A influência antrópica na qualidade da água do rio Tapajós, na cidade de Santarém-PA

O Rio Tapajós é uma das maiores bacias hidrográficas da região Norte do país, e o crescimento populacional de algumas cidades amazônicas coloca em risco a qualidade das suas águas. A cidade de Santarém, no Oeste do Pará, é uma das maiores cidades paraenses e não tem uma rede de esgoto eficiente, logo boa parte do esgoto doméstico é lançado in natura em igarapés e no rio Tapajós, o que afeta diretamente a balneabilidade do rio, que é um dos destinos turísticos em ascensão no país, devido às praias de água doce, a qualidade do pescado, que é parte da dieta alimentar da região e pode ser um vetor de doenças, as quais podem aumentar os gastos com a saúde pública. Com o objetivo de avaliar a influência antrópica no rio Tapajós foi realizada uma amostragem em seis pontos do rio na região conhecida como a orla da cidade. Foram analisados parâmetros físico-químicos, biológicos e nutrientes), Apesar de boa parte dos parâmetros estarem em conformidade com a CONAMA 357/05, os parâmetros biológicos foram acima do permitido para a classe II, indicando influência antrópica. Os dados apontaram que a presença de material particulado em suspensão (MPS), coliformes totais e fósforo inorgânico dissolvido (PID), sugerem aumento da degradação da qualidade da água. O estudo da queda na qualidade de água nos rios amazônicos é importante, pois a relação socioeconômica entre a população e os recursos hídricos é muito importante para a manutenção das funções ambientais, econômicas e sociais na região. The anthropic influence on the water quality of the Tapajós River, in the city of Santarém-PA A B S T R A C TThe Tapajós River is one of the largest hydrographic basins of the Northern region of the country, and the population growth of some Amazonian cities puts the quality of its waters at risk. The city of Santarém, in western Pará, is one of the largest cities in Pará and does not have an efficient sewage system, so much of the domestic sewage is released in natura into streams and the Tapajós River, which directly affects the balneability of the river, which is one of the tourist destinations on the rise in the country, due to its freshwater beaches, the quality of the fish, which is part of the diet of the region and can be a vector of diseases, which can increase spending on public health. To evaluate the anthropic influence on the Tapajós River, sampling was carried out at six points on the river in the region known as the city edge. Although most of the parameters complied with CONAMA 357/05, the biological parameters were above the permitted for class II, indicating anthropic influence. The data pointed out that the presence of suspended particulate matter (SPM), total coliforms, and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP), suggest increased degradation of water quality. The study of the decline in water quality in Amazonian rivers is important because the socioeconomic relationship between the population and water resources is very important for the maintenance of environmental, economic, and social functions in the region. Keywords: Tapajós River, sewage, inorganic phosphorus, suspended particulate matter

Assessing Hydrological Impact of Forested Area Change: A Remote Sensing Case Study

The interaction between precipitation and vegetation plays a significant role in the formation of runoff, and it is still a widely discussed issue in hydrology. The difficulty lies in estimating the degree to which a forest influences runoff generation, especially flood peaks, on the one hand, due to the small amount of information regarding the evolution of the forest area and density, and, on the other hand, the correlations between these indicators and the runoff and precipitation values. The analysis focuses on a small basin in the mountain region of Romania, the upper basin of the Ruscova River located in northwestern Romania. In this river basin, there is no significant anthropic influence, other than the intense deforestation and reforestation actions. Using satellite images captured by Landsat missions 5, 7 and 8 for the period 1985–2019, the forest canopy density vegetation index was extracted. Using a gridded precipitation dataset, a hydrological model was calibrated based on three scenarios to assess the impact of forest vegetation on the runoff. Analysis of the results of these models conducted on scenarios allowed us to deduce a simple equation for estimating the influence of forest area on maximum river flows. The analysis showed that even small differences in the forest surface area exert an influence on the peak flow, varying between −5.28% and 8.09%.

