Analysing the behaviour of Sr and stable Sr in highly weathered soils: Soil to plant transfer factor and geochemical partitioning.

Public concerns over environmental protection have increased after Fukushima accident. The soil-plant transfer factor (Fv) is a critical parameter for environmental risk assessment. Cs Fv values determined in acid Brazilian soils could be two orders of magnitude higher than Fv values measured in soils affected by the Chernobyl accident.

Separation of Escherichia coli from natural samples for identification of sources and microcosm inoculation.

Obtaining uncultured Escherichia coli from natural waters is an important step in the study of microbes in the environment, which are critical for bacterial decay and microbial source tracking. The quality of the samples used can influence the assays, because high contaminant concentrations, differing cell ages, and physiologic states can impair results. The proposed separation is based on a three-step filtration method applied to replicates of seven samples from a sewage plant affluent, collected in different periods.

Evaluation of contaminants spreading from sludge piles, applying geochemical fractionation and attenuation of concentrations model in a tropical reservoir.

Drinking water production may generate significant amounts of sludge, which may be contaminated with various metals. For the first time, the mobility/lability of contaminants from two water treatment sludge piles in the Juturnaíba Reservoir was evaluated by applying two geochemical approaches: sequential extractions and attenuation of concentrations model. Both procedures were applied to evaluate the mobility/lability of Al, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn on samples collected in the sludge piles and in the neighborhood of both water treatment plants.

Soil heavy metal content on the hillslope region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: reference values.

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.

Removal of ammonia nitrogen from distilled old landfill leachate by adsorption on raw and modified aluminosilicate.

This study aimed to evaluate the ammonia-nitrogen removal by aluminosilicates, using both standard solutions as pretreated landfill leachate. Three types of commercial clays and one commercial zeolite were initially tested using standard solution; however, only one clay with the best removability and the zeolite were tested with pretreated leachate. The chosen clay sorption capacity with the standard solution reached 83%, while with the pretreated leachate solution has reached 95% and zeolites have reached, respectively, a removal of 73% and 81%.

Effects of untreated and treated oilfield-produced water on seed germination, seedling development, and biomass production of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.).

This study aims to evaluate possible toxic effects of oil and other contaminants from oilfield-produced water from oil exploration and production, on seed germination, and seedling development of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). In comparison, as treated by electroflocculation, oilfield-produced water, with lower oil and organic matter content, was also used.

Pyrene photochemical species in commercial clays.

The photochemistry of pyrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, adsorbed on kaolinite, sodium montmorillonite and acid bentonite K10® was investigated to determine how the concentration and structure of the clay minerals affect the formation of different species of pyrene. Fluorescence emission spectra were obtained using reflection geometry for pyrene at the concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 100.

Differentiation in the fertility of Inceptisols as related to land use in the upper Solimões river region, western Amazon.

The Upper Solimões river region, western Amazon, is the homeland of indigenous populations and contains small-scale agricultural systems that are important for biodiversity conservation. Although traditional slash-and-burn agriculture is being practiced over many years, deforestation there is relatively small compared to other Amazon regions. Pastures are restricted to the vicinity of cities and do not spread to the small communities along the river.

Evaluation of the corrosivity of the soil through its chemical composition.

The study of the soil as a corrosive environment has become necessary, since material deterioration caused by physico-chemical interactions between the material and the environment has been displayed. In this work, the corrosivity of the soil in the Southeastern region of Brazil has been studied. In this region, 16 samples have been collected at varied points located at the vicinity of a slurry pipeline.