A conceptual model for evaluating eco-efficiency of thermal spraying processes.

Thermal spraying (TS) is one of the main processes for obtaining surfaces with the desired protective properties in various industrial applications. TS is an energy-intensive treatment required to heat the application material and consumes different resources. To assess the environmental impact of TS, it becomes necessary to integrate an approach that jointly analyses and evaluates the economic and environmental variables influencing the system. The concept of eco-efficiency (EE) added to the TS process allows for assessing the environmental and economic condition through the survey and application of eco-indicators. The lack of an EE evaluation model for TS processes was identified based on literature searches. Thus, the overall objective of this work is to propose a conceptual model to evaluate the EE of TS treatment, selecting environmental and economic indicators considered more impactful in the process. The model developed consists of three main steps: (i) the input and output indicators (environmental and economic) are identified by applying the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method; (ii) the structure to be employed in the model is defined; and (iii) the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model is applied to define the EE evaluation form. The proposed model consists of clear and easy-to-follow steps for evaluating the EE of spraying processes, filling the gap found in the literature. The use of DEA allowed the integration of the environmental and economic indicators obtained from the TS processes to generate important insights for evaluating EE. The results prove the model's effectiveness in identifying the EE results for each analysed unit of the TS process. The model has provided an evaluation consistent with the existing studies, and the EE scores were assessed according to twenty-one decision-making units (DMUs) allowing the identification of the most eco-efficient DMUs concerning TS processes.

Endoparasite Communities of Fish at Different Trophic Levels in the Western Brazilian Amazon: Human, Environmental and Seasonal Influence.

PURPOSE: The composition of the fish parasite community depends on several factors related to the environment, the host and its biology. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of environmental factors in anthropized and conserved areas on the endoparasite community structure in fish at different trophic levels, in addition to verifying that some species of Digenea are indicators of conserved environments. METHODS: The study was carried out in the Upper Juruá River region, Western Amazon, Brazil. Six sampling sites were selected in this region and grouped in conserved and degraded environments. Fish were caught from periods of drought and flood, using passive and active sampling methods. Fish collected were measured, weighed, necropsied and the parasites found were counted, fixed, and subjected to morphological analysis. Physical and chemical variables and environmental characteristics were measured in all sites. RESULTS: The present study demonstrated that environmental variables in a floodplain system can influence the richness, diversity, composition and abundance of endoparasites in hosts at different trophic levels. In addition, anthropized environments may favor the abundance of some generalist parasites and present a more homogeneous biota between seasonal periods compared to conserved environments. CONCLUSION: Study contributed with information supporting the importance of conservation of aquatic environments, and demonstrated that fish parasites can be excellent indicators of environments.

Density of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in a low-income Brazilian urban community where dengue, Zika, and chikungunya viruses co-circulate.

BACKGROUND: Low-income urban communities in the tropics often lack sanitary infrastructure and are overcrowded, favoring Aedes aegypti proliferation and arboviral transmission. However, as Ae. aegypti density is not spatially homogeneous, understanding the role of specific environmental characteristics in determining vector distribution is critical for planning control interventions. The objectives of this study were to identify the main habitat types for Ae. Aegypti, assess their spatial densities to identify major hotspots of arbovirus transmission over time and investigate underlying factors in a low-income urban community in Salvador, Brazil. We also tested the field-collected mosquitoes for arboviruses. METHODS: A series of four entomological and socio-environmental surveys was conducted in a random sample of 149 households and their surroundings between September 2019 and April 2021. The surveys included searching for potential breeding sites (water-containing habitats) and for Ae. aegypti immatures in them, capturing adult mosquitoes and installing ovitraps. The spatial distribution of Ae. aegypti density indices were plotted using kernel density-ratio maps, and the spatial autocorrelation was assessed for each index. Visual differences on the spatial distribution of the Ae. aegypti hotspots were compared over time. The association of entomological findings with socio-ecological characteristics was examined. Pools of female Ae. aegypti were tested for dengue, Zika and chikungunya virus infection. RESULTS: Overall, 316 potential breeding sites were found within the study households and 186 in the surrounding public spaces. Of these, 18 (5.7%) and 7 (3.7%) harbored a total of 595 and 283 Ae. aegypti immatures, respectively. The most productive breeding sites were water storage containers within the households and puddles and waste materials in public areas. Potential breeding sites without cover, surrounded by vegetation and containing organic matter were significantly associated with the presence of immatures, as were households that had water storage containers. None of the entomological indices, whether based on immatures, eggs or adults, detected a consistent pattern of vector clustering in the same areas over time. All the mosquito pools were negative for the tested arboviruses. CONCLUSIONS: This low-income community displayed high diversity of Ae. aegypti habitats and a high degree of heterogeneity of vector abundance in both space and time, a scenario that likely reflects other low-income communities. Improving basic sanitation in low-income urban communities through the regular water supply, proper management of solid wastes and drainage may reduce water storage and the formation of puddles, minimizing opportunities for Ae. aegypti proliferation in such settings.

Environmental and Social Factors Associated with High Chronic Kidney Disease Mortality Rates in Municipalities of Guatemala: An Ecological Study of Municipal-Level Mortality Data.

