The Dutos e Terminais do Centro Sul (DTCS) is one of the largest petroleum terminals of the South America located in the São Sebastião Channel (SSC) on the southeastern Brazilian coast. The aims of this study were to compare the sediment quality near the DTCS with that of several sites in the SSC region including the Araçá (AR) domestic sewage outfall and to assess the efficiency of the DTCS wastewater treatment plant. To achieve these goals, textural, geochemical, and living benthic foraminifera results were analyzed for the DTCS, AR, and SSC regions. Sediments in the DTCS area were silty with high concentrations of total organic carbon (1.7–2.4%), total nitrogen (0.2–0.3%), total sulfur (0.4–0.6%), and total (0.12–0.18%) and inorganic phosphorous (0.07–0.11%). These values were higher than those in sediments collected in the SSC and Araçá regions. The sediments’ concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the SSC and AR regions were lower than their corresponding probable effect levels (PELs). However, sediments near the DTCS were enriched with As, Cu, and Ni, whose concentrations exceeded their corresponding threshold effect levels (TELs). Around the DTCS outfall diffusers, living foraminiferal densities and diversities were lower than those for the other areas studied. In the DTCS area, it was necessary to search 50 to 190 cm3 of sediment to find 100 live specimens. In the SSC and Araçá areas, a maximum of 40 cm3 of sediment was enough to locate 100 live specimens. The lower density and diversity of living foraminifera around the DTCS than around the other areas illustrates the impact of the environmental stress caused by the presence of pollutants. These results indicate that the wastewater treatment plant efficiency is low and its discharge of pollutants from petrochemical waste liquids affects the benthic fauna around the DTCS in a potentially harmful manner.

This work aims to evaluate the degree of sediment contamination and the response of Testate amoebae populations through a sediment core taken from the Salto Grande Reservoir (RSG), situated in Americana, in São Paulo State (SP), Brazil. It is based on the analysis of the trace elements geochemistry (by ICP-OES) and Testate amoebae data (by stereomicroscopic morphometric analysis). The indices of homogeneity and richness (Simpson 1-D and Margalef) were calculated. Sediment contamination was evaluated according to VGQS (TEL and PEL). The results evidenced that the sediments of Facies 3 are highly contaminated since the beginning of RSG filling. Contamination caused significant decline of Testate amoebae populations dimension and diversity. In sedimentary facies with lower concentrations of trace elements diversity and size of Testate amoebae populations are higher and are composed of different species. The results of this work indicate that Testate amoebae populations showed differentiated responses to different environmental conditions. So, these amoeboid protists can be considered good indicators of pollution caused by trace elements in fresh water aquatic environments.

The Ammonia-Elphidium Index (IAE) allows to assess the oxygenation levels of coastal regions. Both genera used in this index are resistant to oxygen reduction conditions. The genus Ammonia has a greater resistance than the genus Elphidium to low oxic conditions, and both are abundant in the coastal zones, which makes possible the use of this index to access the impact caused by organic matter pollution in these regions. Hence, this index has been used in the literature to study polluted regions by large contribution of organic carbon. The Petrobras Polo Atalaia Production complex is responsible for the outfall of treated petrochemical effluents, called PAP-1, which introduce pollutants in the coastal area of Sergipe State, northeast Brazil. In view of the environmental complexity of the region, the objectives of this work were: 1) to analyze the dimension and diversity of living foraminifera assemblages in surface sediment samples collected in February 2014 around the Sergipe-Mar Subsea Outfall of Active Production (SMP); and 2) to apply the Ammonia-Elphidium index in this region as a proxy of environmental impact. The results allowed to evaluate the impact caused by the contribution of the effluents released by the SMP outfall of the Petrobras Polo Atalaia Production complex and their influence on the density and diversity of living benthic foraminifera in the study area. ResumoO índice de Ammonia-Elphidium (IAE) permite avaliar os níveis de oxigenação das regiões costeiras. Ambos os gêneros são resistentes às condições de redução de oxigênio. O gênero Ammonia apresenta uma resistência maior que o gênero Elphidium à escasses de oxigénio, sendo ambos abundantes em zonas costeiras, o que possibilita a utilização deste indice na avaliação do impacto causado pela poluição por matéria orgânica nessas regiões. O complexo denominado Polo Atalaia, da Petrobras, é responsável pelo emissário de efluentes petroquímicos tratados, denominado PAP-1, o qual é responsável pela introdução de poluentes na zona costeira do Estado do Sergipe, no nordeste brasileiro. Diante da complexidade ambiental da região, os objetivos deste trabalho foram: 1) analisar os foraminíferos da região situada ao redor do emissário submarino do ativo de Produção Sergipe-Mar (PSM), coletados em fevereiro de 2014; e 2) calcular o índice Ammonia-Elphidium. Os resultados permitiram avaliar o impacto causado pelo aporte de efluentes e sua influência na densidade e diversidade de foraminíferos bentônicos na área estudada.

