Sugarcane Monoculture Research Articles

Expansion of sugarcane monoculture: associated impacts and management measures in the semi-arid East African Rift Valley, Ethiopia.

The study examined the expansion of sugarcane monoculture over the period 1957-2010 and its implications for land degradation and land management measures in the semi-arid northern Main Ethiopian Rift Valley. It used multi-scale and multi-temporal imageries aided by qualitative surveying to investigate the dynamics of land use and cover changes. The study applied both a pixel-based supervised classification and feature extraction methods at subclass levels and merged them into major compatible and comparable land use and cover groups. The results indicated a substantial transformation in the landscape over 53years (1957-2010), which is attributed to expansion of sugarcane plantation, saline lake water, and smallholder farmland and settlements. The land use and cover changes culminated in reduction of native vegetation cover and biodiversity loss, encroachment of non-native species, and occurrence of soil salinity. Major causes that justify the changes include (1) macro-economic changes and policy shifts towards agricultural development, (2) change in underground hydrology, (3) population growth, and (4) sedentarization of the traditional pastoral community. Proper measures should aim at addressing the trade-off between economic development and environmental sustainability. Moreover, management opportunities should base on the understanding of socioeconomic and biophysical settings and balance the sustenance of the local people and ecological function of the area.

Seeing land deals through the lens of the ‘land–water nexus’: the case of biofuel production in Piura, Peru

ABSTRACTThis contribution examines two large-scale land acquisitions on Peru’s northern coast, using a ‘land–water nexus’ approach. The establishment of large sugarcane monocultures resulted in a massive transfer of land and water rights from smallholders to biofuel companies. Using Ribot and Peluso’s theory of access, we demonstrate that this transfer of rights was enabled by the convergence of neoliberal land and water reforms and the presence of the two investors. This constellation (1) altered smallholders’ bundles of rights; and (2) created sharp imbalances that radically changed access to land and water, not only through changing bundles of rights, but also, and maybe more significantly, through widening the gaps between smallholders’ and biofuel companies’ bundles of powers. Using Hall et al.’s powers of exclusion approach, we identify the processes both underpinning and resulting out of the changing access relations analyzed in this study. Changes to Peru’s water governance may accentuate power asymmetries between investors and smallholders, constraining locals’ access to increasingly scarce water.

Using DNA barcode to relate landscape attributes to small vertebrate roadkill

Large vertebrates are the main focus of roadkill studies because their greater size facilitates taxonomic identification and the collection of statistical data. However, these studies fail to effectively include and identify small vertebrates and correlate roadkill events with the surrounding landscape. Here we showed the effectiveness of molecular data to identify small vertebrate roadkill, and we correlated landscape structure attributes with the location of roadkill for functional groups of varying mobility. The extraction of DNA from roadkilled individuals was followed by the amplification of two mitochondrial genes. We compared each DNA sequence to a database and used the highest similarity values for species identification. The species were classified according to their taxa and degree of mobility: birds, reptilia and amphibia with low and intermediate movement capability. After calculating the landscape attributes for each roadkill point, we used a competing model approach based on Akaike Information Criteria to determine which landscape variable best explained the occurrence of roadkills. Combining molecular and morphological characteristics, we identified 82.93% of the roadkilled animals. DNA barcoding allowed the identification of 310% more specimens than by morphological characteristics alone. Roadkilled birds with intermediate movement capability were strongly influenced by dominated areas by agriculture and sugar cane monocultures. Roadkilled reptiles with low movement capability were positively correlated with the presence of forest remnants, while those with intermediate movement capability seemed to be more frequent in heavily anthropized landscapes. We showed that molecular data is a powerful tool for precisely identifying small-sized roadkilled animals. Our results also highlight that different landscape structure attributes enable the prediction of roadkill occurrence along roads, which in turn allows us to identify roadkill hotspots and plan appropriate mitigation actions.

