Eutrophication in water reservoirs releases algal organic matter (AOM), which is an important precursor of disinfection by-products (DBPs) formed during water treatment. Chlorella sorokiniana is a microalgae which flourishes under conditions of high light intensity and temperature, thus its prevalence in algal blooms is expected to increase with climate change. However, Chlorella sorokiniana AOM has not been previously investigated as a DBP precursor. In this context, this study evaluated the effect of AOM concentration, humic acid (HA), and pH on DBP formation from chlor(am)ination of AOM Chlorella sorokiniana. DBP yields determined by linear regression for trichloromethane (TCM) and chloral hydrate (CH) were 57.9 and 46.0 µg·mg DOC⁻¹ in chlorination, while the TCM, CH, dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN), 1,1,1-trichloropropanone (1,1,1-TCP), and chloropicrin (CPN) concentrations were 33.6, 29.8, 16.7, 2.1, and 1.2 µg·mg DOC⁻¹ in chloramination. Chloramination reduced the formation of TCM and CH but increased CPN, DCAN, and 1,1,1-TCP yields. AOM Chlorella sorokiniana showed a higher DBP formation than 9 of 11 algae species previously investigated in the literature. At basic pH, the concentration of TCM increased while the concentration of other DBP classes decreased. Bromide was effectively incorporated into the AOM structure and high values of bromine incorporation factor were found for THM (1.81–1.89) and HAN (1.32) at 1.5 mg Br·L⁻¹. Empirical models predicted successfully the formation of THM and HAN (R² > 0.86). The bromide concentration had more impact in the model on the DBP formation than AOM and HA. These results provide the first insights into the DBP formation from AOM chlor(am)ination of Chlorella sorokiniana.

Eutrophication in water reservoirs releases algal organic matter (AOM), a key precursor to the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) during the disinfection process. Typical drinking water treatment is not efficient for AOM removal, and advanced treatments are necessary for the removal of residual AOM before chlorination. UV-based technology with PS and TiO₂ is widely used as a pre-oxidation step in water treatment; however, no publications have focused on them for AOM degradation. In this context, this work investigated the effect of oxidant concentration (0.1 to 0.5 g∙L⁻¹) and pH (6 to 10) on AOM degradation with TiO₂/UV and persulfate (PS)/UV using response surface methodology. In general, PS/UV was more effective in removing protein, while TiO₂/UV was more effective in carbohydrate degradation. TiO₂/UV removals varied from 27 to 57% for protein and from 48 to 86% for carbohydrates. The optimal condition (57% for protein and 86% for carbohydrates) was obtained using 0.5 g∙L⁻¹ TiO₂ at pH 10. PS/UV removals varied from 33 to 81% for protein and from 24 to 53% for carbohydrates. The optimal condition (81% for protein and 53% for carbohydrates) was obtained using 0.5 g∙L⁻¹ PS concentration at pH 8. Degradation kinetics showed a good fit to the pseudo-first-order model (R² > 95%) for both processes. The DBP formation reductions observed with TiO₂/UV—trihalomethane (THM) (85 to 86%) and chloral hydrate (CH) (94 to 96%)—were similar to the efficiencies observed for PS/UV—THM (87 to 89%) and CH (83 to 88%). These results show the efficiency of UV-based technology for AOM degradation and the control of DBP formation.

Introduction: In general, university laboratories can be characterized as a polluting source, as they use several chemical substances that are potentially harmful to the environment and human health in the development of their academic activities. Therefore, proper handling of chemical products and management of waste generated are necessary for environmental safety. Objective: make a diagnosis respect to the management of hazardous waste at the Technical University of Ambato. Methods: it’s a quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study, in which 41 laboratories generating hazardous waste were selected. A survey was applied based on the current technical regulations of the Ministry of the Environment of Peru, with 3 sections, and the results were analyzed in the SPSS 24.0 program. Results: at the laboratories of the university predominates the generation of infectious residues in the School of Health Sciences and construction in the School of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, the number of containers is insufficient for generation demand or does not meet the needs (80.50%), sharps are segregated in rigid containers (75.60%), waste is not disposed of according its class (68.30%), central storage is far from medical and food services (61.00%), no treatment or final disposal is carried out by specialized companies (80.50%). Conclusions: the laboratories have an appropriate internal waste management, they have covered containers, the sharps are appropriately segregated, there is a correct middle storage. However, in the external management of hazardous waste, there aren’t routes or timetables for transport, no treatment or collect is carried out through an specialized company. KEYWORDS: hazardous waste, diagnosis, laboratories, waste management, universities, environment.

