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Landfill leachate is a potential environmental pollutant. Physicochemical analyses allow identifying its elements while the use of ecotoxicological tests aims to understand the relation with the environment. The germination assay of Senna macranthera in different substrates (filter paper, commercial-SCM, conventional-SCV and organic-SOR) was performed with different doses of leachate. The objective was to identify the potential impact of leachate by determining the concentration able to cause inhibition in 50% of the seeds (LC50) and the values of the no observable effect concentration (NOEC) and the lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC). The LC50 and LOEC occurred in the treatments with 6.25 while NOEC was with 3.125%. The test in substrates, It was not possible to identify the LC50 in the SCM. For the SCV was with 66 and in SOR with 25%. The NOEC and LOEC for SCM and SCV were 25 and 50% and in SOR with 50 and 100%.

A avaliação das medidas de proteção e de remediação em áreas rurais contaminadas por um acidente nuclear é mais complexa do que para as áreas urbanas, devido à forte influência de grande número de parâmetros e variáveis associadas a clima, dieta, hábitos alimentares, práticas agropecuárias e tipo do solo da área. Assim, não é possível realizar estudos gerais aplicáveis a qualquer tipo de área. Estudos específicos devem ser feitos nas áreas com maior probabilidade de serem contaminadas devido a um acidente nuclear. No caso da Central Nuclear brasileira em Angra dos Reis, a priorização destas áreas foi baseada em aspectos radiológicos e econômicos. Este estudo preliminar demonstrou que as diferenças nas doses de ingestão devido a diferentes tipos de solo no Brasil são mais relevantes do que as diferenças regionais nas dietas. O produto mais relevante para a dose no público foi identificado como sendo o leite. A contribuição da ingestão de leite para a dose total depende da época do ano quando o acidente ocorre. O momento de aplicação da medida de proteção tem um efeito importante na redução percentual da dose que pode ser alcançada. Em particular, para o I- 131, as medidas de proteção relacionadas com a ingestão de leite devem ser consideradas dentro da fase de emergência a fim de serem eficientes. Made available in DSpace on 2019-11-11T18:13:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Estudopreliminarparaaremediacaodeareasruraisaposumacidentenuclearouradiologico2019.pdf: 1065640 bytes, checksum: 12ab79272d4716233baede28565b1d49 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2019

Currently, water scarcity, especially in irrigated agriculture, has led researchers to study reuse to study industrial and sewage reuse. Landfill leachates deserve special attention due to its difficulty of tratment they are effluents that are difficult to treat and because it contains essential susbstances for plant nutrition, such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and its application in agriculture can be considered a noble use if it is properly handled and does not cause phytotoxicity. This study investigated the effects of different dilutions of treated and non-treated landfill leachate on germination and vitality of sunflower seed (cv. BRS 321), its effects in growth,and vitality and soil atributes under sunflower culture in greenhouse. The leachate was treated by two electro-Fenton process or distillation. The results showed that sunflower cv. BRS 321 seeds, germinated vigorously up to 25% effluent dilution, showing resistance to salinity and phytotoxicity at 50% raw leachate dilution. 15% dillution showed satisfactory results in sunflower growth and nutrition. However the leachate use of higher concentrations showed some changes in soil characteristics. This study suggests that landfill leachate can be used in seed germination under proper use and application, in their lowest leachate concentrations and always based on the chemical analyzes of the leachate.

In the environmental science and engineering community, nanohydroxyapatite (nHAp) has been widely applied for the remediation of contaminated soil and purification of wastewaters polluted with heavy metals for its strong ability to fix these contaminants. Based on this process, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of nHAp in sorption/desorption of Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn in microcosm experiments, considering different environmental conditions and investigating the effects of pH, contact time and influence of natural organic matter and contamination with Cu and Zn. Due to its relevance as a regional water supply source, the environmental scenario of Juturnaiba reservoir (Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil) was chosen as basis for the microcosm experiments. It was observed that nHAp had an effect on Zn and Cu behavior, acting as a captor and promoting the reduction of their dissolved concentration in the water treatment sludge after water contamination with these metals. However, this behavior was modified by the addition of humic acid and acid to the microcosm system. On the other hand, the behavior of Fe and Mn was impacted by these nanoparticles in an opposite way.

