RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia (PE) is a frequently occurring multisystemic disease affecting ~5% of pregnancies. PE patients may develop HELLP syndrome (haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet), a mother and foetus life-threatening condition. Research into HELLP's genetic origin has been relatively unsuccessful, mainly because normal placental function and blood pressure regulation involve the fine-regulation of hundreds of genes. OBJECTIVE: To identify new genes and mutations constituting potential biomarkers for HELLP syndrome. STUDY DESIGN: The present case-control study involved whole-exome sequencing of 79 unrelated HELLP women. Candidate variants were screened in a control population constituted by 176 individuals. Stringent bioinformatics filters were used for selecting potentially etiological sequence variants in a subset of 487 genes. We used robust in silico mutation modelling for predicting the potential effect on protein structure. RESULTS: We identified numerous sequence variants in genes related to angiogenesis/coagulation/blood pressure regulation, cell differentiation/communication/adhesion, cell cycle and transcriptional gene regulation, extracellular matrix biology, lipid metabolism and immunological response. Five sequence variants generated premature stop codons in genes playing an essential role in placental physiology (STOX1, PDGFD, IGF2, MMP1 and DNAH11). Six variants (ERAP1- p.Ile915Thr, ERAP2- p.Leu837Ser, COMT-p.His192Gln, CSAD-p.Pro418Ser, CDH1- p.Ala298Thr and CCR2-p.Met249Lys) led to destabilisation of protein structure as they had significant energy and residue interaction-related changes. We identified at least two mutations in 57% of patients, arguing in favour of a polygenic origin for the HELLP syndrome. CONCLUSION: Our results provide novel evidence regarding PE/HELLP's genetic origin, leading to new biomarkers, having potential clinical usefulness, being proposed.
Assuntos
Sequenciamento do Exoma/métodos , Síndrome HELLP/genética , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Feminino , Marcadores Genéticos , Síndrome HELLP/sangue , Humanos , GravidezRESUMO
A special initiative in the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) Network was implemented to provide information on new and emerging persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Group of Latin America and Caribbean (GRULAC) region. Regional-scale atmospheric concentrations of the new and emerging POPs hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD), pentachloroanisole (PCA) and dicofol indicators (breakdown products) are reported for the first time. HCBD was detected in similar concentrations at all location types (<20-120â¯pg/m3). PCA had elevated concentrations at the urban site Concepción (Chile) of 49-222â¯pg/m3, with concentrations ranging <1-8.5â¯pg/m3 at the other sites in this study. Dicofol indicators were detected at the agricultural site of Sonora (Mexico) at concentrations ranging 30-117â¯pg/m3. Legacy POPs, including a range of organochlorine (OC) pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), were also monitored to compare regional atmospheric concentrations over a decade of monitoring under the GAPS Network. γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and the endosulfans significantly decreased (pâ¯<â¯0.05) from 2005 to 2015, suggesting regional levels are decreasing. However, there were no significant changes for the other legacy POPs monitored, likely a reflection of the persistency and slow decline of environmental levels of these POPs. For the more volatile OCs, atmospheric concentrations derived from polyurethane foam (PUF) (acting as an equilibrium sampler) and sorbent impregnated PUF (SIP) (acting as a linear phase sampler), were compared. The complimentary methods show a good agreement of within a factor of 2-3, and areas for future studies to improve this agreement are further discussed.
Assuntos
Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Monitoramento Ambiental , Poluentes Ambientais/análise , Região do Caribe , Chile , Endossulfano , Hexaclorocicloexano , Hidrocarbonetos Clorados/análise , América Latina , México , Praguicidas/análise , Bifenilos Policlorados/análise , Poliuretanos/análiseRESUMO
A special initiative was run by the Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) Network to provide atmospheric data on a range of emerging chemicals of concern and candidate and new persistent organic pollutants in the Group of Latin America and Caribbean (GRULAC) region. Regional-scale data for a range of flame retardants (FRs) including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organophosphate esters (OPEs), and a range of alternative FRs (novel FRs) are reported over 2 years of sampling with low detection frequencies of the novel FRs. Atmospheric concentrations of the OPEs were an order of magnitude higher than all other FRs, with similar profiles at all sites. Regional-scale background concentrations of the poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including the neutral PFAS (n-PFAS) and perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), and the volatile methyl siloxanes (VMS) are also reported. Ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamide (EtFOSA) was detected at highly elevated concentrations in Brazil and Colombia, in line with the use of the pesticide sulfluramid in this region. Similar concentrations of the perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFAS) were detected throughout the GRULAC region regardless of location type, and the VMS concentrations in air increased with the population density of sampling locations. This is the first report of atmospheric concentrations of the PFAAs and VMS from this region.