The purpose of this study was to determine the association between social and environmental indicators and high mortality rates from chronic kidney disease (CKD) in municipalities of Guatemala. An ecological study of municipal-level factors associated with CKD mortality in Guatemala was conducted. Crude mortality rates were calculated for the 2009-2019 period for each of the country's 340 municipalities, by gender and age groups. Municipal-level social and environmental indicators were used as independent variables. Linear regression was used for bivariate and multivariate analysis. A total of 28,723 deaths from CKD were documented for the 2009-2019 period. Average crude mortality rate for all ages for the country's 340 municipalities was 70.66 per 100,000 [0-502.99]. Very highly positive associations with high mortality rates were found in two agrarian territories where land use is mainly for permanent crops (e.g., sugar cane, coffee, rubber, banana, plantain, African palm) and pastures for cattle, with very low percentages of land covered by forests or protected areas. Social factors related to poverty and environmental factors related to agricultural use of land may play a role in the high CKD mortality rates documented in a cluster of municipalities of Guatemala.

Global Distribution of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in a Climate Change Scenario of Regional Rivalry.

Arboviral mosquito vectors are key targets for the surveillance and control of vector-borne diseases worldwide. In recent years, changes to the global distributions of these species have been a major research focus, aimed at predicting outbreaks of arboviral diseases. In this study, we analyzed a global scenario of climate change under regional rivalry to predict changes to these species' distributions over the next century. Using occurrence data from VectorMap and environmental variables (temperature and precipitation) from WorldClim v. 2.1, we first built fundamental niche models for both species with the boosted regression tree modelling approach. A scenario of climate change on their fundamental niche was then analyzed. The shared socioeconomic pathway scenario 3 (regional rivalry) and the global climate model Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Earth System Model v. 4.1 (GFDL-ESM4.1; gfdl.noaa.gov) were utilized for all analyses, in the following time periods: 2021-2040, 2041-2060, 2061-2080, and 2081-2100. Outcomes from these analyses showed that future climate change will affect Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus distributions in different ways across the globe. The Northern Hemisphere will have extended Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus distributions in future climate change scenarios, whereas the Southern Hemisphere will have the opposite outcomes. Europe will become more suitable for both species and their related vector-borne diseases. Loss of suitability in the Brazilian Amazon region further indicated that this tropical rainforest biome will have lower levels of precipitation to support these species in the future. Our models provide possible future scenarios to help identify locations for resource allocation and surveillance efforts before a significant threat to human health emerges.

Environmental thresholds of dragonflies and damselflies from a Cerrado-Caatinga ecotone.

Aquatic ecosystems are affected by different land uses that modify gradients of environmental conditions. These impacts act directly on the community structure, especially the most sensitive ones, such as aquatic insects. Thus, dragonflies have been used as good models to assess these changes, since their suborders Anisoptera and Zygoptera have different ecophysiological and behavioral requirements. This study aimed to evaluate the following hypotheses: (1) dragonfly species composition differs along the environmental gradients of streams; therefore, we expect a higher proportion of species of the suborder Anisoptera in environments with a higher degree of disturbance, since these environmental conditions select heliothermic species with exophytic oviposition; (2) the reduction of habitat integrity and canopy cover will lead to a lower richness of the Zygoptera suborder, due to the restrictions of its thermoregulation and oviposition behavior in relation to Anisoptera, since the higher light input would favor heliothermic and exophytic species; (3) alterations in habitat integrity create ecological thresholds and points of change in the abundance and frequency of Odonata species, generating gradients in the environmental integrity conditions. Specimens were collected from 24 streams (first to third order), in a gradient of land uses. Canopy cover and stream width were predictors of taxonomic richness and abundance of the suborders Anisoptera and Zygoptera, with greater coverage and smaller width, positively affecting Zygoptera and negatively Anisoptera. The turning points were determined by a habitat integrity index, where below 0.38 there is an increase in generalist taxa and a decline in sensitive taxa. On the other hand, above 0.79, there was a sensitive taxa increase in detriment of generalists. Four individual taxa indicators were selected, two of which associated with a negative response (Perithemis tenera and Acanthagrion aepiolum) and two with positive responses (Epipleoneura metallica and Zenithoptera lanei) for habitat integrity. Our results are important to guide management strategies, recovery, and protection policies for areas of permanent protection, aiming to conserving biodiversity and natural resources essential to life quality maintenance.

Comparison of the Parameters of the Exergoeconomic Environmental Analysis of Two Combined Cycles of Three Pressure Levels with and without Postcombustion.