Perigo de contaminação da água subterrânea na região de Indaiatuba a Capivari, estado de São Paulo, Brasil

O mapeamento do perigo de contaminação dos aquíferos auxilia o planejamento do uso e ocupação do solo, indicando prioridades para o controle das atividades antrópicas e para a proteção das captações de água subterrânea. Considerando o perigo como resultado da interação entre a vulnerabilidade natural dos aquíferos e a carga potencial contaminante imposta por atividades antrópicas, neste trabalho o sistema de classificação do perigo de contaminação da água subterrânea foi adaptado para permitir o mapeamento com base em técnicas de análise espacial em SIG (Sistema de Informação Geográfica). O mapeamento do perigo de contaminação da água subterrânea foi realizado em uma área que abrange seis municípios localizados no leste do estado de São Paulo, Brasil, caracterizada por um expressivo desenvolvimento econômico e acentuado processo de expansão urbana. O mapa de perigo de contaminação associado às fontes pontuais de contaminação indicou que as áreas mais críticas estão nos distritos industriais de Indaiatuba e de Salto e em áreas dispersas ao longo do rio Capivari e das rodovias. Na área urbana, o perigo de contaminação associado ao sistema de saneamento está concentrado nas porções com urbanização mais antiga e com maior densidade de ocupação. Na área rural, os setores com perigo alto a moderado de contaminação ocorrem, principalmente, na porção oeste da área estudada, onde predomina a monocultura canavieira. Em relação às fontes difusas, as áreas com moderado a muito baixo perigo de contaminação apresentam maior extensão, resultante da baixa vulnerabilidade dos aquíferos na região. Considerando o aspecto dinâmico do uso e ocupação do solo, o mapa de perigo de contaminação da água subterrânea deve ser atualizado periodicamente para melhor subsidiar as ações de planejamento e, nesse sentido, as ferramentas de geoprocessamento facilitam a tarefa.

Changes of Estuarine Sedimentation Patterns by Urban Expansion: The Case of Middle Capibaribe Estuary, Northeastern Brazil

The aim of this study is to describe the sedimentary evolution occurred during the last 200-years in the middle Capibaribe Estuary by mean of the sedimentary analysis (magnetic susceptibility, grain size, calcium carbonate, total organic matter—TOM) and geochemical parameters (sedimentation rates, heavy metal concentrations, enrichment and contamination factor) along a core. The core recorded four units and the measured sedimentation rate was 0.52 cm cm·y﹣1. The first unit, dating before 1812, showed environmental characteristics of mangrove with predominance of fine sediments, high total organic matter percentages and heavy metal concentrations probably from natural sources. The second unit, from 1812 to 1937, showed a slight increase in sand percentages and decrease in fine fraction, TOM contents and heavy metals concentrations. These characteristics may be associated with the urban expansion processes and the presence of monoculture of sugar cane occurred in the middle Capibaribe Estuary. The third unit, from 1937 to 2004, showed the highest sand percentages of the core, characterizing a unit exclusively of sand with low fine fractions percentages, total organic matter contents and heavy metals concentrations. This unit represented the intensification of the urban processes expansion of Recife City. The fourth unit showed increases in fine fraction sedimentation, TOM contents and heavy metals concentrations. This new change in sedimentation probably is consequence of rebirth of marginal estuarine banks by mangrove vegetation, due to environmental projects carried out by Recife Prefecture in the early 2000’s. It was not possible to register the anthropic contamination to middle estuary area probably due to the Barreiras Formation influences in the metal concentration records, masking the anthropic contamination inputs in estuarine region. Although, lead and arsenic showing an enrichment level indicating anthropic contamination.

English

The integrated study of soil properties allows the establishment of appropriate management practices in the Brazilian Semi-arid region. This study aimed at evaluating the physical and chemical attributes in Neosols under different agricultural uses in different landscape positions. The evaluations were carried out in five areas in the city of Martins, RN: Consortium of corn/bean/cassava (CON), monoculture of corn (MM) and banana (BN) all in Lithic Neosol; monoculture of sugarcane (SC) and elephant grass (EG) in Fluvic Neosol and native forest area (NF). For chemical and physical analysis, samples were collected from layers of 0.00-0.10, 0.10-0.20 and 0.20-0.30 m. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis. The main results of the principal components analysis, CP1, CP2, CP3 and CP4, explained 87.16% of data variance: CP1 represented by pH and exchangeable cations (Ca2+, Mg2+), base saturation (SB), and the contrast represented by the potential acidity (H+Al) and aluminum (Al3+). In CP2 electrical conductivity (EC), sodium (Na+), aluminum (Al3+) and acidity by aluminum (m) were responsible for the differentiation of uses, highlighting the importance of maintaining crop residues as responsible for the reduction of exchangeable Al3+ content and the increase in pH and release of exchangeable bases. It is concluded that agricultural systems that favored the maintenance of the total organic carbon were the grass-Elephant grass (EG), followed by the consortium of corn, beans and cassava (CON). The attributes (pH, Ca2+ and Mg2+), sum of bases (t, V, EG, Na+ and PST) were indicators of separation of environments, and the most sensitive (Al3+and H+Al). The chemical attributes in agricultural uses of banana monoculture (BN), consortium of corn, beans and cassava (CON), monocultures of Elephant grass (EG) and native forest (NF) had stood, reflecting higher weights in module, following the order of importance of the components: CP1>CP2>CP3>CP4.   Key words: Landscape, consortium, multivariate, soil management.