Assuntos
Poluentes Ambientais , Retardadores de Chama , Brasil , Região do Caribe , Colômbia , Monitoramento Ambiental , Éteres Difenil Halogenados , América LatinaRESUMO
Conventional banana cultivation in Costa Rica relies on heavy pesticide use. While pesticide residues in exported bananas do not generally represent a safety concern for consumers abroad, ecosystem and human health in producing regions are not likewise protected. In Costa Rica, most studies on pesticide residues in the environment are snapshots, limiting our ability to identify temporal dynamics that can inform risk mitigation strategies. To help bridge this gap, we created a dynamic multimedia model for the Caño Azul River drainage area, which is heavily influenced by banana and pineapple plantations. This model estimates chemical concentrations in water, air, soil, sediments, and banana plants through time, based on pesticide properties and emission patterns and on variable environmental conditions. Case studies for three representative chemicals-the herbicide diuron, the nematicide ethoprofos, and the fungicide epoxiconazole-show that concentrations in fruit remain below EU and US maximum residue limits set to ensure consumer health, while those in the environment are highly variable, reaching peak concentrations in water that can exceed thresholds for ecosystem health. Critical research needs, including incorporating sediment dynamics and the effects of adjuvants on the properties and transport of active ingredients into multimedia models, were identified.
Assuntos
Poluentes Ambientais/análise , Musa , Resíduos de Praguicidas/análise , Costa Rica , Ecossistema , HumanosRESUMO
This study assesses the ecological risks (ERA) of pesticides to aquatic organisms in the River Madre de Dios (RMD), which receives surface runoff water from banana, pineapple, and rice plantations on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Water samples collected over 2 years at five sites in the RMD revealed a total of 26 pesticides. Their toxicity risk to aquatic organisms was assessed using three recent ERA models. (1) The PERPEST model showed a high probability (>50 %) of clear toxic effects of pesticide mixtures on algae, macrophytes, zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, and community metabolism and a low probability (<50 %) of clear effects on fish. (2) Species sensitivity distributions (SSD) showed a moderate to high risk of three herbicides: ametryn, bromacil, diuron and four insecticides: carbaryl, diazinon, ethoprophos, terbufos. (3) The multi-substance potentially affected fraction (msPAF) model showed results consistent with PERPEST: high risk to algae (maximum msPAF: 73 %), aquatic plants (61 %), and arthropods (25 %) and low risk to fish (0.2 %) from pesticide mixtures. The pesticides posing the highest risks according to msPAF and that should be substituted with less toxic substances were the herbicides ametryn, diuron, the insecticides carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, ethoprophos, and the fungicide difenoconazole. Ecological risks were highest near the plantations and decreased progressively further downstream. The risk to fish was found to be relatively low in these models, but water samples were not collected during fish kill events and some highly toxic pesticides known to be used were not analyzed for in this study. Further sampling and analysis of water samples is needed to determine toxicity risks to fish during peaks of pesticide mixture concentrations. The msPAF model, which estimates the ecological risks of mixtures based on their toxic modes of action, was found to be the most suitable model to assess toxicity risks to aquatic organisms in the RMD. The PERPEST model was found to be a strong tool for screening risk assessments. The SSD approach is useful in deriving water quality criteria for specific pesticides. This study, through the application of three ERA models, clearly shows that pesticides used in plantations within the RMD watershed are expected to have severe adverse effects on most groups of aquatic organisms and that actions are urgently needed to reduce pesticide pollution in this high biodiversity ecosystem.
Assuntos
Monitoramento Ambiental/métodos , Modelos Teóricos , Praguicidas/análise , Rios/química , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análise , Animais , Organismos Aquáticos/efeitos dos fármacos , Costa Rica , Ecossistema , Herbicidas/análise , Herbicidas/toxicidade , Praguicidas/toxicidade , Medição de Risco , Poluentes Químicos da Água/toxicidadeRESUMO
The River Madre de Dios (RMD) and its lagoon is a biodiversity rich watershed formed by a system of streams, rivers, channels, and a coastal lagoon communicating with the Caribbean Sea. This basin sustains a large area of agricultural activity (mostly banana, rice, and pineapple) with intensive use of pesticides, continually detected in water samples. We investigated in situ the toxicological effects caused by pesticide runoff from agriculture and the relation of pesticide concentrations with different biological organization levels: early responses in fish biomarkers (sub-organismal), acute toxicity to Daphnia magna (organismal), and aquatic macroinvertebrate community structure. The evaluation was carried out between October 2011 and November 2012 at five sites along the RMD influenced by agricultural discharges and a reference site in a stream outside the RMD that receives less pesticides. Acute toxicity to D. magna was observed only once in a sample from the RMD (Caño Azul); the index of biomarker responses in fish exposed in situ was higher than controls at the same site and at the RMD-Freeman. However, only macroinvertebrates were statistically related to the presence of pesticides, combined with both physical-chemical parameters and habitat degradation. All three groups of variables determined the distribution of macroinvertebrate taxa through the study sites.