Nowadays, in Mexico, most of the installed electricity generation capacity corresponds to combined cycles, representing 37.1%. For this reason, it is important to maintain these cycles in good operating conditions, with the least environmental impacts. An exergoeconomic and environmental analysis is realized to compare the operation of the combined cycle, with and without postcombustion, with the comparison of exergoeconomic and environmental indicators. With the productive structure of the energy system, the process of formation of the final products and the residues are identified, and an allocation criterion is also used to impute the formation cost of residue to the productive components related to its formation. This criterion considers the irreversibilities generated in each productive component that participates in the formation of a residue. The compositions of pollutant gases emitted are obtained, and their environmental impact is determined. The unit exergoeconomic cost of the power output in the gas turbine is lower in the combined cycle with postcombustion, indicating greater efficiency in the process of obtaining this energy stream, and the environmental indicators of global warming, smog formation and acid rain formation are higher in the combined cycle with postcombustion, these differences being 5.22%, 5.53% and 5.30%, respectively.

Long-Term Exposure to Fine and Coarse Particulate Matter and COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality Rate in Chile during 2020.

BACKGROUND: Several countries have documented the relationship between long-term exposure to air pollutants and epidemiological indicators of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as incidence and mortality. This study aims to explore the association between air pollutants, such as PM2.5 and PM10, and the incidence and mortality rates of COVID-19 during 2020. METHODS: The incidence and mortality rates were estimated using the COVID-19 cases and deaths from the Chilean Ministry of Science, and the population size was obtained from the Chilean Institute of Statistics. A chemistry transport model was used to estimate the annual mean surface concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 in a period before the current pandemic. Negative binomial regressions were used to associate the epidemiological information with pollutant concentrations while considering demographic and social confounders. RESULTS: For each microgram per cubic meter, the incidence rate increased by 1.3% regarding PM2.5 and 0.9% regarding PM10. There was no statistically significant relationship between the COVID-19 mortality rate and PM2.5 or PM10. CONCLUSIONS: The adjusted regression models showed that the COVID-19 incidence rate was significantly associated with chronic exposure to PM2.5 and PM10, even after adjusting for other variables.

Análise espacial da distribuição dos casos de dengue e sua relação com fatores socioambientais no estado da Paraíba, Brasil, 2007-2016 / Spatial analysis of the distribution of dengue cases and its relationship with socio-environmental factors in the state of Paraíba, Brazil, 2007-2016

RESUMO A dengue é um grave problema de saúde pública, principalmente em países que apresentam condições socioambientais propícias para o desenvolvimento e proliferação do seu agente transmissor. Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar a distribuição espacial da incidência da dengue no estado da Paraíba entre 2007 e 2016, avaliando a existência de dependência geográfica e sua relação com fatores socioeconômicos e ambientais. Estudo ecológico, tendo com unidade de análise os 223 municípios do estado. Utilizaram-se o Índice de Moran global e local e a estatística c de Geary para avaliar a autocorrelação espacial da dengue e a associação com variáveis socioambientais. As análises foram realizadas por meio do software estatístico R Core Team versão 3.3.2. Ao analisar a distribuição de casos de dengue nos municípios da Paraíba, pode-se identificar que a doença vem avançando e acometendo maior número de cidades a cada ano. A doença esteve presente em todos as cidades analisadas, o que demonstrou a necessidade de implementar ações de prevenção da doença em todo o estado. Mediante esta pesquisa, ficou claro que a dengue, no estado da Paraíba, não é determinada por fator único e isolado, mas sim, pela combinação de vários fatores do contexto socioeconômico e ambiental.

ABSTRACT Dengue is a serious public health problem, especially in countries that have favorable socio-environmental conditions for the development and proliferation of its transmitting agent. This study aimed to analyze the spatial distribution of the incidence of dengue in the state of Paraíba between 2007 and 2016, evaluating the existence of geographic dependence and its relationship with socioeconomic and environmental factors. Ecological study, with the unit of analysis of the 223 municipalities in the state. The global and local Moran Index and the Geary c statistic were used to assess the spatial autocorrelation of dengue and the association with socioenvironmental variables. The analyzes were performed using statistical software R Core Team version 3.3.2. When analyzing the distribution of dengue cases in the municipalities of Paraíba, it can be identified that the disease has been advancing and affecting a greater number of cities each year. The disease was present in all the cities analyzed, which demonstrated the need to implement disease prevention actions across the state. Through this research, it became clear that dengue, in the state of Paraíba, is not determined by a single and isolated factor, but, rather, by the combination of several factors of the socioeconomic and environmental context.

Integrating environmental variables by multivariate ordination enables the reliable estimation of mineland rehabilitation status.

Despite the wide variety of variables commonly employed to measure the success of rehabilitation, the assessment and subsequent definition of indicators of environmental rehabilitation status are not simple tasks. The main challenges are comparing rehabilitated sites with target ecosystems as well as integrating individual environmental and eventually collinear variables into a single tractable measure for the state of a system before effective indicators that track rehabilitation may be modeled. Furthermore, a consensus is lacking regarding which and how many variables need to be surveyed for a reliable estimation of rehabilitation status. Here, we propose a multivariate ordination to integrate variables related to ecological processes, vegetation structure, and community diversity into a single estimation of rehabilitation status. As a case, we employed a curated set of 32 environmental variables retrieved from nonrevegetated, rehabilitating and reference sites associated with iron ore mines from the Urucum Massif, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. By integrating this set of environmental variables into a single estimation of rehabilitation status, the proposed multivariate approach is straightforward and able to adequately address collinearity among variables. The proposed methodology allows for the identification of biases towards single variables, surveys or analyses, which is necessary to rank environmental variables regarding their importance to the assessment. Furthermore, we show that bootstrapping permitted the detection of the minimum number of environmental variables necessary to achieve reliable estimations of the rehabilitation status. Finally, we show that the proposed variable integration enables the definition of case-specific environmental indicators for more rapid assessments of mineland rehabilitation. Thus, the proposed multivariate ordination represents a powerful tool to facilitate the diagnosis of rehabilitating sites worldwide provided that sufficient environmental variables related to ecological processes, diversity and vegetation structure are gathered from nonrehabilitated, rehabilitating and reference study sites. By identifying deviations from predicted rehabilitation trajectories and providing assessments for environmental agencies, this proposed multivariate ordination increases the effectiveness of (mineland) rehabilitation.

