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Objective: To examine the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and associated factors in the adult population of Brumadinho (MG), after the dam collapse. Methods: We included 2,740 participants with information about symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, thoughts of death/self-harm, and poor sleep quality collected in 2021. Prevalence values of all conditions were estimated to compare the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms with the participants’ sociodemographic characteristics and place of residence. Pearson’s c2 test was used, with Rao Scott’s correction. Crude and adjusted logistic regressions estimated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals to assess the association between psychiatric symptoms and participants’ characteristics. Results: The most common condition was depressive symptoms (29.3%), followed by post-traumatic stress symptoms (22.9%) and anxious symptoms (18.9%). Regarding the association between participants’ characteristics in the adjusted analysis, being a female and living in a mining area was positively associated with symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, thoughts of death/self-harm, and poor sleep quality. A positive association was also found between high school education and post-traumatic stress symptoms. In contrast a negative association was found between being aged ≥60 years and symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Conclusion: High prevalence values were found for all psychiatric symptoms after the dam failure in Brumadinho. Being a female, living in the mining area, being ≥60 years old, and having an educational level were all associated with the psychiatric symptoms investigated. RESUMO: Objetivo: Examinar a prevalência dos sintomas psiquiátricos e seus fatores associados na população adulta de Brumadinho (MG), após o rompimento da barragem. Métodos: Foram incluídos 2.740 participantes com informações coletadas em 2021 sobre os sintomas de estresse pós-traumático (TEPT), depressão, ansiedade, ideias de morte/automutilação e pior qualidade do sono. Estimaram-se as prevalências de todas as condições. Para a comparação das prevalências dos sintomas psiquiátricos e as características sociodemográficas e local de moradia, empregou-se o teste χ2 de Pearson, com correção de Rao-Scott. Regressões logísticas brutas e ajustadas estimaram os odds ratios e intervalos de confiança de 95%, permitindo a avaliação da associação entre os sintomas psiquiátricos e as características dos participantes. Resultados: Os sintomas depressivos foram a condição mais prevalente (29,3%), seguidos pelos sintomas de TEPT (22,9%) e sintomas ansiosos (18,9%). Com relação à investigação da associação entre as características dos participantes na análise ajustada, observou-se que o sexo feminino e os moradores da área de mineração apresentaram relação positiva com os sintomas de TEPT, depressivos, ansiosos, ideia de morte e pior qualidade de sono. Também se encontraram associação positiva entre a escolaridade de nível médio e os sintomas de TEPT e associação negativa entre aqueles com ≥60 anos e os sintomas de TEPT, depressivos e ansiosos. Conclusão: Altas prevalências foram encontradas para todos os sintomas psiquiátricos após a ruptura da barragem em Brumadinho. Sexo feminino, local de moradia na área de mineração, ≥60 anos e escolaridade foram associados aos sintomas psiquiátricos investigados.

Powder densification for specified shaped metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is desirable for most applications. The obtainment of such properties is challenging, one of which is the rapid crystal-to-amorphous transition (framework collapse) of MOFs under pressure. Herein, we found that the residual guests of the MOF-5 synthesis process could form binding groups based on the hydrogen-bonding networks of water. The improved processability and ease of compression, which did not promote rapid structure collapse, can be achieved in the guest-loaded MOF-5. Correspondingly, enhanced volumetric specific surface area and methane uptake of MOF-5 were obtained. This work focuses on a commonly neglected but positive function of the residual guests in MOFs, besides supporting the framework. MOFs loaded with multiple types of guests show attractive mechanical properties via guest-guest and guest-host interactions for powder densification, highlighting their commercial applications.

Objective: To describe the situation of food insecurity of families according to the socioeconomic characteristics and dimensions of the food system in Brumadinho, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, after the dam rupture in Córrego do Feijão mine. Methods: This is a descriptive study focused on households carried out from the baseline of the Brumadinho Health Project. Food insecurity, the main outcome, was assessed by the short version of the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Other investigated variables were: socioeconomic data; geographic stratum of the households; family's assets; income; expenses; cultivation of food and animal husbandry for consumption. Descriptive analyses were performed comparing the food insecurity of the household according to the other variables by the χ2 test to compare the proportions. Results: Of the investigated households (n=1,441), 35.1% were facing food insecurity. facing food insecurity had: lower prevalence of masonry households with coating (91.4%; 95%CI 87.7%−94.1% vs. 96.7%; 95%CI 94.9%−97.8%); highest proportion of rudimentary cesspit (16.9%; 95%CI 13.3%−21.2% vs. 9.4%; 95%CI 7.4−11.9); lower prevalence of own and paid-off homes (63.9%; 95%CI 56.8−70.5 vs. 77.3%; 95%CI 72.3−81.7); and income reduction after the dam rupture (33.0%; 95%CI 27.1−39.6 vs. 14.1%; 95%CI 11.2−17.6), when compared with those in a food security situation. Conclusion: The prevalence of food insecurity was high, with report of a reduction in household income after the dam rupture. Moreover, most of the households had worse structural quality and sewage outfall. These results evidence the vulnerability of families and possible violation of the human right to adequate food, denoting the urgency of continuous reparative actions. RESUMO Objetivo: Descrever a situação de insegurança alimentar das famílias segundo as características socioeconômicas e dimensões do sistema alimentar em Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brasil, após desastre. Métodos: Estudo descritivo com foco no domicílio realizado pela linha de base do Projeto Saúde Brumadinho. A insegurança alimentar, desfecho principal, foi avaliada pela Escala Brasileira de Insegurança Alimentar curta. Outras variáveis investigadas foram: socioeconômicas; estrato geográfico do domicílio; ativos (bens); renda; despesas familiares; cultivo de alimentos e criação de animais para consumo. Foram realizadas análises descritivas comparando a insegurança alimentar do domicílio segundo as demais variáveis pelo teste χ2 para comparação das proporções. Resultados: Dos domicílios investigados (n=1.441), 35,1% estavam em situação de insegurança alimentar. As famílias em insegurança alimentar apresentavam: menores prevalências de domicílios de alvenaria com revestimento (91,4%; IC95% 87,7%−94,1% vs. 96,7%; IC95% 94,9%−97,8%); maior proporção de fossa rudimentar (16,9%; IC95% 13,3%−21,2% vs. 9,4%; IC95% 7,4−11,9); menor prevalência de domicílios próprios e quitados (63,9%; IC95% 56,8−70,5 vs. 77,3%; IC95% 72,3−81,7); e redução da renda após o rompimento da barragem (33,0%; IC95% 27,1−39,6 vs. 14,1%; IC95% 11,2−17,6), quando comparadas àquelas em segurança alimentar. Conclusão: A prevalência de insegurança alimentar foi elevada, com relato de redução da renda das famílias após o rompimento da barragem. Ademais, boa parte dos domicílios apresentava pior qualidade estrutural e escoamento de esgoto. Esses resultados evidenciam a vulnerabilidade das famílias e possível violação do direito humano à alimentação adequada, denotando a urgência de ações reparadoras contínuas.

