Brazilian Environmental Agency Research Articles

Dados Abertos para Sustentabilidade Ambiental

Sustainability has been a topic with increasing focus in all areas of scientific knowledge, including Information Science. Open datasets have the potential to be used for sustainability. The study´s aim was to evaluate open datasets made available by Brazilian federal environmental agencies regarding their adherence to the FAIR principles and the W3C Good Practices for Data on the Web. The method consisted of preparing a protocol in the form of a checklist, composed of questions based on these principles and good practices, which was applied to the 166 data sets located on Brazilian government data portals. The results indicate that, although the government makes a substantial amount of this type of data available under open licenses, the potential for its location, access and reuse is compromised by the low use of permanent identifiers and good quality metadata. Conclusion: The use of data can boost and assist social and environmental causes in the Brazilian context, as, for action, arguments evidenced with data are necessary to support advocacy and public policies that aim to disseminate information to raise awareness.

Brazilian Atmospheric Inventories – BRAIN: a comprehensive database of air quality in Brazil

Abstract. Developing air quality management systems to control the impacts of air pollution requires reliable data. However, current initiatives do not provide datasets with large spatial and temporal resolutions for developing air pollution policies in Brazil. Here, we introduce the Brazilian Atmospheric Inventories (BRAIN), the first comprehensive database of air quality and its drivers in Brazil. BRAIN encompasses hourly datasets of meteorology, emissions, and air quality. The emissions dataset includes vehicular emissions derived from the Brazilian Vehicular Emissions Inventory Software (BRAVES), industrial emissions produced with local data from the Brazilian environmental agencies, biomass burning emissions from FINN – Fire INventory from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), and biogenic emissions from the Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature (MEGAN) (https://doi.org/10.57760/sciencedb.09858, Hoinaski et al., 2023a; https://doi.org/10.57760/sciencedb.09886, Hoinaski et al., 2023b). The meteorology dataset has been derived from the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) (https://doi.org/10.57760/sciencedb.09857, Hoinaski and Will, 2023a; https://doi.org/10.57760/sciencedb.09885, Hoinaski and Will, 2023c). The air quality dataset contains the surface concentration of 216 air pollutants produced from coupling meteorological and emissions datasets with the Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling System (CMAQ) (https://doi.org/10.57760/sciencedb.09859, Hoinaski and Will, 2023b; https://doi.org/10.57760/sciencedb.09884, Hoinaski and Will, 2023d). We provide gridded data in two domains, one covering the Brazilian territory with 20×20 km spatial resolution and another covering southern Brazil with 4×4 km spatial resolution. This paper describes how the datasets were produced, their limitations, and their spatiotemporal features. To evaluate the quality of the database, we compare the air quality dataset with 244 air quality monitoring stations, providing the model's performance for each pollutant measured by the monitoring stations. We present a sample of the spatial variability of emissions, meteorology, and air quality in Brazil from 2019, revealing the hotspots of emissions and air pollution issues. By making BRAIN publicly available, we aim to provide the required data for developing air quality policies on municipal and state scales, especially for under-developed and data-scarce municipalities. We also envision that BRAIN has the potential to create new insights into and opportunities for air pollution research in Brazil.​​​​​​​

Investigation of the contamination behavior in water and soil of an inactive dump from chemical analysis and geophysical method

In rapidly growing urban areas of developing countries, inappropriate urbanization practices near water bodies lead to significant environmental degradation, including deforestation, soil impermeabilization, and direct waste discharge into rivers and streams. This not only compromises water quality and ecosystem health but also exacerbates flood risks for nearby communities. Dumpsites, common in these regions due to inadequate waste management infrastructure, pose significant environmental threats, including soil and groundwater contamination. Our study employed a frequency-domain electromagnetic survey on an inactive dumpsite adjacent to one of Brazil’s major rivers. This geophysical method provided critical insights for geoenvironmental investigations, facilitating the collection of soil and groundwater samples to understand leachate behavior. We found that the shallower electrical conductivity map aligned with the waste disposal area's boundaries, verified by on-site surveys and excavations. Historical aerial images supported this interpretation and helped explain conductive electrical anomalies in the deeper conductivity map, linked to old irregular housing and waste disposal around the dumpsite. Moreover, the electrical conductivity maps revealed NE-oriented percolation at depth in the study area. Groundwater monitoring wells and soil analyses identified chemical elements exceeding standards set by Brazilian and international environmental agencies in this flow direction. These findings highlight the importance of using investigation techniques with superior spatial resolution compared to traditional environmental monitoring approaches. Electromagnetic methods prove effective in enhancing understanding and management of contamination in dumpsite environments.