Effects of a shipwreck on the zooplankton community in a port region of the Amazon.

The port regions of the Amazon are subject to environmental impacts high shipping traffic. In October 2015, a cargo ship containing 5000 oxen sank in the Port of Vila do Conde, northern Brazil, releasing large amounts of organic matter and diesel oil into the aquatic environment. We evaluated the consequences of this shipwreck on the zooplankton community. Sampling was carried out using a phytoplankton net (64 µm) at two locations close to the port. We calculated the frequency of occurrence, relative abundance, and trophic state index and performed a canonical redundancy analysis of zooplankton in this area. Total density values ranged from 371 to 8600 organisms/m3, with minimum values being recorded during the period of the shipwreck and maximum values after the shipwreck. The areas categorized as super eutrophic had the lowest density values. The most abundant species/groups were nauplii and copepodites of the orders Cyclopoida and Calanoida. Of the environmental variables, only biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, and total dissolved solids were selected by the redundancy canonical analysis. The environmental conditions of the region and the ongoing environmental impacts might substantially influence the structure of the zooplankton community. The predominance of these organisms, in addition to the high densities of nauplii and copepodites, was likely related to the large amounts of nutrients generated by the shipwreck.

Huella Hídrica de productos regionales: el caso de la cachama blanca (Piaractus brachypomus) / Water footprint of regional products: the case of white cachama (Piaractus brachypomus)

Como respuesta a la demanda por el recurso hídrico surge el indicador ecológico "Huella Hídrica", el cual se mide en términos del agua consumida y/o contaminada por litros de agua/kg/cosecha. La Huella Hídrica ayuda a optimizar el uso del recurso hídrico al disminuir recambios de agua, incrementar densidades de siembra, emplear sistemas cerrados con recirculación y/o tecnologías de aguas verdes. Para el cálculo de Huella Hídrica en estanques piscícolas del Piedemonte Llanero se caracterizó la climatología, meteorología y régimen hidrológico en el municipio de Restrepo-Meta-Colombia. Fueron realizados cálculos de evapotranspiración potencial, así como de la precipitación efectiva. También se consideró el volumen necesario para la asimilación de los contaminantes por los cuerpos de agua y el agua virtual para la elaboración del concentrado. Para el cultivo de cachama blanca (Piaractus brachypomus) se calculó una Huella Hídrica de 3848.5 L de agua/kg/cosecha, valor inferior a lo reportado para otros cultivos de peces e, inclusive, para otras actividades agropecuarias. También se encontró que la Huella Hídrica Indirecta (2913,3 L/kg) es la que más aporta para el valor total de Huella Hídrica. Esto demuestra la diferencia del consumo de agua en la producción de cachama aproximándola a un sistema de producción sostenible.

In response for the demand of water resources, the ecological indicator "water footprint" emerges which is measured in terms of the water consumed and/or contaminated per liters of water/kg/crop. The Water Footprint helps to optimize the use of water resources by reducing water changes, increasing planting densities, using closed systems with recirculation and/or green water technologies. For the calculation of water footprint in fish ponds of the Piedemonte Llanero, the climatology, meteorology and hydrological regime in the Municipality of Restrepo, Meta, Colombia were characterized. Calculations of potential evapotranspiration, as well as effective precipitation were carried out. The volume required for the assimilation of pollutants by water bodies and virtual water for the preparation of the concentrate was also considered. A water footprint of 3848.5 L water/kg/crop was calculated for the cultivation of white cachama (Piaractus brachypomus), a value lower than that reported for other fish cultures and even for other agricultural activities. It was also found that the Indirect Water Footprint (2913.3 L/kg) is the one that contributes the most to the total value of the Water Footprint. This demonstrates the difference in water consumption in the production of cachama, bringing it closer to a sustainable production system.

