DEAMB - Departamento de Engenharia Ambiental
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Resultados da Pesquisa
Item Weak participation and ideological exemption : the latest stage of EIA simplification in Brazil?(2023) Fonseca, Alberto de Freitas CastroDevelopers’ concerns over the costs and delays of environmental impact assessment (EIA) have increasingly been driving ‘simplification’ solutions and reforms. This letter critically reviews the evolution of EIA simplification in Brazil. More specifically, it (1) sets out to describe the main stages of EIA simplification in Brazil, and (2) calls for conceptually clear and evidence-based simplification reforms. I argue that the first simplification efforts in Brazil mirrored an attempt to bring procedural proportionality to EIA. But simplification gradually became a more nuanced phenomenon reflecting a variety of streamlining, digitalization, and decentralization strategies. However, the many simplification efforts do not seem to be affecting developers’ predominant perception about EIA ineffectiveness. Brazil may be witnessing a more radical stage of EIA simplification, in which ‘simplicity’ is pursued through weak public participation and the exemption of specific economic sectors of the Brazilian economy from EIA. Without conceptually clear and evidence-based simplification reforms, debates over EIA effectiveness are likely to be influenced by simplistic win-win narratives, and Brazil’s increasingly fragile environment is likely to get worse.Item Weathering resistance of Linz–Donawitz (LD) slag as ballast material using freeze-thaw and sulfate soundness.(2023) Alves, Hebert da Consolação; Gomes, Guilherme José CunhaAs nonrenewable natural aggregates with acceptable geotechnical properties become scarce, costly, and entail negative environmental impacts, the study of alternatives remains a first-order challenge for sustainable railway design. This paper focuses on the physical and chemical weathering effects of the industrial byproduct Linz–Donawitz (LD) slag as a ballast material. For this purpose, 75 freeze–thaw (F-T) and 40 sulfate soundness (SS) cycles were carried out on the byproduct. We present a series of laboratory experiments involving particle characteristics, durability and strength for different F-T and SS cycles. To benchmark the performance of LD slag, we also performed our experiments on two natural aggregates: gneiss and basalt. Our main findings reveal that: (i) the shape of LD slag ballast and its particle size distribution are unnafected by the F-T and SS cycles, (ii) the basalt exhibits higher magnitudes of fouling after SS cycles, (iii) losses in Los Angeles abrasion and shock resistance were much more pronounced in SS tests for all ballast materials, (iv) LD slag is more resistant and less susceptible to the degrading effects of freezing and thawing, (v) point load tests indicate that the loss of resistance of basalt is small compared to that of gneiss, (vi) the byproduct showed a decrease in strength of 87% after 40 SS cycles, suggesting that chemical weathering exerts a dominant control on the performance of LD slag. The findings are relevant to elucidate the physical and chemical weathering effects of LD slag and to promote its sustainable use.Item Sodium butyrate-loaded nanoparticles coated with chitosan for the treatment of neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration : ocular biocompatibility and antiangiogenic activity.(2022) Reis, Júlia Stephania dos; Teixeira, Aniely dos Reis; Quaresma, Amanda de Vasconcelos; Almeida, Tamires Cunha; Arribada, Raquel Gregorio; Neto, Julia Teixeira; Silva, Fábio Henrique Rodrigues da; Cunha Júnior, Armando da Silva; Moura, Sandra Aparecida Lima de; Silva, Glenda Nicioli da; Fialho, Sílvia Ligório; Silva, Gisele Rodrigues daSodium butyrate-loaded nanoparticles coated chitosan (NaBu-loaded nanoparticles/CS) were developed to treat the choroidal neovascularization in wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The nanoparticles were produced by double emulsification and solvent evaporation technique, optimized by experimental statistical design, characterized by analytical methods, investigated in terms of in vitro and in vivo ocular biocompatibility, and evaluated as an antiangiogenic system in vivo. The NaBu-loaded nanoparticles/CS were 311.1 ± 3.1 nm in diameter with a 0.208 ± 0.007 polydispersity index; had a +56.3 ± 2.6 mV zeta potential; showed a 92.3 % NaBu encapsulation efficiency; and sustained the drug release over 35 days. The NaBu-loaded nanoparticles/CS showed no toxicity to human retinal pigment epithelium cells (ARPE-19 cells); was not irritant to the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM); did not interfere in the integrity of the retinal layers of rat’s eyes, as detected by the Optical Coherence Tomography and histopathology; and inhibited the angiogenesis in CAM assay. The NaBu-loaded nanoparticles/CS could be a therapeutic alternative to limit the neovascularization in AMD.Item Blending Linz–Donawitz and Blast Furnace slags with the Kambara reactor byproduct to improve their reuse in roadworks.