The increasing concern regarding the preservation of soil quality suggests the adoption of quality reference values as a first step in environmental monitoring actions. In this context, the objective of this study was to establish soil quality reference values for Al, Zn, Mn, Cd, Fe, Pb, Ni, Cr, and Cu and to correlate several soil properties with the occurrence of these elements in the hillslope region of Rio de Janeiro State. Sixty-two samples were collected at depths of 0-20 and 20-40 cm and analyzed using the USEPA method 3051A. After clustering analysis, the samples were separated into three groups. Classification functions were obtained based on the variables pH - Mg - Fe - Mn, i.e., the variables that were best related to heavy metal content. We determined to establish the quality reference values for the 75th percentile of the three groups. The relief forms of the area, which facilitate the transport of soil fine-particle fractions and accumulation in lowlands, were revealed to be one of most important factors in understanding the distribution of soil heavy metals.

A first large-scale systematic survey of natural radioactivity contents of soils of the state of Rio de Janeiro is presented, focused on the establishment of Quality Reference Values (QRVs). Undisturbed soil samples were collected from 243 areas and analyzed by gamma spectrometry. The activity contents varied largely, ranging from 12.2 to 1,029 Bq kg-1 for 40K (geometric mean of 111.1 Bq kg-1), from 3.5 to 99.8 Bq kg-1 for 226Ra (geometric mean of 29.7 Bq kg-1), and from 5.4 to 314.5 Bq kg-1 for 228Ra (geometric mean of 67.1 Bq kg-1). The highest contents of radium isotopes were found in soils developed on igneous rocks (Leptosol), and the lowest in a soil of sedimentary origin (Podzol). Among the different soil types, the radioisotope contents differed substantially. Separate QRVs were calculated for each radionuclide by the 75th and 90th percentile approach, and the QRVs were estimated for each soil type. The results emphasized the restrictiveness of QRVs based on the 75th percentile or of a single overall QRV for all soils. Therefore, rather than estimating a separate QRV for each radionuclide for the State, we suggest the use of an upper threshold value, defined as the 90th percentile, and a specific QRV for each soil type area. Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-25T23:30:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2018046.pdf: 776856 bytes, checksum: f1e3b26e1110cd386b46bbc7bd6fad1d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-11-21

Bioremediation processes have been credited for reducing high levels of organic contaminants from soils. However, during bioremediation of diesel contaminated soils, for instance, diesel is converted to volatile organic compounds (VOC) and greenhouse gases (GHG), which means that such remediation technique contributes to the greenhouse effect. The ongoing construction of a large petrochemical industrial region in Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Area (COMPERJ) and the transportation of large volumes of oil byproducts (mainly diesel), have raised deep concerns regarding accidents that may result in soil and air contamination. When the problem comes, remediation techniques shall be applied. The objective of this study was to characterize the emission of GHG and VOC during bioremediation of soils contaminated with diesel oil in pilot scale. Soil samples contaminated with 0.5, 2.0 and 4.0 w/w% diesel oil were kept during 3 months in glass rectors (2 L internal volume) kept under anaerobic/anoxic conditions. The soil moisture was controlled at 80% of field capacity. Bioremediation processes were investigated with nutrient’s adjustment (biostimulation), no adjustment (natural attenuation) and sterilized soil (abiotic process). The gases emitted from different reactors were collected in activated carbon cartridges and the GHG were collected in Tedlar bags. The chemical analyzes were performed using a gas chromatograph (Agilent 7690) with multi-detection using FID for CH4, ECD for N2O and TCD for CO2. VOC were analyzed using a mass spectrometry detector (Varian 450GC MS220). The results indicated that gaseous samples contained high concentrations of CO2 but low concentrations of CH4 and N2O. The differences in composition of the gas emitted from the reactors regarding CO2 were statistically not significant. Preliminarily, regarding VOC emissions, such as alkanes and alkenes (both branched), cycloalkanes, and aromatic substituted (such as ethyl benzene), the compounds with higher emissions were cycloalkanes and branched alkanes.