Análisis de la utilización de estrategias de producción más limpia y adaptación de un sistema de indicadores de manejo ambiental en las empresas del clúster textil confecciones del Tolima / Analysis of the use of cleaner production strategies and adaptation of an environmental management indicators system in the enterprises of the textile dressmaking cluster of Tolima

La investigación tuvo como objetivo principal analizar la utilización de estrategias de producción más limpia así como realizar una adaptación de un sistema de indicadores ambientales en las empresas del Clúster Textil Confecciones del Tolima Colombia. La metodología utilizada fue de tipo descriptivo cuantitativo, la población total de objeto de estudio fue de 135 empresas más cuatro que se dedican a la tintorería y estampado y, después del análisis estadístico, se trabajó con una muestra de 91 empresas, en el procedimiento se realizaron encuestas para conocer cómo se ha abordado la producción más limpia en cada empresa y se adaptó un sistema de indicadores a través de una escala de valoración que permitiera a través de redegramas conocer el estado de la empresa frente al conocimiento de la producción más limpia, manejo de residuos sólidos, manejo de recurso agua, manejo del aire y nivel de integración del sistema. Como principales conclusiones se tuvo que se desconoce por parte de las empresas que hicieron parte del estudio, los conceptos y la importancia de la producción limpia en sus lugares de trabajo y por otro lado el porcentaje de utilización de agua es muy baja en los procesos industriales encontrados dentro de las empresas analizadas.

The main objective of the research was to analyze the use of cleaner production strategies as well as the adaptation of an environmental management indicators system in enterprises of the Textile Dressmaking Cluster of Tolima, Colombia. The methodology used was quantitative descriptive and the total target population was 135 enterprises plus four businesses engaged in dry cleaning and printing and, after the statistical analysis, a sample of 91 companies was worked with. In the process, surveys were conducted to know how the cleaner production has been addressed in each company and a system of indicators was adapted through a rating scale that allowed, through a network type pictogram, knowing the status of the company against the knowledge of cleaner production, solid waste management, management of water resources, air management and level of the integration system. The main conclusions were that the concepts and the importance of clean production in their workplaces are unknown by the companies that were part of the study, and, on the other hand, the percentage of water use is very low in industrial processes found within the companies analyzed.

Healthcare waste management in a Brazilian university public hospital.

Some healthcare waste presents hazardousness characteristics and requires specific procedures to ensure the safety management. Waste segregation is an important action to control the risks of each type of waste. Healthcare waste indicators also may improve the waste management system. The aim of this article was to evaluate the healthcare waste management in a Brazilian university hospital, as well as the waste indicators, quantifying and qualifying the waste generation. Weighing of wastes occurred by sampling occurred sampling of seven consecutive days or daily, between 2011 and 2017. General wastes represent more than 55.6% of the total generated, followed by infectious, sharps and chemicals wastes, respectively, 39.1%, 2.9% and 2.4%. The generation rate in 2017 was 4.09 kg bed-1 day-1, including all types of wastes. Non-dangerous wastes represented around 93.3%, including infectious wastes with low potential risks, while dangerous was represented by high infectious risk (1.4%), chemicals (2.4%) and sharps (2.9%). Healthcare waste indicators may favour the risk identification and improve the waste management system, in particular when involving hazardous wastes. Failures in healthcare waste segregation could represent, in addition to the health risks, unnecessary expenses.

Indicadores ambientales de áreas verdes urbanas para la gestión en dos ciudades de Costa Rica / Environmental indicators of urban green areas for management in two cities of Costa Rica

Resumen La calidad ambiental contribuye con el bienestar físico y mental de la población. En este sentido las áreas verdes (AV) de las ciudades son espacios esenciales para la convivencia, el deporte, la socialización, y la recreación, entre otros. El objetivo de esta investigación fue determinar las condiciones ambientales de las AV, utilizando indicadores como herramientas para la gestión urbana en dos ciudades de Costa Rica. El área de estudio correspondió a los distritos de Heredia y el Carmen, Costa Rica. Se determinaron las AV existentes utilizando imágenes satelitales Rapid Eye, 2012 mediante análisis espacial y teledetección. Se aplicaron 11 indicadores de áreas verdes urbanas, se identificó la especie, se midió la altura, el DAP y el número de árboles en parques y calles. Además, se realizaron encuestas a los usuarios de las AV públicas, en temas relacionados con accesibilidad y uso de las AV. Se identificaron cinco tipos de AV en el Carmen y seis Heredia. El porcentaje de áreas verdes públicas y privadas correspondió a 36 % y 64 % en el Carmen y 13 % y 87 % en Heredia, respectivamente. El área verde per cápita (m2/hab) fue de 24.6 en el Carmen y de 2.7 en Heredia. Se identificaron 62 especies de árboles en los parques del Carmen y 23 en Heredia. Se contabilizaron 1 105 árboles de 61 especies en las calles, aceras y avenidas del Carmen y 278 individuos de 47 especies en Heredia. En cuanto a la existencia de vegetación ribereña se determinó que los ríos Pirro, Burrio, Torres y la quebrada Negritos mantienen 82, 51, 81 y 14 % del área de protección de sus márgenes en uso conforme. De 11 AV públicas evaluadas, nueve presentaron una accesibilidad física alta. En ambos distritos los ciudadanos encuestados indicaron la necesidad de contar con más AV, resaltando el valor recreativo, ecológico y turístico de estos espacios. Se concluye que los indicadores de AV urbanas evidenciaron diferencias entre las condiciones ambientales en las dos ciudades evaluadas, y la factibilidad de su aplicación como insumo para la gestión ambiental sostenible de los ecosistemas urbanos.(AU)

