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Pollution Science 101 - Brazil
Emergency Report
Edited by: Michael J. Ross
Published: January 7th, 2020
Updated: May 6th, 2022
Website: MonsantoInvestigation.com
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Section 1: Fires, Deforestation & Aerosols
Section 2: Mining, Fracking & Tar Sands
Section 3: Tectonic Plates
Section 4: Methane, Carbon, Nitrogen & Greenhouse gasses
Section 5: Sinkholes, Land Erosion, Radiation, Landfills & Soil
Section 6: Deforestation & Cattle
Section 7: Pesticides & Fungicides
Section 8: Fungus
Section 9: Bacteria & Viruses
Section 10: Agriculture
Section 11: Climate Change & Ancient Climate Change
Section 15: Rivers
Section 17: Atlantic Forest
Section 18: Caatinga
Section 19: Pantanal
Section 20: Rio De Janeiro & São Paulo
Section 21: Endangered Animals & Plants
Section 22: Medicine
Section 23: BRICS
Section 24: Extra
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Section 1: Fires, Deforestation & Aerosols
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Brazilian troops deploy in the Amazon to fight fires that have swept the region
Aug 24, 2019
https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-nw-amazon-rainforest-fires-20190823-eu53q4sjmrcqdcsloh722wlwbm-story.html
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The Amazon is burning: What you need to know
27 Aug 2019
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/amazon-burning-190823082046821.html
Where are the fires? Why is the Amazon important? Six things to know about the fires burning in the 'lungs of Earth'.
What's causing them?
Fires are a regular and natural occurrence in the Amazon at this time of year, during the dry season.
About one million indigenous people, divided into some 400 tribes, live throughout the Amazon rainforest
But
environmentalists and non-governmental organisations have attributed
the record number of fires to farmers setting the forest alight to clear
land for pasture and to loggers razing the forest for its wood, with
INPE itself ruling out natural phenomena being responsible for the
surge.
Critics say far-right President Bolsonaro's
weakening of Brazil's environmental agency, IBAMA, and push to open up
the Amazon region for more farming and mining has emboldened such actors
and created a climate of impunity for those felling the forest
illegally.
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Amazon Rainforest fires put thousands of species, indigenous communities and the
Earth's atmosphere at risk.
Aug 22, 2019
https://www.mic.com/p/amazon-rainforest-fires-put-thousands-of-species-indigenous-communities-the-earths-atmosphere-at-risk-18690738
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Amazon Rainforest fire a 'crisis', Macron says, but Brazil pushes back: What we know
Aug 23, 2019
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/08/23/amazon-rainforest-fire-international-crisis-emmanuel-macron-says/2093574001/
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Rainforest on Fire {It is debated the exact amount of oxygen the Amazon rainforest gives off}.
July 6 2019
On the Front Lines of Bolsonaro’s War on the Amazon, Brazil’s Forest Communities Fight Against Climate Catastrophe
https://theintercept.com/2019/07/06/brazil-amazon-rainforest-indigenous-conservation-agribusiness-ranching/
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Why the Amazon Is on Fire
August 22, 2019
Smoke from the fires hangs over Brazil. NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)
The
rash of wildfires now consuming the Amazon rainforest can be blamed on a
host of human factors, from climate change to deforestation to
Brazilian politics.
https://www.citylab.com/environment/2019/08/amazon-rainforest-fire-map-burning-bolsonaro-deforestation-map/596605/
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Track the Amazon Rainforest Fires With This Map
9/06/19
https://lifehacker.com/track-the-amazon-rainforest-fires-with-this-map-1837901523
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6 charts show why thousands of fires in the Amazon rainforest matter to the world
Aug. 28, 2019
https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2019/08/23/amazon-rainforest-six-charts-explain-why-fires-matter/2096257001/
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Brazil fire: Explosion unleashes toxic gas in Santos
15 January 2016
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-35320083
A chemical explosion at a cargo warehouse in Brazil has spread toxic gas over the country's biggest port.
The
company owners said the containers in Santos were full of acid and a
disinfectant which came into contact with rainwater, causing a reaction.
The area's mayor said at least 66 people were taken to hospital with breathing difficulties.
Officials said the fire had been controlled but that there is still smoke in the area.
The cargo terminal and nearby homes were evacuated and residents were asked to stay inside.
The
container terminal was operated by Localfrio, a logistics company, in
Guaruja, an area on the eastern side of Santos, in Sao Paulo state.
A
spokeswoman for the company, which exports chemicals used for
refrigeration and general cargo, said the containers were filled with
chloric acid and sodium dichloroisocyanurate - a cleaning and
disinfectant agent.
Firefighters said rainwater had seeped into the containers causing a chemical reaction.
Local
Mayor Mario Antonieta de Brito asked people to stay out of the rain
which could "contain chemical elements that can burn the skin".
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Deforestation and fires in Para, Brazil
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/1703/deforestation-and-fires-in-para-brazil
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Brazil registers huge spike in Amazon deforestation
Date 03.07.2019
https://www.dw.com/en/brazil-registers-huge-spike-in-amazon-deforestation/a-49462773
Clear
cutting in the rainforest has gone up 88% in June compared to the same
time last year. The new government's push for more logging may, however,
scuttle the new EU-Mercosur free-trade agreement.
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Drought-Stressed Forest Fueled Amazon Fires
November 5, 2019
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7534
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Wildfires are burning around the world. The most alarming is in the Amazon rainforest.
Aug 23, 2019
Record heat, drought, and deforestation are contributing to wildfire risk.
https://www.vox.com/world/2019/8/20/20813786/wildfire-amazon-rainforest-brazil-siberia
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It’s not just the Amazon — wildfires have been burning around the world
August 23, 2019
https://globalnews.ca/news/5805528/amazon-wildfires-buring/
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The Amazon Has Seen More Than 100,000 Fires This Year, Causing Spike in Air Pollution
9/10/19
https://earther.gizmodo.com/amazon-forest-fires-soar-past-100-000-causing-spike-in-1838007724
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Amazon fires increase by 84% in one year - space agency
2019
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-49415973
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Why the Amazon doesn’t really produce 20% of the world’s oxygen
August 28, 2019
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/08/why-amazon-doesnt-produce-20-percent-worlds-oxygen/
Of
the many important reasons to worry about the thousands of fires raging
in the world’s largest rainforest, oxygen supply is not one of them.
To
Coe, the claim “just doesn’t make any physical sense” because there
simply isn’t enough carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for trees to
photosynthesize into an entire fifth of the planet’s oxygen.
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World's 'largest river' is actually in the sky - as biggest myth about Amazon Rainforest dispelled in new documentary
27 MAR 2018
National
Geographic's One Strange Rock, narrated by Will Smith, takes a look at
how the Amazon helps us breath - while debunking the myths, showcasing
the largest structure in South America and revealing the River in the
Sky
https://www.mirror.co.uk/science/worlds-largest-river-actually-sky-12260884
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We’re thinking about the Amazon fires all wrong. These maps show why.
2019
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/09/05/were-thinking-about-amazon-fires-all-wrong-these-maps-show-why/?arc404=true
For
weeks, we’ve seen headlines saying the Amazon rainforest is burning.
But something unexpected happens when you map satellite data showing
both the fires this year and those that have burned in the previous four
years: The bulk of the forest remains almost entirely intact.
Confused?
That’s because the heart of the Amazon is not actually on fire.
Instead, most of the fires are burning at the fringes of the forest.
That’s where the real story, and the real solution to these fires, lie.
Fires
are common in the region during this time of the year, as seen on the
maps below. They are mostly a man-made event. These fires are set in
areas that had already been deforested in previous years and are now
being cleared for agriculture.
Brazil nearly doubled
its arable land for intensive row cropping between 2000 and 2014,
according to a recent study by researchers from the Department of
Geographical Sciences at the University of Maryland. Much of the new
cultivable land is a result of deforestation.
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Brazil
has seen 100,000 fire alerts in 10 days, but it's not just the Amazon —
one map shows how much of South America is burning
Aug 23, 2019
https://www.businessinsider.com/map-south-america-on-fire-amazon-2019-8
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Forget oxygen — the Amazon’s destruction could threaten rain and food growing: experts
August 29, 2019
https://globalnews.ca/news/5828481/amazon-wildfires-rain-food-production/
The
wildfires ravaging the Amazon have focused new attention on the ongoing
destruction of this tropical rainforest — and prominent voices have
amplified factors that do not stand up to critical scrutiny.
As
wildfires have grown, the Amazon rainforest has been called the “lungs
of the planet,” a place that produces 20 per cent of Earth’s oxygen.
French
President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that claim, Canadian Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau retweeted it — and scientists say it’s just not true.
The
net production of oxygen by forests — and all land plants — is “very
close to zero,” Scott Denning, professor of atmospheric science at
Colorado State University, wrote in The Conversation.
However,
even if that fact doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, the Amazon rainforest
is facing very serious environmental threats that resonate far beyond
South America.
One of those threats is rainfall, or
the lack thereof, that could result from deforestation, Kai Chan, a
professor at UBC’s Institute for Oceans and Fisheries, told Global News.
Chan
described the Amazon as a “massive rain factory,” where most of the
water that is evaporated from the Amazon falls right back on top of it.
“There’s
a current of air in the atmosphere, basically, and it dumps water and
then picks it up and travels further, picks it up, and that happens
about eight times before the Amazon finishes in this current,” he
explained.
In numerous parts of the world, rain falls
from atmospheric rivers, or “rivers in the sky,” phenomena that carry an
amount of water vapour equivalent to the flow at the mouth of the
Mississippi River, which falls as rain or snow.
The atmospheric river that floats over the Amazon rainforest is more like a lake, feeding the region in a cycle, Chan said.
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Wave of Fires in Brazil Hits 68 Protected Areas This Week
Aug 21.2019
Ilha Grande National Park (PR) has already lost at least 32.500 hectares of its vegetation cover
https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/scienceandhealth/2019/08/wave-of-fires-in-brazil-hits-68-protected-areas-this-week.shtml
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‘I Thought the World Was Ending’: What’s Fueling the Amazon Rainforest Fires
Aug. 28, 2019.
Deforestation pits environmentalists against a defiant president and revives conspiracy theories about foreign interference
https://www.wsj.com/articles/i-thought-the-world-was-ending-whats-fueling-the-amazon-rainforest-fires-11567224081
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Kids are having trouble breathing because of the Amazon fires: 'They're coughing a lot'
Aug 2019
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/08/28/brazil-denies-aid-money-amazon-fires-respiratory-problems-rise/2139236001/
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Brazil's Amazon fires could cause disastrous climate change impact
Aug 27, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw3mvUbm7Xo&vl=en
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Deforestation and conservation in major watersheds of the Brazilian Amazon
2009
http://mtc-m16d.sid.inpe.br/col/sid.inpe.br/mtc-m19@80/2010/04.30.13.14/doc/Trancoso%20et%20al.%202010.%20Deforestation%20and%20conservation%20in%20major%20watersheds%20of%20the%20Brazilian%20Amazon.pdf
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State-sanctioned fires devastate Amazon Rainforest
September 4, 2019
http://willamettecollegian.com/main/state-sanctioned-fires-devastate-amazon-rainforest/
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World of Change: Amazon Deforestation
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/world-of-change/Deforestation
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The Amazon Rainforest Is Nearly Gone. We Went to the Front Lines to See If It Could Be Saved
September 12, 2019
https://pulitzercenter.org/reporting/amazon-rainforest-nearly-gone-we-went-front-lines-see-if-it-could-be-saved
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What can be saved? Restoring Amazon forests, one tree at a time
Oct 2019
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/10/04/climate-change-effects-peruvian-amazon-forest-restoration-underway/3831069002/
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2019: The year rainforests burned
https://news.mongabay.com/2019/12/2019-the-year-rainforests-burned/
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Amazon Deforestation Rate Highest in 11 Years
Nov. 19, 2019
https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-deforestation-highest-2641391018.html
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Norway Freezes $33.2M Transfer to Brazil's Amazon Fund Amid Deforestation 'Surge'
Aug. 19, 2019
https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-deforestation-norway-fund-2639894385.html
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Amazon Deforestation Increase Prompts Germany to Cut $39.5M in Funding to Brazil
Aug. 14, 2019
https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-deforestation-germany-2639821568.html
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Smoke from burning Amazon rainforest drops São Paulo into sudden darkness
Aug 20, '19
https://archinect.com/news/article/150153604/smoke-from-burning-amazon-rainforest-drops-s-o-paulo-into-sudden-darkness
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Raging rainforest fires darken skies in Brazil, inspire #prayforamazonia
2019
Brazil’s
National Institute for Space Research said the country has seen a
record number of wildfires this year, an 84 percent increase compared to
last year.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/amazon-fires-2019-deforestation-hashtag-prayforamazonia-n1044976
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In Brazil, sudden darkness befalls Sao Paulo, baffling thousands
August 20, 2019
https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/In-Brazil-sudden-darkness-befalls-Sao-Paulo-14363423.php
RIO DE JANEIRO - In the height of daytime on Monday, the sky suddenly blackened, and day became night in Sao Paulo.
Sure,
smog is bad in the Western Hemisphere's largest city, where traffic
jams can stretch for dozens of miles. But not this bad. What was going
on? Was the end near?
"Apocalypse!" one person cried on Twitter.
"The final judgment is coming!" another added.
"Mordor," one more person intoned.
Experts
tried to puzzle it out, but their conclusions at times appeared to be
conflicting, deepening the mystery. The National Institute of
Meteorology said the city, which sits at an elevation of 2,500 feet, was
"inside a cloud." Others explained that it was a cold front. Metsul, a
Brazilian meteorology company, said the culprit was smoke that had come
in from forest fires in Bolivia, Paraguay and remote parts of Brazil.
In
fact, it appeared to be a combination of all three factors - clouds,
smoke and a cold front - that ushered in the smoke from distance
reaches, plunging the city into darkness in the middle of the day.
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Researchers help tracing “river of smoke” that blackened the day in São Paulo
August 23, 2019
Particles
originated in forest fires in the Center-West and North of Brazil
interacted with clouds borne by the cold front coming from the south,
causing sky and rain to turn to a dark-grey hue (image: CPTEC)
http://agencia.fapesp.br/researchers-help-tracing-river-of-smoke-that-blackened-the-day-in-sao-paulo/31290/
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The impact of light on forests
May 2017
Light pollution is becoming more intense and could affect Brazilian ecosystems
https://revistapesquisa.fapesp.br/en/2017/12/05/the-impact-of-light-on-forests/
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How hacking photosynthesis could fight deforestation and famine
April 23, 2019
https://theconversation.com/how-hacking-photosynthesis-could-fight-deforestation-and-famine-114929
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Where Is the Amazon Rainforest Vanishing? Not Just in Brazil
2019
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/30/world/americas/amazon-rainforest.html
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Other ecoregions of South America
https://globalforestatlas.yale.edu/amazon/ecoregions/other-ecoregions
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World is losing vital forests quicker than ever
The
years 2016 and 2017 saw the highest global tree cover loss ever
recorded. Tropical forests in South America and Central Africa are
disappearing at an alarming rate. Here's why that's bad news for
everyone.
https://www.dw.com/en/world-is-losing-vital-forests-quicker-than-ever/a-44404176
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The World Lost a Belgium-sized Area of Primary Rainforests Last Year
April 25, 2019
https://www.wri.org/blog/2019/04/world-lost-belgium-sized-area-primary-rainforests-last-year
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Amazon rainforest
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_rainforest#Sahara_Desert_dust_windblown_to_the_Amazon
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Amazon Watch: What Happens When the Forest Disappears?
October 17, 2019
At
a remote site where the world’s largest rainforest abuts land cleared
for big agriculture, Brazilian and American scientists are keeping watch
for a critical tipping point – the time when the Amazon ceases to be a
carbon sink and turns into a source of carbon emissions.
https://e360.yale.edu/features/amazon-watch-what-happens-when-the-forest-disappears
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In the Brazilian Amazon, Indigenous people deal with a violent new world
2017
https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2017/12/01/brazil-amazon-indigenous-violence-rondonia/
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Jair Bolsonaro Praised the Genocide of Indigenous People. Now He’s Emboldening Attackers of Brazil’s Amazonian Communities.
February 16 2019
https://theintercept.com/2019/02/16/brazil-bolsonaro-indigenous-land/
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Violence against the Indigenous Peoples in Brazil
https://cimi.org.br/pub/relatorio/Report-Violence-against-the-Indigenous-Peoples-in-Brazil_2015-Cimi.pdf
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ENCLOSURES AND RESISTANCE ISOLATED INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN BRAZILIAN AMAZONIA
https://acervo.socioambiental.org/sites/default/files/publications/C3L00002_ing.pdf
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The Uncontacted Indians of Brazil
At risk of extinction from disease and land loss
In the depths of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil live tribes who have no contact with the outside world.
Illegal loggers and cattle ranchers are invading their land and bringing disease. They won’t survive unless this stops.
https://www.survivalinternational.org/tribes/uncontacted-brazil
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Guardian of the Forest Killed by Illegal Loggers in the Amazon
November 4, 2019
https://www.kcet.org/shows/earth-focus/guardian-of-the-forest-killed-by-illegal-loggers-in-the-amazon
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Deforestation of Amazônia is increasing pollution in South American countries
Study
indicates that smoke from fires in Amazon states migrates to Bolivia,
Peru and Paraguay, raising the atmospheric pollution levels of these
countries
http://www.dicyt.com/news/deforestation-of-amazonia-is-increasing-pollution-in-south-american-countries
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Bolsonaro downplays severity of Amazon fires as burning ban takes effect
30/08/2019
https://www.france24.com/en/20190830-brazil-jair-bolsonaro-amazon-rainforest-wildfires-burning-ban
A
60-day ban on burning in Brazil took effect Thursday after a global
outcry over fires raging in the Amazon and data showing hundreds of new
blazes in the rainforest.
The decree issued by
President Jair Bolsonaro comes after escalating international pressure
over the worst fires in the Amazon in years, which have ignited a
diplomatic spat between Brazil and Europe.
But activists quickly doused hopes that the ban would work.
"The people who burn without a license are not going to obey," said Rodrigo Junqueira of the Socio-Environmental Institute.
Thousands
of troops and firefighters have been deployed since the weekend to
combat the fires, along with two C-130 Hercules and other aircraft that
are dumping water over affected areas in the country's north.
Police
on Thursday arrested three people for burning more than 5,000 hectares
(12,350 acres) in a conservation area in Para state.
More
than 1,600 new fires were ignited between Tuesday and Wednesday, taking
this year's total to almost 85,000 -- the highest number since 2010,
official data shows. Around half of them are in the vast Amazon basin.
Bolsonaro however claimed in a live broadcast on Facebook that "this year's fires are below the average of recent years."
UN
chief Antonio Guterres on Thursday mooted a meeting of key countries to
drum up support to tackle the fires that have also devastated swaths of
Bolivia.
"We are strongly appealing for the
mobilization of resources and we have been in contact with countries to
see whether, during the high-level session of the General Assembly,
there could be a meeting devoted to the mobilization of support to the
Amazon," Guterres told reporters.
Brazil's foreign ministry said it was not aware of the proposal.
It
urged "foreign authorities" to learn more about the country's
environmental policies, the situation in the Amazon and measures taken
to combat the fires "before proposing new initiatives."
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Blame humans for starting the Amazon fires, environmentalists say
August 23, 2019
https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/22/americas/amazon-fires-humans-intl-hnk-trnd/index.html
(CNN)The Amazon is burning -- and humans are likely to blame.
Environmental organizations and researchers say the wildfires blazing in the Brazilian rainforest were set by cattle ranchers and loggers who want to clear and utilize the land, emboldened by the country's pro-business president.
"The vast majority of these fires are human-lit," said Christian Poirier, the program director of non-profit organization Amazon Watch. He added that even during dry seasons, the Amazon -- a humid rainforest -- doesn't catch on fire easily, unlike the dry bushland in California or Australia.
Farmers and ranchers have long used fire to clear land, said Poirier, and are likely behind the unusually large number fires burning in the Amazon today.
The country's space research center (INPE) said this week that the number of fires in Brazil are 80% higher than last year. More than half are in the Amazon region, spelling disaster for the local environment and ecology.
And 99% percent of the fires result from human actions "either on purpose or by accident," Alberto Setzer, a senior scientist at INPE, said. The burning can range from a small-scale agricultural practice, to new deforestation for a mechanized and modern agribusiness project, Setzer told CNN by email.
Environmentalists are blaming Bolsonaro
Organizations, activists, and social media users worldwide have reacted to the news with alarm. #PrayForTheAmazon and other variations of the hashtag are trending globally on Twitter, with hundreds of thousands of tweets. As images and news of the fire spread, many are demanding accountability from Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
When Bolsonaro was running for president, he made campaign promises to restore the economy by exploring the Amazon's economic potential. Now, environmental organizations say he has encouraged ranchers, farmers, and loggers to exploit and burn the rainforest like never before with a sense of impunity...
Poirier warns that shrugging off the fires could embolden farmers to burn more and "land grabbers" to illegally occupy, parcel out, and resell plots of land to ranchers. There have previously been attempts to rein in these rainforest "mafia" -- but these attempted crackdowns are rare and often met with strong public opposition.
All the while, the Amazon veers toward potential disaster.
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Bolsonaro-backed highway targets heart of Brazil's Amazon
October 2, 2019
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-environment-highway-insight-idUSKBN1WH0Z3
Bolsonaro’s administration is working on an ambitious plan to begin reconstruction by 2021 as part of a broader strategy to jumpstart economic development in the region. The completed project would reconnect Realidade with Manaus, a riverfront metropolis of 2 million people that lies 600 kilometers to the northeast. With BR-319 out of service much of the year, Manaus is consistently reachable only by water and air travel from the rest of Brazil.
“We are certain that our BR-319 will be paved,” Bolsonaro said in July at a public event in Manaus.
Bolsonaro’s office said the president has discussed the project with Infrastructure Minister Tarcisio Freitas, but declined further comment.
Amazon researchers said the repaved road would trigger an explosion of deforestation in Amazonas, currently Brazil’s best preserved rainforest state precisely because it has few good roads. A highway to Manaus would enable subsistence farmers, land speculators and loggers to penetrate deep into the jungle, said Philip Fearnside, an American ecologist at Brazil’s National Institute of Amazonian Research in Manaus, who has examined the link between roads and deforestation.
A study led by the Federal University of Minas Gerais estimates the project would result in a fivefold rise in clearing by 2030, the equivalent of an area larger than the U.S. state of Florida.
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Researchers warn of climate repercussions if Brazilian highway through the Amazon is paved
August 7, 2020
https://phys.org/news/2020-08-climate-repercussions-brazilian-highway-amazon.html
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Brazil: Bolsonaro uses Ukraine war to support extraction on indigenous land
02.03.2022
The
Brazilian president wants to pave the way for further exploitation of
protected lands. He is not known for protecting the environment or
indigenous rights.
https://www.dw.com/en/brazil-bolsonaro-uses-ukraine-war-to-support-extraction-on-indigenous-land/a-60990812
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'Nobody Tells Him What to Do.' Brazil's President Bolsonaro Is Visiting Putin Despite U.S. Criticism
February 2022
https://time.com/6148311/bolsonaro-putin-visit-ukraine/
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Bolsonaro Using Ukraine Crisis to Push for Mining in indigenous Lands
May 2, 2022
https://brazilian.report/liveblog/2022/03/02/ukraine-mining-indigenous-lands/
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Brazil: Amazon sees worst deforestation levels in 15 years
19 November 2021
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-59341770
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Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon hits January record
3rd February, 2022
https://www.daily-sun.com/post/603301/Deforestation-in-Brazilian-Amazon-hits-January-record
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Amazon deforestation 5x worse in Jan 2022 than Jan 2021
14 Feb 2022
https://www.politics.co.uk/opinion-former/press-release/2022/02/14/amazon-deforestation-5x-worse-in-jan-2022-than-jan-2021/
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Deforestation in the Amazon Reaches Record Highs
February 17, 2022
In January, deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon reached record highs, highest recorded rate in 15 years
https://impakter.com/deforestation-brazil-amazon/
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Amazon tragedy repeats itself as Brazil rainforest goes up in smoke
September 2, 2020
The vast rainforest is experiencing a repeat of last year’s devastating fires and critics say Bolsonaro bears ultimate responsibility
Jair Bolsonaro smiles down from a propaganda billboard at the entrance to this scruffy Amazon outpost, welcoming travelers to his “route to development”.
But 20 months into Bolsonaro’s presidency – and a year after a devastating outbreak of Amazon fires caused global outrage – the fires are back, and many fear Brazil’s leader is instead steering his country towards environmental ruin.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/02/amazon-fires-brazil-rainforest-bolsonaro-destruction
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In Bolsonaro’s burning Brazilian Amazon, all our futures are being consumed
Aug 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/aug/23/amazon-rainforest-fires-deforestation-jair-bolsonaro
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Amazon Fires Spark Growing International Criticism of Brazil
Aug 23, 2019
France
calls the large number of fires in the Amazon an international crisis
and an urgent issue for the G7 summit. “Our home is on fire. Literally.”
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23082019/amazon-fires-brazil-g7-international-criticism-ireland-france-germany-canada
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Building A Future: Lumber Poaching In Oregon and Brazil
Season 2, Episode 3
Wood
is found in countless products consumers use every day. In fact, lumber
is closely connected to the world’s economy – a country’ s importation
of lumber tends to rise in correlation with its gross domestic product.
Following groups like “Guardians of the Forest,” we explore illegal
lumber poaching in the forests of Brazil and Oregon, where citizens and
scientists are working together to combat the illegal lumber trade.
https://www.kcet.org/shows/earth-focus/episodes/building-a-future-lumber-poaching-in-oregon-and-brazil
--------------------------
The Socioeconomic Factors and the Indigenous Component of Tuberculosis in Amazonas
2016
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0158574
-------------------
Brazil Perspectives: Air Pollution
https://www.copenhagenconsensus.com/publication/brazil-perspectives-air-pollution
--------------------
Brazil: Air pollution due to Amazon wildfires
26 Aug 2019
https://www.garda.com/crisis24/news-alerts/261426/brazil-air-pollution-due-to-amazon-wildfires
Event
The
thousands of ongoing wildfires in the Amazon are releasing toxic
elements into the environment, posing a danger to populations in
surrounding areas. The air quality in São José do Rio Preto (São Paulo
state) has been recorded as unhealthy for sensitive groups on Monday,
August 26.
Context
Wildfires have been burning in
the Amazon for several days as of August 26, though some estimates
indicate that more than 41,800 fires are ongoing in the region. Smog due
to the wildfires was reported in São Paulo on August 19 after a
combination of smoke, clouds, and a cold front steered the smoke into
the city.
Wildfires emit substantial amounts of
volatile and semi-volatile organic materials and nitrogen oxides that
form ozone and particulate matter. Particulate matter can enter the
respiratory system when inhaled and may reach the bloodstream. Other
dangerous compounds such as carbon monoxide can cause health
difficulties. Air pollution can cause breathing difficulties such as
shortness of breath, coughing, and eye and nose irritation. Smoke
inhalation may produce various symptoms.
Advice
Individuals
in Brazil are advised to monitor local weather and air quality reports,
refrain from outdoor or strenuous activity, adhere to instructions
issued by local authorities, and see a medical practitioner if they
suspect to have inhaled smoke.
-------------------
How Brazil is Tackling Pollution
Aug 27 2019
https://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=953
Plastic Pollution in Brazil
In
2018, Brazil ranked as the 16th most mismanaged nation in terms of
plastic waste by mass. Brazil, which is the fourth-largest producer of
plastic waste in the world, is estimated to recycle only 1.28% of the
11.4 million tons of waste they produce each year. As a result, about
7.7 million tons of Brazil’s plastic waste will ultimately end up in
landfills.
In order to begin to ameliorate their
plastic waste generation, Brazil’s government has begun to introduce
legislation that will eventually eliminate single-use plastic around the
country. For example, Rio de Janeiro has already banned the use of
plastic drinking straws, whereas Brazil’s largest city of Sao Paulo has
prohibited the use of petroleum-based plastic bags.
-------------------
European space agency records Amazon air pollution
September 9, 2019
https://wtop.com/latin-america/2019/09/european-space-agency-records-amazon-air-pollution/
--------------------
Amazon forest fires led to an increase in air pollution: European Space Agency
September 10, 2019
The agency said fires released carbon dioxide once stored in the Amazon forests back into the atmosphere, potentially having an impact on the global climate and health.
https://indianexpress.com/article/world/amazon-forest-fires-led-to-an-increase-in-air-pollution-european-space-agency-5981412/
-
The Impacts of Air Pollution on Fertility
April 24, 2015
https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/the-impacts-of-air-pollution-on-fertility/
--------------------
Bad air days are even deadlier than we thought
Aug 22, 2019
A
global study finds that particulate matter in the air can increase the
risk of death even at low levels and with brief exposures
https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/22/20828210/air-pollution-particulate-matter-epa-soot-death-amazon
---------------------
Brazil's Love of Pizza Is Causing Major Air Pollution
Jun 20, 2016
https://www.eater.com/2016/6/20/11978794/brazil-pizza-pollution-rainforest
Vox
points to a recent report published in the journal Atmospheric
Environment, which looked at air pollution in Brazil's largest city, São
Paulo. Though the country has long struggled with pollution — largely
due to its vast amount of cars — São Paulo inhabitants largely use
"clean" biofuels to fill up their tanks. The authors of the study claim
that Brazilians' passion for pizza is so strong, though, that it's
negating the positive effect of those biofuels.
One of
the study's authors, University of Surrey's Dr. Prashant Kumar, said in a
press release: "There are more than 7.5 hectares of Eucalyptus forest
being burned every month by pizzerias and steakhouses. A total of over
307,000 tonnes of wood is burned each year in pizzerias. This is
significant enough of a threat to be of real concern to the environment
negating the positive effect on the environment that compulsory green
biofuel policy has on vehicles."
---------------------
Tourism Damages Amazon Region
1989
Brazil creates programs to minimize environmental damage without halting tourist boom
https://www.csmonitor.com/1989/0606/otour.html
---------------------
EVALUATION OF THE CHEMICAL TRANSPORT OF AIR POLLUTANTS IN THE METROPOLITAN REGION OF SALVADOR, BRAZIL
2018
https://www.witpress.com/elibrary/wit-transactions-on-ecology-and-the-environment/230/36787
---------------------
Evaluating
Atmospheric Pollutants from Urban Buses under Real-World Conditions:
Implications of the Main Public Transport Mode in São Paulo, Brazil
2019
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/10/3/108/htm
--------------------
Urban air pollution in Brazil: Acetaldehyde and other carbonyls
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/095712729090015M
Abstract
We
have measured ambient levels of carbonyls in three major urban areas of
Brazil: Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador. The most abundant
carbonyls were acetaldehyde (up to 63 μg m−3, or 35 ppb) followed by
formaldehyde (up to 42 μg m−3, or 34 ppb), and acetone (up to 20 ppb).
Levels of 10 other aliphatic and aromatic carbonyls were in the range
0–5 ppb. Total carbonyl concentrations were in the range 11–75 ppb.
Indoor levels were also measured at several locations in Salvador. High
levels of acetaldehyde, 430 μg m−3 or 240 ppb, were measured in a
highway tunnel.
Using carbonyl/CO concentration ratios,
mobile source emissions of carbonyls are estimated for the Sao Paulo
area. Ambient levels of acetaldehyde and acetaldehyde/formaldehyde
concentration ratios in Brazil are compared to those for other urban
areas, and are briefly discussed in relation with the large scale use of
ethanol as a vehicle fuel.
--------------------
Pollution in Salvador, Brazil
https://www.numbeo.com/pollution/in/Salvador
--------------------
Air quality in Brazil: what’s at stake with the change in standards
2018
https://wribrasil.org.br/en/blog/2018/06/air-quality-in-brazil
-------------------
Are you breathing Amazon smoke right now?
https://www.iqair.com/us/blog/air-quality/you-are-breathing-amazon-rainforest-fire-smoke-right-now
You’ve
probably heard of massive blazes burning across vast swathes of the
Amazon rainforests in Brazil and beyond. In August alone, 26,000
individual fires have been recorded, engulfing the equivalent of the
U.S. East Coast in flames. These tens of thousands of individual fires
burning has ignited renewed discussions of the major impact that these
fires will have on climate change.
There’s no doubt
that the destruction of the Amazon rainforests will have far-reaching
consequences for years to come. The Amazon, home to 10% of the world’s
biodiversity and at least 15% of all its fresh water, has long been an
enormously important feature of the planet’s ability to capture harmful
carbon from the atmosphere and produce a large volume of the earth’s
oxygen supply.1 For this reason, some have labeled the Amazon
rainforests the "earth's lungs."
But there’s a much
more immediate toxic impact that the wildfire smoke from these fires has
on every single person on Earth, no matter their proximity to the
fires: air pollution – especially the particulate matter smaller than
2.5 microns (PM2.5) produced by the wildfires.2
So even
though Brazil’s fires may be burning thousands of miles away from you,
you may be breathing air that’s contaminated by the Amazon wildfires.
Read on to learn why and how to protect yourself from the health impacts
of wildfire smoke.
How far does wildfire smoke travel?
It’s
easy to think that the Amazon fires are Brazil’s problem – but as with
any other wildfire, their smoke travels globally. Consider that wildfire
air pollution from these fires can travel as far away Asia on the other
side of the world.
And when you add up the smoke
produced by the over 87,000 fires recorded in Brazil in 2019, no one can
afford to ignore the air quality impact that sheer volume of smoke can
have.3
This impact is due to a combination of the
physics of wildfire smoke itself and of wind currents that can carry air
pollution across the globe. With the Amazon fires, the smoke rising
from vast burning areas had already covered hundreds of thousands of
square miles from the west coasts of South America to Papua New Guinea
and Australia, over 11,000 miles away, within mere days.
Here’s how that happens – and why you may be breathing that smoke as you read this:
Smoke rises miles into the air due to a mixture of intense heat from
flames and conditions in the atmosphere like sunlight, cloud cover, and
wind speeds.
Global wind currents blow smoke for hundreds of
miles across the upper atmosphere and spread airborne pollutants for
hundreds of miles in every direction. In the case of the Amazon fires,
the westward-blowing currents along the equator can take the smoke as
far west as Australia, China, and Indonesia. Then, the smoke is blown
northward by currents near Japan, and then eastward by north Pacific
currents that bring that same smoke all the way to the United States,
Canada, and Central America.
Pollutants in the upper
atmosphere react with heat from sunlight and lower-lying pollutants in
major urban areas. Regions that produce a lot of industrial and traffic
pollution are especially vulnerable to the added pollution that smoke
can bring to the area – not only are nearby major urban areas like São
Paulo in Brazil are directly affected by Amazon rainforest fires, but
cities as far-flung as Mexico City, and as far north as Alaska and
eastern Russia, were affected mere days after the fires started. And
many more cities in North America will be impacted in the coming months.
--------------------------
Amazon blazes could speed climate change
August 28, 2019
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/08/harvard-biologist-discusses-the-environmental-impact-of-the-amazon-fires/
-------------------------
How, and How Much, Tropical Forests Absorb and Store Carbon
Year: 2015
http://www.grida.no/resources/6948
--------------------------
Deforestation and Forest Degradation
https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/deforestation-and-forest-degradation
Forests
cover 31% of the land area on our planet. They help people thrive and
survive by, for example, purifying water and air and providing people
with jobs; some 13.2 million people across the world have a job in the
forest sector and another 41 million have a job that is related to the
sector. Many animals also rely on forests. Eighty percent of the world's
land-based species, such as elephants and rhinos, live in forests.
Forests also play a critical role in mitigating climate change because
they act as a carbon sink—soaking up carbon dioxide that would otherwise
be free in the atmosphere and contribute to ongoing changes in climate
patterns.
But forests around the world are under
threat, jeopardizing these benefits. The threats manifest themselves in
the form of deforestation and forest degradation. The main cause of
deforestation is agriculture (poorly planned infrastructure is emerging
as a big threat too) and the main cause of forest degradation is illegal
logging. We’re losing 18.7 million acres of forests annually,
equivalent to 27 soccer fields every minute.
Deforestation
is a particular concern in tropical rain forests because these forests
are home to much of the world’s biodiversity. For example, in the Amazon
around 17% of the forest has been lost in the last 50 years, mostly due
to forest conversion for cattle ranching. Deforestation in this region
is particularly rampant near more populated areas, roads and rivers, but
even remote areas have been encroached upon when valuable mahogany,
gold, and oil are discovered...
Increased Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Forests
are carbon sinks and, therefore, help to mitigate the emission of
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Tropical forests alone hold
more than 228 to 247 gigatons of carbon, which is more than seven times
the amount emitted each year by human activities.
But
when forests are cut, burned or otherwise removed they emit carbon
instead of absorb carbon. Deforestation and forest degradation are
responsible for around 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions. These
greenhouse gas emissions contribute to rising temperatures, changes in
patterns of weather and water, and an increased frequency of extreme
weather events. For example, in Sumatra, rainforests on deep peatlands
are being cleared, drained and converted to pulp plantations,
contributing to Indonesia’s high greenhouse gas emissions. Changes in
climate can affect forest-dwelling creatures by altering their habitats
and decreasing availability of food and water. Some will be able to
adapt by moving to higher elevations or latitudes, but species losses
may occur.
Disruption of Water Cycles
Trees
play a key role in the local water cycle by helping to keep a balance
between the water on land and water in the atmosphere. But when
deforestation or degradation occurs, that balance can be thrown off,
resulting in changes in precipitation and river flow.
Increased Soil Erosion
Without
trees to anchor fertile soil, erosion can occur and sweep the land into
rivers. The agricultural plants that often replace the trees cannot
hold onto the soil. Many of these plants—such as coffee, cotton, palm
oil, soybean and wheat—can actually exacerbate soil erosion. Scientists
have estimated that a third of the world’s arable land has been lost
through soil erosion and other types of degradation since 1960. And as
fertile soil washes away, agricultural producers move on, clearing more
forest and continuing the cycle of soil loss.
Disrupted Livelihoods
1.25
billion people around the world rely on forests for shelter,
livelihoods, water, fuel, and food security. And 750 million people
(approximately one-fifth of total rural population) live in forests.
This includes 60 million indigenous people. But deforestation disrupts
the lives of these people, sometimes with devastating consequences. In
the Greater Mekong in Southeast Asia, where land tenure systems are
weak, deforestation has contributed to social conflict and migration. In
Brazil, poor people have been lured from their villages to remote soy
plantations where they may be abused and forced, at gunpoint, to work
under inhumane conditions.
---------------------------
Amazon Doesn’t Produce 20% of Earth’s Oxygen
September 3, 2019
https://www.factcheck.org/2019/09/amazon-doesnt-produce-20-of-earths-oxygen/
Q: Does the Amazon produce 20% of the world’s oxygen?
A:
No. Scientists estimate the percentage is closer to 6 to 9%, and the
Amazon ultimately consumes nearly all of that oxygen itself.
FULL QUESTION
Does the Amazon Rainforest truly produce 20% of the Earth’s oxygen? Where does the remaining 80% come from?
FULL ANSWER
On
Aug. 20, Brazil’s space agency sparked a media frenzy when it released
satellite data showing an alarming number of wildfires in the Amazon
rainforest over the past year — nearly 40,000, or a 77% rise compared
with the same time period in 2018.
Most of the fires
have started since June. NASA also has confirmed the surge, declaring
2019 the worst year for wildfires in the region since 2010. Scientists
attribute the uptick in fires to increased deforestation, at least some
of which, critics say, has been encouraged by Brazil’s president, Jair
Bolsonaro.
As news outlets across the globe picked up
the story, journalists began to spread the false but catchy factoid that
the Amazon produces 20% of the world’s oxygen. ABC, CNN and Newsweek,
among others, cited the statistic.
Politicians then
joined in, repeating the factoid to draw attention to the blazes. For
instance, Sen. Kamala Harris, a Democratic presidential candidate,
shared the number and suggested it was even higher. “The Amazon creates
over 20% of the world’s oxygen and is home to one million Indigenous
people,” she said in an Aug. 23 tweet.
French President
Emmanuel Macron also quoted the statistic in an Aug. 22 tweet calling
for world leaders to address the fires at the Group of Seven summit.
(His tweet was accompanied by an outdated photo of a burning forest from
1989.)
The exact numbers vary, but according to a
study Foley did in 1995 and a more recent 2010 Science paper Malhi
referenced, tropical forests do approximately a quarter to a little more
than a third of all photosynthesis on land. The Amazon makes up about
half or less of all tropical forests, so it alone does about 12-16% of
all land photosynthesis. As Malhi writes in a blog post that addresses
this question, rounding that higher-end figure up might be where the 20%
factoid came from.
But that’s still only considering
photosynthesis from land plants. The ocean accounts for about half of
all photosynthesis, which means that only about 6-9% of the world’s
oxygen, and perhaps less, is produced by the Amazon.
“With
a little more analysis and a more thorough review of the literature, we
could probably derive a slightly better estimate with more specific
uncertainties,” said Scott Saleska, a University of Arizona ecosystem
ecologist who agreed with the 6-9% approximation.
--------------------------
Can the Amazon Save the Planet?
2017
Scientists climb to perilous heights to gauge how much carbon dioxide the rainforest is absorbing
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-the-amazon-save-the-planet/
---------------------------
Drought sensitivity of Amazonian carbon balance revealed by atmospheric measurements.
2014
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24499918
--------------------------
Amazon trees may absorb far less carbon than previously thought: study
21 November 2019
https://news.mongabay.com/2019/11/amazon-trees-may-absorb-far-less-carbon-than-previously-thought-study/
The capacity of the Amazon rainforest to absorb carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere is predicted to increase with climate change, but now
computer modelling suggests that these increases may be far smaller than
expected.
So far, global photosynthesis rates have risen in
line with increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, but whether this
pattern will hold true for the Amazon, one of the oldest ecosystems on
Earth, is still unclear.
Depending on how key nutrient cycles
are represented, researchers found that models predict the Amazon carbon
sink could be 46 to 52 percent smaller than predicted based on current
trends, a finding that has serious implications for carbon sequestration
forecasts and future climate change.
The researchers plan to
test the model predictions against the results from proposed field
experiments that will artificially elevate CO2 levels in real sections
of the Amazon forest — a study for which the team is currently raising
funds.
-------------------------
Amazon rainforest absorbing less carbon than expected
August 20, 2019
Summary:
An international team of climate scientists has found that accounting
for phosphorus-deficient soils reduced projected carbon dioxide uptake
by an average of 50% in the Amazon, compared to current estimates based
on previous climate models that did not take into account phosphorus
deficiency.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190820081848.htm
--------------------------
Amazon rainforest is taking up a third less carbon than a decade ago
2015
https://www.carbonbrief.org/amazon-rainforest-is-taking-up-a-third-less-carbon-than-a-decade-ago
--------------------------
Climate Change Series Part 1 – Rainforests Absorb, Store Large Quantities of Carbon Dioxide
September 1, 2017
https://www.rainforesttrust.org/climate-change-series-part-1-rainforests-absorb-store-large-quantities-carbon-dioxide/
--------------------------
Amazon Rainforest Breathes In More Than It Breathes Out
2014
https://www.livescience.com/44235-amazon-rainforest-carbon-cycle-measured.html
-------------------------
Annual Carbon Emissions from Deforestation in the Amazon Basin between 2000 and 2010
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4423949/
------------------------
Carbon emissions from tropical deforestation and regrowth based on satellite observations for the 1980s and 1990s.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12384569
------------------------
Amazon Sees Alarming Rise in Deforestation
2019
https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-deforestation-rate-2641606083.html
------------------------
Determination of tropical deforestation rates and related carbon losses from 1990 to 2010.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24753029
------------------------
Accelerated deforestation in the humid tropics from the 1990s to the 2000s.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27656010
------------------------
Baseline map of carbon emissions from deforestation in tropical regions.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22723420
------------------------
High-resolution forest carbon stocks and emissions in the Amazon.
2010
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20823233
Abstract
Efforts
to mitigate climate change through the Reduced Emissions from
Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) depend on mapping and monitoring of
tropical forest carbon stocks and emissions over large geographic
areas. With a new integrated use of satellite imaging, airborne light
detection and ranging, and field plots, we mapped aboveground carbon
stocks and emissions at 0.1-ha resolution over 4.3 million ha of the
Peruvian Amazon, an area twice that of all forests in Costa Rica, to
reveal the determinants of forest carbon density and to demonstrate the
feasibility of mapping carbon emissions for REDD. We discovered
previously unknown variation in carbon storage at multiple scales based
on geologic substrate and forest type. From 1999 to 2009, emissions from
land use totaled 1.1% of the standing carbon throughout the region.
Forest degradation, such as from selective logging, increased regional
carbon emissions by 47% over deforestation alone, and secondary regrowth
provided an 18% offset against total gross emissions. Very
high-resolution monitoring reduces uncertainty in carbon emissions for
REDD programs while uncovering fundamental environmental controls on
forest carbon storage and their interactions with land-use change.
------------------------
Environmental change and the carbon balance of Amazonian forests.
2014
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25324039
------------------------
Why is the Amazon absorbing less carbon?
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/03/why-is-the-amazon-absorbing-less-carbon/
------------------------
Carbon uptake by mature Amazon forests has mitigated Amazon nations' carbon emissions.
2017
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28413845
------------------------
Historic carbon burial spike in an Amazon floodplain lake linked to riparian deforestation near Santarém, Brazil
https://www.biogeosciences.net/15/447/2018/
----------------------------
Contributions
of fallow lands in the Brazilian Amazon to CO2 balance, deforestation
and the agrarian economy: Inequalities among competing land use
trajectories
https://www.elementascience.org/articles/10.12952/journal.elementa.000133/
--------------------------
Carbon stock loss from deforestation through 2013 in Brazilian Amazonia.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25380507
-------------------------
CO2, CO, hydrocarbon gases and PM2.5 emissions on dry season by deforestation fires in the Brazilian Amazonia.
2019
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30901645
Abstract
The
rate of deforestation in Brazil increased by 29% between 2015 and 2016,
resulting in an increase of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of 9%.
Deforestation fires in the Amazonia are the main source of GHG in
Brazil. In this work, amounts of CO2, CO, main hydrocarbon gases and
PM2.5 emitted during deforestation fires, under real conditions directly
in Brazilian Amazonia, were determined. A brief discussion of the
relationship between the annual emission of CO2 equivalent (CO2,eq) and
Paris Agreement was conducted. Experimental fires were carried out in
Western Amazonia (Candeias do Jamari, Rio Branco and Cruzeiro do Sul)
and results were compared with a previous fire carried out in Eastern
Amazonia (Alta Floresta). The average total fresh biomass on the ground
before burning and the total biomass consumption were estimated to be
591 ton ha-1 and 33%, respectively. CO2, CO, CH4, and non-methane
hydrocarbon (NMHC) average emission factors, for the four sites, were
1568, 140, 8, and 3 g kg-1 of burned dry biomass, respectively. PM2.5
showed large variation among the sites (0.9-16 g kg-1). Emissions per
hectare of forest were estimated as 216,696 kg of CO2, 18,979 kg of CO,
1,058 kg of CH4, and 496 kg of NMHC. The average annual emission of
equivalent CO2 was estimated as 301 ± 53 Mt year-1 for the Brazilian
Amazonia forest. From 2013, the estimated CO2,eq showed a trend to
increase in Amazon region. The present study is an alert and provides
important information that can be used in the development of the public
policies to control emissions and deforestation in the Brazilian
Amazonia.
-------------------------
Climate change, allergy and asthma, and the role of tropical forests.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28286602
------------------------
The Climate Is Doomed Without Brazil
2018
The
country's new president wants to increase development in the Amazon
rainforest, which absorbs a massive amount of carbon emissions.
https://newrepublic.com/article/151933/climate-doomed-without-brazil
---------------------------
Amazon is less able to recover from droughts and logging, study finds
09 Mar 2022
https://bdnews24.com/environment/2022/03/09/amazon-is-less-able-to-recover-from-droughts-and-logging-study-finds
---------------------------
Brazil cancels another UN climate change event
2019
https://apnews.com/8803dde3bda8459c89ab4d221c5d7614
---------------------------
Brazil’s foreign minister says climate change is a 'Marxist plot'
16 November 2018
Scientists ‘ignore data’ suggesting opposite of rising global temperatures and CO2 levels, says Ernesto Araújo
https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/brazil-climate-change-foreign-minister-ernesto-araujo-marxist-plot-global-warming-a8637281.html
----------------------------
Regional atmospheric CO2 inversion reveals seasonal and geographic differences in Amazon net biome exchange.
