Mercury concentration in fish from Piracicaba River (Minas Gerais, Brazil).

Mercury emissions from some upstream gold mining areas and recent findings of high natural Hg levels in sediments motivated studies on the Hg cycle in the Minas Gerais state. The study presents the total mercury amount found in Geophagus brasiliensis' muscular tissue (wet weight) and sediments from Piracicaba River. Mercury was analyzed using acid digestion followed by determination of total mercury by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrophotometry. This study was also complemented with the analysis of the limnological parameters (water temperature, conductivity, total dissolved solids, suspended particles, pH, dissolved oxygen, maximum depth, photic index and total carbon). The mercury concentration in sediments samples was higher than the mercury concentration in muscular tissue of fish. The lowest Hg level measured in fish was 0.0147 microg g( - 1), while the highest was 0.101 microg g( - 1). In the sediment samples, the lowest and highest levels were 0.02 microg g( - 1) and 0.16 microg g( - 1), respectively. The Hg concentrations in fish and sediment were both under the maximum limit permitted by the World Health Organization.

Implantação do programa de fitoterapia "Verde Vida" na secretaria de saúde de Maringá (2000-2003)

Há muitos anos, tenta-se implantar a fitoterapia no município de Maringá, o que só foi possível em 2000, com a criação de uma comissão específica, definição das plantas segundo critérios epidemiológicos, literatura disponível e adoção do formato de farmácia de manipulação. Foram padronizados os fitoterápicos nas formas de infusão (espinheira-santa, guaco, cavalinha, hortelã e funcho), gel (própolis e calêndula) e em cápsulas gelatinosas duras (valeriana). Encontrou-se problemas com fornecedores, com diversos lotes insatisfatórios quanto à qualidade, mas ao longo do tempo o programa foi muito bem aceito. Nestes três anos de funcionamento, já foram dispensados mais de 50.000 unidades de produtos, com destaque à aceitação e eficácia da valeriana como ansiolitico, dos géis de própolis e calendula como antimicrobiano e cicatrizante, da espinheirasanta em gastrites e úlceras e do guaco como broncodilator e expectorante. Confirma-se, assim, o valor da fitoterapia no apoio às atividades básicas de saúde.

There are many years, it tries to implant the phytotherapy in the municipal district of Maringá. That implantation was only possible in 2000, with the creation of specific commission, definition of the plants according to epidemic criteria and available literature, and adoption of the format of manipulation drugstore. We have standardized the phytotherapics in the infusion forms (espinheira-santa, guaco, cavalinha, mint and fennel), gel (própolis and calendula) and in hard gelatinous capsules (valerian). There were problems with suppliers, with several unsatisfactory lots as for the quality, but along the time the program was very well accepted. On these three years of operation, there were already released more than 50.000 units of products, with prominence to the acceptance and effectiveness of the valerian as ansiolitic, two gels of propolis and calendula as antimicrobial and healing, of the espinheirasanta in gastritis and ulcers and of the guaco as broncodilator and expectorant. It is confirmed, like this, the value of the phytotherapy in the support to the basic activities of health.