Natural and Anthropogenic Variations in the Large Shifting Dune in the Corrubedo Natural Park, NW Iberian Peninsula (1956–2017)

This work analyzes the evolution of the large shifting dune included in the Corrubedo Natural Park from 1956 until the present day. The analysis was carried out using aerial images, orthophotographs, topographic surveys and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data. Variations were analyzed in terms of four different aspects: evolution of pathways in each period, changes in the position of the mobile dune front and the degree of vegetation cover, all between 1956 and 2017; and variations in elevation and volume of the dune system between 2001 and 2015. To analyze these aspects, geospatial and geostatistical techniques were employed, which revealed that the dune front had undergone two different phases: one until the 1980s, with a mean seaward advance of 32 m and another one between the 1980 s and 2017, when the front prograded to the continent, with an approximate mean advance of 82 m. Loss of volume, related to the expansion of the mobile dune towards the north, was confirmed in this sector. It is evident that these changes are closely linked to anthropic influence, due to sand extraction until the early 1990s and, more recently, due to an increase in the number of visitors to the Natural Park. The results obtained highlight the need to carry out detailed studies to understand the evolution of this system and to prevent further damage in the future. Moreover, based on these analyses, a strategy to improve coastal and environmental management in the Corrubedo Natural Park could be designed.

Assessment of the Vulnerability to Agricultural Nitrate in Two Highly Diversified Environmental Settings

A significant rise of groundwater pollution has been registered worldwide, where nitrate has been recognized as the most widespread pollutant. In this context, the groundwater vulnerability assessment and more specifically the delineation of “Nitrate Vulnerable Zones” represents a reliable cost-effective tool for groundwater management. In this study, the Agricultural Nitrate Hazard Index (ANHI) method was applied to two case histories in southern Italy: the Lete River catchment and the eastern sector of the Campania Plain. The first area is characterized by agricultural activities and a low anthropic influence while the eastern part of the Campania Plain, around Caserta city, is strongly urbanized and developed on an extensive alluvial plain filled with volcaniclastic deposits. The parametric method applied suggests moderate hazard for the more natural setting highlighting how the intensive crop farming and livestock activities that characterized the area negatively influenced the results. For the eastern part of the Campania Plain, where a strong urbanization and widespread industrial crops are dominant, a low to very low hazard has been identified. The groundwater quality value, in contrast with the methodology results underlines the importance of further risk evaluations based on accurate aquifer characterization. A multiple year assessment based on land use change and climate variation could further highlights the difference between the study areas.

Natural Versus Anthropic Influence on North Adriatic Coast Detected by Geochemical Analyses

This study focused on the geochemical and sedimentological characterization of recent sediments from two marine sites (S1 and E1) located in the North Adriatic Sea, between the Po River prodelta and the Rimini coast. Major and trace metal concentrations reflect the drainage area of the Po River and its tributaries, considered one of the most polluted areas in Europe. Sediment geochemistry of the two investigated sites denote distinct catchment areas. High values of Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn detected in sediments collected in the Po River prodelta (S1 site) suggest the Po River supply, while lower levels of these elements characterize sediments collected in front of the Rimini coast (E1 site), an indication of Northern Apennines provenance. Historical trends of Pb and Zn reconstructed from the sedimentary record around the E1 site document several changes that can be correlated with the industrialization subsequent to World War II, the implementation of the environmental policy in 1976 and the effects of the Comacchio dumping at the end of 1980. At the S1 site, the down core distributions of trace elements indicate a reduction of contaminants due to the introduction of the Italian Law 319/76 and the implementation of anti-pollution policies on automotive Pb (unleaded fuels) in the second half of the 1980s.