2016
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27124119
----------------------------
Brazil fights attempt to cancel its old carbon credits
2019
https://www.climatechangenews.com/2019/10/11/brazil-fights-attempt-cancel-old-carbon-credits/
-----------------------------
Brazil's worst mining disaster: Corporations must be compelled to pay the actual environmental costs
2016
https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/eap.1461
-----------------------------
How Brazil’s Burning Amazon Threatens the Climate
August 29, 2019
https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/how-brazils-burning-amazon-threatens-climate
------------------------------
Climate change evidence in Brazil from Köppen's climate annual types frequency
2018
https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/joc.5893
------------------------------
Could One Man Single-Handedly Ruin the Planet?
Oct. 31, 2018
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/10/bolsanaros-amazon-deforestation-accelerates-climate-change.html
------------------------------
To save Brazil’s rainforest, boost its science
22 October 2019
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03169-0
------------------------------
Can humanity survive without the Amazon rainforest?
August 22, 2019
Massive fires in the Amazon rainforest, a result of far-right policies, call humanity's survival into question
https://www.salon.com/2019/08/22/can-humanity-survive-without-the-amazon-rainforest-maybe-not-experts-say/
------------------------------
Why Protecting the Amazon is Critical to Solving the Climate Crisis.
September 12, 2019
https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/why-protecting-amazon-critical-solving-climate-crisis
------------------------------
The destruction of the Amazon, explained
September 1, 2019
https://theweek.com/articles/861886/destruction-amazon-explained
------------------------------
The Amazon rainforest’s worst-case scenario is uncomfortably near
Aug 27, 2019
Wildfires and deforestation are pushing the Amazon rainforest toward a dieback scenario: an irreversible cycle of collapse.
https://www.vox.com/2019/8/27/20833275/amazon-rainforest-fire-wildfire-dieback
------------------------------
AP Explains: Role of the Amazon in global climate change
August 27, 2019
https://apnews.com/384fdb5ee7654667b53ddb49efce8023
------------------------------
The Disappearing Rainforests
http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm
We
are losing Earth's greatest biological treasures just as we are
beginning to appreciate their true value. Rainforests once covered 14%
of the earth's land surface; now they cover a mere 6% and experts
estimate that the last remaining rainforests could be consumed in less
than 40 years.
One and one-half acres of rainforest are
lost every second with tragic consequences for both developing and
industrial countries.
Rainforests are being destroyed
because the value of rainforest land is perceived as only the value of
its timber by short-sighted governments, multi-national logging
companies, and land owners.
Nearly half of the world's
species of plants, animals and microorganisms will be destroyed or
severely threatened over the next quarter century due to rainforest
deforestation.
Experts estimates that we are losing 137
plant, animal and insect species every single day due to rainforest
deforestation. That equates to 50,000 species a year. As the rainforest
species disappear, so do many possible cures for life-threatening
diseases. Currently, 121 prescription drugs sold worldwide come from
plant-derived sources. While 25% of Western pharmaceuticals are derived
from rainforest ingredients, less that 1% of these tropical trees and
plants have been tested by scientists.
Most rainforests
are cleared by chainsaws, bulldozers and fires for its timber value and
then are followed by farming and ranching operations, even by world
giants like Mitsubishi Corporation, Georgia Pacific, Texaco and Unocal.
There
were an estimated ten million Indians living in the Amazonian
Rainforest five centuries ago. Today there are less than 200,000.
In
Brazil alone, European colonists have destroyed more than 90 indigenous
tribes since the 1900's. With them have gone centuries of accumulated
knowledge of the medicinal value of rainforest species. As their
homelands continue to be destroyed by deforestation, rainforest peoples
are also disappearing.
Most medicine men and shamans
remaining in the Rainforests today are 70 years old or more. Each time a
rainforest medicine man dies, it is as if a library has burned down.
When
a medicine man dies without passing his arts on to the next generation,
the tribe and the world loses thousands of years of irreplaceable
knowledge about medicinal plants.
------------------------------
The worst case of oil pollution on the planet
http://www.sosyasuni.org/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=106%3Athe-worst-case-of-oil-pollution-on-the-planet&catid=17%3Ageneral&Itemid=1
Chevron-Texaco in the Ecuadorian amazon region:
Chevron is responsible for creating toxic contamination 30 times larger than the Exxon Valdez Probably the largest oil-related environmental catastrophe in the world exists quietly in the Amazon rainforest, threatening to wipe out five indigenous groups largely out of sight of the world's media.
------------------
Vale: The pride of Brazil becomes its most hated company
30 January 2019
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47056849
------------------------------
The Amazon rainforest: could it become a desert?
October, 2019
Fire
consumed the outskirts of the Amazon rainforest in August. With
mortality rates of tropical trees increasing, we ask: could the
ecosystem be tipped into a barren desert environment?
https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/the-amazon-rainforest-could-it-become-a-desert/
------------------------------
61 facts you need to know about the rainforest
https://www.ovoenergy.com/blog/ovo-foundation/61-facts-you-need-to-know-about-the-rainforest.html
Biodiversity
One rainforest tree can have more than 40 different species of ant in
it, more than the number of ant species in the whole British Isles
Rainforests are home to two-thirds of all living animal and plant
species on the planet, with hundreds of millions of species still
undiscovered
The rainforest canopy can be more than 40 feet thick
One tropical tree can have 4 million flowers
We lose 137 species of plants and animals every day because of rainforest destruction
Six million different species live in the world’s rainforests
A single hectare of tropical rainforests may contain more than 480 species of tree
99% of rainforest species have still to be studied
Scientists believe human beings have increased the rate of extinction
by 1,000 times - greater than any time in the last 500 million years
The world’s largest orchid weighs nearly one tonne and grows to be three metres high and produces 10,000 flowers
63% of a female praying mantis' diet is male praying mantis
The world's population of ants weighs the same as the world's population of people
17,500 species have been discovered each year over the last decade. That's around 47 new species every single day
3,000 amphibians have been discovered in the last 25 years
Peru has the greatest butterfly biodiversity in the world, with more
than 4,000 native species. The whole of Europe has just 400 species
16% of animals in Peru are endemic, meaning they are found nowhere else in the world
8% of Peru’s animals are listed as endangered
There are a staggering 6,800 species of tree in Peru
Cool Earth’s projects are keeping 120 million trees standing
Deforestation
The global rate for deforestation is 32 million acres every year
10.6 acres of forest are lost in South America each year
9.9 million acres of forest in Africa are lost each year
25 million acres of tropical rainforest are lost per year
68,000 acres of tropical forest are lost each day
2,853 acres of tropical forest are lost each hour
48 acres of tropical forest are lost each minute
2.5 acres of tropical forest are lost every 3 seconds
Rainforests once covered 14% of the world’s land surface, today they cover just 6%
Since 1990 Peru has lost 2,773,810 acres of primary rainforest
--------------------------
Analysis of Atmospheric Aerosol Optical Properties in the Northeast
Brazilian Atmosphere with Remote Sensing Data from MODIS and
CALIOP/CALIPSO Satellites, AERONET Photometers and a Ground-Based Lidar
2019
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/10/10/594/htm
--------------
Characterization
of aerosol chemical composition from urban pollution in Brazil and its
possible impacts on the aerosol hygroscopicity and size distribution
2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1352231019300469
--------------
U.S. Blocks U.N. Resolution on Geoengineering
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-blocks-u-n-resolution-on-geoengineering/
The
United States joined Saudi Arabia to derail a U.N. resolution that
sought to improve the world’s understanding of potential efforts to lace
the sky with sunlight-reflecting aerosols or use carbon-catching fans.
The
two countries were joined by Brazil in blocking the resolution at the
U.N. Environment Assembly conference in Nairobi, Kenya, earlier this
week. The measure asked the world’s decisionmaking body on the
environment to commission a report outlining research and planning
related to carbon dioxide removal and solar radiation management. Those
controversial efforts are still in the planning stage and are not
operational.
Switzerland and nine other nations
originally asked the U.N. Environment Programme for guidance on possible
future governance options and analysis of the implications of
geoengineering, but they agreed to substantially reduce the scope of
their resolution in hopes that the United States, Saudi Arabia and
Brazil would allow it to move forward. The final version, which failed
to gain consensus Wednesday, would have asked UNEP only to provide a
compilation by next year of current scientific research on
geoengineering and U.N. bodies that have adopted resolutions regarding
it.
--------------
Ozone measurements in Amazonia: Dry season versus wet season
1990
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/JD095iD10p16913
--------------
Brazil’s biggest coal-producing state eyes Chinese investment
2018
Rio Grande do Sul coal project creates jobs but conflicts with Chinese domestic plans and CO2 cuts
https://dialogochino.net/15659-brazils-biggest-coal-producing-state-eyes-chinese-investment/
--------------
Bioethanol and Biodiesel as Vehicular Fuels in Brazil — Assessment of Atmospheric Impacts from the Long Period of Biofuels Use
https://www.intechopen.com/books/biofuels-status-and-perspective/bioethanol-and-biodiesel-as-vehicular-fuels-in-brazil-assessment-of-atmospheric-impacts-from-the-lon
--------------
Pollution Control in Brazil
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/45da/b6278f0fd7a61ddc50d2c59e6f025e144ecc.pdf
---------------
Air Pollution in World: Real-time Air Quality Index Visual Map
http://aqicn.org/map/world/
--------------
Cough-aerosol
cultures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the prediction of outcomes
after exposure. A household contact study in Brazil
2018
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0206384
--------------
Pollution from Manaus results in up to 400% higher aerosol formation due to the Amazon Rainforest
May 29, 2019
http://agencia.fapesp.br/pollution-from-manaus-results-in-up-to-400-higher-aerosol-formation-due-to-the-amazon-rainforest/30619/
--------------
Analysis of incoming biomass burning aerosol plumes over southern Brazil
2016
https://search.proquest.com/openview/b79a2c038a681b4854f7c40e8f26b9a9/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=2045193
-------------
Air pollution and respiratory diseases in the Municipality of Vitória, Espírito Santo State, Brazil
2007
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-311X2007001600023
-------------
Air quality assessment in different urban areas from Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, using lichen transplants
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0001-37652018000502233
-------------
Methanesulfunate and Non-Sea-Salt Sulfate in the Marine Aerosol and Precipitation
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-009-0567-2_102
---------------
Modeling of Atmospheric Aerosol Properties in the São Paulo Metropolitan Area: Impact of Biomass Burning
2018
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2018JD028768
--------------
Single-particle
characterization of aerosols collected at a remote site in the
Amazonian rainforest and an urban site in Manaus, Brazil
2019
https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/19/1221/2019/
--------------
Long-range Transport of Aerosols from Biomass Burning over Southeastern South America and their Implications on Air Quality
http://www.aaqr.org/article/detail/AAQR-17-11-2017AAC-0545
--------------
Long Term Analysis of Optical and Radiative Properties of Aerosols in the Amazon Basin
http://www.aaqr.org/article/detail/AAQR-19-04-OA-0189
--------------
Analysis
of Atmospheric Aerosol Optical Properties in the Northeast Brazilian
Atmosphere with Remote Sensing Data from MODIS and CALIOP/CALIPSO
Satellites, AERONET Photometers and a Ground-Based Lidar
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/10/10/594
--------------
Review of Aerosol Observations by Lidar and Chemical Analysis in the State of São Paulo, Brazil
2012
https://www.intechopen.com/books/atmospheric-aerosols-regional-characteristics-chemistry-and-physics/review-of-aerosol-observations-by-lidar-and-chemical-analysis-in-the-state-of-s-o-paulo-brazil
--------------
Influence of Atmospheric Aerosols on Evapotranspiration over a Semiarid Region in Northeast Brazil
2018
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-77862018000400677
--------------
Southern Brazil: analysis of aerosols from different sources through the sensors MODIS and CALIOP
http://www.scielo.org.bo/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1562-38232012000400008
--------------
Characterization
of the radiative impact of aerosols on CO2 and energy fluxes in the
Amazon deforestation arch using Artificial Neural Networks
2019
https://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/acp-2019-167/acp-2019-167.pdf
--------------
Spatial and temporal distribution of aerosol properties in Brazil, China, Australia and Canada during 2000–2012
2016
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7730504
--------------
Aerosols Control Rainfall in the Rainforest
https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=117696
--------------
Detection of saharan mineral dust aerosol transport over brazilian northeast through a depolarization lidar
2018
https://www.epj-conferences.org/articles/epjconf/abs/2018/11/epjconf_ilrc28_05036/epjconf_ilrc28_05036.html
--------------
Toward clearer skies: Challenges in regulating transboundary haze in Southeast Asia
https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/blog.nus.edu.sg/dist/a/6358/files/2016/07/Lee_et_at_2015_ESP-20r33uw.pdf
---------------
Assessment
of the variability of pollutants concentration over the metropolitan
area of São Paulo, Brazil, using the wavelet transform
2015
https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/asl.618
--------------
Synergetic measurements of aerosols over São Paulo,Brazil using LIDAR, sunphotometer and satellite data during the dry season
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00295335/document
--------------
Air pollution and mortality in São Paulo, Brazil: Effects of multiple pollutants and analysis of susceptible populations.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25586330
--------------
Particulate
pollutants in the Brazilian city of São Paulo: 1-year investigation for
the chemical composition and source apportionment
09 Oct 2017
https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/17/11943/2017/
--------------
Association between ambient air pollution and birth weight in São Paulo, Brazil
https://jech.bmj.com/content/58/1/11
-------------
Characterising Brazilian biomass burning emissions using WRF-Chem with MOSAIC sectional aerosol
2014
https://www.geosci-model-dev.net/8/549/2015/gmd-8-549-2015.pdf
--------------
NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP tracks fire and smoke from two continents
2019
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-09/nsfc-nsn091319.php
--------------
Are metals and pyrene levels additional factors playing a pivotal role in air pollution-induced inflammation in taxi drivers?
2018
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2018/tx/c7tx00203c
--------------
There’s no doubt that Brazil’s fires are linked to deforestation, scientists say
Aug. 26, 2019
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/08/theres-no-doubt-brazils-fires-are-caused-deforestation-scientists-say
--------------
Fires in Brazil’s Amazon have devastating consequences
September 2019
The
increase in the number of fires in the Brazilian Amazon this year
compared to last year is unprecedented, figures from different
organizations show.
https://news.mongabay.com/2019/09/fires-in-brazils-amazon-have-devastating-consequences/
--------------
Amazon rainforest fires: global leaders urged to divert Brazil from 'suicide' path
2019
Experts say international pressure may be only way to sway Bolsonaro government
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/23/amazon-fires-global-leaders-urged-divert-brazil-suicide-path
----------------------
Black Carbon Found in the Amazon River – Most From Recent Forest Burnings
November 27, 2019
https://scitechdaily.com/black-carbon-found-in-the-amazon-river-most-from-recent-forest-burnings/
----------------------
Brazilian Farmers Believe They Have the Right to Burn the Amazon
“The
people in the big cities of Sao Paulo and Rio, they want us to live on
picking Brazil nuts,” a farmer says. “That doesn’t put anyone’s kid in
college”
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/brazilian-farmers-believe-they-have-the-right-to-burn-the-amazon-875879/
----------------------
Amazon Deforestation in Brazil Rose Sharply on Bolsonaro’s Watch
2019
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/18/world/americas/brazil-amazon-deforestation.html
President
Jair Bolsonaro has scaled back efforts to fight illegal logging, mining
and farming, which have led to widespread destruction in the world’s
largest rainforest.
------------------------
Brazil’s Amazon rainforest destruction is at its highest rate in more than a decade
Nov 18, 2019
https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/11/18/20970604/amazon-rainforest-2019-brazil-burning-deforestation-bolsonaro
New satellite measurements show an alarming spike in deforestation this year
------------------------
Brazil's Bolsonaro says he will accept aid to fight Amazon fires
August 27, 2019
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-wildfires-brazil-spurns-20-million-aid-offer-from-g-7-nations-today-2019-08-27/
-----------------------
Leaked Documents Show Brazil’s Bolsonaro Has Grave Plans for Amazon Rainforest
2019
DemocraciaAbierta
had access to PowerPoints from a meeting between members of the
Bolsonaro government. The slides show that the current government
intends to use the president's hate speech to diminish the power of
minorities living in the region and to implement predatory projects that
could have a devastating environmental impact for the Amazon.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/08/22/leaked-documents-show-brazils-bolsonaro-has-grave-plans-amazon-rainforest
----------------------
Brazil's president says he fell, briefly lost memory
Jair Bolsonaro says he managed to remember lots of things day after incident
Beyza Binnur Donmez | 25.12.2019
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/brazils-president-says-he-fell-briefly-lost-memory/1683958
----------------------
Brazil Was a Global Leader on Climate Change. Now It’s a Threat.
January 4, 2019
Jair Bolsonaro’s government could roll back decades of progress on clean energy and reducing deforestation.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/01/04/brazil-was-a-global-leader-on-climate-change-now-its-a-threat/
----------------------------
Spatial patterns of medium and large size mammal assemblages in varzea and terra firme forests, Central Amazonia, Brazil
2018
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0198120&type=printable
---------------
Pollution Control in Brazil
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/45da/b6278f0fd7a61ddc50d2c59e6f025e144ecc.pdf
---------------
Air Pollution in World: Real-time Air Quality Index Visual Map
http://aqicn.org/map/world/
--------------
NASA DATA SHOWS DEFORESTATION AFFECTS CLIMATE IN THE AMAZON
2004
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2004/0603amazondry.html
--------------
Secrets of Cloud Formation, Revealed in the Amazon
2013
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/cloud-formation-in-the-amazon/
--------------
The Role of Sea Spray in Cleansing Air Pollution over Ocean via Cloud Processes
2002
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/297/5587/1667.abstract
---------------
Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentration in the Brazilian northeast semi-arid region: the influence of local circulation
2014
https://ccacoalition.org/fr/resources/cloud-condensation-nuclei-ccn-concentration-brazilian-northeast-semi-arid-region-influence
----------------
Issues of local and global use of water from the Amazon
2004
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000136195
------------------
The Amazon River Needs Rights Recognition Now
2018
https://www.earthlawcenter.org/blog-entries/2018/2/the-amazon-river-needs-rights-recognition-now
------------------
The Amazon Rain Forest Is Nearly Gone We Went to the Front Lines to See If It Could Be Saved
https://time.com/amazon-rainforest-disappearing/
------------------
Pollution, illness, threats and murder: is this Amazon factory the link?
2018
The
death of a Brazilian community leader followed concerns about
contaminated water around the aluminium plant but its Norwegian owners
deny responsibility
The Norwegian-owned aluminium plant
in Barcarena in the state of Pará is accused of contaminating rivers
and water supplies, causing diarrhoea, vomiting and hair loss and
poisoning fish.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/16/brazil-pollution-amazon-aluminium-plant-norwegian
------------------
Groundwater may play key role in forest fires
2017
https://news.mongabay.com/2017/06/groundwater-may-play-key-role-in-forest-fires/
------------------
World's Water Could Become Scarce if the Amazon Rainforest Is Destroyed
2018
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/amazon-rainforest-water-crisis/
------------------
Self-amplified Amazon forest loss due to vegetation-atmosphere feedbacks
2017
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms14681
------------------
Groundwater
Important Underground Sources Are Shrinking
The
overpumping of groundwater is causing water tables to fall across large
areas of northern China, India, Pakistan, Iran, the Middle East,
Mexico, and the western United States.
The Ogallala
Aquifer, which spans parts of eight states from southern South Dakota to
northwest Texas, is steadily being depleted. The Ogallala provides 30
percent of the groundwater used for irrigation in the U.S., and as of
2005, a volume equivalent to two-thirds the water in Lake Erie had been
depleted.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/groundwater/
------------------
Surface water quality and deforestation of the Purus river basin, Brazilian Amazon
2016
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40071-016-0150-1
-------------------------------
------------------
-----------------
----------------
Section 2: Mining, Fracking & Tar Sands
---------------
-----------------
-------------------
-----------------------------
Illegal Gold Mining Causes ‘Devastating’ Mercury Pollution In Amazon Rainforest, Study Says
Jan 28, 2022
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharysmith/2022/01/28/illegal-gold-mining-causes-devastating-mercury-pollution-in-amazon-rainforest-study-says/?sh=4c28ff0a521d
---------------
Illegal gold mining causing mercury contamination in indigenous groups
7 July 2016
https://news.mongabay.com/2016/07/illegal-gold-mining-causing-mercury-contamination-in-indigenous-groups/
---------------
Gold, wood, religion: Threats to Colombia’s isolated indigenous peoples
2019
https://news.mongabay.com/2019/06/gold-wood-religion-threats-to-colombias-isolated-indigenous-peoples/
---------------
Illegal Mining, ‘Worse Than at Any Other Time,’ Threatens Amazon, Study Finds
2018
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/10/world/americas/amazon-illegal-mining.html
---------------
Blood Gold in the Brazilian Rain Forest
November 11, 2019
Indigenous people and illegal miners are engaged in a fight that may help decide the future of the planet.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/11/11/blood-gold-in-the-brazilian-rain-forest?utm_source=pocket-newtab
---------------
Highest levels of atmospheric mercury pollution now found in Amazonian rainforest due to gold mining
January 31, 2022
https://www.markettradingessentials.com/2022/01/highest-levels-of-atmospheric-mercury-pollution-now-found-in-amazonian-rainforest-due-to-gold-mining/
---------------
Mercury Pollution in Amapá, Brazil: Mercury Amalgamation in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining or Land-Cover and Land-Use Changes?
2018
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.7b00089
---------------
Many Mines
https://blogs.nelson.wisc.edu/es112-309-3/mining/
---------------
Illegal Gold Miners In Brazil Destroying Amazon, Indigenous Tribes At Risk
Sep 10, 2014
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kitconews/2014/09/10/illegal-gold-miners-in-brazil-destroying-amazon-indigenous-tribes-at-risk/#56f603901fd0
---------------
Illegal gold mines destroying Amazon rainforest: study
11.12.2018
An increase in small-scale gold mining has taken a toll on the Amazon, increasing deforestation and polluting waterways, according to a new report. Mining in protected indigenous areas has increased exponentially.
https://www.dw.com/en/illegal-gold-mines-destroying-amazon-rainforest-study/a-46671784
---------------
Bauxite mining and deforestation in Oriximina (Para), Brazil
https://ejatlas.org/conflict/bauxite-mining-and-deforestation-in-oriximina-para-brazil
---------------
Mining drives extensive deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon
2017
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-00557-w
---------------
Brazil: The toxic impact of bauxite mining in Oriximiná
2018
https://lab.org.uk/brazil-the-toxic-impact-of-bauxite-mining-in-oriximina/
---------------
Mercury contamination and health risk in the Brazilian Amazon: an ethical dilemma
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0036-46651996000400001
---------------
Perception of mercury contamination by Brazilian adolescents in a gold mining community: an ethnographic approach
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1413-81232009000600009
---------------
Illegal gold mining is destroying Amazon rainforest, research shows
December 2018
'Illegal mining can kill us,' indigenous leader warns
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/gold-mining-amazon-rainforest-south-america-mercury-jair-bolsonaro-raisg-a8677996.html
---------------
Illegal mining surges on Yanomami indigenous land: report
25 Mar, 2021
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40077412
---------------
How Illegal Mining Fuels Pollution and Corruption in Colombia’s Northwest
August 24, 2021
https://eng.az24saat.org/2021/08/24/how-illegal-mining-fuels-pollution-and-corruption-in-colombias-northwest/
---------------
An Illegal Mining 'Epidemic' Is Spreading Across the Amazon Rainforest
Dec 20, 2018
While illegal mining in the Amazon has been a problem for decades, new data shows levels that are not comparable to any other period of its history.
https://psmag.com/environment/illegal-mining-epidemic-spreads-across-the-amazon
---------------
Human Exposure to Mercury Due to Goldmining in the Tapajos River Basin, Amazon, Brazil: Speciation of Mercury in Human Hair, Blood and Urine
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-011-0153-0_10
---------------
Fractional Mercury Levels in Brazilian Gold Refiners and Miners
25 Sep 2008
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/15563659509020208
-----------------
Mercury management on small scale gold mining: designing a strategy for a National Action Plan in Brazil
https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/13017/Text_to_accompany_brazil_presentation.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
---------------
Brazilian Gold
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_Gold
Brazilian
gold, first discovered in the late 17th century, has played an
important and lasting role in shaping the social, cultural, and economic
realities of eastern South America. The initial discovery of gold in
the area that is modern-day Brazil led to the longest lasting gold rush
in world history, bringing hundreds of thousands of non-indigenous
Portuguese and slaves to the area as well as environmental destruction
and pollution. The effects from mass migration to the region in the
pursuit of riches are some of the biggest formative components of
Brazilian culture today. However, along with the opportunity for
economic prosperity that gold has offered to some, extensive mining and
the processes that accompany purification of the valuable mineral have
wreaked havoc on the delicate ecosystem of the Amazon, with large swaths
of rainforest leveled and dangerously high levels of mercury deposited
in the Amazon River. Despite the negatives, Brazilian gold is still
highly sought after and mined by modern-day Brazilian "garimpieros,"
partly due to the recent resurgence of gold prices making the dangerous
and polluting line of work highly profitable.
----------------
Peruvian gold rush turns pristine rainforests into heavily polluted mercury sinks
January 28, 2022
https://phys.org/news/2022-01-peruvian-gold-pristine-rainforests-heavily.html
----------------
Peru cracks down on illegal gold mining to save deforested Amazon area
Feb. 20, 2019
If
it works, Peru would be stopping a practice that releases harmful
mercury as well as drives sex trafficking and child labor in mining
camps
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/peru-cracks-down-illegal-gold-mining-save-deforested-amazon-area-n973551
---------------
Elevated Mercury Concentrations in Humans of Madre de Dios, Peru
March 16, 2012
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0033305
---------------
Gold Mining in the Peruvian Amazon: Global Prices, Deforestation, and Mercury Imports
April 19, 2011
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0018875
Abstract
Many factors such as poverty, ineffective institutions and environmental
regulations may prevent developing countries from managing how natural
resources are extracted to meet a strong market demand. Extraction for
some resources has reached such proportions that evidence is measurable
from space. We present recent evidence of the global demand for a single
commodity and the ecosystem destruction resulting from commodity
extraction, recorded by satellites for one of the most biodiverse areas
of the world. We find that since 2003, recent mining deforestation in
Madre de Dios, Peru is increasing nonlinearly alongside a constant
annual rate of increase in international gold price (∼18%/yr). We detect
that the new pattern of mining deforestation (1915 ha/year, 2006–2009)
is outpacing that of nearby settlement deforestation. We show that gold
price is linked with exponential increases in Peruvian national mercury
imports over time (R2 = 0.93, p = 0.04, 2003–2009). Given the
past rates of increase we predict that mercury imports may more than
double for 2011 (∼500 t/year). Virtually all of Peru's mercury imports
are used in artisanal gold mining. Much of the mining increase is
unregulated/artisanal in nature, lacking environmental impact analysis
or miner education. As a result, large quantities of mercury are being
released into the atmosphere, sediments and waterways. Other developing
countries endowed with gold deposits are likely experiencing similar
environmental destruction in response to recent record high gold prices.
The increasing availability of satellite imagery ought to evoke further
studies linking economic variables with land use and cover changes on
the ground.
----------------
The Other Man-Made Disaster Ravaging the Amazon
August 29, 2019
Peru’s aggressive campaign to eradicate illegal gold mining in the Amazon has yielded mixed results.
https://www.thenation.com/article/peru-la-pampa-illegal-gold-mining/
----------------
'A global
crime against the environment': Shocking video shows riverbank stacked
with trash and trucks dumping huge loads of waste directly into the
water in Peru
17 March 2016
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3496960/A-global-crime-against-environment-Shocking-video-shows-riverbank-stacked-trash-trucks-dumping-huge-loads-waste-directly-water-Peru.html
Environmental campaigners post video of truck dumping into Huallaga river
Footage first shows a walk down muddy road lined with high piles of rubbish
Campaigners claim it is contaminating river and making people in the area ill
Demanding joint action from Peru and Brazil as river flows through both
-----------------
How a sheriff in Brazil is using satellites to stop deforestation
12 April 2019
https://news.mongabay.com/2019/04/how-a-sheriff-in-brazil-is-using-satellites-to-stop-deforestation/
------------------
These pollution-spotting satellites are just a taste of what's to come
April 4, 2019
https://www.edf.org/blog/2019/04/04/these-pollution-spotting-satellites-are-just-taste-whats-come
------------------
European space agency records Amazon air pollution
2019
https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/european-space-agency-records-amazon-air-pollution-1.4585048
----------------
Gold Mining as a Source of Mercury Exposure in the Brazilian Amazon
May 1998
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935198938282
Abstract
Amalgamation
has been used for more than 4500 years in mining processes. Mercury has
been extensively used in South America by Spanish colonizers for
precious metal recovery. It is estimated that between 1550 and 1880,
nearly 200,000 metric tonnes of mercury was released to the environment.
During the present gold rush, Brazil is first in South America and
second in the world in gold production (with 90% coming from informal
mining orgarimpos). At least 2000 tonnes of mercury has been released to
the environment in the present gold rush. From the mid 1980s,
environmental research has been carried out in impacted Amazon rivers,
later followed by human exposure studies. The river basins studied were
the Tapajós, Madeira, and Negro, but also some man-made reservoirs and
areas in central Brazil. The analyses mainly involved sediments, soil,
air, fish, human hair, and urine. The results show high variability,
perhaps related to biological diversity, biogeochemical differences in
the river basins, and seasonal changes. High mercury values also occur
in some areas with no known history of gold mining. The results
available document a considerable impact on environmental mercury
concentrations and frequent occurrence of human exposure levels that may
lead to adverse health effects.
---------------
Mercury Pollution in Amapá, Brazil: Mercury Amalgamation in
Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining or Land-Cover and Land-Use
Changes?
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.7b00089
-------------------
Maternal mercury exposure and neuro-motor development in breastfed infants from Porto Velho (Amazon), Brazil.
2007
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17011234
---------------
Mercury-Free Gold mining Technologies: Possibilities for Adoption in the Guianas
https://www.cbd.int/financial/monterreytradetech/guyana-montech.pdf
---------------
Mercury-Free Gold mining Technologies:
Possibilities for Adoption in the Guianas
Prepared by Rickford Vieira
Edited by Michelet Fontaine
https://www.cbd.int/financial/monterreytradetech/guyana-montech.pdf
----------------
Blood Gold in the Brazilian Rain Forest
2019
Indigenous people and illegal miners are engaged in a fight that may help decide the future of the planet.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/11/11/blood-gold-in-the-brazilian-rain-forest
---------------
Alarming level of mercury contamination in Amazon dolphins: illegal gold mining
October 25th 2019
https://en.mercopress.com/2019/10/25/alarming-level-of-mercury-contamination-in-amazon-dolphins-illegal-gold-mining
Amazon
river dolphins are showing alarming levels of contamination mainly
because of illegal panning for gold, conservationists say. Researchers
measured contamination levels in 46 of these large freshwater creatures
known for long, bottle-like snouts in major basins of Brazil, Bolivia,
Colombia and Peru.
All of them had some degree of
mercury contamination and in more than half the level was high, said
Marcelo Oliveira of the Brazilian chapter of the World Wide Fund for
Nature, one of several NGOs that carried out the study.
It
said illegal gold panning, in which mercury is used to separate the
precious metal from other minerals, is a real threat, especially in the
Orinoco River flowing through Colombia and Venezuela. But gold panning
is not the only problem, said Oliveira.
“Mercury exists
naturally in the Amazon, but is spreading through the water because of
deforestation and forest fires and slipping into the food chains of
dolphins and fish,” said Oliveira.
High levels of
mercury in river dolphins also pose a serious threat for nearly 20
million people who live in the Amazon region and end up eating
contaminated fish.
“Mercury can remain in the food chain for up to 100 years. It is a major problem,” said Oliveira.
---------------
Mercury Speciation in Hair of Children in Three Communities of the Amazon, Brazil
2014
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2014/945963/
---------------
The Yanomami people are contaminated by mercury used in gold digging
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGmmgv7Q7GI
---------------
Brazil a step closer to fully mining the Amazon
September 20, 2012
A controversial project to mine Brazil’s vast indigenous territories
in the Amazon, to be presented at the South American country’s Congress
in October, has revived a long-dragged confrontation among authorities,
environmentalists and local communities.
The bill, which aims to revoke Brazil’s indigenous groups
“inalienable rights” over their lands, granted by the 1988 constitution,
would allow mining in a vast area that covers nearly 13% of the
country, or an area almost twice the size of Spain.
https://www.mining.com/brazil-a-step-closer-to-fully-mine-the-amazon-70962/
---------------
Introducing New Technologies for Abatement of Global Mercury Pollution in Latin America
https://www.ais.unwater.org/ais/aiscm/getprojectdoc.php?docid=409
---------------
Mining Giants Head to Amazon Rain Forest
Dec. 23, 2012
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324020804578150964211301692
BELEM,
Brazil—Mining giants such as Brazil's Vale SA and U.K.-based Anglo
American PLC are increasing efforts to extract minerals from Brazil's
Amazon rain forest, a high-stakes foray into one of the world's most
remote and environmentally sensitive regions.
All
together, mining companies will spend some $24 billion between 2012 and
2016 to boost production of iron ore, bauxite and other metals found in
the Amazon basin, according to Brazil's mining association, Ibram.
Already, Brazil is attracting a fifth of all mining investment...
----------------
Mercury Mining Awaits International Control in Mexico
2017
http://www.ipsnews.net/2017/09/mercury-mining-awaits-international-control-mexico/
---------------
An Amazon community braces for "monster" gold mine
3 Apr 2017
The
Volte Grande Project on the Xingu river is destined to be Brazil’s
largest open-pit goldmine. But activists fear the environmental impact
on indigenous communities.
https://www.univision.com/univision-news/environment/an-amazon-community-braces-for-monster-gold-mine
---------------
Mercury Exposure and Health Impacts among Individuals in the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) Community
https://www.who.int/ipcs/assessment/public_health/mercury_asgm.pdf?ua=1
Investigators
that conducted a study in the Tapajos River basin in Amazonian Brazil
diagnosed three individuals with mild Minimata disease and suspected
Minimata disease in 3 other individuals.
Kidney Dysfunction
•Exposure to high levels of elemental mercury has been associated with kidney effects.
Two
studies have found an association between mercury concentrations and
kidney dysfunction or kidney microdamage in residents of ASGM
communities.
Immunotoxicity/Autoimmune Dysfunction
•Four
studies report an association between methylmercury exposure and
autoimmune dysfunction in mining communities in Amazonian Brazil.
---------------
Murder warrants in Brazil dam break; death toll over 300 expected
January 29, 2019
Criminal investigation begins after mud flow devastates town downstream of mine
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/01/29/murder-warrants-in-brazil-dam-break-death-toll-over-300-expected/
---------------
Mercury Contamination in the Madeira River, Amazon-Hg Inputs to the Environment
1989
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2388449?seq=1
---------------
Mercury levels rising in Brazil
April 2018
https://newint.org/features/2018/08/10/mercury-levels-rising-brazil
A large-scale dam in the Amazon is leading to dangerously high levels of mercury in indigenous communities, according to a new study.
Hair samples taken from residents living near Tucuruí Dam found that more than half of the 37 participants had mercury concentrations 20 times higher than that which is considered safe by the World Health Organisation.
By flooding hundreds of square miles of forest, dams cause mercury that is stored in soil and vegetation to be released into the water. These waterlogged conditions favour methanogenic bacteria, which ‘transforms inorganic mercury into organic mercury – its most toxic form,’ according to Professor Maria Elena Crespo-López, co-author of the study published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety.
Organic mercury accumulates in the fish that are a key part of local diets. This allows it to enter the human food chain and accrue to dangerous levels; around 80 per cent of the mercury detected was in its organic form.
‘Acute exposure to organic mercury can cause Minamata disease,’ says López. ‘[This is] a severe condition which includes, co-ordination problems, progressive visual deterioration and even paralysis.’
More than 400 hydropower dams are currently operating or under construction in the Amazon. Brazil hopes to increase hydropower capacity by 27 gigawatts by 2024.
---------------
Mercury in the Madeira River ecosystem, Rondônia, Brazil
1991
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/037811279190145L
-------------------
Assessing mercury pollution in Amazon River tributaries using a Bayesian Network approach
2018
https://www.amazoniasocioambiental.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/article_bonotto2018.pdf
----------------
Daily mercury intake in fish-eating populations in the Brazilian Amazon
05 September 2007
https://www.nature.com/articles/7500599
--------------
Amazonian dirt roads are choking Brazil’s tropical streams
March 1, 2018
https://theconversation.com/amazonian-dirt-roads-are-choking-brazils-tropical-streams-89226
-----------------
Air Pollution in the Brazilian Road Transport and Its Environmental and Social Consequences
2014
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a4be/49d5edfeb92878f60c2681481783937132c5.pdf
-------------------
Heavy agricultural machinery can damage the soil, Nordic researchers find
2011
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110505083737.htm
--------------------
The Dirty Truth About Plowing
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2007/08/dirty-truth-about-plowing
--------------------
Rondônia’s Deforestation Caused by Clearing along Roads
https://lcluc.umd.edu/hotspot/rond%C3%B4nia%E2%80%99s-deforestation-caused-clearing-along-roads
-------------------
Rondonia
https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/29/opinion/the-burning-of-rondonia.html
-------------------
Diversity of the land resources in the Amazonian State of Rondônia, Brazil
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0044-59672006000100011
--------------------
BBC: How illegal logging in Brazil’s Amazon turns ‘legal’
29 November 2012
https://infoamazonia.org/en/2012/11/29/bbc-how-illegal-logging-in-brazils-amazon-turns-legal/
--------------------
Illegal logging and cattle ranching in TI Karipuna and Jací-Paraná, Rondônia, Brazil
https://ejatlas.org/conflict/illegal-logging-and-cattle-ranching-in-ti-karipuna-and-jaci-parana-rondonia-brazil
-----------------
Shooting Itself in the Foot, Brazil Spreads Concrete Through the Rainforest
2009
http://www.coha.org/shooting-itself-in-the-foot-brazil-spreads-concrete-through-the-rainforest/
------------------
The Putumayo-Içá River
http://amazonwaters.org/basins/great-sub-basins/putumayo-ica/
The
Putumayo-Içá is the only river in the Amazon Basin that drains
territory in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. The Putumayo River
demarcates most of the Peruvian-Colombian border.
Uses & Impacts
Overall,
the Putumayo-Içá Basin is sparsely populated and most development is in
the Andean headwaters. The foothill region and adjacent lowlands have
been extensively deforested for agriculture. The most developed area is
centered on the Orito oil fields and the trans-Andino pipeline
transports crude oil from the fields to Tumaco on the Colombian coast.
In addition, a secondary pipeline from Ecuador connects to the
trans-Andino pipeline at Orito. Rebels repeatedly bombed the pipeline in
past decades during Colombia’s internal armed conflict, but no major
pollution was reported due to these incidents. Because the petroleum
business is privatized in Colombia, oil exploration and drilling is
expected to intensify in the Putumayo Basin, especially as insurgencies
are reconciled.
------------------
Issue: Preventing soil degradation and erosion
2015
http://cgsmun.gr/wp-content/uploads/2015/10th/Study_Guides/EC1_2_BvD.pdf
-----------------
Soil Erosion and Conservation in Brazil
http://www.anuario.igeo.ufrj.br/2014_1/2014_1_81_91.pdf
Abstract
Brazil covers 8,547,403 km2 and is divided into five regions (Northern, North Western, Central Western, South Eastern and Southern). The diversity of climate, geology, topography, biota and human activities have contributed to the considerable diversity of soil types and thus soil erosion problems. National soils can be classified into 12 classes. These are: Oxisols (38.7%), Alfisols (20.0%), Inceptisols (2.7%), Mollisols (0.5%), Spodosols (1.6%), Gleysols (3.7%), Aridisols (2.7%), Entisols (14.5%), Vertisols (2.0%), Ultisols (1.8%), Plinthosols (6%) and Alisols (4.3%). The erodibility of these Soil Orders is reviewed and is mainly related to soil texture. Sands and loamy sands are especially erodible. Soil erosion patterns are complex, being influenced by rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, topography, land use and management characteristics. Urban areas have specific erosion problems and there are illustrated using a case study from São Luis (north-east Brazil). Soil erosion rates can be excessive, in some cases exceeding 100 tonnes per hectare per year. Particularly serious soil erosion is associated with six regions. These are north-western Paraná State; the Central Plateau, in the Centre Western Region; Western São Paulo State; the Paraíba do Sul middle drainage basin, in Rio de Janeiro State; Campanha Gaúcha in Rio Grande do Sul State and Triângulo Mineiro, in western Minas Gerais State. Examples of effective soil conservation are presented, using case studies from both Paraná and Santa Catarina States. Integrated management of drainage basins offers a promising way forward for effective soil conservation in Brazil.Keywords: Soil erosion; soil conservation; soil mapping
---------------------
Diagnosis of the Accelerated Soil Erosion in São Paulo State (Brazil) by the Soil Lifetime Index Methodology
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-06832016000100552
------------------------
Soil Erosion Washes Away $8 Billion Annually
May 21, 2019
https://www.forbes.com/sites/linhanhcat/2019/05/21/soil-erosion-washes-away-8-billion/#5313a5b85b6c
------------------------
Water Erosion in Brazil and in the World: A Brief Review
http://www.academicstar.us/UploadFile/Picture/2015-7/2015740309583.pdf
------------------------
Third of Earth's soil is acutely degraded due to agriculture
2017
Fertile soil is being lost at rate of 24bn tonnes a year through intensive farming as demand for food increases, says UN-backed study
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/12/third-of-earths-soil-acutely-degraded-due-to-agriculture-study
------------------------
Soils are endangered, but the degradation can be rolled back
Population growth, industrialization and climate change threaten soil health
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/357059/icode/
---------------------
Restoring Soil Quality to Mitigate Soil Degradation
2015
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/5/5875/htm
---------------------
11 ways to damage soil versus 11 ways to build it
May 03, 2017
https://www.farmprogress.com/soil-health/11-ways-damage-soil-versus-11-ways-build-it
-----------------
Land Use and Seasonal Effects on the Soil Microbiome of a Brazilian Dry Forest
2019
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6461016/
----------------------
Soil loss, soil degradation and rehabilitation in a degraded land area in Guarapuava (Brazil)
2010
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ldr.1052
---------------------
Natural Potential for Erosion for Brazilian Territory
http://cdn.intechweb.org/pdfs/23108.pdf
---------------------
The impact of glyphosate on soil health
https://www.soilassociation.org/media/7202/glyphosate-and-soil-health-full-report.pdf
---------------------
Soil Degradation Threatens Nutrition in Latin America
http://www.ipsnews.net/2016/06/soil-degradation-threatens-nutrition-in-latin-america/
-----------------
Soil communities threatened by destruction, instability of Amazon forests
May 24, 2019
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190524130239.htm
-----------------
Computation of Lake or Reservoir Sedimentation in Terms of Soil Erosion
https://www.intechopen.com/books/sediment-transport-in-aquatic-environments/computation-of-lake-or-reservoir-sedimentation-in-terms-of-soil-erosion
-----------------
Orinoco Belt
The Orinoco Belt is a territory in the southern strip of the eastern Orinoco River Basin in Venezuela which overlies the world's largest deposits of petroleum. Its local Spanish name is Faja Petrolífera del Orinoco (Orinoco Petroleum Belt).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orinoco_Belt
-----------------
Oil Spills in Brazil and North Dakota
NFK Editors - November 4, 2019
https://newsforkids.net/articles/2019/11/04/oil-spills-in-brazil-and-north-dakota/
-----------------
Environmental impact of the largest petroleum terminal in SE Brazil: A
multiproxy analysis based on sediment geochemistry and living benthic
foraminifera
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0191446
----------------
Characterization of Acidic Compounds in Brazilian Tar Sand Bitumens by LTQ Orbitrap XL: Assessing Biodegradation Using Petroleomics
2017
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0103-50532017000500848
-----------------
Tar sandstones in the Paraná Basin of Brazil: structural and magmatic controls of hydrocarbon charge
2005
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264817205000218
-----------------
JPMorgan Facing A New Environmental Fight Over Tar Sands Funding
2017
The bank is the target of a new campaign by a well-funded advocacy group with a record of forcing policy change.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jpmorgan-tar-sands_n_59ca6944e4b01cc57ff5a982
-----------------
Mobil's Chief Executive Warned of CO2 From Oil Sands Fuels in 1982
2016
Concerned that carbon-heavy fuels would speed up global warming, the CEO put his trust in the United Nations and federal scientists to point the way to solutions.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/09052016/mobil-oil-chief-executive-warned-climate-change-co2-oil-sands-fuels-tar-sands-1982-exxon
----------------
More banks bailing on tar sands pipelines
2017
#DivestTheGlobe, the Indigenous-led campaign that has grown out of resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline, claims another win in widening boycott of pipeline financiers
https://nowtoronto.com/news/banks-bailing-on-tar-sands-pipelines/
-----------------
Seven oil multinationals that are pulling out of Canada’s tar sands
March 14, 2017
https://environmentaldefence.ca/2017/03/14/seven-oil-multinationals-pulling-canadas-tar-sands/
-----------------
BP buys into offshore Brazil with $7bn Devon Energy deal
BP is finally joining the rush for Brazil's deepwater oil reserves with a $7bn (£4.7bn) deal with Devon Energy to buy assets in Brazil, Azerbaijan and the Gulf of Mexico.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/bp-buys-into-offshore-brazil-with-7bn-devon-energy-deal-1920167.html
-----------------
Canadian mining doing serious environmental harm, the IACHR is told
May 2014
Operations in nine Latin American countries continue with explicit Canadian state support, says report
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/andes-to-the-amazon/2014/may/14/canadian-mining-serious-environmental-harm-iachr
-----------------
Quit Chastising Brazil, Canada. You’re a Climate Killer, Too
30 Aug 2019
Some want global intervention against ‘rogue’ climate states. That may not end so well for us.
https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2019/08/30/Quit-Chastising-Brazil-Canada/
-----------------
Tar Sands Threaten World’s Largest Boreal Forest
2014
https://www.wri.org/blog/2014/07/tar-sands-threaten-world-s-largest-boreal-forest
-----------------
Canada To Add Nearly 25% Of New Global Crude Oil Supply
Oct 9, 2019
https://www.forbes.com/sites/judeclemente/2019/10/09/canada-to-add-nearly-25-of-new-global-crude-oil-supply/#5aaedff97ce5
-----------------
Brazil Crude Oil Production by Year
https://www.indexmundi.com/energy/?country=br&product=oil&graph=production
-----------------
Statoil to Sell 40% of Offshore Brazil Oil Field to Sinochem for $3B Cash
21 May 2010
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2010/05/peregrino-20100521.html
-----------------
Pátria Investimentos, Shell and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems announce partnership in thermal power plant
Joint venture will invest US$700 million in pioneering energy project
São Paulo, February 12, 2019 - Pátria Investimentos, the Shell Group and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) have announced the construction and operation of the gas-based thermal power plant Marlim Azul in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro. The partnership envisages construction of the plant and the sale of energy generated by it in both the captive market, through the auction held by the Brazilian electricity regulatory agency ANEEL in December 2017, and in the free energy contracting environment (ACL), through Shell Energy Brasil S.A. Pátria Investimentos will have a 50.1% stake in the project, while the Shell Group will have 29.9% and MHPS 20%.
https://amer.mhps.com/p%C3%A1tria-investimentos%2C-shell-and-mitsubishi-hitachi-power-systems-announce-partnership-in-thermal-pow.html
-----------------
Squeezing More Oil Out of the Ground
2009
Amid warnings of a possible peak for oil production, new technologies offer options to extract every last possible drop
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/squeezing-more-oil-edit-this/
-----------------
Brazil does a U-turn on fracking. Indigenous lands protected from oil and gas exploration
Mar 1, 2016
https://www.lifegate.com/people/news/brazil-fracking-stopped-amazon-jurua-valley
-----------------
Fighting Fracking in Brazil: Images From an Ongoing Struggle
Feb. 10, 2016
https://www.ecowatch.com/fighting-fracking-in-brazil-images-from-an-ongoing-struggle-1882171198.html
-----------------
Amazon Fracking Scheme Encounters Stiff Resistance in Brazil
October 21, 2015
https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1021-amazon-fracking-scheme-encounters-stiff-resistance-in-brazil
-----------------
7 million people in South Brazil are about to leave oil and shale gas on the ground
2019
https://naofrackingbrasil.com.br/2019/07/17/7-million-people-in-south-brazil-are-about-to-leave-oil-and-shale-gas-on-the-ground/
-----------------
Fracktivists ‘win’ as Brazil shale gas auction flops
09/10/2015
https://www.climatechangenews.com/2015/10/09/fracktivists-win-as-brazil-shale-gas-auction-flops/
-----------------
Brazil debates for a federal law to ban Fracking in the whole country
2019
https://naofrackingbrasil.com.br/2019/08/13/federal-law-ban-fracking-brazil/
-----------------
Perspectives for use of hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas production
2014
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0370-44672014000400004
-----------------
Ecopetrol to spend $500 million on fracking over three years: CEO
March 5, 2019
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecopetrol-ceo/ecopetrol-to-spend-500-million-on-fracking-over-three-years-ceo-idUSKCN1QM2PA
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Colombia’s state-run oil company Ecopetrol SA is looking to spend $500 million in exploring unconventional deposits over the next three years, its chief executive said on Tuesday, starting with pilot programs in the Magdalena Medio region.
