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This study investigated the occurrence and seasonal distribution of different classes of pesticides in surface waters of the Ondas River Watershed, as well as potential risks to the aquatic health and human water consumption in the western region of Bahia state, Brazil. Two gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analytical methods were applied to monitor 34 pesticides in water samples collected during both the dry and rainy seasons at 17 sites. Upon individual analysis, only γ-HCH, methoxychlor, demeton-S, methyl parathion, fenitrothion, chlorpyrifos, and azoxystrobin exhibited statistically significant differences between seasons. During rainy season, concentration medians of residues were higher for γ-HCH (74.7 ng L-1), methoxychlor (25.1 ng L-1), and azoxystrobin (47.2 ng L-1), potentially linked to historical contamination or illegal use. Conversely, pesticides like methyl parathion, fenitrothion, and chlorpyrifos, belonging to the organophosphate class, showed higher concentration medians in the dry period, measuring 75.1, 5.50, and 10.8 ng L-1, respectively, probably due to region crop activities. The risk quotient (RQ) assessment for aquatic life indicated that 59.0% of the samples in the dry season and 76.0% in the rainy season had RQ values greater than one, signifying a critical scenario for species conservation. Regarding human consumption, elevated risks were observed for heptachlor in both sampling periods and for azoxystrobin during the rainy season, surpassing RQ levels above 1, indicating danger in untreated water ingestion. Additionally, 24.0% and 53.0% of the samples in the dry and rainy seasons, respectively, contained at least one pesticide exceeding the EU resolution limit (100 ng L-1). Therefore, considering this information, implementing mitigation measures to avoid the river's contamination becomes imperative.

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Rhipicephalus microplus is the most important tick in veterinary medicine, given its repercussions on animal production. The principal strategy to avoid adverse effects associated with R. microplus is the chemical control of tick populations through organosynthetic acaricides. Therefore, monitoring susceptibility to acaricides is paramount in any control program. This study aimed to analyze the resistance status of 2 populations of R. microplus from northeastern Mexico to the organochlorine (OC) lindane, organophosphates (OP) coumaphos, chlorfenvinphos, diazinon, and chlorpyrifos, and the synthetic pyrethroids (SPs) flumethrin, deltamethrin, and cypermethrin. Discriminating doses (DD) of each acaricide were used in the larval packet bioassay (LPT). Additionally, the presence of the knockdown resistance (kdr) mutation T2134A associated with pyrethroid resistance was evaluated using allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The populations of R. microplus showed a high frequency of resistance to SP, with mortality rates of less than 5%; they also showed resistance to the OPs (diazinon and chlorpyrifos) with mortality rates ranging from 1.29% to 34.62%; meanwhile, they were susceptible to coumaphos and chlorfenvinphos. Mortality rates higher than 66% were observed for lindane, indicating susceptibility. The mutant allele of the kdr mutation T2134A was detected in 75% and 100% of the pools analyzed. The populations studied presented a highly resistant profile to pyrethroids, with the presence of the kdr mutant allele A2134. The susceptibility to the organophosphates such as coumaphos and chlorfenvinphos of R. microplus from northeastern Mexico should be noted.

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Global industrialization and natural resources extraction have left cocktails of environmental pollutants. Thus, this work focuses on developing a defined actinobacteria consortium able to restore systems co-contaminated with pollutants occurring in Argentinian environments. In this context, five actinobacteria were tested in solid medium to evaluate antagonistic interactions and tolerance against lindane (LIN), Reactive Black B-V (RBV), phenanthrene (Ph) and Cr(VI). The strains showed absence of antagonism, and most of them tolerated the presence of individual pollutants and their mixtures, except Micromonospora sp. A10. Thus, a quadruple consortium constituted by Streptomyces sp. A5, M7, MC1, and Amycolatopsis tucumanensis DSM 45259T, was tested in liquid systems with individual contaminants. The best microbial growth was observed in the presence of RBV and the lowest on Cr(VI). Removals detected were 83.3%, 65.0% and 52.4% for Ph, RBV and LIN, respectively, with absence of Cr(VI) dissipation. Consequently, the consortium performance was tested against the organic mixture, and a microbial growth similar to the biotic control and a LIN removal increase (61.2%) were observed. Moreover, the four actinobacteria of the consortium survived the mixture bioremediation process. These results demonstrate the potential of the defined actinobacteria consortium as a tool to restore environments co-contaminated with organic pollutants.