Assuntos
Daphnia/efeitos dos fármacos , Monitoramento Ambiental , Praguicidas/toxicidade , Rios/química , Poluentes Químicos da Água/toxicidade , Agricultura , Animais , Costa Rica , Ecossistema , Peixes , Praguicidas/análise , Medição de Risco , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análiseRESUMO
Resumen Introducción. El penacho de la falange distal de las manos (PFDM) es una estructura ósea que sufre cambios sutiles en diversas enfermedades musculoesqueléticas. Hasta el momento, se desconoce el tipo y frecuencia de las lesiones del PFDM en psoriasis y artritis psoriásica (APs). Objetivo. Determinar en radiografía simple las anormalidades del PFDM en adultos con psoriasis y APs. Materiales y métodos. Se realizó una revisión sistemática buscando alteraciones radiográficas del PFDM en adultos con psoriasis y APs. La prevalencia de los hallazgos fue sintetizada usando un modelo de efectos fijos. Las asociaciones se expresaron como odds ratio (OR) con intervalos de confianza (IC) y valores p. Resultados. Se incluyeron 11 estudios observacionales. La alteración de mayor frecuencia en APs fue la resorción del PFDM con una prevalencia del 16%. El compromiso del PFDM en sujetos con onicopatía psoriásica fue mayor que en sujetos sin compromiso ungueal (OR=2.91; IC95%: 1.04-8.13; p=0.04), siendo las erosiones y la esclerosis los hallazgos de mayor importancia. Conclusión. La evidencia actual acerca del compromiso del PFDM en APs y psoriasis es limitada. Existe relación entre las alteraciones del PFDM y la patología ungueal en donde las erosiones y la esclerosis son las anormalidades más significativas.
Abstract Introduction: The distal phalanx tuft of the hand (DPTH) is a bone structure that undergoes subtle changes in various musculoskeletal diseases. To date, the type and frequency of DPTH injuries involved in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are unknown. Objective: To determine the abnormal findings related to DPTH through plain X-rays in adult subjects with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Materials and methods: A systematic review of radiographic alterations of the DPTH detected in plain hand radiographs was performed following the PRISMA guidelines. The prevalence of findings was summarized using a fixed effects model. Statistical associations were expressed as odds ratio (OR) with confidence intervals (CI) and p values. Results: Eleven observational studies were included. The most frequent alteration in PsA was DPTH resorption with a prevalence of 16%. The involvement of DPTH in subjects with psoriatic onicopathy was higher than in subjects without ungueal affectation (OR=2.91, 95%CI: 1.04-8.13; p=0.04), being erosions and sclerosis the most important findings. Conclusion: Current evidence regarding DPTH involvement in PsA and psoriasis is limited. However, an apparent correlation between DPTH findings and ungual abnormalities could exist, where erosions and sclerosis are the most significant abnormalities.
RESUMO
Declines of amphibian populations have been a worldwide issue of concern for the scientific community during the last several decades. Efforts are being carried out to elucidate factors related to this phenomenon. Among these factors, pathogens, climate change, and environmental pollution have been suggested as possible causes. Regarding environmental pollutants, some pesticides are persistent in the environment and capable of being transported long distances from their release point. In Costa Rica, some pesticides have been detected in protected areas, at locations where amphibian populations have declined. Information about toxicity of pesticides used in Costa Rican agriculture to amphibians is still scarce, particularly for native species.Toxicity tests with chlorothalonil, a fungicide intensively used in Costa Rica, were carried out exposing tadpoles of three Costa Rican native species: Agalychnis callidryas, Isthmohyla pseudopuma, and Smilisca baudinii in order to evaluate acute and chronic toxicity as well as the biomarkers cholinesterase activity (ChE), glutathione-S transferase activity (GST), and lipid peroxidation (LPO).96-h LC50: 26.6 (18.9-35.8) µg/L to A. callidryas, 25.5 (21.3-29.7) µg/L to I pseudopuma and 32.3 (26.3-39.7) µg/L to S. baudinii were determined for chlorothalonil. These three species of anurans are among the most sensitive to chlorothalonil according to the literature. Besides, GST was induced in S. baudinii after exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of chlorothalonil while evisceration occurred in S. baudinii and A. callidryas tadpoles exposed to lethal concentrations of the fungicide. Chronic exposure to sub-lethal concentrations accelerated development in S. baudinii and caused lesions in tail of S. baudinii and I. pseudopuma tadpoles. Our results demonstrate that chlorothalonil is highly toxic to native amphibian species and that low concentrations can cause biochemical responses related to phase II of biotransformation and effects on development.