-----------------
Colombia's fracking boom risks deepening environmental conflicts
7 April 2017
https://waronwant.org/media/colombias-fracking-boom-risks-deepening-environmental-conflicts
Information from Colombia’s National Hydrocarbons Agency shows that at least forty-three new fracking concessions have been handed out to multinational companies including Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips and Drummond.
These concessions affect over three hundred municipalities, in the departments of Cesar, Santander, Boyacá, Cundinamarca and Tolima.
-----------------
Colombia environmental authority approves first fracking pilot project
2022
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/colombia-environmental-authority-approves-first-fracking-pilot-project/ar-AAVAlWj
-----------------
Fracking is thirsty technology – a look at Latin America
20 May 2016
https://energytransition.org/2016/05/fracking-is-thirsty-technology-a-look-at-latin-america/
The state of Fracking in Latin America
We have reason to worry because fracking is expanding rapidly throughout Latin America. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) puts Argentina in second, Mexico in sixth and Brazil in tenth place in the world for technically recoverable shale gas reserves, based on its analysis of 42 countries.
Argentina is considered the Latin American fracking capital number one because of its numerous wells in the Neuquén Basin. This basin has more than 801.5 trillion cubic feet of wet shale gas, more than any country in the world aside from China. Just in 2015, the fracking technology was used in Argentina to drill into more than 1,000 shale gas reserves. In Mexico, meanwhile, almost one thousand wells are being fracked in 11 of the 32 Mexican states. In other Latin American countries, such as Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile and Brazil, shale reserves have already been mapped out and initial exploration activities have begun.
As fracking is expanding in Latin America opposition to it is growing. In Brazil, organizations, researchers and activists are keeping up a constant fight against it. Last December, a federal Brazilian judge in the city of Cruzeiro do Sul, ordered the cancellation of all oil and gas exploration activities in the Amazon´s Jurúa Valley, including fracking. The judge’s decision was based on the social and environmental risks that these activities had had on the lives of the indigenous communities of the Juruá Valley (some of these communities are among the last fully remote tribes on earth) and the local ecosystems. In Mexico, the Mexican Alliance Against Fracking has carried out a number of activities under the campaign “Say no to fracking in Mexico!” A part of this campaign is a video where Mexican celebrities explain what fracking is and alert to its devastating consequences. In Argentina, several organizations have joined forces with the Cultural and Artistic Movement Against Fracking to appeal to the “precautionary principle” when it comes to fracking, i.e the need to prove that the technology is safe before engaging in it. Recently, a coalition of anti-fracking movements across Latin America called the Latin American Alliance Against Fracking has been set up to bundle anti fracking activities in international settings, such as the international climate negotiations.
One of the greatest concerns in Latin America is making sure clean water is available. In Argentina in particular, civil society is concerned about the risk of drilling into the Guaraní Aquifer, which would contaminate and destroy it. The Guarani aquifer is the largest groundwater resource in the world (45,000 km3 of water) that provides water to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. In Mexico, the discussion is about water and contamination conflicts that fracking causes with the agricultural sector. Here, more than 50 percent of all shale resources are in areas that are already experiencing severe water shortages (according to a recent study by the World Resources Institute).
In conclusion, the debate on fracking should not be limited to productivity and gains, but should include discussions on whether increased productivity could ultimately be a self-defeating prophecy when weighed against securing water supply, especially in already water stressed regions and highly vulnerable ecosystems.
-----------------
Brazil and Mexico: Opposite political systems in 2018 and the outlook for the respective oil and gas industries
12 July 2019
https://ihsmarkit.com/research-analysis/brazil-and-mexico-opposite-political-systems-oil-gas.html
-----------------
The Brazilian Network for Shale Gas The View of Cenpetro(IEE-USP)
2015
http://www.fapesp.br/eventos/2015/02/nerc/Colombo_Tassinari.pdf
-----------------
What a Mammoth Oil Auction Means for Brazil’s Economy
November 5, 2019
Fourteen firms have been approved to participate in the auction, including ExxonMobil, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, China’s CNOOC, and Qatar Petroleum. In a televised auction, the bidders will present percentages of their profits, measured in oil production, that they’re willing to give to the government in exchange for drilling rights off the coast. Contracts will go to the highest bidders.
https://www.americasquarterly.org/content/what-mammoth-oil-auction-means-brazils-economy
-----------------
Fracking Expands in Latin America, Threatening to Contaminate World’s Third-Largest Aquifer
December 6, 2015
https://truthout.org/articles/fracking-expands-in-latin-america-threatening-to-contaminate-world-s-third-largest-aquifer/
One of the greatest current fracking threats in South America is located in the Entre Ríos region of Argentina and the neighboring area of Uruguay in the Paraná Chaco, where the extraction of shale oil and shale gas is planned. According to Roberto Orchandio, an engineer and former oil industry employee in the United States and Argentina, contaminated water poses a serious danger. “In this region, the Guaraní Aquifer can be found, which is the third-largest in the world and holds 20 percent of South America’s water, spanning an area that includes southern Brazil and part of Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay,” Orchandio told Truthout. “So, we are concerned that if they have to drill into the aquifer, it will be contaminated and therefore destroyed. We have to weigh up if this is worthwhile.”
“Contaminated water is a huge problem. In some places it will be a disaster, like in the north of Mexico where there isn’t any water and wasting it is illogical, because they are places where people won’t be able to live,” Orchandio said. “Every new well has a water leak rate of at least 6 percent, caused by a combination of poorly constructed foundations, pipeline accidents and corrosion.”
According to Argentina’s Observatorio Petrolero Sur, an organization that advocates for sustainable energy consumption and production, less than half of the water used is recovered. This contaminated residual water is placed in water tanks, where exposure to the open air causes the chemical compounds to evaporate. The contaminated water is sometimes reinjected into other wells.
Observatorio Petrolero Sur has documented that within the first days or weeks of fracking in a region, a significant quantity of the water used in fracking returns to the surface, after being injected into rocks under great pressure and causing fracturing. Orchandio points out that large volumes of methane are also released. “Between 0.6 and 3.2 percent of an unconventional well’s total production – be that one barrel or millions of barrels – is emitted as methane gas during the extraction process, along with the flowback fluid (the water mixed with the chemicals),” he told Truthout. “Methane has a greenhouse gas effect that is 25 times more potent than that of carbon dioxide.”
Cravioto describes the exploitation of the land for fracking as “territorial dispossession,” noting its disproportionate impact on Latin America’s Indigenous population. “In Mexico, Indigenous peoples and campesinos [peasant farmers] have been hardest hit,” he said. “Their ancestral lands are being destroyed, those lands where their history, traditions and knowledge are stored. Entire ecosystems, and superficial and subterranean aquifers are being destroyed.”
Orchandio expressed fear that Latin America may follow in the footsteps of the United States, where fracking has rapidly spread, impacting human and environmental health. In the US, lawmakers have often worked to accommodate the plans of corporations – even in the face of considerable resistance by their constituents.
-----------------
Activists Follow the Money Fueling the Amazon Fires
September 10, 2019
Protesters around the world are singling out the bad actors profiting off deforestation
https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0910-activists-follow-the-money-fueling-the-amazon-fires
-----------------
Keep the Oil in the Ground
According to the world's scientists at least two-thirds of all fossil fuels must remain in the ground if we are to the kind of temperature rise that will lead to catastrophic climate collapse. If we know we need to keep oil in the ground, why are we looking for more, especially in places like the Amazon rainforest? Join us in calling for the end to drilling and justice for indigenous communities in the Amazon!
https://amazonwatch.org/work/keep-the-oil-in-the-ground
----------------------------
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Section 3: Tectonic Plates
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----------------------
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Tectonic history of the Andes and Subandean zones: Implications for the development of the Amazon drainage basin
January 2010
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239526415_Tectonic_history_of_the_Andes_and_Subandean_zones_Implications_for_the_development_of_the_Amazon_drainage_basin
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Two stage tectonic history of the SW Amazon craton in the late Mesoproterozoic: identifying a cryptic suture zone
2004
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.538.3371&rep=rep1&type=pdf
-----------------
Amazonian Craton
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazonian_Craton
Approximate location of Mesoproterozoic (older than 1.3 Ga) cratons in South America and Africa. The São Luís and the Luis Alves cratonic fragments (Brazil) are shown, but the Arequipa–Antofalla Craton, the Sahara Craton and some minor African cratons are not. Other versions describe the Guiana Shield separated from the Amazonian Shield by a depression.
-----------------
Why the earth shakes in Brazil
May 2013
Seismologists propose a new explanation for earthquakes in Brazil
https://revistapesquisa.fapesp.br/en/why-the-earth-shakes-in-brazil-2/
-----------------
On the footprints of a major Brazilian Amazon earthquake
2014
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0001-37652014000301115
----------------
Lateral variation of crustal properties from aerogeophysical data in northern Brazil
https://library.seg.org/doi/abs/10.1190/geo2016-0206.1
-----------------
Upper mantle S velocity structure of central and western South America
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/2001JB000338
-----------------
Stress
orientations in Brazilian sedimentary basins from breakout analysis:
implications for force models in the South American plate
https://academic.oup.com/gji/article/130/1/112/864031
-----------------
Geophysical structures and tectonic evolution of the southern Guyana shield, Brazil
2014
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0895981114000170
-----------------
Humans, Lakes, and Plate Tectonics in the Amazon Basin
http://retosterricolas.blogspot.com/2013/04/humans-lakes-and-plate-tectonics-in.html
-----------------
Archean crust and metallogenic zones in the Amazonian Craton sensed by satellite gravity data
2019
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6385487/
-----------------
The changing course of the Amazon River in the Neogene: center stage for Neotropical diversification
Oct 18, 2018
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-62252018000300306
ABSTRACT
We
review geological evidence on the origin of the modern transcontinental
Amazon River, and the paleogeographic history of riverine connections
among the principal sedimentary basins of northern South America through
the Neogene. Data are reviewed from new geochronological datasets using
radiogenic and stable isotopes, and from traditional geochronological
methods, including sedimentology, structural mapping, sonic and seismic
logging, and biostratigraphy. The modern Amazon River and the
continental-scale Amazon drainage basin were assembled during the late
Miocene and Pliocene, via some of the largest purported river capture
events in Earth history. Andean sediments are first recorded in the
Amazon Fan at about 10.1-9.4 Ma, with a large increase in sedimentation
at about 4.5 Ma. The transcontinental Amazon River therefore formed over
a period of about 4.9-5.6 million years, by means of several river
capture events. The origins of the modern Amazon River are hypothesized
to be linked with that of mega-wetland landscapes of tropical South
America (e.g. várzeas, pantanals, seasonally flooded savannahs).
Mega-wetlands have persisted over about 10% northern South America under
different configurations for >15 million years. Although the
paleogeographic reconstructions presented are simplistic and
coarse-grained, they are offered to inspire the collection and analysis
of new sedimentological and geochronological datasets.
------------------------------
NASA Explores Earth's Magnetic 'Dent'
Aug 17, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpdQcw_52iM
------------------------------
Magnetic anomaly
August 20, 2020
https://themostbeautifulworld.com/blog/magnetic-anomaly
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Section 4: Methane, Carbon, Nitrogen & Greenhouse gasses
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Amazon trees are major source of methane emissions
12/12/17
https://www.scidev.net/global/biodiversity/news/amazon-trees-are-major-source-of-methane-emissions.html
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Trees release flammable methane—here's what that means for climate
March 25, 2019
There are more reasons than ever to conserve forests, but the surprising role of trees as a methane source adds a complication.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/03/trees-release-methane-what-it-means-climate-change/
-----------------
Guest post: Trees are the dominant source of methane emissions in Amazon wetlands
4 December 2017
https://www.carbonbrief.org/guest-post-trees-are-the-dominant-source-of-methane-emissions-in-amazon-wetlands
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Amazon floodplain trees emit as much methane as all Earth's oceans combined
December 13, 2017
https://phys.org/news/2017-12-amazon-floodplain-trees-emit-methane.html
Environmental scientists from The Open University (OU) have discovered that trees growing in the Amazon floodplains surrounding the Amazon River emit as much methane (CH4) into the atmosphere as all of the world's oceans. These trees growing in seasonal wetland areas of the Amazon contribute between 15.1 and 21.2 million tonnes of CH4 to the atmosphere every year, comparable to 18 million tonnes from the oceans, or 16 – 27 million tonnes from Arctic tundra wetlands.
Conducted in collaboration with academics from the University Federal of Rio de Janeiro, the Universities of Leeds, Linköping, British Columbia, and other partners, the research measured the gas emissions from the trunks of over 2,300 Amazonian floodplain trees. It found that the trees, which act as chimneys, funnelling the methane produced in the soil, are the source of the largest diffusive emissions ever recorded in wetlands.
Co-author of the paper and a lead investigator of the research is Professor of Global Change Ecology, Vincent Gauci; he said:
"Methane is around 34 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere so it is really important to understand where this gas comes from in both natural ecosystems and from human activity.
"Great swathes of the Amazon become flooded forest for a large part of the year, which are ideal conditions for the production of methane. However, methane emissions measured from the water surface over the last few decades didn't add up to what satellites and models were suggesting was the real amount of methane coming out of the Amazon. We have discovered that large emissions from trees, sometimes flooded by up to 10 meters, fill this gap."
Whilst the process is natural, these emissions could respond to environmental change, such as the programme of dam building across the Amazon basin. However, co-author and Research Fellow at Lancaster University, Sunitha Pangala, who carried out the research whilst a post-doctoral researcher at the OU, warns that the Amazon floodplains are not the source of greenhouse gases we should be concerned about:
"We are not, in any way, saying that trees are bad for the environment – this is how natural forests function. We now have a fuller picture of the sources of greenhouse gas emissions and this could help to inform how environmental change can have a knock on effect on the tropical wetland methane source.
"Emissions from these Amazon trees are still only half as much as those created by humans in the form of landfill and waste, so we should be targeting reductions in human emissions," continued Pangala. "This also includes the dairy and meat industries, and fossil fuel emissions, such as from fracking."
The research, "Large emissions from floodplain trees close the Amazon methane budget," is published yesterday in the journal Nature.
-----------------
Amazon Rainforest Generates more Methane than initially thought
Dec 2017
https://brazilian.report/money/2017/12/28/amazon-rainforest-methane-greenhouse/
-----------------
Large emissions from floodplain trees close the Amazon methane budget.
2017
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29211724
-----------------
Methane Flux in the Amazon
Wetlands are the single largest global source of atmospheric methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas. Seasonally inundated tropical forests are estimated to be the main contributors of biologenic emissions of this gas. This project aims to integrate microbial and tree genetic characteristics to measure and understand methane emissions at the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
https://jgi.doe.gov/csp-2019-methane-flux-amazon/
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Scientists solve mystery of missing methane source in Amazon Rainforest
December 4, 2017
https://ounews.co/science-mct/science-environment/scientists-solve-mystery-missing-methane-source-amazon-rainforest/
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Tracking Nighttime Methane Signals at the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO).
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018AGUFM.B33A..04B/abstract
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Airborne measurements indicate large methane emissions from the eastern Amazon basin
2007
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/238582067_Airborne_measurements_indicate_large_methane_emissions_from_the_eastern_Amazon_basin
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Are South America's Tropical Wetlands Methane Sinks or Sources? New Study Offers Clues
November 6, 2017
https://nicholas.duke.edu/news/are-south-americas-tropical-wetlands-methane-sinks-or-sources-new-study-offers-clues
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Methane emissions from floodplains in the Amazon Basin:challenges in developing a process-based model for globalapplications
2014
https://www.biogeosciences.net/11/1519/2014/bg-11-1519-2014.pdf
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High organic carbonburial but high potential for methane ebullitionin the sediments of an Amazonian reservoir
2019
https://www.biogeosciences-discuss.net/bg-2019-246/bg-2019-246.pdf
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Methane Emissions from Pantanal, South America, during the Low Water Season: Toward More Comprehensive Sampling
2010
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es1005048
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Methane emissions partially offset “blue carbon” burial in mangroves
13 Jun 2018
https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/6/eaao4985
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Disentangling Drought and Nutrient Effects on Soil Carbon Dioxide and Methane Fluxes in a Tropical Forest
13 November 2019
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2019.00180/full
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Deforestation and methane release from termites in Amazonia
1996
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0045653596002019
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4,000-year-old termite mounds found in Brazil are visible from space
Date: November 20, 2018
Source: Cell Press
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181120073648.htm
Summary:
Researchers have found that a vast array of regularly spaced, still-inhabited termite mounds in northeastern Brazil--covering an area the size of Great Britain -- are up to about 4,000 years old.
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The Influence of Amazon Deforestation in Brazil on the Soil Microbial Community Composition and Active Methane-Cycling
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2/1595/
------------------
Trump Loosens Methane Standards In A Win For Oil & Gas Industry
Sep 4, 2019
https://www.forbes.com/sites/arielcohen/2019/09/04/trump-loosens-methane-standards-in-a-win-for-oil-gas-industry/#6257a82840c1
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Green Leaf Volatile Emissions during High Temperature and Drought Stress in a Central Amazon Rainforest
2015
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4844409/
--------------------
Evolution of nitrogen cycling in regrowing Amazonian rainforest
2019
Abstract
Extensive regions of tropical forests are subjected to high rates of deforestation and forest regrowth and both are strongly affect soil nutrient cycling. Nitrogen (N) dynamics changes during forest regrowth and the recovery of forests and functioning similar to pristine conditions depends on sufficient N availability. We show that, in a chronosequence of Amazonian forests, gross nitrification and, as a result, nitrate-to-ammonium (NO3−: NH4+) ratio were lower in all stages of regrowing forests (10 to 40 years) compared to pristine forest. This indicates the evolution of a more conservative and closed N cycle with reduced risk for N leaking out of the ecosystem in regrowing forests. Furthermore, our results indicate that mineralization and nitrification are decoupled in young regrowing forests (10 years), such as that high gross mineralization is accompanied by low gross nitrification, demonstrating a closed N cycle that at the same time maintains N supply for forest regrowth. We conclude that the status of gross nitrification in disturbed soil is a key process to understand the mechanisms of and time needed for tropical forest recovery.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-43963-4
--------------------------
Tributaries of the Amazon River
07/01/2015
https://www.southernexplorations.com/tributaries-amazon-river
Amazon White Rivers and Black Rivers
The river basin has two fresh water systems, whitewater (or varzea) and blackwater (or igapo), so named for the color of their water which varies according to geology and chemical composition.
People see photos of the murky Amazon and think pollution when what they are actually seeing is sediment. The Amazon's whitewater tributaries originate in the Andes where nutrient-rich sediments wash away. The churning of sediment makes these tributaries appear white, though most carry so much of this material that the rivers are actually milky brown in color. The Amazon whitewater tributaries are neutral to slightly acidic and periodically flood. These include the Madre de Dios, Beni, Jutai, Madeira, and Napo rivers. The Solimoes and the Amazon itself are whitewater rivers.
The blackwater tributaries are slow-moving, dark brown, very clear and very acidic, making them inhospitable to parasites, bacteria and insect larva. This is a plus for visitors since it means that mosquitoes in and around these tributaries are less of a nuisance. On the other hand, the lower diversity of trees results in a lower diversity of rainforest wildlife. This is not true of fish species. Having adapted to the conditions, they are quite diverse in these rivers and easy to see because of the water's clarity. The rainforest areas surrounding blackwater rivers are regularly inundated during flood season.
Blackwater rivers have a low pH and nutrient content because the river beds are composed of ancient rock that no longer decomposes and because tannin is leached from decaying floodplain vegetation due to almost constant flooding. Though found elsewhere, most of the world's blackwater rivers are Amazon tributaries. Among these blackwater tributaries are the Negro and Urubu as well as the Yarapo River near Iquitos, Peru. A few Amazon tributaries are clearwater rivers, with an even lower pH than blackwater rivers. These include the Tapajos River in Brazil, the Trombetas River flowing from Venezuela and the Xingu River from the south, all east of Manaus.
The black and whitewater systems meet near Manaus, Brazil, and flow side by side for several miles described locally as "the meeting of the waters." This phenomenon makes an interesting day-trip for visitors on Amazon tours in Manaus. Southern Explorations offers many trips and tour extensions to the Amazon in Peru, Ecuador or Brazil.
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Physical, chemical, and mineralogical attributes of a representative group of soils from the eastern Amazon region in Brazil
https://www.soil-journal.net/4/195/2018/
Abstract
Amazonian soils are heterogeneous. However, few studies have been carried out in the Amazon, mainly because of its considerable size, which complicates the collection of data and the ability to plan for the sustainable use of natural resources. In this study, the physical, chemical, and mineralogical attributes of soils in the state of Pará, Brazil, were characterized by examining the particle size, fertility, silicon extracted by sodium hydroxide, iron, and aluminum, and manganese extracted by sulfuric acid, sodium citrate-bicarbonate-dithionite, and ammonium oxalate + oxalic acid. A descriptive analysis, multivariate principal component analysis, and cluster analysis were performed. The soils had low concentrations of bioavailable P, Ca2+, Mg2+, and K and had high concentrations of Al3+, Si, and Al oxide in the Cambisols. Concentrations of Fe and Mn oxides were higher in both the Cambisols and Nitosols, which are rich in oxidic minerals. The multivariate analysis indicated an association between the organic carbon content and pH, P, Ca, Mg, and K concentrations. An additional association was observed between clay, potential acidity, and the Fe and Al oxide concentrations.
---------------------------
What makes the soil in tropical rainforests so rich?
July 12, 2013
https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/2013/07/12/what-makes-the-soil-in-tropical-rainforests-so-rich/
Actually, the soil in tropical rainforests is very poor. You would think with all that vegetation, warmth, and moisture that the soil must be very rich. But the truth is otherwise, as people who live in these regions are well aware. According to the textbook "Tropical Rainforests: Latin American Nature and Society in Transition" edited by Susan E. Place, there are several reasons for the poor soil of tropical rainforests:
The soil is highly acidic. The roots of plants rely on an acidity difference between the roots and the soil in order to absorb nutrients. When the soil is acidic, there is little difference, and therefore little absorption of nutrients from the soil.
The type of clay particles present in tropical rainforest soil has a poor ability to trap nutrients and stop them from washing away. Even if humans artificially add nutrients to the soil, the nutrients mostly wash away and are not absorbed by the plants.
The high temperature and moisture of tropical rainforests cause dead organic matter in the soil to decompose more quickly than in other climates, thus releasing and losing its nutrients rapidly.
The high volume of rain in tropical rainforests washes nutrients out of the soil more quickly than in other climates.
When farmers cut down tropical rainforests and use its soil to try to grow crops, they find little success because of the poor nature of the soil. The textbook quotes soil authority Robert Pendleton as saying,
"In higher latitudes, and particularly in the United States, a widespread opinion prevails that such humid regions as the enormous Amazon basin, now occupied by luxuriant and apparently limitless tropical high forests, must certainly have rich soils, and hence, great potentialities for the production of food, fiber, and other agricultural crops...on the whole, the soils of the humid equatorial regions have distressingly limited possibilities for plant production... This pessimistic attitude is no longer a result of mere opinion, for in a number of widely scattered regions in the humid low latitudes agricultural scientists have been and still are seriously at work."
If the soil is so poor in tropical rain forests, how does such a dense array of shrubs and trees grow there? The answer lies above the soil. On the ground of the rain forest, there is a thick layer of quickly decaying plants and animals. Nutrients are washed by the heavy rains almost directly from the rotting surface material into the the trees without entering the soil much.
---------------------------
Some plants use hairy roots and acid to access nutrients in rock
May 22, 2019
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/some-plants-use-hairy-roots-acid-access-nutrients-rock
Fine hairs and chemicals that dissolve rocky substrates are crucial in regions with little soil
No
soil? No problem. Some herbaceous shrubs living on rocky mountains in
Brazil use roots equipped with fine hairs and acids to dissolve rocks
and extract the key nutrient phosphorus. The discovery, published in the
May Functional Ecology, helps explain how a variety of plants can
survive in impoverished environments.
“While most
people tend to view nutrient-poor environments as less diverse, they are
actually very diverse because plants use diverse ways to get
nutrients,” says coauthor Patricia de Britto Costa, a plant ecologist at
the University of Campinas in Brazil.
She and other
colleagues in Brazil and Australia investigated how shallow-soil regions
called campos rupestres in Portuguese, or rocky grasslands, can sustain
more than an estimated 5,000 plant species — 15 percent of Brazil’s
vascular plant diversity — despite occupying less than 1 percent of the
country’s land area. What soil there is in these regions is poor, with
nearly undetectable levels of the nutrients that plants need. And some
plants manage to survive on rocky patches with no soil.
Researchers
used chisels and hammers to dig up the plants. “We found the roots
growing into the rocks,” at least 10 centimeters deep, says coauthor
Anna Abrahão, a plant ecologist now at the University of Hohenheim in
Stuttgart, Germany. “The roots go deeper, and we always lose some of
them.”
The root issue
Barbacenia
tomentosa plants have densely packed fine hairs that grow near their
root tips (left). Those hairs (seen in the scanning electron micrograph
image at middle) likely secrete acids that dissolve rock to release a
key nutrient. A related plant called B. macrantha has similar roots (one
shown in the scanning electron micrograph image at right)
Microscopic
and chemical analyses of 30 specimens of two herbaceous plant species
living on quartzite rocks — Barbacenia tomentosa and B. macrantha, both
of the Velloziaceae family — revealed specialized segments of densely
packed hairs just behind the root tip. The roots secrete malic and
citric acids, likely from the fine hairs, that dissolve rock and release
phosphates that the roots then absorb to get the nutrient phosphorus.
Microscopy scans suggest that the roots carve their own way into rocks,
rather than growing along cracks. The scientists named these structures
vellozioid roots, after the plants’ family name.
These
roots, found only in these two species so far, are the first known to
dissolve rocks, the team says. But the work has inspired plant
physiologist Alex Valentine of the University of Stellenbosch in South
Africa, who was not involved in the study. He now plans to search for
such roots in Velloziaceae plants in South African mountain regions.
Home sweet home
Barbacenia
tomentosa (left) and B. macrantha (middle) plants grow in rocky
outcrops in Brazil. The plants have hardy roots that carve tunnels in
the rock (shown in this microscope image at right, arrows) to access
nutrients needed to survive.
Plants living in other
phosphorus-poor environments around the world have evolved either
cluster roots or dauciform roots, with dense root hairs and acid
secretions to harvest phosphorus from poor soils and sand, but not
actual rock. Vellozioid roots use the same strategy “in an entirely new
way,” by “dissolving rocks and forming new sand,” Valentine says.
Quartzite
rocks in Brazil’s rocky grasslands have especially low levels of
phosphorus, the study found. On average, each gram of rock contains only
0.14 milligrams of the nutrient. By comparison, the lowest level found
in a 2013 survey of 69 rock types worldwide was an average of 0.12
milligrams in peridotite rocks.
Further research into
vellozioid roots might one day help develop more efficient crops. “If we
can transfer these traits to crops,” Valentine says, “it means that
crops can grow in rocky or sandy soils.”
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SOILS AND CLIMATE
http://www.fao.org/3/y5376e/y5376e06.htm
Soils
Brazil
is characterized by a large diversity of soil types, resulting from the
interaction of the different reliefs, climates, parent material,
vegetation and associated organisms. This diversity and the consequent
potential uses are reflected in the regional differences.
The
North of the country comprises plains and low plateaus, with an
equatorial climate, high and constant temperatures and high atmospheric
humidity levels. The soils are deep, highly weathered, acidic and of low
natural fertility. They are commonly saturated with exchangeable
aluminum, which is toxic for most plant species. These characteristics
reduce considerably the productive potential of the land, unless it is
managed appropriately.
In the Northeast, the climate
varies from hot and humid to hot and dry (semi-arid), with a
transitional semi-humid area. In this transitional area, a large
proportion of the soils are of medium to high natural fertility but most
are shallow due to a low degree of weathering. A moisture deficit,
sometimes associated with salinity and/or high levels of sodium, is the
main factor limiting agricultural production in the Northeast.
The
Brazilian Central Plateau, that is characteristic of the Center West
region, is a plain formed by natural erosive processes. The predominance
of a hot tropical climate with accentuated dry spells during the rainy
season is very characteristic of this region. There are extensive areas
of deep, well-drained soils, of low natural fertility, though easily
corrected by liming and fertilization. Most of the soils in this region
have favorable physical characteristics and topographical conditions
that permit intensive agricultural mechanization. This is the region of
Brazil where most agricultural development in grain production is
occurring.
Plateaus and highland areas, with several
peaks higher than 2 000 metres, characterize the Southeast region. This
region has a tropical climate with hot summers in the low land and mild
weather in the mountain areas. The soils are predominantly deep and
usually of low natural fertility.
------------------
Chemical characteristics of rainwater at a southeastern site of Brazil
Abstract
A
total of 50 rainwater samples were analyzed in order to investigate
trace elements in wet precipitation of Juiz de Fora City, during
February, 2010 and February, 2011. Samples were analyzed for major
cations (H3O+, Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+) and anions (NO3−, SO42−,
Cl− and HCO3−), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), some trace metals (Cu2+, Zn2+,
Cd2+ and Pb2+), as well as some other physicochemical aspects like pH,
conductivity and redox potential. Rainwater pH mean was of 5.77 (±0.52).
Cations and anions mean values ranged from 7.12 μEq L−1 (K+) to 39.6
μEq L−1 (Ca2+). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with Varimax
normalized rotation was performed, grouping the major analyzed cations
and anions into different factors. Mg2+, K+, Ca2+ and HCO3− were
assigned to soil contribution, Na+ and Cl− to sea–salt contribution and
NO3−, SO42− and NH4+ to anthropogenic sources. Hydrogen peroxide average
concentration was of 19.2 ± 17.5 μmol L−1 with higher values in summer
and lower in spring and autumn, reverse case was observed for H3O+
levels. Zn2+ (7.31 ± 2.74) μg L−1 and Cu2+ (4.07 ± 0.74) μg L−1 were
within the range of other studied areas, while Cd2+ and Pb2+ were below
the detection limit.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1309104215303251
--------------------------
South America’s white-sand forests: poorly known and under threat
January 2016
https://news.mongabay.com/2016/01/special-issue-of-biotropica-makes-the-case-for-protecting-south-americas-white-sand-forests/
Neotropical
white-sand forests are unique rainforests found throughout tropical
South America, often occurring as “habitat islands.”
Scientists
were surprised to discover that only 23 percent of plant species in
western Amazonian white-sand forests are white-sand specialists.
Researchers argue that white-sand ecosystems require special protections.
-----------------
The Amazon: Nutrient-rich rainforests on useless soils
Rainforests
in Brazil are burning. Their loss can never be restored. That's because
these soils are not just infertile, they're the most nutrient-poor
soils in the world — and they're unsuitable for agriculture.
https://www.dw.com/en/the-amazon-nutrient-rich-rainforests-on-useless-soils/a-50139632
-----------------
Terra preta
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_preta
Terra
preta, literally "black soil" in Portuguese) is a type of very dark,
fertile artificial (anthropogenic) soil found in the Amazon Basin. It is
also known as "Amazonian dark earth" or "Indian black earth". In
Portuguese its full name is terra preta do índio or terra preta de índio
("black soil of the Indian", "Indians' black earth"). Terra mulata
("mulatto earth") is lighter or brownish in color.
Terra
preta owes its characteristic black color to its weathered charcoal
content, and was made by adding a mixture of charcoal, bone, broken
pottery, compost and manure to the otherwise relatively infertile
Amazonian soil. A product of indigenous soil management and
slash-and-char agriculture, the charcoal is stable and remains in the
soil for thousands of years, binding and retaining minerals and
nutrients.
Terra preta is characterized by the presence of
low-temperature charcoal residues in high concentrations; of high
quantities of tiny pottery shards; of organic matter such as plant
residues, animal feces, fish and animal bones, and other material; and
of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, zinc and
manganese. Fertile soils such as terra preta show high levels of
microorganic activities and other specific characteristics within
particular ecosystems.
Terra preta zones are generally surrounded
by terra comum ([ˈtɛhɐ koˈmũ] or [ˈtɛhɐ kuˈmũ]), or "common soil";
these are infertile soils, mainly acrisols, but also ferralsols and
arenosols. Deforested arable soils in the Amazon are productive for a
short period of time before their nutrients are consumed or leached
away by rain or flooding. This forces farmers to migrate to an unburned
area and clear it (by fire).[8][9] Terra preta is less prone to nutrient
leaching because of its high concentration of charcoal, microbial life
and organic matter. The combination accumulates nutrients, minerals and
microorganisms and withstands leaching.
Terra preta soils were
created by farming communities between 450 BCE and 950 CE.
Soil depths can reach 2 meters (6.6 ft). It is reported to regenerate
itself at the rate of 1 centimeter (0.4 in) per year.
--------------------------
Traditional Land Use and Shifting Cultivation
For thousands of years, and continuing today, native peoples of the Amazon basin have practiced traditional shifting cultivation, which combines farming with forested habitats. Shifting cultivation, sometimes called swidden or slash and burn, is commonly found throughout the Amazon and other tropical regions worldwide. Shifting cultivation systems are designed to adapt to the soil and climatic characteristics of the Amazon basin- low soil fertility, high precipitation, and fast leaching of nutrients.
https://globalforestatlas.yale.edu/amazon/land-use/traditional-land-use-and-shifting-cultivation
--------------------------
Human Activities Changing the Nitrogen Cycle in Brazil
2006
https://www.jstor.org/stable/20519821?seq=1
--------------------------
Nitrogen mass balance in the Brazilian Amazon: an update
Aug 2012
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842012000400007
--------------------------
Nitrogen dynamics in soils of forests and active pastures in the western Brazilian Amazon Basin
1995
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/003807179500036E
--------------------------
Long-Term Trends in Nitrogen Isotope Composition and Nitrogen Concentration in Brazilian Rainforest Trees Suggest Changes in Nitrogen Cycle
2010
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es901383g
--------------------------
The stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of vegetation in tropical forests of the Amazon Basin, Brazi
January 2007
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226713601_The_stable_carbon_and_nitrogen_isotopic_composition_of_vegetation_in_tropical_forests_of_the_Amazon_Basin_Brazil
--------------------------
Nitrogen management challenges in major watersheds of South America
2015
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/10/6/065007
--------------------------
The Nitrogen Paradox in Tropical Forest Ecosystems
2009
https://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/~menge/pubs/2009_Hedin_etal_AREES.pdf
--------------------------
Deep soils modify environmental consequences of increased nitrogen fertilizer use in intensifying Amazon agriculture
https://darchive.mblwhoilibrary.org/handle/1912/10570
---------------------------
Spatially explicit nitrogen and phosphorus footprinting
http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1274712/FULLTEXT01.pdf
---------------------------
Nitrogen fertilizer leaching in an Oxisol cultivatedwith sugarcane
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/37446618.pdf
---------------------------
Pesticide Leaching and Run-off Hazard in the Ribeira de Iguape River Basin in São Paulo State, Brazil
2007
https://www.ipen.br/biblioteca/2007/12330.pdf
----------------------------
Nutrient availability and leaching in an archaeological Anthrosol and a Ferralsol of the Central Amazon basin: Fertilizer, manure and charcoal amendments
February 2003
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226309557_Nutrient_availability_and_leaching_in_an_archaeological_Anthrosol_and_a_Ferralsol_of_the_Central_Amazon_basin_Fertilizer_manure_and_charcoal_amendments
---------------------------
Salt Leaching and Growth of Physic Nut (Jatropha curcas L.) on Oxisol under Swine Wastewater Fertigation in Southern Brazil
http://www.journalijpss.com/index.php/IJPSS/article/view/2957
----------------------------
Human activities changing the nitrogen cycle in Brazil
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4020-5517-1_4
----------------------------
Soil–Atmosphere Exchange of Nitrous Oxide, Nitric Oxide, Methane, and Carbon Dioxide in Logged and Undisturbed Forest in the Tapajos National Forest, Brazil
2005
https://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.1175/EI125.1
----------------------------
Deep soils modify environmental consequences of increased nitrogen fertilizer use in intensifying Amazon agriculture
07 September 2018
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-31175-1
--------------------------
Direct nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes from soils under different land use in Brazil—a critical review
2016
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/11/2/023001/pdf
--------------------------
Land use change and bio geochemical controls of nitrogen oxide emissions from soils in eastern Amazonia
1999
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/1998GB900019
--------------------------
Global Biochemical Cycles
2014
Dimethyl sulfide in the Amazon rain forest
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2014GB004969
---------------------------
What are the Most Dangerous Greenhouse Gases?
https://rentar.com/dangerous-greenhouse-gases/
10 Most Dangerous Greenhouse Gases
1) Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
2) Methane (CH4)
3) Nitrous oxide (N2O)
4 & 5) Dichlorodifluoromethane (CCl2F2) & Chlorodifluoromethane (CHClF2)
6) Tetrafluoromethane (CF4)
7) Hexafluoroethane (C2F6)
8) Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6)
9) Nitrogen Trifluoride (NF3)
10) Ozone (O3)
11) Water Vapor
---------------------------
10 Worst Greenhouse Gases
https://www.thoughtco.com/worst-greenhouse-gases-606789
Water Vapor
Carbon Dioxide
Methane
Nitrous Oxide
Ozone
Fluoroform or Trifluoromethane
Hexalfuoroethane
Sulfur Hexafluorid
Trichlorofluoromethane
Perfluorotributylamine and Sulfuryl Fluoride
---------------------------
Damage to the ozone layer and climate change forming feedback loop
June 24, 2019
New report finds that impacts of ozone-driven climate change span the ecosystem
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190624111536.htm
----------------------------
Biomass burning in the Amazon region: Aerosol source apportionment and associated health risk assessment
2015
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231015303046
---------------------------
Greenhouse gas emissions from alternative futures of deforestation and agricultural management in the southern Amazon
2010
https://www.pnas.org/content/107/46/19649
---------------------------
Biomass burning emission disturbances of isoprene oxidationin a tropical forest
2017
https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/18/12715/2018/acp-18-12715-2018.pdf
---------------------------
The trouble with Brazil’s much-celebrated ethanol ‘miracle’
2010
https://grist.org/article/2010-04-13-raising-cane-the-trouble-with-brazils-much-celebrated-ethanol-mi/
----------------------------
Molecular and Isotopic Composition of Hydrate-Bound, Dissolved and Free Gases in the Amazon Deep-Sea Fan and Slope Sediments, Brazil
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/9/2/73
---------------------------
Everything you need to know about climate tipping points
2017
http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2017/11/01/everything-you-need-to-know-about-climate-tipping-points/
----------------------------
Tropical Deforestation and Climate Change
https://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/4930_TropicalDeforestation_and_ClimateChange.pdf
----------------------------
Pollution Pods at COP25 show climate change and air pollution are two sides of the same coin
3 December 2019
Immersive
art installation at COP25 recreates air pollution experienced daily by
millions, representing a major public health issue
https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/03-12-2019-pollution-pods-at-cop25-show-climate-change-and-air-pollution-are-two-sides-of-the-same-coin
----------------------------
Louis Dreyfus targets zero deforestation by end-2025
9 February 2022
https://www.thepoultrysite.com/news/2022/02/louis-dreyfus-targets-zero-deforestation-by-end-2025
----------------------------
Over 100 global leaders pledge to end deforestation by 2030
November 2nd, 2021
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/over-100-global-leaders-pledge-to-end-deforestation-by-2030/articleshow/87477052.cms
----------------------------
Restoring forests may be one of our most powerful weapons in fighting climate change
2019
Adding 2.2 billion acres of tree cover would capture two-thirds of man-made carbon emissions, a new study found.
https://www.vox.com/2019/7/4/20681331/climate-change-solutions-trees-deforestation-reforestation
----------------------------
World’s helium supply ‘could run out within a decade’, chemistry professor warns
2019
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/helium-supply-world-shortage-run-out-recycle-mri-scanners-deep-sea-diving-balloons-a8741081.html
----------------------------
Characterization of subaerial volcanic facies using acoustic image logs: Lithofacies and log-facies of a lava-flow deposit in the Brazilian pre-salt, deepwater of Santos Basin
January 2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264817218303933
----------------------------
Hot Rocks and Oil: Are Volcanic Margins the New Frontier?
https://www.elsevier.com/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/84887/ELS_Geofacets-Volcanic-Article_Digital_r5.pdf
----------------------------
Influence of pre-salt alignments in the post-Aptian magmatism in the Cabo Frio High and its surroundings, Santos and Campos Basins, SE Brazil: an example of non-plume-related magmatism.
http://www.mantleplumes.org/Brazil.html
----------------------------
Geologic evolution of conjugate volcanic passive margins: Pelotas Basin (Brazil) and offshore Namibia (Africa). Implication for global sea level changes
1998
https://scholarship.rice.edu/handle/1911/19338
----------------------------
Seismostratigraphy of the Ceará Plateau: Clues to Decipher the Cenozoic Evolution of Brazilian Equatorial Margin
October 2016
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2016.00090/full
-----------------------------
Brazil: volcanoes and recent earthquakes - interactive map / Volcano Discovery
https://www.volcanoesandearthquakes.com/map/Brazil
----------------------------
Volcanoes Around The World
https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/ks3/gsl/education/resources/rockcycle/page3531.html
----------------------------
Island atoll off the Atlantic coast of Brazil
Types and Severity of Threats
Tourism must continue to be monitored on Fernando de Noronha. Invasive species, includingrats, mice, and feral cats, have been a serious detriment to the islands’ native habitat (Johnson 1989). A "new", though extinct, species of rat, Noronhomys vespuccii, was described from Fernando de Noronha in 1999 (Carleton and Olson 1999). This species may have disappeared since the time of human presence on the archipelago due to the common anthropogenic causes that extirpate many vertebrate species on islands. The isolation of island ecosystems make them particularly sensitive to human pressures and the introduction of exotic species.
https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/nt0123
-----------------------------
Rio Grande Rise may have been a volcanic island
January 23, 2019
http://agencia.fapesp.br/rio-grande-rise-may-have-been-a-volcanic-island/29617/
By Elton Alisson | Agência FAPESP – Lava flows forced up from Earth’s mantle 80 million years ago by the separation of the African and South American tectonic plates that had begun 120 million years ago created an island like Iceland today.
The lost land of dinosaurs, forests, beaches, ravines, and plateaus the size of Wales began subsiding 40 million years ago. It is now drowned 3,000 meters under the Southwest Atlantic and 1,500 kilometers offshore Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (hence in international waters).
This hypothesis regarding the history of the Rio Grande Rise, as the oceanic ridge is known, has been reinforced by discoveries made by Brazilian and British researchers who conducted a scientific cruise to the region in late October and early November 2018 on the Royal Research Ship (RRS) Discovery.
The expedition was part of a project supported by FAPESP. The researchers are affiliated with the University of São Paulo’s Oceanographic Institute (IO-USP) in Brazil and the University of Southampton in the UK.
The aim of the project is to understand the processes underlying the formation, distribution and preservation of ferromanganese crusts – mineral deposits rich in critical metals for which there is growing demand from the electronics industry and which are vital to new low-carbon technologies. These include cobalt, used in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, and tellurium, used in solar power cells.
“We’re studying how these ferromanganese crusts were formed in terms of biology, geology, paleoceanography and paleoclimate,” Luigi Jovane, a professor at IO-USP and a coprincipal investigator for the project, told Agência FAPESP.
These metals and other critical materials known as e-tech elements are increasingly scarce on land. Some are highly concentrated in ferromanganese modules and crusts on the seabed. Tellurium is common on deep-ocean plateaus and seamounts, for example.
Many countries are eager to develop these mineral reserves. China, France, Germany, Norway, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the UK, among others, are on the verge of starting to mine the seabed. This activity will clearly have a significant environmental impact and cannot be considered a viable option unless it is sustainable.
“We will identify the processes that result in high-quality mineral deposits, develop a predictive model for their occurrence, and study ways of minimizing the environmental impact of their extraction,” Jovane said.
To obtain a better understanding of the processes underlying the formation and composition of these mineral deposits on the ocean floor, the researchers conducted three cruises in small deep-water basins off North Africa and Southeast Brazil.
The first cruise took place in October 2016, when RRS James Cook explored the abyssal plains of Madeira in the North Atlantic. In the second cruise, the oceanographic research ship Alpha Crucis, acquired by FAPESP for IO-USP in 2012, focused on the Rio Grande Rise in February 2018.
The Discovery sailed from the Port of Santos, São Paulo State on October 20, 2018, for the third cruise with a team of ten Brazilian and ten British researchers, returning 18 days later on November 8.
“In the third cruise, we went back to the areas studied in the second cruise in February, as these aren’t covered by the program run by the Brazilian Geological Service [CPRM] to explore cobalt-bearing crusts in the Rio Grande Rise,” Jovane said.
In 2014, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) granted Brazil 15-year rights to explore the mineral potential of 150 lots belonging to the Rio Grande Rise. CPRM must present the results to the ISA, which was established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to regulate mineral-related activities in the international seabed area beyond the limits of national jurisdictions.
“We set out to study areas that don’t overlap with those being explored by CPRM, in order to understand the processes that formed the Rio Grande Rise and gave it the observed morphology,” Jovane said.
-----------------------------
Waking Beasts: Underwater Volcanoes Roused by Ice Ages
February 05, 2015
https://www.livescience.com/49710-sea-level-changes-underwater-eruptions.html
-----------------------------
What is the Role of Volcanic Rocks in the Brazilian Pre-salt?
2015
https://www.earthdoc.org/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.201412890
Summary
Brazilian Atlantic Passive Margins Basins have registered several volcanic events, which are very well documented in the most prolific Brazilian offshore basins of Santos and Campos. Although, volcanic rocks are usually not treated as potentials reservoir in Brazil, they have become very important to Pre-Salt exploration, since volcanic rocks have been found in several Pre-salt exploration and appraisal wells. These rocks act not only as barriers for carbonate sedimentary successions but also as potential reservoirs. Several wells drilled in Pre-Salt have found volcanic with reservoir properties and significant hydrocarbon columns. However, their economic viability has not yet been fully proved at the basin scale. Thus, understanding volcanic rocks petrology and recognizing their main characteristics such as lithotypes, geometry, porosity and facies distribution can be essential for success Pre-salt exploration, appraisal and development campaigns.
-----------------------------
Advances in the Understanding of Pre-Salt Carbonate Reservoirs of Offshore Brazil and Angola from Studies of Australian Lakes.
http://rses.anu.edu.au/highlights/view.php?article=346
-----------------------------
A GEOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL STUDY OF THE SERGIPE-ALAGOAS BASIN
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/4273993.pdf
ABSTRACT
Extensional stresses caused Africa and South America to break up about 130 Million Years. When Africa rifted away from South America, a large onshore triple junction began at about 13∞ S and propagated northward. This triple junction failed and created the Reconcavo-Tucano-Jupato rift (R-T-J), located in northeastern Brazil (north of Salvador). The extensional stress that created this rift was caused by a change in the force acting on the plate during the Aptian.
A series of offshore rifts also opened at this time, adjacent to the R-T-J rift; this series of basins are referred to as Jacuipe, Sergipe, and Alagoas (J-S-A). The basins are separated by bathymetric highs to the north and the south of the Sergipe-Alagoas basin. The Sergipe-Alagoas basin has a Bouguer gravity anomalies more negative than -35 mGal, and the other two basins have values more negative than -100 mGal; the total magnetic intensity is also about 60-80 nT higher in the Sergipe-Alagoas basin than the surrounding basins. The gravity and magnetic values in the Sergipe-Alagoas basin, when compared to the Jacuipe and the Sergipe-Alagoas basins, indicate that the depositional history and/or the formation of the Sergipe-Alagoas basin is different from the other two basins.
-----------------------------
Noronha hotspot
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noronha_hotspot
Noronha hotspot is a hypothesized hotspot in the Atlantic Ocean. It has been proposed as the candidate source for volcanism in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago of Brazil, as well as of other volcanoes also in Brazil and even the Bahamas and the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province.
The presence of a mantle plume is controversial owing to equivocal seismic tomography images of the mantle and the inconsistent age progression in the volcanoes, especially the Brazilian ones.