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Hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) have been widely explored as biological compounds during the last century. However, most of them were banned due to their potential toxicity in humans, animals, and the environment. Revisiting HCHs to explore their biological activity while improving key features is valuable and may lead to a new class of pesticides that utilizes the biological response of HCHs without their toxic characteristics. In this sense, the fluorine atom can be a possible alternative since a large number of therapeutics and agrochemicals have been developed with this halogen in their structure. We have evaluated herein the conformational behavior of HCHs and their bioisosteric fluorinated compounds, namely, hexafluorocyclohexanes (HFHs), through quantum-chemical calculations. We also explored the potential of the HCH and HFH isomers as biological compounds by docking them inside three possible targets. It was demonstrated that HCH and HFH have similar ligand-protein interactions with three pockets: the picrotoxin and barbiturate sites of the GABAA receptor and the ryanodine receptor. The results support HFHs as possible alternatives for HCHs since the replacement of Cl with F does not forfeit the main ligand-protein interactions. Finally, we demonstrated that HFHs have a lower log P than HCHs by almost two logarithmic units. This result highlights the role of fluorine in distribution and bioaccumulation.

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This work describes the complete decontamination of three parcels of a dump site located in Lomas de Zamora county, Buenos Aires province (Argentina) heavily polluted with hexachorocyclohexane (HCH), where phytoremediation, successful in the surrounding areas, was ineffective. HCH contained in contaminated soil (10 g/kg average) was oxidized with sodium persulfate activated with citric acid chelated Fe(II). This chemical remediation process required treatment in situ in each parcel of approximately 10900 tons total of soil that were mechanically removed and initially mixed with 1750 tons of sodium persulfate. The mixture was then transferred to the excavation site, and 105 tons of ferrous sulfate and 35 tons of citric acid were finally added. The process, started in January 2011 and completed in February 2016, was very effective since chemical remediation average efficiency in the three parcels was higher than 99.99%. To the best of our knowledge this work is the first demonstration that persulfate oxidation activated with citric acid chelated Fe(II) can be successfully applied for field remediation of a relatively large area.

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Pesticides, which are associated with endocrine dysfunction, immunological dysregulation, and cancer, are widespread sources of drinking water contamination. The state of Paraná has a population of 11 million, is the second largest grain producer in Brazil and is a leading consumer of pesticides. In this study, we analyzed the extent of drinking water contamination from 11 proven, probable, or potentially carcinogenic pesticides (alachlor, aldrin-dieldrin, atrazine, chlordane, DDT-DDD-DDE, diuron, glyphosate-AMPA, lindane-γ-HCH, mancozeb-ETU, molinate, and trifluralin) in 127 grain-producing municipalities in the state of Paraná. Extensive contamination of drinking water was found, including legacy pesticides such as aldrin-dieldrin (mean 0.047 ppb), DDT-DDD-DDE (mean: 0.07), chlordane (mean: 0.181), and lindane-HCH (mean: 2.17). Most of the municipalities were significantly above the maximum limits for each one of the currently allowed pesticides (67% for alachlor, 9.44% for atrazine, 96.85% for diuron, 100% for glyphosate-AMPA, 80.31% for mancozeb-ETU, 91.33% for molinate, and 12.6% for trifluralin). Ninety-seven percent of municipalities presented a sum of all pesticides at levels significantly above (189.84 ppb) the European Union preconized limits (<0.5 ppb). Using the mean pesticide concentration in water (ppb), the exposed population for each municipality, and the benchmark cancer risk for pesticides, we estimated the minimum number of cancer cases attributable to pesticide-contaminated drinking water during the period (total of 542 cases). More than 80% were attributed to mancozeb-ETU and diuron. Glyphosate-AMPA and diuron-attributable cases strongly correlated with the total cancer cases in the same period (R = 0.8117 and 0.8138, respectively) as well as with breast cancer cases (R = 0.7695 and 0.7551, respectively). Water contamination was significantly correlated with the sum of the estimated cancer cases for all 11 pesticides detected in each city (R = 0.58 and p < 0.0001). These findings reveal extensive contamination of drinking water in the state of Paraná and suggest that contamination may increase the risk of cancer in this region.