This paper presents a field implementation of the structural health monitoring (SHM) of fatigue cracks for steel bridge structures. Steel bridges experience fatigue cracks under repetitive traffic loading, which pose great threats to their structural integrity and can lead to catastrophic failures. Currently, accurate and reliable fatigue crack monitoring for the safety assessment of bridges is still a difficult task. On the other hand, wireless smart sensors have achieved great success in global SHM by enabling long-term modal identifications of civil structures. However, long-term field monitoring of localized damage such as fatigue cracks has been limited due to the lack of effective sensors and the associated algorithms specifically designed for fatigue crack monitoring. To fill this gap, this paper proposes a wireless large-area strain sensor (WLASS) to measure large-area strain fatigue cracks and develops an effective algorithm to process the measured large-area strain data into actionable information. The proposed WLASS consists of a soft elastomeric capacitor (SEC) used to measure large-area structural surface strain, a capacitive sensor board to convert the signal from SEC to a measurable change in voltage, and a commercial wireless smart sensor platform for triggered-based wireless data acquisition, remote data retrieval, and cloud storage. Meanwhile, the developed algorithm for fatigue crack monitoring processes the data obtained from the WLASS under traffic loading through three automated steps, including (1) traffic event detection, (2) time-frequency analysis using a generalized Morse wavelet (GM-CWT) and peak identification, and (3) a modified crack growth index (CGI) that tracks potential fatigue crack growth. The developed WLASS and the algorithm present a complete system for long-term fatigue crack monitoring in the field. The effectiveness of the proposed time-frequency analysis algorithm based on GM-CWT to reliably extract the impulsive traffic events is validated using a numerical investigation. Subsequently, the developed WLASS and algorithm are validated through a field deployment on a steel highway bridge in Kansas City, KS, USA.

We study the health consequences of one of the largest environmental disasters of the world mining industry, which largely stemmed from regulatory failure. Exploiting the timing and location of the Mariana mine tailings dam collapse in Brazil, we show that in utero exposure to the tragedy significantly reduced birth weight and increased infant mortality. The adverse effects were stronger for infants born to less educated and nonmarried mothers. These findings indicate that poorly enforced environmental regulation may have long-term welfare impacts on local communities.

On 5 November 2015, the Samarco Fe ore mining operations released approximately 50 million cubic meters of mining waste into the environment, due to a dam collapse. Aiming at understanding the potential effects on the Doce River, different regions of the course of tailings were monitored using acute and chronic ecotoxicological tests with 4 species: Ceriodaphnia dubia, Daphnia similis, Danio rerio, and Vibrio fischeri. The results showed no acute toxicity for water column organisms. However, chronic toxicity was observed with the tests with the microcrustacean C. dubia, mainly related to the physical effects of the passage of flood wave and increased suspended solids, given that toxicity was reduced after filtering the samples. The results showed different magnitudes of impact among the upper, middle, and lower Doce River, with greater impact close to the dam failure area. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2020;16:608-614. © 2020 SETAC.Em 5 de novembro de 2015, aproximadamente 50 milhões de m

