Increasing carbon, nutrient and trace metal accumulation driven by development in a mangrove estuary in south Asia.

Mangrove forests sequester organic carbon, nutrients and toxic metals sorbed to fine sediment, and thus restrict the mobility of pollutants through estuarine environments. However, mangrove removal and environmental degradation caused by industrial activity and urban growth can impact the ability of mangrove communities to provide these critical ecosystem services. Here, we use sediment profiles from an impacted tropical estuary in southwest India to provide a c. 70-year record of carbon, nutrient and trace metal burial in the context of rapid urban development and the systemic removal of mangrove communities. Our results show that carbon and nutrient accumulation rates increase sharply during the 1990's in accordance with the high rates of deforestation. Nitrogen and phosphorus accumulation rates increased fourfold and twofold, respectively, during the same period. Organic carbon accumulation was fivefold higher than the global average during this period, reflecting intense deforestation during the last three decades. The enrichment of Hg, Zn, Pb, Mo, Ni, Cu and Mn demonstrate clear anthropogenic impact starting in the 1950's and peaking in 1990. Mercury, the trace metal with the highest enrichment factor, increased sevenfold in the most recent sediments due to increased fossil fuel emissions, untreated water and incineration of medical waste and/or fertilizers used in aquaculture. Organic carbon isotope (δ13C) and C:N molar ratios indicate shifts to more terrestrial-derived source of organic matter in the most recent sediments reflecting growing deforestation of which may be prevalent in southeast Asia due to increasing development. This study emphasizes the critical role played by mangrove ecosystems in attenuating anthropogenically-derived pollutants, including carbon sequestration, and reveals the long-term consequences of mangrove deforestation in the context of rapidly developing economies.

Policy and strategies addressing prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance in Brazil: A scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is considered one of the biggest health challenges of the 21st century. It has both social and economic consequences; therefore, timely review of public health policies that have been designed to manage AMR is essential. Brazil too has developed and implemented various polices for the prevention and control of AMR. However, till date, no study provides insights regarding the various public health policies or other programs implemented by Brazilian institutes. OBJECTIVE: The objective is to define a scoping review protocol of policies that were developed to address prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance in Brazil, from a human health perspective. METHOD: This protocol has been registered in the Open Science Framework (DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/EC9ZJ). Indexed literature in English, Spanish and Portuguese published till December 2020 in Lilacs, PubMed, Embase, and official websites of the Brazilian government will be reviewed. This review considers all studies identified through a comprehensive search of peer-reviewed and grey literature databases that have a reference for policies made for managing AMR in Brazil. The criteria for the scoping review will be set by two evaluators. A third evaluator will be consulted, if there is any disagreement between the two primary evaluators. A standardized form will be used for data extraction from the selected studies. The results will be presented in a tabular form with narrative abstracts related to the topics identified through the scoping review protocol. The PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews tool will be used.

Assessment of the temporal retention of mercury and nutrient records within the mangrove sediments of a highly impacted estuary.

Mangrove ecosystems are dynamic and biodiverse environments with the capacity to sequester more organic carbon per unit area, per time, than terrestrial forests, yet are among one of the most heavily degraded ecosystems on Earth. Here, we quantify trace metal, nutrient and carbon accumulation rates in a tropical mangrove environment in northeast Brazil, a region that has been rapidly developed over the past seven decades. Carbon accumulation rate results show modest or no increase since the 1950's, when major development occurred in the region. Organic carbon isotope (δ13C) and C:N molar ratios indicate that the OM is primarily derived from autochthonous C3 plant sources. However, the most recent sediments revealed changes from terrestrial to alga-derived source of OM, which is consistent with the increase of total nitrogen, δ15N and total phosphorous content in the last seven decades, suggesting anthropogenic impact. Furthermore, the Hg enrichment factor (EF) in mangrove sediments is shown to have increased 13-fold since the 1960's, highlighting the ability of tropical mangrove systems in trap filtering pollutants from proximal urban development.

Anthropogenic influences on sedimentary geochemistry of Itapessoca Estuarine Complex, Pernambuco, Brazil.