English

Soil macrofauna organisms are recognized as ecological indicators of soil management practices. Sugarcane monoculture can have negative impacts on soil, including biodiversity loss, which should be evaluated. In that sense, the aim of this was to determine the diversity macrofauna under sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) annual growth cycle (2012-2013) comparing two different natural vegetation areas (Sandbank and Atlantic forest). The study areas are located at Usina Santa Teresa in Goiana municipality, in Zona Mata Norte of the Pernambuco State (Brazil). Soil macrofauna samples were collected in January, April and August 2013. In order to collect soil macrofauna samples, 5 pitfall traps were placed in the field for 7 days. Descriptive statistics and biodiversity indices were used to carry out data analysis. The presence and biodiversity indices were affected by the hydrological regime. Sugarcane harvest with straw burning initially promoted soil macrofauna taxa better adapted to system drastic changes. Moreover, as sugarcane growth year went by, soil macrofauna biodiversity indices similar to those reported at natural vegetation areas (Sandbank and Atlantic Forest) were observed.   Key words: Bioindicator, burnt sugarcane, functional groups, soil macrofauna.

Soil carbon and nitrogen changes under a long period of sugarcane monoculture in the semi-arid East African Rift Valley, Ethiopia

Sugarcane cultivation has been practiced over decades in a semi-arid area of the Ethiopian Rift Valley. This study evaluated the effect of sugarcane cultivation on soil C and N storages. We measured the differences in soil C and N along chronosequence fields. We estimated soil C and N losses associated with land conversion and the rate of changes over time. Results indicated that the soil C accumulation was lower under sugarcane field but slowly approached to never tilled (NT) condition. Land conversion resulted in soil C initial losses predicted to 37 Mg C ha−1 or 58%, which recovered with a net change of 0.35 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 or 0.29% yr−1. Under the current management practices, the loss in soil C is projected to require a century to reach the sugarcane pre-establishment levels. Land conversion induced soil total nitrogen (TN) initial losses estimated to be 113 kg N ha−1. However, the predicted net change in soil TN as a function of time appeared to be insignificant. Sugarcane as a direct replacement of native vegetation triggered losses in soil C levels. Yet, sugarcane cultivation as land use option established on marginal lands can have a great potential for soil carbon sequestration.

Effects of Cropping Systems and Agricultural Lime on Soil Properties and Nutrient Content of Sugarcane on Acidified Soils of Kisumu County, Kenya

