Development of environmental effects monitoring protocol in Brazil: a fish guide study of three river estuaries.

In Brazil, there are no unified and effective environmental monitoring models for bodies of water. Thus, several methodologies are used that result in information that is often difficult to compare, especially for stakeholders involved in regional water management. Studies in some countries such as Australia, Chile, the USA, and Sweden use the monitoring model implemented in Canada that was developed in the early 1990s. This model was designed to evaluate whether the current environmental regulations are sufficiently protective for pulp and paper effluents and for metal mining effluents. In this study, the Canadian Environmental Effects Monitoring methodologies were applied to three different Brazilian river basins, with the goal of constructing a framework for monitoring environmental effects. Pilot studies were carried out in the estuarine regions of the Benevente, Jucu, and Santa Maria da Vitória river basins, which are important rivers in the state of Espírito Santo. Evaluations included fish health, bioaccumulation studies, benthic invertebrate survey, and physical-chemical analyses of water and sediment. The quality of the environments was evaluated by means of seasonal samplings and comparisons between discharge, upstream, and downstream areas. This study made it possible to identify appropriate fish species to be used in environmental effects monitoring and the environmental quality of the rivers themselves as well as knowledge and policy gaps to implement such monitoring programs in Brazil. The study raises questions about the adequacy of Brazilian environmental legislation concerning tidal rivers.

Cryopreservation: Extending the viability of biological material from sea urchin (Echinometra lucunter) in ecotoxicity tests.

The sea urchin, Echinometra lucunter, is widely used in embryo-larval tests for ecotoxicological studies in Brazil and other countries. For each test, sea urchins are collected from the wild and this can cause impact on wild populations and it is limited by the weather and season which in turn limits the ability to carry out the tests. Cryopreservation is a method of live biological material storage at low temperature and can be used for long periods with little decline in viability, reducing the number of animals taken from the wild and enabling testing to be carried out on demand, irrespective of spawning season or location. In this study, 15 combinations of cryoprotective agents (CPAs) were evaluated on spermatozoa, subjected to a rapid cooling curve followed by immersion in liquid nitrogen. Twenty-four CPA combinations were evaluated on eggs subjected to a more gradual cooling curve in nitrogen vapor down to -35 °C and then plunging in liquid nitrogen. Fertilization tests using cryopreserved spermatozoa gave high pluteus larvae yields (≈80%) when concentrations of 10.5% or 13.65% ME2SO or 13.65% ME2SO+15.75% sucrose were used. The higher concentrations of ME2SO plus sucrose were more effective at maintaining the fertilization capacity of spermatozoa post-thawing. Egg cryopreservation was not successful with 0% fertilization observed post-thawing. The results suggest that it is feasible to implement spermatozoa cryopreservation as technological innovation to create a sperm bank for E. lucunter, which can be used in ecotoxicological tests, bringing benefits for researches and contributing to the conservation of the species.

Ecotoxicological Assessment of the Doce River Surface Water After the Fundão Dam Collapse.

On 5 November 2015, the Samarco Fe ore mining operations released approximately 50 million cubic meters of mining waste into the environment, due to a dam collapse. Aiming at understanding the potential effects on the Doce River, different regions of the course of tailings were monitored using acute and chronic ecotoxicological tests with 4 species: Ceriodaphnia dubia, Daphnia similis, Danio rerio, and Vibrio fischeri. The results showed no acute toxicity for water column organisms. However, chronic toxicity was observed with the tests with the microcrustacean C. dubia, mainly related to the physical effects of the passage of flood wave and increased suspended solids, given that toxicity was reduced after filtering the samples. The results showed different magnitudes of impact among the upper, middle, and lower Doce River, with greater impact close to the dam failure area. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2020;16:608-614. © 2020 SETAC.

