A study protocol for a randomized clinical trial on exposure and effects of pesticides consumption - the PEST-EXPO Brazil study.

Randomized clinical trials are considered the gold standard for studies with dietary interventions, which is mainly due to the fact that they can establish causal relationships between food exposure and body composition measures or biomarkers. The aim of this study was to describe the details of a double-blind, randomized, clinical trial protocol to identify, characterize and evaluate the effects of human dietary exposure to pesticide residues in food. Specific aspects of planning (development of a research question, determination of objectives, selection of participants, randomization and blinding) and performance (recruitment of participants, measures to improve adherence, data collection, follow-up and evaluation of results) are addressed in this study.

Arsenite and arsenate toxicity in the earthworm Eisenia andrei (Bouché 1972) in natural soil and tropical artificial soil.

Inorganic forms of As (arsenite - As(III) and arsenate - As(V)) are prevalent in soil and recognized for their high toxicity. Once in the soil, these forms of As can compromise key organisms for ecological processes, such as earthworms. The aim of the study was to evaluate the toxicity of arsenite and arsenate in the Californian earthworm Eisenia andrei exposed in natural soil and tropical artificial soil (TAS).

Factors associated with genetic damage - an analysis integrating human populations from Southern Brazil.

Socioeconomic and demographic factors, lifestyle and cultural characteristics may play an important role in the development of genetic damage. This damage represents a potential health risk to an individual and increases the risk of developing negative outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of a set of factors and genetic damage by gathering data from previously studied populations in southern Brazil.

Trends in pneumoconiosis in Brazil, 1979-2019.

Background: Pneumoconiosis is a lung disease related to exposure to dust in the workplace. The disease can induce irreversible damage to health, especially in lung tissue, and can cause progressive and permanent physical disabilities.

Aims: This study evaluated the temporal and spatial distribution of mortality rates (1979-2019) and hospital admissions (1995-2019) for pneumoconiosis in Brazil.

Mushroom extract of (L.) Sf. Gray as biopesticide: Antifungal activity and toxicological analysis.

(Wint.) Honey is a plant pathogenic fungus that infects stone fruits such as peach, nectarine and plum, which are high demand cultivars found in Brazil. This pathogen may remain latent in the host, showing no apparent signs of disease, and consequently may spread to different countries.

Unexpected reduction in ozone levels in a mid-size city during COVID-19 lockdown.

The current study evaluated ozone levels through passive samplers installed in 4 different points in a medium-sized city (Rio Grande, Brazil) with naturally low NO levels during a week of COVID-19 lockdown. Additionally, we evaluated the consequences of this response with regard to human health risk assessment and reduction of hospital admissions and ozone-related deaths. The reduction in ozone levels, one month after the implementation of containment measures, varied between 26 and 64% (average of 44%), in the different studied sites.

Ecotoxicity of triclosan in soil: an approach using different species.

Triclosan is an antimicrobial agent widely used in personal care products and an emerging contaminant with potential to have harmful effects to edaphic organisms. This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of exposure to triclosan on the microbiota, plants, and edaphic animals using isolated bioassays and a microcosm scale representation (multispecies system). Among the isolated bioassays, the phytotoxicity test with Lactuca sativa, avoidance test with Eisenia andrei, and acute toxicity with E.

Bioassays for the evaluation of reclaimed opencast coal mining areas.

This study aimed to use bioassays (single and multispecies) with organisms from different trophic levels to assess soil quality in reclaimed coal mining areas. Soil samples were collected from four sites: two sites with recent reclaim processes (one using topsoil and other using clayey soil), an natural attenuation site, and a control soil. The evaluated parameters were divided into (1) ecotoxicological tests (avoidance test with Eisenia andrei (earthworms) and Armadillidium vulgare (isopods); germination test with Sinapis alba seeds (mustard); reproduction tests with Folsomia candida (collembolans); bacterial toxicity test); (2) population and community assessments (a fungal count; microbial community analysis using Biolog EcoPlates); (3) microcosms scale evaluation (the MS-3 multispecies system); and (4) chemical analysis (soil parameters, soil metal, and cations and anions in soil leachate).

Distribution of pesticides in agricultural and urban soils of Brazil: a critical review.

The extensive use of pesticides leads to soil contamination and is harmful to environmental health. Brazil is considered the world's largest consumer of pesticides; however, there is no published review of the distribution and concentration of pesticides in the Brazilian soils. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze the occurrence of pesticide residues in Brazilian soils through a systematic review of the data obtained from the official records of government agencies and scientific literature.

Biological activity of aqueous extracts of Southern Brazilian mushrooms.

This study aims to perform a bioactive analysis of five mushrooms collected in south of Brazil. The total phenol content of the extracts was equivalent to the antioxidant activity by ACAP assay. All extracts were able to inhibit the growth of Acinetobacter baumanni, and Auricularia auricula and Lactarius deliciosus extract showed the best antibacterial activity.

Antimicrobial Resistance and Molecular Characterization of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. Isolates from Urinary Tract Infections in Southern Brazil.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of different extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) as well as to associate these ESBL with antimicrobial (ATM) resistance in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. isolates from outpatients and inpatients with urinary tract infections. The study included 435 consecutive nonduplicate clinical isolates, including 362 E.