Luiz Eduardo Mantovani

A influência das atividades mineradoras na alteração do pH e da alcalinidade em águas fluviais: o exemplo do rio Capivari, região do carste paranaense

Mining activities causes many kinds of environmental impacts over environment. In this paper we describe the research developed in the Capivari watershed, in the Curitiba metropolitan region, Parana, Brazil. Alkalinity and pH changes in Capivari stream over 12 years were observed. The sampling program was performed in 387 sampling days series at 1986/1987, and another period covering 1,095 days from 1998 to 2000. Comparing these series, the pH average was higher in 0,5 unities and the alkalinity were 15% higher within this period of time. From 1980 to 2001, mining areas of metadolomites spread out to an average rate of 47,000 m2/year. Field evaluations carried out on the Capivari stream showed that in regions close to low water streams and closer to stone-pits, the pH level was higher and it became more alkaline as the electric conductivity increased. These data support the hypotheses that the expansion of mining areas would affect the pH and the alkalinity of the Capivari stream.

The biomes and climate of Brazilian capitals

The climate has a strong influence on vegetation types and Brazil presents different types of climate and biomes. The objective of this work is to compare, with the aid of multivariate statistical analysis, the Brazilian capitals regarding the climate and relate them to the biomes. The following climatic data were taken: annual mean temperature, maximum average, minimum average, annual mean isolation, annual average evaporation, annual relative humidity and mean annual rainfall and water availability. After the groups were formed, analysis of variance was performed and means were identified. Two large groups (A and B) and five subgroups were formed. The subgroup A1 is formed by the capitals of the south of the Country and one of the southeast and Atlantic Forest predominates, in the A12, capitals of the southeast and center west, where Savannah dominates. In the subgroup B11, the Atlantic Forest predominates, in the coastal strip from the southeast to the northeast and the subgroup B12 belongs to the Amazon Biome. The most represented biome is the Atlantic Forest, with 10 capitals, followed by the Savannah with 7 and the Amazon with 6. There is one in the Caatinga and another in the Pampa and there are still two capitals in transition from biome: Belo Horizonte and Natal. The predominant presence of Atlantic Forest Biome is due to the colonization process of Brazil, from the coast to the interior, which justifies the fact that it is the most degraded biome among them.

Os biomas e o clima das capitais do Brasil.

O clima tem forte influencia sobre os tipos de vegetacao e o Brasil apresenta diferentes tipos de clima e de biomas. O objetivo deste trabalho e comparar, com auxilio da analise estatistica multivariada, os diferentes tipos de clima existentes nas capitais brasileiras, relacionando-os aos varios biomas. Foram obtidos os seguintes dados climaticos das capitais: temperatura media anual, media das maximas, media das minimas, insolacao media anual, evaporacao media anual, umidade relativa anual, media do total pluviometrico anual e da disponibilidade hidrica. Os dados foram utilizados para formar grupos (analise de cluster) e, depois dos grupos formados, foi feita a analise de variância e identificadas as medias. Dois grandes grupos (A e B) e cinco subgrupos se formaram. No subgrupo A1, estao as capitais do sul do Pais e uma do sudeste, sendo que a Mata Atlântica predomina; no A12, capitais do sudeste e centro oeste e o Cerrado predomina. No subgrupo B11, na faixa litorânea do sudeste ate o nordeste, predomina a Mata Atlântica e o subgrupo B12 pertence ao Bioma Amazonia. O bioma mais representado nas capitais brasileiras e a Mata Atlântica, com 10 capitais, seguido do Cerrado com 7 e a Amazonia, com 6. A Caatinga e o Pampa estao representados por uma capital cada e ainda ha duas capitais em transicao de bioma: Belo Horizonte e Natal. A maior presenca de capitais no bioma Mata Atlântica deve-se ao processo de colonizacao, do litoral para o interior do pais, o que justifica tambem a sua forte degradacao.

SISTEMA PARA INFILTRAÇÃO DAS ÁGUAS PLUVIAIS NO SOLO E SUBSOLO DA BACIA DE CURITIBA EM VIAS URBANIZADAS

The development of the cities, no matter how orderly it is, changes the environment. Where there used to be fields and forests, there are now buildings, paved streets, galleries of pluvial waters, etc. The covering of land with impermeable surfaces is one of the factors that changes the hidrological cycle, because it obstructs the water percolation to the underground and increases the runoff, which causes floods, erosions and sedimentations. The underground water flow is substantially altered because it is not recharged, therefore, it does not feed the rivers at dry seasons anymore causing a decrease of the river flow. In this context, we see the importance of the geological study of Curitiba region, in order to implement a system which can infiltrate the pluvial waters. The objective of this study so, is to create a system of pluvial water flow control on public streets in a small scale, through the installation of “gully pots” made up with a contention and infiltration system of these waters at two points with different litologic features, the Guabirotuba’s Formation and the Atuba Complex, in the insaturated layer of the soil and subsoil of Curitiba’s sedimentary basin. The system will allow for the softening of these environmental changes, refeeding the underground water, keeping the river level in dry seasons and will mitigate the consequences of the floods, erosions and sedimentations in intensive rain seasons.

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.

Estudo comparativo entre as poeiras respiráveis de basalto e gnaisse na produção de brita nas regiões de Londrina e Curitiba, no estado do Paraná, e sua influência para os trabalhadores

The purpose of this study is to make a comparative analysis of the basalt and gneiss dust yielded by crushed-stone production in companies located in Londrina and Curitiba, two cities located in the State of Parana, by carrying out environmental assessments backed by chemical, petrography and morphological analyses of rocks and dusts samples. An individual sampling pump fitted with PVC filters was attached to the workers’ lapel to collect the breathable particles, which were later analyzed by X-ray diffraction to determine free crystallized silica. Samples collected at blasting site work-fronts were analyzed chemically and petrographically. The morphological analysis of dust particle size was performed with a sweeping electronic microscope. Breathable dust concentrations were high compared to the acceptable limits set by the environmental legislation. The rate of SiO2 for basalt ranged from 1.0 to 5,4% and over 10% for gneiss. The rate of gneiss was 15% higher than the rate of basalt for particles ranging from 0.5 to 3.0μm, where particles are more irregular in shape and more fibrous. The study showed that gneiss-exposed workers are more prone to silicosis nodule formations (classical silicosis), while basalt is more conducive to mixed dust pneumoconiosis.