O presente capítulo tem por objetivo conceber um modelo explicativo para a emergência e transformação dos padrões ambientais a partir da disputa entre os grupos sociais em campo de ação estratégica (CAE). Padrões ambientais foram inicialmente concebidos como parâmetros alicerçados nas ciências naturais para o controle da poluição. Nesse contexto, o poder de coerção do Estado daria legalidade aos padrões, e com isso seriam objetivamente controlados os efeitos antrópicos deletérios ao meio ambiente e à sociedade. Entretanto, este capítulo parte do entendimento de que o campo social de onde emergem os padrões ambientais é mais complexo e permeado por interesses conflitantes. Interesses de grupos sociais favoráveis a padrões ambientais mais restritivos 1 Agradecimentos: o presente trabalho foi realizado com apoio da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior-Brasil (CAPES), Código de Financiamento 001. Agradecemos ao Prof. Dr. Sérgio Almeida Pacca pela revisão do abstract e à FAPESP pelo financiamento ao processo 2015/03804-9. Sustentabilidade e interdisciplinaridade 156 ou mais permissivos modulam os marcos institucionais resultantes. Essa modulação é mais ou menos intensa em função do capital social, econômico ou simbólico que os grupos sociais dispõem. As ações estratégicas desses grupos são representadas neste estudo em um modelo teórico explicativo do balanço de forças no campo social, de onde emergem os padrões ambientais. Palavras-chave: campos de ação, padrão ambiental, poluição das águas, força, poder

The objectives of this study were 1) to evaluate the environmental quality of sediments around the marine outfall of treated petrochemical effluents from Polo do Atalaia, Sergipe and 2) to provide technical and scientific information in order to improve biomonitoring studies carried out in that region. For these purposes the following analysis were performed: grain size, geochemical (nutrients, metals, metalloids, hydrocarbons), and meiofauna (foraminifera biocoenoses and thanatocoenoses) on replicates of 19 sediment samples collected from around the outfall (experimental area) and from a control area located 5 km north of the outfall. These 57 samples and their respective abiotic data were provided by Petrobras. Most of the studied area is composed of sandy silt sediments. However, in the experimental area there is a predominance of mud, rich in organic carbon and total phosphorus. In the control area, the percentages of very fine sand are higher and high values of total nitrogen occur. The concentrations of Pb, Cr, Ni, Zn on the two studied areas are below level 1 of the Conselho Nacional do Meio Ambiente (CONAMA) (National Council for the Environment) and ISQG (Interim Sediment Quality Guidelines), meaning that the sediments are not contaminated by these metallic elements. However, the values of As are between limits 1 and 2 of CONAMA and TEL and PEL (probable effect level) in all stations, indicating that the biota might be affected by this element. One of the samples (from the experimental area) presents values of Cd, Cr and Hg between the limits of ISQG and PEL and another sample (control area) has concentrations of Cr above level 2 and PEL. Concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), resolved petroleum hydrocarbons (RPH) and unresolved complex mixtures (UCMs) are higher in the experimental area and in two samples from the control area. Thanatocoenoses composition is very different from biocoenoses composition, reinforcing the fact that mainly living organisms should be used in environmental impact analysis studies. The sediment used for the analysis of foraminifera oscillated between 20 and 110 cm³ to find around 100 living individuals. Percentage of silt and C/N ratio, B, Ba, Pb, Cu, Cd and Mn values are significant environmental descriptors in the distribution of biocoenoses. From the results obtained it is concluded: 1) The control area used by Petrobrás is not very adequate since there are evidences of anthropogenic impact, 2) Thanatocoenoses is substantially different from biocoenoses, and consequently, data based on living organisms should preferably be used, 3) the 20 cm³ sediment amount, stipulated by IBAMA for the analysis of foraminifera, is too small to detect live individuals in impacted regions. Therefore, it is suggested that a control point without trace of anthropogenic impact should be chosen for future biomonitoring studies in the region, preferably away from the Sergipe river. It is also suggested that the sediment volume for the study of live foraminifera be increased to a min...