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Resumen En este trabajo se analizan las representaciones de los riesgos tóxicos del hexaclorociclohexano, un ingrediente activo de plaguicidas de uso común en los campos españoles durante el franquismo. Se hace énfasis en las prácticas que visibilizaron e invisibilizaron dichos riesgos en España entre 1945 y 1975, buscando establecer los actores que las fomentaron y los medios que emplearon. Desde la perspectiva de la agnotología, se analizan los procesos de creación de ignorancia e incertidumbre relacionadas con este compuesto. Asimismo, se examinan las estrategias retóricas utilizadas para abordarlos. Para ello se utilizan tres fuentes primarias principales: la revista de agronomía dirigida a expertos Boletín de patología vegetal y entomología agrícola, la revista dirigida a agricultores Agricultura y el periódico ABC.

Abstract This work analyzes the representations of the toxic risks of hexachlorocyclohexane, an active ingredient of many pesticides commonly used in Spanish fields during Franco's regime. Emphasis is placed on the practices that visibilized and invisibilized these risks, seeking to establish the actors that promoted them and the mechanisms they used. From the perspective of agnotology, I analyze the generation of ignorance and uncertainty related to this compound. Likewise, I examine the most prevalent rhetorical strategies used in print sources. To do so, I consulted three main primary sources: Boletín de patología vegetal y entomología agrícola, an agronomy journal for experts; Agricultura, a magazine for farmers, and ABC, a newspaper.

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Micropollutants (MPs) include a wide range of biological disruptors that can be toxic to wildlife and humans at very low concentrations (<1 µg/L). These mainly anthropogenic pollutants have been widely detected in different areas of the planet, including the deep sea, and have impacts on marine life. Because of this potential toxicity, the global distribution, quantity, incidence, and potential impacts of deep-sea MPs were investigated in a systematic review of the literature. The results showed that MPs have reached different zones of the ocean and are more frequently reported in the Northern Hemisphere, where higher concentrations are found. MPs are also concentrated in depths up to 3000 m, where they are also more frequently studied, but also extend deeper than 10,000 m. Potentially toxic metals (PTMs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDTs), organotins, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were identified as the most prevalent and widely distributed MPs at ≥200 m depth. PTMs are widely distributed in the deep sea in high concentrations; aluminum is the most prevalent up to 3000 m depth, followed by zinc and copper. PCBs, organotins, hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), PAHs, and phenols were detected accumulated in both organisms and environmental samples above legislated thresholds or known toxicity levels. Our assessment indicated that the deep sea can be considered a sink for MPs.

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Lindane and other 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers are persistent organic pollutants highly hydrophobic, which hampers their availability and biodegradation. This work aimed at (i) investigating genes encoding enzymes involved in HCH degradation in the bacterium Sphingobium sp. D4, (ii) selecting strains, from a collection of environmental isolates, able to mobilize HCHs from contaminated soil, and (iii) analysing the biodegradation of HCHs by strain D4 in co-culture with HCH-mobilizing strains or when cultivated with root exudates. Fragments of the same size and similar sequence to linA and linB genes were successfully amplified. Two isolates, Streptomyces sp. M7 and Rhodococcus erythropolis ET54b able to produce emulsifiers and to mobilize HCH isomers from soil were selected. Biodegradation of HCH isomers by strain D4 was enhanced when co-inoculated with HCH mobilizing strains or when cultivated with root exudates. The degrader strain D4 was able to decompose very efficiently HCHs isomers, reducing their concentration in soil slurries by more than 95% (from an average initial amount of 50 ± 8 mg HCH kg-1 soil) in 9 days. The combination of HCH-degrading and HCH-mobilizing strains can be considered a promising inoculum for future soil bioremediation studies using bioaugmentation techniques or in combination with plants in rhizodegradation assays.

