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In Brazil, as a result of the ongoing environmental crimes involving mining companies, concern was raised about the risk to human and animal health from exposure to toxic metals. This review aims to make a bibliographical survey about the reproductive changes in animals promoted by toxic metals contaminating the environment, including possible permanent damages to the genetic bank of the fauna of the affected regions. Toxic metals, inaccurately named "heavy metals", refer to a group of elements that have no known physiological functions in living organisms. Therefore, they can produce damaging effects on metabolic functions, even in very small amounts. Bioaccumulation and high reactivity of metals such as mercury, lead and cadmium, among others, makes poisonings a public health concern. The impact of the occurrence of toxic metals poisoning in the Brazilian livestock production is still difficult to measure, due to lack of statistical data. These metals also contribute to the destruction of the animal genetic pool, especially wildlife, since such animals are exposed to toxic metals due to contaminated areas close to their natural habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of temperature and rainfall on nutrient levels, heavy metals, and etiologic agents in sludge samples collected at the Sewage Treatment Station of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil, was verified over 24 months. The results showed high levels of nitrogen (4.7-5.2%), phosphorus (1.4-2.2%), potassium (0.076-0.106%), magnesium (0.113-0.386%), iron 5.03%) and zinc (38.2-6902.1 mg Kg-1). For most of the investigated samples, the concentration of zinc was above the maximum allowed value (2,800 mg Kg-1). The concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chrome, copper, and lead were below the maximum values allowed by the legislation. Parasitological analyzes identified thermotolerant coliforms (0.49-160 NMP g-1) and helminth eggs (1 egg), however, in amounts less than allowed by legislation. These results are indicative of the efficiency of the sewage treatment process. The results showed a significant influence of the meteorological parameters on the concentrations of nitrogen, copper, lead, zinc and pathogens in the sludge. The results also showed a strong correlation between the concentrations of copper, lead and zinc indicating that the presence of these elements in the sewage sludge has a common origin. The results demonstrated the feasibility of using the investigated matrix as fertilizer when collected in rainy periods when it favors the dilution of the elements present in their soluble forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In semiarid regions, water scarcity is a problem that risk the sustainability of regional socioeconomic development. The present work aimed to evaluate the quality of produced water from the oil industry in northeastern Brazil in the municipality of Mossoró - RN and its potential use in irrigation. Produced water samples were evaluated for physicochemical characterization (pH, conductivity, total dissolvedsolids, salinity, alkalinity, carbonate, bicarbonate, calcium, magnesium, hardness, chloride, sodium, potassium, nitrate, sulfate, iron) andtoxicological (metals), heavy duty: cadmium, copper, lead, chrome, manganese, nickel, zinc and aluminum in addition to TOG. Regarding the physicochemical analyzes, NaHCO3, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+ and Cl- values were outside the thresholds considered by the EMBRAPA irrigation manual. For toxicological analysis all metals were compliant and only TOG exceeded the limital lowed by CONAMA n° 430/2011 which deals with the management of effluent discharge, indicating the need to incorporate processes to eliminate and or minimize the occurrence of these compounds, since the water used in this study was an effluent, without any treatment, ensuring the sanitary safety of this resource in irrigation practices. Thus, the produced water can be considered an alternative water resource for irrigation after proper treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herb-mate is a raw material of great importance to Southern Brazil, considering its annual production of approximately 650,000 tons of leaves. The hot mate, known as chimarrão, is the most appreciated beverage and its consumption is linked to the traditions and cultural habits predominantly in the south of the country. Considering its huge importance, the objective of the work was to evaluate the production of laboratory herb-mate for chimarrão in order to establish a comparison with the products available on the market. Therefore, it was considered the current legislation and the analysis of its organoleptic and granulometric properties, humidity level and concentration of some toxic metals quantified by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The manufacturing of the final product was made in three steps: first of all, the leaves were submitted to direct fire, then they were dried at a temperature of 40 C° for 24 hours and, finally, they were ground in a knife mill for 10 minutes. The obtained results showed, in most of the analyzed characteristics, a great similarity between the laboratorial and commercial herb, obtaining approval from 90% of chimarrão consumers who participated in the organoleptic tests. However, the