Acid soils cause soil fertility problems such as Al and Mn toxicity, Ca, Mg, N deficiency and P fixation. These are constraints to high crop yields. Historically, liming is the common management practice used to neutralize soil acidity and to overcome the problems associated with soil acidification. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of cropping systems, lime placement methods and lime rates on some soil chemical properties and nutrient uptake by sugarcane during the plant crop and ratoon one cycle under acidified Cambisols of Kibos, Kisumu, Kenya. A Split - split plot in randomized complete block arrangement was employed. The factors and respective levels (in parenthesis were): main plot; two cropping systems (sugarcane monoculture [MC] and intercropped sugarcane and soybeans [IC]). The sub – plots were three lime placement methods (lime broadcasted [L-BC], lime shallow banded, 0 – 15 cm [L-SB] and lime deep banded, 15 – 30 cm (L-DB] and the sub - sub plots were three lime rates (0, 1 and 2 t ha-1). Lime rate of 2 t ha-1 significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased soil pH to 6.4 and 5.2 as determined in water and 1 N KCl, respectively compared to 1 t ha-1 and control (0 t ha-1). Increased lime rate led to decreased levels of manganese, iron, and copper hence confirms the inverse relationship between soil pH and these micronutrients. Lime deep banded (L-DB) increased soil pH and available phosphorus for soil depth 15 – 30 cm compared to lime shallow banded (L-SB) and lime broadcasted (L-BC). Intercropped sugarcane and soybeans (IC) led to increased soil acidity and soil organic carbon (SOC) than did sugarcane monoculture (MC). For nutrient content of sugarcane leaves, IC system led to increased Ca and Mn compared to MC. Lime broadcasted (L-BC) caused high nitrogen and phosphorus content of sugarcane leaves and lime shallow banded resulted in increased Ca and Zn content of sugarcane to optimum levels. In view of the findings, the lime rate of 2 t ha-1 is recommended for use to ameliorate soil acidity for acidified Cambisols of Kibos, Kisumu County, Kenya. Lime broadcasted (L-BC) is preferred to ameliorate acidity at top depth (0 – 15 cm) while lime banded both (L-SB) and L-DB) is preferred to reduce sub - soil acidity.

Two common species dominate the species-rich Euglossine bee fauna of an Atlantic Rainforest remnant in Pernambuco, Brazil.

Nowadays, the northern part of the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil is largely destroyed and forest remnants rarely exceed 100 ha. In a 118 ha forest fragment within a state nature reserve of Pernambuco (Reserva Ecológica Gurjaú), we surveyed the orchid bee fauna (Apidae, Euglossini) using eight different scent baits to attract males. Once a month during one year, the bees were actively collected with entomological nets, from November 2002 to October 2003 by two collectors. We collected 2,908 orchid bee males belonging to 23 species, one of the highest richness values of the Northern Atlantic Rainforest. Bees of only two species, Euglossa carolina (50%) and Eulaema nigrita (25%), which occurred throughout the year, accounted for three quarter of the collected individuals. Both species are typical for open or disturbed areas. Rainforest remnants like those of Gurjaú within the predominant sugar cane monocultures in the coastal plains of the northern Atlantic Rainforest play an important role in orchid bee conservation and maintenance of biodiversity.

Using an analytic hierarchy process approach to prioritize public policies addressing family farming in Brazil

In Brazil, some see intensive, large-scale production of sugarcane-based ethanol, based on a model of capital and land concentration, as a threat to the survival of family farming. Family farmers are increasingly under pressure to sell or rent land to mills where sugarcane monoculture is expanding. In this context, the government is working to formulate or change public policies in order to support farmer livelihoods in sugarcane growing regions. The present study is based on research conducted in the municipality of Ipiranga de Goiás, Goiás State, Brazil. It employs the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method, with participation of stakeholders at federal, state and municipal levels, to support public policy decision-making addressing family farming. The stakeholders prioritize environmental and economic benefits as the most important criteria requiring the attention of policy makers. Also, stakeholders agree that diversification of production is the most appropriate alternative for strengthening family farming. The AHP approach can be the starting point in the formulation of public policies. The approach helps ensure transparency, and it purposefully includes family farmer points of view. Policies derived from this process, therefore, may have a higher likelihood of being supported and accepted by farmers.

Spatial Dependence of Physical Attributes and Mechanical Properties of Ultisol in a Sugarcane Field.

This study investigates the effect of conventional tillage and application of the monoculture of sugar cane on soil health. Variables like density, moisture, texture, consistency limits, and preconsolidation stress were taken as indicators of soil quality. The measurements were made at a 120 × 120 m field cropped with sugar cane under conventional tillage. The objective of this work was to characterize the soil and to study the spatial dependence of the physical and mechanical attributes. Then, undisturbed soil samples were collected to measure bulk density, moisture content and preconsolidation stress and disturbed soil samples for classification of soil texture, and consistency limits. The soil texture indicated that soil can be characterized as sandy clay soil and a sandy clay loam soil, and the consistency limits indicated that the soil presents an inorganic low plasticity clay. The preconsolidation tests tillage in soil moisture content around 19% should be avoided or should be chosen a management of soil with lighter vehicles in this moisture content, to avoid risk of compaction. Using geostatistical techniques mapping was possible to identify areas of greatest conservation soil and greater disturbance of the ground.