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Phytoremediation techniques have been proposed as ecological methods to clean up contaminated sites. This study is aimed to evaluate the effect of the Streptomyces sp. Waksman & Henrici and Zea mays L. plant system on the dissipation of Cr(VI) and/or lindane from a co-contaminated soil, being 2 mg kg-1 of lindane and 150 mg kg-1 of chromium used. Lindane dissipation was improved in the presence of plant-microorganism association; however, Cr(VI) removal was higher when plants or the microorganism were separately. In co-contaminated systems, chromium content in plant tissues was lower than metal content in plants grown only with Cr(VI), suggesting that lindane could interfere with metal accumulation in the plant. The high malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration detected in non-inoculated plants grown with chromium could be consequence of high metal concentration in plant tissues. Interestingly, plants inoculated with Streptomyces sp. Z38 growing with Cr(VI) showed decrease in MDA concentration, indicating that the bacterium could activate defense mechanisms in the plant. Also, inoculated plants showed the highest value of superoxide dismutase activity. Lettuce plants used as bioindicators grew better in biologically treated soils compared with lettuce grown on non-treated soil. The results presented in this work provide the basis that will allow the optimization of future trials on a larger scale.

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Soils contaminated by organic and inorganic pollutants like Cr(VI) and lindane, is currently a main environmental challenge. Biological strategies, such as biostimulation, bioaugmentation, phytoremediation and vermiremediation, and nanoremediation with nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) are promising approaches for polluted soil health recovery. The combination of different remediation strategies might be key to address this problem. For this reason, a greenhouse experiment was performed using soil without or with an organic amendment. Both soils were contaminated with lindane (15 mg kg-1) and Cr(VI) (100 or 300 mg kg-1). After one month of aging, the following treatments were applied: (i) combination of bioaugmentation (actinobacteria), phytoremediation (Brassica napus), and vermiremediation (Eisenia fetida), or (ii) nanoremediation with nZVI, or (iii) combination of biological treatments and nanoremediation. After 60 days, the wellness of plants and earthworms was assessed, also, soil health was evaluated through physico-chemical parameters and biological indicators. Cr(VI) was more toxic and decreased soil health, however, it was reduced to Cr(III) by the amendment and nZVI and, to a lesser extent, by the biological treatment. Lindane was more effectively degraded through bioremediation. In non-polluted soils, nZVI had strong deleterious effects on soil biota when combined with the organic matter, but this effect was reverted in soils with a high concentration of Cr(VI). Therefore, under our experimental conditions bioremediation might be the best for soils with a moderate concentration of Cr(VI) and organic matter. The application of nZVI in soils with a high content of organic matter should be avoided except for soils with very high concentrations of Cr(VI). According to our study, among the treatments tested, the combination of an organic amendment, biological treatment, and nZVI was shown to be the strategy of choice in soils with high concentrations of Cr(VI) and lindane, while for moderate levels of chromium, the organic amendment plus biological treatment is the most profitable treatment.

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The scaling-up of lindane-contaminated soils bioremediation from microcosms to mesocosms bioaugmentated with an actinobacteria quadruple culture and biostimulated with sugarcane filter cake (SCFC) was surveyed. Mesocosms of silty loam soil, clayey soil, and sandy soil were polluted with the pesticide, bioaugmented with the mixed culture, biostimulated with adequate amounts of 0.5 mm SCFC particles, and assessed during 63 days maintaining environmental parameters with minimal intervention. Samples were taken to determine residual lindane, heterotrophic microorganisms, enzymatic activities, and bioremediation effectiveness using ecotoxicity tests with Raphanus sativus, Lactuca sativa, and Lycopersicon esculentum. The bioaugmentation and biostimulation of the three soils improved lindane removal, microbial counts, and enzymatic activities, and reduced pesticide T1/2, regarding the values obtained in non-bioremediated controls. The removal process was significantly affected by the soil type, and the highest pesticide dissipation (82.6%) was detected in bioremediated sandy soil. Ecotoxicity tests confirmed the bioremediation success through a rise in the vigor index of seedlings compared to non-treated soils (R. sativus: 12-22%; L. sativa: 12-20%; L. esculentum: 30-45%). Finally, scanning electron microscopy corroborated soil colonization by actinobacteria. Successful scaling-up of the combined application of an actinobacteria quadruple culture and SCFC as an appropriate strategy for restoring lindane-polluted soils at mesocosms-scale was confirmed.