On November 2015, Samarco tailings dam in Mariana, Minas Gerais, Brazil, collapsed, releasing 62 million tons of tailings that advanced through 668 km of the Doce River and adjacent floodplain. Although the collapse was the worst environmental disaster in Brazil, little is known about its consequences to aquatic biota. Here we evaluate the effects of the tailings mudflow on metal and As concentration in fish and how concentration correlates with water and fish characteristics. We quantified semitotal amounts of Ag, Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in fish muscle tissue using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in 255 individuals (34 species) sampled in unaffected and affected areas along the Doce River basin. Arsenic and Hg were higher in fish from affected sites, likely due to turbulent mixing of previously sedimented material by the giant tailings wave. Silver and Zn concentrations were higher in unaffected sites. Arsenic concentration in Geophagus brasiliensis decreased with increasing fish weight. Copper and Zn decreased with increasing fish weight considering the whole assembly of fish. The tailings mudflow increased water conductivity, and conductivity increased Al concentration in fish, so we expected a larger Al concentration in fishes from affected sites. However, the observed Al concentration in fishes from affected sites was lower than expected by water conductivity. Thus, the tailings mudflow reduced Al uptake or accumulation in fishes. Mercury decreased with increasing water conductivity in both unaffected and affected sites considering all species and in G. brasiliensis alone. Despite the relatively low concentration range of metals and As found in fish, fishes from sites affected by the Fe ore tailings mudflow showed higher As and Hg concentration, compared to fishes from unaffected sites. The higher As and Hg in affected sites require further detailed monitoring to ensure safeguards of human health by fishing activity along the Doce River. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2020;16:622-630. © 2020 SETAC.Em novembro de 2015, a barragem de rejeitos da Samarco em Mariana, MG, Brasil, rompeu, liberando 62 milhões de toneladas de rejeitos de minério de ferro que avançaram por 668 km do rio Doce e planície adjacente. Embora este tenha sido considerado o pior desastre ambiental do país, pouco se sabe sobre as consequências da liberação do fluxo de lama para a biota aquática. Aqui avaliamos os efeitos do fluxo de lama de rejeitos sobre a bioacumulação de metais e arsênio em várias espécies de peixes coletadas na bacia do rio Doce e como a bioacumulação se correlaciona com as características da água e dos peixes. Quantificamos as quantidades semitotais de Ag, Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb e Zn no tecido muscular de peixes usando ICP-MS em um total de 255 indivíduos (representando 34 espécies), amostrados em locais não afetados e afetados ao longo da bacia do rio Doce. As concentrações de As e Hg foram maiores nos peixes dos locais afetados, provavelmente devido à mistura turbulenta de material previamente sedimentado pela onda gigante de rejeitos. As concentrações de Ag e Zn foram maiores nos peixes de locais não afetados. A concentração de As na espécie mais abundante nos locais não afetados e afetados (Geophagus brasiliensis) diminuiu com o aumento do peso dos peixes. A concentração de Cu e Zn diminuiu com o aumento do peso dos peixes, considerando toda a assembleia de espécies. O fluxo de lama de rejeitos aumentou a condutividade da água e a condutividade aumentou a concentração de Al nos peixes, portanto esperávamos uma maior concentração de Al nos peixes de locais afetados. No entanto, a concentração de Al observada nos peixes de locais afetados foi menor do que o esperado pela condutividade da água. Assim, o fluxo de lama de rejeitos reduziu a assimilação ou o acúmulo de Al nos peixes. O mercúrio diminuiu com o aumento da condutividade da água nos locais não afetados e afetados, considerando todas as espécies e também dentro de G. brasiliensis. Apesar da faixa de concentração relativamente baixa de metais nos peixes, os peixes de locais afetados pelo fluxo de lama de rejeitos de minério de ferro apresentaram maior concentração de As e Hg, em comparação com peixes de locais não afetados. A maior concentração de As e Hg nos locais afetados requer um monitoramento mais detalhado para garantir segurança alimentar em relação à atividade pesqueira ao longo do rio Doce. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2020;16:622-630.

To explain how social movements and organizations changed in the context of the Rio Doce, Brazil socioenvironmental disaster, this article identifies a process of organizational innovation. The research is based on documental data and interviews with activists over the 3 y of the disaster. The main argument is that organizational innovation consists of changes in organizational forms and repertoires of collective action, based on existing organizational models and tactics. On the one hand, the innovation occurred through the territorialization of novel organizational forms, intermediated by social movements that act as incubators. On the other hand, it consisted of the combination among extrainstitutional, institutional, and multiscalar repertoires and in the innovation in tactics and performances. Mechanisms of adaptation, imitation, and negotiated diffusion are identified which operated in this innovation process. It is argued that the organizational innovation of social movements was propelled by political constraints of disaster governance, which pushed them to innovation, in addition to the role of preexisting organizations. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2020;16:681-690. © 2020 SETAC.Para explicar como os movimentos sociais e organizações da sociedade civil mudaram no contexto do desastre socioambiental do Rio Doce, este artigo identificou um processo de inovação organizacional. A pesquisa é baseada em dados documentais e entrevistas com ativistas ao longo dos três anos do desastre. O argumento principal é que a inovação organizacional consiste em mudanças nas formas organizacionais e repertórios da ação coletiva, com base nos modelos organizacionais e táticas disponíveis. Por um lado, a inovação ocorreu através da territorialização de novas formas organizacionais, intermediadas por movimentos sociais que atuaram como incubadoras. Por outro, consistiu na combinação entre repertórios extrainstitucionais, institucionais e multiescalares e na inovação nas táticas e performances. São identificados os mecanismos de adaptação, imitação e difusão negociada que operaram nesse processo de inovação. Argumenta-se que a inovação organizacional dos movimentos sociais foi impulsionada por constrangimentos políticos da governança do desastre que os levaram à inovação, além do papel das organizações pré-existentes. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2020;16:681-690.