Abstract Environmental quality contributes to the physical and mental well-being of the population. In this way, the green areas (GA) of the cities are essential spaces for coexistence, sports, socialization, and recreation, among others. The objective of this research was to determine the environmental conditions of green areas, using indicators as tool for urban management in two cities of Costa Rica. The study area corresponded to the districts of Heredia and Carmen, Costa Rica. The existing GA were determined using Rapid Eye satellite images, 2012 through spatial analysis and remote sensing. Eleven indicators of urban green areas were applied, the species was identified, the height, the diameter at breast height (DBH) and the number of trees in parks and streets were measured. In addition, surveys were conducted to users of public GA, on issues related to accessibility and use of GA. Five types of GA were identified in Carmen and six in Heredia. The percentage of public and private green areas corresponded to 36 % and 64 % in Carmen and 13 % and 87 % in Heredia respectively. The green area per capita (m2/hab) was 24.6 in Carmen and 2.7 in Heredia. Sixty-two species of trees were identified in the Carmen parks and 23 in Heredia. There were 1 105 trees of 61 species in the streets, sidewalks and avenues of Carmen and 278 individuals of 47 species in Heredia. Regarding the existence of riparian vegetation, it was determined that Pirro, Burrio, Torres and Negritos streams maintain 82, 51, 81 and 14 % of margin protection areas in conforming use. Eleven of the public GA's were evaluated, nine presented a high physical accessibility. In both districts, the surveyed citizens indicated the necessity to have more GA, highlighting the recreational, ecological and touristic value of these spaces. It is concluded that the indicators of urban green areas showed that there are differences between the environmental conditions in both of the evaluated cities. In addition, the applicability of the indicators is feasible as an input for the sustainable environmental management of urban ecosystems.(AU)

Diagnóstico preliminar da integridade ambiental de fundos de vale / Environmental integrity preliminary assessment of valley bottoms

RESUMO O crescimento urbano tem grande impacto nos ambientes naturais, em especial nas áreas de fundos de vale. Este trabalho teve como objetivo elaborar uma ferramenta para avaliação preliminar da integridade ambiental de fundos de vale, a fim de fornecer subsídios aos gestores da administração pública no diagnóstico e na tomada de decisões quando da intervenção nessas áreas. Para tanto, foram selecionados indicadores ambientais e a ferramenta foi aplicada para avaliação da situação ambiental de dois fundos de vale situados na cidade de Maringá, Paraná: os córregos Mandacaru e Betty. Os indicadores foram selecionados da literatura e submetidos à apreciação de 30 profissionais que atuam com projetos de drenagem ou gestão ambiental, para que atribuíssem pesos de acordo com a relevância do indicador para se avaliar a condição ambiental de fundos de vale localizados em cidades de médio porte, com urbanização e infraestrutura já consolidados. Ao final da aplicação dos indicadores, foi calculado o índice de atendimento aos indicadores propostos (I). Para caracterizar os dois fundos de vale objetos de estudo deste trabalho foram elaborados mapas temáticos, consultados estudos publicados sobre a região e realizados trabalhos de campo. O córrego Mandacaru apresentou atendimento aos indicadores propostos (I) igual a 35,88%, e o córrego Betty, igual a 43,20%. Ambos os córregos tiveram sua condição ambiental classificada como ruim, de acordo com a metodologia aplicada.

ABSTRACT Urban growth has a significant impact on natural environments, particularly in valley bottom areas. This paper aimed to elaborate a tool for the preliminary assessment of the environmental integrity of valley bottoms in order to provide preliminary support to managers of public administration in the diagnosis and decision-making to intervene in these areas. Therefore, we chose environmental indicators and the tool was applied to assess the environmental situation of two valley bottoms located in the city of Maringá, Paraná State, Mandacaru and Betty streams. The indicators were selected using literature as references and underwent the assessment of 30 professionals who work in drainage projects or environmental management, so that they attributed weights according to the relevance of the indicator to assess the environmental condition of valley bottoms located in medium-sized cities, with consolidated urbanization and infrastructure. At the end of the application of indicators, the rate of compliance with the proposed indicators (I) was calculated. To characterize the two valley bottoms, which are the fields of study, thematic maps were prepared and we consulted published studies on the region and conducted fieldworks. The Mandacaru stream presented services to the proposed indicators (I) equal to 35.88% and the Betty stream was equal to 43.20%. Both streams have their environmental condition classified as poor, according to the applied methodology.

Proposal of indicators for healthcare waste management: Case of a Brazilian public institution.

