Sorção de poluentes orgânicos emergentes em lodo de esgoto / Sorption of emerging organic pollutants on wastewater sludge

RESUMO O uso de lodo de esgoto na agricultura promove a reciclagem de nutrientes e de matéria orgânica, trazendo benefícios ao desenvolvimento vegetal e à conservação do solo e da água. No entanto, é crescente a preocupação com poluentes orgânicos que possam estar no lodo de esgoto. A presença de medicamentos (antibióticos, tranquilizantes, antiepilépticos), hormônios (naturais e sintéticos), perfumes, bactericidas, entre outros poluentes orgânicos, em diferentes compartimentos ambientais é uma questão emergente, devido à escassez de informações sobre o impacto potencial associado à sua ocorrência, seu destino e efeitos ecotoxicológicos. Esses compostos, denominados poluentes orgânicos emergentes, podem ser removidos durante o tratamento de esgoto por degradação, transformação biológica, volatilização e/ou sorção ao lodo. Esses processos são influenciados pelas propriedades físicas e químicas do poluente e pelas condições de tratamento do esgoto. Informações sobre características físico-químicas, como potencial de acidez e hidrofobicidade, são importantes para compreender os mecanismos de remoção e para adoção de medidas que favoreçam a remoção de tais poluentes, como por exemplo a alteração nas condições operacionais e/ou adoção de tecnologias. A presente revisão bibliográfica apresenta as características físico-químicas de poluentes orgânicos emergentes e seu potencial de sorção em lodo de esgoto.

ABSTRACT The agricultural use of wastewater sludge promotes the recycling of nutrients and organic matter, bringing benefits to the plant development and the soil and water conservation. However, there is a growing concern about organic pollutants that may be in wastewater sludge. The presence of pharmaceuticals (antibiotics, tranquilizers, antiepileptics), hormones (natural and synthetic), musk fragrances, bactericides, and other organic pollutants in various environmental compartments is an emerging issue due to the lack of information on the potential impact associated with their occurrence, their fate and ecotoxicological effects. These compounds, termed emerging organic pollutants, may be removed during sewage treatment due to degradation, biological transformation, volatilization and/or sorption onto sludge particles. These processes are influenced by the physical-chemical properties of the pollutant and the conditions of sewage treatment. Information on physical and chemical characteristics, such as potential acidity and hydrophobicity, are important for understanding the patterns of removal and to adopt measures that favor the removal of these pollutants, such as changes in operating conditions and/or adoption of technologies. This literature review presents the physico-chemical emerging organic pollutants characteristics and their potential sorption on wastewater sludge.

Photo-degradation effect on dissolved organic carbon availability to bacterioplankton in a lake in the upper Paraná river floodplain / Photo-degradation effect on dissolved organic carbon availability to bacterioplankton in a lake in the upper Paraná river floodplain

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is nowadays recognized as the main substrate and source of energy for aquatic microbial community. The great part of available organic carbon for bacterioplankton might be formed after photolytic degradation of humic material, which constitutes the major part of DOC in almost all natural waters. The effects of DOC photo-degradation were evaluated, as was its utilization by bacterioplankton, through a two-step experiment, one involving photo-degradation of DOC and the other bacterial growth on the photo-degraded substrate. Photo-degradation was responsible for the consumption of 19% of DOC, reduced SUVA254, an increase in the E2/E3 and E3/E4 ratios, in addition to modifications in the fluorescence spectra that indicated a rise in the labile fraction of DOC. However, these alterations on DOC were not reflected in differences in bacterioplankton growth, as shown by the fact that there were no significant differences in density, biomass, bacterial production, bacterial respiration and bacterial growth efficiency between treatment and control.

O carbono orgânico dissolvido (COD) é reconhecido atualmente como o principal substrato e fonte de energia para a comunidade microbiana aquática. Grande parte do COD biodisponível para o bacterioplâncton pode ser gerada após degradação fotolítica do material húmico dissolvido, que constitui a maior parte do carbono orgânico total. Neste trabalho foram avaliados os efeitos da fotodegração no COD de um ambiente húmico e a sua posterior utilização pelo bacterioplâncton, por meio de um experimento em duas etapas, uma de fotodegradação do COD e outra de crescimento microbiano sobre o substrato fotodegradado. A fotodegradação causou consumo de 19% do COD, diminuição na SUVA254, aumento nas razões E2/E3 e E3/E4 e modificações nos espectros de fluorescência apontando aumento da fração lábil. No entanto, as alterações no COD não se refletiram em diferenças no crescimento do bacterioplâncton, não havendo diferenças significativas com relação à densidade, biomassa, produção, respiração e eficiência de crescimento bacteriano.

Bacterioplankton features and its relations with doc characteristics and other limnological variables in Paraná river floodplain environments (PR/MS-Brazil)

Since the introduction of the Microbial Loop concept, many studies aimed to explain the role of bacterioplankton and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in aquatic ecosystems. Paraná River floodplain system is a very complex environment where these subjects were little explored. The aim of this work was to characterize bacterial community in terms of density, biomass and biovolume in some water bodies of this floodplain and to verify its temporal variation and its relation with some limnological variables, including some indicators of DOC quality, obtained through Ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) and fluorescence spectroscopic analysis. Bacterial density, biomass and biovolume are similar to those from other freshwater environments and both density and biomass were higher in the period with less rain. The limnological and spectroscopic features that showed any relation with bacterioplankton were the concentrations of N-NH4 and P-PO4, water transparency, and some indicators of DOC quality and origin. The analysis of these relations showed a possible competition between bacterioplankton and phytoplankton for inorganic nutrients and that the DOC used by bacterioplankton is labile and probably from aquatic macrophytes.