Utilization of metal and radionuclide concentrations to assess the influence of shrimp farming on the geochemical characteristics of sediments.

This article assesses the environmental impacts of aquatic biota cultivation, focusing on shrimp farming in Brazil's Northeast, as this practice has proven to be one of the main sources of economic growth in the region. For this purpose, sediment samples were collected from areas impacted and not directly impacted by shrimp farming, and concentrations of key geochemical parameters such as salinity, various elements (K, P, Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn, Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, and Na), and natural radionuclides (K-40, Ra-226 and Ra-228) were compared using statistical tools. Element concentrations were determined using ICP-OES, and naturally occurring radionuclide concentrations were obtained through gamma spectrometry. Statistical tests, such as ANOVA and/or Mann-Whitney, cluster analysis, and principal component analysis, were applied to the results. Additionally, the ERICA Tool software was employed to estimate deleterious effects on both human and non-human biota. Descriptive statistics reveal variability in sediment parameters around shrimp farming. ANOVA and Mann-Whitney tests compare concentrations of shrimp farm sediment and not directly impacted sediment, showing non-significant differences for most elements. pH and salinity, crucial for shrimp health, exhibit higher values in shrimp farm sediment. Alkali and alkaline earth metals, including K and Na, show no significant differences. Factor and cluster analyses suggest that certain elements, mainly radionuclides, are influenced by sediment variability. Hazard indices for naturally occurring radionuclides indicate negligible risk to both human and non-human biota, reinforcing the absence of adverse effects from shrimp farming activities. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the environmental impacts of shrimp farming, emphasizing the importance of monitoring geochemical parameters for coastal environmental management.

Characterization of the chemical composition (mineral, lead and centesimal) in pine nut (Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze) using exploratory data analysis.

In this study, mineral composition, centesimal composition and lead were evaluated in pine nut seeds (raw and cooked) from five Brazilian states. Mineral composition was determined by ICP OES and lead by GF AAS. The results for minerals were evaluated by Boxplot, PCA and HCA, using the R software. Average minerals in raw and cooked samples (mg 100 g-1) were: 15.2 and 10.8 (Ca), 0.168 and 0.113 (Cu), 0.506 and 0.330 (Fe), 536 and 420 (K), 51.3 and 40.6 (Mg), 0.373 and 0.208 (Mn), 132 and 102 (P) and 0.746 and 0.520 (Zn). The average centesimal composition (raw and cooked) was: 53.5 and 47.2% (moisture), 1.76 and 1.26% (ash), 3.90 and 3.53% (protein), 40.8 and 48.0% (carbohydrate) and 179 and 206 kcal/100 g (total caloric value) and Pb was not detected. The chemometric analysis showed a distinction of raw and cooked samples due to significant nutrient losses after thermal processing.

Bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to penguins on the coast of southeastern Brazil.

Bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on São Paulo state coast (southeastern Brazil) was evaluated through the analysis of biliary metabolites in Spheniscus magellanicus (n = 79). The animals analyzed in present study were either found dead during beach monitoring procedures or died at rehabilitation centers. Analyses of naphthalene (NAP), phenanthrene (PHE) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) metabolites were performed using a high-performance liquid chromatograph equipped with fluorescence detectors. Total metabolite (TM) concentrations ranged from below the method quantification limit to 270 µg g-1 of bile. TM concentrations were mainly composed of NAP metabolites, followed by PHE metabolites. BaP metabolites were detected in only two samples. This is the first study using PAHs metabolites in S. magellanicus to assess the bioavailability of these compounds in coastal regions.