Giancarlo Lastoria

Potenciais impactos da variabilidade climática sobre a morbidade respiratória em crianças, lactentes e adultos

OBJECTIVE To determine whether climate variability influences the number of hospitalizations for respiratory diseases in infants, children, and adults in the city of Campo Grande, Brazil. METHODS We used daily data on admissions for respiratory diseases, precipitation, air temperature, humidity, and wind speed for the 2004-2008 period. We calculated the thermal comfort index, effective temperature, and effective temperature with wind speed (wind-chill or heat index) using the meteorological data obtained. Generalized linear models, with Poisson multiple regression, were used in order to predict hospitalizations for respiratory disease. RESULTS The variables studied were (collectively) found to show relatively high correlation coefficients in relation to hospital admission for pneumonia in children (R² = 68.4%), infants (R² = 71.8%), and adults (R² = 81.8%). CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate a quantitative risk for an increase in the number of hospitalizations of children, infants, and adults, according to the increase or decrease in temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind speed, and thermal comfort index in the city under study.

Modelo de Thom para o zoneamento bioclimático de Mato Grosso do Sul

The objective of this study was to evaluate the climate conditions of Mato Grosso do Sul, using the index of temperature and humidity (ITU), and present the bioclimatic mapping relating to thermal comfort. The ITU values were estimated from data of temperature and relative humidity for the period 1979 to 2008. Four intervals of ITU were used to classify human performance (ITU 84: extremely hot), and two intervals to classify the Livestock (79≤ ITU 84: emergency). We conclude that the prevailing mood is one of two alternating seasons throughout the year: hot and humid summer and dry winter with warmer temperatures, the results showed a higher risk of thermal discomfort during the period from October to April, compared to the period between May and September. The most critical period occurred between December and March. Although it was observed that with ITU values between 77.9 and 83.9, humans and animals can suffer some degree of heat stress during the hottest hours of the day, negatively affecting both.

Natural and Environmental Vulnerability Along the Touristic “Estradas Parque Pantanal” by GIS Algebraic Mapping

The state roads MS-184 and MS-228 constitute the Estradas Parque Pantanal. Located in the northwestern portion of Mato Grosso do Sul (Brazil), in the hydrographic basin of the Paraguai River, and in the subbasins of the Negro, Miranda, and Taquari rivers, the roads cross an important area of the Pantanal in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, in the subregions of Paraguai, Paiaguas, Nhecolândia, Abobral, Nabileque, and Miranda. Besides the strategic transportation aspect, there is ecological, cultural, scenic, and recreational potentials leading to tourism. It is an area with special interests, and the lack of data regarding environmental features motivated the study by GIS algebra mapping to consider jointly geology, geomorphology, soil and vegetation maps, information on climate, flooding areas, and land use and occupation. The obtained results are synthesized in natural and environmental vulnerability maps that indicate moderately stable/vulnerable areas tending to moderately vulnerable. The Estradas Parque Pantanal is undergoing ecological pressure, which means that further changes applied to the landscape can alter its “status” to vulnerable, increasing the risk of soil losses by erosion.

Groundwater assessment in the cenozoic and guarani aquifers in São Gabriel do Oeste-MS: information for integrated management

The Cenozoic aquifer in São Gabriel do Oeste-MS occupies approximately 48% of the total area of the municipality. It consists of sandy clay and debris-lateritic Tertiary-Quaternary deposits, overlying the Guarani, Serra Geral and Aquidauna aquifers. The urban area and the main economic activities of the municipality, agriculture and swine, are located on this aquifer. Public and private water supply use exclusively groundwater, mainly from Cenozoic Aquifer, shallow wells, and Guarani Aquifer, deep wells. Economic activities, direct recharge and characteristics of permeability and porosity of this unit indicate the vulnerability of the aquifers in that region.

Microbial contamination of groundwater in a swine fertigation area

The use of swine effluents as a biofertilizer is an alternative to chemical fertilizers and to water demand in dry season. Nevertheless, fertigation studies usually focus on the plant demand and the soil nutrition parameters, mainly physic-chemical ones. This work aimed to evaluate the impacts of fertigation with swine effluents treated in the microbial quality of groundwater from the phreatic aquifer in two lots on Campanário settlement, on the city of São Gabriel do Oeste, MS, Brazil. Microbial analyses were carried out on groundwater samples from four piezometer and two supply wells using the Colilert system to quantify total coliform and Escherichia coli. Samples were collected during twelve months. The results indicate groundwater contamination by bacteria of the coliform group, according to the drinking water Brazilian standards and its spatial distribution from the point sources to a spreading area in accordance with groundwater flow. Therefore, water disinfection is strongly recommended for drinking purposes. Despite having a strong correlation with groundwater microbial contamination, especially in rainy season, fertigation with swine effluents seem not to be the only source of pathogens in the phreatic aquifer. However, high total coliform values in dry season samples could be assigned to the fertigation.