Assuntos
Anuros , Poluentes Ambientais/toxicidade , Fungicidas Industriais/toxicidade , Larva/efeitos dos fármacos , Nitrilas/toxicidade , Agricultura , Animais , Colinesterases/metabolismo , Mudança Climática , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Ecotoxicologia , Glutationa Transferase/metabolismo , Humanos , Peroxidação de Lipídeos/efeitos dos fármacos , Testes de Toxicidade AgudaRESUMO
Introducción: Este estudio pretendió determinar los efectos del tratamiento fisioterapéutico con el accesorio Wii Balance Board y el juego Wii Fit Plus -ambos de la consola Wii, de la empresa Nintendo Company Limited- en las alteraciones posturales de niños con hemiparesia espástica. Materiales y métodos: Estudio de caso, realizado con la participación de dos niños con parálisis cerebral, tipo hemiparesia espástica del municipio de Popayán, Cauca, a quienes se les realizó una evaluación de la postura estática con el software APIC V. 2.0. Posteriormente, se ejecutó un programa de ejercicios utilizando el juego Wii Fit Plus con el Wii Balance Board durante 20 sesiones. Resultados: Los dos pacientes presentaron cambios importantes en la lateralización del centro de gravedad, lo que, a largo plazo, puede favorecer la corrección de las alteraciones posturales. Conclusiones: La aplicación del juego con Wii Fit Plus con el Wii Balance Board en fisioterapia es una alternativa útil en la rehabilitación de estos pacientes con hemiparesia, relacionado con una mejor distribución del centro de gravedad. Se debe evitar la sobrecarga de peso y las compensaciones.
Introduction: This study tried to determine the effects on the treatments in physical therapy with the Wii Balance Board and Wii Fit Plus -both of Wii, Nintendo Company Limited- concerning postural changes on children suffering spastic hemiparesis. Material and methods: Case study done with two children, from the municipality of Popayan, suffering cerebral palsy type spastic hemiparesis. These children underwent previously a test on static posture with APIC v. 2.0 software. An exercise program using the Wii Fit plus Balance Board for 20 sessions was performed. Results: Both patients had remarkable changes on the lateralization of the center of gravity.These changes can support corrections of postural alterations later. Conclusions: Implementing the Wii Fit Plus game with Wii Balance Board in physical therapy is a useful alternative in rehabilitation of hemi paretic patients for a better distribution of their center of gravity. Weight overload and compensations should be avoided.
Introdução: Este estudo pretende determinar os efeitos do tratamento fisioterapéutico com o Balance Board Wii e Wii Fit Plus -tanto o Wii, Nintendo Company Limited- nas alterações posturais de crianças com hemiparesea espástica. Materiais e métodos: Estudo de caso feitos com a participação de duas crianças com paralisia cerebral de tipo hemiparesia espástica, de cidade de Popayán, Cauca; avaliou-se a postura estática deles com o software APIC v. 2.0. Depois se executou um programa de exercícios usando o Wii Fit Plus Balance Board por vinte sessões. Resultados: Nenhum dos dois pacientes apresentaram efeitos favoráveis na correção das alterações posturais; embora mostraram-se mudanças importantes na distribuição do centro da gravidade. Conclusões: A aplicação do jogo com o Wii Fit Plus com o Wii Balance Board não tem benéficos nas alterações posturais, po isso poderia recomendar-se fazer estudos com um número maior de participantes e com mais tempo para a intervenção.
Assuntos
Humanos , Criança , Paralisia Cerebral , Paresia , Postura , Software , Exercício Físico , Modalidades de Fisioterapia , Colômbia , Jogos de VídeoRESUMO
A passive air sampling network has been established to investigate polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) at Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) sites and six additional sites in the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC) region. The air sampling network covers background, agricultural, rural, and urban sites. Samples have been collected over four consecutive periods of 6 months, which started in January 2011 [period 1 (January to June 2011), period 2 (July to December 2011), period 3 (January to June 2012), and period 4 (July 2012 to January 2013)]. Results show that (i) the GAPS passive samplers (PUF disk type) and analytical methodology are adequate for measuring PCDD/F burdens in air and (ii) PCDD/F concentrations in air across the GRULAC region are widely variable by almost 2 orders of magnitude. The highest concentrations in air of Σ4-8PCDD/Fs were found at the urban site São Luis (Brazil, UR) (i.e., 2560 fg/m3) followed by the sites in São Paulo (Brazil, UR), Mendoza (Argentina, RU), and Sonora (Mexico, AG) with values of 1690, 1660, and 1610 fg/m3, respectively. Very low concentrations of PCDD/Fs in air were observed at the background site Tapanti (Costa Rica, BA), 10.8 fg/m3. This variability is attributed to differences in site characteristics and potential local/regional sources as well as meteorological influences. The measurements of PCDD/Fs in air agree well with model-predicted concentrations performed using the Global EMEP Multimedia Modeling System (GLEMOS) and emission scenario constructed on the basis of the UNEP Stockholm Convention inventory of dioxin and furan emissions.