Em 5 de novembro de 2015, aproximadamente 50 milhões de m3 de resíduos provenientes da barragem de rejeitos das operações de mineração de minério de ferro da Samarco atingiram o meio ambiente decorrente do seu rompimento. Com o objetivo de compreender os potenciais efeitos sobre o rio Doce, o monitoramento foi realizado, através de testes ecotoxicológicos com quatro espécies de diferentes, das regiões atingidas pela pluma de turbidez. Os resultados demonstraram, de modo geral, ausência de ecotoxicidade aguda para organismos de coluna de água. Entretanto, foi evidenciada ecotoxicidade crônica com o microcrustáceo Ceriodaphnia dubia, que esteve relacionada principalmente aos efeitos físicos da passagem da onda de cheia e ao aumento de sólidos em suspensão na coluna d'água. Os resultados mostraram que a magnitude do impacto foi diferente nas três regiões do rio Doce (alta, média e baixa), com maior intensidade na região mais próxima da área do rompimento da barragem. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2020;16:608-614.

Toward sustainable environmental quality: Identifying priority research questions for Latin America.

The Global Horizon Scanning Project (GHSP) is an innovative initiative that aims to identify important global environmental quality research needs. Here we report 20 key research questions from Latin America (LA). Members of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) LA and other scientists from LA were asked to submit research questions that would represent priority needs to address in the region. One hundred questions were received, then partitioned among categories, examined, and some rearranged during a workshop in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Twenty priority research questions were subsequently identified. These research questions included developing, improving, and harmonizing across LA countries methods for 1) identifying contaminants and degradation products in complex matrices (including biota); 2) advancing prediction of contaminant risks and effects in ecosystems, addressing lab-to-field extrapolation challenges, and understanding complexities of multiple stressors (including chemicals and climate change); and 3) improving management and regulatory tools toward achieving sustainable development. Whereas environmental contaminants frequently identified in these key questions were pesticides, pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors or modulators, plastics, and nanomaterials, commonly identified environmental challenges were related to agriculture, urban effluents, solid wastes, pulp and paper mills, and natural extraction activities. Several interesting research topics included assessing and preventing pollution impacts on conservation protected areas, integrating environment and health assessments, and developing strategies for identification, substitution, and design of less hazardous chemicals (e.g., green chemistry). Finally, a recurrent research need included developing an understanding of differential sensitivity of regional species and ecosystems to environmental contaminants and other stressors. Addressing these critical questions will support development of long-term strategic research efforts to advance more sustainable environmental quality and protect public health and the environment in LA. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:344-357. © 2018 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Integrated assessment of multilevel biomarker responses and chemical analysis in mussels from São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of contaminants in the mussel Perna perna from São Sebastião Channel, São Paulo, Brazil, and to evaluate the effects of these contaminants on these organisms at biochemical (catalase [CAT], glutathione-S-transferase [GST], and cholinesterase [ChE]), cellular (neutral red retention time [NRRT] assay), and physiological (cardiac monitoring) levels. Two sampling surveys were performed (winter of 2001 and summer of 2002) at six stations along the channel: Cigarras, station 1; Iate Clube de Ilhabela, station 2; Oil Terminal, station 3; Toque Toque, station 4; Ponta da Sela, station 5 (reference station); and Taubaté, station 6. Differences in CAT activity were observed between mussels from stations 3 and 5 during the winter, but no differences were detected in the summer. No differences in GST activity were found among stations during the winter, although animals from station 3 showed higher activity during the summer. The ChE activity was significantly higher in the mussels from stations 1 and 2 during the winter and from stations 1 and 3 during the summer. Organisms from stations 1 through 4 showed statistically lower NRRT in both seasons. Similar heart rates were observed in the mussels from all stations. Hydrocarbons were detected in organisms from all the stations in both seasons. During the winter, higher polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) levels were observed in organisms from station 3, whereas during the summer, higher levels of metals were found in organisms from stations 1, 3, and 4. The multivariate analyses showed a strong influence of PAHs on the winter biological results, but metals showed higher influence on these responses in the summer, indicating multiple contaminant sources.