Carbon nanotube fibers have attracted much interest because of their outstanding multifunctional properties. In this work, double-helix carbon nanotube fibers (DHCNFs) assembled by combined self-twisting and whole-twisting processes are presented, and their mechanical properties were studied based on atomic simulation. We found that the self-twisting of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can lead to interesting intertube entanglements, with the formation of a helical structure. In addition, the twisting process can cause a remarkable decline of the mechanical properties of CNTs owing to their hollow structure collapse, thus deteriorating the tensile mechanical performances of DHCNFs. Meanwhile, by tuning related twisting parameters, different fracture failure modes, including simultaneous and stepwise breakages, can be found. More importantly, it was revealed that, as nanoenhancements, the helical morphology of DHCNFs can effectively enhance the interlocking effect between CNTs and the matrix, thereby improving the interfacial strength and toughness of DHCNF-reinforced nanocomposites. This work systemically studied the effect of the twisting operation on the mechanical properties of DHCNFs and provided an innovative way of simultaneously enhancing the strength and toughness of CNT-based nanocomposites.

The Fundão tailings dam held back approximately 50 million cubic meters of tailings from an Fe ore mine in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The dam failed on 5 November 2015, releasing tailings into the Rio Doce watershed and causing an environmental disaster in a biodiversity hotspot. To guide conservation action following the event, Brazilian authorities demanded an impact assessment focused on terrestrial species threatened by extinction. Postdisaster impact assessment is substantially more challenging than predevelopment impact assessment. Predisaster baseline data were sparse, and much was unknown about how the Fundão dam failure impacted terrestrial species threatened with extinction. Baseline reconstruction and impact pathway validation and characterization was critical. Ecosystem reconstruction revealed that 1580 ha of terrestrial ecosystems were destroyed, including approximately 480 ha of Atlantic rainforest. Collaboration with local experts identified 346 species of vertebrates, invertebrates, and vascular plants threatened with extinction that were impacted or potentially impacted. Species composition and impacts varied within 4 distinct segments of the Rio Doce watershed. Nine potential impact pathways were identified using data and literature review combined with information provided by regulators, experts, and media. Not all were valid. Validating and characterizing each pathway within each watershed segment involved data evaluation, an ecological risk screening, and field assessments. Impact pathway evaluation proved critical to dispelling misconception, accurately understanding postdisaster impacts, and directing conservation action; the importance of this step cannot be overemphasized. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2020;16:676-680. © 2020 SETAC.A barragem de Fundão armazenava milhões de metros cúbicos de rejeitos de uma mina de ferro no estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. A barragem se rompeu em 5 de novembro de 2015, liberando rejeitos para a bacia do rio Doce, provocando um desastre ambiental em um hotspot de biodiversidade. Visando orientar ações de conservação após o evento, autoridades ambientais brasileiras demandaram uma avaliação de impactos com foco em espécies ameaçadas de extinção. Avaliações de impacto pós-desastre são substancialmente mais desafiadoras do que avaliações padrão, que antecedem a execução de empreendimentos. No caso de Fundão, dados da linha de base anterior ao desastre eram escassos, e pouco se sabia a respeito de como os vetores de impacto relacionados ao rompimento poderiam ter afetado a biodiversidade terrestre, incluindo a sua magnitude, duração e abrangência espacial. Consequentemente, a reconstrução da linha de base e a validação e caracterização dos potenciais vetores de impacto foram os primeiros passos essenciais. A reconstrução da linha de base para ecossistemas, feita a partir de imagens de satélite, revelou que aproximadamente 1580 ha de ecossistemas terrestres foram suprimidos, incluindo ~480 ha de mata atlântica. Por meio de colaboração com especialistas na biodiversidade local e utilizando fontes diversas de dados e literatura, foram identificadas 346 espécies de vertebrados, invertebrados e plantas vasculares ameaçadas de extinção ocorrentes ou potencialmente ocorrentes nas áreas afetadas. A composição em espécies variou entre quatro distintos segmentos da bacia do rio Doce, assim como os impactos incidentes. Nove potenciais vetores de impacto foram identificados utilizando-se dados e revisões da literatura, além de informações fornecidas por órgãos ambientais e especialistas, e pela mídia. A validação e caracterização de cada vetor de impacto em cada segmento da bacia envolveu a avaliação de dados, uma análise preliminar de risco ecológico, e avaliações em campo. A avaliação de vetores de impacto mostrou-se fundamental para dirimir equívocos de interpretação e acuradamente entender os impactos pós-desastre; a importância desta etapa não pode ser menosprezada. O cruzamento de características biológicas e ecológicas das espécies terrestres ameaçadas de extinção, em cada segmento da bacia, com a caracterização dos vetores de impacto, permitiu a atribuição de consequências dos impactos, constituindo uma maneira efetiva de priorizar medidas mitigadoras com vistas ao alcance de metas de conservação pós-desastre. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2020;16:676-680.

This paper presents an investigation of the collapse of a 325-year-old multi-tiered heritage temple during the 2015 Gorkha earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal. The research comprises a reconnaissance survey followed by a geotechnical investigation and numerical back-analysis carried out to understand the potential causes of the collapse. The assessment of the structural configuration of the temple indicated seismic vulnerability in the design due to the presence of discontinuous columns over the height of the temple and age-weakened bonding in the masonry walls. The geotechnical investigation revealed the presence of competent soil strata at the location, assisting the survey which indicated no differential or excessive settlement in the foundation. A series of cyclic triaxial tests were conducted on samples recovered during the geotechnical investigation to determine dynamic behaviour of the soil. Further, dynamic analysis of the plinth of the temple under the recorded acceleration–time history indicated a maximum drift percentage of 1.4% and residual relative displacement of 32 mm suggesting the potential reason behind the collapse. The output of this research will support seismic rehabilitation of ancient structures within World Heritage sites across Nepal and effective action plans to safeguard them against future earthquake hazard.