The Environmental Assessment of an Estuarine Transitional Environment, Southern Italy

A multidisciplinary survey was carried out on the quality of water and sediments of the estuary of the Sele river, an important tributary of the Tyrrhenian Sea, to assess anthropogenic pressures and natural variability. Nine sediment sites were monitored and analyzed for granulometry, morphoscopy, benthic foraminifera and ostracod assemblages, heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Surface water was assayed for ionic composition and phytoplankton biomass. Total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) in sediments were higher in the inner part of the estuary (IE), up to 12.7 and 0.7% because of anthropic influence. In waters, N-NH4, N-NO3, and Ptot. were high, with loads of Ptot in IE exceeding ~fourfold the limit. Here, it was also observed that the highest primary production was Chl-a, 95.70 µg/L, with cryptophytes, 37.6%, and diatoms, 33.8%, being the main phytoplanktonic groups. The hierarchical analysis split the estuary into two areas, with marked differences in anthropic pollution. Waters were classified as poor–bad level with respect to the content of nutrients. Sedimentological assay reveals littoral erosion and poor supply of river sandy sediments. The erosion environment is confirmed by the presence of meiobenthic recent marine forms intrusion inside the river. All these data reveal the fragility of the estuary and the need of urgent remediation actions.

Riparian Ground Beetles (Coleoptera) on the Banks of Running and Standing Waters

Rivers and their floodplains offer a wide variety of habitats for invertebrates. River ecosystems are subject to high anthropic influence: as a result the channel morphology is changed, swamps are drained, floodplains are built up, and rivers are polluted. All this has radically changed the environment for the inhabitants of the floodplains, including riparian stenotopic species. Although riparian arthropods are oriented primarily to the production of hydro-ecosystems, the type of water body—lentic or lotic—has a determining effect in the structure of communities. Most riparian arthropods have evolutionarily adapted to riverbanks with significant areas of open alluvial banks. This paper considered the structure of assemblages of ground beetles associated with the riverbanks and the shores of floodplain lakes and their differences. The banks of rivers and the shores of floodplain lakes were considered separately due to the differences in the habitats associated with them. Our results showed that riverbanks, which experience significant pollution, were actively colonized by vegetation and were unsuitable for most riparian ground beetles. The shores of floodplain lakes, being an optional habitat for riparian arthropods, cannot serve as refugia. Thus, the transformation of floodplain landscapes and river pollution creates a problem for the biological diversity of floodplain ecosystems, since riparian stenotopic species of the riverbanks become rare and disappear.

Avaliação da Ação Urbana no Canal Água Cristal em Belém, Pará, um Estudo Sobre Qualidade da Água

O presente estudo tem por objetivo analisar os padrões principais dos parâmetros físico-químicos de qualidade de água, associados à influência antrópica no canal Água Cristal. Para isso foram realizadas coletas de água em dois meses distintos quanto à sazonalidade de chuvas na Amazônia; Julho e Novembro de 2014. As coletas de água foram feitas em seis pontos distintos ao longo do canal, P1, P2, P3, P4, P5 e P6, em uma análise das características da vegetação e do solo da região, foram divididos os pontos P1, P2 e P3 pertencentes ao primeiro perímetro e P4, P5 e P6 ao segundo perímetro. Foram analisados os parâmetros físico químicos de qualidade de água: pH, Oxigênio Dissolvido (OD), Condutividade Elétrica (CE), Sólidos Totais Dissolvidos (STD), Temperatura da Água (T.Água) e Turbidez (Turb) e comparados com a legislação 357/05 do conselho nacional de meio ambiente – CONAMA para águas doces classe II e classe IV. Na análise estatística, teste Tuckey (95%), foi verificado que os parâmetros com diferença estatística significativa entre os ponto de coleta foram CE, STD e Turb, posteriormente os mesmos foram analisados através da metodologia multivariada das Componentes Principais (CPS), destacando, sobretudo a existência de forte correlação em componentes positivas. O presente estudo mostra-se pioneiro na análise da qualidade de água do canal Água Cristal utilizando a metodologia das componentes principais, servindo como importante ferramenta no diagnostico da situação ambiental precária existente na região. Evaluation of urban action on the Água Cristal canal Belém, Pará, a study on water quality A B S T R A C TThe present work aims to analyze the main patterns of the physical-chemical water quality parameters, associated to the anthropic influence in Água Cristal channel in Belém - PA. For this purpose, water samples were collected in two distinct months in terms of rainfall seasonality in the Amazon; July and November 2014.The water samples were taken at six distinct points along the channel. The following chemical parameters of water quality were analyzed: pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Dissolved Total Solids (DTS), Water Temperature and Turbidity (Turb). They were compared to the national environmental council's legislation 357/05 - CONAMA for class II and class IV fresh waters. In the statistical analysis, Tuckey test (95%), the parameters EC, DTS and Turb had significant statistical difference between the collection points. Later they were analyzed through the multivariate analysis of Principal Components (PCS), high lighting the existence of strong correlation in positive components. The present study is pioneer in the analysis of Água Cristal channel water quality using the Principal Components methodology. It serves as an important tool in the diagnosis of precarious water quality situation in the region.Keywords: Water Quality, Água Cristal Channel, Principal Components, Chemical Parameters.

