Because the Amazon rain forest is ecologically relevant on a global scale, we applied scientometric techniques to integrate studies dealing with mercury research in this unique ecosystem between 1991 and 2017. Using a combination of co-authorship and co-citation analyses, keyword mapping and overlay visualization of topics in the field, this article identified three major areas in the 26-year period of mercury research: (1) human exposure to mercury (artisanal small-scale gold mining-ASGM) and methylmercury through fish consumption, and their respective risks for human health; (2) mercury accumulation in the environment and its relation to ASGM and atmospheric concentration; and (3) mercury geochemistry and its presence in soils, sediments, and water. The paper also identified the leading institutions related to the published research and respective influential scholars in the context of this study. Overall, the analyses revealed patterns of convergence and divergence between authors, specialization, and interdisciplinary engagement in mercury investigation, thus highlighting strengths and weaknesses of research topics in the field. This scientometric approach could be a useful tool to monitor/assess the implementation of the Minamata Convention.
The present study presents an estimate of greenhouse gas emissions throughout the production process of ethanol and sugar originated from sugarcane in Piauí. The field research was carried out in a mill with an attached distillery, where the harvest was conducted manually, from January to December 2015. Life Cycle Assessment principles were considered in the quantification of total CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions in the stages of agriculture, industrialization and distribution, converting them according to their global-warming potential into carbon-equivalent (CO2eq). The use of fuels, agriculture inputs, sugarcane burning, manufacture of machinery and physical structure of the mill, application of pesticides, seeds, use of chemical reagents in the production process and human labor were considered in this study. The results show a total emission of 2,413.3 kg CO2eq /ha.year, and the main key sources were sugarcane burning (48%) and use of chemical products (29.6 %). The industrial and distribution stages contributed with 2% of the emissions each. There was an emission of 29.9 kg CO2eq per ton of sugarcane processed and it was estimated that there would be a net reduction of 83% of emissions if the harvesting could be thoroughly conducted mechanically.
Elaborado por Maurício Amormino Júnior -CRB6/2422O conteúdo dos artigos e seus dados em sua forma, correção e confiabilidade são de responsabilidade exclusiva dos autores.2019 Permitido o download da obra e o compartilhamento desde que sejam atribuídos créditos aos autores, mas sem a possibilidade de alterá-la de nenhuma forma ou utilizá-la para fins comerciais.
The Araguaia River is an important watercourse located in Central Brazil and well known for its diversity of fish fauna. Differences between landscape and resources in the distinct environments existing in a floodplain can determine the success of a species. This study presents a list of ichthyofauna species found in lentic and lotic environments in the floodplain of the Araguaia River basin, bordering Mato Grosso and Goiás States. We carried out sampling in July 2019, during the dry season, using diverse fish collection strategies, such as waiting nets, trawl, cast net and fishing rods. Were distributed 12 sampling points between lentic and lotic environments and we captured a total of 168 individuals of 42 species, 19 families and six orders. The predominant orders were Characiformes, Siluriformes and Cichliformes, while the families were Serrasalmidae, Characidae, Triportheidae, Curimatidae and Anostomidae. The genera Triportheus, Psectrogaster and Moenkhausia were the most abundant, while Pimelodus was the most dispersed. Results showed greater abundance and diversity in the lentic environment than in the lotic one, with top-of-the-chain species in both. The variance between environments and the presence of species that are endemic, recently described, of undefined taxonomic status, and bioindicators, highlight the importance of conserving and further studying the ichthyofauna in the Araguaia River basin.
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