Proposal for a tiered regulatory framework for the aquatic risk assessment of pesticides in Brazil.

Aquatic risk assessment is essential to guarantee the sustainable use of pesticides and the conservation of water resources near agricultural fields. This article discusses a proposal for a tiered regulatory framework for the aquatic risk assessment of pesticides in Brazil. The first step is problem formulation, which includes establishing general and specific protection goals. In the exposure assessment, the Estimated Environmental Concentrations in water should be calculated based on realistic worst-case assumptions regarding application rate and frequency, the entry into the edge-of-field water body, and fate in the water body, using scenario-dependent models suggested by the Brazilian Environmental Agency. These calculations can be refined by including Efate studies with variable exposures to reflect realistic environmental conditions accurately and include mitigation measures that impact the modeling. In the hazard assessment, ecotoxicological data for toxicity to fish, aquatic invertebrates, algae, and aquatic plants should be required for all pesticides based on standardized protocols and species. Tier 2 has several refinement options, including incorporating toxicity data from additional test species and effect modeling. In Tier 3, population- and community-level effects are evaluated using semi-field studies. Considering the case study in Brazil, Tier 1 demonstrated that, from the 12 pesticides that were assessed, seven (58%) failed based on the value of the Risk Quotient. In Tier 2, when exposure refinement options and mitigation measures such as buffer zones are considered, all seven pesticides, for which Tier 1 indicated risk, still failed the assessment. The risk for four of these seven pesticides could be refined by considering toxicity information from additional species. Refinement options and mitigation measures that could be applied to the agricultural scenario in Brazil were discussed. In conclusion, the proposed tiered risk assessment is a feasible way to evaluate whether a pesticide will pose an unacceptable risk to aquatic organisms. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:1514-1528. © 2024 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Relationships of perception of health risks by use of pesticides: a man-environment look

The use of agricultural pesticides is increasingly linked to public health problems and negative impacts on the environment. Furthermore, Brazilian environmental agencies lack protective actions. Our objective in this study was to analyze the process that leads to the perception of the risks associated with the use of pesticides in the riverside agricultural communities of the San Francisco Valley in northeastern Brazil. We conducted a qualitative literature review, applying the Constructivist Grounded Theory to the analysis of published scientific articles. The elements of the perception process that we identified are (1) the environment; (2) conditioning factors; (3) perception of the human body; (4) memory; (5) socio-cognitive processing; (6) automatic response; (7) decision-making process; and (8) behavior. Each of these elements and their relationships indicate the location of the causes of inadequate perception, and thus guide potential solutions.

New Approaches in Electroanalytical Determination of Triazines-Based Pesticides in Natural Waters

This study describes the preparation and use of a dental amalgam electrode for the voltammetric determination of triazine-based pesticides ametryn, atrazine, and simazine in natural waters, using square wave voltammetry. The experimental and voltammetric parameters were previously optimized, and analytical curves were constructed to calculate analytical parameters. The detection limits presented values that were lower than the maximum limits of residues permitted in natural water by the Brazilian Environmental Agency, 100 µg L−1 (100 ppb), and around the values obtained using other electrodic surfaces or high-performance liquid chromatography, traditionally used in triazine levels determination. Furthermore, the recovery percentages in pure electrolyte and natural waters were around 100%, demonstrating that the methodology proposed is suitable for determining triazines contamination in natural water samples, based on an environmentally friendly procedure.

Low biological phosphorus removal from effluents treated by slow sand filters.