Fragmentation of natural cover and the state of permanent preserved areas of drainage channels at Mineiros, Goiás state, Brazil

The significant occupation of the Cerrado in the last four decades has brought many impacts to the biome, and the landscape fragmentation is seen as one of the main contributors to the loss of biodiversity. Several studies in the Upper River Araguaia Basin, adopting medium resolution satellite images have been performed and found different impacts such as erosion, siltation and fragmentation, including the areas of permanent preservation. Such impacts were associated with the implementation of developmental public policies, especially Polocentro, which, among other actions, incorporated the Cerrado to the national productive system from the decade of 1970 onwards. In this context, the aim of this study was to identify and characterize the typology of remnant Cerrado vegetation in the southern portion of the Upper Araguaia River Basin in the municipal Mineiros area (GO), emphasizing the state of fragmentation and conservation of Permanent Preserved Areas (PPAs), associated with drainage channels, with high resolution images. The results showed that the area already holds the sugarcane monoculture as its main activity. However, regarding the remnant that was at odds with the old Forest Code, it is currently in accordance with current legislation (Law 12.651/12). The mapping and analysis at detail did not corroborate the pattern of high fragmentation diagnosed previously in medium resolution. Nevertheless, the PPAs are threatened by intensive use of their surroundings, thus requiring conservation mechanisms.

Species with medicinal and mystical-religious uses in São Francisco do Conde, Bahia, Brazil: a contribution to the selection of species for introduction into the local Unified Health System

We investigated the knowledge and practices of local residents in São Francisco do Conde, Bahia, regarding the use of medicinal and mystical plants with the aim of proposing strategies for the incorporation of phytotherapies into the local Unified Health System through local Basic Health Clinics. This municipality was founded during the early colonization of Brazil, introducing the monoculture of sugarcane and slave labor to the region, resulting in a currently largely Afro-Brazilian population. Key informants and local specialists were interviewed and workshops were undertaken at the Basic Health Clinics to collect data and information. The interviewees made 254 references to 126 plant species distributed among 107 genera and 50 families. Among the species cited with medicinal or mystical uses, 51.6% were considered autochtonous, and 42.8% were cited in at least one document of the Brazilian Health Ministry; of these, 11.1% were mentioned in four to eight documents, indicating potential for introduction to the local Unified Health System. The valorization of local knowledge and practices concerning the use of medicinal plants represents an important approach to public health efforts.

Effect of conventional versus mechanized sugarcane cropping systems on soil organic carbon stocks and labile carbon pools in Mauritius as revealed by 13C natural abundance

Maintenance of adequate levels of soil organic carbon (SOC) is crucial for the biological, chemical and physical functioning of soils. This study was conducted (i) to determine the impact of long-term sugarcane monoculture on total SOC stocks and on its labile fractions and (ii) to quantify the loss of original SOC and the accretion of sugarcane-derived C following the adoption of new management practices namely de-rocking/land grading and mechanized harvesting. Five study sites representing the five major soil groups under sugarcane in Mauritius were selected with a classical “paired-plot” design adopted. In this design, two sites with similar initial conditions were developed in different ways over time. One represents the reference soil (virgin land with predominantly C3 type vegetation) and the other represents one of the following cropping treatments: (i) fields continuously cultivated with sugarcane for more than 25 or 50 years without de-rocking or land grading, (ii) fields under long-term sugarcane but having undergone de-rocking and land grading for mechanized harvesting in the last 3 years. Soil samples were taken to a depth of 50 cm and analysed for total organic C, labile C, 13C natural abundance, bulk density and stone content. Changes in SOC stock in the 0–50 cm profile following >50 years of cane cropping were not significant (P > 0.05) compared to virgin land at any site. Soil δ13C values revealed that long-term sugarcane cultivation resulted in a depletion of original SOC by 34 to 70 %. However, this loss was fully compensated by C input from sugarcane residues at all sites studied resulting in no net change in SOC stock. Adoption of mechanized harvest did not have any detrimental effect on SOC stocks due to C inputs from crop residues. However, long-term sugarcane cultivation resulted in significant decline in a labile C (KMnO4-oxidizable) fraction. Despite the large losses of original C following conversion from forest to sugarcane, long-term sugarcane cultivation resulted in sequestration of sugarcane-derived C which adequately compensated these losses. Moreover, intensive de-rocking and land grading preceding mechanized harvesting did not have any detrimental effect on SOC stocks. However, the quality of sugarcane soils, as indicated by a decline in labile C, could be degraded.

