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The Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) is categorized as vulnerable in the Brazilian list of endangered animals, and its populations suffer from several anthropological threats. In this study, we analyzed the presence of macro, meso, and microplastics (MPs) in Guiana dolphins (n = 12) in Brazil Southeastern coast by analysing their gastrointestinal tract. The MP extractions were carried out with H 2 O 2 (35 %) to remove organic matter. Four specimens ingested meso and macroplastics, including an item of polypropylene of 19.22 cm that was produced about 943 km from the place in which the animal was found stranded. All the specimens analyzed had fragment-type microplastics in their intestines. Blue was the prevailing color, followed by black, green, and red. We highlight the contamination by microplastics in the species, still little investigated, especially the need to understand the contamination by microplastics along trophic levels., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: LVGS reports financial support was provided by Coordination of Higher Education Personnel Improvement. MCC reports equipment, drugs, or supplies were provided by National Institute of Advanced Analytical Sciences and Technologies. MASA reports financial support was provided by National Council for Scientific and Technological Development. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Brazil maintains its position at the top of the global ranking of plastic producers, yet recycling efforts have been incipient. Recent data reveals an annual production of approximately 14 million tons of plastic waste, not accounting for the surge in the usage of plastic masks and related materials due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, what remains largely unreported is that over half of post-consumer plastic packaging in Brazil is managed without any monitoring, and it remains unclear how this will contribute to the occurrence of plastic waste and microplastics in Brazilian freshwaters. This scenario requires the consideration of several other crucial factors. Studies have been carried out mainly in marine and estuarine waters, while data on freshwaters are lacking. Brazil has continental dimensions and the highest water availability on the planet, yet the demand for water is greatest in regions with medium to low supply. Many densely populated Brazilian urban areas face chronic flood problems, possess inadequate levels of wastewater treatment, and display inadequate solid waste management practices. Consequently, urban freshwater with tropical characteristics in Brazil presents an intriguing scenario and is complementary to the most commonly studied marine environments. In this study, we explore the nuances of pollution in Brazilian urban freshwater and discuss how various parameters, such as organic matter, suspended solids, temperature, and pH, among others, influence the behavior of microplastics and their interactions with organic and inorganic contaminants. Furthermore, we address how microplastic conditions, such as biofouling, the type of plastic, or degradation level, may impact their behavior. By analyzing how these conditions change, we propose priority themes for investigating the occurrence of microplastics in Brazilian urban freshwater systems under different degrees of human impact. Ultimately, this study aims to establish a network dedicated to standardized monitoring of microplastic pollution in Brazilian urban freshwaters., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