The legislation for environment protection requires strict controls of the wastewater releasing in water bodies. The wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) have been used for organic matter degradation; however, the residual total phosphorus (TP) removal has not been efficient. TP and nitrogen present in wastewater are associated to eutrophication of water bodies and algae growth. Therefore, this study discusses the efficiency of phosphorus removal by a slow filter (SF), complementary to a WWTP and the microbial community involved. The results showed that the use of SF, with or without macrophytes, is not suitable to remove TP. Spatial variation in microbial communities distributed in three distinct zones was identified in the SF. Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi and Firmicutes covered the hydrolytic and fermentative bacteria. The acetogenesis, nitrification, and denitrification, as well as the removal of phosphorus from the effluent, were performed by representatives affiliated to different groups. Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria among these, Dokdonella sp., Frateuria sp., Comamonas sp., Diaphorobacter sp., Nitrosospira sp., Ferruginibacter sp., Flavobacterium sp., and the uncultured OD1 were the most abundant bacteria in the SF. The low efficiency for TP removing from SF effluents can be explained by the low abundance of phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs), with the association of the low concentration of biodegradable organic matter in the inlet effluent. Therefore, the alternative to using SF as a complement to WWTPs, as recommended by some Brazilian environmental agencies, did not prove to be viable and new approaches must be evaluated. KEY POINTS: • The phosphorus removal was performed by a slow filter system in a WWTP but obtained a low efficiency. • Microbial spatial variation was distributed into distinct zones from slow filter. • Low abundance of PAOs was observed due to the low availability of organic matter.

Assessment of disposal and recycling of waste tyres in Brazil

Waste tyres discarded and accumulated in inadequate places represent a threat to the environment and public health. The problem related to the final disposal of such a solid waste occurs in every country in the world; thus, laws and standards that regulate, control, and assess solid waste management, such as waste tyres, are necessary. In Brazil, since 2009, manufacturers and importers must collect and properly dispose of a waste tyre for each new tyre sold. The National Solid Waste Policy implemented in 2010 requires tyre manufacturers, importers, distributors, and traders to implement reverse logistics systems. In this scenario, this work aims to assess the evolution of waste tyres disposal and recycling in Brazil and verify the compliance with the resolutions of Brazilian environmental agencies, also listing the main destinations. The methodology adopted consists of examining bulletins and documents from Brazilian environmental agencies between 2010 and 2019. As a result, the fulfilment of the national destination goal for the manufacturers and importers of new tyres, and the effective amount of tyres disposed of in an environmentally acceptable way, was not reached in any of the evaluated years. On the other hand, new tyre manufacturers met the target every year, while importers did not. From 2010 to 2019, the main types of disposal activities were co-processing (2,615,299 t), granulation (1,241,456 t) and lamination (495,624 t). On average, the Southeast region has the highest percentage of waste tyres disposal (57.0%), followed by the South region (23.0%), while the lowest percentage was observed in the North region (2.2%). Despite the regulations for the reuse of waste tyres, the practices adopted in Brazil cannot be considered environmentally adequate. In addition, it is important to note that the data analyzed refer to the information collected, which may not represent the total number of companies existing in the country.

Dynamics of a Forest Submitted to Logging in the Eastern Amazon, Brazil

ABSTRACT Logging is an economically important activity in the Amazon; however, there are doubts regarding its sustainability, even under planned systems. This study sought to evaluate the dynamics of the structure and composition of a forest undergoing logging operations in a Sustainable Management Unit (SMU) located in the Mamuru–Arapiuns lots of the cities of Juruti and Santarém, in the state of Pará, Brazil. The studied areas are under public concession and are closely monitored by Brazilian environmental agencies. Data were collected from permanent plots before and after logging (years 2012 to 2015). Our findings raise concerns regarding the prospects of sustainable logging because mortality rates exceeded recruitment rates, causing significant decreases in tree density per hectare and basal forest area. The diameter increment rate in the forest community was 0.82 cm year−1; crown shape and lighting significantly influenced tree diameter growth. There was initially a decrease in tree diversity followed by an increase, resulting in higher diversity levels than those observed prior to logging. There were minor changes in the composition of the forest community, with a particular shift toward pioneer species. We concluded that logging affected forest dynamics at a level that calls its prospects for sustainability into question.

Parameterization of a Brazilian scenario in the USEPA Pesticide in Water Calculator tool to estimate the environmental exposure of pesticide in surface waters.