(2022) Schumacher, Aécio Guilherme; Gomes, Guilherme José Cunha; Schneider, Denise S. G.; Pires, Patrício José Moreira; Gomes, Ruan Gonçalves de SouzaThe use of industrial byproducts as replacement of natural aggregates has been extensively investigated to design eco-friendly roads. One of the most examined byproducts for this purpose is steel slag. However, existing studies do not explore the blending of different slags to enhance the engineering performance of base layers. The applicability of Linz–Donawitz (LD), Blast Furnace (BF) and Kambara Reactor (KR) steel byproducts is evaluated as a single base layer for rural (unsurfaced) roads in Brazil. A series of laboratory experiments were performed to assess the characteristics of eight soil-byproduct mixtures with 50% and 75% byproduct contents, including new blends of LD/KR and BF/KR slags. Additionally, the most suitable mixture was proposed considering different performance indicators. Results demonstrate the coarse-grained, nonplastic and non-expansive nature of the byproducts, with CBR values higher than 100%. The more byproduct added to soil, the larger is the strength and the lower the expansion. The mixture with 75% of the proposed LD/KR blend and 25% of a clayey soil was considered as optimum, based on a trade-off between engineering properties, environmental impacts, and material costs. Findings and discussions are relevant to reduce waste stockpiles of steel companies, helping engineers and policy makers reuse blended slag byproducts.Item A hybrid multi-step sensitivity-driven evolutionary polynomial regression enables robust model structure selection.(2022) Gomes, Ruan Gonçalves de Souza; Gomes, Guilherme José Cunha; Vrugt, Jasper A.Evolutionary Polynomial Regression (EPR) has found widespread application and use for model structure development in engineering and science. This hybrid evolutionary approach merges real world data and explanatory variables to generate well-structured models in the form of polynomial equations. The simple and transparent models produced by this technique enable us to explore, via sensitivity analysis, the robustness of the derived models. Yet, existing EPR frameworks do not make explicit use of sensitivity analysis in the selection of robust and high-fidelity model structures. In this paper, we develop a multi-step sensitivity-driven method which combines the strengths of differential evolution and model selection via Monte Carlo simulation to explore the input–output relationships of model structures. In the first step, our hybrid approach automatically determines the optimum number of terms of the polynomial equations. In a subsequent step, our algorithm explores the mean parametric response of each explanatory variable used in the mathematical formulation to select a final model structure. Finally, in our selection of the most robust mathematical structure, we take explicit consideration of the prediction uncertainty of the simulated output. We illustrate and evaluate our EPR method for different engineering problems involving modeling and prediction of the moisture content and creep index of soils. Altogether, our results demonstrate that the use of sensitivity analysis as an integral part of model structure search and selection will lead to robust models with high predictive ability.Item Ferronickel slag as free‐draining rockfll dike material : a novel waste solution for mining regions.(2022) Costa, João Paulo Rodrigues da; Gomes, Guilherme José Cunha; Fernandes, Gilberto; Magarinos, Dario Mozzer; Fonseca, Alberto de Freitas Castro; Pires, Patrício José MoreiraMining sites are vulnerable to erosion and siltation of rivers. While the construction of rockfill dikes can mitigate siltation, existing rockfill dikes are typically constructed with natural aggregates, whose mining, beneficiation, and transportation entail additional adverse impacts. In this paper, ferronickel slag (FNS) was investigated as a free-draining rockfill dike material to be used in nearby mining sites. A series of laboratory tests, including physical, environmental, durability, chemical and mineralogical analyzes, was executed to evaluate the engineering characteristics of this byproduct and its potential use in dikes. Results demonstrate that FNS is non-uniform with relatively low Los Angeles abrasion. Leaching and dissolution tests have not shown harm to the environment since the average concentrations of chemical elements existing in FNS were below the standard requirements. Accelerated weathering cycling tests with ethylene glycol further highlighted that the byproduct does not suffer premature disaggregation in the presence of water, thereby revealing that the material can be employed adequately under saturated condition. Findings suggest that the use of FNS in rockfill dikes represents a technically and environmentally feasible solution, while reducing the use of natural aggregates, avoiding the formation of stockpiles, preventing siltation in downstream fluvial networks and other adverse impacts.Item Understanding the environmental impact of a mine dam rupture in Brazil : prospects for remediation.(2019) Santos, O. S. H.; Avellar, F. C.; Alves, M.; Trindade, R. C.; Menezes, M. B.; Ferreira, M. C.; França, G. S.; Cordeiro, Juni Silveira; Sobreira, Frederico Garcia; Yoshida, Maria Irene; Moura, P. M.; Scotti, M. R.The rupture of the Fundão mine dam in Mariana municipality, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, spilled the tailings across the Doce River basin. These tailings, composed of residues discarded from the beneficiation of iron ore, are rich in SiO2 and Al2O3, as well as some ether amine compounds and NaOH. The aim of this study was to assess the distribution of these sediments, as well as their effect on the riparian zones reached, as compared with preserved sites. Sediment deposition in the river resulted in a morphological change from a meandering profile to a braided aspect. The nutrient and mineral content (P, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, and NO3−) and soil organic matter of the sediments were depleted, whereas NH4+, Na, and pH increased. A random presence of ether amines in the sediments was confirmed by quantitative and chromatographic analyses, with concentrations ranging from 0 to 57.8 mg kg−1; Na reached values as high as 150 mg kg−1. The impact of the dam tailings on biota was assessed by estimating total microbial biomass (phospholipid fatty acids), which were depleted in sediments relative to soils from preserved sites. Overall plant mortality, as well as a low resilience capacity, were also observed. Ether amines and Na present in the sediments had a strong toxic effect in the environment. Identification of these substances as the main impact factors will help guide future remediation efforts.Item Effects of Psidium guajava L. leaves extract on blood pressure control and IL-10 production in salt-dependent hypertensive rats.