André Virmond Lima Bittencourt

Anthropic influence in the water quality of the river basin that supplies the Pato Branco Municipality-PR

The Pato Branco river basin, which supplies water to Pato Branco city (70,000 inhabitants) in southwestern Parana State, was monitored during two hydrological cycles, totaling 22 campaigns at two monitoring stations on the Conrado river: the Conrado station upstream (RC01) and the Conrado station downstream (RC02). The main characteristics of the basin here: area - 29.69 km2, length - 9,300 m, height difference - 170 m, declivity - 18.62 m km-1, and concentration time - 102 min. Physico-chemical variables were analyzed, using samples collected after a minimum three-day period without rain. The data set comprising seven variables yielded the following averages respectively for monitoring stations RC01 and RC02: variables that characterized the organic matter: BOD5 (5.2 - 4.31mg L-1 O2) and COD (11.04 - 11.2 L-1 O2), and variables that characterized the eutrophication processes: ammoniacal N (0.16 - 0.09 mg L-1 N); nitrate (0.67 - 0.78 mg L-1 N); nitrite (0.06 - 0.029 mg L-1 N); total N (0.48 - 0.33 mg L-1 N), and total phosphorous (0.13 - 0.07 mg L-1). The lowest and the highest variation coefficients for data downstream and upstream corresponded to: nitrate and nitrite (46.1 and 166%); phosphorous and nitrite (56.8 and 229.6%).

Distribuição de K, eU e eTh e avaliação da dose anual de radiação na região do Granito Serra do Carambeí - PR

This study was conducted in an area of 14 km in length oriented in the NNE direction by 7.3 km wide, covering the totality of the Serra do CarambeiGranite and adjacent units. Located in the northern region of the Alagados dam, Parana State, this granite contains relatively high concentrations of K, eU and eTh, known since the 1970s through airborne and terrestrial gamma-ray spectrometry surveys. Recent radiochemical tests conducted on 61 samples of geological materials such as rocks (17 samples) and material of the weathering mantle and alluvial deposits (44 samples), confirmed the occurrence of radioactive anomalies in this granite, especially in thorium and uranium. The contents of K, eU and eTh obtained in gamma-ray spectrometry survey and radiochemical tests, converted to annual radiation dose (ARD), allowed to evaluate the intensity of natural radiation, whose levels relatively high in certain regions of the study area, can offer hazard to the local populations. The analysis and interpretation of data, as well the preparation of contour maps of K, eU and eTh were fundamental to understand the behavior and mobility of radionuclides in different environmental compartments of the area.

QUALIDADE DA ÁGUA DO RIO CONRADO LOCALIZADO NA BACIA HIDROGRÁFICA DO RIO PATO BRANCO - SUDOESTE DO ESTADO DO PARANÁ

The Pato Branco river basin, which supplies water to Pato Branco city (70,000 inhabitants) in southwestern Parana State, was monitored during two hydrologic cycles, totaling 22 campaigns at two monitoring stations on the Conrado river: the Conrado station upstream (RC01) and the Conrado station downstream (RC02). The main characteristics of the basin are: area - 29.69 km 2 , length - 9,300 m, height difference - 170 m, declivity - 18.62 m/km, and concentration time - 102 min. Physico-chemical variables were analyzed, using samples collected after a minimum three-day period without rain. The data set comprising seven variables yielded the following averages respectively for monitoring stations RC01 and RC02: variables that characterize organic matter: BOD 5 (5.2 – 4.31) and COD (11.04 – 11.2), and variables that characterize eutrophication processes: ammoniacal N (0.16 – 0.09); nitrate (0.67 – 0.78); nitrite (0.06 – 0.029); total N (0.48 – 0.33), and total phosphorous (0.13 – 0.07). The lowest and the highest variation coefficients for data downstream and upstream correspond to: nitrate and nitrite (46.1 and 166%); phosphorous and nitrite (56.8 and 229.6%).

A IMPORTÂNCIA DO SISTEMA AQÜÍFERO SERRA GERAL PARA A CULTURA DA SOJA NO ESTADO DO PARANÁ

The lack or insufficient amount of rain fall during the blooming and growing periods of soybeans are one of the major factors that cause either complete loss or large reductions of harvest areas in the southern region of Brazil . Within the Parana State the soybeans agriculture covers an area of approximately 3,650,000 hectares (36,500 km 2 ), which is equivalent to nearly 18.3% of the State’s total geographical surface. Hence, these areas need a minimum of 30 mm per month of rain fall in order to maintain the sustainable activity in the long term, taking for instance the extensive loss of soybeans crop that took place in February 2005 due to the lack of rain. In order to flourish, soybeans needs 1 L.day -1 .m -2 . The yield of wells drilled into the Serra Geral Aquifer System (SASG) can vary from 21 a 35 m 3 .h -1 , with the exception of the ones drillled inside the Iguacu river basin, that show average yield of 5 m 3 .h -1 . In almost 90% of the wells, water can be found within less than 170 m deep. In wells which discharges vary from 25 m 3 .h -1 to 100 m 3 .h -1 , their capacity to irrigate an soybean crop, can cover an area of 600,000 m 2 and 2,400,000 m 2 , respectively. SASG waters presenta low to medium sodium risk and also a predominately low risk of salinity.

Refinements in the use of Chemical Geothermometers Application to the Plombieres System (France)

Classical and new geochemical thermometers were tested in the thermal waters of the Plombieres system. Twenty five springs, coming out of the cracks of a granitic body at different temperatures, were sampled and analyzed during three years. These waters are of surface origin and are mixed from three reservoirs: (i) a surface reservoir, cold, not polluted, (ii) a surface reservoir, cold and slightly polluted and (iii) a deep and hot reservoir. The direct use of the different geochemical thermometers fails and geochemistry of the system should be interpreted in terms of a mixing model. With the aid of this model, the temperature of the hot reservoir is estimated to be 140°C.