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In 1996, a diagnostic study performed in a 16-ha field located in Buenos Aires Province (Argentina), where a chemical industry produced 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) from 1960 to 1978, showed contamination with HCH ranging from 10 to 20,000 mg kg-1 dry soil (706.4 mg kg-1 average). For remediation purposes, a forestation plan was put into practice in 1997 employing approximately 12,300 Eucalyptus dunnii seedlings which by 2016 where fully grown into trees that formed a forest where local fauna can be found. Midterm analysis done in 2005, when E. dunnii trees had developed into 8-10 m high trees, indicated that HCH was incorporated into leaves and logs and soil phytoremediation was progressing. Final quantitation analysis of HCH in soil performed in 2016 demonstrated that the 97.2% of the field area was effectively decontaminated with 98.1% overall average efficiency. Thus, this work is the first global example of a successful employment of E. dunnii trees for HCH phytoremediation purposes at field scale. These results may encourage other researchers to test the ability of E. dunnii to phytoremediate soils contaminated with other chlorinated compounds like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs).

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Lindane is a toxic and persistent organochlorine pesticide, whose extensive use generated its accumulation in different environmental matrices. Bioremediation is a promising technology that can be used combining bioaugmentation and biostimulation processes to soil restoration. The aim of the present work was to determine the conditions of maximum lindane removal by bioaugmentation with an actinobacteria consortium and biostimulation with sugarcane filter cake (SCFC). The assays were carried out on lindane-contaminated silty loam (SLS), clayey (CS), and sandy (SS) soils. Through complete factorial designs, the effects of three abiotic factors (moisture content, proportion and size of SCFC particles) were evaluated on lindane removal. In addition, a response optimizer determined the optimal conditions for pesticide removal in bioaugmented and biostimulated soils, in the range of levels studied for each factor. In these conditions, bioaugmentation of biostimulated soils increased the pesticide removal (SLS: 61.4%, CS: 70.8%, SS: 86.3%), heterotrophic microbial counts, and soil enzymatic activities, and decreased lindane T1/2, regarding the non-bioaugmented biostimulated controls, after 14 days of assay. The values of these parameters confirmed the efficiency of the bioremediation process. Finally, the viability of the four strains was demonstrated at the end of the assay. The results indicate that the simultaneous application of bioaugmentation with the actinobacteria consortium and biostimulation with SCFC constitutes a promising tool for restoring soils contaminated with lindane, by using the optimal conditions obtained through the factorial designs.

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Lindane is an organochlorine pesticide that, due to its persistence in the environment, is still detected in different matrices. Bioremediation using actinobacteria consortia proved to be promising for the restoration of contaminated soils. Another alternative to remove xenobiotics is to use agricultural residues, which stimulates microbial activity, increasing its capacity to degrade organic pollutants. The present work studies the coupling of sugarcane bagasse biostimulation and bioaugmentation with the actinobacteria consortium composed of Streptomyces sp. A2, A5, A11 and M7 on lindane removal in different soil types. In this sense, factorial designs with three factors (proportion and size of sugarcane bagasse particles, and moisture content) were employed. A response optimizer identified the combination of factors levels that jointly allowed obtaining the maximum lindane removal in the evaluated conditions. In the optimal conditions, the effect of the bioremediation process on soil microbiota was studied by evaluating different parameters. The highest lindane removal percentages were detected in biostimulated microcosms bioaugmented with the microbial consortium, which were accompanied by a decrease in lindane half-life respect to the controls. Also, the bioaugmentation of biostimulated microcosms increased the microbial counts and enhanced soil enzymatic activities, corroborating the bioremediation process efficiency. The survival of the four actinobacteria at the end of the assay confirmed the ability of all Streptomyces strains to colonize amended soils. Bioremediation by simultaneous application of biostimulation with sugarcane bagasse and bioaugmentation with the actinobacteria consortium, in the optimized conditions, represents an efficient strategy to restore lindane contaminated soils.