Growth and yield responses to amending the sugarcane monoculture: interactions between break history and nitrogen fertiliser

Experiments were established in the Burdekin Irrigation Area in North Queensland, Australia, to measure whether yield improvements from breaking the sugarcane monoculture or fumigating the soil could be modified by the application of different rates of nitrogen (N) fertiliser. Experiments were conducted in consecutive crop cycles (phase 1, planted 1998; phase 2, planted 2001) using the variety Q117, with the interaction between N applications and rotation histories discussed for the two plant crops. Histories consisted of alternate crop, bare fallow or mixed grass–legume pastures for periods of 42–66 months, compared with continuous cane as plough-out replant without (PORP) or with (PORP-F) soil fumigation. The N strategies involved combinations of N rates (0–180 kg N/ha) and application times (at planting, 90 days after planting (DAP) or split between these times) in phase 1 and N rates (0–300 kg N/ha) in phase 2. Histories had differing effects on N available to the cane crop and hence on response to N fertiliser. Some combinations of history and N rate were N-limited and strong linear relationships between biomass production or cane yield and crop N content could be developed. Critical N contents for biomass production (R2 = 0.93) and fresh-weight cane yield (R2 = 0.88) were 1.42 and 0.57 kg N/t, respectively. Application of N fertiliser was shown to have significant impacts on both tiller addition and the retention of tillers to produce harvestable stalks. However, the application of fertiliser N had limited (phase 1) or no (phase 2) capacity to provide the quantum of yield response in soil health benefits associated with breaking the sugarcane monoculture. Increasing N application rates above that required to optimise crop yield resulted in significant decreases in sugar content of cane and thus lower sugar yields. Yield increases solely from improved soil health (i.e. exclusive of N response) constituted advantages averaging 15% (phase 1) to 20% (phase 2) compared with PORP. These effects were manifest early in the establishment of primary shoots in the plant crops, although the longevity of these benefits was limited. Replanting cane after a 3-year crop cycle (plant, 1st and 2nd ratoon) on land that had been under pasture, crop, bare fallow or PORP-F histories (phase 2, cycle 2) showed carryover effects of histories on N availability and fertiliser N responsiveness, but limited yield impacts attributable to residual soil health benefits. These results reinforce the importance of crop rotation during breaks between sugarcane cycles to maintain soil health and improve crop productivity.

Crop yield, nitrogen acquisition and sugarcane quality as affected by interspecific competition and nitrogen application

While economic efficiency of sugarcane (Saccharum sinensis Roxb)–legume intercropping has attracted a lot of attention around the world, interspecific competition between sugarcane and legume has not been studied so far. A three-year (2009–2011) field experiment was conducted by using a randomized block design with two N application levels (N1, 300kghm−2 and N2, 525kghm−2) and four crop arrangement patterns (soybean monoculture, sugarcane monoculture, 1:1 row sugarcane–soybean intercropping, 1:2 row sugarcane–soybean intercropping). The crop yield and nitrogen acquisition of sugarcane and soybean, and quality of sugarcane juice were determined at the maturity stages of soybean or sugarcane. Land equivalent ratio (LER) was used to evaluate the potential advantages of the intercrops, aggressivity (AG), and competitive ratio (CR) which based on crop yield and nitrogen acquisition were used to evaluate interspecific competition between sugarcane and soybean. The results indicated that sugarcane–soybean intercropping system had intercropping advantages based on total LER in the three-year. Sugarcane had lower AG and CR values than soybean. The quality of sugarcane juice was not significantly different between intercropping and monoculture, except the excessive nitrogen application (N2) in 2011, which reduced the apparent purity and gravity of sugarcane juice significantly compared with normal nitrogen application (N1). This paper suggests that the intercropping advantage of sugarcane–soybean system is mainly contributed by soybean. The introduction of soybean in a sugarcane field does not significantly affect the quality of sugarcane juice.