The current pesticide registration process in Brazil is mainly hazard-based and does not consider exposure and therefore risk. However, the scenario prompted changes and discussions about risk assessments by Brazilian environmental regulatory agencies. The US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Pesticide in Water Calculator (PWC) model is used as a regulatory tool for aquatic exposure assessment in Canada and the USA for exposure evaluation of agrochemical products; nevertheless, the available scenarios only consider North American local conditions. This work aims to demonstrate a parametrization of the PWC model for a Brazilian scenario, considering the active ingredient glyphosate and sugarcane agronomic practices. The estimated environmental concentrations (EECs) obtained were compared with two standard EPA scenarios. Essential parameter data to build a specific local scenario were collected from the literature and official Brazilian databases. The EECs (1-in-10 years) of glyphosate according to the conditions established were 1.427 μg L-1 (1st day), 0.382 µg L-1 (21st day), and 0.2027 µg L-1 (60th day). These values can be used as exposure elements in acute and chronic risk assessments considering the agricultural practices used in the developed scenario. A 4.45-fold and 1.28-fold difference was found comparing the 1-day (1-in-10 years) average concentration of the Brazilian scenario with two EPA standard scenarios. Such a difference may affect the outcome of risk assessments, affecting regulatory decisions. This demonstrates the importance of generating more realistic scenarios for Brazil, yielding surface water EECs that consider local conditions.Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:1387-1398. © 2021 SETAC.

Microemulsification-based method enables field-deployable quantification of oil in produced water

The oil and gas industry involves the generation of a large amount of produced water (PW), which incorporates chemicals of ecological concern such as petroleum compounds (oil) that further imply deleterious effects to its recovery rate and safety of operation. As limitation, the monitoring of oil in PW (OiW) samples at onshore and offshore wells is challenging as the currently available methods usually require the use of benchtop equipment and laborious experimental routines. Using the microemulsification-based method (MEC), which was introduced by our group in 2014, here we describe a cost-effective, user-friendly, fast, and scalable strategy for the on-field determination of OiW. The analysis is based on the monitoring of the minimum volume fraction of amphiphile needed to thermodynamically stabilize cloudy dispersions, thus forming transparent microemulsions. Applying the own sample as oil-water phases, Tween-80 25% v/v in acetone as amphiphilic phase, and a handheld turbidimeter, the assays are performed in less than 5 min with a limit of detection of ∼6 ppm. The latter is lower than the maximum average (OiW 29 ppm per month) that is limited by the Brazilian environmental agency. In addition to showing high robustness facing changes in salinity, it is noteworthy that the method enabled the determination of OiW in real samples with accuracies ranging from 95.7% to 105.6%. Our results are a significant step towards the on-field quantification of OiW. The oil and gas industry may benefit from this method for translating useful solutions into the real world to support the making/management of decisions aiming to minimize ecological and operational side effects.

Geochemical mapping in stream sediments of the Carajás Mineral Province, part 2: Multi-element geochemical signatures using Compositional Data Analysis (CoDA)

The geological imprint on the geochemical background in stream sediment of the Itacaiúnas River Watershed (IRW), located in the most prominent mining area of Brazil, the Carajás Mineral Province, was evaluated. The stream sediment dataset from the Itacaiúnas Geochemical Mapping and Background Project of the Instituto Tecnológico Vale was used to address multi-element associations and for the definition of surface geochemical compartments by applying a series of multivariate geostatistics tools and geoprocessing techniques, through the Compositional Data Analysis (CoDA) perspective. In this study, the geochemical dataset was processed for centered log-ratio (clr) transformation prior to the Principal Factor Analysis (PFA). The spatial distribution of factor scores derived from PFA indicates a pronounced control on stream sediment geochemistry by the underlying geological setting and lithology. Relevant hidden correlations were observed among the nine extracted factors. An unsupervised classification based on k-means clustering algorithm was performed for the factor scores of 761 stream sediment samples. A multiproxy approach that combines the cluster classification and geoprocessing tools revealed a strong similarity in the spatial distribution of different geochemical compartments and geological domains of the IRW. Threshold values of 51 elements were calculated by a variety of statistical methods for references to the main four geological domains of the IRW defined using the geological framework and the geochemical compartments. These values were then compared to the background concentrations of the entire study area and to the investigation levels proposed by the Brazilian environmental agencies for potentially toxic elements. The new threshold values for the geochemical compartments of the IRW can be used for improving the assessment of environmental impact by anthropic activities, and to establish more realistic threshold values for different chemical elements in stream sediments. This study provides useful information for new mineral development projects and ore prospects, with potential benefit to the mineral sector and industry.

