Two processes are used to stabilize organic wastes: composting and vermicomposting.There are no studies in the literature showing which process is most effective over the short term. In this study, 3 organic wastes were composted and vermicomposted for 90 days, and the parameters pH, effective cation exchange capacity, total organic carbon, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, Ptotal, E4/E6 ratio, hydrophobicity and aromaticity indexes were determined. In all experiments, vermicomposted materials showed higher stability, proving a superior tool for stabilization of these organic wastes.

This research aims to monitor the humification process of domestic sewage sludge resulted from the vermicomposting, evaluating, also, the possibility of using the final product (vermicompost) in agricultural soils. The monitored chemical variables during the 90 days of vermicomposting were: humidity rate, organic matter content, nitrogen and phosphorus content, pathogenic organisms concentration, total organic carbon, acidity, CEC, C/N ratio, CEC/TOC ratio, and humic and fulvic acids content. The change in these variables during the vermicomposting process showed that this technique is effective for use in the maturation of the residue.

Neste estudo, avaliou-se a possibilidade de eliminação das etapas de purificação envolvidas na caracterização de HA. HA de diferentes fontes foram analisados por CZE apresentando diferentes eletroferogramas. Essas diferenças observadas mostram que a caracterização do HA por CZE depende da carga e do tamanho do HA. Os resultados apresentados neste trabalho sugerem que não é necessária a purificação da amostra para a caracterização de HA por CZE. Baseados nos resultados, a CZE mostrou-se uma ferramenta promissora para caracterização de HA de diferentes origens sem a etapa de purificação da amostra.

The present study evaluates the possibility of eliminating the purification steps involved in the characterization of HA by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). The HAs of various sources were analyzed, showing different electropherograms by CZE, which depend on the charge and size of HA. The data suggest that the purification of the sample is not necessary to characterize HAs. Based on the results, CZE showed to be a promising tool to characterize HA of different origins without the purification step of the sample.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar a complexação de substâncias húmicas (SH) e alfa-aminoacidos (metionina, metionina sulfoxido e cloridrato de cisteína) por elementos traço de interesse biológico (Al, Cu, Pb, Mn, Zn, Cd e Ni). Sistema de ultrafiltração tangencial foi utilizado para diferenciação entre os complexos SH-metal e alfa-aminoácidos-metal. As determinações de metal foram feitas utilizando ICP-OES. Os resultados mostraram que as SH podem ser consideradas agentes complexantes seletivos com alta capacidade de complexação a Al, Cu e Pb, podendo ser clinicamente importante.

The aim of the present work was to carry out experimental comparison between humic substances (HS) and representative alpha-amino acids (methionine, methionine sulfoxide and cysteine hydrochloride) in relation to the complexation of biologically active trace elements (Al, Cu, Pb, Mn, Zn, Cd and Ni). A mobile time-controlled tangential-flow UF technique was applied to differentiate between HS-metal and alpha-aminoacids-metal complexes. Metal determinations were conventionally carried out using a ICP-OES. The results showed that HS may be considered as a selective complexing agents with higher metal bonding capability in relation to Al, Cu and Pb, the fact that may be clinically important.

Atrazine and alachlor herbicides are widely and extensively used in agriculture for the control of a variety of weeds. These herbicides are quite mobile in soil and there is a concern that they may contaminate the environment, specially surface and ground water and soils. The results suggest that alachlor and atrazine present similar behavior in the environment, but alaclhor dissipates with greater rate.

Este trabalho teve como principal objetivo o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia para a análise simultânea de pentaclorofenol (PCP) e hexaclorobenzeno (HCB) em água natural de subsuperfície proveniente de uma região afetada por resíduos industriais (São Vicente-SP), onde a maior parte da população se utiliza de poços pouco profundos para o abastecimento. A extração líquido-líquido apresentou bons resultados quanto à recuperação e repetibilidade do método. Para o nível de fortificação de 10 ng L-1 de PCP e HCB a recuperação situou-se entre 81.5% e 103.0%, com um desvio padrão relativo de 2.4% a 4.1%. A determinação dos analitos foi efetuada por GC-ECD e/ou GC-MS. Adicionalmente, o limite de quantificação do método foi de 5 ng L-1 para PCP e 2 ng L-1 para HCB, valores que estão abaixo do nível máximo permitido pelas diretrizes da Comunidade Européia para resíduos de pesticidas em água potável.

This paper presents the development of a methodology for the simultaneous analysis of pentachlorophenol and hexachlorobenzene in natural waters affected by industrial residues, as its principal goal. Samples were collected in Quarentenário, São Vicente city, where most of the population utilize wells for their supply. The liquid-liquid extraction employed to remove PCP and HCB from the matrix for further identification and quantification, showed very good recovery and repeatability. The recovery range was between 81.5% and 103.0%, with a relative standard deviation of 2.4% and 4.1% for a fortification level of 10 ng L-1. In addition, organochlorine compounds were determined by GC-ECD and/or GC-MS. The limit of quantification was 5 ng L-1 for PCP and 2 ng L-1 for HCB, which are below the maximum level allowed by the EC directives for pesticide residues in drinking water.