Utilização do modelo FPEEEA (OMS) para a análise dos riscos relacionados ao uso de agrotóxicos em atividades agrícolas do estado do Rio de Janeiro

This paper seeks to apply the DPSEEA model (WHO) to identify major health risks to rural workers and the environment associated with the intensive use of pesticides in the State of Rio de Janeiro, based on an analysis of official public documents and a review of the (national and international) literature. It emphasizes the two main representative branches of agriculture in the state: family farming in the mountain region and the monoculture of sugarcane in the flatlands. Results show that the bulk of the determinants identified in the DPSEEA Matrix are related to deficiencies in actions for monitoring and surveillance of pesticide use, as well as a lack of technical assistance provided by the Public Sector in Rio de Janeiro State. Most of the actions developed in the state address the effects of pesticide exposure and, to a lesser extent, exposure to these chemicals, failing to focus on the higher levels of the matrix (such as driving forces and pressure). These are considered, by several authors, as the most appropriate when tackling the complex and systemic issues, such as the scope of this paper. By means of this study, an attempt was made to enable the application of the DPSEEA Model to assist in environmental and occupational health surveillance initiatives.

Evaluation of anthropogenic inputs of hydrocarbons in sediment cores from a tropical Brazilian estuarine system

Sources and historical deposition of aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in sediment cores from the tropical Mundaú–Manguaba estuarine-lagoon system (MMELS), an important and representative ecosystem of Brazil. The MMELS has approximately 30% of its areas covered of sugar-cane monoculture. Anthropogenic inputs from sugar-cane processing and urban growth can pose environmental problems. The short cores from MMELS were collected in 2007 at four sites: Manguaba Lagoon (C03 and C09), Mundaú Lagoon (C07) and Mundaú River (C08). The analytical method was evaluated for n-alkanes and PAHs, the recoveries of the samples demonstrated good accuracy (mostly above 70% recovery) and precision (below 30%). The total aliphatic hydrocarbon (TAH) concentrations ranged from 27.8 to 139.5μgg−1. Only core C07 presented values above 100μgg−1, being considered contaminated by aliphatic hydrocarbon. The presence of the unresolved complex mixture (UCM), hopanes and steranes indicated petrogenic contribution. The characteristics of n-alkanes based on the terrigenous/aquatic ratio (TAR), carbon preference index (CPI) and average chain lengths (ACL) showed that the terrigenous input was predominant. The Σ16PAH concentrations ranged from 29.2 to 222.7ngg−1, and thus the sediments are considered slightly polluted. The abundance of perylene compared to other PAHs can be used as an indicator of natural origin of this compound. The MMELS cores showed concentrations of perylene greater than 10% of the total penta-aromatic isomers, indicating natural contribution of this compound. The lowest values of Σ16PAH and perylene were found for core C07, nevertheless the higher values of TAH, UCM, hopanes and steranes were observed. The PAH isomeric ratios reflected a pattern of mainly pyrogenic input (petroleum, coal and biomass combustion). The potential ecosystem risk assessment indicated for PAHs is considered relatively low in MMELS. Despite the industry and the sugar-cane monoculture, the system did not show elevated or alarming data.

Study of postures in sugarcane cutters in the Pontal of Paranapanema-SP, Brazil

The expansion of sugarcane monoculture in Brazil in the last decades has pointed out to the necessity of considering the question of sugarcane cutters occupational health. In this work we present a cross-sectional study aiming to examine the occupational posture of a group of sugarcane cutters, which work in a cane field located in the region of Pontal do Paranapanema- SP, Brazil. The study was made using the Ergonomic Analysis of Work - EAW methodology and the postural analysis method by Win-OWAS. Through the obtained records of postures, it was observed that during a workday the sugarcane cutters remain standing erect on two legs or in one leg 66% of the time and that their trunk remain tilted and in rotation, according to 63% of the positions categorized. It was also observed that the sugarcane cutter trunk performs repetitive and boundless movements during his routine of work, which can expose this individual to additional wear of their musculoskeletal functions. The activities in which the individual engages have favorable or adverse influence on his posture. The repetitive movements involved in specialized occupations are equivalent to repeated exercises, thus may be responsible for the excessive development of certain muscle groups. The study suggests that the postures adopted by sugarcane cutters can overload their musculoskeletal system and predispose the cutters to work-related musculoskeletal diseases.