As the main components of the building envelope, construction materials have a straight relation with air contaminants from anthropogenic origins. Titanium dioxide has been recently applied in construction industry products since its photocatalytic properties can be used for pollutant degradation purposes. This study evaluated the performance of cement-based mortars with the incorporation of TiO 2 nanoparticles and mineral admixtures. Six mortar compositions were defined by considering two reference mixes (with and without TiO 2 incorporation), two mineral admixtures (bentonite and metakaolin) as partial cement replacement and one waste from ornamental stone processing in two levels of partial substitution of natural sand. Consistency index, density, and entrained air content of mixtures were investigated at fresh state. Compressive strength, water absorption, sorptivity, and micrographs from scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize mortars at hardened state. It was observed that incorporation of TiO 2 does not considerably change mortar's properties at fresh and hardened state, despite a denser microstructure and improved interfacial transition zone. In general, the relation between the water-to-cement ratio and porosity on the performances of TiO 2 -added mortars was shown, which is strongly related to their photocatalytic efficiency. Metakaolin mixtures were more efficient to NO conversion, and high selectivity was observed for the bentonite mortars., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Formaldehyde is one of the most toxic contaminants of indoor environments and very common in the anatomy laboratory. In this work, we investigated the level of formaldehyde exposure to staff and students who attended an anatomy lab and in nearby environments in the same university building. We also performed atmospheric biomonitoring of the sites with the lichen Cladonia verticillaris. Quantification samplings were performed over four weeks, on 7 days with and 7 days without practical classes, totaling 70 samples. The samples were collected in five different locations, three points inside the laboratory and two points outside the laboratory, representing nearby and susceptible environments to contamination. The results showed CHOH concentrations from 0.20-3.76 ppmv for days with practical courses and 0.17-3.06 ppmv for days without practical classes. Although the laboratory was more contaminated than the surrounding environments, the concentration of formaldehyde in these areas is not negligible, showing a dispersion of formaldehyde from the laboratory. Potential dose (PD) and cancer risk (CR) were calculated for an individual exposed to the same levels analyzed for 8 h daily and 30 years of work. The study on C. verticillaris lasted 90 days and evaluated the variation of chlorophyll and pheophytin (photosynthetic pigments). The results showed a significant difference in the production of chlorophylls a and b and total chlorophyll when compared to control, and there was also a progressive increase of the total pheophytin/total chlorophyll ratio. The results also showed the correlation between the increase in chlorophylls and the studied environments with less ventilation since these places provided greater accumulation of formaldehyde in the long run. Thus, measurable evidence was obtained of biological disorders in a living organism caused by exposure to formaldehyde., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Formaldehyde levels in the atmosphere are a concern in the indoor and outdoor air and many methods for determining this compound have been developed. The use of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) for reaction with formaldehyde, catalyzed by acid, forming a hydrazone derivative in cartridges is considered the standard method for analyzing formaldehyde compounds in the air. However, formaldehyde is quantified using an analytical curve, created by diluting liquid standards of the formaldehyde-DNPH product. The analysis aims to quantify the gas phase formaldehyde, and it may be subject to experimental biases from the differences in the matrix of the sample (gas) and calibration standard (liquid). The objective of this work was to build an analytical curve in the gaseous phase using a synthetic air/formaldehyde mixing system (SFMS) and sampling with SPE-DNPH-tubes, comparing with the analytical curve in the liquid phase adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Parameters of linearity, sensitivity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), precision and accuracy (recovery) were determined from the analytical curve in the gaseous phase. The best recovery in DNPH-tubes was obtained using the range of 400-1600 mL min -1 of flow rates in the gaseous phase. The sampling and reaction/elution of formaldehyde using DNPH-tubes presented adequate linearity and a similar sensitivity in the liquid analytical curve. Considering the LOD and LOQ in the gaseous phase, the values in nanograms are higher than those in the liquid phase. This study suggests that the quantification of formaldehyde in ambient air may be subject to bias due to differences in derivatization reaction efficiency. However, the results prove the efficiency of formaldehyde recovery from the atmosphere and the validity of the use of this DNPH-tube method.

A new automated Solar Water Pasteurization Disc of double reflection of 3.8 and 1.3 m in diameter for the first and second reflectors has been erected and tested for performing microbiological disinfection of water in a simple, efficient, and continuous treatment in Brazil. The disc was constructed with a light weight aluminum frame and low-cost materials such as iron and small mirrors of 10 × 10 cm for easy assembly and replacement. The solar disc is automated for solar azimuth tracking and free of any connection to the electrical network. Experiments were conducted in summer and autumn with an average solar radiation of 150 W m-2, and the solar disc achieved a water flow of 60 litres per hour at temperatures above 60 °C. The water showed 100% disinfection effectiveness in tests with Escherichia coli. Therefore, this solar disc produces 315 litres of safe water between 10:00 and 15:00 h in the Brazilian Southeast. The solar disc's low relative weight, portability, and lack of connection to the electricity grid and production of drinking water for one family per day make it possible to consider its use in rural areas that are poor and difficult to access.