coloration was considered darker and can be explained by logistic problems between the plantation and the laboratory. There was also a divergence in the metals analysis, which showed a higher lead and cadmium concentration when compared to the herbs found on the supermarket shelves. Alarming numbers for consumers were found, since the commercial herbs pointed levels above the recommended for all analyzed metals, which indicate the urgent need for better inspection, as well as improved manufacturing practices of the final product and a better raw material cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of the adsorption of heavy metals in soil can be used to assess this contribution in the contamination of surface and groundwater. This work had as objective to study the adequacy of the models of Langmuir and Freundlich to describe the adsorption of copper in a Rhodic Hapludox soil with clay texture. To determine the adsorption capacity of copper in the soil, we used 2.000 g of soil added 10 mL of CaCl2 0.01 mol L-1 and 10 mL solutions of CuCl2 with different concentrations. The maximum adsorption capacity of copper in the soil, determined by the Langmuir model, was 2.95 mg g-1. Moreover, the results showed that the Freundlich model showed better fit to the experimental data, adequately simulate the adsorption of copper in the soil under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to correlate the exposure of toxic metals in atmospheric particulate matter and temperature (T) with hospital admissions for respiratory diseases in Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil. The hospital admissions data survey for respiratory diseases was performed from the hospital data base information system and emergency from May to December 2011. The determinations of the toxic metals cadmium (Cd2+), copper (Cu2+) and lead (Pb2+) from passive sampler were performed by differential pulse voltammetry. The data from T was obtained by the weather station of UNESP. During the period of study 811 medical records of hospital admissions for respiratory diseases were analyzed. The average concentration of toxic metals in MP was of Cd2+ 26.5±17.8 μg/m2, Cu2+ 36.3±18.6 μg/m2, Pb2+ 44.1±20.0μg/m2. The average T was 21.8±1.95 °C. Therefore, it was observed that there was a positive correlation between the number of hospitalizations with Pb2+ (r=0.756) e T (r=0.713). It was concluded that high levels of Pb2+ in the atmosphere and T causes increase of hospital admissions due to respiratory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of crop and pasture has been an important if not the main alternative of pig slurry disposal. However, its use has often been made in quantities exceeding the requirements of crops and with sequential applications that can enhance the polluting effect of this waste once the soil has a limited capacity of support. The present study aimed to determine the total content of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn) and cadmium (Cd) in areas that are used as a disposal site of pig slurry. For this, there were collected soil samples in 13 farms in the West Region of Santa Catarina used annually as a disposal site, and which had a history of application of the residue from 4 to 22 years. In addition, it was also conducted soil sampling in an experiment in the municipality of Paraíso do Sul, RS under natural pasture, that during five years received 28 applications of pig slurry. Zinc and copper are the elements that deserve more attention in relation to a possible accumulation in the soil, in areas with application of pig slurry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals, also called trace elements, may be essential to the metabolism of living organisms, and at the same time, depending on their concentrations, highly toxic. With the objective to investigate the toxicity of water of the Butuí-Icamaquã Rivers Basin on the border west of Rio Grande do Sul, were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer, the contents of aluminum, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, manganese, nickel and zinc in abdominal viscera of fish, collected between June 2007 and February 2008, at selected points in Butuí, Icamaquã and Uruguai rivers. Aluminum, cadmium, manganese and nickel were above the levels considered safe for human consumption and levels near the legal limit were found for chrome and copper. The simultaneous analysis of water samples collected in the same locations showed levels above the legal limits of bromine, chromate, copper, cyanide, lead, manganese, phenols, phosphate and sulfate. These elements, in such concentrations in water and in fish, may compromise the ecosystem or pose risks to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research was to determine the heavy metals concentration in blood (Pb, Ni and Cd), serum (Cu and Zn), hair and milk (Pb, Ni, Cd, Cu and Zn) of cattle raised in industrial (with steel mill) and non-industrial areas in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The samples were collected during summer and winter, aiming to verify animals contamination related to environment and year season. The environment significantly influenced the concentration of Cu obtained on serum samples, with higher values for cattle from the industrialized area. The sampling time affected the concentration of Cu (serum), Zn (serum and milk), Pb (blood) and Cd (blood and hair), with higher values for summer, except for Cd measured on hair. Meaningful interactions (P<0.05) between environment and year season were identified for Cu (hair and milk), Zn (hair) and Ni (serum, hair and milk). The results obtained show that the presence of steel mills in a determined area does not mean, necessarily that higher concentration of heavy metals will be found in cattle biological matrices. The seasonality can influence the heavy metal concentration obtained from these matrices, fact that should be considered in environment monitoring programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish is an important source of heavy metal exposition and contamination for human being. Accumulation of mercury (Hg) in men occurs by chronicle exposition, through the food chain, by ingestion of fish contaminated with mercury. Because of biomagnifications the carnivorous fish that is on the top of the food chain shows a higher concentration of mercury in their tissues and can represent the aquatic environmental contamination. This work aims to establish histopathologic analysis and total mercury concentration in different tissues from thirty-one Trichiurus lepturus, a commercial fish from Itaipu Beach, Niterói, RJ. T. lepturus collected showed mean values of total mercury concentration of 0.051±0.031μg g-1 and 0.006±0.004μg g-1, respectively in muscle and kidney tissues. It was also conducted an analysis of mercury concentration from a pool of brain tissue from all individuals (0.019μg g-1). Minimum and maximum mercury values in muscular and kidney tissues showed a wide dispersion. There was a positive correlation between total length and mercury muscular tissue concentration (R=0.85) and between body weight and mercury muscular tissue concentration (R=0.88), both highly significant. No significant correlation (r=0.24) was observed between kidney weight and mercury tissue concentration (P>0.19). In a multiple comparison test among muscle, kidneys and brain mercury tissue concentration, it was observed a highly significant difference between muscle and kidneys (P<0.001), as well as between muscle and brain (P<0.001). Comparison between kidney and brain mercury tissue concentration also showed a significant difference with a probability level of 5% (P<0.05). Histopathology demonstrated damage in the kidneys (cartilaginous metaplasia in some individuals and a high presence of melanomacrophage centers). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of application of siderurgical residue, originated from the zinc concentration in siderurgical high-ovens mud, as supply of zinc for rice plants (Oryza sativa L.) and the toxicity due to cadmium and lead from the residue, were studied in a greenhouse experiment.The period of the experiment was from April of 2005 to March of 2006. The soil materials were from the A and B horizons of a Yellow - Red Oxisol, and the A horizon of an Entisol, from Pinheiral municipality, State of Rio de Janeiro, and the rice (Oryza sativa L.) variety utilized was the "BRS Curinga". There were applied four dosages of residue (94; 281; 844 and 2531kg ha-1) plus the testimony, without residue. The amount of zinc, cadmium and lead was determined in the root and aerial part of the rice plants. The plants cultivated in the A horizon of the Entisol presented the biggest dry biomass production, the highest zinc accumulation, and the smallest cadmium level. The plants cultivated in the Oxisol B horizon had the smallest dry biomass production, lowest zinc accumulation, and the highest level of lead. As for the Oxisol A horizon, the rice plants showed a good dry biomass production. The zinc and lead concentrated, mainly, in the roots; and cadmium in the aerial part. Based on the characteristics of the studied soils, and the fitotoxicity by lead showed in the rice plants grown on the Oxisol B horizon, the application of the siderurgical residue, is not recommended, as a zinc source for the rice crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present study was to investigate the impact of metals dissolved and in sediments in the Cintra Stream located in Botucatu city, SP, downstream Unesp Campus SP, Brazil. The potentially toxic metal dissolved in the water were detected in most of the collection places. Points 1 to 7 surpassed the maximum index allowed by Resolution of CONAMA no 357/2005, for the Cd (until 0,280 mg. L-1), Fe (5,0 to 47,79 mg. L-1), Ni (0,027 to 0,378 mg. L-1), Zn (< 5,0 mg. L-1), Pb (0,033 to 0,072 mg. L-1), Cu (0,028 to 3,82 mg. L-1). It was also detected the possible focal generating sources (effluent treated and not treated) and diffuse (agrochemistry and lixiviated residues of the "Marechal Rondon" high-way) that significantly impairs the water quality. As for the physical and chemical parameters studied, only the electrical conductivity-EC presented indicative values of pollution in almost all the sites (over 100mS/cm). Metals in sediments presented high values, which probably are impairing the aquatic biota. Corrective mechanisms in the main generate focus of pollution, continued education to the agriculturists who use agrochemistry and mitigate measures in the reduction of "rainfall-runoff" from the road, are necessary measures for the recover water quality along Cintra stream, for the use and occupation of the ground or for recreation purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]