A great amount of iron ore tailings from the collapse of the Fundão dam in Southeast Brazil was deposited in an extensive agricultural area. The presence of this material creates insecurity for the resumption of agricultural activities, especially the cultivation of vegetables, which can accumulate metals at potentially toxic levels. In this study, two vegetables consumed in the affected area, arugula and radish, were cultivated in tailings and in soil. Productivity, photosynthetic pigment content, photosynthetic performance, metal accumulation, and the possible risk to food safety were analyzed. The productivity of both vegetables, arugula and radish, did not differ between cultivation in tailings and in soil. There were no differences in pigment content nor substantial differences in the photosynthetic parameters of plants grown in the two substrates. Plants grown in tailings had higher Fe, Mn, and Na contents than those grown in soil, reflecting the higher levels of these elements in the former. There were no visual signs of metal toxicity for plants grown in the tailings. The levels of metals potentially ingested through estimated consumption of arugula and radish grown in the tailings were below the maximum allowable limits for human consumption. In addition, calculated risk indices suggest a low potential for harm to the health of consumers of cultivated vegetables in the tailings. The results presented here suggest that agricultural cultivation in the tailings is viable and contribute to the resumption of vegetable cultivation in the region affected by the tailings released with the collapse of the Fundão dam.

China is shifting from the stage of large-scale bridge construction to the stage of equal emphasis on the construction and maintenance of bridges. The problems of low efficiency and high cost in bridge inspection are becoming more and more prominent, which threaten people’s life safety. In this paper, the deterioration state prediction model of concrete beam bridge under Boosting DT C5.0 was established as the basis, and optimization suggestions were put forward in terms of bridge inspection standards and processes, which aims to perfect the bridge inspection mechanism, realize the fine management of the bridge and prolong the service life of the bridge. Research shows that: first, the bridge inspection standard with a single index should be improved into the bridge inspection standard with multiple indexes, so as to scientifically determine the bridges that need to be inspected and optimize the allocation of maintenance resources. Second, the bridge deterioration state prediction model is used to add a screening mechanism for the bridge in the inspection plan, which can effectively reduce the workload of bridge inspection and enhance the inspection efficiency. Third, the deterioration phenomenon of coexistence between adjacent traffic assets should be fully considered and the linkage inspection mechanism of adjacent traffic assets should be established to improve the effect of bridge inspection.

Objective:The objective of this study was to determine whether coordination of prehospital emergency health services and Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (DEMP) and being prepared for disasters, such as building collapses, allow quick evaluation and fast intervention.Methods:The information flow, hierarchy, treatment, and rehabilitation processes, and rescue organization and planning during the rescue attempt for 35 people who needed help due to this building collapse were reviewed.Results:Of the 43 people who lived in this 8-story building, 35 were inside the building during the collapse; 40% of them were assessed as injured and 60% as exitus. Almost two-thirds (64.3%) of the injured individuals who were rescued were women. The mean duration until rescue was 330 (57.0-512.0) min.Conclusions:Leading and important factors that can increase the success rate in search and rescue interventions are informing official authorities as first early warning by individuals who can clearly define the situation, early security measures by security forces arriving before the health and search-rescue teams, accurate identification of estimated numbers of injured victims, and identifying and informing appropriate hospitals which victims rescued from the debris will be transferred to there.

Failure in the advance prediction of bridge structure collapse requires an enormous cost of rehabilitation. In most cases, the projection of decreases or damage to the structure due to difficulty in the testing condition. Therefore, this study analyses the damage and identification of the critical structural components' severity on the steel girder arch bridge. Using the Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), this research has tested a parametric steel girder arch bridge. The numerical model of the 146 supported girder has analysed by epoch 500 values of ANNSs's parameter. The stiffness of 10th element is assumed to drop 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% of whole the tested. The architecture model of ANNs was three neurons in the input layer, five neurons in the hidden layer and one neuron in the output layer. The simulation of the data set were 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, and 50:50. ANNs shows the damage' severity in this the stiffness reduction tested by applying the damage index methods. In this research, the ANNs' simulation has been reliable to predict 98% for identifying structural damage. Thus, the results confirm the feasibility of the technique and its application in predicting structural failure.

In November 2015, the collapse of the Fundao dam (Minas Gerais, Brazil) carried over 40 × 106 m3 of iron ore tailings into the Doce river and caused massive environmental and socioeconomic impacts across the watershed. The downstream mudslide scavenged contaminants deposited in the riverbed, and several potentially toxic elements were further released through reduction and solubilization of Fe oxy-hydroxides under estuarine conditions. A turbidity plume was formed off the river mouth, but the detection of contaminants’ dispersion in the ocean remains poorly assessed. This situation is specially concerning because Southwestern Atlantic's largest and richest reefs are located 70-250 km to the north of the Doce river mouth, and the legal dispute over the extent of monitoring, compensation and restoration measures are based either on indirect evidence from modeling or on direct evidence from remote sensing and contaminated organisms. Coral skeletons can incorporate trace elements and are considered good monitors of marine pollution, including inputs from open cut mining. Here, we studied a Montastraea cavernosa (Linnaeus 1767) coral colony collected 220 km northward to the river mouth, using X-rays for assessing growth bands and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry to recover trace elements incorporated in growth bands formed between 2014 and 2018. A threefold positive Fe anomaly was identified in early 2016, associated with negative anomalies in several elements. Variation in Ba and Y was coherent with the region's sedimentation dynamics, but also increased after 2016, akin to Pb, V and Zn. Coral growth rates decreased after the disaster. Besides validating M. cavernosa as a reliable archive of ocean chemistry, our results evidence wide-reaching sub-lethal coral contamination in the Abrolhos reefs, as well as different incorporation mechanisms into corals’ skeletons.