-----------------------------
Pleistocene alkaline rocks of Martin Vaz volcano, South Atlantic: low-degree partial melts of a CO2-metasomatized mantle plume
June 2017
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00206814.2018.1425921
-----------------------------
Iterative approach to imaging beneath volcanics: a case study in Brazil’s Santos Basin
https://www.cgg.com/technicalDocuments/cggv_0000019553.pdf
-----------------------------
Gondwana Large Igneous Provinces: plate reconstructions, volcanic basins and sill volumes
August 2017
https://sp.lyellcollection.org/content/463/1/17
-----------------------------
Seismic and Volcanic Hazards in Peru: Changing Attitudes to Disaster Mitigation
June 2005
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3451364?seq=1
-----------------------------
Volcanic Natural Resources and Volcanic Landscape Protection: An Overview
September 27th 2012
https://www.intechopen.com/books/updates-in-volcanology-new-advances-in-understanding-volcanic-systems/volcanic-natural-resources-and-volcanic-landscape-protection-an-overview
-----------------------------
Lithospheric structuration onshore-offshore of the Sergipe-Alagoas passive margin, NE Brazil, based on wide-angle seismic data
December 2018
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018JSAES..88..649P/abstract
-----------------------------
Carbonate Buildups in the Pernambuco Basin, NE Brazil
2017
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0001-37652017000300841
----------------------------
The development of magmatism along the Cameroon Volcanic Line: Evidence from seismicity and seismic anisotropy
15 April 2014
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2013JB010583
--------------------------------------
-----------------------
-------------------
-----------------
Section 5: Sinkholes
------------------
--------------------
-----------------------
--------------------------------------
Deforestation in Rondonia (Brazil) in the nineties
Year: 2005
From collection: General archive
Cartographer: Philippe Rekacewicz, UNEP/GRID-Arendal
The
graph shows deforestation in Rondonia, Brazil. Brazil covers more than
one quarter of the worlds tropical forests. Since 1980 the deforestation
has steadily increased. Deforestration can occur as a result of the
clearing of large areas for agricultural purposes, commercial logging
and the construction of towns or dams. Please be advised that this
graphic is likely outdated.
https://www.grida.no/resources/5448
------------------
Open Pits in the South
Oct 8, 2019
Rio Grande do Sul holds 85 percent of Brazi's coal reserves
https://brazilian.report/money/2019/10/08/coal-mining-open-pits-south-rio-grande-do-sul/
------------------
Brazil’s Mine Disaster Reveals Its Shaky Foundation
Feb 2019
Blame pork-hungry politicians, rent-seeking regulators and corner-cutting capitalists.
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-02-01/brazil-s-mine-disaster-reveals-its-shaky-foundation
--------------
Bus sucked into sinkhole and swept away by river, Brazil
2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u16iq_Umxis
--------------
WATCH: Sinkhole in Brazil swallows mother and daughter as they drive behind truck
Nov 2019
https://www.rt.com/news/474089-giant-sinkhole-swallows-car-brazil/
--------------
Mysteries Huge Hole Opens Up in Minas Gerais, Brazil
2017
http://www.geologyin.com/2017/11/mysteries-huge-hole-opens-up-in-minas.html
--------------
Video: Watch as giant sinkhole swallows up Brazilian neighbourhood house by house as terrified inhabitants look on in disbelief
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/video-1079306/CCTV-Giant-sinkhole-swallows-Brazilian-neighbourhood.html
--------------
Watch as giant sinkhole swallows up Brazilian neighbourhood house by house as terrified inhabitants look on in disbelief
2014
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2535133/Rio-slum-gets-swallowed-giant-sink-hole.html
--------------
Brazil sinkhole (Gaint Sinkholes)
https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/giant-sinkholes/32/
---------------
SUV Goes Vertical In Massive Brazilian Sinkhole, Dog Blamed
https://www.motor1.com/news/147827/suv-massive-sinkhole-dog-blamed/
--------------
Sinkhole, mudslide swallow Brazilian port
2010
Security camera footage shows a combination sinkhole/mudslide swallowing the Brazilian port of of Chibatão.
http://failuremag.com/failure-analysis/sinkhole-mudslide-swallow-brazilian-port
-------------------------
2009 Brazilian floods and mudslides
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Brazilian_floods_and_mudslides
-------------------------
20 photos show the aftermath of devastating flooding in Brazil that killed at least 13 people
2019
https://www.insider.com/brazil-floods-photos-deaths-news-2019-3
-------------------------
Brazil floods: 'Never seen anything like it'
14 January 2011
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-12189712
-------------------------
Floods in Brazil are a result of short-term planning
2011
Urban planning has never been part of Brazil's political agenda, so when heavy rains come cities are not able to cope
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/feb/02/brazil-floods-urban-planning
-------------------------
Brazil floods kill dozens and leave 1,000 people missing
2010
Torrential rain devastates towns and cities in Brazil's north-east, leaving as many as 97,000 people homeless
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/22/brazil-floods-kill-dozens
-------------------------
At least 207 missing in Brazil floods, 741 dead
2011
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-rains/at-least-207-missing-in-brazil-floods-741-dead-idUSTRE70I68P20110120
-------------------------
Adapting to natural disaster risk: the case of Brazil's flood
2011
https://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Green-Economics/2011/0121/Adapting-to-natural-disaster-risk-the-case-of-Brazil-s-flood
-------------------------
Devastating Floods Linked to Dam Bursts in Northeast Brazil
2010
https://www.internationalrivers.org/blogs/231/devastating-floods-linked-to-dam-bursts-in-northeast-brazil
-------------------------
Flood frequency of Amazon River has increased fivefold
Date:
September 20, 2018
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180920075857.htm
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'Catastrophic' floods rising on Amazon River, say scientists
September 19, 2018
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-environment-floods/catastrophic-floods-rising-on-amazon-river-say-scientists-idUSKCN1LZ2IV
TEPIC,
Mexico (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Severe flooding on the Amazon has
increased amid changing weather patterns, and is harming the health and
incomes of people living along the world’s biggest river, scientists
said.
Analyzing more than 100 years of records
measuring Amazon River levels in the port of Manaus in Brazil, they
found extreme floods that occurred roughly once every 20 years in the
first part of last century are now happening about every four years.
“There
are catastrophic effects on the lives of the people as the drinking
water gets flooded, and the houses get completely destroyed,” said
Jonathan Barichivich, environmental scientist at the Universidad Austral
de Chile.
“Our findings unravel the ultimate causes of
the recent intensification - wet season getting wetter, and dry season
getting drier - of the water cycle of the largest hydrological basin of
the planet,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Droughts have also become more frequent in the past two to three decades, but the rise in flooding stood out, he noted.
In
a paper published on Wednesday in the journal Science Advances,
researchers from institutions including Britain’s University of Leeds
said severe flooding had affected the Amazon basin nearly every year
from 2009 to 2015.
They linked the increase in flooding
to a combination of warmer temperatures over the Atlantic Ocean and
cooler temperatures over the Pacific.
Known as the
Walker circulation, this effect influences tropical weather patterns,
and can partly be attributed to shifts in wind belts caused by global
warming, the study said.
With temperatures in the
Atlantic expected to rise more than in the Pacific, flood risks on the
Amazon River will persist, the scientists predicted.
“We think that it’s going to continue for at least a decade,” said Barichivich, formerly a University of Leeds research fellow.
The paper also noted that deforestation and construction of hydro-power plants could play a role in water-level changes.
Besides
disrupting cattle ranching and agriculture on the river’s flood plains,
heavy flooding has health consequences for communities in Brazil, Peru
and other Amazon nations, as it contaminates water and helps spread
disease, said the study.
Monitoring changes in river
levels is important because the Amazon basin and its tropical rainforest
play a major role in the world’s hydrological and carbon systems, said
Barichivich.
-------------------
The extreme 2014 flood in south-western Amazon basin: the role of tropical-subtropical South Atlantic SST gradient
2014
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/9/12/124007
-------------------------
The Town That Floods on Purpose
2015
https://www.ozy.com/good-sht/the-town-that-floods-on-purpose/41603/
-------------------------
A Flood Submerged This Brazilian Park And The Underwater Footage Is Beautiful
2018
https://www.simplemost.com/flooded-brazil-park-video-underwater-tour/
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Sinkholes: When the Earth Opens Up
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2018/08/sinkholes-when-the-earth-opens-up/568762/
--------------
Brazil Moves to Open Indigenous Lands to Mining
Mar 2019
According to the MPF, mining companies and individuals have
altogether lodged 4,073 requests with the ANM for mining-related
activities on indigenous land since 1969, seemingly in preparation for
an eventual land rush. The companies say that they are only registering
their interest, but MPF argues that, until the required constitutional
amendments have been written and approved by Congress, such requests
should not even be permitted.
Brazil's indigenous peoples have
clearly indicated that if the mining plan goes forward they will fight
back. Most don't want mining on their land. Munduruku female warrior
Maria Leuza Munduruku told Mongabay: "We've had a lot of outsiders
coming onto our land to mine. Many fish disappear and the ones that
remain we can't eat, as they're dirty."
https://www.ecowatch.com/brazil-mining-indigenous-lands-2631737058.html
--------------
THE LEGACY OF ABANDONED MINES
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/mining/pdf/Appendix_III_to_Annex3.pdf
------------------
Isotopes in environmental research
Studies of Brazil's Amazon Basin are helping to evaluate effects of changing land use on the ecology and climate
https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/32406480508.pdf
------------------
The Global Distribution of Acidifying Wet Deposition
2002
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es020057g
Abstract
The
acid−base status of precipitation is a result of a balance between
acidifying compoundsmainly oxides of sulfur and nitrogenand alkaline
compoundsmainly ammonia and alkaline material in windblown soil dust. We
use current models of the global atmospheric distribution of such
compounds to estimate the geographical distribution of pH in
precipitation and of the rate of deposition of hydrogen ion or
bicarbonate ion. The lowest pH valuesmainly due to high concentration of
sulfuric acidoccur in eastern parts of North America, Europe, and
China. A comparison with observed pH values shows fair agreement in most
parts of the world. However, in some areas, e.g. western North America,
southwestern Europe, and northern China the estimated pH is too low,
indicating that we have underestimated the deposition flux of alkaline
material, probably mainly CaCO3. Our neglect of organic acids may have
contributed to an overestimate of pH especially in certain tropical
areas. To illustrate the potential effects of acidifying deposition on
nitrogen saturated terrestrial ecosystems we also calculate the
deposition of “potential acidity” that takes into account the microbial
transformation of ammonium to nitrate in such ecosystems, resulting in
the release of hydrogen ion. Compared to the deposition of acidity, with
its maxima over Europe, eastern North America, and southern China, the
deposition of potential acidity exhibits an additional maximum in India
and Bangladesh and in several other smaller hot spots where the cycling
of ammonia is enhanced by a dense cattle population. To the extent that
soils in these areas of high potential acidity deposition actually
become nitrogen saturated a depletion of base cations and other changes
in soil chemistry and biology should be expected. Potential problem
areas for future soil acidification include several regions with
sensitive soils in southern, southeastern, and eastern Asia as well as
in central parts of South America.
------------------
Formic and acetic acid over the central Amazon region, Brazil: 1. Dry season
20 February 1988
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/JD093iD02p01616
Abstract
We have determined the atmospheric concentrations of formic and acetic
acid in the gas phase, in aerosols, and in rain during the dry season
(July–August 1985) in the Amazonia region of Brazil. At ground level the
average concentrations of gas phase formic and acetic acid were 1.6±0.6
and 2.2±1.0 ppb, respectively. The diurnal behavior of both acids at
ground level and their vertical distribution in the forest canopy point
to the existence of vegetative sources as well as to production by
chemical reactions in the atmosphere. Dry deposition of the gaseous
acids appears to be a major sink. The concentrations of formic and
acetic acid in the gas phase were about 2 orders of magnitude higher
than concentrations of the corresponding species in the atmospheric
aerosol. About 50–60% of the aerosol (total) formate and acetate were in
the size fraction below 1.0 μm diameter. The highest levels of aerosol
formate and acetate were found in haze layers derived from biomass
burning. In precipitation, (total) formate and acetate represented about
one half of the anion equivalents. This is in contrast to the
atmospheric aerosol, where they contributed less than 10% of the soluble
anionic equivalents. Furthermore, the precipitation contained
considerable acidity (average 36 μeq L−1 during the study
period), again in contrast to the aerosol, which was acid‐base neutral.
The mean hydrogen ion concentration in rain was about 21–26 μeq L−1
(pH 4.6–4.7). Most of the precipitation acidity can be attributed to
the organic acids, with sulfuric and nitric acids contributing only
about 10–20% of the hydrogen ion concentration. Aerosol scavenging can
explain only a small fraction of the observed amounts of formate and
acetate in rain. The observed levels of these ions in rain are most
likely the result of a combination of chemical reactions in hydrometeors
and scavenging of the gaseous acids by cloud droplets.
------------------
Endophytic fungal communities of Polygonum acuminatum and Aeschynomene fluminensis are influenced by soil mercury contamination
July 25, 2017
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0182017
Abstract
The endophytic fungal communities of Polygonum acuminatum and Aeschynomene fluminensis were examined with respect to soil mercury (Hg) contamination. Plants were collected in places with and without Hg+2
for isolation and identification of their endophytic root fungi. We
evaluated frequency of colonization, number of isolates and richness,
indices of diversity and similarity, functional traits (hydrolytic
enzymes, siderophores, indoleacetic acid, antibiosis and metal
tolerance) and growth promotion of Aeschynomene fluminensis
inoculated with endophytic fungi on soil with mercury. The frequency of
colonization, structure and community function, as well as the abundant
distribution of taxa of endophytic fungi were influenced by mercury
contamination, with higher endophytic fungi in hosts in soil with
mercury. The presence or absence of mercury in the soil changes the
profile of the functional characteristics of the endophytic fungal
community. On the other hand, tolerance of lineages to multiple metals
is not associated with contamination. A. fluminensis
depends on its endophytic fungi, since plants free of endophytic fungi
grew less than expected due to mercury toxicity. In contrast plants
containing certain endophytic fungi showed good growth in soil
containing mercury, even exceeding growth of plants cultivated in soil
without mercury. The data obtained confirm the hypothesis that soil
contamination by mercury alters community structure of root endophytic
fungi in terms of composition, abundance and species richness. The
inoculation of A. fluminensis with certain strains of
stress tolerant endophytic fungi contribute to colonization and
establishment of the host and may be used in processes that aim to
improve phytoremediation of soils with toxic concentrations of mercury.
------------------
The radiological accident in Goiania
https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub815_web.pdf
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARYPART I. THE ACCIDENT
It is now known that at about the end
of 1985 a private radiotherapy institute, the Institute Goiano de
Radioterapia in Goiania, Brazil, moved to new premises, taking
with it a cobalt-60 teletherapy unit and leaving m place a
caesium-137 tele-therapy unit without notifying the licensing
authority as required under the terms ofthe institute's licence. The
former premises were subsequently partly demolished. As a result, the
caesium-137 teletherapy unit became totally insecure. Two
people entered the premises and, not knowing what the unit was but
thinking it might havesome scrap value, removed the source
assembly from the radiation head of the machine. This they took
home and tried to dismantle. In the attempt the source capsule was
ruptured. The radioactive source was in the form of caesium
chloride salt, which is highly soluble and readily
dispersible. Contamination of the environment ensued, with one result
being the external irradiation and internal contamination of several
persons. Thus began one of the most serious radiological accidents
ever to have occurred. After the source capsule was ruptured,
the remnants of the source assembly were sold for scrap to a junkyard
owner. He noticed that the source material glowed blue in the dark.
Several persons were fascinated by this and over a period of
days friends and relatives came and saw the phenomenon. Fragments
of the source the size of rice grains were distributed to several
families. This proceeded for five days, by which time a number of
people were showing gastrointestinal symptoms arising from their
exposure to radiation from the source. The symptoms were not
initially recognized as being due to irradiation. However, one
of the persons irradiated connected the illnesses with the
source capsule and took the remnants to the public health department in
the city. This action began a chain of events which led to the
discovery of the accident. A local physicist was the first to assess,
by monitoring, the scale of the accidentand took actions on his
own initiative to evacuate two areas. At the same time
the authorities were informed, upon which the speed and the scale of
the response were impressive. Several other sites of significant
contamination were quickly identified and residents evacuated.
------------------
Tropical South Atlantic influence on Northeastern Brazil precipitation and ITCZ displacement during the past 2300 years
2019
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-38003-6
------------------
Project Amazonia: Threats - Pollution
http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2006/final/threats/threat_pollution.html
Acidification and pH
Acidification is a naturally occurring process in nature. In tropical
areas with high rainfall, natural acidification of soils and surface
waters is common. However, tropical areas are especially sensitive to
further acidification by increased atmospheric deposition of sulfate and
nitrate ions (Rodhe et al, 1988). The following describes the three
conditions for an aquatic ecosystem to be acidified by atmospheric
deposition:
· Atmospheric deposition of sulfate or nitrate or of some anion must increase.
· Adjacent soils to the aquatic ecosystem must not retain the anion that is increased in deposition.
· Aquatic ecosystem must have a low alkalinity for acidification to result in biological damage (Rodhe et al, 1988).
The
major rivers and tributaries (see map below) of the southeastern region
of Brazil have varying levels of pH. The tables give the measurements
of pH, SO4-2, and NH4+ for these rivers and their tributaries
(Moreira-Nordemann, 1988).
According to the authors of
Chapter 8: Acidification in Southeastern Brazil,1 “The differences in
nitrogen and sulfur concentrations observed in river waters of the
southeastern region of Brazil cannot be explained by geological,
pedological, or climatic factors. Higher NO3-, NH4+ and SO42- contents
were determined in rivers crossing urban and industrial areas, the same
areas that also present a polluted atmosphere.”
These increases may result from acid deposition. “Acid deposition” is
caused by pollution from motor vehicles, industrial process, and the
burning of fossil fuels in power-stations in the form of sulphur
dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and hydrocarbons. These react with water and
sunlight to form dilute sulphuric acid, nitric acid, ammonium salts, and
other mineral acids2.
There are two types of “acid deposition” from the atmosphere: wet and dry (Fig. 3).
Wet
deposition refers to acid rain, fog, and snow. According to the
Environmental Protection Agency, “the strength of the effects [of acidic
water] depends on a variety of factors, including how acidic the water
is, the chemistry and buffering capacity of the soils involved, and the
types of fish, trees, and other living things that rely on the water.”
Dry deposition refers to acidic gases and particles. Acidity in the
atmosphere falls down as dry particles. These particles are deposited
onto buildings and other structures, or are washed from trees and other
surfaces by rain. This run off water adds acids to the acid rain,
thereby increasing the acidity of the rain3.
Many organisms cannot tolerate high levels of acidity, and even those
who can, face the problem that their food sources (such as insects)
cannot survive in highly acidic environments. As acidity in a water
system increases, the number and diversity of organisms decreases.
Also, when acid rain flows through soils in a watershed, aluminum is
released into the watershed, which is toxic to fish. At levels of pH5,
most fish eggs cannot hatch4. Table 6 clearly shows that the effects of
acidification on aquatic biota can be harmful.
|
Physical and chemical changes
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Primary production and Invertebrates
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Responses of Fish Populations to
Acidification
|
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HUMAN ALTERATION OF THE NITROGEN CYCLE
Most of the human activities responsible for the increase in global
nitrogen are local in scale, from the production and use of nitrogen
fertilizers to the burning of fossil fuels in automobiles, power
generation plants, and industries.
Nitrogen Fertilizers
Industrial fixation of nitrogen for use as fertilizer currently totals
approximately 80Tg per year and represents the largest human
contribution of new nitrogen to the global cycle. This figure does not
include manure and other organic nitrogen fertilizers. (8) The use of
fertilizer application in developed countries has stabilized. However,
it has risen drastically for developing countries. Human population
growth and increasing urbanization ensures that the rate of industrial
fertilizer production will continue to accelerate for decades in order
to meet the escalating demand for food. This scenario is the present
case in the Amazon Basin Rainforest Ecosystem (ABRE). Due to migration
and other factors, the indigenous population in the ABRE is currently
rising. In addition, improved transportation is attracting more migrants
into the area. Their destruction of rainforest land and their use of
fertilizers further impacts the nitrogen cycle.
Fossil Fuel Burning
The burning of fossil fuels (i.e. coal and oil) releases previously
fixed nitrogen back to the atmosphere in the form of nitrogen-based
trace gases such as nitric oxide. High- temperature combustion also
fixes a small amount of atmospheric nitrogen directly. Together, the
operation of automobiles, factories, power plants, and other combustion
processes emit more than 20 Tg per year of fixed nitrogen to the
atmosphere.
Mobilization of Stored Nitrogen
Besides enhancing fixation and releasing nitrogen from geological
reservoirs, human activities, such as burning of forests, wood fuels,
and grasslands also liberate nitrogen from long- term biological storage
pools such as soil organic matter and tree trunks, contributing further
to the release of biologically available nitrogen. One of the major
consequences of human- driven alterations in the nitrogen cycle has been
regional and global changes in the chemistry of the atmosphere-
specifically increased emissions of nitrogen- based trace gases
including nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, and ammonia. If left unattended,
these gases can have detrimental long term effects. Nitrous oxide
contributes to the greenhouse affect while nitric oxide is an important
precursor of acid rain and photochemical smog.
Nitrous oxide is a very effective heat- trapping gas in the atmosphere.
This is in part because it absorbs outgoing radiant heat from the Earth
in infrared wavelengths that are not captured by other major greenhouse
gases. Although it is fairly unreactive in the lower atmosphere, when
it rises into the stratosphere, it can trigger chain reactions that
deplete and thin the stratoshperic ozone layer that shields the Earth
from damaging ultraviolet radiation.
Both nitric oxide and ammonia are highly reactive in the lower
atmosphere. Nitric oxide plays several crucial roles in atmospheric
chemistry, including catalyzing the formation of photochemical smog. In
the presence of sunlight, nitric oxide and oxygen react with
hydrocarbons emitted by automobile exhausts to form ozone- the most
dangerous component of smog. Ground- level ozone has serious
detrimental effects on human health as well as the health and
productivity of crops and forests. Nitric oxides, along with other
nonmetal oxides, can be transformed in the atmosphere into nitric acid
and sulfuric acid (for example), which are major components of acid
rain.
Among these many sources of
nitric oxide emissions, combustion is the dominant one. A chief danger
of the increasing levels of nitrogen is the threat that it poses to the
carbon cycle. Experiments in Europe and America indicate that a large
portion of the extra nitrogen retained by forest, wetland, and tundra
ecosystems stimulates carbon uptake and storage (can you add specific
details of the project: name of project, who ran the experiment, etc and
citations?). On the other hand, this nitrogen can also stimulate
microbial decomposition and thus releases of carbon from soil organic
matter. On balance, however, the carbon uptake through new plant growth
appears to exceed the carbon losses, especially in forests. The most
recent analysis of the global carbon cycle by the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change concluded that nitrogen deposition could
represent a major component of the missing carbon sink.
Nitrogen Saturation
There is a limit to how much plant growth can be increased by nitrogen
fertilization. Eventually, when the natural nitrogen supplies are
replenished, plant growth becomes limited by scarcity of other
nutrients, such as phosphorus, calcium, and water. When the vegetation
can no longer respond to further additions of nitrogen, the ecosystem
reaches a state described as nitrogen saturation. When an ecosystem is
fully nitrogen- saturated and its soils, plants, and microbes cannot use
or retain any more, all new nitrogen deposits will be dispersed to
streams, groundwater, and the atmosphere.
Nitrogen saturation has a number of damaging consequences for the
health and functioning of ecosystems. These effects were first observed
in Europe when scientists noticed a large increase in nitrate
concentration in some lakes an streams. As ammonium builds up in the
soil, it is increasingly converted to nitrate by bacterial action. This
process releases hydrogen ions and helps acidify the soil. The buildup
of nitrate enhances emissions of nitrous oxides from the soil and also
encourages leaching of highly water- soluble nitrate into streams or
groundwater. As these negatively charged nitrates seep away, they carry
with them positively charged alkaline minerals such as calcium,
magnesium, and potassium. This in turn alters the soil composition and
depletes it of other nutrients necessary for healthy plant growth. As
calcium is depleted and the soil acidified, aluminum ions are mobilized,
eventually reaching toxic concentrations that can damage tree roots or
kill fish if the aluminum washes into streams. The trees are starved of
calcium, magnesium, and potassium, a nutrient imbalance arises in their
roots and leaves. This can potentially reduce the photosynthetic rate
and efficiency of the plant, stunt its growth, and even increase tree
death.
Nitrogen saturation plays a deeper role and also influences biodiversity, species mix, and aquatic ecosystems.
Soil Contamination
Soil contamination is the mixing of hazardous substances with the soil.
These contaminants get physically or chemically attached to the soils
or are trapped within its particles. This contamination is one of the
natural results of extensive land use which occurs in the Amazon Basin
Rainforest Area. The main types of soil contamination in the Amazon
Basin Rainforest are from mercury, cyanide and contamination from
pesticides.
Mercury
Mercury
contamination is found in many areas of the Amazon basin especially
along the Tapajos River where gold mining is carried out by an estimated
million miners. For several years it was believed that the mercury in
the rivers of the Amazon came solely from the mining operations
conducted by the miners. Miners use mercury to clean the gold that they
extract from the river, and due to lack of interest in environmental
matters, and a lack of education, much of this mercury is released into
the environment, some into the soil, some into the waters, but most is
sent to the atmosphere, returning to the earth in rain.
To
clean the gold, the miners mix the silted-gold with mercury which
separates the gold from the silt. The mercury is then burned off the
gold, at which point it evaporates. Mercury vapor is subsequently sent
to the atmosphere. There have been attempts to educate these miners on
the use of fume cupboards to prevent the excess mercury from escaping to
the atmosphere, and on alternative gold-cleaning methods, but the
majority still utilizes mercury without fume cupboards.
Though
most of this mercury contamination is found in the river water, some of
it eventually travels to the land in the form of silted soil deposited
on river plains during flooding. Mercury contamination also results from
the exposure of naturally occurring deposits in locations where a lot
of vegetation is lost during deforestation. Continuous loss of
vegetation accelerates the erosion, which in turn wears away the earth
and reaches the underlying mercury layers.
Recent
studies show that mercury from mining operations contributes a small
percentage of the total mercury found in the Amazon. Research
demonstrates that mercury levels at several hundred kilometers down
stream mining operations are in the same range as levels of mercury a
few kilometers downstream. Mercury then has more than one source in the
Amazon, and has increased in the last forty or so years. The scientists
have linked the increase in Mercury with the initiation of
slash-and-burn agriculture which is prevalent in the Amazon today.
By
removing trees, loggers and 'slash and burn' farmers remove that which
holds the soil together. In the soil are natural accumulating Mercury
deposits bounded to soil particles. These deposits are unavailable for
organisms as the mercury is in its inorganic form. When deforestation
occurs, the exposed soil is easily washed away by rains into the water
ways. This is the point where mercury becomes poisonous, by separating
from the soil particles, the mercury is converted to its organic form
called methylmercury by the equation:
Hg+ + CH3- => CH3Hg
Mercury concentrations in the rivers of the Amazon have been estimated
at 0.0002ppm8. Methylmercury is extremely poisonous, and in that form,
it can be absorbed by fish and other aquatic fauna, and travel up the
food-chain. Accumulation will occur, where the concentrations of mercury
in organisms higher in the food chain increases as they consume the
lower organisms. Mercury concentrations in humans can get to be several
magnitudes greater than their previous concentrations by having
mercurial fish in their diet. The locals living along the Amazon rivers
are therefore at risk of mercury poisoning. The miners are experiencing
Mercury Poisoning or Miramata Disease as well.
The main
source of cyanide contamination is gold mining operations as well. A
notable site of this pollution is the Omai gold mines in Guyana to the
north of Brazil.
Pesticides
Pesticide
contamination is most prevalent in areas where agriculture is used.
Although agriculture is not responsible for as much deforestation as
cattle ranching, the effects are still extensive. The immigrants from
the cities are ill equipped with agricultural and environmental
conservation skills and so use chemicals of various kinds recklessly to
reduce weed and insect infiltration to their crops.
The
effects of the pollution on soil are observed in many ways. Soil
contamination makes it largely impossible for healthy vegetation to grow
on the affected land. When the plants absorb these contaminants through
their roots, they either develop weak stems, deformed leaves, or
reproductive failures. Some of the contaminants also slow the growth and
development of the vegetation making recovery in areas where the forest
has been cleared ineffective. Animals in the rain forest are also
impacted by these adverse effects. Burrowing animals come into direct
contact with the mercury in the soil. The interaction with the chemicals
interferes with respiratory processes and causes brain damage. Both
effects lead to immature deaths of these animals. Some of the soil
contaminants, especially mercury and cyanide, are carried in the air due
to wind erosion and are then inhaled by the fauna in varying
quantities. Additionally, animals absorb contaminants when they feed on
contaminated vegetation.
Nitrogen Oxides
Background:
Nitrogen oxides are emitted by the burning of fuels, by industry, and
through natural (nitrogen cycle) processes. They cause ozone depletion
and acid rain and are short-lived in the atmosphere Nitrogen oxides are
reactive, greenhouse gases, including NO and NO210. When released into
the atmosphere through natural (nitrogen cycle) and artificial sources
(combustion of fuel, industry), these compounds enter a complex
reactionary period of a few days. The main products of this reaction
period are tropospheric ozone (O3) and nitric acid (HNO3).
NO2 + hv (wavelength less than 410 nm) à NO + O
O + O2 + catalyst à O3 + catalyst
NO + O3 à NO2 + O2
And
R + O2 + catalyst à RO2 + catalyst
RO2 + NO à NO2 + RO
These
reactions show the creation of ozone gas and its concurrent
consumption. However, in the presence of organic molecules of solely
carbon and hydrogen (R), NO favors the second group of reactions and the
ozone is not re-consumed. This process creates high levels of
tropospheric ozone.
A self cleaning process is constantly breaking NOx molecules into nitric acid (HNO3) through reaction with hydroxyl radicals.
HO + NO2 + catalyst à HNO3 + catalyst
Nitric
acid is unreactive in the gas phase, but quite soluble in water(Graedel
152). Thus the acid concentrates in water droplets. The resulting
acidic rain is damaging to soil processes and at very low pH can
directly damage flora and fauna.
Relevance to Rain Forest
Due to the short life of these compounds in the troposphere, areas of
concern for the preservation of the rainforest are industrial and urban
sites near or within the rainforest and the burning of the rainforest.
All other sources of NOx will be filtered out of the atmosphere by
natural processes long before reaching the Amazon River Basin Rainforest
ecosystem.
Sulfur Compounds
Background:
Atmospheric sulfur is critical to atmospheric acid-base chemistry.
However, in more recent times, human industry has thrown the sulfur
cycle out of balance, leading directly to acidic rain and increasing
aerosol levels13. The main atmospheric sulfur compounds are sulfates:
sulfuric acid, ammonium hydrogen sulfate, and ammonium sulfate.
The following reactions occur in the troposphere:
HSO3- + H2O2 --> HSO4- + H2O
HSO3-+ O3 --> HSO4- + O2
While this reaction appears to be beneficial through the decomposition
of tropospheric ozone, the product HSO4- quickly forms H2SO4, or
sulfuric acid. This compound, along with nitric acid, dissolves into
water droplets, concentrates in clouds, and results in acidic rain14.
Relevance to Rain Forest:
Sulfur, as with Nitrogen, plays its damaging role not in the atmosphere
itself, but once it is converted into water soluble compounds which
collect in water droplets within clouds. These compounds are deposited
by rainfall and cause damage to plant life, animal life, and water
sources.
Sulfur
Background:
Sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide both are toxic gases that can form
from elemental sulfur in the atmosphere. They are emitted by the use of
Diesel gas and by coal burning power plants. Sulfur also causes ozone
depletion and acid rain. However, sulfur also causes some global
cooling and function as a nutrient to some plants. It helps them form
proteins and aids photosynthesis. A lack of sulfur would impede growth
in at least some plants.
In conditions with abundant
sulfur, plants incorporate sulfur into organosulfur and involve sulfur
in energy transfers. Below is an example of this in Chlorella.
Obviously, sulfur can be an important part of algae and plants’ metabolic pathways.
According to the Iris Hypothesis, availability of Sulfur is also
important in counteracting the greenhouse effect. Excess sulfur in the
atmosphere called aerosols forms clouds that are effective in reflecting
sunlight, causing global cooling18,19. (More information about the Iris
hypothesis is given in research regarding climate.)
--------------------
Study of wet precipitation and its chemical composition in South of Brazil
June 2008
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0001-37652008000200016
ABSTRACT
The
purpose of this study is to analyze the chemical composition of wet
precipitation in samples collected at three stations in the Candiota
region in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS). Samples were
collected in 2004. Variables analyzed in wet precipitation were pH,
conductivity, and concentration of Cl–, NO3–, SO42– F–, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+,
K+, NH4+, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Pb, Ni, Cd, Co, and Cr. SO2 and NO2
distribution over the time were also evaluated. Results have showed that
pH < 5.6 are found mostly at Candiota airport (85%), followed by
Aceguá (72%) and Três Lagoas (65%). Enrichment Factor of the studied
ions in wet deposition revealed higher Ca2+ and SO42– enrichment in Três
Lagoas. Factor Analysis applied to metals and major ions allowed
identifying the major sources. While Cl–, Na+, Mg2+ are of marine
origin, SO42–, NO3–, NH4+ ,F– come from anthropogenic sources. Except
for Fe and Mn originating from the soil dust, the metals studied showed
to have anthropogenic influence The average SO2 and NO2 concentration,
as well as SO42– and NO3– in wet precipitation in the Candiota region
showed higher concentrations during the warmer months.
--------------------
Iron Oxides in Selected Brazilian Oxisols: I. Mineralogy
1990
https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/sssaj/abstracts/55/4/SS0550041143
Abstract
Twelve Oxisols from the Triangulo Mineiro region, Minas Gerais state,
Brazil, derived from four different parent materials were studied to
provide insight into their Fe-oxide mineralogy. The clay fraction (<2
µm) of all soils consisted of kaolinite and Fe oxides (hematite and/or
goethite); gibbsite and anatase were found in most of the soils;
maghemite was detected in several of them. Citratedithionite (CD)
treatment of the soil clays showed hematite preferentially dissolved
compared with goethite, and a higher dissolution rate for poorly
crystalline than for well-crystalline goethite. The calculated values
for Al substitution in the Fe oxides, based on the CD extracts of the
total clay corrected for Al soluble in acid ammonium oxalate, and of
clay treated for gibbsite removal gave fair to good agreement with Al
substitution determined by differential x-ray diffraction (DXRD) for
those samples in which the Fe-oxide fraction was dominated by either
goethite or hematite. Aluminum-substituted maghemite, detected by DXRD,
was present only in soils from mafic rocks, suggesting its formation
through oxidation of the magnetite present in the parent material.
Aluminum substitution, determined by DXRD, varied from 17 to 36 mol %
for goethites, 6 to 15 mol % for hematites, and 16 to 26 mol % for
maghemites. The mean crystallite dimension (MCDkkl) of some hematite samples determined from DXRD showed preferential crystal development in the X-Y direction, suggesting a platy nature.
--------------------
The Mariana mining disaster
60 million cubic metres of iron ore waste and mud hit the town of Bento Rodrigues.
http://webdoc.france24.com/brazil-dam-mining-disaster-mariana/
-------------------
High Uranium Concentrations in the Groundwater of the Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, Mountainous Region
2019
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0103-50532019000200224
-------------------
Uranium mining in Caetite, Brazil
The
project consists basically in the mining and milling of uranium in the
municipality of Caetite, Bahia state, Brazil. The method of uranium
extraction is open-pit mining and the milling process is lixiviation in
piles. All mined uranium is to be used domestically, after conversion
and enrichment abroad (Canada and Netherlands, respectively). The amount
of uranium explored is sufficient to supply the two Brazilian nuclear
power plants currently in operation. This case involves workplace
accidents, tailing spills, potential soil and water contamination, and
uncertain risks (e.g. cancer) to the health of the workers and the
population which lives in the surrounded area of the mine.
https://ejatlas.org/conflict/uranium-mining-in-caetite-brazil
--------------------
Nuclear activities in Brazil
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_activities_in_Brazil
Contents
1 Brazilian nuclear activities
1.1 Early years (1930–60)
1.2 1961–72
1.3 1973–78
1.4 The "autonomous" / "parallel" nuclear program (1978–87)
1.5 1988–2000
1.6 2001–present
2 Nuclear cooperation with Argentina
2.1 Initial bilateral talks
2.2 The path to mutual inspections
2.3 Recent developments
3 Brazil and the nuclear non-proliferation regime
3.1 Opposition to the NPT
3.2 Critical adhesion to the international nuclear regime
3.3 Safeguards
3.4 A Brazilian bomb?
4 Main controversies
4.1 American criticism of the Brazil – West Germany nuclear deal and the Carter crusade
4.2 Problems related to mining, storage and transportation of radioactive material
4.2.1 Minas Gerais
4.2.2 Bahia
4.2.3 Ceará
4.2.4 Goiás
4.2.5 São Paulo
4.3 Radiological accidents and incidents
4.4 Oversight, control and nuclear security
4.5 Transparency
4.6 Costs of nuclear activities
4.7 Contested legality of Angra 3
4.8 2010 Joint Tehran Declaration (Brazil, Iran and Turkey)
5 References
A Brazilian bomb?
While Brazil was conducting its nuclear activities outside of the nuclear non-proliferation regime, many in the international community doubted its stated peaceful intention. In addition to Brazil's refusal to sign the NPT, the fact that the country was ruled by a hard-line military regime fuelled the suspicion that Brasília was pursuing a nuclear bomb. This opinion was manifested openly and implicitly by different nations as well as the international anti-nuclear movement. The most vehement of skeptics was the U.S., with countries like France, Canada, the UK and the Soviet Union also following suit in their doubts of Brazil.
Domestically, the lack of transparency in the Brazilian government and the little information made available about the nuclear program also led some people to believe that the military government would move forward with weaponization. Environmentalists, peace activists and members of the political opposition voiced their condemnation to the idea.
The suspicion intensified in the second half of the 1980s. As domestic media reports were published, uncovering secret nuclear developments, rumors about a possible Brazilian nuclear test emerged. One of the main Brazilian newspapers, Folha de S. Paulo, published an interview in April 1985 with a retired military officer who stated that the government planned to develop a nuclear device and explode it in 1990. During that same period, international papers denounced covert nuclear activities in Brazil, which reignited external questioning of its nuclear aspirations.
Writing in the Christian Science Monitor in 1992 Eric Ehrmann and Christopher Barton discussed Brazil's nuclear cooperation with Iraq, and noted the views of CIA Director Robert Gates to wit that Brazil has the capability to sell nuclear technology to Iran and that issues regarding dual use deals would drive the cost of maintaining global security upward.
In the 1990s, the country created the bilateral ABACC commission with Argentina, signed the Quadripartite Agreement with the IAEA, adhered to the NPT, and reiterated its peaceful nuclear ambitions on several occasions.
The Lula administration (2003–2011) resuscitated the dormant Brazilian nuclear program, issued new investments in achieving industrial-scale uranium enrichment capacity and revived the nuclear-propulsion submarine project.
Despite Brazil's repeated claims of peaceful nuclear development, in 2003, Science and Technology Minister Roberto Amaral made a controversial statement. During an interview with popular Brazilian daily O Globo, Amaral stated that Brazil should seek to obtain all nuclear knowledge and knowhow; when asked if his description included the knowledge to develop a nuclear bomb, he replied positively. After the statement was disseminated across national and international media, Amaral refuted it and called it a misunderstanding.
One year later, Brazil denied IAEA inspectors full visual access to the Resende enrichment plant's centrifuges, which led to months of Brazil–IAEA disagreements. The two parties finally reached a compromise for Brazil to reduce the size of the panels covering the machinery. Nonetheless, Brazil's reluctance to these verification measures and constant refusal to sign the Additional Protocol have been interpreted by some as an attempt to hide undeclared activities. There were also rumors stating that the reason for concealing parts of the centrifuges was to hide technology Brazil had covertly obtained in the past, "possibly the Urenco G-2 design from Germany or another design from Pakistan."
In 2008, Brazil issued its National Defense Strategy (Estratégia Nacional de Defesa), in which it reaffirmed its ambition to develop and master nuclear technology and conclude the nuclear-propulsion submarine. That year, Brazil established a cooperation agreement with France to construct the submarine. Even though the two countries will collaborate on this project, the nuclear reactor for the submarine is excluded from the contract and should be built by the Brazilian Navy on its own.
Today, as a non-nuclear-weapon state party to the NPT, Brazil has the right under international norms to manufacture a naval reactor and produce highly enriched uranium to fuel it.[186] While that has not happened yet, the possibility of Brazil enriching uranium at a level higher than the 20-percent threshold and employing it at a military facility has prompted continued concerns over its nuclear intentions.
Vice President José Alencar (2003–11) made controversial remarks in 2009, telling the press that Brazil should have nuclear weapons as a means to protect itself. According to Alencar, nuclear weapons were useful as a means of dissuasion, particularly in the case of a vast country with valuable natural resources such as Brazil. Additionally, Alencar linked the possession of a nuclear bomb to higher international relevance, stating that a poor country like Pakistan had its voice heard in international affairs because of its nuclear arsenal. Once his observations were mass-produced, Brasília affirmed that Alencar had expressed his own personal views, which did not reflect Brazil's official position.
In that same year, a leaked U.S. diplomatic cable revealed Argentine concerns related to Brazilian nuclear ambitions. It stated that the Argentine foreign ministry was thinking about what Argentina's reaction should be in case Brazil backed out of ABACC or developed a nuclear weapon. According to the document, one of the responses under consideration by Buenos Aires could be the development and deployment of advanced peaceful nuclear technology—such as a nuclear-powered icebreaker—to demonstrate capacity. ABACC did not comment, but one of its Brazilian officials stated that the information expressed in the leaked cable was contrary to the Brazilian–Argentine experience, which was enshrined in mutual trust.
International experts have also weighed in on the controversies surrounding Brazil's nuclear program. Hans Rühle, a former official from the German defense ministry who also worked with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) wrote an article in 2010 in which he indicated that Brazil might be on the path toward getting the bomb. He based his argument on the submarine project, which may involve the production of highly enriched uranium, and the fact that Brazil seeks to develop capacity to conduct all phases of the nuclear fuel cycle indigenously. While Rühle affirms that there is no hard proof of a nuclear weapons program in Brazil, he suggests that Brazil's relations with Iran and defense of the Iranian nuclear program should be seen as a clue of the path Brazil wants to tread. Commenting on Rühle's article, the Argentine scholars Federico Merke and Florencia Montal said that Brazil might develop the capacity to manufacture a bomb but that it didn't seem to have the intention to do so.
The most recent White Book of National Defense (Livro Branco de Defesa Nacional), issued in 2012 and published by the ministry of defense, reaffirms Latin America as a nuclear-weapons-free zone and states Brazil's support for nuclear disarmament. The white paper also states that the nuclear-propulsion submarine would contribute to the protection of commercial routes, keep navigation free, help protect natural resources, and promote technological development in the country.
The white paper, on top of myriad official explanations, has not curbed the domestic and international public of suspecting Brazil's nuclear intentions. For instance, the Argentine edition of Le Monde Diplomatique, published an article in its Spanish-language edition dated from February 2013 and titled, "Brasil, ¿detrás de la bomba atómica?" (Brazil: Behind the Atomic Bomb)? Despite other similarly expressed pieces of skepticism, the evidence remains inconclusive that a nuclear weapons program is underway in Brazil.
Main controversies
American criticism of the Brazil – West Germany nuclear deal and the Carter crusade
As a response to India's nuclear test conducted 18 May 1974, the United States adopted more restrictive policies regulating the transfer of nuclear fuel and related technologies to different countries, including Brazil. In addition to suspending USAEC contracts of uranium supply, U.S. officials also pressed the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) Supply Agency to cease all transfers of special nuclear material to Brazil. Likewise, the U.S. pushed West Germany to remove ultracentrifugation technology from its agreement with Brazil and tried to craft a complementary safeguards agreement with the IAEA.
During the 1976 presidential campaign, Jimmy Carter voiced strong criticisms of the Brazil-West Germany deal as well as the Gerald Ford administration's handling of the matter. In Carter's view, a more assertive stance on non-proliferation was necessary.
Once he assumed office in January 1977, Carter dispatched his vice president, Walter Mondale, to West Germany for his first official visit. In Bonn, Mondale met with President Helmut Schmidt to discuss the Carter administration's efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation. Mondale suggested to Schmidt that the West German-Brazilian agreement be suspended temporarily for review. Although Schmidt did not fully embrace it, Mondale's proposal was badly received in Brazil and led to complications in U.S.-Brazil relations.
In June 1977, U.S. First Lady Rosalynn Carter visited Brazil and met with Geisel and his foreign minister, Azeredo da Silveira, in Brasília. Mrs. Carter was accompanied by Robert Pastor, U.S. National Security Advisor for Latin America, and Joseph Nye, Assistant Secretary of State for nuclear affairs. Although Mrs. Carter and Geisel talked about non-proliferation and the Treaty of Tlateloco, no substantive agreements on nuclear policy were created during this visit.
In the following year, President Carter signed into law the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act, reducing U.S. production of plutonium and further restricting exports of nuclear fuel. As a consequence, Brazil was required to adopt comprehensive safeguards on all its nuclear facilities in order to receive from the U.S. the first delivery of replacement nuclear fuel for the Angra 1 nuclear power plant.
The constraints imposed by external actors led to significant delays in the construction of nuclear plants and represented high political and technological costs for the Brazilian government. In this context, in 1978 Brazil decided to carry out covert nuclear activities—in essence, the beginning of its "Autonomous" / "Parallel" nuclear program.
Problems related to mining, storage and transportation of radioactive material
Minas Gerais
The Ore Treatment Unit (Unidade de Tratamento de Minério – UTM) in the rural area of Caldas, Minas Gerais (MG), was active from 1982 to 1995. During that period, 1,200 tons of yellowcake were produced in order to provide fuel for Angra 1.
Since its decommissioning, Caldas’ mine pit, which is approximately 180 meters (590 feet) deep and contains a diameter of about 1,200 meters (3,937 feet), has turned into a giant lake of acid water. Additionally, radioactive residues remain in the unit – approximately 11,000 tons of torta 2, a combination of uranium concentrate and thorium, and thousands of tons of mesothorium – making Caldas the country's biggest radioactive waste deposit.
Local residents and politicians have expressed their concern about the health and environmental impact of the radioactive waste and the acid water. So far, there is no available technology to neutralize the water and mitigate its environmental and health risks.
There have also been complaints about incidences of cancer, where the amount of those affected is higher than the average for Minas Gerais. Similarly, a recent study points to an excessive number of cancer-related deaths in the part of the state where uranium extraction is occurring.
The poor condition of the storage facilities led to a judicial ruling in 2011 that fined the INB, ordered it to treat the mining residues, and mandated that company must provide regular analyses of the radiation levels in the soil, animals, plants, groundwater and rivers that run through the city.
In 2000, 15 years after uranium mining activities had ceased in Caldas, radioactive residues of torta 2 and mesothorium from decommissioned plants in São Paulo were to be transported to Caldas, where they would be stored. Amid popular mobilizations against it, then-MG Governor Itamar Franco issued a decree prohibiting the entry of radioactive waste into MG from other states. The radioactive material remains stored in São Paulo.
Bahia
The sole active mine in Brazil, the Uranium Concentrate Unit (Unidade de Concentrado de Urânio – URA), is located in Bahia, possessing an estimated 100,000 tons of uranium reserves. This amount could supply the three Angra power plants currently in operation, in addition to four other planned ones, until the end of their life cycles.[85] Since 1998, when mining activities started in Caetité, annual uranium production at URA has varied; it peaked in 2008, when 400 tons of uranium concentrated were produced.
Mining activity in Caetité has generated detrimental environmental effects, including contamination of water in nearby districts. An independent study commissioned by international environmental Non-governmental organization (NGO) Greenpeace showed that the concentration of uranium in some wells located 8 kilometers away from the uranium mine, in the district of Juazeiro, BA, was seven times higher than the limit established by the World Health Organization (WHO).
In April 2010, the Institute for Water and Climate Management (Instituto de Gestão das Águas e Clima – INGA), the agency responsible for water and climate management within the Bahia state government, recommended shutting down the water fountain that served Juazeiro due to the district's high uranium levels. A few months later, a technical mission led by Dhesca Brasil, a network of human rights organizations, observed that the fountain continued to be in use and the residents had not been informed about the risks of consuming its water.
In May 2011, after learning that 13 trucks loaded with radioactive material were about to leave from São Paulo to Caetité, local residents and activists asked for official explanations and requested that safety measures be taken. In a letter sent to local authorities, the claimers inquired about the nature of the material being transported, why it was destined for Caetité, potential risks associated with the transportation, and whether proper permission had been granted.