Healthcare waste (HCW) management represents a big challenge for managers around the world. Segregation is a fundamental action to allow the risk management inherent to each type of wastes. HCW indicators may favour the understanding of the waste management system status. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the HCW indicators applied in a Brazilian public institution, seeking to improve the management system and suggesting methods of applying this tool as an alternative of continuous improvement to the management process. Wastes were weighed every trimester for seven consecutive days, between of 2012 to 2017. The data represent daily, monthly and quarterly averages of the waste generated. Group B (chemical) and Group E (sharps) indicators had statistical non-significant data, suggesting very distant results from the stipulated goal. The generation rate was 355.3-500.7 kg.day-1 including all types of waste. Considering the approximate values of the non-infected wastes, which may be discarded in a landfill, the percentage represents about 75% of all HCW generated. The other 25% need to be treated at cost of $US0.76kg-1. An effectively dangerous portion of the infectious waste would be approximately 6%. Failures in segregation could represent, in addition to the health risks, unnecessary expenses of the generating establishments. HCW indicators have good potential to provide adequate risk management in health service environments.

Geography of Microcephaly in the Zika Era: A Study of Newborn Distribution and Socio-environmental Indicators in Recife, Brazil, 2015-2016.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed sociodemographic and health care factors of mothers and newborns during a 2015-2016 outbreak of microcephaly in Recife, Brazil, and we analyzed the spatial distribution and incidence risk of newborns with microcephaly in relation to socio-environmental indicators. METHODS: We collected data from August 2015 through May 2016 from Brazil's Live Birth Information System and Bulletin of Microcephaly Notification, and we geocoded the data by maternal residence. We constructed thematic maps of districts, according to socio-environmental and vector indicators. We identified spatial aggregates of newborns with microcephaly by using the Bernoulli model. We performed logistic regression analyses to compare the incidence risk of microcephaly within socio-environmental indicator groups. RESULTS: We geocoded 17 990 of 19 554 (92.0%) live births in Recife, of which 202 (1.1%) newborns were classified as having microcephaly, based on a head circumference of ≥2 standard deviations below the mean. Larger proportions of newborns with microcephaly (compared with newborns without microcephaly) were born to mothers who delivered in a public hospital, did not attend college, were aged ≤19, or were black or mixed race. A higher risk of microcephaly (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 3.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.88-8.06) occurred in districts with the lowest (vs highest) Municipal Human Development Index (ie, an index that assesses longevity, education, and income). The risk of microcephaly was significantly higher where rates of larvae density (IRR = 2.31; 95% CI, 1.19-4.50) and larvae detection (IRR = 2.04; 95% CI, 1.05-4.00) were higher and rates of sewage system (IRR = 2.20; 95% CI, 1.16-4.18) and garbage collection (IRR = 1.96; 95% CI, 0.99-3.88) were lower. Newborns with microcephaly lived predominantly in the poorest areas and in a high-risk cluster (relative risk = 1.89, P = .01) in the north. CONCLUSIONS: The disproportionate incidence of microcephaly in newborns in poor areas of Recife reinforces the need for government and public health authorities to formulate policies that promote social equity and support for families and their children with microcephaly.

Ocorrência de casos de leishmaniose tegumentar americana: uma análise multivariada dos circuitos espaciais de produção, Minas Gerais, Brasil, 2007 a 2011 / American tegumentary leishmaniasis: a multivariate analysis of the spatial circuits for production of cases in Minas Gerais State, Brazil, 2007 to 2011 / Ocurrencia de casos de leishmaniasis tegumentaria americana: un análisis multivariado de los circuitos espaciales de producción, Minas Gerais, Brasil, 2007 a 2011

O objetivo deste estudo foi explicar a associação dos fatores socioambientais e dos grandes usos da terra com a ocorrência de casos de leishmaniose tegumentar americana (LTA) nos circuitos espaciais de produção, no Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Trata-se de um estudo ecológico do tipo analítico, baseado em dados secundários de casos de LTA dividido por triênio, no período entre 2007 a 2011, cujas unidades de análise foram os municípios pertencentes aos circuitos espaciais. Duas etapas distintas foram realizadas, sendo a elaboração de mapas temáticos com a identificação dos circuitos a primeira, e na segunda etapa um novo indicador casos de LTA por densidade demográfica foi associado com indicadores socioambientais e dos grandes usos da terra submetidos à análise multivariada de componentes principais (ACP). Para o período avaliado, identificou-se três circuitos distribuídos nas mesorregiões Norte de Minas Gerais, Vale do Rio Doce e Região Metropolitana de Belo Horizonte. Houve forte associação dos casos de LTA por densidade demográfica com lavoura temporária, pastagem natural, floresta natural, terras inaproveitáveis e população rural, e uma fraca associação com pastagem plantada. A associação de casos com variáveis dos grandes usos da terra em diferentes perfis agropecuários demonstra o caráter ocupacional da LTA, associado principalmente com trabalhadores da zona rural. A associação da doença com as variáveis ambientais e deficiência das condições de saneamento básico também demonstram relevância no perfil de transmissão nos circuitos espaciais de produção em Minas Gerais.