Integrated Geochemical Assessment of Soils and Stream Sediments to Evaluate Source-Sink Relationships and Background Variations in the Parauapebas River Basin, Eastern Amazon

This study aims to handle an integrated evaluation of soil and stream sediment geochemical data to evaluate source apportionment and to establish geochemical threshold variations for Fe, Al, and 20 selected Potentially Toxic Elements (PTE) in the Parauapebas River Basin (PB), Eastern Amazon. The data set used in this study is from the Itacaiúnas Geochemical Mapping and Background Project (ItacGMBP), which collected 364 surface soil (0–10 cm) samples and 189 stream sediments samples in the entire PB. The <0.177 mm fraction of these samples were analyzed for 51 elements by ICP-MS and ICP-AES, following an aqua regia digestion. The geochemical maps of many elements revealed substantial differences between the north (NPB) and the south (SPB) of PB, mainly due to the geological setting. The new statistically derived threshold values of the NPB and SPB regions were compared to the threshold of the whole PB, reported in previous studies, and to quality guidelines proposed by Brazilian environmental agencies. The natural variation of geochemical background in soils and stream sediments of PB should be considered prior to defining new guideline values. At the regional scale, the local anomalies are mostly influenced by the predominant lithology rather than any anthropogenic impact.

The shadow of the Balbina dam: A synthesis of over 35 years of downstream impacts on floodplain forests in Central Amazonia

Abstract The Balbina hydropower dam in the Central Amazon basin, established in the Uatumã River in the 1980s, is emblematic for its socio‐environmental disaster. Its environmental impacts go far beyond the reservoir and dam, however, affecting the floodplain forests (igapó) in the downstream area (dam shadow), which have been assessed using a transdisciplinary research approach, synthesized in this review. Floodplain tree species are adapted to a regular and predictable flood pulse, with high‐ and low‐water periods occurring during the year. This was severely affected by the operation of the Balbina dam, which caused the suppression of both the aquatic phase at higher floodplain elevations and the terrestrial phase at lower floodplain elevations (termed the ‘sandwich effect’). During the period of construction and reservoir fill, large‐scale mortality already occurred in the floodplains of the dam shadow as a result of reduced stream flow, in synergy with severe drought conditions induced by El Niño events, causing hydraulic failure and making floodplains vulnerable to wildfires. During the operational period of the dam, permanent flooding conditions at low topographical elevations resulted in massive tree mortality. So far, 12% of the igapó forests have died along a downstream river stretch of more than 125 km. As a result of flood suppression at the highest elevations, an encroachment of secondary tree species from upland (terra firme) forests occurred. More than 35 years after the implementation of the Balbina dam, the downstream impacts caused massive losses of macrohabitats, ecosystem services, and diversity of flood‐adapted tree species, probably cascading down to the entire food web, which must be considered in conservation management. These findings are discussed critically, emphasizing the urgent need for the Brazilian environmental regulatory agencies to incorporate downstream impacts in the environmental assessments of several dam projects planned for the Amazon region.

Concentrations of Pb, Cd and Zn in sediments of an estuarine complex affected by ancient mining activities in Southeast Brazil

