Indicadores de saúde ambiental nos assentamentos do município de Cáceres: faixa fronteiriça Brasil/Bolívia / Environmental health indicators in the settlements of the county of Cáceres: border strip Brazil/Bolivia / Indicadores de salud ambiental em los asentamientos del município de Cáceres: banda fronteriza Brasil/Bolívia

Objetivo: propor e avaliar indicadores de saúde ambiental dos assentados na faixa fronteiriça cacerense. Método: utilizou-se o estudo descritivo, explicativo, quanti-qualitativo e censo, abrangendo todos os responsáveis pelas propriedades (lotes) dos assentamentos Jatobá, Nova Esperança, Rancho da Saudade, Sapicuá, Corixo, Bom Sucesso e Katira. Para coleta de dados foi aplicado um formulário semiestruturado, no período de março a julho de 2016, a 136 agricultores. Na construção dos indicadores utilizou-se a abordagem derivada do modelo Pressão-Estado-Impacto-Resposta. Os indicadores propostos foram: destinação do lixo, qualidade da água e casos de diarreia em crianças. As fontes de captação de água foram submetidas a quatro análises físico-química e microbiológica. Resultados: na destinação do lixo doméstico predominou a categoria queima com 80,9%, seguida das categorias enterra com 8,8% e queima e enterra com 10,3%. Verificou-se que a água não atende as exigências do Ministério da Saúde, devido à presença de Coliformes Totais. O número de crianças nos assentamentos foi 69, destas 88,40% consomem água dos poços coletivos, 52,45% apresentaram episódios de diarreia. Conclusão: os indicadores mostraram-se eficazes, sendo necessárias ações coletivas de orientações referentes aos cuidados com a destinação do lixo e o isolamento no entorno dos poços, e análises periódicas das águas destes assentamentos.(AU)

Objective: to propose and evaluate indicators of environmental health of the settlers in the border area of Caceres. Method: the descriptive, explanatory, quantitative-qualitative and census study was used, covering all those responsible for the properties (lots) of the Jatobá, Nova Esperança, Rancho da Saudade, Sapicuá, Corixo, Bom Sucesso and Katira settlements. For data collection, a semistructured form was applied, from March to July 2016, to 136 farmers. In the construction of the indicators we used the approach derived from the Pressure-State-Impact-Response model. The proposed indicators were: waste disposal, water quality and cases of diarrhea in children. The sources of water abstraction were submitted to four physical-chemical and microbiological analyzes. Results: domestic waste disposal predominated in the category burned with 80.9%, followed by the categories burial with 8.8% and burning and burial with 10.3%. It was verified that the water does not meet the requirements of the Ministry of Health, due to the presence of Total Coliforms. The number of children in the settlements was 69, of whom 88.40% consume water from the collective wells, 52.45% had episodes of diarrhea. Conclusion: the indicators were effective, requiring collective actions of guidelines regarding waste disposal and isolation in the vicinity of the wells, and periodic analysis of the waters of these settlements.(AU)

Objetivo: proponer y evaluar indicadores de salud ambiental de los asentados en la franja fronteriza cacerense. En el presente trabajo se analizaron los resultados obtenidos en el análisis de los resultados obtenidos en el análisis de los resultados obtenidos. Método: para la recolección de datos se aplicó un formulario semiestructurado, en el período de marzo a julio de 2016, a 136 agricultores. En la construcción de los indicadores se utilizó el abordaje derivado del modelo Presión-Estado-Impacto-Respuesta. Los indicadores propuestos fueron: destino de la basura, calidad del agua y casos de diarrea en niños. Las fuentes de captación de agua se sometieron a cuatro análisis físico-químicos y microbiológicos. Resultados: en la destinación de la basura doméstica predominó la categoría quema con 80,9%, seguida de las categorías enterra con 8,8% y quema y enterra con el 10,3%. Se verificó que el agua no atiende las exigencias del Ministerio de Salud, debido a la presencia de Coliformes Totales. El número de niños en los asentamientos fue 69, de estas 88,40% consumen agua de los pozos colectivos, 52,45% presentaron episodios de diarrea. Conclusión: los indicadores se mostraron eficaces, siendo necesarias acciones colectivas de orientaciones referentes a los cuidados con la destinación de la basura y el aislamiento en el entorno de los pozos, y análisis periódicos de las aguas de estos asentamientos.(AU)

Chemometric Assessment and Best-Fit Function Modelling of the Toxic Potential of Selected Food Packaging Extracts.