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ABSTRACT In recent years, tissue engineering has evolved considerably, due to the problems in the biomedical area concerning tissue regeneration therapies. Currently, work has been focused on the synthesis and physicochemical characterization of poly lactic acid scaffolds, a synthetic polyester that has been extensively study for its excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. Moreover, sterilization strategies of scaffold are a crucial step for its application in tissue regeneration, however, the sterilization process have to maintain the structural and biochemical properties of the scaffold. Therefore, it is very important to carry out studies on the sterilization methods of the sample's material, since translational medicine is intended for in vivo applications. The aim of the present study was designed to analyze the effects of different sterilization techniques, i.e. ethylene oxide (ETO), gamma radiation (GR) and hydrogen peroxide- based plasma (H2O2) in biodegradable PLA scaffolds, and to determine the best sterilization technique to render a sterile product with minimal degradation and deformation, and good tissue response. Analysis of surface morphology showed that ETO and GR modified the PLA scaffolds without any change in its chemical composition. Moreover, the histological response showed that the scaffolds are biocompatible and those sterilized by GR showed a more severe inflammatory response, accompanied with the presence of giant foreign body cells. In conclusion, the results show that among sterilization techniques used in the preset study, the best results were observed with H2O2 sterilization, since it did not significantly modify the surface structure of the PLA fibers and their in vivo response did not cause an unfavorable tissue reaction.

RESUMEN En los últimos años, la ingeniería de tejidos ha evolucionado considerablemente, debido a las incógnitas en las terapias de regeneración en el área biomédica. Actualmente, se ha trabajado en la síntesis y caracterización fisicoquímica de andamios de poliácido láctico, el cual es un polímero sintético que se ha estudiado para aplicaciones en ingeniería de tejidos, debido a su biocompatibilidad y biodegradabilidad. El proceso de esterilización es un paso crucial en la aplicación de andamios en terapias de regeneración, sin embargo, la técnica de esterilización debe mantener las propiedades estructurales y bioquímicas del andamio. Por lo tanto, es muy importante realizar estudios sobre los métodos de esterilización de dichos andamios, ya que la medicina traslacional está diseñada para aplicaciones in vivo. El objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar los efectos de diferentes técnicas de esterilización como óxido de etileno (ETO), radiación gamma (GR) y plasma a base de peróxido de hidrógeno (H2O2) en andamios biodegradables de PLA, y determinar la mejor técnica de esterilización con mínima degradación y deformación, así como una respuesta tisular favorable. La estructura de la superficie de los andamios de PLA se modificó principalmente con las técnicas de óxido de etileno y radiación gamma, sin embargo, ninguna técnica modificó su composición química. Con la respuesta histológica se demostró que los andamios de PLA son biocompatibles y que los esterilizados por radiación gamma desencadenan una mayor respuesta inflamatoria y la formación de células gigantes de cuerpo extraño. En conclusión, los resultados muestran que las técnicas de esterilización utilizadas pueden modificar la morfología del andamio, sin embargo; los mejores resultados se observaron con la esterilización por plasma a base de peróxido de hidrógeno, ya que no modificó significativamente la estructura de la superficie de las fibras de PLA y su respuesta in vivo no provocó una reacción desfavorable en el tejido.

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Ambient air contains a number of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), to which inhalation exposure has drawn worldwide concern. However, information regarding annual changes in the concentrations and health risks of POPs in the ambient air of São Paulo, Brazil, are limited. This study provides comprehensive information on annual changes in polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs), and 10 groups of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the ambient air of São Paulo between 2010 and 2015 based on the Global Monitoring Plan. The mass concentrations of the studied POPs (PCDD/Fs, DL-PCBs, and OCPs) showed declining trends from 2010 to 2015 (from 2.65 × 10-2 to 1.33 × 10-2 pg m-3, from 9.89 × 10-2 to 3.12 × 10-2 pg m-3, and from 0.313 to 0.100 ng m-3, respectively), which might be due to the decrease of non-intentional emissions. The carcinogenic risk (CR) and non-carcinogenic risk (Non-CR) of the studied POPs were 1.48 × 10-11 to 6.08 × 10-7 and 3.44 × 10-8 to 3.34 × 10-3, respectively, which are lower than the generally accepted threshold values (10-6/10-5 and 1 for CR and Non-CR, respectively), suggesting that the health risks posed by the studied POPs were acceptable. PCDD/Fs had the highest CR (6.08 × 10-8-4.81 × 10-7), whereas the 95th percentile CR of DL-PCBs and nine of the OCPs were lower than 10-7, suggesting that among the studied POPs, PCDD/Fs in the ambient air warrant special attention. The 95th percentile CRs of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (2.30 × 10-8), dieldrin (1.30 × 10-8), hexachlorocyclohexanes (1.05 × 10-8), heptachlor (8.97 × 10-9), hexachlorobenzene (6.47 × 10-9), chlordane (5.89 × 10-9), heptachlor epoxide (1.42 × 10-9), aldrin (1.33 × 10-9), and mirex (2.71 × 10-10) in ambient air were relatively low, suggesting that their threats to human health were negligible. In general, PCDD/Fs, DL-PCBs, and OCPs in the ambient air of São Paulo did not pose serious threats to human health during 2010-2015.