An artificial canal, built in 1852, diverted 60% of the flow of the Ribeira de Iguape River (RIR) into the northern region of the Estuarine-Lagoon Complex of Iguape-Cananéia (ELCIC), Southeast Brazil. Since then the river has become the main contributor of fresh water and suspended matter into the system. Additionally, the RIR was contaminated by mining activities, especially of Pb, which disposed their wastes directly into this river from their beginning until its cease in 1996. Thus, unknown quantities of metals began to be continuously introduced into the ELCIC. This study evaluated lead, cadmium and zinc concentrations in the surficial sediment at 10 points sampled along the ELCIC, 15 years after the closure of the mining. Zinc concentrations were in accordance with legislation and similar across the ELCIC regions, ranging from 10.4 to 22.8 µg.g-1. Lead concentrations ranged from 19.3 to 67.9 µg.g-1, with higher concentrations in the northern ELCIC region, especially in areas near to the canal and the mouth of the RIR. These values were above the Level I limits established by the Brazilian Environmental Agency, suggesting the possibility of a sediment toxicity. Cadmium was only detected (up to 3.6 µg.g-1) in the northern region, exceeding Level I limits too. However, Pb and Cd values were not above the Level II limits. Results revealed areas of moderate lead and cadmium contamination in the northern ELCIC region, still indicating a strong contribution from the ancient mining activities and from other current anthropogenic activities such as agriculture or an incorrect disposal of sewage and residues. Therefore, a continuous assessment of metal concentrations in the sedimentary record is important to monitor the ELCIC environmental quality.

Concentration and variability of soil trace elements in an agricultural area in a semiarid region of the Irecê Plateau, Bahia, Brazil

In a previous study, a high concentration of Pb, Zn, Cr, and Mn in soil profiles located in the semiarid region of Brazil were found in areas used for decades by small family farmers for the production of the crops and raising small animals. This question motivated the current study to evaluate the soil variability spatial dependence on trace elements to quantify and map its occurrence in this area, comparing their concentration with reference values set by the Brazilian environmental agencies. Soil samples were collected at 0-0.20 and 0.20-0.40 m depths and 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 m from the center and to both sides of five transects spaced from 1,000 m, forming a grid. The concentration of the trace elements As, Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Ti, and Zn was obtained in SW-846 3050B USEPA soil extract by ICP-OES. Spatial dependence for all evaluated elements allowed the elaboration of dispersion maps in the area, except for Cd. Trace elements concentrations were below the investigation values (limit value of a trace element in the soil with risk potential to humans and the environment) of the Brazilian environmental legislation (Conama). Pb and As concentrations were above the prevention values (limit value of a trace element in the soil that can sustain its primary functions), but, still, they presented low dispersion in the area. Zn concentration was above the prevention value, and dispersion was higher, regardless sampling point, which requires a major concern. Cr, Cu, Ni, Fe, Mn, and Ti concentrations were below the Conama reference values, and the dispersion was also low. Fortunately, except for Fe, it was observed that trace elements were concentrated around the central point of the "gossan", instead of distributed throughout in the agricultural area around it.

Fuzzy-based computational intelligence to support screening decision in environmental impact assessment: A complementary tool for a case-by-case project appraisal

Screening is a key stage in environmental impact assessment (EIA), but the most common approach based on policy delineation are inherently arbitrary. On the other hand, a case-by-case approach can be complex, slow, and costly. This paper introduces a computational intelligence based on hybrid fuzzy inference system (h-FIS), combining data-driven and expert knowledge, in order to assess its capability of supporting a case-by-case screening in project appraisal. For empirical research, a dataset with appraisal variables of projects highway was made available by a Brazilian environmental protection agency (EPA). Firstly, using this dataset, multivariate analyses were performed to find criteria (xi) capable of indicating statistically significant differences among projects, previously screened by EPA experts into three types (simplified, preliminary, and comprehensive) of environmental impact study (EIS). Then, h-FIS was built through machine learning, using the FRBCS·W algorithm, with xi as input predictors and the type of EIS as the output target. The performances of alternative approaches were compared using cross-validation accuracy tests and the kappa index, with a significance level of 0.05. As a result, the h-FIS achieved accuracy of 92.6% and a kappa index of 0.88, which represented almost perfect agreement between the screening decision provided by the h-FIS and the one performed by the EPA experts. In conclusion, the fuzzy-based computational intelligence was capable of dealing with the complexity involved in screening decision. Therefore h-FIS be considered a promising complementary tool for a case-by-case project appraisal in EIA. For further advances, future research should assess other algorithms, such as genetic fuzzy systems, in order to strengthen the proposed system and make it generally applicable in other projects subject to EIA.

Environmental and health risk assessment of agricultural areas adjacent to uranium ore fields in Brazil.