The disposal of municipal waste in open areas, due to its varied composition, including heavy metals, constitutes a potential source of environmental risk. These areas occur several plant species that may pose potential for use in phytoremediation. The objective was to determine the level of soil contamination by heavy metals and identify plant species with potential fitoextratora in the Aura dump area, metropolitan region of Belem/PA. We determined the total concentration of heavy metals in soil and shoots five plant species: Cassia alata, Cecropia pachystachya, Ipomoea asarifolia, Piper hispidinervum and Solanum paniculatum. The bioconcentration factor of metals was calculated. On average, the levels of copper (Cu) , zinc (Zn) , lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) are above the reference values of soil quality for the state of Para, while Cd levels are above prevention values established by the National Environmental Council. The values of bioconcentration of Cd showed greater variation between species, from 0.32 to 0.61 mg kg-1 for Solanum paniculatum and Cassia alata, respectively, and the Cassia alata and Piper hispidinervum species showed the highest values for Zn, 0.38 and 0.44 mg kg-1, respectively. The Cassia alata showed the highest bioconcentration factor for Cd. The garbage disposal in the area contributed to the contamination by heavy metals, however the predominant species in the area did not behave as fitoextratora.Keyword: Bioconcentration factor, enrichment factor, Aura dump

Saco do Mamanguá” is located in Ilha Grande Bay, west coast Rio de Janeiro State and suffers intense pressure degradation, mainly by speculation to build "resorts". The region is extremely vulnerable, given that there are in the region of Ilha Grande bay potentially polluting enterprises, such as mangroves. Samples of surface sediments were collected in “Saco do Mamanguá”. In this region, samples were collected at five sampling points parallel to the shoreline at a distance of approximately 10 m between them. Subsequently dried, sieved and analyzed for physico-chemical characterization and determination of heavy metals: Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn after digestion with aqua regia assisted by microwave radiation. The metal concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry with flame. The results showed that the sediments in “Saco do Mamanguá” mangrove presents average levels of Cd, Ni and Pb above the established as criteria for sediment quality by environmental agencies from Canadia and United States of America, demonstrating its vulnerability to contaminants of heavy metals existing in the Bay of Ilha Grande.

The distribution of fallout 137 Cs in soil samples of the Rio de Janeiro State was investigated. Two-hundred sixty-two samples of soil were analyzed for 137 Cs by gamma spectrometry. A reference data set was built containing thirty-six detected values (14%) and two hundred twenty-six (86%) multiple detection limits of non-detected observations. Distribution pattern of the radionuclide, as well their controlling factors were evaluated based on statistical methods for censored data set (with non-detected observations). The mean of concentration values of thirty-six detected observations was 1.25 Bq.kg -1 , while for the censored data sets the mean value was 0.51 Bq.kg -1 . The references values for the Rio de Janeiro State were estimated as 1.44 Bq.kg -1 (75 th ) and 1.78 Bq.kg - 1 (90 Th ) (considering the year of 2015). 137 Cs concentrations tend to be higher in soils with high levels of organic matter and clay and locations with high levels of these parameters would provide higher Cs fixation. No influence of the rainfall index and soil pH on the Cs content in soil was observed. The data and information gathered in this study provide valuable information for decision making purposes in case of soil contamination.