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Bioremediation using actinobacterium consortia proved to be a promising alternative for the purification of co-contaminated environments. In this sense, the quadruple consortium composed of Streptomyces sp. M7, MC1, A5, and Amycolatopsis tucumanensis AB0 has been able to remove significant levels of Cr(VI) and lindane from anthropogenically contaminated soils. However, the effectiveness of the bioremediation process could not be evaluated only by analytical monitoring, which is complex mainly due to the characteristics of the matrix, producing non-quantitative analyte recoveries, or interferences in the detection stage and quantification. However, the effectiveness of the bioremediation process cannot be evaluated only through analytical monitoring, which is complex due mainly to the characteristics of the matrix, to the recoveries of non-quantitative analytes or to interferences in the detection and quantification stage. For this reason, it is essential to have tools of ecological relevance to assess the biological impact of pollutants on the environment. In this context, the objective of this work was to establish the appropriate bioassays to evaluate the effectiveness of a bioremediation process of co-contaminated soils. For this, five model species were studied: four plant species (Lactuca sativa, Raphanus sativus, Lycopersicon esculentum, and Zea mays) and one animal species (Eisenia fetida). On plant species, the biomarkers evaluated were inhibition of germination (IG) and the length of hypocotyls/steam and radicles/roots of the seedling. While on E. fetida, mortality (M), weight lost, coelomocyte concentration and cell viability were tested. These bioindicators and the battery of biomarkers quantified in them showed a different level of sensitivity, from maximum to minimum: E. fetida > L. esculentum > L. sativa > R. sativus ≫>Z. mays. Therefore, E. fetida and L. esculentum and their respective biomarkers were selected to evaluate the effectiveness of the bioremediation process due to the capability of assessing the effect on the flora and the fauna of the soil, respectively. The joint application of these bioindicators in a field scale bioremediation process is a feasible tool to demonstrate the recovery of the quality and health of the soil.

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The aims of this study were (1) to isolate new multi-resistant actinobacteria from soil, rhizosphere and plant samples collected from an ancient illegal pesticide storage and (2) to elucidate the effects of these microorganisms developed with maize root exudates on lindane and Cr(VI) removal. Fifty-seven phenotypically different actinobacteria were isolated and four of them, belonging to the genus Streptomyces exhibit tolerance to a mixture of lindane and Cr(VI). Two rhizospheric strains named as Streptomyces sp. Z38 and Streptomyces sp. Z2 were selected to be grown with root exudates because they showed the highest Cr(VI) and lindane removal in co-contaminated medium. When root exudates were the only carbon source, metal dissipation increased significantly either as single or mixed contaminant, compared to metal dissipation with glucose. No significant differences were found on lindane removal with root exudates or glucose, so a higher lindane concentration was evaluated. Despite of this, lindane removal remained stable while metal dissipation was notoriously lower when lindane concentration was enhanced. In addition to a good performance growing with mixed contaminants, Streptomyces strains showed plant growth promoting traits that could improve plant establishment. The results presented in this study show the importance of the screening programs addressed to find new actinobacteria able to grow in co-contaminated systems. It was also evidenced that root exudates of maize improve the growth of Streptomyces strains when they were used as carbon source, being the dissipation of Cr(VI) considerably improved in presence of lower lindane concentration.

Assuntos

RESUMO

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 (<20-120 pg/m3). PCA had elevated concentrations at the urban site Concepción (Chile) of 49-222 pg/m3, with concentrations ranging <1-8.5 pg/m3 at the other sites in this study. Dicofol indicators were detected at the agricultural site of Sonora (Mexico) at concentrations ranging 30-117 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 (p < 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