Assuntos
Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Benzofuranos/análise , Monitoramento Ambiental/instrumentação , Monitoramento Ambiental/métodos , Dibenzodioxinas Policloradas/análogos & derivados , Poliuretanos/química , Argentina , Brasil , Dibenzofuranos Policlorados , México , Modelos Teóricos , Dibenzodioxinas Policloradas/análiseRESUMO
Raw pesticide import data from 1977 to 2009 obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture in Costa Rica were processed and analyzed. The quantity of specific active ingredients (a.i.), and chemical groups were calculated by year and presented in ten-year periods. Three sets of environmental hazard indicators were constructed: one for general pesticides exposure to monitor tendencies in time, including total quantities imported divided by significant denominators, such as hectares of protected and wetland areas. The second indicator calculates pesticide use on the Pacific or Caribbean slope. The third one is an assessment of environmental hazards intended to estimate fate and toxicity to aquatic biota. A review of Costa Rican aquatic ecosystems' contamination with pesticides is presented. The annual average import as well as the quantity of pesticides capable of reaching water bodies increased during the analyzed period. The same was observed for harmful a.i., 98% of the pesticides imported were classified as acutely toxic for fish and crustaceans and 73% for amphibians. Approximately 8.4 kg of a.i. were imported per hectare of protected areas and 24.3 kg of a.i. per hectare of wetlands. The contamination of aquatic systems over time by specific pesticides matches quite well the list of imported ones. We recommend using data of pesticide imports as a source of information to evaluate environmental risk exposure and promote changes to reduce impacts on aquatic systems.
Assuntos
Exposição Ambiental/estatística & dados numéricos , Praguicidas/provisão & distribuição , Animais , Comércio/tendências , Costa Rica , Exposição Ambiental/efeitos adversos , Praguicidas/efeitos adversosRESUMO
Current knowledge on fate and effect of agricultural pesticides comes is mainly from temperate ecosystems. More studies are needed in tropical systems in order to assess contamination risks to nontarget endemic tropical species from the extensive use of pesticides e.g. in banana and pineapple plantations. In this study, acute laboratory toxicity tests with organophosphate pesticides ethoprophos and chlorpyrifos were conducted on two Costa Rican species, cladoceran Daphnia ambigua and fish Parachromis dovii. Tests showed that chlorpyrifos was more toxic than ethoprophos to D. ambigua and P. dovii and that D. ambigua was also more sensitive than P. dovii to both pesticides. Additionally, bioassays were performed by exposing D. magna and P. dovii to contaminated water collected from the field. Chemical analyses of field water revealed that fungicides were generally the most frequent pesticide group found, followed by insecticides/nematicides and herbicides. The bioassays and values obtained from the literature confirmed that D. magna was more sensitive to pesticide contamination than P. dovii and that D. ambigua was more sensitive than D. magna, suggesting that the native cladoceran is a more suitable test species than its temperate counterpart. Species sensitivity distributions showed no significant difference in sensitivity between tropical and temperate fish and the arthropod species exposed to chlorpyrifos in this study. Choline esterase activity (ChE) was measured in P. dovii in laboratory tests in order to assess the applicability of this biomarker. ChE inhibition in P. dovii was observed in the laboratory at levels below the LC10 of both ethoprophos and chlorpyrifos, confirming that ChE is an efficient biomarker of exposure. Both indigenous Costa Rican species used in this study were found to be suitable standard tropical test species. Further studies are needed to investigate how protective the safe environmental concentrations, derived from LC50 of native tropical species, are for protecting tropical aquatic natural communities.