The Zumbi dos Palmares land reform settlement lacks modern facilities for water and sewage treatment. Local farmers often use shallow wells as alternative source of water supply, because the water table is reasonably high in the region. This work presents a multivariate analysis assessment of physicochemical and bacteriological parameters and pesticide residues in water samples collected from these shallow wells. The physicochemical parameters analyzed were: conductivity, pH, DOC (dissolved organic carbon), nitrate, turbidity, and bacteriological analysis measuring total and fecal coliforms. The results show non-compliance with Brazilian legal standards in most samples where low pH values were found, characterizing the presence of acidic waters. Another example of non-compliance is the presence of total and fecal coliforms in for drinking water in most of the samples and, in some cases, very high values (2,400 CFU). Some wells showed high conductivity values, probably associated with a history of oceanic intrusion. Analyses determining the contamination by pesticides show the presence of ametrine, atrazine, methyl parathion, carbaryl and hexazinone. The concentration for these compounds ranged from 0.14 to 1.17 μg/L. Ordinance No 2914/2011 from the Brazilian Ministry of Health establishes the acceptable limits for atrazine and methyl parathion as 9 μg L -1 and 2 μg L -1 . None of these exceeded the allowable Brazilian and European limits. However, for the other two pesticides, the European Legislation (Council Directive) recommends the maximum allowable concentration of 0.1 μg L -1 and, 0.5 μg L -1 for total pesticides. Our samples that were above the quantifiable limit of 50 ng L -1 , were also above the European limit values. Our results therefore suggest that water gathered from shallow wells at the Zumbi dos Palmares settlement is not proper for consumption without proper disinfection treatments.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) concentrations depend on several sources and factors, such as temperature, ventilation, and humidity. Sources can be external atmospheric pollution or indoor release from furniture, coatings or occupants. In this context, this study focused on quantification of VOCs present in a confined atmosphere in a commercial office in downtown Madrid, Spain. The influence of seasonal changes in VOCs concentrations was evaluated using chemometric approaches. Indoor air was systematically monitored for one year using stainless steel tubes filled with Tenax® TA. Sampling was conducted one week a month, for three days during that week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) for 60 min, every 2 h, totaling 24 h, using an autosampler carousel. The analyses were performed using thermal desorption, and compounds were analyzed by a gas chromatograph coupled with a mass spectrometer. The correlation between these compounds and their concentrations, climatic variations, seasons, among others, were explained by multivariate statistics. Considering the current legislation in Spain, only benzene was present above the maximum permissible concentration (threshold value < 1 μg/m 3 ) from all analyzed compounds. The results indicate that concentrations are related to significant environmental changes, such as ventilation, the number of occupants in the office and types of activity undertaken in the environment. The chemometric analyses allowed the identification of structure analyses correlations between multiple variables for the one-year study. These results underscore the importance of indoor atmosphere studies and chronic exposure to these contaminants., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The papaya is a commercially important fruit commodity worldwide. Being a climacteric fruit, it is highly perishable. Thus, for the transportation of papaya fruit for long distances without loss of quality, it is necessary to avoid the autocatalytic effect of ethylene in accelerating the ripening of the fruit. This work addresses the application of heterogeneous photocatalysis to the degradation of ethylene. A TiO 2 sol-gel supported on polypropylene (PP) and on glass was used as the catalytic material, and a UV-A lamp was employed as the radiation source. Initially, a concentration of 500 ppbv ethylene was exposed to the catalyst material irradiated by UV-A radiation. A sensitive photoacoustic spectrometer was used to monitor the photocatalytic activity. The TiO 2 sol-gel supported on the glass substrate was more efficient than on the PP in degrading the ethylene. Under direct UV-A exposure, the skin appearance of 'Golden' papaya was damaged, depreciating the fruit quality and thus preventing its commercialization. However, the feasibility of the heterogeneous photocatalysis to preserve the fruit quality was achieved when ethylene was removed from the storage ambient using fans, and then, this plant hormone was degraded by a reactor set apart in a ventilation closed system.

This is the first nationwide survey of emerging contaminants in Brazilian waters. One hundred drinking water samples were investigated in 22 Brazilian state capitals. In addition, seven source water samples from two of the most populous regions of the country were evaluated. Samples were collected from June to September of 2011 and again during the same period in 2012. The study covered emerging contaminants of different classes, including hormones, plasticizers, herbicides, triclosan and caffeine. The analytical method for the determination of the compounds was based on solid-phase extraction followed by analysis via liquid chromatography electrospray triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Caffeine, triclosan, atrazine, phenolphthalein and bisphenol A were found in at least one of the samples collected in the two sampling campaigns. Caffeine and atrazine were the most frequently detected substances in both drinking and source water. Caffeine concentrations in drinking water ranged from 1.8ngL -1 to values above 2.0μgL -1 while source-water concentrations varied from 40ngL -1 to about 19μgL -1 . For atrazine, concentrations were found in the range from 2.0 to 6.0ngL -1 in drinking water and at concentrations of up to 15ngL -1 in source water. The widespread presence of caffeine in samples of treated water is an indication of the presence of domestic sewage in the source water, considering that caffeine is a compound of anthropogenic origin., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Photocatalysts supported on polymers are not frequently used in heterogeneous photocatalysis because of problems such as wettability and stability that affect photocatalysis conditions. In this work, we used polypropylene as support for TiO2 sol-gel to evaluate its stability and efficiency under UV radiation. We also tested the effect of the thermo-pressing PP/TiO2 system on the photocatalytic efficiency and stability under UV radiation. The films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The SEM micrographs showed that the films of TiO2 sol-gel onto PP has approximately 1.0-μm thick and regular surface and the generation of polypropylene nanowires on hot-pressed samples. XRD showed the formation of TiO2 anatase on the surface of the films made by dip-coating. All photocatalysts were tested in decontaminating air-containing gaseous formaldehyde (70 ppmv) presenting degradation of the target compound to the limit of detection. The photocatalysts showed no deactivation during the entire period tested (30 h), and its reuse after washing showed better photocatalytic performance than on first use. The photocatalyst showed the best results were tested for 360 h with no observed deactivation. Aging studies showed that the film of TiO2 causes different effects on the photostability of composites, with stabilizing effect when exposed to most energetic UVC radiation (λmax = 254 nm) and degradative effects when exposed to UVA radiation (λmax = 365 nm).