When their letter went unanswered, the population organized a vigil constituting thousands of people. More than 3,000 protestors made a human chain and impeded 13 trucks from coming into the city. INB published a note in its website claiming that the cargo consisted of chemical compounds of uranium, coming from the Navy Technological Center (Centro Tecnológico da Marinha em São Paulo – CTMSP) to Caetité to be repackaged. The message further revealed that the final destination would be Europe for enrichment purposes. After four days of impasse, the parties came to an agreement and the material proceeded to the URA in Caetité.
Ceará
Another uranium mining complex, known as Itataia, is underway in Santa Quitéria, Ceará. Itataia is supposed to be the largest uranium reserve in Brazil, containing 79,319 tons of the mineral. In the first years of extraction, the expected annual uranium production capacity is 1,200 tons per year. But projections assert that after the fifth year, this figure should rise to 1,600 tons annually.
In 2008, officials stated that mining activities in Itataia would begin in 2013. The first of its type, this would be a joint venture between state-owned INB and Brazilian private construction company Galvani. The latter would be in charge of the mining activities, extracting phosphate for fertilizer production and separating it from uranium, which Galvani would pass on to INB. However, since federal authorities have requested further studies of environmental impact, activities have been delayed.
Goiás
The remaining radioactive waste from the 1987 radiological accident in Goiânia, Goiás, was quickly transferred to the nearby city of Abadia, generating resistance from local residents suspicious of risks associated with nuclear material. It has been reported that people from neighboring cities avoided Abadia's citizens, fearing radioactive contamination.
After a decade of provisional storage, the material was moved to a permanent deposit built within the state park of Telma Ortegal, which has an area of 1.6 million m2 (17.2 million ft²). The structure housing the deposit was designed to last for 300 years and withstand eventual disasters.
São Paulo
Currently, there are approximately 1,150 tons of radioactive residues – primarily uranium and thorium – stored among 80 tons of heavy mineral sand in Interlagos, a busy neighborhood in the city of São Paulo. This material is reminiscent of the monazite plants of Santo Amaro (Usan) and Interlagos (Usin), which were deactivated in the 1990s.
In 2000, the remaining radioactive waste was supposed to go the mining unit of Caldas (MG), where the residues of Usan and Usin were usually disposed. However, popular pressure against it led then-MG Governor Itamar Franco to issue a decree prohibiting radioactive waste from coming into the state. Faced with this restriction, the residues remained in São Paulo.
The storage building in Interlagos has been criticized for its poor signage and safety protocols. There are few signs indicating radiation in the area, but they are small and some are covered by grass. According to Fernanda Giannasi, a public auditor from the Ministry of Labor, there are holes in the fence surrounding the building, which means people can enter the site. Giannasi has also noted risks faced by employees at the storage building. There are also complaints concerning the lack of instructions to residents in the vicinity advising certain steps in case of a radiological accident.
When Usin was built, the population of the surrounding area was less dense. And the human presence in the area is expected to increase; the Santuário Theotokos Mãe de Deus, a large church with a capacity of 20,000 worshippers that will rise to 100,000 upon the completion of its construction, has been built only 300 meters (984 feet) away from the radioactive waste site.
The company in charge of the uranium production in São Paulo was the former Nuclemon Mínero-Química, which has now been absorbed into INB. In 2007, the Brazilian Labor Court mandated that INB provide lifelong, free health insurance to the former workers of Nuclemon. This verdict was the outcome of a long lawsuit, which argued that throughout the 1980s and 1990s Nuclemon workers had no substantial information about the risks they faced and were constantly exposed to radioactive and toxic substances.
A report from a parliamentary working group on nuclear safety noticed that, even though Brazil signed and ratified the International Labour Organization (ILO) Radiation Protection Convention (No. 115), it has not provided national measures that implement Article 12, which obliges signatories to commit medical services to former workers who have been in contact with radioactive substances. Discussions to implement Article 12 have been ongoing in Brazil's federal legislative body since 2006.
Radiological accidents and incidents
In 1986, roughly 20,000 to 25,000 liters of radioactive water accidentally leaked from the Angra 1 nuclear power plant, becoming a front-page story on the popular Brazilian daily Folha de S. Paulo on 9 October.
In September 1987, a radioactive accident occurred in Goiânia, Goiás, after a radiotherapy device was stolen from an abandoned hospital site in the city. As different people subsequently handled it, men, women, children, animals, and plants were contaminated. In the cleanup operation, topsoil had to be removed from several sites and entire houses were demolished, with their contents removed, examined and eventually destroyed. According to the official account, about 112,000 people were examined for radioactive contamination, 297 were found to have significant levels of radioactive material in or on their body, and 4 people died. However, these numbers are in dispute, as a victims’ association argues these statistics do not take into consideration the subsequent injuries and deaths resulting from the Goiânia accident.
In April 2000, there was a leak of 5,000 m3 (176,573 ft3) of uranium liquor at the Lagoa Real industrial mining complex, located in Caetité, Bahia. INB, the company responsible for the facility, tried to keep the accident secret, but nine employees broke their silence six months later and informed authorities. In turn, INB was fined R$119,130 (US $57,600) and had its activities suspended from November 2000 to July 2001.
On 28 May 2001, another leak of radioactive water occurred at Angra 1, this time 22,000 liters and attributed to human error. Authorities considered it a minor accident and stated that the workers and the residents of the area did not face contamination risks.
In October 2001, uranium hexafluoride gas leaked at the Resende fuel factory due to a failure of the facility's safety and detection system. This radioactive, lethal gas invaded a 60 m2 (646 ft2) room but was contained. According to news reports, the gas leak did not affect any of the 450 workers or the 8,000 residents of the nearest district. However, the communities in the area nearby complained about not being informed about the accident.
In April 2002, two INB workers told Caetité's Radio Educadora that another leak of uranium liquor had happened at "Area 170" but was being kept as a secret by INB.
In Caetité, between January and June 2004 the reservoir for radioactive water flooded seven times, which spread liquid effluents of uranium-238, thorium-232 and radium-226 to the Riacho das Vacas creek and the surrounding environment. This accident motivated in loco, or on-the-spot, inspections of CNEN's Coordination of Nuclear Facilities (Coordenação de Instalações Nucleares – CODIN). The inspectors produced a technical report which listed various irregularities, such as constant overflows of contaminated water and inadequate excavation measures, which could lead to landslides and lack of hydro-geological studies to prevent the contaminated water from reaching the groundwater. Despite the critiques of the report, Caetité's mining license was renewed. According to an article in Folha de S.Paulo, the report authors resigned from their positions.
On 15 May 2009, a human error during a decontamination procedure at Angra 2 resulted in the release radioactive particles, affecting – but not severely contaminating – the six workers located near the incident site. Even though the Brazilian company in charge of nuclear energy production Eletrobras Eletronuclear claimed to have reported the accident to relevant authorities when it occurred, news about it only surfaced the media 11 days later.
In Caetité, on 2 May 2010, a pipe broke at INB and 900 liters of uranium liquor spilled onto the soil.
On 18 October 2012, an operational fault at the INB mine in Caetité, poured roughly 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of uranium onto the ground. INB claimed that it followed requisite protocol and cleaned the area.
On 26 June 2013, a man who works for INB as a night watchman at Caetité's Uranium Concentrate Unit fell into a pool filled with 20,000 m³ of radioactive fluids. The incident became public through a local NGO, which reported the worker's fall and denounced the insufficient safety measures in place at the uranium plant; such as the absence of guardrails around radioactive storage pools. After the event made the news, INB released a note in which the company affirmed it had granted medical assistance to the worker. According to this statement, the worker went through checkups and his health has not been affected.
Oversight, control and nuclear security
While CNEN is responsible for promoting and fostering nuclear industry in Brazil, it also supervises and regulates the country's nuclear sector—a duality of responsibilities that can undermine the independence of the supervision system. It has also been pointed out that this goes against Article 8 of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, which states that
"each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure an effective separation between the functions of the regulatory body and those of any other body or organization concerned with the promotion or utilization of nuclear energy."
Brazil has been a signatory to that accord since 2 June 1997.
Since early 2013, the Brazilian government is weighing a proposal to establish a nuclear regulatory agency. Some in the nuclear sector have voiced their support for the measure, which would separate regulation, licensing and control of nuclear activities from the fomentation, promotion and support for research and production of nuclear energy.
Transparency
From the outset, Brazil's nuclear program has been shrouded in secrecy. Nuclear issues are still considered a matter of national security and sovereignty, despite Brazil's democratic makeup and transition away from military dictatorship. There is little transparency regarding the various nuclear activities under the government's purview and the potential impact these can have on public health and the environment. Moreover, numerous attempts to keep radioactive accidents and incidents secret have undermined credibility of nuclear enterprises and led to distrust among the public.
In particular, local stakeholders based near uranium mines and nuclear facilities have expressed various nuclear-related concerns, ranging from impacts of uranium mining to the feasibility of the emergency plans. Political authorities and civil society organizations also complain about the lack of mechanisms to facilitate dialogue with the nuclear sector. The 2004 episode in which Brazil denied IAEA inspectors full visual access to its centrifuges also adds to these accusations, as does Brazil's persistent refusal to adhere to the Additional Protocol (AP).
Costs of nuclear activities
Throughout the decades, nuclear activities in Brazil have absorbed a huge amount of taxpayer money. While it is difficult to determine the total cost of the country's nuclear program across its history, the construction of Angra 1 and Angra 2 cost US$12.5 billion.
In 2008, the costs for the construction of Angra 3 were estimated in R$7.2 billion (US$3.4 billion). However, in 2010, that number was raised to R$10.4 billion (US$4.9 billion). This amount is in addition to the BR$1.5 billion (US$702 million) previously spent on the construction and the US$20 million spent annually with maintenance and storage of the equipment bought over 20 years ago.
In December 2012, the official estimate for the total cost of this project was R$13.9 billion (US$6 billion).
Several experts, like physicists Luiz Pinguelli Rosa and José Goldemberg, have voiced their opposition to Brazil's nuclear endeavor, calling it a very expensive source of energy. Indeed, the vast costs associated with nuclear energy are considered an obstacle to Brazilian development of a domestic renewable energy market according to Greenpeace.
Contested legality of Angra 3
In November 2007, Greenpeace filed legal motions to block the construction of Angra 3, arguing it was unlawful and unconstitutional. Greenpeace's lawyer, José Afonso da Silva, issued a legal opinion contending that the creation of Angra 3 was not a legal act of the executive branch. Da Silva's legal opinion also affirmed that Articles 21, 49 and 225 of the Constitution required that the construction of a nuclear power plant must be discussed beforehand in the parliament—an action that did not happen.
In January 2008, Federal Judge Renata Costa Moreira Musse Lopes ruled against Greenpeace's motion.
2010 Joint Tehran Declaration (Brazil, Iran and Turkey)
The nuclear program of Iran has been the topic of heated international argument since 2003. As a major player in the global non-proliferation regime, the United States has been one of the main actors in this debate.
During the Lula administration (2003-2011), Brazil promoted an emphatic defense of the right of Iran, as an NPT signatory, to enrich uranium. While this action was in accordance with the argument usually put forward by Brazil – that affirms developing countries can acquire technology considered important for their national development – it represented a source of disagreement between Brazil and the United States. According to reports of then-Foreign Minister Celso Amorim and leaked U.S. diplomatic cables, the United States had been trying to impress on Brazil the need to convince Iran to come to an agreement with the IAEA regarding its nuclear program. Following the U.S. requests, Brazilian diplomats, together with their Turkish counterparts, brokered an agreement with Iran which became public in May 2010. The deal was formalized via the tripartite Tehran Declaration that allowed Iran to send 1,200 kilograms of 3.5%-enriched uranium to Turkey in exchange for 20%-enriched nuclear fuel for a scientific reactor.
However, the initiative failed to win support of the five permanent members (P-5) of the United Nations Security Council. One reason cited was that the agreed-upon quantity of 1,200 kilograms was considered too low because it did not take into account Iran's accumulation of a larger amount of low-enriched uranium in the time since the IAEA first proposed the agreement, in late 2009. Additionally, the Tehran Declaration did not address Iran's production of 20%-enriched uranium. Thus, the United States and other Western powers worried that this agreement did not require Iran to curtail its enrichment program or even resolve outstanding questions about the possible military purposes of its nuclear activities. Shortly after the deal was announced, then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared that the P-5 had agreed on a draft text for a new set of sanctions on Iran.
The rejection of this joint venture with Iran and Turkey was a big source of frustration for Brazilian diplomacy. However, despite being called naïve and accused of prolonging a controversial activity of a dubious regime, President Lula maintained that "engaging Iran – not isolating it – was the best way to push for peace and stability in the Middle East." In Lula's view, ‘‘the existence of weapons of mass destruction is what makes the world more dangerous, not agreements with Iran."
------------------------------
Brazilian nuclear plant uranium convoy attacked by armed men: police
March 19, 2019
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-uranium-violence/brazilian-nuclear-plant-uranium-convoy-attacked-by-armed-men-police-idUSKCN1R02UV
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Armed men shot at members of a convoy transporting uranium to one of Brazil’s two working nuclear power plants on a coastal road in Rio de Janeiro state on Tuesday, police and the company managing the plant said.
They said the truck carrying the nuclear fuel and its police escort came under attack when it was passing by the town of Frade, about 30 km (19 miles) from Angra dos Reis, where the reactor is located.
Policemen guarding the convoy returned the attackers’ fire, police said. They said there were no injuries or arrests and the armed men fled.
Eletronuclear, the Centrais Elétricas Brasileiras SA subsidiary that manages the Angra nuclear plants, said in a statement that the uranium being transported was not dangerous and that the shipment was not delayed by the attack.
It said the incident occurred when police escorting the truck fanned out alongside the road as a precautionary measure after hearing nearby gunshots. The armed men then started firing on some of the heavily armed “shock battalion” accompanying the shipment, Eletronuclear said.
The nuclear fuel used in the two reactors in Brazil, Angra 1 and Angra 2, is produced in a government installation in Resende, a city in the interior of Rio de Janeiro state located 130 km (80.78 miles) from Angra dos Reis.
Brazil only processes uranium to be used as fuel for power plants, under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency...
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Goiânia accident
The Goiânia accident was a radioactive contamination accident that occurred on September 13, 1987, in Goiânia, in the Brazilian state of Goiás, after a forgotten radiotherapy source was taken from an abandoned hospital site in the city. It was subsequently handled by many people, resulting in four deaths. About 112,000 people were examined for radioactive contamination and 249 of them were found to have been contaminated.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goi%C3%A2nia_accident
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Natural Fertility and Metals Contents in Soils of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil)
19/Jan/2018
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/natural-fertility-and-metals-contents-in-soils-of-rio-grande-do-sul-brazil/
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Baseline and Quality Reference Values for Natural Radionuclides in Soils of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil
2018
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/baseline-and-quality-reference-values-for-natural-radionuclides-in-soils-of-rio-de-janeiro-state-brazil/
--------------------
Reclamation of a Degraded Coal-Mining Area with Perennial Cover Crops
2016
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/reclamation-of-a-degraded-coal-mining-area-with-perennial-cover-crops/
---------------------
Rare Earth Element Concentrations in Brazilian Benchmark Soils
2016
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/rare-earth-element-concentrations-in-brazilian-benchmark-soils/
---------------------
Phytoextractor Potential of Cultivated Species in Industrial Area Contaminated by Lead
2016
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/phytoextractor-potential-of-cultivated-species-in-industrial-area-contaminated-by-lead/
---------------------
Growth, Biomass and Carbon Stocks in Forest Cover Planted in an Area of Bauxite Mining in Rehabilitation
2019
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/growth-biomass-and-carbon-stocks-in-forest-cover-planted-in-an-area-of-bauxite-mining-in-rehabilitation/
--------------------
Brazil’s actual forest-related CO2 emissions could blow by Paris pledge
19 April 2018
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/04/brazils-actual-forest-related-co2-emissions-could-blow-by-paris-pledge/
--------------------
The Carbon Brief Profile: Brazil
2018
https://www.carbonbrief.org/the-carbon-brief-profile-brazil
--------------------------
Amazon carbon sink could be ‘much less’ due to lack of soil nutrients
Aug 2019
https://www.carbonbrief.org/amazon-carbon-sink-could-be-much-less-due-to-lack-of-soil-nutrients
--------------------------
Carbon dioxide levels are at a record high. Here's what you need to know.
Carbon
dioxide, a key greenhouse gas that drives global climate change,
continues to rise every month. Find out the dangerous role it and other
gases play.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/greenhouse-gases/
--------------------------
Changes in soil carbon stocks in Brazil due to land use: paired site comparisons and a regional pasture soil survey
2013
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307660183_Changes_in_soil_carbon_stocks_in_Brazil_due_to_land_use_paired_site_comparisons_and_a_regional_pasture_soil_survey
--------------------
Brazil Carbon (CO2) Emissions 1960-2019
https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/BRA/brazil/carbon-co2-emissions
Carbon
dioxide emissions are those stemming from the burning of fossil fuels
and the manufacture of cement. They include carbon dioxide produced
during consumption of solid, liquid, and gas fuels and gas flaring.
Brazil carbon (co2) emissions for 2014 was 529,808.16, a 5.19% increase from 2013.
Brazil carbon (co2) emissions for 2013 was 503,677.12, a 7.16% increase from 2012.
Brazil carbon (co2) emissions for 2012 was 470,028.73, a 6.97% increase from 2011.
Brazil carbon (co2) emissions for 2011 was 439,412.94, a 4.68% increase from 2010.
--------------------
Can Cows Help Mitigate Climate Change? Yes, They Can!
December 19, 2018
https://daily.jstor.org/can-cows-help-mitigate-climate-change-yes-they-can/
Livestock emit greenhouse gases. They also can sequester carbon and boost biodiversity.
If managed grazing could be amped up worldwide, it could sequester over 16 gigatons of carbon by 2050.
--------------------
Scientists Zero in on Trees as a Surprisingly Large Source of Methane
By Fred Pearce • June 24, 2019
https://e360.yale.edu/features/scientists-probe-the-surprising-role-of-trees-in-methane-emissions
Recent
research is showing that trees, especially in tropical wetlands, are a
major source of the second most important greenhouse gas in the
atmosphere, methane. The knowledge that certain woodlands are high
methane emitters should help guide reforestation projects in many parts
of the world.
There are many mysteries in the Amazon.
Until recently, one of the most troubling was the vast methane emissions
emerging from the rainforest that were observed by satellites but that
nobody could find on the ground. Around 20 million tons was simply
unaccounted for.
Then Sunitha Pangala, a British
post-doc researcher, spent two months traveling the Amazon’s waterways
strapping gas-measuring equipment to thousands of trees. She found that
trees, especially in the extensive flooded forests, were stimulating
methane production in the waterlogged soils and mainlining it into the
atmosphere.
Her 2014 expedition plugged a gaping hole
in the planet’s methane budget. And she had discovered a hitherto
ignored major source of the second most important greenhouse gas in the
atmosphere. It now seems that most of the world’s estimated 3 trillion
trees emit methane at least some of the time.
Nobody is
arguing that trees are therefore bad for climate and should be cut
down. Indeed, in most cases, their carbon storage capability easily
outweighs their methane emissions. But in a world where corporations
plant trees to offset their carbon emissions, we badly need to know if
their numbers add up, or if they are undermined by the complex chemistry
of trees and methane.
Tropical wetlands, such as this mangrove forest in Bali, give off the most intense tree-based emissions of methane.
-------------------
The expansion of Brazilian agriculture: Soil erosion scenarios
https://experts.umn.edu/en/publications/the-expansion-of-brazilian-agriculture-soil-erosion-scenarios
------------
Impact of logging and forest fires on soil erosion in tropical humid forest in Kalimantan (Indonesia)
https://www.cifor.org/library/934/
------------
Eroding the resilience of tropical forests
Understanding
the relationships between forest resilience and soil erosion in
tropical forests affected by human and natural disturbances
https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/research-news/2019-09-09-eroding-the-resilience-of-tropical-forests.html
------------
Deforestation, erosion exacerbate mercury spikes near Peruvian gold mining
Modeling mercury release from soil erosion could help mine-heavy, deforested regions create helpful policies
Date:
December 12, 2019
Source:
Duke University
Summary:
Scientists have developed a model that can predict the amount of
mercury being released into a local ecosystem from deforestation. The
research could point toward ways to mitigate the worst effects of
mercury poisoning in regions already experiencing elevated mercury
levels caused by small-scale gold mining practices, such as those in the
Peruvian Amazon.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/12/191212122546.htm
------------
Gold mining in Venezuela: a “perfect storm” of illegality, deforestation and mafias
March 2016
Investigators and activists are pointing out that traditional miners throughout Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana are causing environmental destruction through hydraulic ground erosion, deforestation and the indiscriminate and inappropriate use of mercury –-a “perfect storm”.
https://news.mongabay.com/2016/03/gold-mining-in-venezuela-a-perfect-storm-of-illegality-deforestation-and-mafias/
------------
Pyrogenic Carbon Erosion: Implications for Stock and Persistence of Pyrogenic Carbon in Soil
2018
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2018.00026/full
------------
Sedimentation and Erosion
http://cep.unep.org/publications-and-resources/marine-and-coastal-issues-links/sedimentation-and-erosion
------------
Brazil's threatened slice of paradise
20 September 2012
Despite
remaining largely off limits for most of this century, Ilha Grande’s
recent tourism explosion means that preservation and sustainability have
become more important than ever.
http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20120914-brazils-threatened-slice-of-paradise
-----------------
What is Soil Erosion?
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-of-soil-erosion.php
------------
Oil palm monoculture induces drastic erosion of an Amazonian forest mammal fauna
2017
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0187650
Abstract
Oil
palm monoculture comprises one of the most financially attractive
land-use options in tropical forests, but cropland suitability overlaps
the distribution of many highly threatened vertebrate species. We
investigated how forest mammals respond to a landscape mosaic, including
mature oil palm plantations and primary forest patches in Eastern
Amazonia. Using both line-transect censuses (LTC) and camera-trapping
(CT), we quantified the general patterns of mammal community structure
and attempted to identify both species life-history traits and the
environmental and spatial covariates that govern species intolerance to
oil palm monoculture. Considering mammal species richness, abundance,
and species composition, oil palm plantations were consistently
depauperate compared to the adjacent primary forest, but responses
differed between functional groups. The degree of forest habitat
dependency was a leading trait, determining compositional
dissimilarities across habitats. Considering both the LTC and CT data,
distance from the forest-plantation interface had a significant effect
on mammal assemblages within each habitat type. Approximately 87% of all
species detected within oil palm were never farther than 1300 m from
the forest edge. Our study clearly reinforces the notion that
conventional oil palm plantations are extremely hostile to native
tropical forest biodiversity, which does not bode well given prospects
for oil palm expansion in both aging and new Amazonian deforestation
frontiers.
------------
Mulching Materials for Control of Soil Erosion September 2013
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/mipmctn11904.pdf
------------
The Most Important Effects of Soil Erosion on Biodiversity
Feb 2016
https://greentumble.com/the-most-important-effects-of-soil-erosion-on-biodiversity/
-------------
Shrimp ponds lead to massive loss of soil carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in northeastern Brazilian mangroves.
2018
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29938071
Abstract
Mangroves
of the semiarid Caatinga region of northeastern Brazil are being
rapidly converted to shrimp pond aquaculture. To determine ecosystem
carbon stocks and potential greenhouse gas emissions from this
widespread land use, we measured carbon stocks of eight mangrove forests
and three shrimp ponds in the Acaraú and Jaguaribe watersheds in Ceará
state, Brazil. The shrimp ponds were paired with adjacent intact
mangroves to ascertain carbon losses and potential emissions from land
conversion. The mean total ecosystem carbon stock of mangroves in this
semiarid tropical landscape was 413 ± 94 Mg C/ha. There were highly
significant differences in the ecosystem carbon stocks between the two
sampled estuaries suggesting caution when extrapolating carbon stock
across different estuaries even in the same landscape. Conversion of
mangroves to shrimp ponds resulted in losses of 58%-82% of the ecosystem
carbon stocks. The mean potential emissions arising from mangrove
conversion to shrimp ponds was 1,390 Mg CO2e/ha. Carbon losses were
largely from soils which accounted for 81% of the total emission. Losses
from soils >100 cm in depth accounted for 33% of the total ecosystem
carbon loss. Soil carbon losses from shrimp pond conversion are
equivalent to about 182 years of soil carbon accumulation. Losses from
mangrove conversion are about 10-fold greater than emissions from
conversion of upland tropical dry forest in the Brazilian Caatinga
underscoring the potential value for their inclusion in climate change
mitigation activities.
-------------------
Diversities and potential biogeochemical impacts of mangrove soil viruses
Published: 11 April 2019
https://microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40168-019-0675-9
Abstract
Background
Mangroves
are ecologically and economically important forests of the tropics. As
one of the most carbon-rich biomes, mangroves account for 11% of the
total input of terrestrial carbon into oceans. Although viruses are
considered to significantly influence local and global biogeochemical
cycles, little information is available regarding the community
structure, genetic diversity and ecological roles of viruses in mangrove
ecosystems.
Methods
Here, we utilised viral
metagenomics sequencing and virome-specific bioinformatics tools to
study viral communities in six mangrove soil samples collected from
different mangrove habitats in Southern China.
Results
Mangrove
soil viruses were found to be largely uncharacterised. Phylogenetic
analyses of the major viral groups demonstrated extensive diversity and
previously unknown viral clades and suggested that global mangrove viral
communities possibly comprise evolutionarily close genotypes.
Comparative analysis of viral genotypes revealed that mangrove soil
viromes are mainly affected by marine waters, with less influence coming
from freshwaters. Notably, we identified abundant auxiliary
carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) genes from mangrove viruses, most of
which participate in biolysis of complex polysaccharides, which are
abundant in mangrove soils and organism debris. Host prediction results
showed that viral CAZyme genes are diverse and probably widespread in
mangrove soil phages infecting diverse bacteria of different phyla.
Conclusions
Our
results showed that mangrove viruses are diverse and probably directly
manipulate carbon cycling by participating in biomass recycling of
complex polysaccharides, providing the knowledge essential in revealing
the ecological roles of viruses in mangrove ecosystems.
-------------------
Assessing
the potential of soil carbonation and enhanced weathering through Life
Cycle Assessment: A case study for Sao Paulo State, Brazil
October 2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652619320578
-------------------
Soil carbon stock and Plinthosol fertility in smallholder land-use systems in the eastern Amazon, Brazil
2018
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17583004.2018.1530026
-------------------
The southern Brazilian grassland biome: soil carbon stocks, fluxes of greenhouse gases and some options for mitigation
2012
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842012000400006
--------------------
Changes in soil carbon stocks in Brazil due to land use: paired sitecomparisons and a regional pasture soil survey
https://www.biogeosciences.net/10/6141/2013/bg-10-6141-2013.pdf
--------------------
Brazil’s Amazonian forest carbon: the key to Southern Amazonia’s significance for global climate
11 July 2016
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10113-016-1007-2
--------------------
Brazil has the world’s weirdest carbon footprint
November 8, 2013
https://qz.com/144995/brazil-has-the-worlds-weirdest-carbon-footprint/
--------------------
Evidence of limited carbon sequestration in soils under no-tillage systems in the Cerrado of Brazil
2016
https://www.nature.com/articles/srep21450
--------------------
Greenhouse gas emissions from soils—A review
October 2016
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009281916300551
-------------------
Tropical Forests Are Flipping From Storing Carbon to Releasing It
Illegal logging and land seizures are driving this ominous yet overlooked scientific trend.
August 30, 2018
https://www.thenation.com/article/tropical-forests-are-flipping-from-storing-carbon-to-releasing-it/
-------------------
Is Soil The Secret to Slowing Climate Change?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswvxl
-------------------
Carbon emissions from warming soils could trigger disastrous feedback loop
2017
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/05/carbon-emissions-warming-soils-higher-than-estimated-signalling-tipping-points
26-year
study reveals natural biological factors kick in once warming reaches
certain point, leading to potentially unstoppable increase in
temperatures
-------------------
Farmers in Brazil Use Legumes to Reduce Costs, Greenhouse Gas Emissions
https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/farmers-in-brazil-use-legumes-to-reduce-costs-greenhouse-gas-emissions
-------------------
Study: As forests, grasslands gave way to farms, soil carbon emissions soared
10 Mar 2015
https://forestsnews.cifor.org/27137/soil-carbon-emissions-agriculture-brazil-argentina?fnl=en
-------------------
Heavy Metal Contamination in Brazilian Agricultural Soils due to Application of Fertilizers
March 2014
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/300713950_Heavy_Metal_Contamination_in_Brazilian_Agricultural_Soils_due_to_Application_of_Fertilizers
The
Brazilian grain production reaches record productivities each year and
among the major crops, stand out the maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean
(Glycine max L.). For these two cultures, the obtaining of the maximum
yield has a fundamental importance in the current global scenario.
In this relentless pursuit of higher productivities, farmers use
technologies related to various areas, such as new forms of fertilizer
and pesticide application, different fertilizers, crop breeding,
equipment and techniques of planting and harvesting. In order to
increase the efficiency in this activity, due to the increased
requirement for competitiveness of economic globalization, one of the
tools found by farmers is the use of fertilizers containing
micronutrients in their crops. Among the various factors of
production, the need of balanced and sustainable fertilizers occupies a
prominent place, which should include not only the primary and secondary
macronutrients, but also micronutrients, which are not considered in
routine fertilization by most farmers. Currently, with the advancement
of the industries of fertilizers, micronutrients are added directly in
the formulation of basic fertilizers (N:P2O5:K2O), which can be found in
the market of domestic and imported agricultural inputs. Among the
several micronutrients used in Brazilian and Global agriculture, zinc
(Zn) is a major one, having its need scientifically established over 70
years being its main functions related to photosynthesis, respiration,
protein synthesis and plant membrane permeability.
-------------------
Climate change being fuelled by soil damage - report
29 April 2019
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48043134
-------------------
Mineralogy and Concentration of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils of the São Francisco Sedimentary Basin
2018
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/mineralogy-and-concentration-of-potentially-toxic-elements-in-soils-of-the-sao-francisco-sedimentary-basin/
--------------------
Uatuma-Trombetas moist forests
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uatuma-Trombetas_moist_forests
Status
The
World Wildlife Fund classes the ecoregion as "Relatively
Stable/Intact". The habitat is fairly intact in the interior, but
continues to suffer from deforestation along the main roads and rivers,
around and to the north of Manaus, and in the region from Óbidos to
Monte Alegre along the Amazon. Cattle ranchers have cleared large areas
of forest, as have commercial plantations around the Jari River and
forestry in the east of the region. Some species are threatened by the
trade in wildlife, by hunting and by selective logging. Upland areas
have been destroyed by mining, which has polluted the rivers. Huge areas
of upland forest were submerged by the Balbina Dam in the southwest.
The
3,850 square kilometres (1,490 sq mi) Rio Trombetas Biological Reserve
and the 2,271 square kilometres (877 sq mi) Jari Ecological Station
protect parts of the ecoregion.
--------------------
Rearing cattle produces more greenhouse gases than driving cars, UN report warns
2006
https://news.un.org/en/story/2006/11/201222-rearing-cattle-produces-more-greenhouse-gases-driving-cars-un-report-warns
-------------------
Amazon rainforest absorbing less carbon than expected
20-Aug-2019
New study finds that insufficient nutrient supply has not been properly accounted for in ecosystem models
Agriculture,
forestry, and other types of land use account for 23% of human-caused
greenhouse gas emissions, yet at the same time natural land processes
absorb the equivalent of almost a third of carbon dioxide emissions from
fossil fuels and industry, according to the International Panel on
Climate Change, which issued the first-ever comprehensive report on land
and climate interactions earlier this month. How long will the Amazon
rainforest continue to act as an effective carbon sink?
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-08/dbnl-ara081919.php
--------------------
Brazil’s carbon emissions rose 8.9% in 2016, despite recession
27/10/2017
https://www.climatechangenews.com/2017/10/27/brazils-carbon-emissions-rose-8-9-2016-despite-recession/
Despite
Brazil’s worst recession in history, national greenhouse gases
emissions are estimated to have risen 8.9% in 2016 and reached the
highest level since 2008, agriculture and illegal deforestation were the
main culprits.
--------------------
The carbon offset market: Leveraging forest carbon's value in the Brazilian Amazon
A government-run program implements a new model for carbon credits
Date: April 5, 2019
Source: Dartmouth College
Summary:
As companies seek and are required to reduce their greenhouse gas
emissions, the world's carbon markets are expanding. A government-run
program in the Amazon rainforest in northwestern Brazil transforms
forest carbon value into public wealth by focusing on labor rather than
land rights. In the Brazilian state of Acre, some of the revenue from
carbon credits is distributed to rural laborers and family farmers
without land rights. A new study examines the benefits and risks
associated with Acre's unique approach.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190405170454.htm
--------------------
Initial Recovery of Organic Matter of a Grass-Covered Constructed Soil after Coal Mining
2016
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/initial-recovery-of-organic-matter-of-a-grass-covered-constructed-soil-after-coal-mining/
---------------------
Perennial grasses for recovery of the aggregation capacity of a reconstructed soil in a coal mining area in southern Brazil
01/Feb/2014
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/perennial-grasses-for-recovery-of-the-aggregation-capacity-of-a-reconstructed-soil-in-a-coal-mining-area-in-southern-brazil/
-------------------
Assessing arsenic, cadmium, and lead contents in major crops in Brazil for food safety purposes
2013
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82456001.pdf
------------------
Soil Contamination by a Lead Smelter in Brazil in the View of the Local Residents
2018
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6210486/
---------------------
Background and Reference Values of Metals in Soils from Paraíba State, Brazil
2016
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/background-and-reference-values-of-metals-in-soils-from-paraiba-state-brazil/
---------------------
ASSESSMENT OF BIOAVAILABILITY OF HEAVY METALS AFTER VERMICOMPOSTING IN THE PRESENCE OF ELECTRONIC WASTE
01/Dec/2015
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/assessment-of-bioavailability-of-heavy-metals-after-vermicomposting-in-the-presence-of-electronic-waste/
---------------------
SOIL PHOSPHORUS THRESHOLDS IN EVALUATING RISK OF ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSFER TO SURFACE WATERS IN SANTA CATARINA, BRAZIL
01/Jul/2015
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/soil-phosphorus-thresholds-in-evaluating-risk-of-environmental-transfer-to-surface-waters-in-santa-catarina-brazil/
--------------------
PROCESS OF GENERATING ACID MINE DRAINAGE AND HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION IN PROFILES OF REBUILT SOIL IN A COAL MINING AREA
01/Dec/2015
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/process-of-generating-acid-mine-drainage-and-heavy-metal-contamination-in-profiles-of-rebuilt-soil-in-a-coal-mining-area/
--------------------
Coal mining in Brazil
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_mining_in_Brazil
Environmental impact
Further information: environmental impact of the coal industry
Coal
mining activity has a large impact on the environment, especially in
the areas directly surrounding the mines. These environmental problems
are the result of over 120 years of unregulated mining activity, lack of
accountability and enforcement in regards to waste disposal, lack of
knowledge, and different economic priorities. Since the first boom coal
exploration in the mid-20th century, immediate and long-term physical,
chemical, and biological changes in local ecosystems have resulted.
(Zocche, et al. 2010) One of the biggest environmental threats related
to coal mining is posed by waste disposal. Brazilian coal is
characterized by high sulfide contents, pyrite and marcasite. The waste
contains a broad array of elements including metals such as copper,
cobalt, mercury, arsenic, and zinc among others. The contact of this
waste material with air and water results in acid mine drainage (AMD),
which can be detrimental to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Intense
rains contribute to the seepage of waste deposits into the groundwater
supply, generating and carrying the acid drainage from abandoned mines
into the nearby rivers and streams. It increases turbidity and
siltation, which in turn affects the food supply for the organisms in
the affected areas. Seriously polluted sites may be environmentally
hazardous despite the natural capacity of soils to reduce the solubility
and bioavailability of toxic metals. Despite this capacity,
environmental risks may persist at seriously polluted sites, including
those that were abandoned decades ago. This is of relevance considering
the 1000 abandoned mines in the state of Santa Catarina alone.
Waste
disposal is the principal cause of water pollution in the state of
Santa Catarina. Coal strip mining methods and the surface disposal of
waste rock results in the contamination of surface and ground waters.
The Tuburão, Urussanga, and Araranguá Rivers in the state of Santa
Catarina comprise the state's coal basin where there are 134 strip mine
sites, 115 waste deposit areas, 77 sites with acidic pools, and hundreds
of mines, and thus receive the majority of the waste generated. Coal
drainage from each of these locations is responsible for high levels of
water contamination. The resulting acidic streams affect local
vegetation and prevent re-vegetation of affected areas.
Polluted
water sources also means that the plants and sediments within them are
contaminated. Organisms that feed off of these elements as well as
terrestrial animals that are higher up in the food chain may accumulate
toxic levels in their tissues. Open mines may fill with water and become
lakes, and the toxic levels of heavy metals are thus transmitted to
animals that drink and eat from the water source. Accumulation of these
elements may also destroy the physical habitat by encrusting streambeds
and aquatic plants.
Soil degradation is
another concern. Coal mining changes the morphology of the land and
requires deforestation and vegetation removal. This, combined with
improper waste disposal, increased erosion and instability of river and
stream slopes, and the opening of caves, is responsible for soil
degradation. In addition, thousands of hectares of land are now
infertile and unusable for agriculture and other farming
activities.
Improper management of chemicals
used in the mining process has led to incidences of spontaneous
combustion, thus contributing to air pollution. The extraction and
transportation of coal also causes atmospheric pollution. Coal fires
from poor mining practices release fly ash, greenhouse gases, and toxic
chemicals into the atmosphere, the results of which may be long lasting
considering that these fires may burn for decades. Mining also releases
coalmine methane, a greenhouse gas twenty times more powerful than
carbon dioxide.
--------------------
Fertility Evaluation of Limed Brazilian Soil Polluted with Scrap Metal Residue
2013
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/aess/2013/543095/
Abstract
The
aim of this work was to characterize the main inorganic contaminants
and evaluate the effect of lime addition, combined with soil dilution
with uncontaminated soil, as a strategy for mitigation of these
contaminants present in a soil polluted with auto scrap. The experiment
was performed in a greenhouse at Campinas (São Paulo State, Brazil) in
plastic pots (3 dm−3). Five soil mixtures, obtained by mixing an
uncontaminated soil sample with contaminated soil (0, 25, 50, 75, and
100% contaminated soil), were evaluated for soil fertility, availability
of inorganic contaminants, and corn development. In addition to the
expected changes in soil chemistry due to the addition of lime, only the
availability of Fe and Mn in the soil mixtures was affected, while the
available contents of Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb increased to some
extent in the soil mixtures with higher proportion of contaminated soil.
Liming of 10 t ha−1 followed by soil dilution at any proportion studied
was not successful for mitigation of the inorganic contaminants to a
desired level of soil fertility, as demonstrated by the available
amounts extracted by the DTPA method (Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni, Cr, Cd) and hot
water (B) still present in the soil. This fact was also proved by the
phytotoxicity observed and caused by high amounts of B and Zn
accumulating in the plant tissue.
--------------------
BRACHIARIA IN SELENIUM-CONTAMINATED SOIL UNDER SULPHUR SOURCE APPLICATIONS
01/Dec/2015
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/brachiaria-in-selenium-contaminated-soil-under-sulphur-source-applications/
--------------------
Concentrations
of potentially toxic elements in soils and vegetables from the
macroregion of São Paulo, Brazil: availability for plant uptake
2016
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10661-016-5100-2
--------------------
Sheep Excreta as Source of Nitrous Oxide in Ryegrass Pasture in Southern Brazil
01/Sep/2015
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/sheep-excreta-as-source-of-nitrous-oxide-in-ryegrass-pasture-in-southern-brazil/
--------------------
Organic
Matter Fractions and Quality of the Surface Layer of a Constructed and
Vegetated Soil After Coal Mining. I – Humic Substances and Chemical
Characterization
01/May/2015
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/organic-matter-fractions-and-quality-of-the-surface-layer-of-a-constructed-and-vegetated-soil-after-coal-mining-i-humic-substances-and-chemical-characterization/
--------------------
Environmental risk of trace elements in P-containing fertilizers marketed in Brazil
2017
https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-95162017000300007
-------------------
Mercury Content in Soils of Southeastern Brazil Without Anthropogenic Influence and its Correlation with Soil Characteristics
01/May/2015
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/mercury-content-in-soils-of-southeastern-brazil-without-anthropogenic-influence-and-its-correlation-with-soil-characteristics/
--------------------
Remediation of Clay Soils Contaminated with Potentially Toxic Elements: The Santo Amaro Lead Smelter, Brazil, Case
12 Jul 2018
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15320383.2018.1493717
ABSTRACT
The
remediation of clayey soil contaminated by potentially toxic elements
is a challenging task, especially because of the low permeability and
strong affinity of such toxic elements, which prevent the effective use
of low-cost in situ remediation methods. The clay soil from the region
of the former Santo Amaro primary lead smelter has high concentrations
of potentially toxic elements, especially Pb, Cd, Sb, and Zn. This study
presents a preliminary evaluation of remediation by soil washing and
thermal stabilization, which can support clean-up initiatives for this
site. The treatment results indicate that soil washing using EDTA can be
an effective method to clean up the soil; however, the solid-liquid
separation step by filtration is slow. Soil thermal treatment at
temperatures higher than 800°C in an oxidant atmosphere results in the
formation of ceramic structure because of the high smectite content,
which stabilizes the potentially toxic elements. The estimated cost for
remediation by soil excavation, replacement, and stabilization, of the
critically contaminated site at the Santo Amaro region is estimated at
about 20 to 30 million US$.
-------------------
Contamination and Soil Biological Properties in the Serra Pelada Mine – Amazonia, Brazil
05/Feb/2018
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/contamination-and-soil-biological-properties-in-the-serra-pelada-mine-amazonia-brazil/
-------------------
Brazil faces chronic pollution scenario after mine disaster
28/09/18
https://www.scidev.net/global/environment/news/brazil-faces-chronic-pollution-scenario-after-mine-disaster.html
1,500 hectares destroyed in Brazil’s worst environmental disaster in 2015
Study shows toxic metals stored in soil gradually released back into environment
Town that relies on fishing and tourism at risk from chronic contamination
Toxic effluent with mud and oxides travelled along 600 kilometres, causing destruction in its path.
------------------
Acid rain, explained
The fossil fuels that humans burn for energy can come back to haunt us as acid rain.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/acid-rain/
------------------
Acid Rain in Downtown São Paulo City, Brazil
2005
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4020-5885-1_10
During
the period from July 2002 to June 2004, the chemical characteristics of
the rainwater samples collected in downtown São Paulo were
investigated. The analysis of 224 wet-only precipitation samples
included pH and electrical conductivity, as well as major ions (Na+, NH4
+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl−, NO3 −, SO4 2− ) and carboxylic acids (acetic,
formic and oxalic) using ion chromatography. The volume weighted mean,
VWM, of the anions NO3 −,SO4 2− and Cl− was, respectively, 20.3, 12.1
and 10.7 μmol 1−1. Rainwater in São Paulo was acidic, with 55% of the
samples exhibiting a pH below 5.6. The VWMof the free H+ was 6.27 μmol
1−1), corresponding to a pH of 5.20. Ammonia (NH3), determined as NH4 +
(VWM=32.8 μmol 1−1), was the main acidity neutralizing agent.
Considering that the H+ ion is the only counter ion produced from the
non-seasalt fraction of the dissociated anions, the contribution of each
anion to the free acidity potential has the following profile: SO 4 2−
(31.1%), NO 3 − (26.0%), CH3COO− (22.0%), Cl− (13.7%), HCOO− (5.4%) and C
2 O 4 2− (1.8%). The precipitation chemistry showed seasonal
differences, with higher concentrations of ammonium and calcium during
autumn and winter (dry period). The marine contribution was not
significant, while the direct vehicular emission showed to be relevant
in the ionic composition of precipitation.
--------------
Acid Precipitation Research in Brazil: A Short Review
January 1991
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/300055107_Acid_Precipitation_Research_in_Brazil_A_Short_Review
Abstract
The
acid precipitation phenomenon has been extensively studied in various
regions of the northern hemisphere, where anthropogenic influences have
disrupted natural biogeochemical cycles. The impact of this acidity
ranges from acidification of lakes, rivers, groundwater and soils, to
changes in agricultural and forest crop productivity (Mason & Seip,
1985).
--------------
ENVIRONMENT: Uruguay and Brazil at Loggerheads over Acid Rain
Aug 28 1996
http://www.ipsnews.net/1996/08/environment-uruguay-and-brazil-at-loggerheads-over-acid-rain/
--------------
Precipitation chemistry in the coast of the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2001
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11504346
Abstract
Precipitation
chemistry was studied in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro
(MRRJ). This study reveals that rainwater in the MRRJ is affected by
emissions of air pollutants and provides essential data for future
estimates of regional biogeochemical cycles and the impacts of acid
deposition on tropical ecosystems. The volume-weighted mean (VWM) pH was
4.77, varying from 3.50 to 6.85. Sea-salt aerosols were the dominant
sources of the Na+, Cl- and Mg2+. Excess SO4(2-), Ca2+ and K+ comprised
82, 91, and 87% of their total VWM concentrations, respectively. There
were very strong correlations (r > 0.75, P > 0.01) for NO3- and
H+, NO3- and excess(exc-)SO4(2-), NH4+ and exc-K+, and exc-SO4(2-) and
exc-Ca2+, suggesting causal relationships between these ion pairs. The
VWM concentrations of all major ions, except H+, were higher in the dry
season, with dry to wet VWM concentration ratios varying from 1.1 (NH4+)
to 4.7 (for total K+).
---------------
Acid pollution said to threaten soils and crops in third world
October 16, 1985
https://www.csmonitor.com/1985/1016/oacid.html
---------------
Ocean Acidification
June 18 2013
Addressing the Impacts of Ocean Acidification from thePerspective of Developing Countries
https://www.un.org/depts/los/consultative_process/ICP14_Presentations/WAINER_ICP_PRESENTATION.pdf
---------------------------------------------------
Brazil’s pesticide poisoning problem poses global dilemma, say critics
27 August 2018
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/08/brazils-pesticide-poisoning-problem-poses-global-dilemma-say-critics/
------------------
Brazil’s Pesticide Industry Is Creating Massive PFOS Contamination
April 29 2019
https://theintercept.com/2019/04/29/brazil-pfos-sulfluramid-pesticide/
DuPont
used to produce sulfluramid in the U.S., where it was sold in products
marketed to kill ants, roaches, and termites. New York banned
sulfluramid in the 1990s. And in 2001, when the state levied the largest
penalty in its history against a company distributing a
sulfluramid-containing pesticide, the New York attorney general noted
that “if a child ingested the bait, he or she could suffer irreversible
reproductive damage, and boys could be rendered infertile.” In 2008,
DuPont voluntarily canceled its registration of the chemical.
The
ongoing use of sulfluramid in Brazil despite widespread knowledge of
its dangers shows just how difficult it is to control the entire family
of toxic chemicals to which PFOS belongs. Those chemicals, known as
PFAS, now pollute water around the world. While delegates of the
Stockholm Convention will be debating how to close the loopholes around
PFOS and whether to enact a global ban on the closely related chemical
PFOA, well over 1,000 other PFAS chemicals are still in active use.
-----------------
Analysis of heavy metals and aromatics compounds in soil layers of a sanitary landfill
06 March 2019
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/tqem.21607
Abstract
Solid
waste presents the potential for contamination of the soil when it is
improperly managed. One of the great challenges of today's society is to
promote the proper disposal of municipal solid waste in order to
guarantee the safety of public health and to avoid risks to the
environment. In this context, the objective of this study is to analyze
the concentration profiles of heavy metals and aromatic hydrocarbons of
risk that human health in landfill soil. Such works provides an
important tool to evaluate the possible presence of contaminants from
inappropriate waste disposal, as well as to assist in the management of
waste and to prevent environmental contamination. In order to analyze
cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), arsenic (As), and mercury (Hg),
which are toxic elements, and aromatic hydrocarbons, including benzene,
toluene, ethylbenzene, o‐xylene, m‐xylene, and p‐xylene, soil samples
were collected at different sites and depths. Neither Cd nor As was
detected in any of the samples that were analyzed. Pb levels ranged from
5.34 milligrams per kilograms (mg/kg) to 7.40 mg/kg, Ni levels ranged
from 2.17 mg/kg to 3.00 mg/kg, and Hg levels ranged from 75.4 micrograms
per kilograms (μg/kg) to 88.3 μg/kg. The aromatic hydrocarbon compounds
of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and o‐xylene were below 5.5 μg/kg,
and m‐, p‐xylene was below 11 μg/kg. The analysis of heavy metals and
aromatic hydrocarbons present in the landfill soil showed concentrations
below the soil quality guideline values of the Brazilian National
Environment Council (CONAMA) Resolution 420, which has criteria for the
presence of chemical substances in soil for Brazil. Therefore, the low
levels of chemicals may be related to the operational time of the
landfill or to the population profile of the municipality, which is
predominantly composed of persons involved in family‐based agriculture.