Assuntos
Clorpirifos/toxicidade , Ecossistema , Compostos Organotiofosforados/toxicidade , Praguicidas/toxicidade , Animais , Ciclídeos , Costa Rica , Daphnia , Organotiofosfatos , Testes de ToxicidadeRESUMO
The impact of diazinon spraying in an agricultural tropical soil through the evaluation of both the habitat and retention functions of the soil system was never reported. To fill this gap, five times the recommended dose of a commercial diazinon formulation was sprayed in an agricultural area of Costa Rica, and dilution gradients of the sprayed soil were prepared in the laboratory. Avoidance and reproduction tests with soil organisms (Eisenia andrei, Enchytraeus crypticus and Folsomia candida) to evaluate losses in terrestrial habitat function, and growth and reproduction tests with aquatic organisms (Chlorella vulgaris and Daphnia magna, respectively) to evaluate the retention function of soil were performed. Results demonstrated that regarding habitat function, F. candida reproduction was the most sensitive endpoint (EC(50) = 0.288 mg a.i./kg), followed by avoidance behaviour of E. andrei (EC(20) = 1.75 mg a.i./kg). F. candida avoidance and the reproduction of E. andrei and E. crypticus were not affected by diazinon. The toxicity tests with aquatic organisms showed that the soil retention function was insufficient to prevent effects of diazinon either on microalgae growth (EC(50) ≤ 0.742 mg/L and EC(20) ≤ 0.223 mg/L) and on the reproduction of the cladoceran (EC(50) ≤ 0.00771 mg/L and EC(20) ≤ 0.00646 mg/L). Results suggested that diazinon exerted toxic effects even at the dilution corresponding to the recommended dose, fact which makes its misuse an issue of environmental concern. Furthermore, the present study highlighted the importance and complementary nature of the assessment of both habitat and retention functions to an ecological risk assessment in tropical systems.
Assuntos
Artrópodes/efeitos dos fármacos , Chlorella/efeitos dos fármacos , Diazinon/toxicidade , Inseticidas/toxicidade , Oligoquetos/efeitos dos fármacos , Poluentes do Solo/toxicidade , Poluentes Químicos da Água/toxicidade , Agricultura , Animais , Artrópodes/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Artrópodes/fisiologia , Chlorella/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Chlorella/fisiologia , Costa Rica , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Cromatografia Gasosa-Espectrometria de Massas , Dose Letal Mediana , Atividade Motora , Oligoquetos/fisiologia , ReproduçãoRESUMO
To gain insight into the atmospheric transport and deposition of organic contaminants in high-altitude forests in the humid tropics, pesticides were analyzed in air, water, and soil samples from Costa Rica. Passive samplers deployed across the country revealed annually averaged air concentrations of chlorothalonil, endosulfan, and pendimethalin that were higher in areas with intensive agricultural activities than in more remote areas. Atmospheric concentrations were particularly high in the intensively cultivated central valley. Only endosulfan and its degradation products were found in soils sampled along an altitudinal transect on the northern side of Volcano Turrialba, which is facing heavily cultivated coastal plains. Consistent with calculations of cold trapping in tropical mountains, concentrations of endosulfan sulfate increased with altitude. Pesticide levels in lake, creek, fog, and arboreal water samples from high-elevation cloud forests were generally below 10 ng · L(-1). Endosulfan sulfate was the most abundant pesticide in water, with concentrations ranging from 0.4 to 9.4 ng · L(-1). Its levels were highest in water sampled from bromeliads. Levels of total endosulfan in water are much lower than the reported median lethal concentration (LC50) value for acute toxicity of α-endosulfan to tadpoles. Although this suggests that the presence of pesticide might not have a direct impact on amphibian populations, the possibility of effects of chronic exposure to a mixture of substances cannot be excluded. Fog was relatively enriched in some of the analyzed pesticides, such as dacthal and chlorothalonil, and may constitute an important deposition pathway to high-altitude tropical cloud forest.
Assuntos
Monitoramento Ambiental , Poluentes Ambientais/análise , Praguicidas/análise , Árvores , Agricultura/estatística & dados numéricos , Altitude , Costa Rica , Endossulfano/análise , Poluição Ambiental/estatística & dados numéricos , Água Doce/química , Ácidos Ftálicos/análise , Solo/químicaRESUMO
Semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs) provide an informative and cost-effective approach for monitoring contaminants in remote tropical streams. Estimation and interpretation of contaminant concentrations in streams derived from SPMDs can vary based on a number of environmental factors, including stream flow, biofouling, and deployment time. In three one-month long trials, SPMDs were concurrently deployed for 4, 15, and 28 days at three stream sites in an extensive agricultural area of southeastern Costa Rica. Water, bottom sediment, and suspended solids grab samples were also collected and several environmental variables were monitored at corresponding time intervals during each month-long study period. At all three sites, SPMD concentrations of the widely used insecticide chlorpyrifos increased with deployment time, with no relationship between SPMD biofouling and pesticide sequestration. Differences in SPMD chlorpyrifos sequestration among sites are likely due to differences in stream chlorpyrifos concentration rather than differences in SPMD sampling rates. The longer exposure period of SPMDs allowed for the detection of lower concentrations of chlorpyrifos, terbufos, and difenoconazole compared to water grab samples. In addition to the use of appropriate performance reference compounds (PRCs), other environmental variables such as stream turbidity, flow regime, stream morphology, and knowledge of pesticide application methods are important considerations for optimizing SPMD deployment and data interpretation in tropical regions.
