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Owing to frequent overflow of sewage-polluted creeks and rivers in São Paulo city, the population that lives in those surrounding areas is constantly exposed to a high risk of infection by many pathogens. Our aim was to evaluate the occurrence of human adenovirus, especially F species (HAdV-40 and HAdV-41), in sewage and creek water in São Paulo city. A total of 95 water samples were collected from July 1998 to June 1999 and from September 2000 to December 2001 at Sewage Pumping Station Edu Chaves and Creek Pirajussara. Four-litre samples were concentrated by a two-step procedure based on filtration through electropositive filter membrane and ultracentrifugation. Adenoviruses were detected in 69 samples (72.6%) after amplification of a sequence of the hexon gene by PCR. The discrimination of human adenovirus F was done by RFLP. A first screening was performed by restriction of PCR product with TaqI, followed by the discrimination of HAdV-40 and HAdV-41 by RsaI restriction. Sixty-two (89.8%) samples showed F species viruses. Among them, human adenovirus, serotype 41, was the most frequently detected in 17 (62.9%) out of 27 samples and serotype 40 was identified only in 7 (25.9%) samples. No seasonal distribution of adenoviruses was observed.

Sediments from the proximity of Ferraz station outfall, located in Admiralty Bay, Antarctica, were analyzed for fecal indicator microorganisms and sterols during the austral summer of 1999/2000 in order to assess human sewage input. Concentrations of total sterols and coprostanol ranged from 0.09 to 19.6 ¼g.g-1 and < 0.01 and 14.0 ¼g.g-1 dry weight (dw), respectively. Our analyses indicated that only sites within to 400m of the sewage outfall exhibited a sterol signal characteristic of human sewage input. Low levels of coprostanol and high levels of cholesterol in distant sites could be attributed to natural sources such as marine mammals and planktonic organisms. Fecal indicator microorganisms (E. coli, fecal streptococci and Clostridium perfringens) were non-detectable beyond 50m from outfall. Both indicators (sterols and fecal indicator microorganisms) produced consistent data and fecal sterol parameters have sho wn themselves to be efficient in the evaluation of trace amounts of fecal material. This study concluded that sewage contamination is limited to the immediate vicinity of the sewage outfall. In general, the concentration of fecal sterols and microbiological indicators were lower than in other Antarctic areas.
Amostras de sedimento, coletadas nas proximidades da saída de esgoto da Estação Antártica Comandante Ferraz (Brasil), Antártica, foram medidos durante o verão de 1999/2000. As concentrações de esteróis totais e coprostanol variaram entre 0,09 e 19,6 ¼g.g-1 e < 0,01 e 14,0 ¼g.g-1 de sedimento seco. Nossas análises mostraram que apenas os pontos localizados até 400 m desde a saída de esgotos apresentaram contribuições provenientes do esgoto da estação brasileira. Baixos níveis de coprostanol e alta concentração de colesterol em pontos distantes puderam ser atribuídos a fontes naturais, como os mamíferos marinhos e organismos planctônicos. Indicadores microbiológicos (E. coli, streptococci fecais e Clostridium perfringens) não foram detectados até 50 m desde a saída de esgotos. Ambos indicadores de poluição fecal produziram dados consistentes, embora os esteróis fecais tenham sido mais apropriados para avaliar quantidades traço de material fecal. Este estudo concluiu que a contaminação por esgotos está limitada apenas aos pontos mais próximos da saída de esgoto. Em geral, as concentrações de esteróis fecais e indicadores microbiológicos foram menores do que em outras regiões antárticas e centros urbanos

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