(2022) Braga, Daiane Cristina de Assis; Gomes, Paula Magalhães; Batista, Marcos Adriano Carlos; Souza, Jaqueline Aparecida de; Bastos, Juliana Cristina Santos Almeida; Dôres, Rosana Gonçalves Rodrigues das; Alzamora, Andréia Carvalho; Souza, Gustavo Henrique Bianco de; Moura, Sandra Aparecida Lima de; Silva, André Talvani Pedrosa da; Antunes, Vagner Roberto; Cardoso, Leonardo MáximoPsidium guajava (guava) leaves extract displays anti-hypertensive properties by mechanisms not yet fully un- derstood. Here, we investigated whether sympathetic drive and immune signaling mechanisms are involved with the antihypertensive effect of the guava extract in a model of salt-dependent hypertension. Raw guava extract (rPsE) was characterized by colorimetric and UPLC-MS techniques. Two doses of rPsE (100 and 200 mg/kg) were evaluated for anti-hypertensive effect using a suspension system (PsE). Weaned male Wistar rats were put on a high-salt diet (HSD, 0.90 % Na+) for 16 weeks and received gavages of PsE for the last 4 weeks. Blood pressure (BP) was measured at the end of treatment in conscious rats. The neurogenic pressor effect was assessed by ganglionic blockade with hexamethonium. Autonomic modulation of heart rate was evaluated by spectral analysis. The effects of orally administered PsE on lumbar sympathetic nerve activity (LSNA) were assessed in anesthetized rats. Blood IL-10, IL-17A, and TNF were measured. The increased neurogenic pressor effect of HSD rats was reduced by PsE 100 mg/kg, but not by 200 mg/kg. PsE (200 mg/kg) administration in anesthetized rats produced a greater fall in BP of HSD rats compared to standard salt diet (SSD) rats. PsE hypotensive response elicited an unproportionable increase in LSNA of HSD rats compared to SSD rats. PsE (200 mg/kg) increased plasma concentrations of IL-10 but had no effect on TNF or IL-17A. Our data indicate that the antihypertensive effects of PsE may involve autonomic mechanisms and immunomodulation by overexpression of IL-10 in salt- dependent hypertensive rats.Item Field-scale assessment of the unsaturated hydraulic properties of residual soils in southeastern Brazil.(2022) Gomes, Ruan Gonçalves de Souza; Gomes, Guilherme José Cunha; Vargas Júnior, Eurípedes do Amaral; Genuchten, Martinus Theodorus van; Pinto, João T. M. G.; Rosa, Felipe A.Field tests were carried out to estimate effective unsaturated soil hydraulic properties of layered residual soilsin Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil. Data of this type are important for understanding the initiation of rainstorm-induced soil landslides, which often occur in the state of Rio de Janeiro as well as other areas having similar geologicsettings and climate conditions. Tests were carried out using a simplified field approach, referred to as the MonitoredInfiltration Test, which requires only a tensiometer to measure pressure heads below the wetting front, triggered by flowfrom a Mariotte bottle which maintains a constant pressure at the top edge of the soil profile. The data can then beanalyzed by numerical inversion using the HYDRUS-2D software package. The test is relatively fast since no steady-state flow conditions are needed, and versatile since the test can be carried out quickly on steep slopes with the help of amanual auger. Soil water retention and the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity functions were obtained for a range ofyoung, mature and saprolitic residual soils. The effective hydraulic properties of the distinct residual soil layers can bequite large, reflecting a need to provide a careful analysis of field-scale hydraulic heterogeneity in geotechnical analyses.Item Influence of non-thermal plasma reactor geometry and plasma gas on the inactivation of Escherichia coli in water.(2021) Cubas, Anelise Leal Vieira; Ferreira, Franciele Mendonça; Gonçalves, Daniela Borges; Machado, Marina de Medeiros; Debacher, Nito Angelo; Moecke, Elisa Helena SiegelThe inactivation of bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) by non-thermal plasma (NTP) was investigated using argon, air and 1:1 mixture of air/Ar as plasma gas on five different reactors. The experiments were carried out in triplicate in each reactor, using 60 mL of distilled water pre-inoculated with E.coli. The physical- chemical analysis of pH, conductivity, nitrite, nitrate and temperature were performed soon after of 10 min of NTP treatment. The microbiological analysis of E. coli inactivation was performed using 100 mL samples withdrawn from the plasma reactor after 10 min and compared with the positive and negative control test results. The best performance were achieved whit the NTP reactors working with the upper electrode in the gas phase using 1:1 air/Ar and air as plasma gas. The results are linked with the E. coli inactivation due to membrane rupture by the NTP discharge followed by the attack of the reactive species produced in the solution. The E. coli inactivation was only partial using argon as plasma gas and the direct barrier discharge reactors showed partial inactivation even when air was used as plasma gas.