Assuntos
Incrustação Biológica , Monitoramento Ambiental/métodos , Praguicidas/análise , Rios , Clima Tropical , Movimentos da Água , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análise , Clorpirifos/análise , Costa Rica , Monitoramento Ambiental/instrumentação , Medição de Risco , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Air was sampled for one year in the central valley of Costa Rica using an active high-volume sampler as well as passive samplers (PAS) based on polyurethane foam (PUF) disks and XAD-resin filled mesh cylinders. Extracts were analyzed for pesticides that are either banned or currently used in Costa Rican agriculture. Sampling rates for PUF-based passive air samplers, determined from the loss of depuration compounds spiked on the disks prior to deployment averaged 5.9 +/- 0.9 m3 x d(-1) and were higher during the windier dry season than during the rainy season. Sampling rates for the XAD-based passive sampler were determined from the slopes of linear relationships that were observed between the amount of pesticide sequestered in the resin and the length of deployment, which varied from 4 months to 1 year. Those sampling rates increased with decreasing molecular size of a pesticide, and their average of 2.1 +/- 1.5 m3 x d(-1) is higher than rates previously reported for temperate and polar sampling sites. Even though the trends of the sampling rate with molecular size and temperature are consistent with the hypothesis that molecular diffusion controls uptake in passive samplers, the trends are much more pronounced than a direct proportionality between sampling rate and molecular diffusivity would suggest. Air concentrations derived by the three sampling methods are within a factor of 2 of each other, suggesting that properly calibrated PAS can be effective tools for monitoring levels of pesticides in the tropical atmosphere. In particular, HiVol samplers, PUF-disk samplers, and XAD-based passive samplers are suitable for obtaining information on air concentration variability on the time scale of days, seasons and years, respectively. This study represents the first calibration study for the uptake of current use pesticides by passive air samplers.
Assuntos
Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Praguicidas/análise , Clima Tropical , Costa RicaRESUMO
The use of pesticides in the cultivation of cash crops such as banana and plantain is increasing, in Costa Rica and worldwide. Agrochemical use and occupational and environmental exposures in export banana production have been documented in some parts of Central America. However, the extent of agrochemical use, agricultural pest knowledge, and economic components in plantain production are largely unknown in Costa Rica, especially in remote, high-poverty areas such as the Bribri-Cabécar Indigenous Territories. Our objective was to integrate a rapid rural appraisal of indigenous farmer pesticide application practices and pest knowledge with a cost-benefit analysis of plantain production in the Bribri-Cabécar Indigenous Territories, for the development of better agricultural management practices and improved regulatory infrastructure. Interviews conducted with 75 households in 5 indigenous communities showed that over 60% of participants grew plantain with agrochemicals. Of these plantain farmers, over 97% used the insecticide chlorpyrifos, and 84% applied nematicides, 64% herbicides, and 22% fungicides, with only 31% of participants reporting the use of some type of protective clothing during application. The banana weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus Germar) was ranked as the most important agricultural pest by 85% of participants, yet only 28% could associate the adult and larval form. A cost-benefit analysis conducted with a separate group of 26 plantain farmers identified several national markets and one export market for plantain production in the Indigenous Territories. Yearly income averaged US$6200/ha and yearly expenses averaged US$1872/ha, with an average cost-benefit ratio of 3.67 for plantain farmers. Farmers applied an average of 9.7 kg a.i./ha/yr of pesticide products and 375 kg/ha/yr of fertilizer, but those who sold their fruit to the national markets applied more nematicides, herbicides, and fertilizers than those who sold primarily to export markets, suggesting a lack of appropriate application knowledge. Results indicate that the quantity of agrochemicals applied in plantain cultivation is less than that applied in export banana, but the absence of appropriate agrochemical application practices in plantain cultivation may pose serious risks to human and environmental health. Culturally appropriate farmer education and certification programs are needed as well as the development of safe-handling practices, regulatory infrastructure, and adequate agrochemical storage, transport, and waste disposal facilities. Long-term solutions however, are dependent on the development of policies and infrastructure that support non-chemical pest management, alternatives to pesticides, and the identification of organic plantain markets.