Análise da Variabilidade Espacial da Piezometria em Aquífero Livre: Estudo de Caso na Sub-Bacia da Cabeceira do Rio Coxim, Mato Grosso do Sul

The information about the piezometric surface of groundwater is necessary for an optimized and sustainable exploitation. This study aims to analyze the spatial variability of the piezometry in a system of free aquifers. The study area is comprehends the sub-basin of the Coxim River, located at the central portion of Sao Gabriel do Oeste Municipality, Mato Grosso do Sul, characterized by the intense agricultural use. Piezometric data from 22 wells were analyzed and the theoretic semivariogram was adjusted by the spherical model. The cross validation was used to measure the exactness of the spherical model proposed. It was checked the existence of a strong spatial dependence, a reach of 16,5 Km and an overestimation of the groundwater surface of 10% on the kriging, an error considered acceptable for the interpolation of the data.

Aplicação de Técnicas de Processamento Digital de Imagens em Diferentes Sensores Orbitais

Remote sensing is an applied science in various fields of knowledge, which makes its use becoming more widespread. In recent years, the availability of free remote sensing data has also fueled this growth. Thus, the analysis processing techniques to improve the product becomes necessary to use the best way the available data. Targeting this, the aim of this study was to evaluate the application of imaging techniques in different orbital sensors, analyzing delimitation capacity of water bodies. The processing techniques were performed spatial enhancement or image fusion, radiometric and atmospheric correction, processed in 5 different sensors: TM, ETM+, CCD, HRC and OLI. For the analysis of the results were used five water bodies of different proportions. The measurement of water bodies was carried out on all images subsequently being calculated imprecision rate. In two water bodies to some imprecision sensor rate was greater than 100%.

Diagnóstico temporal e espacial da qualidade das águas superficiais do Córrego Bandeira, Campo Grande, MS

The occupation and the use of land resulting from human activities can significantly alter the biological, physical and chemical processes of natural systems. Such changes taking place in a watershed can be evaluated by monitoring the quality of the surface water. The aim of this study was to identify the determining factors of surface water quality in the watershed of the Corrego Bandeira River, and to group collection points by similarity of the selected physical and chemical characteristics, so as to verify the effect of seasonality on the quality of the waters under study using techniques of multivariate statistics. Samples of surface water were collected from six points along the Corrego Bandeira River, from its source to the mouth. The physical and chemical variables to be analysed were: thermotolerant coliforms, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, biochemical oxygen demand, total solids, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and pH. Principal component analysis made possible the selection of three components as indicators of water quality, explaining 75% of the total variance. All of the physical and chemical variables analysed were representative of the variability in surface water quality of the Corrego Bandeira River. Cluster analysis however formed two distinct groupings by quality, which showed different values for the physical and chemical variables, and differed in seasonality.

Hydrochemistry Applied to Water Supply System: A Case Study from a Brazilian Urban Area

Campo Grande city, the capital of Mato Grosso do Sul State, has 40 % of its water supply from groundwater systems, mainly from Serra Geral, but also from Guarany and Bauru. The lack of detailed knowledge of the hydrogeology, including hydrochemistry characterizations, has caused loss of wells due to pipe disruption and consequently well production decrease. This paper aimed at presenting the groundwater corrosion potential, as well as its spatial distribution in the basalts of Serra Geral Aquifer System in the urban area of Campo Grande. The Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) and Ryznar Stability Index (RSI) have been determined and they indicate that the groundwater has corrosive behavior. According to LSI index, groundwater is corrosive, with 65 % of the samples classified as slight corrosion. Groundwater corrosion property tends to diminish from northeast to southwest direction of the studied area, following the pattern of pH values and groundwater’s flow direction. These results are confirmed by the water supply company’s operational information. The spatial distribution of corrosion and encrustation index can help the management of the water supply system, especially in the specification and maintenance of well’s equipment, as well as the long-term water resources planning considering sustainable groundwater exploitation.

Uso de sensoriamento remoto na identificação de corredores ecológicos: estudo de caso da Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Formoso, Bonito, MS

The ecological corridors are important environmental structures for the biodiversity conservation and restoration in degraded areas, result of uncontrolled human development, which favors vegetal cover fragmentation and loss of connectivity between habitats. With the use of remote sensing and geographic information systems, this research aimed to identify areas with potential for ecological corridors through an automated technique, which reduces personal character in image interpretation. Therefore, a connectivity analysis between the conservation units present in the Formoso River Basin, Mato Grosso do Sul, was performed through identification of Conservation Units, Legally Protected Areas and remaining forest fragments. In addition, a land cover analysis was carried out.