Introdução: As restrições sanitárias em assentamentos rurais brasileiros podem afetar a qualidade da água e implicar em efeitos adversos para a saúde humana. Objetivo: Avaliar a qualidade da água consumida em um assentamento localizado em Ribeirão Preto (SP). Métodos: O assentamento rural estudado conta com 6 poços artesianos para abastecimento público, no entanto a água não passa por nenhum processo de tratamento. Foram coletadas 234 amostras de água em 77 residências, distribuídas em 7 núcleos de base do assentamento. As amostras foram avaliadas quanto a qualidade microbiológica (coliformes totais, fecais e parasitas) e físico química (pH, turbidez e concentração de metais). Os resultados foram comparados com os padrões de potabilidade da Portaria nº888/21 do Ministério da Saúde brasileiro. Resultados: Observou-se que em 59,7% das amostras houve crescimento para coliformes totais, 13% para coliformes fecais e em 20,8% detectou-se larvas de helmintos. As análises físico químicas mostraram que em 28% das residências o pH esteve abaixo do recomendado. A concentração de metais mostrou-se em congruência com as recomendações brasileiras, com exceção do chumbo em duas residências. Conclusão: O acesso à água potável é um direito fundamental segundo a Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU), entretanto o estudo ratifica que a ausência de sistemas satisfatórios de abastecimento hídrico prejudica a qualidade da água consumida no assentamento e representa um risco para a saúde da comunidade.

O estudo tem como objetivo descrever uma estratégia didática implementada nas disciplinas de Saúde Ambiental dos cursos de graduação da Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo. A estratégia vem sendo implementada desde o ano de 2010 no ensino sobre Gerenciamento de Resíduos de Serviços de Saúde, mediante a utilização da sistemática de Rotação por Estações de Aprendizagem, levando em conta as potencialidades e limitações no campo da educação em saúde. As estações de aprendizagem foram delineadas à luz das Resolução da Diretoria Colegiada n° 222/2018. O laboratório foi organizado em oito estações de aprendizagem para turmas de até 50 alunos. As atividades são iniciadas com pequenos grupos em cada estação que rotacionam até finalizar a transição por todas as estações, com tempo de 20 minutos em cada uma, totalizando 180 minutos. Desde o início da implementação da estratégia, participaram da atividade aproximadamente 770 alunos e 35 monitores (funcionários técnicos de laboratório e estudantes de pós-graduação). A implementação dessa estratégia contribui para o ensino/aprendizagem de uma temática carregada de apontamentos técnicos e legais como é o Gerenciamento de Resíduos de Serviços de Saúde. O delineamento cuidadoso das estações desvela potencialidades no desenvolvimento de saberes técnico-científicos (factuais, conceituais, procedimentais e atitudinais) aplicados na prática de manejo de Resíduos de Serviços de Saúde. Espera-se que a experiência compartilhada da implementação dessa estratégia de ensino sobre Resíduos de Serviços de Saúde possa inspirar outros exercícios ativos de ensino-aprendizagem que promovam a almejada autonomia dos estudantes e docentes.

(1) Background: Highway toll plazas are environments impacted by atmospheric pollutants that may affect workers’ health. However, there are still few studies on these environments. This study evaluated particulate matter (PM) concentrations by size fraction (PM_10–9.0 to PM_0.43) and associated arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and vanadium (V) at two toll plazas in Brazil. (2) Methods: PM and trace element concentrations were compared between dry and rainy seasons, and a health risk assessment was conducted for toll collectors based on inhalation exposure. (3) Results: PM_10–2.5 concentrations ranged from 31.8 to 360 µg m⁻³ in the dry season and from non-detectable to 287 µg m⁻³ in the rainy season. PM_2.5 levels varied between 14.9 and 150 µg m⁻³ (dry) and 3.46–174 µg m⁻³ (rainy). Although trace element concentrations were within Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) limits, the hazard quotient (HQ) for manganese and arsenic exceeded unity (HQ > 1), indicating potential health risks. (4) Conclusions: These findings suggest that toll plaza workers may experience increased inhalation-related risk under the exposure assumptions used. Improved ventilation and protective measures, including the use of protective screens, are recommended to reduce occupational exposure.