The diversity of methods for heavy metal extraction from soils complicates comparison of results used by environmental agencies to establish quality reference values. The aim of this study was to evaluate three soil digestion methods regarding the solubilizing capacity of Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn, and to propose a standard method to establish Quality Reference Values (QRVs) for Brazilian Histosols. Twenty soil samples were selected to evaluate the USEPA 3051, USEPA 3051A and Aqua Regia methods in a closed system. The methods tested were statistically similar regarding Cu, Fe and Mn extraction from soils. However, the methods can not be considered similar for Ba, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn; Aqua Regia recorded the highest levels, except for Ba. The Aqua Regia method proved suitable for metal extraction from soils with organic characteristics and can be used to establish QRVs. Made available in DSpace on 2021-09-10T15:07:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Comparing-methods-for-extracting-heavy-metals-from-Histosols-2016.pdf: 458412 bytes, checksum: 351e0ec0770742b76efdd86c5f12537b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016

Although some radioecological studies have been accomplished in Brazilian soils supplying useful information to optimization of emergency planning actions in rural areas and to the management of soils contaminated by 137Cs, 60Co and 90Sr, few studies were made with transuranic elements in tropical agricultural areas. The different scenarios found in Brazilian agricultural environments enhance the importance of studying the biogeochemical behavior of radionuclides in representative soils. The objective of this work was to determine the mobility of 241Am in 3 different Brazilian agricultural soils evaluating migration with depth and Kd values for 241Am and the effect of organic amendments on this behavior. A strong effect of organic amendments on mobility of americium could be observed. The values of Kd obtained in all studied tropical soils were however smaller than those found in European soils and from those recommended by IAEA to be used as default values in the absence of regional data. This result reinforces the vulnerability of some tropical soils to a contamination, emphasizing the need to use of regional values. Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-03T22:36:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 radioproicrer46955.pdf: 300175 bytes, checksum: 4cadb82fee031a00d08ba0c9d65ab713 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-12

Sewage sludge has predominantly organic composition and can improve soil characteristics, such as fertility and erosion resistance. Therefore, its application as an amendment for agriculture is an adequate alternative for its final disposal. However, there is a lack of information concerning soil enrichment with radionuclides in long-term experiments in tropical areas. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the impact of soil biosolid amendment on the concentration of 210 Pb, 226 Ra, 228 Ra, U, Th, and other elements in maize grown in a Brazilian Ferralsol. The results obtained showed that radionuclide concentrations in maize grains were not significantly influenced by either the applied biosolid doses, or biosolid origin, or the interaction of these two factors.

The spread of composted municipal waste (CMW) on land can be used for sustainable crop production. Nevertheless, heavy metals availability may be a problem. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to assess the impact of CMW disposal on heavy metal accumulation in soil and plants. The treatments consisted of an untreated plot (control) and four rates of CMW application. All plots were cultivated in succession of carrot, cauliflower, sweet corn, and radish. Cu and Pb significantly accumulated in the topsoil (0-5 cm) with a similar pattern in the depths of 5-10 cm and 10-20 cm. Cauliflower, for Fe and Cu, and radish, for Pb and Cu, had their tissue analysis significantly affected due to the increasing rates of application of CMW. Nevertheless, the levels of accumulation in both, soil and plant, are within permissible limits. The evidences provided by this experiment indicated that heavy metals are less likely to cause problems for the estimation of CMW loadings to Brazilian agricultural land.

