High CO2 effects on growth and biometal contents in the pioneer species Senna reticulata: climate change predictions.

The aim of the present study consisted in evaluating the effects of CO2 enrichment on the growth and biometal/nutrient content and accumulation in Senna reticulata germinated under two different carbon dioxide concentrations: atmospheric (360 mg L-1) and elevated (720 mg L-1). Biometal/nutrient determinations were performed on three different plant portions (leaflets, stem and root) using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. In general, the biometal and nutrient stoichiometries in roots were increased, probably due to reduced transpiration, and consequent biometal accumulation. An Artifical Neural Network analysis suggests that Mg, Na and Fe display the most different behavior when comparing plants germinated at atmospheric and elevated CO2 conditions. Biomass and growth increases and certain elemental levels indicate that S. reticulata benefits from increased CO2 levels, however some results indicate the contrary, making further studies in this context necessary, as these changes may lead to direct effects on food safety, crop yields, and phytoremediation efficiency.

Categorization of the trophic status of a hydroelectric power plant reservoir in the Brazilian Amazon by statistical analyses and fuzzy approaches.

The Amazon area has been increasingly suffering from anthropogenic impacts, especially due to the construction of hydroelectric power plant reservoirs. The analysis and categorization of the trophic status of these reservoirs are of interest to indicate man-made changes in the environment. In this context, the present study aimed to categorize the trophic status of a hydroelectric power plant reservoir located in the Brazilian Amazon by constructing a novel Water Quality Index (WQI) and Trophic State Index (TSI) for the reservoir using major ion concentrations and physico-chemical water parameters determined in the area and taking into account the sampling locations and the local hydrological regimes. After applying statistical analyses (factor analysis and cluster analysis) and establishing a rule base of a fuzzy system to these indicators, the results obtained by the proposed method were then compared to the generally applied Carlson and a modified Lamparelli trophic state index (TSI), specific for trophic regions. The categorization of the trophic status by the proposed fuzzy method was shown to be more reliable, since it takes into account the specificities of the study area, while the Carlson and Lamparelli TSI do not, and, thus, tend to over or underestimate the trophic status of these ecosystems. The statistical techniques proposed and applied in the present study, are, therefore, relevant in cases of environmental management and policy decision-making processes, aiding in the identification of the ecological status of water bodies. With this, it is possible to identify which factors should be further investigated and/or adjusted in order to attempt the recovery of degraded water bodies.

Obtenção e caracterização de carvão ativado de caroço de buriti (Mauritia flexuosa L. f.) para a avaliação do processo de adsorção de cobre (II) / Production and characterization of the activated carbon from buriti stone (Mauritia flexuosa L. f.) to evaluate the adsorption's process of copper (II)

In the Amazon region some industries discharges copper into watercourse that in high concentrations is toxic to the biota. The removal of copper from industrial effluent is performed by several processes such as adsorption. This work shows the result of copper (II) adsorption on activated carbon obtained from buriti kernel, carbonized at 400 °C and activated at 900 °C. The activated carbon was characterized according to specific area, pore size, apparent and real density, porosity, scanning electron microscopy, ash content, pH, moisture, fixed carbon and surface functional groups. The study of adsorption equilibrium evaluated the influence of the coal particles diameter, contact time adsorbent/adsorbate, pH and copper (II) solution initial concentration on copper (II) remotion. The results showed a higher removal efficiency of copper (II) to the diameter D < 0.595 mm, contact time of 300 minutes, pH of 4.01 and the copper (II) initial concentrations of 50 and 80 mg L-1. The mathematical model of Langmuir was the best fit to the adsorption equilibrium data. From the contact time of 15 minutes, all the equilibrium concentrations were below the allowed maximum of 1,0 mg L-1 provided by law for discharging effluents into receiving bodies.

Na região amazônica, algumas indústrias despejam cobre nos corpos receptores que, em elevadas concentrações, é tóxico para os seres vivos. A remoção de cobre de efluentes industriais é realizada por diversos processos como a adsorção. Neste trabalho mostrou-se o resultado da adsorção de cobre (II) em carvão ativado de caroço de buriti carbonizado a 400 °C e ativado a 900 °C. O carvão ativado foi caracterizado em termos de área específica, tamanho dos poros, densidades aparente e real, porosidade, microscopia eletrônica de varredura, conteúdo de cinzas, pH, umidade, carbono fixo e grupos funcionais de superfície. O estudo de equilíbrio de adsorção avaliou a influência do diâmetro das partículas do carvão, do tempo de contato adsorvente/adsorbato, do pH e da concentração inicial da solução de cobre (II) sobre a remoção de cobre (II). Com base nos resultados, concluiu-se que há uma maior eficiência de remoção de cobre (II) para diâmetro < 0,595 mm, tempo de contato de 300 minutos, pH 4,0 e concentrações iniciais de cobre (II) de 50 e 80 mg L-1. O modelo matemático de Langmuir foi o que melhor se ajustou aos dados de equilíbrio de adsorção. A partir do tempo de contato de 15 minutos todas as concentrações de equilíbrio ficaram abaixo do máximo permitido de 1,0 mg L-1 previsto pela legislação vigente para lançamento de efluentes em corpos receptores.