The Itapessoca Estuarine Complex is characterized by a history of intense economic activities developed on the banks of its tributary rivers, often exercised without any control or planning. In order to relate natural and/or anthropic events to the sediment age, radiometric dating method was performed by determining excess 210Pb in the sediment using the proportional gas flow technique. To investigate possible disturbances in recent sedimentation processes in studied area, 20 surfaces sediment samples and 2 sediment cores were collected for determination of concentrations of the chemical elements. Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Si, Sr, Ti and Zn concentrations were determined by the energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) technique. Through the enrichment factors and ratios among some elements associated with geochronological data, it was possible identify geochemical changes in sedimentation of sampled points, with increase of minerals associated with fine fractions and decrease of the proportions of elements associated with coarse fractions. The radiometric dating reveals that Pb enrichment and the exacerbated increase of Ca and Sr enrichment factors are strongly related to the anthropic activity in the region.

Mangrove carbon and nutrient accumulation shifts driven by rapid development in a tropical estuarine system, northeast Brazil.

Mangrove environments are important for maintaining biodiversity and carbon cycling. However, these systems are being degraded at alarming rates around the world, particularly in rapidly developing regions. Here, we examine a sediment profile from a mangrove forest near a large port complex at Suape, northeast Brazil, in order to assess the impact of rapid urbanization and industrialization. We find that total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) accumulation rates have increased in the estuary since the 1980's, directly related to rapid urban development. The TN and heavy δ15N values in the sediment column suggest increasing anthropogenic influences. In contrast, heavy metal fluxes did not increase during these transitions. The increase in TOC and TN accumulation rates during the past four decades highlight the significant role mangrove areas play as sinks for anthropogenically enhanced nutrients in poorly-understood tropical areas.

Geochemical background indicators within a tropical estuarine system influenced by a port-industrial complex.

This study aims to determine the background values for metals in the Suape estuarine system, Brazil, and to identify contamination caused by anthropogenic sources. Two cores were sampled. Sedimentation rates and metal content were analysed. The Al-normalized method was used to infer the background values, and to identify anthropic influences, the enrichment and contamination factors and the geoaccumulation index were employed. The results revealed an Mn, Ni, Zn, Ga, Pb, Sr, Ti, Mg, V and Fe content (mg kg-1) of 101.8, 5.7, 24.4, 8.3, 14.5, 41.9, 2744.6, 4581, 14.9 and ~ 1% respectively. After the installation of the Suape port, an increase in metal contents and in fluxes were recorded. Increases in Zn, Ga, V and Pb are supported by the indexes showing moderate contamination, enrichment and suggest an area moderately polluted. The other studied metals do not reflect an anthropogenic impact, with low values of contamination, enrichment factors and geoaccumulation indexes.

Determination of geochemical background values on a tropical estuarine system in a densely urban area. Case study: Capibaribe estuary, Northeastern Brazil.

This study aims to infer the background values of several metals in the Capibaribe estuary and to identify the likely impact of anthropic activities during 200-years of sedimentation. Two cores were sampled, with subsamples at intervals of 2cm. Sedimentation rates and metal concentrations were analyzed. The Al-normalized method was used to infer the background values, and to identify anthropic influences, the enrichment factor, the contamination factor and the geoaccumulation index were employed. The background values showed concentrations for Mn of 292.2, for Co of 10.4, for Ni of 22.3, for Cu of 60.8, for Zn of 105.5, for As of 106.0, for Pb of 52.9 (all in mgkg-1) and for Fe of 2.7%, The higher values, mainly for As, Zn and Pb, are associated with the influence of the Barreiras Formation. The geogenic inputs are significantly greater than the anthropic activities, masking the contamination.

Comparison of serum creatinine levels in different color/race categories in a Brazilian population.

Serum creatinine (sCr) is usually higher among black people in the United States due to increased muscle mass, justifying the addition of race adjustment in creatinine-based formulas to estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). We aimed to assess if sCr levels are different in low-income communities in Brazil according to their race. A total of 1,303 participants were enrolled (58% females, 50±14 years-old, 33% self-defined as white, 41% as mixed race, and 26% as black). No significant differences in sCr were found between racial groups and no influence of race on sCr was seen in the linear regression analysis. The eGFR, calculated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) formula with no race adjustment, was no different between whites, mixed race and blacks. However, using such adjustment, eGFR for mixed race and black individuals was significantly higher than for whites (p < 0.001). In conclusion, no significant differences in sCr levels were found between racial groups, raising doubts as to whether race adjustment in eGFR formula should be used in that population.