In 2015, the Fundão tailing dam collapsed over the district of Bento Rodrigues (Mariana, Minas Gerais, Brazil) causing deaths, hundreds of homeless families and incalculable environmental degradation. Environmentally, economically and socially sustainable strategies are needed for the recovery of the affected areas. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the development, biomass production and toxic mineral elements absorption of three species of aromatic grasses (Chrysopogon zizanioides, Cymbopogon citratus and Cymbopogon winterianus). These three species were planted on polypropylene pots filled with the iron ore tailings collected from the topsoil of the Bento Rodrigues district. The pots were fertilized with increasing doses of organic compost associated with mycorrhizae as a phytomanagement strategy. A 4 × 2 factorial scheme was used. The seedlings were fertilized with four doses of organic compost, with or without mycorrhizae. At the highest dose of the organic compost (2 kg.plant −1 ), the total dry matter (dry matter of the aerial part + dry matter of the roots) for C. zizanioides was 4.5 times higher than the control (tailing only). For C. winterianus and C. Citratus was 3.8 and 2.8 times higher than the control, respectively. Inoculation with mycorrhizae improved biomass production, especially in C. zizanioides. The Fe and Mn levels found in the aerial part of the plants fertilized with organic compost were lower than those just growing on the iron ore tailings for the three species, which suggest that the organic matter apparently helped the plants in the exclusion of the hazardous substances and therefore increased the tolerance to these adverse environmental conditions. C. zizanioides, associated with organic matter and mycorrhizae, would be the recommended species. The proposed phytomanagement strategy can have a significant contribution to the gradual recovery of the affected area and also serve as a source of income for the local population.

If a steel-reinforced concrete (SRC) structure has improper construction procedures, it may collapse due to unpredictable construction loads. This study aims to explore construction safety, taking the SRC structure collapse incident of a new factory under construction in Taiwan as an example. Through a second-order analysis, the findings of the study show that the cause of the collapse incident might be that, in the process of construction, the designers failed to consider the overall self-weight of the steel frame, which had exceeded the critical load of the structure at that time. This oversight may have led to a global buckling of the SRC structure. Consequently, the SRC structure collapsed immediately after being struck by a small disturbance. In addition, analysis results of a simplified composite column further reveal the differences between the SRC structure construction procedure and the SS structure construction procedure. When the steel beams and columns of an SRC structure are continuously uplifted and assembled without consideration of the construction progress of the lower-levelRC beams and columns, the self-weight of the upper-levelSRC steel frame might exceed the critical load of the SRC structure under construction, consequently leading to the collapse of the structure. Therefore, in order to prevent the SRC structure from collapsing during construction, proper designs and safe assembly procedures for SRC structures should be formulated to perfectly match the assembly procedure of the steel frame with that of the RC part.

In this work, we have developed a novel deep learning inverse solution or identification method to determine and identify the impact load conditions of shell structures based on their final state of damage or inelastic deformation. This artificial intelligence approach offers a practical solution to solve the inverse problem of engineering failure analysis based on final material and structure damage state and permanent plastic deformation. More precisely, the machine learning inverse problem solver may provide a practical solution to characterize failure load parameters and conditions based on the final permanent plastic deformation distribution of the shell structure that is under examination. In this work, we have demonstrated that the proposed deep learning method can accurately identify a “practically unique” static loading condition as well as the impact dynamic loading condition for a hemispherical shell structure based the permanent plastic deformation after the impact event as the forensic signatures. The data-driven based method developed in this work may provide a powerful tool for forensically diagnosing, determining, and identifying damage loading conditions for engineering structures in various accidental failure events, such as car crashes, pressure vessel failure, or thin-walled infrastructure structure collapses. The machine learning inverse problem solver developed here in this work may have potential impacts on general forensic material and structure failure analysis based on final permanent plastic deformations.

On November 2015, one of Brazil's most important watersheds was impacted by the mine waste from Fundao dam collapse in Mariana. The mine waste traveled over 600 km along the Doce River before reaching the sea, causing severe devastation along its way. Here we assessed trace element concentrations and cytogenotoxic effects of the released mine waste. Water samples were collected along the Doce River ten days after the disaster in two impacted sites and one non-impacted site. Sampling points were located hundreds of kilometers downstream of the collapsed dam. Water samples were used for trace element quantification and to run an experiment using Allium cepa to test cytogenotoxicity. We found extremely high concentrations of particulate Fe, Al, and Mn in the impacted sites. We observed cytogenotoxic effects such as alterations in mitotic and phase indexes, and enhanced frequency of chromosomal aberrations. Our results indicate interferences in the cell cycle in impacted sites located hundreds of kilometers downstream of the disaster. The environmental impacts of the dam collapse may not only be far-reaching but also very likely long-lasting, because the mine waste may persist in the Doce River sediment for decades.