Food packaging materials constitute an ever more threatening environmental pollutant. This study examined options to specifically assess the ecotoxicity of packaged wastes, such as cans, subjected to various experimental treatments (in terms of extraction media, time of exposure, and temperature) that imitate several basic conditions of the process of food production. The extracts were studied for their ecotoxicity with bioluminescent Vibrio fischeri bacteria. The first objective of this study was to find patterns of similarity between different experimental conditions; we used multivariate statistical methods, such as hierarchical cluster analysis, to interpret the impact of experimental conditions on the ecotoxicity signals of the package extracts. Our second objective was to apply best-fit function modelling for additional data interpretation, taking into account, that ecotoxicity for various temperature conditions is time- and temperature dependent. We mathematically confirmed that chemometric data treatment allows for better understanding how different experimental conditions imitating the real use of food packaging. We also demonstrate that the level of ecotoxicity depends on different extraction media, time of exposure, and temperature regime.

Ecotoxicological assessment of biosolids by microcosms.

Biosolids have been applied as soil amendments to improve and maintain the soil fertility and faster plant growth. In spite of its beneficial use, the potential risks of land disposal should be analyzed, considering potential ecological receptors in soil and water. This work describes the use of an early warning laboratory microcosm system to evaluate the integrated ecotoxicological potential of two biosolids: BIO-1 and BIO-2 (18 and 28 months after landfarming, respectively), from an effluent treatment station in a petrochemical and industrial district. The endpoints related to habitat function were: a) germination, growth and biomass of Phaseolus vulgaris; b) survival, biomass and number of cocoons of Eisenia andrei (Oligochaeta) and; c) reproduction of Folsomia candida (Collembola). The retention function was evaluated by testing the leachates using the tropical cladoceran Latonopsis australis (Cladocera) in a 48-h acute toxicity test, and growth of the aquatic plant Lemna minor in a 7-d chronic test. Tropical artificial soil (TAS) and a natural soil (NS) from the region were used as control soils. Results showed no chronic toxicity of BIO-1 and BIO-2 to the soil organisms tested, but acute toxicity of BIO-1 in the leachate for 50% of L. australis, and chronic toxicity of both biosolid leachates to L. minor (inhibition of growth rate), indicating potential risks to aquatic ecosystems. The results confirmed the ability of this microcosm system as a rapid tool to assess biosolid toxicity over time and its potential for hazardous waste characterization in environmental risk assessment, in a screening phase.

Assessment of exposure to fungi in the heavily contaminated work environment (a solid waste sorting plant) based on the ergosterol analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This paper reports on the results of the study aimed at application of ergosterol as an quantitative indicator of fungal bioaerosol present in the indoor air in occupational environment heavily contaminated with organic dust as well as its comparison with the culturable method. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted in the indoor solid waste sorting plant. Using Andersen impactor adapted to 1 plate at the flow rate of 30 l/min, indoor air was sampled in the workers' breathing zone. Ergosterol was sampled using gelatinous filter (1000 l of air) and then analyzed by means of the spectrophotometric method. Fungi were sampled on malt extract agar (MEA) medium (3 replications: 2 l, 7.5 l, 15 l of air) and analyzed by means of the culturable method. Based on ergosterol analyzes, concentration of fungi was calculated. Results were given as the range assuming min. as 5.1 pg ergosterol/spore and max as 1.7 pg ergosterol/spore. RESULTS: The average concentrations of ergosterol in a working room (arithmetic mean (AM), standard deviation (SD); minimum-maximum (min.-max)) were, respectively: 2.16, 0.72; 0.85-2.92 µg/m3; fungi calculated based on ergosterol - 424.1×103-1272.4×103, 140.1×103- 420.4×103, 167×103-1716.5×103 CFU/m3, and culturable fungi - 13×103, 9.7×103, 1.9×103-34×103 CFU/m3). It was revealed that concentrations of calculated fungi were even 2 orders of magnitude higher than culturable fungi. CONCLUSIONS: The quantitative assessment of moldiness by means of ergosterol measurement seems to be a reliable indicator for environments heavily contaminated with organic dust, where viable and non-viable fungi are present in high proportions. Based on that result, more restrictive (as compared to a similar assessment carried out by means of the culturable method) hygienic recommendations, especially those related to the use of preventive measures protecting the employees' respiratory tract, should have been undertaken.