------------------
Atrazine Transportation in a Sandy Soil in the Brazilian Cerrado
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018AGUFM.B33G2772Z/abstract
Savanna
regions in Brazil are largely explored for agriculture production. This
biome is also important for surface and groundwater availability, once
it houses the springs of large river basins and parts of the Guarani
Aquifer System outcrop zone. In the last 20 years, Brazil has
experienced an exceptional increasing in agricultural production and
this increase can be directly related to the use of mechanization,
fertilizers and pesticides. The herbicides are the most sold among the
agrochemicals. Atrazine is an herbicide used to grow sugarcane, sorghum,
and corn plantation; and the states placed in Cerrado biome are the
greatest consumers. Although this chemical was banned in many countries
due to its toxic effects, in Brazil it is still in use. Despite of being
a compound used since 1960, information of atrazine behavior in
tropical soils is still missing. A wide variety of soil types in Brazil
and the lack of information on tropical soils made the risk of
contamination by atrazine even greater. In order to understand the
behavior of this compound in Cerrado soils, experimental plots studies
in a Cerrado region of São Carlos-SP have been carried out since 2017.
The region presents an Entisol (82% sand). The current experiment has 6
experimental plots, 3 of them containing sugarcane and 3 without plant
cover (bare soil). After rainfall events that generate runoff in the
plots (rainfall events greater than 8 mm), samples of runoff, eroded
soil, and leached solution are collected to perform atrazine balance in
the unsaturated soil. The quantification of atrazine has been carried
out using HPLC. The results indicated that the transport by runoff in
the exposed soil plots reaches 10 times greater than in the sugarcane
plots. Regarding the leaching process, they implied the high mobility of
atrazine in sandy soil. Even in plots with sugarcane, where the organic
matter content is higher, it was possible to identify the herbicide at
60 cm depth right in the first monitored rainfall. The experiment
confirms the high mobility of the herbicide atrazine in a sandy soil,
with potential for soil-water contamination. The results will also help
to predict the potential for contamination of groundwater by atrazine.
------------------
'The river is dying': the vast ecological cost of Brazil's mining disasters
Jan 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/29/the-river-is-dying-the-vast-ecological-cost-of-brazils-mining-disasters
Water resources are tapped with often reckless abandon and poor regulation. And it looks set to go on under new president
------------------
Brazil dam disaster: How do you clear tonnes of toxic sludge?
1 February 2019
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47061559
------------------
Heavy Metal Contamination in Brazilian Agricultural Soils due to Application of Fertilizers
March 26th 2014
https://www.intechopen.com/books/environmental-risk-assessment-of-soil-contamination/heavy-metal-contamination-in-brazilian-agricultural-soils-due-to-application-of-fertilizers
------------------
Rio Is Closing This Enormous, Odorous Dump After 34 years
Jun 2, 2012
https://www.businessinsider.com/jardim-gramacho-rio-closing-brazil-2012-6
RIO
DE JANEIRO (AP) — One of the world's largest open-air landfills, a
vast, seaside mountain of trash where thousands of people have made a
living sorting through the debris by hand, will close this weekend after
34 years in malodorous service.
Long a symbol of
ill-conceived urban planning and environmental negligence, Rio de
Janeiro's Jardim Gramacho dump is being transformed into a vast biogas
facility that will harness the greenhouse gases generated by the rotting
rubbish and turn them into fuel capable of heating homes and powering
cars. Environmentalists had blamed Gramacho for the high levels of
pollution in Rio's once pristine Guanabara Bay, where tons of run-off
from the garbage had leaked.
------------------------
Garbage Outgrowing Rio’s Landfill
October 26, 2010
https://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/garbage-outgrowing-rio%E2%80%99s-landfill/
------------------------
Smuggling Europe’s Waste to Poorer Countries
SEPT. 26, 2009
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/science/earth/27waste.html
ROTTERDAM,
the Netherlands — When two inspectors swung open the doors of a
battered red shipping container here, they confronted a graveyard of
Europe’s electronic waste — old wires, electricity meters, circuit
boards — mixed with remnants of cardboard and plastic.
“This
is supposed to be going to China, but it isn’t going anywhere,” said
Arno Vink, an inspector from the Dutch environment ministry who
impounded the container because of Europe’s strict new laws that place
restrictions on all types of waste exports, from dirty pipes to broken
computers to household trash.
Exporting waste illegally
to poor countries has become a vast and growing international business,
as companies try to minimize the costs of new environmental laws, like
those here, that tax waste or require that it be recycled or otherwise
disposed of in an environmentally responsible way.
Rotterdam,
the busiest port in Europe, has unwittingly become Europe’s main
external garbage chute, a gateway for trash bound for places like China,
Indonesia, India and Africa. There, electronic waste and construction
debris containing toxic chemicals are often dismantled by children at
great cost to their health. Other garbage that is supposed to be
recycled according to European law may be simply burned or left to rot,
polluting air and water and releasing the heat-trapping gases linked to
global warming.
While much of the international waste
trade is legal, sent to qualified overseas recyclers, a big chunk is
not. For a price, underground traders make Europe’s waste disappear
overseas...
In July, a shipment of 1,400 metric tons of
British household garbage that was illegally sent to South America —
labeled as clean plastic for recycling — was apprehended only after it
landed in Brazil...
---------------------
Illegal traffic under the Basel Convention
http://www.basel.int/Portals/4/Basel%20Convention/docs/pub/leaflets/leaflet-illegtraf-2010-en.pdf
National
reports submitted in the framework of the Basel Convention suggest that
nearly 180 million tonnes of hazardous and household wastes are
generated annually around the world1. According to the same reports, at
least 9.3 million tonnes of these wastes move from country to country
each year, and this waste is presumably received as a welcome source of
business. This leaves some 170 millions tonnes of hazardous and
household wastes that are assumed to be disposed of nationally in an
environmentally sound manner. But is this the case?
Many
countries complain that they are receiving shipments which they never
agreed to or that they are unable to properly dispose of. From Brazil to
Singapore, from Belgium to Ghana, or from Canada to Russia, it would be
challenging to find a single country that has never suffered a case of
illegal traffic of waste.
---------------------
Disturbing Photos Of Children In Garbage Show Just How Bad Pollution Can Be.
Apr 16, 2015
https://www.nairaland.com/2259819/disturbing-photos-children-garbage-show
---------------------
Chile’s desert dumping ground for fast fashion leftovers
8 Nov 2021
Chile’s Atacama, the driest desert in the world, is increasingly suffering from pollution caused by fast fashion.
https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2021/11/8/chiles-desert-dumping-ground-for-fast-fashion-leftovers
---------------------
Toxic Futures: Untold Stories of Chemical Pollution
(Earth
Focus: Episode 56) Exposure to toxic chemicals affects people in both
the industrialized and developing world. Earth Focus looks at how Toms
River, a New Jersey town, fought back to save its drinking water from
toxic waste dumping by dye manufacturer Ciba Geigy and by Union Carbide.
Then, a look at the new film Amazon Gold, which addresses illegal gold
mining in Peru and its tragic impact on human health and the
environment.
https://www.kcet.org/shows/earth-focus/episodes/toxic-futures-untold-stories-of-chemical-pollution
---------------------
Arsenic contamination of groundwater
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenic_contamination_of_groundwater
Arsenic
contamination of groundwater is a form of groundwater pollution which
is often due to naturally occurring high concentrations of arsenic in
deeper levels of groundwater. It is a high-profile problem due to the
use of deep tubewells for water supply in the Ganges Delta, causing
serious arsenic poisoning to large numbers of people. A 2007 study found
that over 137 million people in more than 70 countries are probably
affected by arsenic poisoning of drinking water. The problem became
serious health concern after mass poisoning of water in Bangladesh.
Arsenic contamination of ground water is found in many countries
throughout the world, including the US.
Approximately
20 major incidents of groundwater floarsenic contamination have been
reported. Of these, four major incidents occurred in Asia, in
Thailand, Taiwan, and Mainland China. Locations of potentially
hazardous wells have been mapped in China.
------------------------
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Section 6: Deforestation & Cattle
------------------
------------------
-------------------
--------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
Beef Companies Failing in Effort to Slow Amazon Deforestation, Study Says
Oct 19, 2016
America's
top beef buyers have vowed to help stop the clearing of rainforest land
for beef production, but haven't gone far enough, says advocacy group
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17102016/beef-companies-failing-effort-slow-amazon-rainforest-deforestation-climate-change-mcdonalds-burger-king-walmart
-------------------
Project Amazonia: Threats - Agriculture and Cattle Ranching
http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2006/final/threats/threat_agg.html
-------------------
Agriculture in Brazil
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_Brazil
-------------------
Asymmetries of cattle and crop productivity and efficiency during Brazil’s agricultural expansion from 1975 to 2006
https://www.elementascience.org/articles/10.1525/elementa.187/
-------------------
The Expansion of Intensive Beef Farming to the Brazilian Amazon
2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378018312093
--------------
Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest
Brazil once had the highest deforestation rate in the world and in 2005 still had the largest area of forest removed annually.[1] Since 1970, over 700,000 square kilometres (270,000 sq mi) of the Amazon rainforest have been destroyed. In 2012, the Amazon was approximately 5,400,000 square kilometres (2,100,000 sq mi), which is only 87% of the Amazon's original size.
A NASA observation of forest cover and deforestation in the state of Mato Grosso for 2004.
A NASA satellite observation of forest fires resulting from deforestation in August 2007. The red dots represent areas of fire.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestation_of_the_Amazon_rainforest
--------------
Deforestation has become big business in the Brazilian Amazon
April 2017
https://news.mongabay.com/2017/04/deforestation-has-become-big-business-in-the-brazilian-amazon/
---------------------
The destruction of the Amazon, explained
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAZAKPUQMw0
---------------------
Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest
Deforestation for the use of clay in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. The hill depicted is Morro da Covanca, in Jacarepaguá.
Deforestation in the Maranhão state of Brazil, 2016
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestation_of_the_Amazon_rainforest
---------------------
Amazon Rainforest Deforestation
https://www.ecowatch.com/search/?q=deforestation
---------------------
Deforestation in Brazil
(Deforestation in the state of Pará).
(The zig-zag patterns across the road resulting from deforestation in Brazil can be seen from space).
(Slash-and-burn forest clearing along the Rio Xingu (Xingu River) in the state of Mato Grosso).
(Map of deforestation in Brazil from 2002 to 2008 for each biome. Bases: PRODES (INPE) and Biome Monitoring (IBAMA). Note: The monitoring does not cover areas of Cerrado and Campinarama (savannahs) located in the Amazon biome).
Contents
1 History
2 Causes
2.1 Cattle ranching and infrastructure
2.2 Hydroelectric
2.3 Mining activities
2.4 Soybean production
2.5 Logging
3 Effects
3.1 Climate change
3.2 Biodiversity
3.3 Indigenous people
3.4 Land degradation
3.5 Pollution
3.6 Water supply
3.7 Impact on local temperature
3.8 NASA survey
4 Measured rates
5 Response
6 The Current State as of 2019 and its Future
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestation_in_Brazil
--------------------------
Deforestation is high, despite COP26 promises
28 Apr 2022
Halting deforestation was one of the major commitments to come out of the international climate talks last year in Glasgow, Scotland, but there was scant evidence of progress in 2021, according to a report released Thursday.
The annual report by the World Resources Institute, a research group based in Washington, DC, found that tropical regions lost 9.3 million acres of primary old-growth forest in 2021. That resulted in 2.5 billion metric tons of emissions of carbon dioxide, or about 2 1/2 times as much as emitted by passenger cars and light trucks in the United States each year.
Brazil had by far the largest share of forest loss, accounting for more than 40 percent of the total, followed by Congo and Bolivia.
Last year’s total was a decline of 11 percent from 2020, but it was about equal to the amount lost in 2018 and 2019.
https://bdnews24.com/environment/2022/04/28/deforestation-is-high-despite-cop26-promises
--------------------------
Environmental issues in Brazil
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_issues_in_Brazil
Environmental
issues in Brazil include deforestation, illegal wildlife trade, illegal
poaching, air, land degradation, and water pollution caused by mining
activities, wetland degradation, pesticide use and severe oil spills,
among others.[1] As the home to approximately 13% of all known species,
Brazil has one of the most diverse collections of flora and fauna on the
planet. Impacts from agriculture and industrialization in the country
threaten this biodiversity.
Contents
1 Deforestation
2 Endangered species
3 Waste
3.1 Collection services
3.2 Landfills
3.3 Waste-to-energy
3.4 Recycling
4 Production of first-generation biofuels
5 Pollution
5.1 Air pollution
5.2 Industrial pollution
5.3 Water pollution
6 Solutions and policies
6.1 Governmental organizations
6.2 Non-governmental organizations
6.3 International agreements
7 See also
8 References
Deforestation
Deforestation
in Brazil is a major issue; the country once had the highest rate of
deforestation in the world. By far the most deforestation comes from
cattle ranchers that clear rainforest (sometimes illegally, sometimes
legally), so as to make room for sowing grass and giving their cattle
the ability to graze on this location. An important route taken by
cattle ranchers and their cattle is the Trans-Amazonian Highway.
Deforestation
has been a significant source of pollution, biodiversity loss, and
greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, but deforestation has been Brazil's
foremost cause of environmental and ecological degradation. Since 1970,
over 600,000 square kilometers of Amazonian rainforest have been
destroyed and the level of deforestation in the protected zones of
Brazil's Amazon rainforest increased by over 127 percent between 2000
and 2010. Recently, further destruction of the Amazon Rainforest has
been promoted by an increased global demand for Brazilian wood, meat,
and soybeans.
Landfills
While
waste collection in Brazil is improving slightly, the ultimate disposal
of waste commonly takes place in inadequate landfills. While landfills
are often viewed as the last option for waste disposal in European
nations, preferring waste-to-energy systems instead, Brazil favors
landfills and believes they are efficient modes of disposal. The
preference for landfills has hindered the creation of alternative
methods of waste disposal. Often, this hesitation is in response to the
initial costs of adopting new solutions. For example, incinerators are
expensive to purchase, operate and maintain, eliminating them as an
option for most cities in Brazil. According to the Integrated Municipal
Solid Waste Management Manual, landfill usage will begin to fall due to
new regulation and laws. As the risks and environmental hazards of open
air landfills are understood by municipality administrators in Brazil,
more dumps are being closed in favor of sanitary landfills. However,
these policy changes will only happen with appropriate financing.
Waste-to-energy
Waste-to-energy
is one way to dispose of all combustible waste in which recycling alone
is not economically viable. As income levels rise in the southern
region of Brazil, citizens are urging officials to improve waste
management systems. However, the results are limited as no commercial
facilities are currently being constructed. Even though citizens and
officials are beginning to understand the harm of landfills and the
importance of waste management, most do not understand waste-to-energy
systems. On the other hand, waste-to-energy industry leaders do not
understand the current waste condition in Brazil. In order to provide
specific solutions to problems in Brazil, the Waste to Energy Research
Technology Counsel in Brazil is developing a hybrid municipal solid
waste (MSW)/natural gas cycle. This system burns a small amount of
natural gas that is 45% efficient and 80% of the energy that is produced
by MSW is 34% efficient. Their patented system takes a small gas
turbine and mixes it with preheated air. Another benefit of using low
amounts of natural gas is the possibility of replacing it with landfill
gas, ethanol, or renewable fuels. Another benefit is that this system
does not change current incinerator technology, which allows it to use
components that already exist in other waste-to-energy plants. Private
sector involvement in the waste-to-energy industry includes companies
such as Siemens, CNIM, Keppel-Seghers, Hitachi Zosen Inova, Sener,
Pöyry, Fisia-Babcock, Malcolm Pirnie and others who are already
established in Brazil and developing waste-to-energy projects. Some
cities currently considering such projects are Belo Horizonte, Rio de
Janeiro, São Paulo, São José dos Campos, São Bernardo do Campo and
others. Clean development mechanism projects are also beginning to
develop at some Brazilian landfills. These projects are established to
collect gases produced on-site and convert them into energy. For
example, at a landfill in Nova Iguaçu (Rio de Janeiro area), methane is
being collected and converted into electricity. This process is expected
to eliminate 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2012.
Recycling
According
to data from the Brazilian Association of Public Cleaning and Special
Waste Companies including sewage, Brazil is a leader in aluminum can
recycling without government intervention with ten cans being recycled
every year. In 2007, more than 96% of cans available in the market were
recycled. This leadership comes from informal waste scavengers that make
their living by collecting aluminum cans. However, recycling in general
in Brazil is low. Brazil produces 240 thousand tons of waste every day.
Out of this amount, only 2% is recycled with the remainder dumped in
landfills. In 1992, private companies in Brazil established the
Brazilian Business Commitment for Recycling (CEMPRE), a nonprofit
organization that promotes recycling and waste elimination. The
organization issues publications, conducts technical research, holds
seminars and maintains databases. Nevertheless, only 62% of the
population has access to the garbage collection. Even within these
collection systems, the collection of recyclable material is not common.
The success of informal waste pickers provided evidence to lawmakers
and citizens that solutions that are low tech, low cost, and
labor-intensive can provide sustainable solutions to waste management
while also providing social and economic benefits.
Industrial pollution
The
city of Cubatão, designated by the Brazilian government as an
industrial zone due in part to its proximity to the Port of Santos,
became known as the "Valley of Death" and "the most polluted place on
Earth". The area has historically housed numerous industrial facilities
including an oil refinery from Petrobras and a steel mill from COSIPA.
Operation of such facilities was done so "without any environmental
control whatsoever" prompting tragic events throughout the 1970s and
1980s including mudslides and birth defects potentially attributable to
heavy pollution in the region. Since that time, efforts have been made
to improve environmental conditions in the area including, since 1993,
COSIPA's $200 million investment in environmental controls. In 2000,
Cubatão's center registered 48 micrograms of particles per cubic meter
of air, down from 1984 measurements registering 100 micrograms of
particles per cubic meter.
Likely due to trade
liberalization, Brazil has a high concentration of pollution-intensive
export industries. Studies point to this as evidence of Brazil being a
pollution haven. The highest of levels of pollution intensity are found
in export-related industries such as metallurgy, paper and cellulose,
and footwear.
Water pollution
Brazil’s
major and medium size metropolitan areas face increasing problems of
water pollution. Coastal cities such as Rio de Janeiro and Recife suffer
effects of upstream residential and industrial sewage contaminating
feeder rivers, lakes, and the ocean. In 2000, only 35% of collected
wastewater received any treatment.
For example, the
Tietê River, which runs through the São Paulo metropolitan area (17
million inhabitants), has returned to its 1990 pollution levels. Despite
the support from the IDB, the World Bank and Caixa Econômica Federal in
a US$400 million cleanup effort, the level of dissolved oxygen has
returned to the critical level of 1990 at 9 mg per liter due to
increased levels of unregulated sewerage, phosphorus, and ammonia
nitrogen discharged into the river. As of 2007, the state water
company Sabesp projects that a minimum of R$3 billion (US$1.7bn) would
be necessary to clean up the river.
The South and
Southeast regions of Brazil experience water scarcity due to
overexploitation and misuse of surface water resources, mostly
attributable to heavy pollution from sewage, leaking landfills, and
industrial waste.
According to an investigation by
Unearthed, more than 1,200 pesticides and weedkillers, including 193
containing chemicals banned in the EU, have been registered in Brazil
between 2016 and 2019.
Water pollution is also derived
from ethanol production. Due to the size of the industry, its
agroindustrial activity in growing, harvesting, and processing sugarcane
generates water pollution from the application of fertilizers and
agrochemicals, soil erosion, cane washing, fermentation, distillation,
the energy producing units installed in mills and by other minor sources
of waste water.
The two greatest sources of water
pollution from ethanol production come from mills in the form of waste
water from washing sugarcane stems prior to passing through mills, and
vinasse, produced in distillation. These sources increase the
biochemical oxygen demand in the waters where they are discharged which
leads to the depletion of dissolved oxygen in the water and often causes
anoxia. Legislation has banned the direct discharge of vinasse onto
surface waters, leading it to be mixed with waste water from the
sugarcane washing process to be reused as organic fertilizer on
sugarcane fields. Despite this ban, some small sugarcane mills still
discharge vinasse into streams and rivers due to a lack of
transportation and application resources. Furthermore, vinasse is
sometimes mishandled in storage and transport in mills.
Guanabara Bay has had three major oil spills as well as other forms of pollution.
The
Tietê River has for over twenty years been afflicted with heavy
pollution from sewage, primarily from São Paulo, and manufacturing. In
1992, the Tietê Project was initiated in an effort to clean up the
river. São Paulo today processes 55% of its sewage and is expected to
process 85% by 2018.
Production of first-generation biofuels
See also: Ethanol fuel in Brazil and Ethanol_fuel_in_Brazil
Brazil
is the second-largest producer of ethanol in the world. Ethanol
production in Brazil uses sugarcane as feedstock and relies on
first-generation biofuel technologies based on the use of the sucrose
content of sugarcane. First-generation biofuels
Pollution
Air pollution
See also: Air pollution from ethanol fuel in Brazil
Due
to its unique position as the only area of the world which extensively
utilizes ethanol, air quality issues in Brazil relate more to
ethanol-derived emissions. With about 40% of fuel used in Brazilian
vehicles sourced from ethanol, air pollution in Brazil differs from that
of other nations where predominately petroleum or natural gas-based
fuels are used. Atmospheric concentrations of acetaldehyde, ethanol and
possibly nitrogen oxides are greater in Brazil than most other areas of
the world due to their emissions being higher in vehicles using ethanol
fuels. The larger urban areas of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Brasilia
suffer from substantial ozone issues because both acetaldehyde and
nitrogen oxides are significant contributors to photochemical air
pollution and ozone formation. On the other hand, by the mid-1990s, lead
levels in the air had decreased by approximately 70% after the
widespread introduction of unleaded fuels in Brazil in 1975.
Numbers
of automobiles and levels of industrialization in Brazilian cities
highly influence levels of air pollution in urban areas which have an
important impact on health for large population groups in major
Brazilian urban areas. Based on annual air pollution data gathered in
the cities of Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro,
São Paulo, and Vitória between the years of 1998 and 2005, 5% of total
annual deaths in the age groups of children age five and younger and
adults age 65 and older were attributed to air pollution levels in these
cities.[14] Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo were ranked the 12th and 17th
most polluted cities in an evaluation based on World Bank and United
Nations data of emissions and air quality in 18 mega-cities. The
multi-pollutant index used to perform the evaluation did not include any
of the pollutants specific to the air quality impacts of ethanol fuel
use.
---------------------
13 Photos Explain What's Going On In The Amazon And What You Can Do
2019
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katebubacz/amazon-rainforest-photos-fires-damage
--------------
Amazon Rainforest: deforestation
https://www.britannica.com/video/22061/Deforestation-Amazon-River-basin-pattern-grazing-farming
--------------
CATTLE RANCHING'S IMPACT ON THE RAINFOREST
July 22, 2012
The
majority deforestation in the Amazon Basin since the 1960s has been
caused by cattle ranchers and land speculators who burned huge tracts of
rainforest for pasture. Brazilian government data indicates that more
than 60 percent of deforested land ends up as cattle pasture. But
conversion to cattle pasture isn't limited to Brazil — in the 1970s and
early 1980s vast tracts of rainforest in Costa Rica, Honduras, and El
Salvador were burned and converted into cattle pasture lands to meet
American demand for beef...
https://rainforests.mongabay.com/0812.htm
--------------
Amazon Destruction Forces Brazil's Cowboys to Ranch Like Texans
2018
https://www.drovers.com/article/amazon-destruction-forces-brazils-cowboys-ranch-texans
--------------
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AND DEFORESTATION IN BRAZIL
DECEMBER 2016
https://climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Agricultural-Productivity-and-Deforestation-in-Brazil-CPI.pdf
--------------
Revealed: rampant deforestation of Amazon driven by global greed for meat
2019
Investigation exposes how Brazil’s huge beef sector continues to threaten health of world’s largest rainforest
‘We must not barter the Amazon rainforest for burgers and steaks’
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/02/revealed-amazon-deforestation-driven-global-greed-meat-brazil
--------------
Brazil beef scandal highlights dangers of industrial livestock farming
27.03.2017
https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/9698-Brazil-beef-scandal-highlights-dangers-of-industrial-livestock-farming
-------------
Project Amazonia: Threats - Agriculture and Cattle Ranching
http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2006/final/threats/threat_agg.html
--------------
Transitions to sustainable management of phosphorus in Brazilian agriculture
February 2018
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-20887-z
Abstract
Brazil’s
large land base is important for global food security but its high
dependency on inorganic phosphorus (P) fertilizer for crop production
(2.2 Tg rising up to 4.6 Tg in 2050) is not a sustainable use of a
critical and price-volatile resource. A new strategic analysis of
current and future P demand/supply concluded that the nation’s secondary
P resources which are produced annually (e.g. livestock manures,
sugarcane processing residues) could potentially provide up to 20% of
crop P demand by 2050 with further investment in P recovery
technologies. However, the much larger legacy stores of secondary P in
the soil (30 Tg in 2016 worth over $40 billion and rising to 105 Tg by
2050) could provide a more important buffer against future P scarcity or
sudden P price fluctuations, and enable a transition to more
sustainable P input strategies that could reduce current annual P
surpluses by 65%. In the longer-term, farming systems in Brazil should
be redesigned to operate profitably but more sustainably under lower
soil P fertility thresholds.
--------------------------------------------
What's Hidden Behind 2,124,000 Square Miles of the Unexplored Amazon Forest?
Jun 23, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEoSnIHMB7Q
-------------------------------------------
Brazil's indigenous land is being invaded
Nov 25, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGjRNbXeRXI
-------------------------------------------
---------------------------
--------------------------
------------------------
------------------------
Section 7: Pesticides & Fungicides
------------------------
------------------------
---------------------------
----------------------------
The Diverse Uses of Fish-Poison Plants in Northwest Guyana
2000
Abstract
Although
prohibited by law, fish poison plants are still widely used by
indigenous tribes in Guyana. The latest ethnobotanical collections date
from the first half of the 20th century and, from recent anthropological
studies, it cannot be deduced whether the same species are still used
today. The present study attempts to clarify the taxonomy and
ethnobotany of the fish poisons, in particular those containing
rotenone, currently used by Amerindians in northwest Guyana. Specimens
were collected from 11 species known to be ichthyotoxic, both from wild
and cultivated sources. It was found that fish poisons not only serve as
a quick method of providing food in times of shortage, but also play an
important role in magic rituals and traditional medicine. Particularly
striking was the use of Lonchocarpus spp. and Tephrosia sinapou in the
treatment of cancer and AIDS. Further ethnobotanical and pharmacological
research should focus on the medicinal applications of
rotenone-yielding plants.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/4256362?seq=1
----------------------------
Neuroprotective Effects of Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) against Rotenone In Vitro Exposure
2016
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2016/8940850/
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric
diseases, such as bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SCZ), have a
very complex pathophysiology. Several current studies describe an
association between psychiatric illness and mitochondrial dysfunction
and consequent cellular modifications, including lipid, protein, and DNA
damage, caused by cellular oxidative stress. Euterpe oleracea (açaí) is
a powerful antioxidant fruit. Açaí is an Amazonian palm fruit primarily
found in the lowlands of the Amazonian rainforest, particularly in the
floodplains of the Amazon River. Given this proposed association, this
study analyzed the potential in vitro neuropharmacological effect of
Euterpe oleracea (açaí) extract in the modulation of mitochondrial
function and oxidative metabolism. SH-SY5Y cells were treated with
rotenone to induce mitochondrial complex I dysfunction and before and
after we exposed the cells to açaí extract at 5?µg/mL. Treated and
untreated cells were then analyzed by spectrophotometric, fluorescent,
immunological, and molecular assays. The results showed that açaí
extract can potentially increase protein amount and enzyme activity of
mitochondrial complex I, mainly through NDUFS7 and NDUFS8
overexpression. Açaí extract was also able to decrease cell reactive
oxygen species levels and lipid peroxidation. We thus suggest açaí as a
potential candidate for drug development and a possible alternative BD
therapy.
1. Introduction
Neuropsychiatric
diseases are an important problem in public health around the world. Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic mental illness that causes
significant impairment in life quality and is an important cause of
disability in young people. The prevalence of BD in the world is
around 3%, and it can affect populations independently of socioeconomic
status or nationality. Patients with BD present recurrent episodes
of mania and depression, but the etiology of the disease is still not
completely clear. Usually subjects with BD have a genetic component that
interacts with the environment to develop the disease. Some
evidence suggests the significant role of mitochondria in BD [6–8].
Current research has demonstrated that BD is associated with
mitochondrial complex I deficiency and it can decrease ATP production
and increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Consequently, the
cells present oxidative stress followed by different cell damage,
including lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, and DNA damage [9, 10].
The brain is one of the tissues most affected by mitochondrial
dysfunction due to its high sensitivity to oxidative stress and energy
demands for normal neurotransmission.
------------------------
Timbós: ichthyotoxic plants used by Brazilian Indians.
1984
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6087034
Abstract
The
pharmacology of serjanosides, active principles isolated from the
fish-poison plant Serjania lethalis St. Hil, a Sapindaceae, was
investigated by comparing their actions in fishes and mammals with those
of rotenone and certain saponins. The ichthyocid activity of the
serjanosides was 2.5 times greater than that of the crude plant extract,
approximately 10 times lower than the activity of rotenone, but from 10
to 50 times greater than the activity of the other saponins. When
injected in mammals, the serjanosides induced deep prostration, dyspnea,
cyanosis, ectopic heart beats, cardiovascular failure and respiratory
arrest. These effects, leading to death that was not prevented by
artificial respiration, indicated several mechanisms for the toxic
action of the serjanosides. In vitro studies with these substances have
shown that membrane depolarization and muscle contracture were probably
due to unspecific surface actions. Rotenone, under the same experimental
conditions induced hypotension, bradycardia and respiratory arrest.
Death was prevented by artificial respiration. Ectopic foci, membrane
depolarization, contractures and neuromuscular block were not observed
after rotenone. Apparently, death from rotenone poisoning was a
consequence of respiratory failure of central origin. The serjanosides
are rather potent fish poison saponins. Mammals, however, are apparently
insensitive to the same specific action since other toxic effects
induced by those substances in rats and mice were also observed by
employing saponins devoid of fish-killing activity.
------------------------
Effect of Serjania lethalis ethanolic extract on weed control
June 2013
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-83582013000200001
ABSTRACT
The
objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the ethanolic
extract of Serjania lethalis leaves and stems on the diaspore
germination and seedling growth of wild poinsettia (Euphorbia
heterophylla) and barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli). The crude
ethanolic extract was prepared from 100 g of dry plant material
dissolved in 500 ml of ethanol. The extracts were solubilized in a
buffer solution containing dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) at concentrations
of 10.0, 7.5, 5.0 and 2.5 mg mL-1. The effect of these extracts was
compared with herbicide oxyfluorfen in bioassays. The ethanolic extracts
of S. lethalis leaves and stems inhibited the germination and seedling
growth of barnyardgrass and wild poinsettia in a concentration-dependent
manner. The reduction in the root length of E. heterophylla seedlings
might be attributed to the reduced elongation of metaxylem cells. The
phytotoxicity of the extracts ranged according to the receptor species,
and for some variables, the inhibitory effect was similar, and even
superior, to that of the commercial herbicide. Thus, S. lethalis
extracts might be a promising alternative for sustainable weed
management.
------------------------
ALLELOPATHIC POTENTIAL OF Serjania lethalis: EVIDENCE FROM Sesamum indicum
2014
http://www.scielo.org.co/pdf/abc/v20n1/v20n1a04.pdf
ABSTRACT
This
study was designed to test the effect of different fractions of
ethanolic extracts of young (y) and mature (m) leaves of Serjania
lethalis A. St- Hil (Sapindaceae) on sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)
seedling growth and metaxylem cells. Crude ethanolic extracts were
prepared from the powder of young and mature S. lethalis
leaves and fractionated by means of column chromatography. For
the seedling growth bioassay, sesame seeds germinated at concentrations
of 0.8, 0.4 and 0.2 mg mL-1 were used. After seven days, the lengths of
the aerial part and of the primary root were measured. The sesame
metaxylem cell growth bioassay was performed with seedlings grown in
solutions containing the different fractions in the same concentrations
as above. The tested fractions (Fy2; Fy3; Fy5 e Fm1) showed inhibitory
activity on seedling growth, interfering mainly in root growth. The
fraction Fy5 showed similar activity to the one caused by the herbicide
Oxyfluorfen. This fraction was also responsible for causing the greatest
inhibition of metaxylem cell growth in sesame roots at the
concentration 0.8 mg mL-1. The results permitted to conclude that the
different fractions found in the ethanolic extract of S. lethalis young
leaves are promising sources of substances with phytotoxic properties.
------------------------
Central South America: Southwestern Brazil, into Bolivia and Paraguay
https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/nt0907
Current Status
While
cattle ranching is not intense, this type of land use causes some
degree of habitat modification. The majority of the Pantanal is in close
to pristine condition with most of its biota still extant. Only two
dirt roads cross the area from the northern end near Cuiabá, and one
road bisects the area between Campo Grande and Corumbá (Heckman 1998).
Less than 3 % of the Pantanal is currently included in protected areas;
the remainder of the land is privately owned (Quigley and Crawshaw
1992). The Pantanal National Park covers 1,370 km2 area along the Rio
Paraguay, but unfortunately it is dominated by areas completely
inundated during the wet season and protects little savanna or forest
habitat (Por 1995).
Types and Severity of Threats
The
principle threats currently affecting the Pantanal are pesticide runoff
from agricultural lands within the 500,000 km2 watershed of the Rio
Paraguay and gold mining. Pesticides such as DDT, Parathion, and
possibly Agent Orange have been used in great quantity within the
Pantanal watershed. But there has not been any pollution monitoring and
its effect on the biota (Por 1995). In 1996 there were over 700
gold-mining dredges operating along the Cuiabá River alone, and the
mercury used to separate out gold is now found at high levels in many
fish populations. In one survey, over 50% of fish collected had tissue
mercury levels higher than the limit set by the Brazilian government and
World Health Organization (Alho and Vieira 1997). Legal and illegal
poaching has also had an impact within the area. Up to 1,000,000 caiman
were killed each year during the 1970s and 1980s until the government
attempted to control trade and facilitate the farming of caiman on
ranches (Mourao-Guilherme et al. 2000). Predators such as jaguar
continue to be killed for trade and for their perceived threat to cattle (Quigley and Crawshaw 1992).
Perhaps the greatest
future threat to the Pantanal is the possibility that the Brazilian,
Bolivian, and Paraguayan governments will attempt a massive modification
of the Rio Paraguay and Paraná Rivers to provide a navigable waterway
for shipping, and dams for hydroelectricity generation. This project,
known as the "Hidrovia", has the potential to completely alter the
entirety of the Pantanal wetlands. But there are hopes that the increase
in ecotourism in the Pantanal and the more efficient network of roads
being developed outside the area will negate any need for such a
potentially catastrophic project (Heckman 1998).
--------------------------
Bolsonaro administration approves 290 new pesticide products for use
12 August 2019
https://news.mongabay.com/2019/08/bolsonaro-administration-approves-290-new-pesticide-products-for-use/
----------------
Endemic shrimp Macrobrachium pantanalense as a test species to assess potential contamination by pesticides in Pantanal (Brazil)
February 2017
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653516314291
------------------
Brazil’s Dangerous Open Door for Toxic Pesticides
July 26, 2019
https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/07/26/brazils-dangerous-open-door-toxic-pesticides
-----------------
Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro will be investigated over unproven voter fraud claims
August 5, 2021
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/brazil-s-jair-bolsonaro-will-be-investigated-over-unproven-voter-fraud-claims/ar-AAMYfBK
-----------------
Hundreds of new pesticides approved in Brazil under Bolsonaro
June 2019
Many of those permitted since far-right president took power are banned in Europe
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/12/hundreds-new-pesticides-approved-brazil-under-bolsonaro
-----------------
Respiratory Condition of Family Farmers Exposed to Pesticides in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2018
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6025513/
------------------
Organophosphorus pesticides toxicity on brine shrimp artemia
January 2018
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322191047_Organophosphorus_pesticides_toxicity_on_brine_shrimp_artemia
------------------
Taura syndrome
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taura_syndrome
Taura syndrome (TS) is one of the more devastating diseases affecting the shrimp farming industry worldwide.
Geographic distribution
TSV
has been reported from virtually all shrimp-growing regions of the
Americas, including Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, and
Venezuela, as well as from the states of Hawaii, Texas, Florida and
South Carolina.[6] Until 1998, it was considered to be a Western
Hemisphere virus. The first Asian outbreak occurred in Taiwan. It has
more recently been identified in Thailand, Myanmar, China, Korea, and
Indonesia, where it has been associated with severe epizootics in farmed
Penaeus vannamei and Penaeus monodon.
------------------
Some imported farmed seafood is a toxic cocktail
2013
Imported farmed seafood is sometimes laced with antibiotics and pesticides that are not allowed in Canadian food production.
https://www.straight.com/life/372946/some-imported-farmed-seafood-toxic-cocktail
--------------------
DDT and Other Organohalogen Pesticides in Aquatic Organisms
2011
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1247&context=usepapapers
--------------------------
Pesticides in surface water, sediment, and rainfall of the northeastern Pantanal basin, Brazil.
2002
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12371181
Abstract
Within
the last 25 years an intensive agriculture has developed in the
highland regions of Mato Grosso state (Brazil), which involves frequent
pesticide use in highly mechanized cash-crop cultures. To provide
information on pesticide distribution and dynamics in the northeastern
Pantanal basin (located in southern Mato Grosso), we monitored 29
pesticides and 3 metabolites in surface water, sediment, and rainwater
of the study area during the main application season. In environmental
samples, 19 pesticides and 3 metabolites were detected in measurable
quantities, resulting in at least one pesticide detection in 68% of
surface water samples (n = 139), 62% of sediment samples (n = 26), and
87% of rainwater samples (n = 91). Surface water samples were most
frequently contaminated by endosulfan compounds (alpha-, beta-,
-sulfate), ametryn, metolachlor, and metribuzin, although in low (<
0.1 microgram L-1) concentrations. Sediment samples exhibited
concentrations up to 4.5 micrograms kg-1 of p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE,
endosulfan-sulfate, beta-endosulfan, and ametryn. In contrast, rainwater
was polluted with substantial amounts of endosulfan, alachlor,
metolachlor, trifluralin, monocrotofos, and profenofos (maximum
concentrations = 0.3 to 2.3 micrograms L-1) in the highlands. Lowland
rainwater samples taken 75 km from the next application area contained
5- to 10-fold lower mean pesticide concentration than in the highlands.
Cumulative deposition rates of the pesticide sum within the study period
ranged from 423 micrograms m-2 in the highlands to 14 micrograms m-2 in
the lowlands. The atmospheric input of pesticides to ecosystems seemed
to be of higher relevance in the tropical study area than known from
temperate regions.
--------------------
Currently used pesticides in water matrices in Central-Western Brazil
2012
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0103-50532012000800010
ABSTRACT
This
study provides data on the presence of the pesticides atrazine,
chlorpyrifos, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan, flutriafol, malathion and
metolachlor in water matrices in urban and rural areas of Campo Verde
and Lucas do Rio Verde Cities, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. Surface, rain,
and groundwater samples were collected in the rainy and dry seasons
during 2007 and 2008 in these important grain-producing areas. The
findings revealed a higher diversity of compounds and frequency of
detection in the rain water than in surface and groundwater samples.
Concentrations of atrazine, endosulfan and malathion above those
permitted by Brazilian regulations were found in some surface and
groundwater samples, and the degradation products DIA
(deisopropylatrazine) and endosulfan sulfate, rather than their parental
compounds, were found at higher levels in some samples. Our findings
show the vulnerability of water systems in these areas and point to the
risk of pesticide contamination in important headwater streams.
--------------------
Environmental dynamics of pesticides in the drainage area of the São Lourenço River headwaters, Mato Grosso State, Brazil
2012
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0103-50532012000900018
--------------------
An integrated assessment of water quality in a land reform settlement in northern Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil
March 2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844018355609
--------------------
Drinking water quality in schools of the Santarém region, Amazon, Brazil, and health implications for school children
2018
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1980-993X2018000600302
--------------------
Risk assessment of trihalomethanes from tap water in Fortaleza, Brazil
April 2009
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10661-008-0273-y
----------------------
Chemicals in tap water could cause 100,000 cases of cancer in U.S.
September 19, 2019
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chemicals-in-tap-water-could-cause-100000-cases-of-cancer-in-u-s/
----------------------
Study Finds Roughly 19 Million Exposed To Toxic Compounds In Drinking Water
05/07/2019
A series of manufactured chemicals called PFAS were found in 43 states, a new environmental study shows.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pfas-chemicals-drinking-water-study_n_5cd1f18ae4b0a7dffcce0257
----------------------
A preliminary nationwide survey of the presence of emergingcontaminants in drinking and source waters in Brazil
2016
https://sites.usp.br/adox/wp-content/uploads/sites/84/PQI-5861/emerging-compounds-in-brazil-2016.pdf
----------------------
Is the Drinking Water Safe in Brazil?
07/20/19
https://www.tripsavvy.com/drinking-water-safety-in-brazil-1467423
------------------------
Brazil finds worrying levels of pesticides in water of 1,400 towns
26 Apr 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/26/brazil-finds-worrying-levels-of-pesticides-in-water-of-1400-towns
----------------------
Zika virus: Brazil dismisses link between larvicide and microcephaly
2016
One state has suspended use of pyriproxyfen in drinking water after claims the chemical, rather than the Zika virus, could be behind the rise of the birth defect
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/zika/12157747/Zika-virus-Brazil-dismisses-link-between-larvicide-and-microcephaly.html
----------------------
25 Countries Where You Shouldn't Drink the Tap Water
#3. Brazil
https://bestlifeonline.com/countries-with-worst-tap-water/
----------------------
Forget worrying about Brazil’s water, we have our own problems here
Aug 9 2016
https://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/09/forget-worrying-about-brazils-water-we-have-our-own-problems-here.html
----------------------
Pesticide Degradates of Concern to the Drinking Water Community
https://wwwtest.waterrf.org/PublicReportLibrary/2938.pdf
-----------------------
Is the Drinking Water Safe in Brazil?
2019
https://www.tripsavvy.com/drinking-water-safety-in-brazil-1467423
-------------------------
Arsenic exposure in US public and domestic drinking water supplies: A comparative risk assessment
2009
https://www.nature.com/articles/jes200924
-------------------------
Evaluation of Cancer from Exposure to Cyanotoxins in Drinking Water at Grand LakeSaint Marys
2011
https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1075&context=mph
-------------------------
Chromium in Drinking Water: Sources, Metabolism, and Cancer Risks
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/tx200251t
-------------------------
ALGAE POISONS LURK IN FLORIDA DRINKING WATER
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2001-05-27-0105270298-story.html
--------------------------
Study of radon concentration and toxic elements in drinking and irrigated water and its implications in Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaysia
2015
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1687850715000564
--------------------------
Pesticides in Water
https://www.waters.com/waters/en_US/pesticides_enviro/nav.htm?cid=134804892&locale=en_US
--------------------------
EWG News Roundup (5/3): Dirty Duke Energy, Assessing the Combined Risk of Water Contaminants and More
https://www.ewg.org/news-and-analysis/2019/05/ewg-news-roundup-53-dirty-duke-energy-assessing-combined-risk-water
--------------------------
SF officials running tests on drinking water in Sunset after complaint about pesticides
2018
https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/SF-officials-running-tests-on-drinking-water-in-13291713.php
--------------------------
Monitoring Pesticide Residues in Surface and Ground Water in Hungary: Surveys in 1990–2015
2015
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jchem/2015/717948/
--------------------------
8 Million Californians Have Been Drinking Polluted Water For Years
2017
If you want to know how difficult it is to get a water contaminant regulated in the U.S., take a look at the Golden State.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/drinking-water-pesticides-california_n_58efe05de4b0bb9638e299ee
--------------------------
How much atrazine needs to be in our water until Canada bans this harmful pesticide?
2017
https://environmentaldefence.ca/2017/03/22/atrazine-water-canada-ban/
--------------------------
Ottawa ignoring hazards of top pesticides sold in Canada
2017
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2017/08/09/news/ottawa-ignoring-hazards-top-pesticides-sold-canada
-----------------------
Pesticides in Drinking Water – The Brazilian Monitoring Program
December 2015
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283615489_Pesticides_in_Drinking_Water_-_The_Brazilian_Monitoring_Program
--------------------
To Spray or Not to Spray: Pesticides, Banana Exports, and Food Safety
2002
https://www.iatp.org/sites/default/files/To_Spray_or_Not_to_Spray_Pesticides_Banana_Exp.htm
---------------------
Climate change effects on Black Sigatoka disease of banana
2019
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rstb.2018.0269
--------------------------
A fungal disease is ruining banana crops; blame climate change
2019
Black Sigatoka disease was first reported in Honduras in 1972.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/a-fungal-disease-is-ruining-banana-crops-blame-climate-change/articleshow/69201108.cms?from=mdr
--------------------------
Deadly banana fungus reaches Latin America
https://www.ft.com/content/fbd2510c-c29e-11e9-a8e9-296ca66511c9
--------------------------
Why do bananas require so many pesticides?
2014
https://www.chemservice.com/news/2014/08/why-do-bananas-require-so-many-pesticides/
-------------------------
Pesticide Use Practices in Root, Tuber, and Banana Crops by Smallholder Farmers in Rwanda and Burundi
2019
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/3/400/htm
----------------------
Pesticide residues in river sediments from the Pantanal Wetland, Brazil
https://ainfo.cnptia.embrapa.br/digital/bitstream/item/105414/1/56722.pdf
---------------------
Blood fish: why prawns should be blacklisted from all our shopping baskets
October 2012
https://theecologist.org/2012/oct/02/blood-fish-why-prawns-should-be-blacklisted-all-our-shopping-baskets
Food security
But
it is not just in Asia that shrimp farming has wreaked havoc: in
Brazil, I witnessed first-hand the impact our taste for prawns was
having on poor coastal communities. In the village of Curral Velho, in
Ceara state, residents complained bitterly that wild stocks of snails,
mussels and crabs – all vital to local people's diets – had decreased
since the arrival of industrial shrimp farms, and that salt water
flooding from prawn ponds had destroyed their ability to successfully
grow crops. Similar stories were repeated elsewhere.
I
was also taken to see evidence of mangrove and carnauba forests being
cut down to make way for shrimp farms. In some places huge construction
sites had replaced once intact ecosystems as the shrimp 'boom' took off.
In the town of Aracati, we were taken to a site where a major shrimp
company was constructing a major canal to divert water supplies away
from a nearby river to feed planned shrimp producing ponds; ironically,
many of the town's population had no fresh water supply and had to rely
on water being specially trucked in.
In Curral Velho,
residents were determined to fight back however. In an interview,
community leader Joao Jaime Honorio defiantly outlined their campaign of
resistance:
'Ever since these shrimp farmers and their
companies came to our area, we saw that they would not bring anything
good for us, so from that moment on we have resisted this invasion...
'Why resist?, to defend precisely this territory where we live... I'll
tell you that our families have been here for more than 100 years. We
have lived here on our land for generations; it has been passed on from
father to son. Everybody here works and survives because of the rivers,
the shellfish and the sea. So we know that this shrimp farming is not a
good thing for us. It brings only destruction.'
Those
resisting the shrimp farms in Curral Velho were to pay a heavy price. A
few months later, half a dozen fishermen and community activists,
including children, were shot during an attack by gunmen reportedly
hired by a major shrimp farming company. Other Curral Velho inhabitants
were seized, handcuffed and beaten.
The attack took
place after residents say they confronted employees of the shrimp farm
over what they believed was the unlawful expansion of the farm's
boundaries into nearby mangrove forests used by the community for
fishing and docking boats. Despite constructive discussions with the
farm owners, two fishermen were shot at later in the day by armed guards
from the farm.
According to eyewitnesses, when a
larger group of sixteen residents returned to demand an explanation for
the violence, three gunmen from the shrimp farm opened fire
indiscriminately – injuring six of the group, including three children.
As some of the fishermen sought help from the nearby village, they were
accosted by the gunmen, handcuffed and beaten. Victims of the attack
said afterwards that they had been threatened with death if they told
anyone of the incident.
-----------------------
Organochlorine pesticides residues in feed and muscle of farmed Nile tilapia from Brazilian fish farms
2011
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691511002390
----------------------
Ecotoxicological
effects of carbofuran and oxidised multiwalled carbon nanotubes on the
freshwater fish Nile tilapia: nanotubes enhance pesticide ecotoxicity.
