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•Inadequate waste disposal areas (n = 104) in Brazil were assessed for contamination.•Most studies were published in Portuguese, undermining dissemination.•Contamination of ...groundwater and surface water was observed in most studies (>70%)•Coliforms, biochemical oxygen demand, and lead were frequently above Brazilian legislation.•Most dumpsites have insignificant or low vulnerability to groundwater contamination.
This work presents an overview of environmental studies performed in areas affected by dumpsites and non-sanitary landfills in Brazil, focusing on physicochemical analysis of surface water, groundwater, and soils, as well as geophysical surveys. The objective was to identify the main contaminants found in these areas and to assess their environmental impact, guiding possible intervention measures, indicating the priority areas, and showing whether post-closure activities are mandatory. The results should support governmental actions, especially considering the recent approval of Brazil’s new sanitation framework. The present review assessed 162 publications, which described 104 different municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal sites. The physicochemical parameters of analyzed surface water, groundwater, and soil samples were above Brazilian legislation levels in 74%, 70%, and 24% of the studies, respectively. The parameters more frequently above permissible levels were coliforms, biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, and phosphorus for surface water; lead, coliforms, and iron for groundwater; copper, cadmium, lead, and zinc for soil. The results indicated that Brazilian dumpsites are causing negative impacts in surrounding soils and water resources, posing ecological and public health risks that persist even after the site’s closure. Considering that this study provides only a reduced scenario, the dimension of this environmental problem in Brazil is noteworthy. Therefore, it is suggested that not only inadequate disposal is prohibited, but also efficient enforcement methods are adopted and aftercare is appropriately regulated in the country, making it obligatory to establish monitoring plans and implement mitigation techniques to avoid abandoning potentially contaminated areas.
The use of environmental tracers brings comprehensive benefits to the management of water resources since it helps to prevent their pollution, minimize public health risks, and thus reduce the impact ...of urbanization. In Brazil, the Guarani Aquifer System (GAS) has strategic and environmental importance, making its preservation and sustainable exploitation mandatory. The present study aimed at evaluating sources of contamination in the GAS using the combination of geochemical data and two environmental tracers: nitrate isotopes (
15
N
NO3
and
18
O
NO3
) and one rare earth element (Gadolinium—Gd). For that, five wells—four exploiting the GAS and one the Bauru Aquifer System (BAS)—were selected to discuss the human inputs in groundwater used for public supply in an urban area. Traditional physicochemical analyses were conducted for six campaign samplings and nitrate monitoring for this period was evaluated on a time scale, also considering the accumulated rainfall. Besides that, the double isotopic method (DIM), e.g., δ
18
O
NO3
e δ
15
N
NO3
, was applied to identify the fractionation and enable the distinction of the nitrate contamination source. In addition, the determination of anomalies of Gd, a wastewater-derived contaminant, was also performed to verify recent human inputs in groundwater. The results show that the local existence of nitrate in the GAS and BAS—even at low concentrations (values from 0.26 to 6.68 mg L
−1
)—originated from anthropogenic inputs (septic waste), as indicates the typical isotopic signals ratio in the isotopic approach. Associated with that, the evaluation of Gd permitted the separation of groundwater samples into older or more recent leakages. The use of environmental tracers to assess anthropogenic inputs in groundwater reiterates the importance of adopting more effective protection strategies for water resources management systems, in order to prevent contamination.
Graphical Abstract
hydrological monitoring is essential for a proper decision-making process and modelling. Efforts have been made in Brazil to carry out field activities at the basin scale, but how complete and ...comprehensive are those studies? Where are they located? How long have they been carried out? What are the main findings? To answer these questions, an overview of experimental monitoring basins in Brazil is presented, listing their geographical locations, monitored variables, operational status, monitoring periods and main publications. We identified 60 monitored sites, spread across most Brazilian biomes, with an average monitoring period of 12 years. However, some publications from these monitoring studies are not fully accessible to the international community. Field hydrology activities in Brazil contribute to a better understanding of hydrological processes in humid and semi-arid regions and inform us about the impacts of land-use change on water quality and quantity.
The side effects of certain antibiotics have been a recent dilemma in the medical arena. Due this fact, the necessity of natural product discovery could provide important indications against several ...pharmacological targets and combat many infectious agents. Piper arboreum Aub. (Piperaceae) has been used by Brazilian traditional communities against several illnesses including rheumatism, bronchitis, sexually transmitted diseases and complaints of the urinary tract. Medicinal plants are a source of several remedies used in clinical practice to combat microbial infections. In this study, ethanol extract and fractions of Piper arboreum leaves were used to assay antimicrobial and modulatory activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using microdilution method of ethanol extract and fractions from the leaves of P. arboreum ranging between 8 and 1024 μg mL
. The capacity of these natural products to enhance the activity of antibiotic and antifungal drugs was also assayed. In these tests, natural products were combined with drugs. The natural products assayed did not demonstrate any clinically relevant antimicrobial activity (MIC ≥ 1024 μg mL
). However, the modulation of antibiotic activity assay observed a synergistic activity of natural products combined with antifungal (such as nystatin and amphotericin B) and antibiotic drugs (such as amikacin, gentamicin and kanamycin). According to these results, these natural products can be an interesting alternative not only to combat infectious diseases caused by bacteria or fungi, but also to combat enhanced resistance of microorganisms to antibiotic and antifungal drugs.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is an acute cardiac dysfunction, clinically similar to myocardial ischemia. The physiopathology of the syndrome seems to be related to excessive sympathetic activity ...that is triggered by physical or emotional stress factors. We report the case of an 83-year-old woman with advanced Alzheimer disease who had recently used nortriptyline and sertraline and was admitted with chest pain. An electrocardiogram showed ST-elevation, and markers of myocardial necrosis were slightly increased. However, coronariography did not demonstrate stenotic lesions. Transthoracic echocardiography and ventriculography identified decreased ventricular function, apical akinesia, and compensatory hyperkinesia of other segments that were compatible with TC. The patient evolved with cardiogenic shock and died. Alzheimer patients may be more susceptible to develop TC, both because of the disease itself and because of the multiple medications they are exposed to that increase catecholamine levels. In this case, antidepressant drugs were considered to be a potential factor that enhanced the susceptibility.
The side effects of certain antibiotics have been a recent dilemma in the medical arena. Due this fact, the necessity of natural product discovery could provide important indications against several ...pharmacological targets and combat many infectious agents. Piper arboreum Aub. (Piperaceae) has been used by Brazilian traditional communities against several illnesses including rheumatism, bronchitis, sexually transmitted diseases and complaints of the urinary tract. Medicinal plants are a source of several remedies used in clinical practice to combat microbial infections. In this study, ethanol extract and fractions of Piper arboreum leaves were used to assay antimicrobial and modulatory activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using microdilution method of ethanol extract and fractions from the leaves of P. arboreum ranging between 8 and 1024 mgmL–1. The capacity of these natural products to enhance the activity of antibiotic and antifungal drugs was also assayed. In these tests, natural products were combined with drugs. The natural products assayed did not demonstrate any clinically relevant antimicrobial activity (MIC ³ 1024 mg mL–1). However, the modulation of antibiotic activity assay observed a synergistic activity of natural products combined with antifungal (such as nystatin and amphotericin B) and antibiotic drugs (such as amikacin, gentamicin and kanamycin). According to these results, these natural products can be an interesting alternative not only to combat infectious diseases caused by bacteria or fungi, but also to combat enhanced resistance of microorganisms to antibiotic and antifungal drugs.
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