Assuntos
Análise Custo-Benefício , Produtos Agrícolas , Insetos , Praguicidas , Animais , Costa Rica , Humanos , Insetos/classificação , População RuralRESUMO
In Central America, chemical-intensive tropical agriculture takes place in close proximity to highly valued and biologically diverse ecosystems, yet the potential for atmospheric transport of pesticides from plantations to national parks and other reserves is poorly characterized. The specific meteorological conditions of mountain ranges can lead to contaminant convergence at high altitudes, raising particular concern for montane forest ecosystems downwind from pesticide use areas. Here we show, based on a wide-ranging air and soil sampling campaign across Costa Rica, that soils in some neotropical montane forests indeed display much higher concentrations of currently used pesticides than soils elsewhere in the country. Specifically, elevated concentrations of the fungicide chlorothalonil, the herbicide dacthal, and the insecticide metabolite endosulfan sulfate on volcanoes Barva and Poas, lying directly downwind of the extensive banana plantations of the Caribbean lowland, indicate the occurrence of atmospheric transport and wet deposition of pesticides at high altitudes. Calculations with a contaminant fate model, designed for mountain regions and parametrized to the Costa Rican environment, show that chemicals with a log K(AW) between -3 and -5 have a greater potential for accumulation at high altitudes. This enrichment behavior is quantified by the Mountain Contamination Potential and is sensitive to contaminant degradability. The modeling work supports the hypothesis suggested by the field results that it is enhanced precipitation scavenging at high elevations (caused by lower temperatures and governed by K(AW)) that causes pesticides to accumulate in tropical montane areas. By providing for the first time evidence of significant transfer of currently used pesticides to Central American montane cloud forests, this study highlights the need to evaluate the risk that tropical agricultural practices place on the region's ecological reserves.
Assuntos
Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Endossulfano/análise , Nitrilas/análise , Praguicidas/análise , Ácidos Ftálicos/análise , Poluentes do Solo/análise , Movimentos do Ar , Altitude , Costa Rica , Monitoramento Ambiental , Árvores , Clima TropicalRESUMO
A survey of the contamination of the physical environment of Costa Rica with banned organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) relied on sampling air and soil at 23 stations acrossthe country in 2004. Average annual air concentrations, determined with XAD-based passive samplers, and surface soil concentrations were generally low when compared to values reported for North and Central America, which is consistent with relatively low historical domestic use and little atmospheric inflow from neighboring countries. Statistical analysis and concentration maps reveal three types of spatial distribution: alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane and p,p'-DDD had a relatively uniform distribution across the country; other DDT-related species were greatly elevated over the national average at Manuel Antonio, a National Park on the Pacific coast; and dieldrin, lindane, and chlordane-related species had higher concentrations in Costa Rica's populated Central Valley. An altitudinal transect of stations in the Central Valley shows declining air-soil concentration ratios with elevation for lindane, likely driven by atmospheric inversions and soil organic carbon content. Enantiomeric composition of chiral OCPs in air and soil was close to racemic, with slight depletion of (-)-alpha-HCH, (-)-cis-chlordane, and (+)-trans-chlordane. Estimated air-soil fugacity fractions are highly uncertain but indicate equilibrium conditions for most OCPs, net volatilization of lindane at some sites, and net deposition for p,p'-DDE. The study demonstrates an approach for quickly evaluating the spatial distribution of OCPs in an understudied area, identifying regionally important contaminants and areas of elevated concentrations.
Assuntos
Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Hidrocarbonetos Clorados/análise , Praguicidas/análise , Poluentes do Solo/análise , Altitude , Costa Rica , Monitoramento Ambiental , VolatilizaçãoRESUMO
Pesticides used in banana production may enter watercourses and pose ecological risks for aquatic ecosystems. The occurrence and effects of pesticides in a stream draining a banana plantation was evaluated using chemical characterization, toxicity testing and macrobenthic community composition. All nematicides studied were detected in the surface waters of the banana plantation during application periods, with peak concentrations following applications. Toxicity tests were limited to the carbofuran application and no toxicity was observed with the acute tests used. However, since pesticide concentrations were generally below the lowest LC50 value for crustaceans but above calculated aquatic quality criteria, there remains a risk of chronic toxicity. Accurate ecological assessments of pesticide use in banana plantations are currently limited by the lack of local short-term chronic toxicity tests and tests using sensitive native species. Relatively constant levels of four pesticides (imazalil, thiabendazole, chlorpyrifos and propiconazole), which had toxic effects according to the 96h hydra and 21d daphnia chronic test, were recorded in the effluent of the packing plant throughout the study, indicating that the solid waste trap used in this facility was not effective in eliminating toxic chemicals. Certain taxa, such as Heterelmis sp. (Elmidae), Heteragrion sp. (Megapodagrionidae, Odonata), Caenis sp. (Caenidae, Ephemerotera), and Smicridea sp. (Hidropsychidae, Trichoptera), were more abundant at reference sites than in the banana farm waters, and may be good candidates for toxicity testing. Multivariate analyses of the macroinvertebrate communities clearly showed that the banana plantation sites were significantly different from the reference sites. Moreover, following the pesticide applications, all the banana plantation sites showed significant changes in community composition, with the same genera being affected at all sites and for all pesticides (terbufos, cadusafos and carbofuran). Consequently, the results presented here show that multivariate analysis of community composition was more sensitive in distinguishing pesticide effects than the toxicity tests and richness and composition measures used. We conclude that monitoring macroinvertebrate communities can be a powerful tool in the assessment of ecological effects of banana production.