2015
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25450925
----------------------
Monitoring of Pesticide Residues in Surface and Subsurface Waters, Sediments, and Fish in Center-Pivot Irrigation Areas
2015
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0103-50532015001102269
----------------------
Trace elements and microbiological parameters in farmed Nile tilapia with emphasis on muscle, water, sediment and feed
10 Jan 2019
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03601234.2018.1550308
----------------------
Bioconcentration and Acute Intoxication of Brazilian Freshwater Fishes by the Methyl Parathion Organophosphate Pesticide
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2015/197196/
----------------------
Effects of the organophosphate pesticide Folidol 600 (R) on the freshwater fish, Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
March 2011
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229097792_Effects_of_the_organophosphate_pesticide_Folidol_600_R_on_the_freshwater_fish_Nile_Tilapia_Oreochromis_niloticus
----------------------
Pesticide residues in water, sediment and fish from Tono Reservoir and their health risk implications
(2016)
https://springerplus.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40064-016-3544-z
----------------------
Highly hazardous profits
How Syngenta makes billions by selling toxic pesticides
https://www.publiceye.ch/fileadmin/doc/Pestizide/2019_PublicEye_Highly-hazardous-profits_Report.pdf
----------------------
Warning issued to Britons over 'food containing toxic pesticides' from Brazil
Feb 26, 2022
A SHOCKING report released earlier this week issued a dire warning to millions of people in the UK who may eat food containing banned toxic pesticides.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1569708/pesticide-warning-Britons-brazil-food-amazon-toxic-millions
----------------------
Sediment pollution in margins of the Lake Guaíba, Southern Brazil.
2017
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29209785
--------------
Urban Aquatic Pollution in Brazil
2018
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781119260493.ch27
--------------
Use
SUMO (Simulation of Urban Mobility) Simulator for the Determination of
Light Times in Order to Reduce Pollution: A Case Study in the City
Center of Rio Grande, Brazil
https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/use-sumo-simulator-for-the-determination-of-light-times-in-order-to-reduce-pollution/173221
--------------
Leptospirosis in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: An Ecosystem Approach in the Animal-Human Interface
https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0004095
--------------
Epilithic Diatoms as Indicators of Water Quality in the Gravataí River, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
2006
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10750-005-9012-3
----------------------
The developing world is awash in pesticides. There may be a better way.
2016
But it’s Brazil that has become the developing world’s largest pesticide user, says Victor Pelaez, an economist at Brazil’s Federal University of Paraná who studies pesticides and their regulation in that country. "Brazil is [the] second largest consumer of pesticides after the United States," he says. The global pesticides market is estimated to be US$45 billion.
https://www.vox.com/2016/7/3/12085368/developing-world-pesticides
-----------------------
Poison in the water
https://www.publiceye.ch/en/topics/pesticides/highly-hazardous-profits-in-brazil/poison-in-the-water
“There
is probably not a single citizen in this country without a certain
level of pesticide exposure”, says Ada Cristina Pontes Aguiar, medical
doctor and researcher at the Federal University of Ceará in Brazil. Our
dive into Brazilian’s drinking water confirms this assessment.
By
law, drinking water suppliers in Brazil are responsible for testing 27
pesticides every six months in the systems they manage and reporting the
results to the federal government. All the test results are then
compiled in a database called Sisagua. Through a freedom of information
request, Public Eye accessed a government database of drinking water
monitoring from 2014–2017.
Contaminated drinking water
Pesticide
residues were found in 86% of drinking water samples tested. A total of
454 Brazilian municipalities, with a population of 33 million, detected
pesticide residues in their drinking water above the legal limits at
least once during the four-year period. Overall, the level of
contamination of the drinking water in Brazil is far higher than what is
found in the EU or Switzerland. While in the EU only 0.1% of drinking
water samples exceed the limit of 0.1 micrograms per litre, in Brazil
12.5% of test results found residues of pesticides above this
concentration.
Atrazine is one of the most frequently
detected substances. This herbicide is classified as an endocrine
disruptor and a reproductive toxicant. It was banned in Switzerland and
the European Union over ten years ago because of water contamination.
But Syngenta continues selling it in Brazil where it is found in 85% of
drinking water samples tested.
A cocktail of pesticides
A
major concern is that a cocktail of 27 toxic substances is regularly
found in the drinking water of Brazilian municipalities. Seven of these
substances are currently sold by Syngenta in Brazil. 1,396
municipalities, with a combined population of over 85 million, detected
traces of all 27 pesticides in their drinking water during the four-year
period. All these substances interact and can have additive – or even
synergistic – effects. The unsettling conclusion is that millions of
Brazilians are exposed to a cocktail of pesticides in their drinking
water that has never been tested, and the effects of which remain
largely unknown.
These results are even more worrying
considering the relatively low level of testing. Our analysis shows that
despite legal requirements, an average of only 31% of Brazilian
municipalities submit drinking water test results each year to the
federal government. Only 3% tested the 27 pesticides twice a year during
the four-year period. It therefore appears likely that the monitoring
programme misses peak concentrations that generally occur after the
pesticide application. While there is generally more testing in the
states with the highest pesticide use, this is not the case in Mato
Grosso, the number one user of pesticides, where only 24% of
municipalities submitted at least one test result during the four years.
-----------------------
Ecotoxicology assay for the evaluation of environmental water quality in a tropical urban estuary
http://www.scielo.br/pdf/aabc/v91n1/0001-3765-aabc-201820180232.pdf
-----------------------
Sea
breeze front identification on the northeastern coast of Brazil and its
implications for meteorological conditions in the Sergipe region
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00704-018-2732-x
------------------------
The black list of pesticides
https://www.publiceye.ch/en/topics/pesticides/highly-hazardous-pesticides/the-black-list-of-pesticides
Highly
Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) are substances “that are acknowledged to
present particularly high levels of acute or chronic hazards to health
or the environment”
In 2006 already, FAO and WHO
adopted criteria to identify highly hazardous pesticides. Yet more than
ten years have passed and they have failed to even start working on a
list of pesticides that should be considered “highly hazardous”. This is
crucial step to make governments and the pesticide industry develop
plans of action for progressively phasing out HHPs.
The
Pesticide Action Network (PAN) decided to fill this gap. It did this by
reviewing the official classification of about 1,000 pesticide active
ingredients currently on the market, using the criteria developed by FAO
and WHO while remediating some of their main shortcomings. Its first
list of highly hazardous pesticides was published in 2009 and last
updated in 2019. It includes 310 pesticide active ingredients, which is
approximately 30% of pesticides currently in use worldwide.
----------------------
DDT and its metabolites in breast milk from the Madeira River basin in the Amazon, Brazil.
19 May 2008
https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/2561184
Abstract
Until
the 1990s the 1,1,1-trichloro-bis-2,2'-(4chlorophenyl) ethane (DDT) was
sprayed in the walls of the house along the Madeira River basin,
Brazilian Amazon, a region well known for its large number of malaria
cases. In 1910, Oswaldo Cruz described the presence of malaria in 100%
of the population living in some localities from the Madeira River
basin. Data available in the literature point to the DDT contamination
in fishes captured in Madeira River region. Fish is the major source of
dietary protein to these people. DDT tends to accumulate in lipid rich
tissues and is being eliminated by different events, including
lactation. Considering the importance of feeding breast milk to the
children, the associated risks of DDT exposure via breast milk intake to
children must be assessed. This is the main objective of this work: to
analyse the presence of the p,p'-DDT and its metabolites p,p'-DDE and
p,p'-DDD in 69 human milk samples and to estimate the intake of DDT and
its metabolite in terms of total DDT (total
DDT=p,p'-DDE+p,p'-DDD+p,p'-DDT). All the samples showed contamination
with DDT and its metabolites ranging from 25.4 to 9361.9 ng of total
DDT/g of lipid (median=369.6 ng of total DDT/g of lipid) and 8.7% of the
estimated daily intake (EDI), in terms of total DDT, which was higher
than the acceptable daily intake proposed by the WHO.
----------------------
A historical perspective on malaria control in Brazil.
2015
https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/4667572
----------------------
A comprehensive analysis of malaria transmission in Brazil
2019
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20477724.2019.1581463
----------------------
Current vector control challenges in the fight against malaria in Brazil
2019
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0037-86822019000100201
-----------------------
Brazil Attorney General Seeks to Block Aerial Anti-Mosquito Spraying Amid Zika Fight
Sept. 21, 2016
Concerns include damage to ecosystem and risk of human poisoning
https://www.wsj.com/articles/brazil-attorney-general-seeks-to-block-aerial-anti-mosquito-spraying-amid-zika-fight-1474487491
----------------------
Zika’s spread in Brazil is a crisis of inequality as much as health
Feb 2016
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/03/zika-virus-brazil-inequality-microcephaly-access-water-contraception
It’s
no coincidence that most Zika-related microcephaly cases are found in
the poor north-east of the country, where access to water and
contraception is limited
----------------------
Brazil’s fundamental pesticide law under attack
20 February 2018
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/02/brazils-fundamental-pesticide-law-under-attack/
Pesticide use driven by government policy
Pesticides
were first imported to Brazil in the 1960s, but it was in 1975, with
creation of the National Development Plan (PND) that commercialization
grew significantly. Under the PND, farmers were obliged to purchase
pesticides to obtain rural credit.
Consumption gained
momentum in the first decade of the 21st century, when the bancada
ruralista, Brazil’s powerful agribusiness lobby, significantly increased
the number of seats it held in Congress, which led to subsidies and tax
breaks favorable to pesticide makers.
The explosive
growth of pesticide consumption went hand in hand with the increase in
agriculture exports. According to data from the Brazilian Institute of
Geography and Statistics (IBGE), in 1975 the production of cereals,
legumes and oilseeds in the country amounted to just 39.4 million tons.
In 2014 that grew to 194.5 million tons of grains grown on 56.7 million
hectares (218.2 million square miles), and in 2017 to 240.6 million tons
on 61.1 million hectares (235.2 million square miles).
Two
major commodities, soybeans and corn – both which require high
pesticide use – represented much of that growth. In 2000, the value of
all grains produced in Brazil was US$ 6.5 billion; of this, soybeans and
corn accounted for US$ 4.6 billion. In 2016, the total value of grains
rose to US$ 54.8 billion, of which US$ 44.9 billion came from soy and
corn.
“Brazilian agriculture has been consolidated
through the expansion of crops turned to commodities or agrofuels that
demand intensive use of pesticides,” concludes a study, Geography of the
Use of Agrochemicals in Brazil and Connections with the European Union,
by Larissa Mies Bombardi, at the Agrarian Geography Laboratory at the
University of São Paulo.
“Brazil consumes about 20
percent of all pesticides sold commercially worldwide,” that study
concludes. “There are [currently] 504 pesticides allowed for use in
Brazil, and of these, 30 percent are banned in the European Union – some
more than a decade ago.”
---------------------
Pesticide Poisoning in Brazil
December 2016
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308013830_Pesticide_Poisoning_in_Brazil
Abstract
Pesticide
poisoning has become a major public health problem in some developing
countries, mainly due to the accidental or intentional ingestion and the
unsafe use of pesticide products during occupational activities. By
January 2016, 457 active ingredients, including insect pheromones and
biopesticides (about 60), formulated in 1798 products were registered in
Brazil; the country has been ranking among the top three pesticide
markets worldwide in the last 10 years. However, Brazil still lacks a
sound and unified pesticide poisoning data and the available data are
known to be highly underestimated. According to the National Poisoning
Information System (SINITOX), pesticide is the third highest cause of
exogenous poisoning in Brazil, accounting for about 7–11% of the
reported cases annually from 2000 to 2012. Self-poisoning and accidental
poisoning were the main circumstances involved in the reported cases,
and there was no correlation between poisoning incidence and pesticide
use in the Brazilian regions. From 2000 to 2012, the Brazilian Mortality
Information System (SIM) reported 10,666 fatalities after pesticide
poisoning in the country, mainly after self-poisoning. The
organophosphate insecticides are the main pesticides involved in the
poisoning cases in rural Brazil. Poisoning in urban sets are mostly due
to accidental or self-poisoning with the rodenticide chumbinho, an
illegal product freely sold in Brazilian cities, prepared from
registered pesticide products, mostly organophosphates and carbamates.
---------------------
Rainwater in parts of US contain high levels of PFAS chemical, says study
Dec 2019
Levels high enough to potentially impact human health and trigger regulatory action, which only targets two of 4,700 variants
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/17/rainwater-pfas-us-potentially-toxic-levels-study
---------------------
Organochlorine pesticide residues in human milk in the Ribeirão Preto region, state of São Paulo, Brazil
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00213281
Abstract
Thirty-seven
samples of human milk (colostrum) from donors living in the Ribeirão
Preto region were analyzed to determine the levels of organochlorine
pesticide residues. Donors were classified into two groups, i.e.,
occupationally exposed and non-exposed to pesticides. Other factors such
as age, previous lactations, race, smoking habit, occupation, family
income and educational level were also considered. Analysis was
performed by preliminary lipid extraction followed by fractional
partition on a column and finally by gas chromatography with an electron
capture detector. Lindane was found in 32% of the samples in amounts of
less than 0.001 mg/kg; heptachlor was found in 65% of the samples at
mean levels of 0.001 mg/kg, i.e., a level five-fold lower than that
established by FAO/WHO (1970) for cow's milk. Aldrin and endrin were not
detected in any of the samples. Dieldrin was detected in only one
sample at a level of 0.038 mg/kg, which is considered high. DDT and DDE
amounts are reported as total DDT and at least one of these compounds
was present in every sample. Amounts detected in donors occupationally
exposed to pesticides ranged from 0.008 to 0.455 mg/kg (mean, 0.149
mg/kg), i.e., three times the limit established by FAO/WHO (1970), while
values for donors who had not been exposed ranged from 0.002 to 0.072
mg/kg (mean, 0.025 mg/kg), i.e., half the limit. Considering the level
of acceptable daily intake proposed by FAO/WHO (1973), lactents ingested
1% of the acceptable intake of lindane (all donors), 30% of the
acceptable intake of heptachlor (all donors), 60% of the acceptable
intake of DDT (nonexposed donors), and 3.7 times the acceptable intake
of DDT (exposed donors). Comparing the present results with those
obtained 10 years ago, the total DDT level in human milk is decreasing
in this part of the country. The mean amount of organochlorine residues
in non-exposed women's milk was one of the lowest levels among those
recorded in the literature. DDT levels of occupationally exposed women's
milk were comparable with those reported for developed countries and
lower than those detected in Latin American countries. When the results
of this survey are considered in relation to the advantages of
breast-feeding, the risk-benefit balance is still favorable to
breast-feeding. However, given the lack of long-term epidemiological
studies, undesirable or harmful long-lasting effects cannot be excluded.
---------------------
How Brazil stole the production of orange juice from Florida
2018
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/23/brazil-florida-orange-juice-tariff-trade-war.html
More than 50 percent of all orange juice bottled by major companies like Tropicana is supplied by a Brazilian company
In 2017, this OJ export market was worth $1.4 billion
Brazilian orange juice companies used this cash influx to come into the U.S. and buy out Florida’s production facilities
---------------------
The state of oil palm development in the Brazilian AmazonTrends, value chain dynamics, and business models
http://www.cifor.org/publications/pdf_files/WPapers/WP198CIFOR.pdf
---------------------
Brazil’s Waste Recyclers Take on Vegetable Oil
2011•11•07
https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/brazil-waste-recyclers-earning-from-reuse-of-vegetable-oil
On
the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro lies the world’s largest trash dump,
receiving more than 9,000 tonnes of garbage per day. Jardim Gramacho
(Gramacho Gardens) is literally overflowing with garbage. Fractures in
the dump site’s structure were noticed several years ago, but no
decommission strategy has yet been successful because of illegal dumping
and other issues.
Research has found that each day,
Gramacho emits 800 cubic meters of liquid containing organic and
inorganic compounds from domestic refuse, rubble, hospital and industry
waste that drains into the Guanabara Bay. This leachate contains high
levels of ammonium, nitrogen, chloride, sodium, and potassium and is
considered highly toxic.
Despite the horrible
environmental conditions, catadores (waste recyclers) have been
collecting high-value recyclables found amongst the trash and selling it
for profit for the past 30 years.
At the end of 2012,
this dump and others across Brazil will close due to a law passed by the
national parliament in 2010 that eradicates open dumps. But instead of
celebrating the end of this environmental disaster, the city is faced
with the search for a new home for 70 percent of Rio’s waste, plus all
the refuse produced by neighbouring cities, as well as the 15,000 people
that earn a living from the income generated by the dump.
Despite
the horrible environmental conditions, catadores, or waste recyclers,
have been collecting high-value recyclables found amongst the trash and
selling it for profit for the past 30 years. When the dump closes,
3,000–4,000 people will be forced off of the landfill grounds and will
no longer have the income to support their families that live in the
nearby favelas, or slums.
Traditionally, waste
recycling cooperatives in Brazil have had little influence upon
legislation. However, this new law does give recognition to the work of
the catadores and prescribes integrating them into the recycling
industry, while also attempting to regulate their working conditions to
improve their health and safety...
---------------------
Golden Mosaic of Common Beans in Brazil: Management with a Transgenic Approach
2016
https://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/apsnetfeatures/Pages/GoldenMosaic.aspx
---------------------
Monsanto Wins $7.7 Billion Lawsuit in Brazil – but Farmers’ Fight to Stop its ‘Amoral’ Royalty System Will Continue
November 4, 2019
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2019/11/monsanto-wins-7-7-billion-lawsuit-in-brazil-but-farmers-fight-to-stop-its-amoral-royalty-system-will-continue.html
Monsanto ‘Owns Everything’
The
Brazilian lawsuit is a sign of growing uneasiness with the control
Monsanto has over farmers, my research on biotechnology and seeds finds.
Founded
as a chemical manufacturer in 1901, Monsanto has invested heavily in
agricultural biotechnology to become the world’s largest seller of
seeds. Its biotech seeds have proved attractive to farmers because they
simplify farm management. Monsanto says its genetically modified seeds
also increase crop yields, and thus farmer income – but evidence on this
subject is not probative.
Monsanto’s genetically modified corn seeds, sold under the brand DeKalb, are widely used in the U.S
In
the United States and Canada, Monsanto requires buyers of its
genetically modified seeds to sign extensive licensing contracts that
prevent them from saving seeds. North American farmers who violate those
agreements have been sued for patent infringement and compelled to pay
tens of thousands of dollars in damages.
In Brazil,
Monsanto charges 2% royalties on the sale of its patented soybeans, a
conventional industry practice. More unusually, the company charges an
additional royalty – 3% of farmers’ sales – when soybeans are grown from
saved Roundup Ready seeds.
Soybeans are Brazil’s
biggest export. The royalties in dispute in the class action, which is
likely to be appealed to the Brazilian Supreme Court, are estimated at
US$7.7 billion.
“I can’t stand it anymore – seeing
those Monsanto people showing up at the grain elevator and behaving as
if they own everything,” one grain cooperative manager told the
Brazilian Congress during a special commission on agriculture I attended
in December 2017.
‘Amoral’ Royalty Collection
The Brazilian appeals court’s Oct. 9 decision reverses a past ruling establishing the rights of small farmers in Brazil.
In
their original petition, farmers’ unions in 2009 asserted that
Monsanto’s royalty collection system is arbitrary, illegal and abusive.
They argued that it extends Monsanto’s intellectual property rights to
their own production and violates their right to freely save seeds for
replanting, as guaranteed under Brazil’s Plant Variety Protection Act.
In
April 2012, a civil court agreed with the farmers, affirming their
rights to save seeds and sell their harvests as food or raw material
without paying royalties.
Monsanto got this ruling
overturned on appeal. The Brazilian farmers’ unions then appealed that
decision, leading to the Oct. 9 ruling against them.
“Monsanto
is amoral,” Luiz Fernando Benincá, a soybean producer and litigant in
the class action suit told me in January 2017. “It will do anything for
profits.”
---------------------
Why Brazil has a big appetite for risky pesticides
April 2, 2015
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/brazil-pesticides/
In
this farming superpower, agricultural chemicals - including paraquat –
face lax regulation. And in the rural northeast, rampant use has led to
sickness and violence.
LIMOEIRO DO NORTE,
Brazil – The farmers of Brazil have become the world’s top exporters of
sugar, orange juice, coffee, beef, poultry and soybeans. They’ve also
earned a more dubious distinction: In 2012, Brazil passed the United
States as the largest buyer of pesticides.
This rapid
growth has made Brazil an enticing market for pesticides banned or
phased out in richer nations because of health or environmental risks.
At
least four major pesticide makers – U.S.-based FMC Corp., Denmark’s
Cheminova A/S, Helm AG of Germany and Swiss agribusiness giant Syngenta
AG – sell products here that are no longer allowed in their domestic
markets, a Reuters review of registered pesticides found.
Among
the compounds widely sold in Brazil: paraquat, which was branded as
“highly poisonous” by U.S. regulators. Both Syngenta and Helm are
licensed to sell it here.
Brazilian regulators warn
that the government hasn’t been able to ensure the safe use of
agrotóxicos, as herbicides, insecticides and fungicides are known in
Portuguese. In 2013, a crop duster sprayed insecticide on a school in
central Brazil. The incident, which put more than 30 schoolchildren and
teachers in the hospital, is still being investigated.
WIDESPREAD VIOLATIONS
Screenings
by regulators show much of the food grown and sold in Brazil violates
national regulations. Last year, Anvisa completed its latest analysis of
pesticide residue in foods across Brazil. Of 1,665 samples collected,
ranging from rice to apples to peppers, 29 percent showed residues that
either exceeded allowed levels or contained unapproved pesticides.
Since
2007, when Brazil’s health ministry began keeping current records, the
number of reported cases of human intoxication by pesticides has more
than doubled, from 2,178 that year to 4,537 in 2013. The annual number
of deaths linked to pesticide poisoning climbed from 132 to 206. Public
health specialists say the actual figures are higher because tracking is
incomplete.
The pressures are clear here in Limoeiro
do Norte, a town in the arid northeastern state of Ceará. The state used
to be anything but a breadbasket. But since the 1990s, Brazil has built
a system of irrigation canals in the area, and farming has flourished.
So, too, has pesticide use.
In November, a federal
court upheld a ruling that forces Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc, the
global fruit giant, to indemnify the widow of a worker whose liver
failed after repeated handling of pesticides. In Limoeiro do Norte, a
state court is weighing charges against a landowner accused by police of
ordering the murder of an anti-pesticide activist.
“This
is a giant laboratory for the worst of industrial-scale agriculture,”
says Raquel Rigotto, a physician and sociologist at the Federal
University of Ceará in Fortaleza, the state capital. Rigotto says her
research team has found traces of many pesticides in water taps in the
area, and a higher rate of cancer deaths there than in towns nearby with
little farming.
The world has much riding on Brazil’s
food boom. The population is expected to rise nearly 30 percent over the
next three decades, leaving 2 billion more mouths to feed. Brazil’s
booming agricultural sector will be a critical source of nourishment.
But with its equatorial sunlight, steady temperatures and year-round
harvests, Brazil is also a fertile place for insects, fungi and weeds.
To keep them at bay, farmers are applying more and more pesticides.
---------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF BAUXITE, ALUMINA AND ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION INBRAZIL
8 February 1995
https://unctad.org/en/Docs/pocomd49.en.pdf
---------------------
Screening
Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Populations From Pernambuco, Brazil
for Resistance to Temephos, Diflubenzuron, and Cypermethrin and
Characterization of Potential Resistance Mechanisms
May 2019
https://academic.oup.com/jinsectscience/article/19/3/16/5512994
--------------------
Brazil finds worrying levels of pesticides in water of 1,400 towns
2019
News outlets publish online tool enabling readers to check their own water results
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/26/brazil-finds-worrying-levels-of-pesticides-in-water-of-1400-towns
-------------------
"Cocktail" of 27 pesticides found in water of 1 out of 4 Brazilian cities
May 03, 2019
https://brazilian.report/society/2019/05/03/cocktail-pesticides-water-contamination/
-------------------
Water contaminated by pesticides causes fear in Brazil
2019
A
recent study found high levels of pesticides in the drinking water of
about 25% of Brazil’s cities. These results have activists worried,
with Brazilian agriculture heavily dependent on one chemical component.
https://america.cgtn.com/2019/05/12/water-contaminated-by-pesticides-causes-fear-in-brazil
-------------------
Brazilians Don’t Know if Pesticides Are in Their Drinking Water
March 22, 2018
https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/03/22/brazilians-dont-know-if-pesticides-are-their-drinking-water
------------------
Occurrence of Pesticides and PPCPs in Surface and Drinking Water in Southern Brazil: Data on 4-Year Monitoring
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0103-50532019000100071&script=sci_arttext
------------------
Drinking water quality in schools of the Santarém region, Amazon, Brazil, and health implications for school children
2018
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1980-993X2018000600302
-------------------
Pesticides in drinking water – the Brazilian monitoring program
2015
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2015.00246/full
Results and Discussion
Distribution of pesticides and PPCPs in water samples
Pesticides
A larger number of pesticides were detected than PPCPs (Table 1).
Table 1 Summary of pesticides and PPCPs detected in surface and drinking water (n = 48)
-------------------
Pesticides as water pollutants
http://www.fao.org/3/w2598e/w2598e07.htm
-------------------
Brazil unwisely gives pesticides a free pass
09 Aug 2019
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/365/6453/552.2
-------------------
Brazil pesticide approvals soar as Jair Bolsonaro moves to weaken rules
12.06.2019
Unearthed investigation reveals 193 products have been approved since 2016 that contain chemicals banned in the EU
https://energydesk.greenpeace.org/2019/06/12/jair-bolsonaro-brazil-pesticides/
------------------
Poisoned by Pesticides: BRAZIL
September 1981
https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/poisoned-pesticides-brazil
Throughout
the seventies, there were reports of the massive use of herbicides in
Brazil's jungle areas. 2, 4, 5-T and 2, 4-D, both with Picloram (Dow's
Tordon 155 and 101, respectively) were used to clear forest and maintain
pasture. Defoliants were sprayed from planes and applied by hand to
kill particularly hardy trees or scrub brush...
-------------------
Air
contamination by legacy and current-use pesticides in
Brazilianmountains: An overview of national regulations by
monitoringpollutant presence in pristine areas
2018
http://www.icmbio.gov.br/parnaitatiaia/images/stories/o-que-fazemos/Guida_et_al.2c_2018_-ENPO.pdf
-------------------
Pesticide exposure among students and their families in Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro
2018
https://www.scielosp.org/article/csc/2018.v23n11/3903-3911/
-------------------
Pesticides in Groundwater
https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/pesticides-groundwater?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects
-------------------
{Many Trees in the Amazon rainforest get their water from groundwater reserves as
well as rain}.
-------------------
Influence
The USE of Pesticides in The Quality of Surface and Groundwater
Located IN Irrigated Areas of Jaguaribe, Ceara, Brazil
https://ijer.ut.ac.ir/m/article_895_afc8d2ff3fbe6dc2a0b6ace587faaf45.pdf
-------------------
Spatial distribution of pesticide use in Brazil: a strategy for Health Surveillance
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1413-81232017021003281&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en
-------------------
Water contamination in Bahia: Is it safe to drink the tap water ?
August 15, 2019
https://www.etivdobrasil.org/blog/2019/6/6/water-contamination-in-bahia-is-it-safe-to-drink-the-tap-water--1
-------------------
Family Guy Bad Roaches
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKb3ueekJW0
--------------------------
Raid Etiqueta Azul Academia de Baile
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni5o7t3AFlg
-------------------------
RAID SE BUSCA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na-UZx5ynPg
--------------------------
Raid Etiqueta Azul Academia de Baile
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni5o7t3AFlg
--------------------------
RAID
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFP4vwF4Ftk
-------------------
18th International Akademie Fresenius AGRO Conference "Behaviour of Pesticides in Air, Soil and Water"
https://www.akademie-fresenius.com/events/detail/produkt/18th-international-fresenius-agro-conference-behaviour-of-pesticides-in-air-soil-and-water/
-------------------
Water Resource Pollution by Herbicide Residues
February 12th 2019
https://www.intechopen.com/online-first/water-resource-pollution-by-herbicide-residues
-------------------
Brazil court bans commercialisation and release of new pesticides based on glyphosate, abamectin and tiram in the whole country
23 Aug 2018
https://www.grain.org/en/article/6021-brazil-court-bans-commercialisation-and-release-of-new-pesticides-based-on-glyphosate-abamectin-and-tiram-in-the-whole-country
-------------------
Brazilian coffee is sprayed with deadly pesticides
https://old.danwatch.dk/en/undersogelseskapitel/brazilian-coffee-is-sprayed/
In
Brazil, coffee may be sprayed with pesticides that are illegal in the
EU because they are acutely toxic and cause disease. Many workers apply
pesticides without sufficient protective equipment, and pesticide
poisoning is widespread. Even the drinking water contains traces of
these dangerous pesticides.
------------------
More people, more food, worse water? A global review of water pollution from agriculture
https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/CA0146EN.pdf
-------------------
Pesticides in Brazilian freshwaters: a critical review
2016
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/em/c6em00268d#!divAbstract
Abstract
The
widespread use of pesticides in agriculture can lead to water
contamination and cause adverse effects on non-target organisms. Brazil
has been the world's top pesticide market consumer since 2008, with 381
approved pesticides for crop use. This study provides a comprehensive
literature review on the occurrence of pesticide residues in Brazilian
freshwaters. We searched for information in official agency records and
peer-reviewed scientific literature. Risk quotients were calculated to
assess the potential risk posed to aquatic life by the individual
pesticides based on their levels of water contamination. Studies about
the occurrence of pesticides in freshwaters in Brazil are scarce and
concentrated in few sampling sites in 5 of the 27 states. Herbicides
(21) accounted for the majority of the substances investigated, followed
by fungicides (11), insecticides (10) and plant growth regulators (1).
Insecticides are the class of major concern. Brazil would benefit from
the implementation of a nationwide pesticide freshwater monitoring
program to support preventive, remediation and enforcement actions.
-------------------
Effects of Agrochemicals on Freshwater Macroinvertebrates: Challenges and Perspectives from Southeastern Brazil
29 November 2018
https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lob.10284
-------------------
DETERMINATION OF PESTICIDES IN RIVER SURFACE WATERS OF CENTRAL CHILE USING SPE-GC-MS MULTI-RESIDUE METHOD
2018
https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0717-97072018000204023
-------------------
The Effect of Pesticides on Water Quality
April 29, 2015
https://blogs.umass.edu/natsci397a-eross/the-effect-of-pesticides-on-water-quality/
-------------------
Fundamentals of Brazilian Honey Analysis: An Overview
2019
https://www.intechopen.com/books/honey-analysis/fundamentals-of-brazilian-honey-analysis-an-overview
On
the other hand, after this Chinese honey embargo, Brazil has increased
exportation. As previously mentioned, honey in Brazil is produced by
Africanized bees, which are very strong bees, requiring no treatments
with antibiotics or medicines. Therefore, Brazil presents the best bees
for honey production. In addition, Brazil has a great extension of
territory, as well as rich flora and all resources to develop the bees
and honey production, without using antibiotics and pesticides, offering
consequently a honey without contaminant residues.
Moreover,
Brazilian honey production is mostly made in native areas, which also
do not requires pesticides. Nevertheless, in 2006 Brazilian honey was
banned from EU markets due to a lack of governmental Plan for Residues
in honey, situation that was normalized in March 2008.
-------------------
Uruguay swaps pesticides for wasps
2019
https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/11182-Uruguay-swaps-pesticides-for-wasps
-------------------
Pesticide Residues in Urban Water Bodies- Organic Farming as a Community Based Mitigation Strategy in Hyderabad Peri-Urban Area
https://dlc.dlib.indiana.edu/dlc/bitstream/handle/10535/7078/1030.pdf?sequence=1
-------------------
Pesticide Levels in Ground and Surface Waters of Primavera do Leste Region, Mato Grosso, Brazil
2008
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/0885/5ed2afd75efca239c474797ff51bfbfdf993.pdf
-------------------
Water contamination with pesticides in oil palm plantations
https://wrm.org.uy/articles-from-the-wrm-bulletin/section2/water-contamination-with-pesticides-in-oil-palm-plantations/
-------------------
A Town Demands Protection from Pesticides
February 23, 2016
A powerful photograph changes a girl’s life and improves conditions in a rural farm town in Argentina. But problems persist.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/02/160223-photograph-aixa-argentina-avia-terai-pesticides-glyphosate/
------------------
Did A Pesticide Cause Microcephaly In Brazil? Unlikely, Say Experts
2016
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/02/18/467138913/did-a-pesticide-cause-microcephaly-in-brazil-unlikely-say-experts
-----------------
Pesticides in the balance
Sep. 2018
https://revistapesquisa.fapesp.br/en/2019/02/25/pesticides-in-the-balance/
Debate
stirs over proposed regulations on pesticides—the mainstay of
large-scale farming but a hazard to the environment and the health of
rural communities
Brazil, one of the world’s
agricultural commodity powerhouses, is also a voracious consumer of
pesticides—chemical or biological substances used to protect crops
against the introduction and spread of pests such as insects, fungi,
bacteria, viruses, mites, nematodes (parasites that attack the roots of
plants), and weeds. The pesticide market in Brazil is worth US$10
billion per year, or 20% of a global market estimated to be worth US$50
billion. In 2017 Brazilian farmers used 540,000 metric tons of active
ingredients, about 50% more than in 2010, according to data from the
Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources
(IBAMA), an agency linked to the Ministry of the Environment. An active
ingredient is the active compound in a pesticide product.
The
pesticide debate has intensified in recent months since a House
committee approved Draft Bill 6299/02 last June. Introduced in 2002 by
the current Minister of Agriculture, Blairo Maggi, the bill proposes new
rules on the approval and use of new pesticides. To come into force,
the bill will need to pass the Brazilian House and Senate and be signed
into law by the president.
The large-scale use of
pesticides—also referred to in Brazil as “agrotoxins” (agrotóxicos),
agrochemicals, or phytosanitary products—stems from several factors. As a
tropical country, Brazil lacks the pronounced winter season that
temperate climates have to disrupt pest life cycles. Pesticide use has
grown in tandem with agricultural production—the grain harvest leaped
from 149 million tons in 2010 to 238 million in 2017—and the expansion
of monoculture, a farming system that upsets ecosystem balance and
affects biodiversity, creating conditions for the spread of pests and
disease.
-----------------
The developing world is awash in pesticides. Does it have to be?
2016
Herbicides,
insecticides and fungicides threaten the environment and human health
in many parts of the world. But research is pointing to a better
approach.
https://ensia.com/features/developing-world-pesticides/
------------------
Fungus threatens Brazilian farms
2018
https://www.farmprogress.com/soybean/fungus-threatens-brazilian-farms
-----------------
Results of an international Research project
Tracking Pesticides in the Tropics
https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/publications/magazines/bulletin/bull40-3/40305692430.pdf
--------------------
In Brazil’s Most Polluted City, A Tough Choice Between Health And Money
01/23/2018
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/brazil-air-pollution-santa-gertrudes_n_5a620fbae4b01d91b2551664
“When it comes to the air, there’s nothing you can do. You cannot stop breathing.”
SANTA
GERTRUDES, Brazil – The sunset over Santa Gertrudes, a small town 175
miles west of the Brazilian metropolis of São Paulo, is renowned for its
beauty at dusk, when shimmering red, orange and pink hues streak across
the horizon.
But the dazzling display has a filthy
source: Santa Gertrudes has the worst air pollution of any Brazilian
jurisdiction listed in the World Health Organization’s 2016 ambient air
pollution database, with some particle pollution comparable to that of
Shanghai.
Residents are forced to sweep their homes
several times a day to clear the accumulated dust. At night, it often
looks like there are no stars in the sky. And many people in the town
say they’re sick from breathing the air.
“There’s no
way to avoid the dust,” said Nelson Rodrigues, a 53-year-old machine
technician, as he stood in line at the local hospital, where he was
hoping to be treated for what he thinks are pollution-related ailments.
In
the seven years he has lived in the city, Rodrigues’ health has
deteriorated considerably, he said. “My head feels heavy. I feel
shortness of breath and a scratchy throat.”
This small
town of about 25,000 people owes its livelihood to the rich clay
deposits in the area and the 29 factories that make Santa Gertrudes the
largest producer of ceramic tile in the Americas. Directly or
indirectly, clay has sustained the town’s economy for generations, but
it is also the source of its pollution.
Many see the
air pollution that is a byproduct of the clay extraction, transport and
ceramics production as an acceptable hazard, the price to be paid for a
stable source of income for so many in the area.
Air
pollution caused 6.1 million deaths in 2016, according to the University
of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Brazil’s
Ministry of Health says 49,000 Brazilians die from air quality-related
illnesses every year, breathing in tiny particles that can lead to
chronic lung disease and acute respiratory infections, lung cancer,
heart disease and strokes.
--------------------------
Air Quality in Urban Areas in Brazilian Midwest
July 26th 2012
https://www.intechopen.com/books/air-quality-new-perspective/air-quality-in-urban-areas-in-brazilian-midwest
--------------------------
South America Population (LIVE)
https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/south-america-population/
December 2019 - 428,850,275 million degenerates
Countries in South America
Country Population (2019)
Brazil 211,049,527
Colombia 50,339,443
Argentina 44,780,677
Peru 32,510,453
Venezuela 28,515,829
Chile 18,952,038
Ecuador 17,373,662
Bolivia 11,513,100
Paraguay 7,044,636
Uruguay 3,461,734
Guyana 782,766
Suriname 581,372
French Guiana 290,832
Falkland Islands 3,377
---------------------
List of South American countries by population
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_South_American_countries_by_population
Brazil (49.4%)
Colombia (11.8%)
Argentina (10.5%)
Peru (7.6%)
Venezuela (6.6%)
Chile (4.4%)
Ecuador (4.1%)
Bolivia (2.7%)
Other (2.9%)
---------------------
Stealing Rain from the Rainforest
2005
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/AmazonDrought/stealing_rain.php
--------------------
Deforestation causing São Paulo drought
2015
https://geographical.co.uk/places/cities/item/761-deforestation-behind-sao-paulo-drought
Brazil
possesses 12 per cent of the world’s freshwater, and yet São Paulo –
the biggest and richest city in South America – is suffering from severe
drought with deforestation getting the blame
---------------------
Water Scarcity in Brazil:
A Case Study
Abstract:
Between 2012 and 2015, Brazil experienced one of the worst droughts in
its history. A combination of natural and human-made causes—including
climate change, environmental degradation, poor urban planning, a lack
of maintenance of existing infrastructure, corruption, and the
mismanagement of water resources—contributed to a growing water crisis.
This article will focus on the effects of both the drought and the
subsequent water crisis on the vast metropolitan area of the city of São
Paulo, illustrating how both natural and human factors combined to
create a crisis in Brazil’s largest city.
https://www.usmcu.edu/Outreach/Publishing/Marine-Corps-University-Press/Expeditions-with-MCUP-digital-journal/Water-Scarcity-in-Brazil/
---------------------
A Snapshot of the World’s Water Quality: Towards a global assessment
https://uneplive.unep.org/media/docs/assessments/unep_wwqa_report_web.pdf
------------------------
Brazil, so much water and yet so little
2017
https://www.wearewater.org/en/brazil-so-much-water-and-yet-so-little_286801
--------------------
Water Pollution
https://waterinbrazil.weebly.com/water-pollution.html
Brazil
has abundant resources accounting for approximately 12% of the world's
available fresh water. Average water availability across the country is
high, however the north eastern region has a semi arid climate which
includes a large part of the population. Brazil is overall a country
rich with many resources; however these resources such as water are
misused and wasted.
The three main causes of water pollution in Brazil are the leaking landfills, industrial waste and sewage.
At
the beginning of the 20th century, Brazilian cities had adopted a
separate system for the sanitary sewers and the storm water runoff.
These two systems were gradually interconnected and today low cost
solutions are searched to fix this mix up. This is a major threat to the
water quality as the water now collects what is coming from the sewage
and is brought into the water polluting the water, making it undrinkable
and endangering wildlife. It was said that thirty years ago, wild life
was blossoming in Rio but today no fish can be found and there is more
chance finding a corpse in a river than a living creature. It was said
that nearly 70% of Rio's sewage is untreated and dumped into popular
beach areas like Copacabana and Guanabara Bay.
One
other cause of pollution is ethanol coming from the plantations of sugar
cane crop. This production needs a significant amount of water in the
agricultural and industrial processing phases and they mostly rely on
natural irrigation for water. Even though water availability is not a
problem in Brazil, the high demand in the production of sugar made the
plantation expand in regions where natural irrigation is simply not
enough and must be complemented by artificial water spray. The water
pollution is caused by the chemicals used in the production of crops who
have been industrialized, the fertilizers, agrochemicals... These
chemicals lead to water contamination and the water cannot be used for
other purposes.
The disposal of waste takes place in
inappropriate landfills. In Europe, landfills are viewed as the last
option for waste disposal as they prefer waste-to-energy systems,
however, in Brazil, landfills are favored and viewed as efficient ways
to dispose of waste. The new solutions have not yet been adopted in
Brazil as an incinerator for example is expensive not only to buy but
also to operate and maintain in a good condition. Change can only happen
with the appropriate financing of the project. Landfills cannot last
forever and they eventually fail. They leak into the ground and surface
water, ultimately polluting it.
With the Soccer World
Cup and the Olympics coming up, cleaning the waters has been become much
more of a priority than it already has. However the progress is very
slow as low-budget solutions are limited. The government is doing all
they can to clean up these waters for tourist and health reasons.
--------------------------------
------------------------------
-----------------------------
--------------------------
-------------------------
Section 8: Fungus
-------------------------
--------------------------
----------------------------
-----------------------------
---------------------------------
FDA tests threaten Brazil orange juice imports
2012
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fda-orangejuice/fda-tests-threaten-brazil-orange-juice-imports-idUSTRE80A1K720120111
WASHINGTON
(Reuters) - Fears that the U.S. might ban imports of orange juice from
Brazil drove orange juice futures to an all-time high on Tuesday as
health regulators began testing all incoming shipments for traces of an
illegal fungicide called carbendazim.
According to the
Food and Drug Administration, a U.S. juice producer had detected low
levels of carbendazim in orange juice concentrate imported from Brazil,
the top grower accounting for more than 10 percent of the U.S. supply.
The
pesticide is banned in U.S. citrus but it is used on orange trees in
Brazil to fight mold. The FDA said low levels of carbendazim were not
dangerous and the agency had no plans for a recall, but it would stop
any shipments of orange juice at the border that tested positive for the
fungicide.
Orange juice futures jumped almost 11
percent to an all-time high on the news, which was announced by the FDA
in a letter to the Juice Products Association on Monday. The orange
juice market is particularly prone to volatility because of its tiny
size compared to oil and other major commodities.
It
was not immediately clear whether there would be a related increase in
orange juice prices for consumers, as that would depend on how long
futures stay high and whether this results in a shortage of orange juice
shipments into the United States.
Brands such as
Tropicana, from PepsiCo Inc, and Minute Maid, from Coca-Cola Co, may use
a mix of juices sourced from Brazil and the United States.
-------------------------
How Brazil stole the production of orange juice from Florida
Aug 23 2018
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/23/brazil-florida-orange-juice-tariff-trade-war.html
-------------------------
The Secret Ingredient In Your Orange Juice
https://www.foodrenegade.com/secret-ingredient-your-orange-juice/
-------------------
What Orange Juice Brands Contains 100% Florida (or U.S.) Juice?
https://www.eatlikenoone.com/what-orange-juice-brands-contains-100-florida-or-u-s-juice.htm
-------------------------
FDA Says Brazil's Orange Juice Is Safe, But Still Illegal
February 22, 2012
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/02/22/147254438/fda-says-brazils-orange-juice-is-safe-but-still-illegal
-------------------------
Pesticide maximum residue level legislation around the world
Find
links to maximum residue level (MRL) legislation in many markets,
including New Zealand, and to MRLs established by the Codex Alimentarius
Commission (CAC).
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/growing-and-harvesting/plant-products/pesticide-maximum-residue-levels-mrls-for-plant-based-foods/pesticide-maximum-residue-level-legislation-around-the-world/
-------------------------
A system to map the risk of infection by Puccinia kuehnii in Brazil
2018
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1807-86212019000101001
ABSTRACT.
Orange
rust caused by the fungus Puccinia kuehnii greatly affects sugarcane
and causes millions of tons of losses in production. This condition was
first reported in Brazil at the end of 2009. The disease is currently
present in most of the countries that produce this crop. The aim of this
research was to develop risk maps of P. kuehnii infection using
temperature and relative humidity data, provided by 389 automatic
weather stations throughout the country. A spatial distribution analysis
was carried out to assess the number of daily hours of favorable
conditions for spore germination in each region. In the central-south
region, where the main sugarcane producing states are concentrated, two
distinct periods were observed during the three years studied. Higher
favorability occurred from October to April, and lower favorability
occurred from May to September. The opposite relation was observed on
the coast of the north-eastern region, where conditions were more
favorable to the disease from May to September. The validation data were
confirmed by the results of Pearson’s correlation between sugarcane
orange rust infection under field conditions and the proposed maps. In
conclusion, risk maps obtained using data from automatic weather
stations could contribute to the monitoring of the risk of infection by
sugarcane orange rust.
-------------------------------
Citrus greening is killing the world’s orange trees. Scientists are racing to help
2019
To
save a billion-dollar industry from the infectious disease, also known
as huanglongbing, researchers are turning to gene editing, RNA
interference, and other advanced techniques
https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/biochemistry/Citrus-greening-killing-worlds-orange/97/i23
--------------------------------
Citrus Black Spot Symptoms in Brazil
https://crec.ifas.ufl.edu/media/crecifasufledu/extension/extension-publications/2007/February-2007-citrus-black-spot.pdf
--------------------------------
Paracoccidioidomycosis: Current Perspectives from Brazil
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5695158/
--------------------------------
Citrus Farmers Facing Deadly Bacteria Turn to Antibiotics, Alarming Health Officials
2019
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/health/antibiotics-oranges-florida.html
------------------------
Killer Fungus That Just Won't Die Threatens Brazilian Farms
2017
https://www.greenbook.net/article/2017/12/21/killer-fungus-just-wont-die-threatens-brazilian-farms
------------------------
Fungal Diseases of Fruit and Foliage of Citrus Trees
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/1-4020-2606-4_3
------------------------
Brazil & US identify molecule to help fight Citrus Greening Disease
https://www.freshplaza.com/article/2186153/brazil-us-identify-molecule-to-help-fight-citrus-greening-disease/
------------------------
FDA tests threaten Brazil orange juice imports
January 11, 2012
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fda-orangejuice/fda-tests-threaten-brazil-orange-juice-imports-idUSTRE80A1K720120111
-------------------------
“You Don’t Want to Breathe Poison Anymore”
2018
https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/07/20/you-dont-want-breathe-poison-anymore/failing-response-pesticide-drift-brazils
The Failing Response to Pesticide Drift in Brazil’s Rural Communities
In
May 2013 an airplane sprayed pesticides over a rural school, São José
do Pontal, located among the vast corn and soy plantations extending
around Rio Verde, a city in Goiás state in Brazil. Around 90
people—mostly children studying at the school—were immediately
hospitalized. The incident shocked the nation, and, in the immediate
aftermath, Brazil was concerned about the issue of pesticide poisonings
in rural areas.
Although this attention has long since
dissipated, little has changed: rural people throughout the country
continue to be poisoned by pesticides. Ordinary people going about their
daily routines face toxic exposures from pesticide applications that
frequently occur in immediate proximity to their homes, schools, and
workplaces. They are exposed when pesticide spray drifts off target
crops during application, or when pesticides vaporize and drift to
adjacent areas in the days after spraying.
-----------------------
Orange drinks with 300 times more pesticide than tap water
2009
Fizzy drinks sold by Coca-Cola in Britain have been found to contain pesticides at up to 300 times the level allowed in tap or bottled water.
