RESUMO

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are used intensively in medical and industrial applications. Environmental concerns have arisen from the potential release of this material into aquatic ecosystems. The aims of this research were to evaluate the potential accumulation of silver in the whole body of organisms and analyze the effects of AgNPs on the survival and reproduction of the snail Biomphalaria glabrata. Results show slow acute toxicity with a 10-day LC50 of 18.57 mg/L and an effective decrease in the eggs and egg clutches per organism exposed to tested concentrations. Based on these data, the No Observed Effect Concentration (NOEC) observed was <1 mg/L for snail reproduction. For silver accumulation, we observed that uptake was faster than elimination, which was very slow and still incomplete 35 days after the end of the experiment. However, the observed accumulation was not connected with a concentration/response relationship, since the amount of silver was not equivalent to a higher reproductive effect. The data observed show that AgNPs are toxic to B. glabrata, and suggest that the snail has internal mechanisms to combat the presence of Ag in its body, ensuring survival and reduced reproduction and showing that the species seems to be a potential indicator for Ag presence in contaminated aquatic ecosystems.

RESUMO

This study aimed to analyze the ecotoxicity of nitrogen-, phosphorus-, and potassium-based compounds to organisms of two different trophic levels in order to compare the toxic effect between high-purity substances and these substances as components of fertilizers. Dilutions were made with the fertilizers' potassium chloride, potassium nitrate, superphosphate, urea, and their equivalent reagents, to conduct assays to establish the acute lethal concentration for half of the population (LC50). Ten individuals of the benthic snail Biomphalaria glabrata and the fish Danio rerio were exposed to each concentration of tested compounds. As a result, the toxicity levels of potassium chloride, potassium nitrate, and urea were obtained for B. glabrata and D. rerio, with the fish being more susceptible to potassium chloride in the fertilizer and the snail to potassium nitrate and urea, in both commercial and reagent forms. Regarding superphosphate, no significant toxicity was found. This study concluded that among the tested substances, KNO3 and KCl were the most toxic substances and urea the least toxic. It was not possible to establish the most sensitive species since, for KCl, the fish were more susceptible to the fertilizer and the snail to the reagent, while for KNO3 the opposite was observed.

RESUMO

The release of domestic sewage in water resources is a practical feature of the urbanization process, and this action causes changes that may impair the environmental balance and the water quality for several uses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of urbanization on the surface water quality of the Preto River throughout the town of Formosa, Goiás, Brazil. Samples were collected at five points along the river, spatially distributed from one side to the other of the town of Formosa, from May to October of 2012. Data were subjected to descriptive statistics, as well as variance and cluster analysis. Point P2, the first point after the city, showed the worst water quality indicators, mainly with respect to the total and fecal coliform parameters, as well as nitrate concentrations. These results may be related to the fact that this point is located on the outskirts of the town, an area under urbanization and with problems of sanitation, including absence of sewage collection and treatment. The data observed in this monitoring present a public health concern because the water body is used for bathing, mainly in parts of Feia Lagoon. The excess of nutrients is a strong indicator of water eutrophication and should alert decision-makers to the need for preservation policies.

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RESUMO

This study evaluated the efficiency of two bioindicators, fecal coliforms andecotoxicity tests, set out in CONAMA Resolution 274/00 and CONAMA Resolution357/05, in assessment of water quality. For this study, Lake Paranoá, Federal District ofBrazil, was chosen, since it is a water body directly contaminated by effluents from a sewagetreatment plant. Four sampling points were chosen in accordance with the map ofrecreational water quality published weekly by CAESB/DF, after analysis of fecal coliforms.Samples from these points were collected for 6 months and tested on Danio rerio fish (acutetoxicity) and on the microcrustacean Ceriodaphnia dubia (acute and chronic toxicity), besidesmeasuring chemical and physico-chemical parameters. The data obtained show greatconsistency between the observed biological parameters, suggesting that in this urbanaquatic environment, under great anthropogenic pressure, the fecal coliform bioindicatorseems to be more restrictive and enough to evaluate the safety of surface water.(AU)

