this study was the need for implementation of environmental control, since there was a disregard for
environmental policies, represented by the invasion of these activities within the permanent protection areas,
describing the potential pollution impact on the water resources and consequently causing clear consequences on
the quality of the water and therefore describing an imminent health risk. In order to evaluate the aforementioned
facts, studies were conducted in surface water bodies to understand the water quality and the toxicological
consequences for the population of the use of this resource. For these purposes, two environmental samples were
carried out (2015 and 2017), in order to evaluate the water quality of the reservoirs in the studied environmental
scenario. For these purposes, water samples were assessed through physical-chemical variables such as:
electrical conductivity, colour, turbidity, pH, total solids, total alkalinity, total hardness, ammoniacal, organic
and total nitrogen, chlorophyll, chloride, nitrite, nitrate and phosphorus, as well as metals (Ag, Al, Cd, Co, Cu,
Cr, Pb, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni and Zn). In addition, the alpha and beta radiation levels, radon concentration along with
phytoplankton analysis were performed. In soil samples, the content of the aforementioned metals, radon
emanated, and gamma-ray emitters (uranium, thorium and potassium) were measured. In the air samples radon
was also assessed. The results obtained were compared with the threshold values indicated by national and
international legislation. Apart from that, for a risk assessment, the variables of toxicological interest were
categorized by comparison with the used reference threshold values to describe the individual risk associated
along with by the integration of this information through a composite index. Finally, the spatial pattern of cancer
was analysed considering the areas of influence of the water reservoirs and its association with the described
risk. And compared with the scores of the risk composite index in order to evaluate possible associations. The
results obtained revealed the improper quality of water for human consumption, with potential health
consequences besides the need to establish environmental monitoring along with the implementation of
mitigating actions against the occurrence of substances of toxicological relevance, considering the risks of
associated pathologies linked to an exposure to these agents.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)O estado do Rio Grande do Norte localiza-se no semiárido brasileiro com mais de 3,5 milhões de habitantes.
Devido suas características ambientais, enfrenta problemas com a escassez hídrica, agravada nos últimos anos decorrente em parte, pelas mudanças climáticas representada nos últimos quase 10 anos de seca extrema, a pior dos últimos 50 anos. Por tanto, os poucos recursos hídricos disponíveis tornam-se matéria estratégica, para que sejam propícios para o desenvolvimento humano. Esse cenário se agrava quando a qualidade da água se encontra afetada devido consequência das características geológicas e das atividades antrópicas desenvolvidas na região. Nesse sentido, torna-se eminente que medidas eficazes precisam ser implantadas de maneira satisfatória, incentivando a conservação dos corpos d’água. O estudo buscou analisar fatores decorrentes do desenvolvimento humano e das características naturais, que possam influenciar a qualidade ambiental de alguns dos reservatórios de água mais representativos do estado. A tal fim, foi realizada uma análise geoespacial com imagens de satélite, dirigido a mapear as mudanças no uso e ocupação do solo, das atividades produtivas desenvolvidas nos anos de 2008 e 2017 dentro de uma área de 5 km nos entornos dos reservatórios. Observou-se um incremento sociodemográfico significativo salientando um aumento nas atividades com potencial poluidor, tais como atividades industriais de mineração, piscicultura e ceramista de forma polarizada, salientando o crescimento generalizado da agricultura nos entornos de todos os reservatórios. No entanto, o ponto mais importante a remarcar neste estudo foi a necessidade da implementação de um controle ambiental, já que observou-se um descaso com as políticas ambientais, representada pela invasão destas atividades dentro das áreas de proteção permanente descrevendo o potencial impacto poluidor sobre os recursos hídricos e consequentemente provocando claras consequências na qualidade da água, descrevendo um risco sanitário iminente. Com o intuito de avaliar os fatos antes mencionados, foi realizado nos corpos d’água superficiais estudos dirigidos a compreender a qualidade hídrica e as consequências toxicológicas para a população do uso desse recurso. A tais fins, foram realizadas duas amostragens ambientais (2015 e 2017), com o intuito de avaliar a qualidade da água dos reservatórios no cenário ambiental estudado. A tais