Pollution characteristics and health risk assessment of volatile organic compounds emitted from different plastic solid waste recycling workshops.

The pollution profiles of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from different recycling workshops processing different types of plastic solid waste (PSW) and their health risks were investigated. A total of 64 VOCs including alkanes, alkenes, monoaromatics, oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs), chlorinated VOCs (ClVOCs) and acrylonitrile during the melting extrusion procedure were identified and quantified. The highest concentration of total VOCs (TVOC) occurred in the poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene) (ABS) recycling workshop, followed by the polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE) and polycarbonate (PC) workshops. Monoaromatics were found as the major component emitted from the ABS and PS recycling workshops, while alkanes were mainly emitted from the PE and PP recycling processes, and OVOCs from the PVC and PA recycling workshops. According to the occupational exposure limits' (OEL) assessment, the workers suffered acute and chronic health risks in the ABS and PS recycling workshops. Meanwhile, it was found that most VOCs in the indoor microenvironments were originated from the melting extrusion process, while the highest TVOC concentration was observed in the PS rather than in the ABS recycling workshop. Non-cancer hazard indices (HIs) of all individual VOCs were <1.0, whereas the total HI in the PS recycling workshop was 1.9, posing an adverse chronic health threat. Lifetime cancer risk assessment suggested that the residents also suffered from definite cancer risk in the PS, PA, ABS and PVC recycling workshops.

Women, e-waste, and technological solutions to climate change.

In this paper, we argue that a crossover class of climate change solutions (which we term "technological solutions") may disproportionately and adversely impact some populations over others. We begin by situating our discussion in the wider climate discourse, particularly with regard to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Basel Convention. We then suggest that many of the most attractive technological solutions to climate change, such as solar energy and electric car batteries, will likely add to the rapidly growing stream of electronic waste ("e-waste"). This e-waste may have negative downstream effects on otherwise disenfranchised populations. We argue that e-waste burdens women unfairly and disproportionately, affecting their mortality/morbidity and fertility, as well as the development of their children. Building on this, we claim that these injustices are more accurately captured as problems of recognition rather than distribution, since women are often institutionally under-acknowledged both in the workplace and in the home. Without institutional support and representation, women and children are deprived of adequate safety equipment, health precautions, and health insurance. Finally, we return to the question of climate justice in the context of the human right to health and argue for greater inclusion and recognition of women waste workers and other disenfranchised groups in forging future climate agreements.

Fungal and microbial volatile organic compounds exposure assessment in a waste sorting plant.

In the management of solid waste, pollutants over a wide range are released with different routes of exposure for workers. The potential for synergism among the pollutants raises concerns about potential adverse health effects, and there are still many uncertainties involved in exposure assessment. In this study, conventional (culture-based) and molecular real-time polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) methodologies were used to assess fungal air contamination in a waste-sorting plant which focused on the presence of three potential pathogenic/toxigenic fungal species: Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, and Stachybotrys chartarum. In addition, microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC) were measured by photoionization detection. For all analysis, samplings were performed at five different workstations inside the facilities and also outdoors as a reference. Penicillium sp. were the most common species found at all plant locations. Pathogenic/toxigenic species (A. fumigatus and S. chartarum) were detected at two different workstations by RTPCR but not by culture-based techniques. MVOC concentration indoors ranged between 0 and 8.9 ppm (average 5.3 ± 3.16 ppm). Our results illustrated the advantage of combining both conventional and molecular methodologies in fungal exposure assessment. Together with MVOC analyses in indoor air, data obtained allow for a more precise evaluation of potential health risks associated with bioaerosol exposure. Consequently, with this knowledge, strategies may be developed for effective protection of the workers.