Este trabalho comparou a eficiência dos bioindicadores coliformes fecais ou termotolerantes eensaios de ecotoxicidade, propostos pelas Resoluções Conama 274/00 e Conama 357/05, naavaliação da qualidade de água. Para a realização desse estudo foi escolhido o Lago Paranoá,Brasília, Distrito Federal, por ser um corpo hídrico impactado diretamente pelo lançamentode efluentes de uma estação de tratamento de esgotos. Foram definidos quatro pontos deacordo com o mapa de balneabilidade, publicado semanalmente pela Caesb/DF, em funçãodo teor de coliformes termotolerantes. Amostras desses pontos colhidas durante seis mesesforam testadas com o peixe Danio rerio (toxicidade aguda) e o com o microcrustáceoCeriodaphnia dubia (toxicidade aguda e crônica), além da determinação de parâmetrosquímicos e físico-químicos. Os resultados obtidos mostraram grande equivalência entre osparâmetros biológicos observados, sugerindo que nesse ambiente sob grande influênciaantrópica, o bioindicador coliformes termotolerantes foi mais restritivo e suficiente paraavaliar a segurança das águas superficiais.(AU)

Assuntos

RESUMO

This study evaluated the efficiency of two bioindicators, fecal coliforms and ecotoxicity tests, set out in CONAMA Resolution 274/00 and CONAMA Resolution 357/05, in assessment of water quality. For this study, Lake Paranoá, Federal District of Brazil, was chosen, since it is a water body directly contaminated by effluents from a sewage treatment plant. Four sampling points were chosen in accordance with the map of recreational water quality published weekly by CAESB/DF, after analysis of fecal coliforms. Samples from these points were collected for 6 months and tested on Danio rerio fish (acute toxicity) and on the microcrustacean Ceriodaphnia dubia (acute and chronic toxicity), besides measuring chemical and physico-chemical parameters. The data obtained show great consistency between the observed biological parameters, suggesting that in this urban aquatic environment, under great anthropogenic pressure, the fecal coliform bioindicator seems to be more restrictive and enough to evaluate the safety of surface water.

Este trabalho comparou a eficiência dos bioindicadores coliformes fecais ou termotolerantes e ensaios de ecotoxicidade, propostos pelas Resoluções Conama 274/00 e Conama 357/05, na avaliação da qualidade de água. Para a realização desse estudo foi escolhido o Lago Paranoá, Brasília, Distrito Federal, por ser um corpo hídrico impactado diretamente pelo lançamento de efluentes de uma estação de tratamento de esgotos. Foram definidos quatro pontos de acordo com o mapa de balneabilidade, publicado semanalmente pela Caesb/DF, em função do teor de coliformes termotolerantes. Amostras desses pontos colhidas durante seis meses foram testadas com o peixe Danio rerio (toxicidade aguda) e o com o microcrustáceo Ceriodaphnia dubia (toxicidade aguda e crônica), além da determinação de parâmetros químicos e físico-químicos. Os resultados obtidos mostraram grande equivalência entre os parâmetros biológicos observados, sugerindo que nesse ambiente sob grande influência antrópica, o bioindicador coliformes termotolerantes foi mais restritivo e suficiente para avaliar a segurança das águas superficiais.

Assuntos

RESUMO

The pyrometallurgical process of mining for obtaining ferronickel involves a stage of calcinations. At this stage a residue is generated described as a calcination dust of fine black grains. Analysis of this material revealed a significant presence of Fe, around 53,000 ppm and Ni, around 14,000, beyond of other metals as Al, Mn, and Cr. Adults and larvae of Oreochromis niloticus were used to evaluate acute toxicity, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity, and histopathological effects. The data obtained show absence of toxicity in concentrations of 5, 10 and 50% but a considerable potential for bioaccumulation in the fish's body.

Assuntos