In this work, we have developed a novel machine (deep) learning computational framework to determine and identify damage loading parameters (conditions) for structures and materials based on the permanent or residual plastic deformation distribution or damage state of the structure. We have shown that the developed machine learning algorithm can accurately and (practically) uniquely identify both prior static as well as impact loading conditions in an inverse manner, based on the residual plastic strain and plastic deformation as forensic signatures. The paper presents the detailed machine learning algorithm, data acquisition and learning processes, and validation/verification examples. This development may have significant impact on forensic material analysis and structure failure analysis, and it provides a powerful tool for material and structure forensic diagnosis, determination, and identification of damage loading conditions in accidental failure events, such as car crashes and infrastructure or building structure collapses.

The dynamic collapse of hollow and foam-filled double hull composite cylinders is investigated experimentally. Concentric carbon-fiber/epoxy double cylinders with and without parametrically-graded PVC foam cores are collapsed in a large-diameter pressure vessel under critical hydrostatic pressure as well sub-critical hydrostatic pressure and shock loading. Dynamic pressure data is used in conjunction with underwater Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to determine the effect of the double hull structure on implosion mechanics. Buckling initiation and overall collapse behavior are studied, as well as the pressure pulses released during the dynamic event. Incidents of partial collapse are reported, in addition to cases where the entire structure collapses. The physical mechanisms responsible for this behavior are identified, and the time between inner and outer cylinders collapsing is related to buckling phase angle. For hydrostatically initiated implosions, results show heavier foam cores increase critical collapse pressure linearly with foam crushing strength. Pressure pulses emitted during collapse are shown to occur in distinct phases, with an additional under- and overpressure region present if the inner cylinder collapses. Impulse is demonstrated to be primarily a function of collapse pressure, with energy released increasing with core density. For shock initiated cases, specimens are shown to implode below their natural collapse pressure when subject to explosive loading, with the addition of a foam core substantially increasing structural stability and sometimes preventing collapse. Specimens with foam cores are shown to undergo prolonged vibrations before collapsing. Post-mortem specimens are used to elucidate fracture and failure mechanisms.

Prior to Brazil's worst environmental disaster, caused by a mining dam collapse, we had carried out a study of the marine benthic macrofauna (11–51 m depth) under the influence of the Doce River. Our results showed significant diversity, in which mollusks, polychaetes, and crustaceans had the highest frequency, density, and abundance, represented by 162 families in summer and 173 in winter. Our results suggested that richness, abundance, and diversity increase with distance from the coast. Furthermore, with increasing distance from the coast and river mouth, in addition to increasing depth, there was a differentiation in composition and abundance. Multivariate analyses showed depth, carbonate, and organic matter as important factors that explain variations in composition and diversity across the continental shelf. The results could provide an invaluable baseline for measuring the effects on shallow and mesophotic communities of one of the largest tailings dam failures worldwide.

The present study investigated metal and metalloid dynamics in the estuarine water of the Doce River (Brazil) after the collapse of an iron ore-processing tailing dam in 2015. Spectroscopic and isotopic techniques were applied to bring new insights into the effects of the dam failure on the dynamics and hazardousness of particulate and dissolved metal(loid) concentrations along the fluvial-estuarine continuum. Spectroscopic analysis showed that the suspended particulate matter (SPM) of the Doce River estuary consisted of a combination of soil-delivered particles and fine tailing mud particles with small amounts of coarse tailing mud Fe oxides (~150-μm width). Enrichment and contamination factors showed that the dam failure increased particulate Fe, Pb, Cd, and As, and dissolved Pb concentrations. Total concentrations of As (15 μg/L), Pb (30 μg/L), Cd (8 μg/L), and Cr (105 μg/L) increased up to values higher than quality and regulatory guidelines. Human health risk assessment showed that local communities are exposed to a potentially chronic Cr noncarcinogenic effects, although Cr high concentrations were not linked with the dam failure by this study. The particulate Pb isotope signatures reported herein (

Freshwater biodiversity has been impacted by several stressors such as eutrophication, turbidity and metals. Besides these frequent impacts, large-scale accidents occasionally affect aquatic systems, input an intense load of contaminants to the water bodies, as in the case of the Fundao tailing dam collapse (Brazil), which launched millions of meters cubic of iron ore tailing in the Doce River Basin. Our aim in this study was to assess how much stress the environmental conditions of lentic and lotic environments in the lower region of this basin impact the periphytic community. In addition, we intend to verify whether the limits of changes of the periphytic communities agreed with Brazilian legislation for the protection of aquatic life. For that, monthly samplings were carried out in seven sampling stations in lentic environments and five in lotic environments, including the Doce River channel, between October/2018 and March/2021 (except in October/2019). Concentrations of metals (iron, aluminum, manganese and chromium), total nitrogen, total phosphorus, conductivity, and suspended particulate material were determined. The periphytic community was collected from natural substrates (macrophytes or pebbles) and quantified by the sedimentation chamber method. From these data, thresholds of concentrations of variables that caused changes in periphytic communities were determined by the Threshold Indicator Taxa ANalysis (TITAN). We concluded that evidence of chronic impact of iron ore tailing should be revealed and that the standards established by Brazilian legislation may be incompatible with the protection of aquatic life. Moreover, we found that the Doce River mouth and surrounding environments were the most stressful environments for the periphytic communities.