Bioremediation processes have been credited for reducing high levels of organic contaminants from soils. However, during the bioremediation of soils contaminated with diesel, the conversion of heavy molecules to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and greenhouse gases (GHGs) and the volatilization of light molecules can occur. The ongoing construction of a large petrochemical complex in Rio de Janeiro (COMPERJ) and the transportation of large volumes of oil by-products have raised serious concerns regarding accidents that may result in soil contamination. Bioremediation is a potential technique that can be applied to minimize damage from such contamination. The objective of this study was to characterize the emission of GHGs and VOCs during the bioremediation of soils contaminated with diesel oil. Soil samples contaminated with 0.5, 2.0, and 4.0 w/w% diesel oil were kept in glass rectors (2 L internal volume) for 3 months under anaerobic/anoxic conditions. The soil moisture was kept at 80 % of the field capacity. Bioremediation processes were investigated in regard to nutrient adjustment (biostimulation), no adjustment (natural attenuation), and sterilized soil (abiotic process). The gases emitted from various reactors were collected with coconut shell charcoal cartridges, and the GHGs were collected in Tedlar bags. The chemical analyses of GHGs and VOCs were performed using gas chromatography. The results indicated that air samples contained high concentrations of CO2, but low concentrations of CH4. Differences in the composition of the gas emitted, regarding CO2, were not statistically significant. Regarding VOC emissions, such as alkanes and alkenes (both branched), cycloalkanes, and aromatic-substituted compounds, the compounds with higher emissions were cycloalkanes and branched alkanes.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a viabilidade da aplicação do lodo, produzido pela Estação de Tratamento de Esgoto do Aeroporto Internacional do Rio de Janeiro (Etar-Apoio), à revegetação de uma área degradada do aeroporto. A adição desse material ao solo causou o aumento significativo dos teores de carbono orgânico, nitrogênio, fósforo, magnésio, potássio e cálcio, bem como da capacidade de troca catiônica. Os teores dos micronutrientes Fe, Zn e Cu também aumentaram significativamente com a aplicação de lodo. Contudo, em princípio, esse comportamento não está relacionado ao decréscimo significativo verificado no pH do solo, mas sim ao incremento da capacidade de troca catiônica (pH 7) e da matéria orgânica. Não se observou efeito significativo da aplicação de lodo no desenvolvimento das espécies vegetais utilizadas (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia -Sabiá - e M. bimucronata - Maricá). Verificou-se, no entanto, significância na interação entre as doses de lodo com as duas espécies vegetais implantadas. Esses resultados indicam que o processo de revegetação utilizado representa alternativa viável para a disposição final do lodo de esgoto. The objective of this work was to verify the viability of using the sludge produced by Estação de Tratamento de Esgoto do Aeroporto Internacional do Rio de Janeiro (Etar-Apoio), in the revegetation process of a degraded area located in this airport. The addition of such material to the soil increased significantly the organic matter contents, nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and calcium, as well as the cation exchange capacity (pH 7). The micronutrients Fe, Zn, and Cu increased with the sewage sludge application. However, this behavior is not related to the soil pH decrease, but to the CEC increment and to the organic matter increase. No significant sewage sludge effect was observed in the development of the species used (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia - Sabiá - and M. bimucronata - Maricá). However, it was observed a significant interaction between the rates of sewage sludge application and the plants. Those results have indicated that the revegetation process used was a feasible alternative to the final disposal of the sewage sludge.

Cesium-137 (137Cs) soil-to-plant transfer factors obtained in an accidentally contaminated Oxisol in Goiânia and another Oxisol experimentally contaminated show that these soils present higher transfer of 137Cs from soil to plants than previously observed in temperate climates. These differences were discussed in the light of the pedology and geochemical partitioning. Some tropical soil characteristics, such as acidity, low availability of nutritive elements and low content of 2:1 clay type may account for the high mobility for 137Cs even after a long period after contamination. Results of sequential extraction showed that most of the 137Cs is bound to soil oxides.

In this work, soil to plant transfer factor of 226 Ra and 228 Ra obtained in areas of traditional agricultural practices varied as a function of the considered cultivated species, but little variation was observed as a function of the soil type. Beans and soybeans presented a more important absorption than cereals (com, rice and wheat). Values of transfer factor of the legumes (beans and soybeans) were about an order of magnitude greater than the average obtained in areas of high natural radioactivity, while the results for the cereals did not presented such clear differences. Cultural inputs of 226 Ra and 228 Ra are occurring in agricultural areas, but few species can demonstrate it. Soil to plant transfer factor values for 226 Ra and 228 Ra, obtained in agricultural areas seem more applicable in models of risk evaluation.