Anthropic disturbance to seabed habitats in the Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area, southern Italy

<p>The main goal of this study is to investigate the anthropic influence on benthic habitats in the Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area (MPA). This area is located at the western end of the Sorrento Peninsula in the Bay of Naples, southern Italy. It is a rocky coast consisting of vertical or near vertical limestone cliffs of structural control, with marine areas characterized by suboutcropping rocky substrate. Seabed sediments are mainly coarse and biogenic in origin with skeletal grains and coralligenous bioconstructions occurring widely [1].</p><p>The Punta Campanella seabed habitats have been characterized and mapped on the base of geophysical and sedimentological data together with results from benthic communities. In addition, several environmental components both marine and terrestrial have been analysed in order to evaluate the anthropic influence on the recognized benthic habitats. Such environmental components include foraminiferal assemblages, water column features and inorganic pollutants (heavy metals) as well as terrestrial biota, fresh water supply and quality, land use and natural hazard.</p><p>First results indicate 1) anomalous values of specific heavy metals (Ni, Hg) in the marine sediments, 2) the presence of benthic foraminiferal assemblages distinctive of human-impacted environmental conditions, and 3) the occurrence of morphological deformities affecting some foraminiferal species. At present, as next step of this study, we are applying a methodology based on the Environmental Functional Analysis (EFA) in order to combine and analyse terrestrial and marine environmental components together with territorial data and selected socio-economic components of the coastal zone (i.e. human pressure, land use, etc.) [2]. This method was originally developed by Cendrero and Fischer (1997) [3] and successively employed as management tool and monitoring technique for coastal areas [4] and terrestrial protected areas [5]. Such a holistic-based approach can be used to evaluate the anthropic disturbance in the Punta Campanella MPA and to compare the potential for conservation and the potential for use of the study area.</p><p><strong>References</strong></p><p>[1] D'Argenio B., Violante C., Sacchi M., Budillon F., Pappone G., Casciello E., Cesarano M., 2004: Capri, Bocca Piccola and Punta Campanella (southern Italy), marine and onland geology compared. In: G. Pasquarè and C. Venturini (Eds), Mapping Geology in Italy, APAT, Roma, 35-42.</p><p>[2] Hopkins, T.S., Bailly, D., Støttrup, J.G., 2011. A Systems Approach Framework for Coastal Zones. Ecol. Soc. 16(4), 25.</p><p>[3] Cendrero A., Fischer D.W., 1997: A procedure for assessing the environmental quality of coastal areas for planning and management. Journal of Coastal Research 13(3), 732-744.</p><p>[4] Giordano L., Ferraro L., 2020. Conservation or development? An environmental function analysis assessment of the Volturno River coastal zone (central Tyrrhenian Sea - Italy). Journal of Coastal Conservation, 24(6), 5-12.</p><p>[5] Calado H., Bragagnolo C., Silva S., Vergílio M., 2016: Adapting environmental function analysis for management of protected areas in small islands e case of Pico Island (the Azores). Journal of Environmental Management 171, 231-242.</p>