Sequences of erosion control/consolidation check dams are the most widespread channel countermeasure in the European Alps. Some of them were built in the past based on ancient technologies. Nowadays they may not be fully adequate to mitigate the debris-flow/flood events that are becoming more frequent and intense. Consequently, there is the remote possibility that they could fail with disastrous consequences as observed in some cases. A reliable methodology to reproduce the effect of check dam collapse has not yet proposed. Therefore the aim of this study is to define a procedure to simulate the effect of check dam collapse in a debris-flow event. In this study we analysed the catastrophic debris flow occurred in the Rotian channel (Italian Alps) during which a series of check dams collapsed magnifying the event and causing severe damages. With the aid of field data we reconstructed the event and used the simulation tool r.avaflow to reproduce the debris flow. We then defined three scenarios to simulate the event: (A) debris-flow propagation over an erodible channel; (B) propagation on a rigid channel bed combined with the release of impulsive masses to isolate the analysis of the effect of check dam collapse; (C) a combination of the previous scenarios. The simulation performance was assessed analysing the pre- and post-event LiDAR surveys. Results showed that the C scenario accurately reproduced the observed debris-flow erosion pattern. In particular, we found out that most of the entrained debris volume derived from bed erosion rather than the sediment retained by check dams. The method adopted which composes the contribution of bed erosion and check dam collapse could be of particular relevance for residual risk estimation when mitigation structures are old and may fail with potential disastrous consequences.

The restoration methods applied on the areas affected by the Fundão tailings dam collapse have a high priority in Mariana region. We evaluated the effect of different restoration methods and site preparation techniques, depth and seasonality on penetration resistance of tailings, and how these predictors affect tree aboveground biomass in areas affected by the Fundão dam collapse in Mariana, Brazil. No significant differences in penetration resistance and aboveground biomass between treatments were observed, but significant differences were observed between seasonal periods. The main univariate model explained the significant effects of depth and seasonality, mainly by a negatively wet effect on penetration resistance. According to the best models (univariate and multivariate) were those that had depth as a predictor. This study showed how penetration resistance can be an indicator to select the best period for restoration process in areas affected by the collapse of the Fundão dam, but no limit to the aboveground biomass recovery on tailing.

Human-induced rapid environmental changes can disrupt habitat quality in the short term. A decrease in quality of habitats associated with preference for these over other available higher quality is referred as ecological trap. In 2015, the Fundao dam containing iron mining tailings, eastern Brazil, collapsed and released about 50 million cubic meters of metal-rich mud composed by Fe, As, Cd, Hg, Pb in three rivers and the adjacent continental shelf. The area is a foraging site for dozens of seabird and shorebird species. In this study, we used a dataset from before and after Fundao dam collapse containing information on at-sea distribution during foraging activities (biologging), dietary aspects (stable isotopes), and trace elements concentration in feathers and blood from three seabird species known to use the area as foraging site: Phaethon aethereus, Sula leucogaster, and Pterodroma arminjoniana. In general, a substantial change in foraging strategies was not detected, as seabirds remain using areas and food resources similar to those used before the dam collapse. However, concentration of non-essential elements increased (e.g., Cd and As) while essential elements decreased (e.g., Mn and Zn), suggesting that the prey are contaminated by trace elements from tailings. This scenario represents evidence of an ecological trap as seabirds did not change habitat use, even though it had its quality reduced by contamination. The sinking-resuspension dynamics of tailings deposited on the continental shelf can temporally increase seabird exposure to contaminants, which can promote deleterious effects on populations using the region as foraging sites in medium and long terms.

The Abrolhos bank is home of the richest coral reef system of the Southwestern Atlantic, where endemic coral species are found. It has been reported that Abrolhos' corals are under intense stress due to increasing of Marine Heat Waves during the last decades. Additionally, anthropic interventions along the adjacent coastal regions are a factor of concern since they contribute to the increase in the sediment load and to organic debris input in the reef domain. In November 2015, the collapse of the Fundao mining tailings dam resulted in the release of approximately 50 million m3 of iron oxide and quartz-rich slurry into the Doce River. Aiming at using a fingerprint of the tailings and to assess the presence of traces of the Fundao dam material from this event on the Abrolhos bank, this work presents new 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd isotope ratios of marine suspended sediment samples collected between 2016 and 2020 from a network of sediment traps throughout the reef and complementary suspended material at sea. In parallel, we monitored meteo-oceanographic parameters and modeled surface marine currents as an attempt to identify the sediment transport between the Doce River mouth and Abrolhos bank. The r isotopes were used as provenance proxies based on the fact that minerals and rocks tend to have specific isotopic signatures reflecting their own geological derivation. In this context, the isotopic ratios of various potential regional sources for the sedimentation in Abrolhos bank were evaluated. Our monitoring and isotopic measurements indicate that Doce River signatures are detected at Abrolhos bank, following the seasonal Doce River discharge at sea. Isotopic signature of Doce River at Abrolhos bank was also observed during the austral winter (July–August) when cold fronts migrate at the Brazilian coast with higher frequency and energy.

We aimed to show the usefulness of odontological assessment in forensic investigation. Charred remains of two female siblings were found in a collapsed building after a gas explosion. Due to thermal damage of the bodies, the facial characteristics, fingerprints, height and weight could not be used to distinguish between siblings. Since the victims, 4 and 10-year-old, died simultaneously and all personal belongings were lost, DNA profiling performed with their parents only confirmed the relationship. As dental charts of siblings were not found, we could not easily discriminate which remains would be of the elder and which of the younger sister. The odontological examination enabled us to discriminate between the siblings based on differences in deciduous and permanent dentition. We conclude that although DNA profiling is becoming a standard method of personal identification in some cases it should be supported by additional methods to deliver comprehensive forensic reports.