To investigate the risks posed by trace and rare earth elements (REEs) in two tropical uranium ore fields, metal concentrations from 50 vegetable samples (corn and soybean) and their corresponding agricultural soils were evaluated in a U mining area and a U-rich coal mining area in Brazil. Samples from both areas had metal concentrations (REE: La to Lu, and trace elements: As, Pb, Cd, Ni, Cu, Cr, Mn, Zn, Ba, U, Sr) that were higher than the guidelines proposed by the Brazilian environmental agency. Soils from the U mining area (Poços de Caldas) generally had higher contents of trace elements than the coal mining area (Figueira), with the exception of Ni and Cr, indicating a higher risk of pollution, which was confirmed by a pollution load index that was greater than unity. For both sites, concentrations of uranium in the soil and plants, its hazard quotients and the soil contamination factor were higher in agricultural fields closer to the mines, indicating that contamination and the consequent risks to human health were distance dependent. REE concentrations averaged 52.8mgkg-1 in the topsoils and 0.76mgkg-1 in the grains for Figueira, whereas higher values of 371mgkg-1 (topsoils) and 0.9mgkg-1 (grains) were found in Poços de Caldas. Based upon corn and soybean consumption, the estimated intake dose of the REE was lower than the intake dose predicted to be problematic for human health for both sites, indicating limited risk related to the ingestion of REE.

Approach of Health Aspects in the Environmental Licensing in the Brazilian mining sector

The mining activity generates several negative and positive impacts. Among the negatives impacts, it is find the reduced air quality, noise generation and increased population flow, which directly affect the health quality of the local population and the enterprise workers. Thus, the aim of this work was to perform an analysis of documents as Environmental Impact Study (EIS) and Terms of Reference (TR) regarding the approach of health aspects in mining activities licensed by the Brazilian federal environmental agency, proposing a methodology for its evaluation. The methodology consisted of a qualitative and quantitative analysis of health aspects according to the matrix already used in another study. It was proposed to insert weights for attributes analysis culminating in a scale of approach to health aspects: low, medium and high. Thus, limitations were found regarding the availability of studies and TRs in the environmental agency system. Regarding the EIS, most aspects of health had a medium approach, the diagnostic stage was highlighted as the most complete and the monitoring and accompaniment stage were detected as presenting the lowest approach. The greatest weaknesses was the identification of specialists responsible for the health approach, the lack of estimates of investments in the sector.

Bioavailability of trace metals and rare earth elements (REE) from the tropical soils of a coal mining area.

In order to assess the environmental risks related to mining activities in Southern Brazil, the transfer of trace metals and rare earth elements (REE) from soils to soybeans was evaluated in a U-rich area associated with coal mining. In some samples, As, Ba, Co, Cu and Ni were higher than the guidelines proposed by the Brazilian environmental agency. Soil, coal, ash, tailings and soybean were systematically sampled so that the chemical fractionation/speciation of the elements could be related to their bioavailability. In addition to total concentrations quantified by ICP-MS after microwave digestion, elemental measurements were made following different evaluations of the bioavailable metal, including chemical extractions (10mM Ca(NO3)2 and 3-step sequential extraction), diffusive gradient in thin films technique (DGT) and chemical modeling (WHAM-free ion). Lower pH and higher clay and organic matter content were reflected by higher metal assimilation by the plants, especially by the roots and leaves. The bioaccumulation factor (BF) was generally higher for the leaves (e.g. Cu, Mn, Sr, Zn, Ba, REE with exception of Tm and Yb) and roots (e.g. Cd, Th and U). The results revealed that for Ba, Cd, Sr, Pb, U and most of the REE, the free ion concentration was strongly correlated with the metal content in the plants, especially for the grains. Values obtained by DGT were also correlated with the bioavailable portion of Ba, Mn, Sr, Zn, Pb, U and REE. Measurements obtained from Ca extractions correlated well with the bioavailable metals for Ba, Cd, Sr, Rb, Pb and Th. The free or extractable metal fractions gave much better correlations of the bioavailable fractions than did the total metal concentrations from the soils, especially for the REE. The paper validates some simplified means of estimating the risks associated with metals and REE in tropical soils affected by mining activities.