Surgery is the treatment of choice in patients with early stage NSCLC. However, the results remain poor in these patients. Lymph node involvement is the main prognostic factor in patients with NSCLC, but there is still no clear definition of the number of nodes required to consider a lymphadenectomy as complete. Although there is no defined minimum number of lymph nodes required for a complete lymphadenectomy, there are some recommendations to perform this procedure, published by different scientific societies. Current practice in thoracic surgery regarding lymphadenectomy, differs on some points from the guidelines recommendations, with data regarding patients with no mediastinal assessment between 30-45% according to some of the published data. Different studies have probed the fact that the probability of finding a positive node increases with the number of lymph nodes analyzed. Therefore, a complete lymphadenectomy provides proper staging, which helps to identify the patient's real prognosis. Several nonrandomized studies and retrospective series have shown that survival increases in the group of patients with a higher number of lymph nodes removed. There is no contraindication to performing a complete lymphadenectomy. The increase in survival in patients with a complete lymphadenectomy may be due to more accurate staging. Therefore, complete lymphadenectomy should be mandatory even in early stage patients.

This work presents a study of the abiotic degradation of commercially available methyl parathion in aqueous solution at two different concentrations (88 mg/L and 200 μg/L). The effects of solar irradiation and the presence of humic acids were evaluated and revealed a synergistic response between them. The half-life of methyl parathion ranged from 4.9 to 37 days, and the experimental data also show that photochemical processes were the most relevant in this case. The only byproduct found in samples submitted to shadowed conditions was 4-nitrophenol. On the other hand, 4-nitrophenol, methyl paraoxon and a new degradation product (O,O-dimethyl O-p-hydroxyphenyl phosphorothioate) were detected when the samples were exposed directly to sunlight. This newly identified compound was prepared in the laboratory by thiophosphorylation of hydroquinone, and coelution experiments with authentic samples provided unambiguous confirmation of the presence of O,O-dimethyl O-p-hydroxy phenylphosphorothioate in samples.

The photocatalytic efficiency of TiO(2)-SiMgO(x) plates to oxidize H(2)S was first evaluated in a flat laboratory reactor with 50 mL min(-1) synthetic air containing 100 ppm H(2)S in the presence of humidity. The use of the photocatalyst-adsorbent hybrid material enhanced the photocatalytic activity in terms of pollutant conversion, selectivity, and catalyst lifetime compared to previous H(2)S tests with pure TiO(2) because total H(2)S elimination was maintained for more than 30 operating hours with SO(2) appearing in the outlet as reaction product only after 18 h. Subsequently, the hybrid material was successfully tested in a photoreactor prototype to treat real polluted air in a wastewater treatment plant. For this purpose, a new tubular photocatalytic reactor that may use solar radiation in combination with artificial radiation was designed; the lamp was turned on when solar UV-A irradiance was below 20 W m(-2), which was observed to be the minimum value to ensure 100% conversion. The efficient distribution of the opaque photocatalyst inside the tubular reactor was achieved by using especially designed star-shaped structures. These structures were employed for the arrangement of groups of eight TiO(2)-SiMgO(x) plates in easy-to-handle channelled units obtaining an adequate flow regime without shading. The prototype continuously removed during one month and under real conditions the H(2)S contained in a 1 L min(-1) air current with a variable inlet concentration in the range of tens of ppmv without release of SO(2)., (© 2012 American Chemical Society)

Malodorous compounds were identified in sewage samples using two different types of pre-concentration procedures: (a) pre-concentration onto adsorbent column (Tenax), (b) liquid-liquid extraction, in conjunction with sensory analysis. Sulphur and nitrogen containing compounds, hydrocarbons, substituted benzenes and components of essential oils and aldehydes were identified. These compounds were considered to be responsible for the septic and grassy/earthy odour described by sensory panellists. Studies on photodestruction of malodorous compounds present in the sewage samples showed that the main compounds were destroyed. This destruction was confirmed by both sensory analysis and gas chromatography through abatement in the intensity of odour as well as chromatogram peak areas. Comparing odour destruction using two processes, photocatalysis and loss due to mass transfer, the conversion rate was 71% at the beginning, later reaching a plateau of about 65%. Thus photocatalysis seems to be a promising technology in the degradation of malodorous compounds stripped to the atmosphere from sewage, especially when they are present at low concentrations.