fins, amostras de água foram avaliadas através de variáveis físico-químicas tais como: condutividade elétrica, cor, turbidez, pH, sólidos totais, alcalinidade total, dureza total, nitrogênio amoniacal, orgânico e total, clorofila, cloreto, nitrito, nitrato e fósforo, como também de metais (Ag, Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Pb, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni e Zn). Além disso foi realizada a medição do nível de radiação alfa e beta, o radônio dissolvido e a análise de fitoplânctons. Em amostras de solo foram medidas o conteúdo dos metais supracitados, o radônio emanado, além de emissores gamamétricos (urânio, tório e potássio). Nas amostras de ar também foi medido o nível de radônio. Os resultados obtidos foram comparados com os valores limiares indicados por legislações nacionais e internacionais. Além disso para uma análise de risco, as variáveis de interesse toxicológico foram categorizadas através da comparação com os valores limiares de referência, para descrever o risco associado individual e integrar essas informações através de um índice composto. Posteriormente, foi analisado o padrão espacial de câncer considerando as áreas de influência dos
reservatórios e sua associação com o risco descrito com o intuito de avaliar possíveis associações. Revelando
uma qualidade imprópria da água para consumo humano, com potenciais consequências sanitárias, além da
necessidade de instauração de monitoramento ambiental junto com a implementação de medidas mitigadoras
contra a ocorrência de substâncias de relevância toxicológica, considerando os riscos de patologias associadas atrelada a uma exposição crônica a esses agentes
Ocorrência de Fármacos e compostos Desreguladores de Endócrinos na água tratada da ETA Jiqui, Natal/RN
Get PDFThe water sources used for urban supply in the city of Natal/RN have a high vulnerability to contaminant loads due to the low coverage of the sanitary sewage system in some regions of the city, making them potential sources of micropollutants of emerging interest. The objective of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of 24 emerging microcontaminants, sixteen drugs and eight endocrine disruptors (ED), in the treated water of ETA Jiqui, Natal/RN, besides to analyze the quality of this water from the application of the Water Quality Index Canadian (WQI-CCME) incorporating microcontaminants detected as variables of interest in the calculation. The experimental work consisted of collections and physicochemical and microbiological analyses performed for 18 months. The parameters analyzed were the drugs Aciclovir, Bezafibrate, Caffeine, Diclofenac, Diltiazem, Gemfibrozil, Ibuprofen, Linezolid, Loratadine, Losartan, Metformin, Naproxen, Acetaminophen, Promethazine, Propranolol, and Sulfamethoxazole. The Endocrine Disrupting were Compounds 4-Octylphenol, 4-nonylphenol, Bisphenol A, Dexamethasone, Estradiol, Estriol, Estrone, and Ethinylestradiol, besides of the physicochemical and microbiological parameters Free Residual Chlorine, Chlorides, Total Coliforms, Apparent Color, Total Hardness, E. Coli, Total Iron, Nitrate, Nitrite, pH, Solids Dissolved Totals, Sulfates, and Turbidity, resulting in 37 control parameters. Among the emerging microcontaminants monitored, ten pharmaceuticals compounds and four endocrine disrupters were detected in at least one collection campaign. The drugs detected were Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Acyclovir, Sulfamethoxazole, Propanolol, Losartan, Gemfibrozil, Metformin, Promethazine, and Loratadine. Regarding the ED, it was possible to observe 4-Octylphenol, 4-Nonylphenol, Bisphenol A, and Estrone. The calculated WQI-CCME was 91.19, which reaches the category of GOOD quality for the treated water of ETA Jiqui. Despite detection in treated water, it was concluded that no microcontaminant has exceeded the exposure limit compared to the limits set by the Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling (phase 2/2008), resulting in no significant risk to consumer health over the entire life of the consumer, being consistent with good quality water.Os mananciais utilizados para abastecimento urbano da cidade de Natal/RN possuem uma alta vulnerabilidade a cargas contaminantes devido à baixa cobertura do sistema de esgotamento sanitário a algumas regiões do município, tornando-os potenciais fontes de micropoluentes de interesse emergente. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a ocorrência de 24 microcontaminantes emergentes, sendo dezesseis fármacos e oito desreguladores endócrinos (DE), na água tratada da ETA Jiqui-Natal-RN, além de analisar a qualidade desta água a partir da aplicação do Índice de Qualidade da Água Canadense (IQA-CCME) incorporando ao cálculo os microcontaminantes detectados como variáveis de interesse. O trabalho experimental consistiu de coletas e análises físico-químicas e microbiológicas realizadas durante o período de 18 meses. Os parâmetros analisados foram os fármacos Aciclovir, Bezafibrato, Cafeína, Diclofenaco, Diltiazem, Genfibrozila, Ibuprofeno, Linezolida, Loratadina, Losartan, Metformina, Naproxeno, Paracetamol, Prometazina, Propranolol, Sulfametozaxol, e os desreguladores endócrinos 4-Octilfenol, 4-Nonilfenol, Bisfenol A, Dexametasona, Estradiol, Estriol, Estrona e Etinilestradiol, além dos parâmetros físico-químicos e microbiológicos Cloro Residual Livre, Cloretos, Coliformes Totais, Cor Aparente, Dureza Total, E. Coli, Ferro Total, Nitrato, Nitrito, pH, Sólidos Totais Dissolvidos, Sulfatos e Turbidez, resultando em 37 parâmetros de controle. Entre os microcontaminantes emergentes monitorados foram detectados 10 fármacos e 4 desreguladores endócrinos em pelo menos uma campanha de coleta. Os fármacos detectados foram: Ibuprofeno, Naproxeno, Aciclovir, Sulfametoxazol, Propanolol, Losartan, Genfibrozila, Metformina, Prometazina e Loratadina. Já em relação aos DEs foi possível observar o 4-Octilfenol, 4-Nonilfenol, Bisfenol A e Estrona. O IQA-CCME calculado foi de 91,19, o que confere a água tratada da ETA Jiqui, a categoria de BOA qualidade. Apesar da detecção em água tratada, foi possível concluir que nenhum microcontaminante excedeu o limite de exposição em comparação aos limites estabelecidos pelas Diretrizes Australianas para Reciclagem de Água (fase 2/2008) para fins potáveis, do Governo Australiano, resultando em nenhum risco significativo para a saúde do consumidor durante toda a vida útil de consumo sendo realmente consistente com água de boa qualidade
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Analysis of occurrence, bioaccumulation and molecular targets of arsenic and other selected volcanic elements in Argentinean Patagonia and Antarctic ecosystems
No full textIn Latin America, the high proportion of arsenic (As) in many groundwaters and phreatic aquifers is related to the volcanism of the Andean Range. Nevertheless, there is still very little published research on As and other elements occurrence, and/or transference to biota in Southern regions such as Argentinean Patagonia and the South Shetland Islands in Antarctica, where there are active volcanoes and geothermal processes. Therefore, this study was aimed to describe water quality from the main rivers of Argentinean Northern Patagonia through physicochemical analysis. The Patagonian and Antarctic biota (including samples of animal, plants, algae and bacteria) was characterized through the analysis of their As and other elemental concentrations (P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Se, Br, Rb and Sr), by synchrotron radiation x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (SRXRF). Finally, the analysis of metal and As-proteins associations in As-accumulating organisms was performed by SRXRF after sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). A wide range of metal concentration including As (up to 950 μg/L As) was found in water samples from Patagonian rivers. A hierarchical cluster analysis revealed that the elemental concentration of analysed biological samples was related to volcanic environments and their place in the trophic chain. Moreover, the results suggest that Se, Co, Cu, Br, and Cl are strong predictors of As in biota. On the other hand, As was not detected in proteins from the studied samples, suggesting biotransformation into soluble As-organic compounds. This is the first study to describe environmental pollution as a consequence of active volcanism, and its influence on water quality and elemental composition of biota in Argentinean Northern Patagonia and Antarctica.Fil: Lamela, Paula Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos, Biotecnología y Energías Alternativas. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos, Biotecnología y Energías Alternativas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Química. Laboratorio de Investigaciones Bioquímicas, Químicas y de Medio Ambiente; ArgentinaFil: Navoni, Julio Alejandro. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte; BrasilFil: Perez, Roberto Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía y Física; ArgentinaFil: Pérez, Carlos A.. Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais; BrasilFil: Vodopívez, Cristian L.. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Interno y Culto. Dirección Nacional del Antártico. Instituto Antártico Argentino; ArgentinaFil: Curtosi, Antonio. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Interno y Culto. Dirección Nacional del Antártico. Instituto Antártico Argentino; ArgentinaFil: Bongiovanni, Guillermina Azucena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos, Biotecnología y Energías Alternativas. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos, Biotecnología y Energías Alternativas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentin
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
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