The aim of this study was to explain the association between social-environmental factors and major land uses and the occurrence of cases of American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) in the spatial circuits of production in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. This was an analytical-type ecological study based on secondary data on ATL divided by three-year period from 2007 to 2011, in which the analytical units were municipalities belonging to the spatial circuits. Two distinct stages were performed. The first was the elaboration of thematic maps with identification of the circuits. In the second, a new indicator, ATL cases by population density, was associated with social-environmental indicators and major land uses, submitted to multivariate principal components analysis (PCA). During the periods studied, three circuits were identified, distributed in the major regions of Northern Minas Gerais, Rio Doce Valley, and Greater Metropolitan Belo Horizonte. There was a strong association between ATL by population density and temporary crops, natural pasture, natural forest, unusable lands, and rural population, and a weak association with planted pasture. The association of cases with the major land uses variable in different agricultural profiles shows the occupational nature of ATL, associated mainly with rural workers. The association of the disease with environmental variables and deficient basic sanitation also proved relevant in the transmission profile in spatial circuits of production in Minas Gerais.

El objetivo de este estudio fue explicar la asociación de los factores socioambientales y explotación a gran escala de la tierra, con la ocurrencia de casos de leishmaniasis tegumentaria americana (LTA) en los circuitos espaciales de producción, en el Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Se trata de un estudio ecológico de tipo analítico, basado en datos secundarios de casos de LTA, dividido por trienios, en el período entre 2007 a 2011, cuyas unidades de análisis fueron los municipios pertenecientes a los circuitos espaciales. Se realizaron dos etapas distintas, consistiendo la primera en la elaboración de mapas temáticos con la identificación de los circuitos, y la segunda etapa en un nuevo indicador de casos de LTA por densidad demográfica, que se asoció con indicadores socioambientales y a dos explotaciones a gran escala de la tierra, sometidos a un análisis multivariado de componentes principales (ACP). Para el período evaluado, se identificaron tres circuitos distribuidos en las mesorregiones del norte de Minas Gerais, Vale do Rio Doce y región metropolitana de Belo Horizonte. Hubo una fuerte asociación de los casos de LTA por densidad demográfica con el trabajo temporal, pasto natural, bosque natural, tierras inaprovechables y población rural, y una escasa asociación con pasto plantado. La asociación de casos con variables de las explotaciones a gran escala de la tierra, con diferentes perfiles agropecuarios, demuestra el carácter ocupacional de la LTA, asociado principalmente a trabajadores de la zona rural. La asociación de la enfermedad con variables ambientales y deficiencia en las condiciones de saneamiento básico, también demuestran relevancia en el perfil de transmisión en los circuitos espaciales de producción en Minas Gerais.

Comparação de cenários de tratamento de resíduos sólidos urbanos por meio da técnica da Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida: o caso do município de Garibaldi, RS / Comparison of municipal solid waste treatment scenarios through the technique of Life Cycle Assessment: the case of the city of Garibaldi, RS, Brazil

RESUMO A Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida (ACV) vem sendo utilizada como apoio à tomada de decisão para avaliação e escolha de sistemas de gerenciamento de resíduos sólidos urbanos (RSU). O objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar cenários de gerenciamento de resíduos para o município de Garibaldi, Rio Grande do Sul, por meio da técnica da ACV. Cinco cenários foram simulados integrando processos de reciclagem, compostagem, digestão anaeróbia e incineração, para os quais foi elaborado o Inventário do Ciclo de Vida, utilizando o programa computacional IWM-2, que calcula os subprodutos das tecnologias de tratamento avaliadas e seus respectivos inventários do ciclo de vida, em termos de consumo de energia, emissões à água, ao ar, e ao solo. Para a Avaliação do Impacto do Ciclo de Vida, foram aplicados cálculos atribuídos às categorias de impacto ambiental: mudanças climáticas, formação de foto-oxidantes, acidificação, eutrofização, toxicidade humana e aos indicadores uso de energia e disposição de resíduos sólidos secos e orgânicos em aterro. Os cenários que contemplaram a reciclagem associada à compostagem, a reciclagem associada à digestão anaeróbia seguida por compostagem e a reciclagem associada à compostagem com a incineração de rejeitos e com recuperação de energia apresentaram o melhor desempenho ambiental, de modo que são indicados como possíveis soluções de tratamento dos RSU para o município estudado.

ABSTRACT The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has emerged as an effective technique to evaluate municipal solid waste management systems (MSW), serving as support for decision making of the best model to be adopted. The objective of this research was to analyze scenarios through the LCA technique in the city of Garibaldi, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, comparing different alternatives of treatment and final disposal of MSW under the environmental aspect, and contribute to decision making, based on the study of the city of Garibaldi (RS). Five scenarios were simulated integrating processes such as recycling, composting, anaerobic digestion and incineration, for which the Life Cycle Inventory was prepared by means of the IWM-2 software, which calculates the evaluated treatment technologies by products and their respective life cycle inventories, in terms of energy consumption, emissions to water, air, and soil. For the Life Cycle Impact Assessment, calculations were applied to the categories of environmental impact, namely climate change, photo-oxidants formation, acidification, eutrophication and human toxicity, and indicators of energy use and recyclable and organic waste disposal into landfills. The scenarios that contemplated recycling associated with composting, recycling associated with anaerobic digestion followed by composting, and recycling associated with composting with incineration of waste and with energy recovery presented the best environmental performance, so they are indicated as possible treatment solutions for municipal solid waste in the case that was analyzed.