Vegetable oils are widely used for food production at different levels: domestic, commercial or industrial. The estimated production of vegetable oil, in Brazil, is three billion liters per year. Only 2.5% of cooking oil waste (WCO) are recycled. This paper presents to evaluate the environmental impact of OVR in two Brazilian soils (sandy and loamy) and to estimate the terrestrial toxicity level (leakage test) and phytotoxicity (germination tests using lettuce seeds - Lactuca sativa L. – as well as in lettuce cultivation under greenhouse conditions). After leaching, the sandy soil had a slight lower WCO adsorption capacity than the clayey soil. The introduction of WCO caused clayey soil compaction. The WCO presence was toxic to earthworms, regardless of soil type. WCO negatively influenced germination and radicle growth in the eco toxicity assays. The different tested doses of WCO in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cultivation caused changes in plant morphology for all physical parameters analyzed for both soils. We concluded that the WCO is a potential contaminant residue when improperly disposed over the soil, compromising the soil-plant system.

Considering the increasing need for reliable soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) determinations, 19 Brazilian soil samples were selected to compare the results of two methods (a) a modified dichromate wet digestion and Kjeldahl that has been in use by Embrapa in most of Brazilian soil surveys (Embrapa's method), and (b) an automated technique based on dry combustion (Perkin-Elmer 2.400 Series II–CHN Mode). Considering that the last method is very much influenced by sample size, two weights were tested (10 and 100 mg). The influence of two particle sizes for both methods (crushed and sieved to pass a 0.177-mm mesh) was also tested. A simple linear regression with the confidence limits for the intercept and slope were used to compare methods. Precision was evaluated by the coefficient of variation (C.V.). The results showed that simple crushing is inadequate for performance analysis by dry combustion mainly for small samples (10 mg), where the precision is also low (19.77% for N and 9.41% for C). The dry combu...

In this study, soil to plant transfer factor values were determined for 137Cs and 60Co in radish (Raphanus sativus), maize (Zea mays L.) and cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) growing in gibbsite-, kaolinite- and iron-oxide-rich soils. After 3 years of experiment in lysimeters it was possible to identify the main soil properties able to modify the soil to plant transfer processes, e.g. exchangeable K and pH, for 137Cs, and organic matter for 60Co. Results of sequential chemical extraction were coherent with root uptake and allowed the recognition of the role of iron oxides on 137Cs behaviour and of Mn oxides on 60Co behaviour. This information should provide support for adequate choices of countermeasures to be applied on tropical soils in case of accident or for remediation purposes.

In this work the role of organic matter in the potential mobility and bioavailability of 137 Cs and 60 Co in Brazilian soil was investigated. Radish was cultivated in pots containing the top layer (0–20 cm) of a Histosol, Ferralsol and Nitisol spiked with 137 Cs and 60 Co. In the case of the Ferralsol and Nitisol samples, besides the control, two different rates of organic amendments were used. In these soils, a sequential extraction protocol was used to identify the main soil compartments that could be responsible for the variation of transfer factor values. Our results indicate that organic amendment could be suggested as a practical countermeasure for 137 Cs and 60 Co contamination, since it reduces bioavailability of radionuclides and, consequently, soil to plant transfer factor values by almost one order of magnitude in a short period of time.

Sewage sludge is composed of predominantly organic matter and can be used to improve soil characteristics, such as fertility. Therefore, its application in agriculture is an adequate alternative for its final disposal. However, there is a lack of information on its long-term effects on soil changes in tropical areas. Thus, the objectives of this study were to determine: (a) the effect of sewage sludge application on heavy metal build-up in soil and maize grains and (b) the effects of soil amendment with sewage sludge on the chemical properties of a Brazilian Oxisol. Besides the increasing levels of Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd, Pb and Cr, amending soil with sewage sludge also alters the distribution of these metals by increasing the mobile Phases, which correlated significantly with the increase in metal extraction with two single extractants, Mehlich 1 (HCl 0.05 mol L –1 + H2SO4 0.0125 mol L –1 ) and DTPA (Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid). Nevertheless, metal build-up in soil and plants was within the allowed limits. The data obtained does not indicate any expressive drawbacks in the use of sewage sludge as a soil amendment, as the heavy metal concentrations observed are unlikely to cause any environmental or health problems, even overestimated loadings.