A worldwide study found pesticide levels in orange and lemon drinks sold under the Fanta brand, which is popular with children, were at their highest in the UK.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1105179/Orange-drinks-300-times-pesticide-tap-water.html
------------------------
Mycotoxins and their consequences in aquaculture: A review
2015
https://www.olmix.com/sites/default/files/documents/myconews/14-%20Mycotoxins%20and%20their%20consequences%20in%20aquaculture.%20A%20review.pdf
------------------------
Reaction of sugarcane varieties to orange rust (Puccinia kuehnii) and methods for rapid identification of resistant genotypes
2016
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40858-016-0076-6
-----------------------
Fungal Foliar Disease Concerns for 2019
2019
http://citrusindustry.net/2019/02/15/fungal-foliar-disease-concerns-for-2019/
-----------------------
Coffee rust disease posed to destroy Latin American market (and your daily coffee fix)
2018
https://www.panoramas.pitt.edu/health-and-society/coffee-rust-disease-posed-destroy-latin-american-market-and-your-daily-coffee-fix
------------------------
Current status and management of coffee leaf rust in Brazil
2016
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291949559_Current_status_and_management_of_coffee_leaf_rust_in_Brazil
------------------------
Coffee Rust Threatens Latin American Crop; 150 Years Ago, It Wiped Out An Empire
2018
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/10/16/649155664/coffee-rust-threatens-latin-american-crop-150-years-ago-it-wiped-out-an-empire
-------------------------
Your cup of coffee is under threat from fungus and the climate
2018
http://www.digitaljournal.com/tech-and-science/science/your-cup-of-coffee-is-under-threat-from-fungus-and-the-climate/article/534859
-------------------------
Fungicides to Replace Benlate for some Diseases of Ornamentals
https://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/Foliage/Resrpts/rh_93_1.htm
-------------------------
Citizens of Brazil’s Valley of Death Breathing Easier After Two Years of Cleanup
Aug. 30, 1987
Associated Press
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-08-30-mn-4824-story.html
CUBATAO, Brazil —
People are breathing cleaner air in this industrial city, long considered one of the world’s most polluted and known in Brazil as the Valley of Death.
The United Nations-affiliated World Health Organization and local ecological groups say that a $500-million government cleanup program has produced substantial improvements in pollution levels in Cubatao, 37 miles southeast of the financial-industrial center of Sao Paulo and next door to the coffee port of Santos.
When the state’s Environmental Control Agency began the anti-pollution campaign two years ago, the smoke stacks at Cubatao’s 23 industries spewed out almost 500 tons of pollutants a day. Today the level has dropped to about 165 tons, Benedito da Conceicao, the agency’s local manager, said in an interview.
In the meantime, many of Cubatao’s 100,000 inhabitants were afflicted by pulmonary edemas, bronchial infections, skin cancer, leukemia and other diseases caused by the toxic emissions from the city’s oil refinery and steel mill and from fertilizer, petrochemical and cement plants.
------------------------
Beyond the Quality of the Water in Your Cup: Coffee and Water Resources at Origin
July 8, 2013
https://scanews.coffee/2013/07/08/beyond-the-quality-of-the-water-in-your-cup-coffee-and-water-resources-at-origin/
----------------------
High extinction risk for wild coffee species and implications for coffee sector sustainability
Jan 2019
https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/1/eaav3473
-------------------------
Wheat rust: The fungal disease that threatens to destroy the world crop
2014
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/wheat-rust-the-fungal-disease-that-threatens-to-destroy-the-world-crop-9271485.html
-------------------------
Mushroom lights up the night in Brazil: Researcher finds bioluminescent fungus not seen since 1840
2011
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110706154213.htm
-------------------------
Cats spreading fungal disease to people in Brazil
2019
https://www.avma.org/javma-news/2019-03-15/cats-spreading-fungal-disease-people-brazil
------------------------
Noncandidal Fungal Infections of the Mouth
2018
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1077685-overview
-------------------------
Brazil's Pollution Regulatory Structure and Background
1996
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/NIPRINT/Resources/BrazilsPollutionRegulatoryStructureandBackground.pdf
----------------------------
Water Resource Pollution by Herbicide Residues
https://www.intechopen.com/online-first/water-resource-pollution-by-herbicide-residues
----------------------------
Brazilian lawmakers seek to deregulate pesticide use and ban sale of organic produce in major supermarkets
2018
https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-brazil-farming-pesticides-20180812-htmlstory.html
------------------------------------
------------------------
-----------------------
----------------------
---------------------
Section 9: Bacteria & Viruses
---------------------
----------------------
-----------------------
------------------------
-----------------------------
Occurrence of Harmful Cyanobacteria in Drinking Water from a Severely Drought-Impacted Semi-arid Region
2018
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5835534/
----------------------
Drought in the Semiarid Region of Brazil: Exposure, Vulnerabilities and Health Impacts from the Perspectives of Local Actors
10-29-2018
http://currents.plos.org/disasters/index.html%3Fp=40402.html
---------------------
Quantification of pathogenic Leptospira in the soils of a Brazilian urban slum
2018 Apr
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5906024/
---------------------
Isolation of new Brazilian giant viruses from environmental samples using a panel of protozoa
2015
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4594340/
Abstract
The
Megavirales are a newly described order capable of infecting different
types of eukaryotic hosts. For the most part, the natural host is
unknown. Several methods have been used to detect these viruses, with
large discrepancies between molecular methods and co-cultures. To
isolate giant viruses, we propose the use of different species of amoeba
as a cellular support. The aim of this work was to isolate new
Brazilian giant viruses by comparing the protozoa Acanthamoeba
castellanii, A. polyphaga, A. griffini, and Vermamoeba vermiformis (VV)
as a platform for cellular isolation using environmental samples. One
hundred samples were collected from 3 different areas in September 2014
in the Pampulha lagoon of Belo Horizonte city, Minas Gerais, Brazil. PCR
was used to identify the isolated viruses, along with hemacolor
staining, labelling fluorescence and electron microscopy. A total of 69
viruses were isolated. The highest ratio of isolation was found in A.
polyphaga (46.38%) and the lowest in VV (0%). Mimiviruses were the most
frequently isolated. One Marseillevirus and one Pandoravirus were also
isolated. With Brazilian environmental samples, we demonstrated the high
rate of lineage A mimiviruses. This work demonstrates how these viruses
survive and circulate in nature as well the differences between
protozoa as a platform for cellular isolation.
---------------------
Diversities and potential biogeochemical impacts of mangrove soil viruses
2019
https://microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40168-019-0675-9
---------------------
Geochemical Signature of Amazon Tropical Rainforest Soils
2018
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-06832018000100403
---------------------
Land Use and Seasonal Effects on the Soil Microbiome of a Brazilian Dry Forest
05 April 2019
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00648/full
---------------------
Land use policies and deforestation in Brazilian tropical dry forests between 2000 and 2015
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aaadea
---------------------
Archaea in Natural and Impacted Brazilian Environments
2016
Abstract
In
recent years, archaeal diversity surveys have received increasing
attention. Brazil is a country known for its natural diversity and
variety of biomes, which makes it an interesting sampling site for such
studies. However, archaeal communities in natural and impacted Brazilian
environments have only recently been investigated. In this review,
based on a search on the PubMed database on the last week of April 2016,
we present and discuss the results obtained in the 51 studies
retrieved, focusing on archaeal communities in water, sediments, and
soils of different Brazilian environments. We concluded that, in spite
of its vast territory and biomes, the number of publications focusing on
archaeal detection and/or characterization in Brazil is still
incipient, indicating that these environments still represent a great
potential to be explored.
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/archaea/2016/1259608/
--------------------
Hidden diversity of soil giant viruses
11-19-2018
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07335-2
---------------------
Emerging Infectious Diseases (Brazil)
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/ArticleMap/BRA
Title
Geographic Expansion of Sporotrichosis, Brazil
Non-Leishmania Parasite in Fatal Visceral Leishmaniasis–like Disease, Brazil
Influence of Rainfall on Leptospira Infection and Disease in a Tropical Urban Setting, Brazil
Two Cases of Newly Characterized Neisseria Species
Human Parasitism by Amblyomma parkeri Ticks Infected with Candidatus Rickettsia paranaensis, Brazil
Fatal Brazilian Spotted Fever Associated with Dogs and Amblyomma aureolatum Ticks, Brazil, 2013
Nodular Human Lagochilascariasis Lesion in Hunter, Brazil
Non-Leishmania Parasite in Fatal Visceral Leishmaniasis–Like Disease, Brazil
Cross-Protection of Dengue Virus Infection against Congenital Zika Syndrome, Northeastern Brazil
17DD Yellow Fever Revaccination and Heightened Long-Term Immunity in Populations of Disease-Endemic Areas, Brazil
Showing 1 to 10 of 305 entries
---------------------
Brazilian Forests Fall Silent as Yellow Fever Decimates Threatened Monkeys
2018
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/brazilian-forests-fall-silent-as-yellow-fever-decimates-threatened-monkeys/
---------------------
Tools for Communicating Agricultural Drought over the Brazilian Semiarid Using the Soil Moisture Index
2 August 2018
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/10/10/1421
---------------------
Taxonomic and functional profiles of soil samples from Atlantic forest and Caatinga biomes in northeastern Brazil
04 April 2014
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/mbo3.169
Abstract
Although
microorganisms play crucial roles in ecosystems, metagenomic analyses
of soil samples are quite scarce, especially in the Southern Hemisphere.
In this work, the microbial diversity of soil samples from an Atlantic
Forest and Caatinga was analyzed using a metagenomic approach.
Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were the dominant phyla in both
samples. Among which, a significant proportion of stress‐resistant
bacteria associated to organic matter degradation was found. Sequences
related to metabolism of amino acids, nitrogen, and DNA and stress
resistance were more frequent in Caatinga soil, while the forest sample
showed the highest occurrence of hits annotated in phosphorous
metabolism, defense mechanisms, and aromatic compound degradation
subsystems. The principal component analysis (PCA) showed that our
samples are close to the desert metagenomes in relation to taxonomy, but
are more similar to rhizosphere microbiota in relation to the
functional profiles. The data indicate that soil characteristics affect
the taxonomic and functional distribution; these characteristics include
low nutrient content, high drainage (both are sandy soils), vegetation,
and exposure to stress. In both samples, a rapid turnover of organic
matter with low greenhouse gas emission was suggested by the functional
profiles obtained, reinforcing the importance of preserving natural
areas.
---------------------
Samba virus: a novel mimivirus from a giant rain forest, the Brazilian Amazon
14 May 2014
https://virologyj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1743-422X-11-95
--------------------
Brazilian Forests Fall Silent as Yellow Fever Decimates Threatened Monkeys
Researchers
are scrambling to understand the virulent outbreak, and backing
policies to save several already beleaguered species
---------------------
The Amazon hasn't stopped burning. There were 19,925 fire outbreaks last month, and 'more fires' are in the future
Oct 2019
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/10/18/amazon-rainforest-still-burning-more-fires-future/4011238002/
-------------------------
Viruses and bacteria in floodplain lakes along a major Amazon tributary respond to distance to the Amazon River
2015
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4349158/
Abstract
In
response to the massive volume of water along the Amazon River, the
Amazon tributaries have their water backed up by 100s of kilometers
upstream their mouth. This backwater effect is part of the complex
hydrodynamics of Amazonian surface waters, which in turn drives the
variation in concentrations of organic matter and nutrients, and also
regulates planktonic communities such as viruses and bacteria. Viruses
and bacteria are commonly tightly coupled to each other, and their
ecological role in aquatic food webs has been increasingly recognized.
Here, we surveyed viral and bacterial abundances (BAs) in 26 floodplain
lakes along the Trombetas River, the largest clear-water tributary of
the Amazon River’s north margin. We correlated viral and BAs with
temperature, pH, dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved organic carbon
(DOC), phosphorus, nitrogen, turbidity, water transparency, partial
pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), phytoplankton abundance, and distance
from the lake mouth until the confluence of the Trombetas with the
Amazon River. We hypothesized that both bacterial and viral abundances
(VAs) would change along a latitudinal gradient, as the backwater effect
becomes more intense with increased proximity to the Amazon River;
different flood duration and intensity among lakes and waters with
contrasting sources would cause spatial variation. Our measurements were
performed during the low water period, when floodplain lakes are in
their most lake-like conditions. Viral and BAs, DOC, pCO2, and water
transparency increased as distance to the Amazon River increased. Most
viruses were bacteriophages, as viruses were strongly linked to
bacteria, but not to phytoplankton. We suggest that BAs increase in
response to DOC quantity and possibly quality, consequently leading to
increased VAs. Our results highlight that hydrodynamics plays a key role
in the regulation of planktonic viral and bacterial communities in
Amazonian floodplain lakes.
----------------------
Invasion Profiles of Brazilian Field Isolates of Plasmodium falciparum: Phenotypic and Genotypic Analyses
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC517604/
------------------------
IN ACRID BRAZILIAN FACTORY ZONE, A FEAR OF DISASTER
1985
https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/18/world/in-acrid-brazilian-factory-zone-a-fear-of-disaster.html
-------------------------
Broad tapeworms (Diphyllobothriidae), parasites of wildlife and humans: Recent progress and future challenges
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224418301706
------------------------
Girl's feet infested with parasitic sand fleas after running through pigsty barefoot
A 10-year-old girl who had developed itchy, painful brown-colored papules on the bottom of her feet was actually suffering from a parasitic sand flea infestation. The girl, who had traveled to Brazil with her family two-weeks prior to visiting a health clinic, reported running through a pigsty with no shoes on.
https://www.foxnews.com/health/girls-feet-infested-with-parasitic-sand-fleas-after-running-through-pigsty-barefoot
------------------------
The Brazilian Banes: A World Cup Disease Guide
May 20, 2014
A global network of clinicians assess the most common diseases among travelers to Brazil, and the winner is surprising
The
leading skin worm was cutaneous larva migrans (CLM), a hookworm
typically caught while hanging around beaches. The worm larvae live in
sand and can penetrate the intact skin of a bare foot or an exposed bum.
The major source of CLM is dog and cat poop littered on the seashore.
One survey of a São Paulo district discovered the parasite in 90 percent
of canines and felines whereas a separate inspection of Recife’s Alto
Beach, a popular tourist destination, found the worm’s larvae in one of
every three sand samples. Rather than discourage beach-goers, however,
Wilson and her colleagues hope that the findings encourage people to
wear proper footwear and avoid sitting on bare sand.
The
report is useful for doctors back home, too, says Susan McLellan, a
clinical professor of public health at Tulane University who was not
involved with the study. “Family-practice doctors miss CLM all the time
or mistake it for another kind of worm,” McLellan says. “The article
provides a nice review of the infections that might arise during these
mass gatherings.” The survey comprised health data from the GeoSentinel
network, a collective of health clinics spanning 40 countries and six
continents whose purpose is to measure maladies as they cross
international borders.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-brazilian-banes-a-world-cup-disease-guide1/
-------------------
Brazil General Health Risks: Soil-Transmitted Helminths
https://www.iamat.org/country/brazil/risk/intestinal-parasites-soil-transmitted-helminths
Description
Parasitic
worms are organisms that can live and replicate in the gastrointestinal
system. These soil-transmitted helminths (hookworms, roundworms,
whipworms) are transmitted through the fecal-oral route as a result of
poor sanitary practices. The most common infections that can affect
travellers are Ascariasis, Hookworm, and Trichuriasis which are
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)*.
* Neglected
Tropical Diseases are chronic infections that are typically endemic in
low income countries. They prevent affected adults and children from
going to school, working, or fully participating in community life,
contributing to stigma and the cycle of poverty.
Risk
Travellers can get ill when worm eggs are ingested by:
Eating raw, unwashed, or improperly handled fruits and vegetables.
Drinking contaminated water or beverages.
Touching the mouth with dirty hands or through improper hand washing.
Practising poor body hygiene.
-------------------
Checklist of helminth parasites of threatened vertebrate species from Brazil
https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.2123.1.1
Abstract
Using
available records, unpublished information retrieved from the
Helminthological Collection of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (CHIOC) and
published reports, a checklist of the recorded helminth parasites of
endangered vertebrates from Brazil was generated. A total of 772 records
and 186 helminth species (6 Acanthocephala, 83 Nematoda, 23 Cestoda, 64
Trematoda, 10 Monogenea) in 76 host species (7 Actinopterygii, 8
Chondrichthyes, 1 Amphibia, 10 Reptilia, 22 Aves, 28 Mammalia) from
Brazil were listed in the present work, including 39 undetermined
helminth species and 10 new host records. This is the first compilation
of the helminth parasites of threatened vertebrates in Brazil and in the
Neotropics.
-------------------
Dogs, cats, parasites, and humans in Brazil: opening the black box
2014
https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1756-3305-7-22
Abstract
Dogs
and cats in Brazil serve as primary hosts for a considerable number of
parasites, which may affect their health and wellbeing. These may
include endoparasites (e.g., protozoa, cestodes, trematodes, and
nematodes) and ectoparasites (i.e., fleas, lice, mites, and ticks).
While some dog and cat parasites are highly host-specific (e.g.,
Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Felicola subrostratus for cats, and
Angiostrongylus vasorum and Trichodectes canis for dogs), others may
easily switch to other hosts, including humans. In fact, several dog and
cat parasites (e.g., Toxoplasma gondii, Dipylidium caninum, Ancylostoma
caninum, Strongyloides stercoralis, and Toxocara canis) are important
not only from a veterinary perspective but also from a medical
standpoint. In addition, some of them (e.g., Lynxacarus radovskyi on
cats and Rangelia vitalii in dogs) are little known to most veterinary
practitioners working in Brazil. This article is a compendium on dog and
cat parasites in Brazil and a call for a One Health approach towards a
better management of some of these parasites, which may potentially
affect humans. Practical aspects related to the diagnosis, treatment,
and control of parasitic diseases of dogs and cats in Brazil are
discussed.
-------------------
Parasites and allergy: Observations from Brazil.
2019
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30188574
-------------------
Six human parasites you definitely don’t want to host
August 23, 2013
https://theconversation.com/six-human-parasites-you-definitely-dont-want-to-host-17332
---------------------
This parasitic worm can be deadly – and it’s coming to Europe
July 2018
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/parasite-flatworm-disease-science-research-a8426556.html
----------------------
In Brazil, a New Effort to Wipe Out Hookworm
2005
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4980102
----------------------
Brazil Major infectious diseases
https://www.indexmundi.com/brazil/major_infectious_diseases.html
----------------------
Protozoan and metazoan parasites of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus cultured in Brazil
Apr. 2012
http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0122-02682012000100002
ABSTRACT
Objective.
This study describes the parasitic fauna and relative condition factor
(Kn) in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus L. (Cichlidae) from fish
farms in the State of Amapá. Material and methods. 123 fish from four
fish farms in the state of Amapá, Brazil were necropsied for
parasitological and Kn analysis. Results. 64.2% of the examined fish,
had the gills infected with Cichlidogyrus tilapiaePaperna, 1960
(Monogenoidea: Dactylogyridae); Ichthyophthirius multifiliis Fouquet,
1876 (Protozoa: Ciliophora), Trichodina Ehrenberg, 1830 and Para
Trichodina africana Kazubski & El-Tantawy, 1986 (Protozoa:
Trichodinidae). The highest prevalence found corresponded to
Monogenoidea C. tilapiae while the lowest corresponded to Trichodinidae.
However, I. multifiliis was the parasite that presented the greatest
intensity and abundance. The differences found in the infection rates of
the different fish farms due to causes further discussed. The
parasitism did not influence the relative condition factor (Kn) of fish.
This was the first record of P. Africana in Brazil and occurred in the
Eastern Amazon. Conclusions. In Brazil, Lamproglena sp. is an emerging
parasite in the Southern and Southeastern regions, but this crustacean
was not found in the Nile tilapia in the State of Amapá. The parasitic
infections in Nile tilapia farmed in Brazil are caused by protozoan,
monogenoidea, crustacea and digenea species, and the regional
differences on their prevalence and intensity rates are discussed in
this study.
----------------------
Patterns of the parasite communities in a fish assemblage of a river in the Brazilian Amazon region
2018
https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/ap.2018.63.issue-2/ap-2018-0035/ap-2018-0035.xml
----------------------
Geospatial
distribution of intestinal parasitic infections in Rio de Janeiro
(Brazil) and its association with social determinants
2017
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5358884/
-----------------------
Intestinal
parasite infections in a rural community of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil):
Prevalence and genetic diversity of Blastocystis subtypes
March 9, 2018
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0193860
Abstract
Background
Intestinal
parasitic infections are considered a serious public health problem and
widely distributed worldwide, mainly in urban and rural environments of
tropical and subtropical countries. Globally, soil-transmitted
helminths and protozoa are the most common intestinal parasites.
Blastocystis sp. is a highly prevalent suspected pathogenic protozoan,
and considered an unusual protist due to its significant genetic
diversity and host plasticity.
Methodology/main findings
A
total of 294 stool samples were collected from inhabitants of three
rural valleys in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The stool samples were
evaluated by parasitological methods, fecal culture, nested PCR and
PCR/Sequencing. Overall prevalence by parasitological analyses was 64.3%
(189 out of 294 cases). Blastocystis sp. (55.8%) was the most
prevalent, followed by Endolimax nana (18.7%), Entamoeba histolytica
complex (7.1%), hookworm infection (7.1%), Entomoeba coli (5.8%),
Giardia intestinalis (4.1%), Iodamoeba butchilii (1.0%), Trichuris
trichiura (1.0%), Pentatrichomonas hominis (0.7%), Enterobius
vermicularis (0.7%), Ascaris lumbricoides (0.7%) and Strongyloides
stercoralis (0.7%). Prevalence of IPIs was significantly different by
gender. Phylogenetic analysis of Blastocystis sp. and BLAST search
revealed five different subtypes: ST3 (34.0%), ST1 (27.0%), ST2 (27.0%),
ST4 (3.5%), ST8 (7.0%) and a non-identified subtype.
----------------------
Giardiasis as a neglected disease in Brazil: Systematic review of 20 years of publications
2017
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5678545/
----------------------
Emerging parasitic disease mimics the symptoms of visceral leishmaniasis in people
October 1, 2019
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191001132656.htm
Source:
NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Summary:
A new study suggests that transmission of a protozoan parasite from
insects may also cause leishmaniasis-like symptoms in people. The
parasite, however, does not respond to treatment with standard
leishmaniasis drugs.
A new study published this week
online in Emerging Infectious Diseases suggests that transmission of a
protozoan parasite from insects may also cause leishmaniasis-like
symptoms in people. The parasite, however, does not respond to treatment
with standard leishmaniasis drugs. The research was conducted by
scientists at the Federal Universities of Sergipe and São Carlos, the
University of São Paulo, and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, all in Brazil,
along with investigators at the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the U.S. National Institutes of
Health.
----------------------
Parasites in stool samples in the environment of Ilha da Marambaia, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: an approach in public health
Apr 2012
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0036-46652012000200002
----------------------
Hidden Epidemic:
Tapeworms Living Inside People's Brains
2012
Parasitic worms leave millions of victims paralyzed, epileptic, or worse. So why isn’t anyone mobilizing to eradicate them?
https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/hidden-epidemic-tapeworms-living-inside-peoples-brains
----------------------
Scientists Shocked By Worms Breeding Inside People's Eyes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc8EacTYyZw
-------------------
Woman Running On Trail Ends Up Getting A Bad Case Of Eye Worms
11/07/2019
The cattle eye worm infection is only the second known case in humans, raising concerns about an upswing.
When it comes to the grossest place to get infected with parasitic worms, the eyes have it.
A
Nebraska woman found that out after running into a swarm of flies on a
trail near Carmel Valley, California, in February 2018.
------------------
Man Dies After Parasitic Worms Invade Lungs
Steroid treatment for inflammatory disorder may have spurred 'hyperinfection,' report says
WEDNESDAY,
March 20 (HealthDay News) -- A Vietnamese immigrant in California died
of a massive infection with parasitic worms that spread throughout his
body, including his lungs. They had remained dormant until his immune
system was suppressed by steroid drugs used to treat an inflammatory
disorder, according to the report.
https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20130320/man-dies-after-parasitic-worms-invade-lungs#1
------------------
A Deadly Brain-Invading Worm Is Disturbingly Widespread in Florida
6/29/17
https://gizmodo.com/a-deadly-brain-invading-worm-is-disturbingly-widespread-1796514141
------------------
Parasite in paradise: Rat lungworm disease confirmed in three Hawaii visitors
May 27, 2019
https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/27/health/rat-lungworm-hawaii-cdc-trnd/index.html
------------------
Travellers warned after barefoot paradise beach walk earns couple parasitic foot infection
Travellers
are being warned of the risks of walking barefoot on a beach “somewhere
tropical” after a Canadian couple contracted a hookworm infection on
holiday in the Dominican Republic.
1-29-2018
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/hookworm-risks-barefoot-beach-holidays/
-------------------
Parasitic worms may prevent Crohn’s disease by altering bacterial balance
Apr. 14, 2016
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/04/parasitic-worms-may-prevent-crohn-s-disease-altering-bacterial-balance
------------------
How common 'cat parasite' gets into human brain and influences human behavior
12-6-2012
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121206203240.htm
------------------
Toxoplasmosis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis
------------------
Cat poop parasite controls minds early -- and permanently, study finds
2013
https://www.nbcnews.com/healthmain/cat-poop-parasite-controls-minds-early-permanently-study-finds-4B11194722
-------------------
Parasites brainwash grasshoppers into death dive
2005
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7927-parasites-brainwash-grasshoppers-into-death-dive/
-------------------
Parasitic Brain Infections
https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/brain,-spinal-cord,-and-nerve-disorders/brain-infections/parasitic-brain-infections
-------------------
Ten sinister parasites that control their hosts' minds
2015
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150316-ten-parasites-that-control-minds
Some
of the creepiest species on Earth are experts in getting their own way.
Meet 10 parasites with the power to control their hosts' behaviour
Zombie ant fungus (Ophiocordyceps unilateralis)
Kamikaze horsehair worm (Paragordius tricuspidatus)
Castrator barnacles (Sacculina sp.)
Green-banded broodsac (Leucochloridium paradoxum)
Ladybird parasite (Dinocampus coccinellae)
Emerald cockroach wasp (Ampulex compressa)
Toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii)
Rabies viruses
Influenza virus
Schistocephalus solidus
-------------------
Parasitic worms burrow through your skin: Schistosomiasis driven by Brazil\'s eco-tourism
2-24-2016
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/parasitic-worms-burrow-through-your-skin-schistosomiasis-driven-by-brazils-eco-tourism-1545704
-------------------
Fish Kills
When
a number of dead fish are found in one place, the incident is referred
to as a fish kill, and there is significant reason to suspect pollution.
The three main causes of fish kills are poisoning, disease, and
suffocation.
Sanitation worker using a rake to remove dead fish from the Rodrigo de Freitas lake in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
http://www.pollutionissues.com/Ec-Fi/Fish-Kills.html
Poisoning
Fish
may be poisoned by a wide range of polluting substances, including
pesticides, acids, ammonia, phenols, cresols, compounds of metals,
detergents, or cyanides. Many of these substances are used in industrial
processes or in agriculture and are released through drains or are
accidentally spilled into waterways. Acid rain, derived from industrial
pollutants in the atmosphere, causes rivers to become toxic for various
kinds of fish. Some types of toxic algal blooms kill fish. During the
1990s the dinoflagellate Pfeisteria piscicida caused fish kills, ranging
from a few hundred to a million fish at one time, in estuaries of the
southeastern United States.
Disease
In
natural environments, disease alone does not usually result in mass
mortality, but under the artificial conditions of a hatchery or an
aquaculture operation, disease can spread rapidly and cause a fish kill.
The disease may be caused by viral infections, bacteria, fungi, or
internal or external parasites.
In these same natural
environments, it is more common for fish to be weakened by disease and
then killed en masse by some stressful environmental situation, such as
low-oxygen concentration, temperature extremes, or pollution. When fish
move from cold water into much warmer water such as a heated effluent
from a generating station, bubbles may form in their tissues and they
die from gas bubble disease.
Suffocation
Suffocation
occurs when the oxygen concentration in the water falls below the level
at which fish can survive. A common cause is eutrophication, which is
the artificial stimulation of plant growth by pollution with
fertilizers, sewage, or atmospheric fallout. When the excess plant
growth decays, it lowers the oxygen concentration. The discharge of dead
organic matter into a watercourse from a sewer or from an industrial
operation has the same effect. The accidental spilling of a herbicide
into a lake or stream may kill large quantities of aquatic vegetation,
causing low-oxygen conditions.
Nuisance algal blooms
may also cause suffocation. In 1994 in St. Helena Bay, South Africa, a
large bloom of toxic and nontoxic algae formed in an estuary and
extended into the open sea more than thirty kilometers out from the
shore. The bloom sank and decomposed, forming an area with almost no
oxygen and with lethal levels of hydrogen sulfide. Approximately fifteen
hundred tons of dead fish and sixty tons of dead rock lobsters were
washed ashore.
Many fish kills could be prevented by
reducing the amount of pollution, especially nitrogen and phosphorus,
entering waterways. Applications of fertilizers should be matched to the
needs of the crop, sewage effluent should receive advanced treatment,
and atmospheric emissions from industry and transport should be
carefully controlled at source.
------------------------------
Morphological
and molecular characterization of the toxic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis
cf. ovata (Gonyaulacales: Dinophyceae) from Brazil (South Atlantic
Ocean)
2017
https://www.scielo.sa.cr/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-77442017000301022
-----------------------------
Will history forgive Brazil?
8-28-2019
There
is no nuance when it comes to choosing history’s villains; nobody will
care if Brazilians really hated the Workers Party government when their
major cities are under water
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/brazil-bolsonaro-rainforest-history-climate-change-julia-blunck
-------------------------------------
--------------------------------
----------------------------
-------------------------
Section 10: Agriculture
------------------------
---------------------------
-------------------------------
-------------------------------------
Assessment of Copper and Zinc in Soils of a Vineyard Region in the State of São Paulo, Brazil
7 March 2013
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/aess/2013/790795/
Abstract
This
soil acidification may increase the bioavailability of copper (Cu) and
zinc (Zn) in soils. The objective of this study was to verify the
concentrations of Cu and Zn in soils of a vineyard region, including
sample acidification, to simulate acid rain. The study was developed in
an area of vineyard cultivation, with an adjacent land having other
crops grown, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Soil samples were
collected and GPS located under different uses and coverings. The
extracted solutions used to determine the available Cu and Zn forms were
diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), pH 7.3, and calcium chloride
0.01 M. The total forms were obtained by HNO3 digestion. The amounts of
Cu and Zn extracted using DTPA were considered high in most of the
samples and were greater in the areas cultivated with vineyards that had
received fungicide applications for several decades. The total forms
were higher in vineyard soils. The amounts of Cu and Zn extracted using
CaCl2 did not have good correlation with vineyards or with other metals'
forms. The results confirmed that the soil was enriched with Cu and Zn
due to the management of the vineyards with chemicals for several
decades.
------------------
BRAZIL: Sugar Cane Fertilises Its Own Soil
http://www.ipsnews.net/2011/04/brazil-sugar-cane-fertilises-its-own-soil/
RIBEIRÃO
PRETO, Brazil, Apr 12 2011 (IPS) - The mechanisation of sugar cane
harvesting, originally aimed at curbing the pollution caused by the
burning of cane fields, has resulted in an added bonus: it has helped to
improve soil quality, according to growers and technical experts in the
southern state of São Paulo, where most of Brazil’s sugar and ethanol
is produced.
Traditionally, sugar cane fields were set
on fire before harvesting to burn off the dried leaves from the plants,
making it quicker and easier for cane cutters to manually harvest the
crop. Now that leafy “trash” stays in the soil, fertilising it, trapping
moisture, and preventing erosion.
This leaf residue
supplies every hectare of land with around 45 kilograms of potassium,
agronomist Gustavo Nogueira, the technical director of the Sugar Cane
Growers Association of Western São Paulo State (Canaoeste), told
Tierramérica.
While around 70 percent of sugar cane
harvesting in São Paulo is now mechanised, that figure will grow to 100
percent in the coming years. Sugar cane growers have been ordered to end
the practice of burning cane fields in flat areas by 2014. In hilly
areas with a slope of more than 12 degrees, where current harvesters
cannot operate, they have been given until 2017.
In
places where mechanised harvesting was adopted early on, there are sugar
cane fields that are productive for seven or eight years, compared to
the usual five years, said Manoel Ortolan, the president of Canaoeste.
Although the organisation was founded by growers in western São Paulo,
its headquarters and most of its current members are based in the
northeastern part of the state.
“The leaf litter
restores the soil’s microflora and can raise the longevity of the sugar
cane to 12 or 15 years, making it almost a perennial plant, a fantastic
result,” Ortolan told Tierramérica in his office in Sertãozinho, a city
where sugar cane growers take up over three blocks with company offices,
cooperative headquarters, supermarkets and a service station.
-------------------
Scientists: Expanding Brazilian sugarcane could dent global CO2 emissions
Oct 23, 2017
https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/570179
----------------------
Back
to Acid Soil Fields: The Citrate Transporter SbMATE Is a Major Asset
for Sustainable Grain Yield for Sorghum Cultivated on Acid Soils
2-1-2016
https://www.g3journal.org/content/6/2/475
----------------------
Soil Physical Quality After 21 Years of Cultivation in a Brazilian
Seasonal assessment and apportionment of surface water pollution using multivariate statistical methods: Sinos River, southern Brazil.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29884932
----------------------
Sugar Cane Industry as a Source of Water Pollution – Case Study on the Situation in Ipojuca River, Pernambuco, Brazil
March 2007
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225382366_Sugar_Cane_Industry_as_a_Source_of_Water_Pollution_-_Case_Study_on_the_Situation_in_Ipojuca_River_Pernambuco_Brazil
----------------------
Slope Processes, Mass Movements and Soil Erosion: A Review
ABSTRACT This paper reviews slope processes associated with mass movements and soil erosion and contributory factors, including physical and human agents. Acting together, these cause diverse geomorphological features. Slope processes are illustrated by reference to case studies from Brazil and the UK. The causes and impacts of erosion are discussed, along with appropriate remedial bioengineering methods and the potential of measures to prevent these types of environmental degradation.
https://wlv.openrepository.com/bitstream/handle/2436/620420/AG%20et%20al%20Slope%20Processes%202016%20Pedosphere%20%281%29.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
----------------------
Carbon and Water in Upper Montane Soils and Their Influences on Vegetation in Southern Brazil
2013
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2013/348905/
----------------------
Assessing soil structural quality under Brazilian sugarcane expansion areas using Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS) expansion areas using Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS)
2017
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2656&context=usdaarsfacpub
----------------------
Topsoil translocation for Brazilian savannarestoration: propagation of herbs, shrubs, and trees
2015
https://ainfo.cnptia.embrapa.br/digital/bitstream/item/135025/1/Ferreira-et-al-2015-Restoration-Ecology.pdf
----------------------
Chocolate forests: Can cocoa help restore the Amazon?
2018
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-cocoa-environment/chocolate-forests-can-cocoa-help-restore-the-amazon-idUSKBN1HJ0H8
----------------------
Cocoa industry still failing to end deforestation, new report claims
2-14-2022
https://www.confectionerynews.com/Article/2022/02/14/Cocoa-industry-still-failing-to-end-deforestation-new-report-claims
----------------------
Deforestation in Colombia up 16% due to mining, lumbering, coca and drought
November 23, 2015
https://colombiareports.com/deforestation-in-colombia-up-16/
----------------------
Deforestation Increased In Colombia During Peacetime
Feb 27, 2022
https://www.forbes.com/sites/priyashukla/2022/02/27/deforestation-increased-in-colombia-during-peacetime/?sh=5ffe45f265e7
----------------------
Soy boom devours Brazil’s tropical savanna
A REUTERS SPECIAL REPORT
Aug. 28, 2018
BUMPER
CROP: Brazil’s farmers have plowed under more than half of the Cerrado,
South America’s largest savanna. The nation is the world’s largest
exporter of beef and soybeans. The cost is greenhouse gas emissions,
vanishing wildlife and weakened watersheds. REUTERS/Pablo Garcia
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/brazil-deforestation/
------------------
Zero-deforestation commitments and Brazilian soy
https://yearbook2018.trase.earth/chapter6/
------------------
Soybean cultivation as a threat to the environment in Brazil
http://staff.washington.edu/jhannah/geog270aut07/readings/GreenGeneRevolutions/Fearnside%20-%20SoybeanCultivationThreatEnvironment.pdf
------------------
Soil Carbon Dynamics in Soybean Cropland and Forests in Mato Grosso, Brazil
12-18-2017
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2017JG004269
------------------
In triplicate, genes make maize tolerant to toxic soil
March 18, 2013
https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2013/03/triplicate-genes-make-maize-tolerant-toxic-soil
Rendering
some of the world’s toxic soils moot, U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA), Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research and Cornell
researchers are learning to grow stress-tolerant crops on formerly
non-farmable land.
In this effort, when plant
scientists searched the maize genome for clues as to why some plants can
tolerate toxic aluminum in soil, they found three copies of the same
gene known to affect aluminum tolerance, according to new
USDA/Cornell-led research.
Aluminum toxicity comes close to rivaling drought as a food-security threat in critical tropical food-producing regions.
Acidic
soils dissolve aluminum from clays in the soil, making it toxic to
plant roots in half the world’s arable lands. The MATE1 gene, which was
found in triplicate in aluminum-tolerant maize, turns on in the presence
of aluminum ions and expresses a protein that transports citric acid
from root tips into the soil, which binds to and locks up aluminum,
thereby preventing it from harming roots.
“We found
three functional copies that were identical,” said senior author Leon
Kochian, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Agriculture
Research Service (USDA-ARS) Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory at
Cornell. “This is one of the first examples of copy number variation
contributing to an agronomically important trait.”
He
added that the extra gene copies had a cumulative effect of coding for
more protein that transports aluminum-binding citric acid into the soil.
The
study, “Aluminum tolerance in maize is associated with higher MATE1
gene copy number,” appeared online March 11 in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences.
The finding points to the
importance of looking for multiple copies of a gene for higher
expression of certain traits. “This could be a key factor for other
traits of agricultural importance,” said Kochian.
The
research came out of a long collaboration on aluminum tolerance with
Embrapa Maize and Sorghum in Brazil, which provided the
aluminum-tolerant maize germplasm where the 3-copy allele was
discovered. Lead author Lyza Maron, a senior research associate at the
Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research at Cornell, also
collaborated with researchers at the University of Florida, Gainesville,
the University of Missouri, Arizona Genomics Institute and Cold Spring
Harbor Laboratory to verify the finding. By sequencing the genomic
regions that harbor the MATE1 gene in aluminum-tolerant and
aluminum-sensitive plants, she found a similar MATE1 allele (version of a
gene) in both types of plants. But when she examined copy number
variation, she found the aluminum-tolerant plant had three copies, while
the intolerant plant had only one copy of the MATE1 allele.
“[Copy
number variation] is well documented in the human genome,” Kochian
said, “and maize does a lot of this, so there are probably many
examples” of gene copy numbers affecting traits, he concluded.
------------------
EFFECTS OF SILICON ON ALLEVIATING ARSENIC TOXICITY IN MAIZE PLANTS
01/Jan/2015
https://www.rbcsjournal.org/article/effects-of-silicon-on-alleviating-arsenic-toxicity-in-maize-plants/
-------------------------------------
-----------------------------------
-------------------------
------------------------
----------------------
----------------------
Section 11: Climate Change & Ancient Climate Change
----------------------
----------------------
------------------------
-------------------------
----------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
Climate change policy: Brazil, China, India and Russia
2-25-2009
https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/BN/0809/ClimateChange
-----------------------
Amazon Deforestation and Climate Change
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/amazon-deforestation-and-climate-change/
-----------------------
Countrywide Cold Wave to Strike Brazil During First Week of July
July 1, 2019
It will most likely be the most intense cooling in 2019 and perhaps the only one of this magnitude this year.
https://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/brazil/brazil-freezes-during-the-first-week-of-july-2019/
---------------
Striking Photos Capture the Unnatural Transformation of the Amazon Rainforest
https://earther.gizmodo.com/striking-photos-capture-the-unnatural-transformation-of-1834173419
----------------
15 before-and-after images that show how we're transforming the planet
Jan 2, 2017
https://www.vox.com/2015/4/7/8352381/anthropocene-NASA-images
----------------
Mapped: 30 Years of Deforestation and Forest Growth, by Country
December 29, 2021
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-30-years-of-deforestation-and-forest-growth-by-country/
----------------
Water Statistics in Brazil: an Overview
2005
https://unstats.un.org/unsd/environment/envpdf/pap_wasess4a4brazil.pdf
----------------
Water supply and sanitation in Brazil
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_supply_and_sanitation_in_Brazil
----------------
Brazil's water and sanitation crisis
https://water.org/our-impact/where-we-work/brazil/
----------------
Brazil’s sewage woes reflect the growing global water quality crisis
August 7, 2016
https://theconversation.com/brazils-sewage-woes-reflect-the-growing-global-water-quality-crisis-63172
----------------
Brazil, so much water and yet so little
October 19, 2017
https://www.wearewater.org/en/brazil-so-much-water-and-yet-so-little_286801
----------------
Water quality from high mountain peatlands: spring of Campo Belo river, Itatiaia–Brazil
March 2022
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358730994_Water_quality_from_high_mountain_peatlands_spring_of_Campo_Belo_river_Itatiaia-Brazil
----------------
BRAZIL FROST: First Pictures Of Damage Published From Cerrado And Parana Coffee Regions
May 22, 2018
http://spilling-the-beans.net/breaking-cold-front-confirmed-to-hit-brazils-parana-sao-paulo-and-southern-minas-coffee-regions-with-frost-may-21-22/
---------------
SOFTS-Arabica coffee hits 7-month high on Brazil frost threat
July 6, 2019
https://www.brecorder.com/2019/07/06/507932/softs-arabica-coffee-hits-7-month-high-on-brazil-frost-threat/
----------------
Brazil Update: Frost… and Fake News? {Debated/Controversial}
July 11 2019
https://coffeehunter.com/the-journal/brazil-update-frost-and-fake-news/
Keep
in mind, here: a frost in Brazil is not a singular event. Brazil is a
vast country. Coffee grows in 8 states located thousands of kilometres
apart. Killer frosts bring sub-zero temperatures to swathes of the
coffee growing areas, plunging farms into sub-zero conditions often for
days at a time. Such killer frosts are extremely rare events.
Coffee
production in Brazil used to be more southern-state oriented. Parana,
further south, was at a higher frost risk. Over time, production moved
north into the Cerrado region of Minas Gerais, almost outside of any
existing, potential frost risk – barring climate change, of course. This
means that less Brazil coffee production is now exposed to the risk of
frost than, say, two decades ago.
It is Friday 5th July
(recall that Thursday 4th July is a national holiday in the USA, and
the commodity market was closed, by the way). Zero degrees are forecast
to extend further north into coffee producing areas than any other cold
fronts in recent times. Friday 5th July, ahead of the frost weekend, the
commodity market goes down. This, to me, was rather unusual. Who knew
what would happen over the weekend? Usually ahead of a frost weekend, a
nervous commodity market would rise.
This market reaction could be seen as a precursor. But more later….
Over
the weekend of 6/7 July – particularly on Sunday – I received dozens of
dramatic photos, videos of people walking across frosty / crusty earth.
Car windows frosted up. Commonplace enough in England but a rare event
in the coffee areas of Brazil. As Sunday wore on…. more dramatic photos,
wild speculation about what had happened, feverish talk.
I
became very sceptical about these dramatic stories when I started
receiving dozens of identical frost photos from three separate sources,
one of whom was not in Brazil at all. The long arm of social media at
work, posting photos that would tell the story preferred by the poster
without regard to accuracy or relevance. Stories and photos chosen to
make a point.
I suppose that for many in the coffee
business today, there is no connection as to why this matters. The
killer frosts and wild market moves (when Brazil lost millions of bags
of production) are in the distant past. The days of the commodity market
going up 20% in a single day are over. But these legendary events live
in the minds, the very fabric, of coffee producer folklore – and not
just in Brazil. Literal fortunes were made (and lost) overnight. Those
events will never be forgotten by many coffee producing families, and
given today’s terrible low prices, a hint of desperation can be
detected. Too much coffee is being produced: what better than a huge
Brazil frost to better balance the supply / demand matrix?
I
feared for our coffee farm in Pocos de Caldas, an area threatened by
some of the lowest temperatures forecast this past Sunday. I was not
hoping for a fortune. I was simply hoping our 2020 crop (100 bags) was
not wiped out.
Pre-frost weekend estimates put possible
Brazil crop losses for 2020 at 1.5m to 2m bags. To put this in
perspective, that’s pretty much the entire Costa Rica crop. Imagine you
read that the Costa Rica crop for 2020 was entirely wiped out. Gone.
People would react with something approaching hysteria. Meanwhile such
losses to the Brazil crop did not warrant much comment, and the
commodity market seemed to not be fussed. It went DOWN on the day before
the weekend.
By Monday 8th July morning, more
definition came to crop loss estimates. Field surveys, discussions with
producers, analysis of how low temperatures actually went and for how
long and where. The big trade houses started weighing in with their
estimates of potential crop losses for 2020. 2m bags, 1.5m bags, 800,000
bags, 650,000 bags, 250,000 bags. Importantly, the crop loss estimates
were falling significantly SHORT of the numbers anticipated in the lead
up to the frost
The commodity market opened down on
Monday 8th July, and fell over 4% on that day. It must seem strange to
some people that news of perhaps 1m bags of crop losses leads to a fall
in the market. It does so because commodity markets are anticipatory
markets – and larger crop losses were already factored into the price.
Further
time will allow more careful and detailed estimates of crop losses for
Brazil 2020, and the winter is not over in Brazil. In fact these days,
drought and lack of rainfall in the Sept/Oct/Nov period are much larger
risks, and some such climate catastrophe could yet come to pass.
So the drama was over almost before it began – the commodity market was ‘back’ to $1.06/lb.
An old adage in the commodity coffee business goes, “Buy the rumour, sell the fact.” This is an excellent case in point.
----------------
Futures coffee prices surge on heavy rain and frost concerns in Brazil
May 22, 2019
https://www.comunicaffe.com/futures-coffee-prices-surge-on-heavy-rain-and-frost-concerns-in-brazil/
-----------------
Brazilians conduct research into riches of Antarctica
7/11/2019
http://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/geral/noticia/2019-11/brazilians-conduct-research-riches-antarctica
-----------------
ANTARCTIC SCIENCE FOR BRAZIL An action plan for the 2013 – 2022 period
http://www.ufrgs.br/inctcriosfera/arquivos/BrazilianActionPlanEnglish.pdf
-----------------
Brazil’s Antarctic Future
19 July 2019
https://www.ispionline.it/en/pubblicazione/brazils-antarctic-future-23528
Some
have seen Brazil’s recent increased interest in the South Atlantic as
also involving a growing interest in Antarctica. Certainly, the
construction of a brand-new Antarctic research station with an
investment of nearly 100 millions USD, the announcement of the
acquisition of a new polar auxiliary vessel costing about 30 million USD
and the allocation of a new triennial budget of about 20 million had
strengthened the view that Brazil is rising its stake in the southern
continent. As China, another emerging power and fellow-member of the
so-called BRICS, Brazil would be intending to transform its increased
economic relevance to a refurbished strategic position and political
prominence.
-----------------
Antarctic environmental change and biological responses
27 Nov 2019
https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/11/eaaz0888
-----------------
As Climate Change Worsens, A Cascade of Tipping Points Looms
12-5-2019
https://e360.yale.edu/features/as-climate-changes-worsens-a-cascade-of-tipping-points-looms
-----------------
The Oceans We Know Won’t Survive Climate Change
9-25-2019
Sea-level
rise will become unmanageable, and life will flee the world’s tropical
oceans, if carbon pollution keeps rising, a new report from the UN
climate panel says.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/09/ipcc-sea-level-rise-report/598765/
-----------------
The
influence of global climate change on the environmental fate of
anthropogenic pollution released from the permafrost: Part I. Case study
of Antarctica
Highlights
•
Permafrost distribution in Antarctica and reemission of pollutants
•
Environmental fate of anthropogenic pollution remobilised from the cryosphere
•
Pollution from permafrost present in the Antarctic affects the living organisms.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004896971833612X
-----------------
Climate change kills Antarctica's ancient moss beds
9-25-2018
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45629395
------------------
Cataloging Fungal Life in Antarctic Seas
2017
Brazilian
researchers report a relatively large diversity of fungi in marine
ecosystems surrounding Antarctica, but warn that climate change could
bring unpleasant surprises.
https://www.the-scientist.com/notebook/cataloging-fungal-life-in-antarctic-seas-30172
------------------
GRACE-FO: Cracking a cold case
May 2, 2018
https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2725/grace-fo-cracking-a-cold-case/
Reports
of the rapidly melting West Antarctic ice sheet often refer to how much
the melting could add to global sea levels -- as if meltwater raises
the ocean evenly, like a sink filling up. The reality is far different.
Water from West Antarctica will end up raising sea levels more in Los
Angeles and Miami than in Rio de Janeiro, for example, even though
Brazil is thousands of miles closer to Antarctica than the United
States.
------------------
Distant Source of Amazon Is Evaporating Away
Oct 4, 2019
A glacier believed to be the most distant source of the world's largest river is expected to disappear in just years, the scientific community is warning.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2019-10-04/amazon-rivers-most-distant-water-source-may-soon-disappear-scientists-warn
-------------------
Underground river 'Rio Hamza' discovered 4km beneath the Amazon
2011
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/aug/26/underground-river-amazon
Scientists estimate the subterranean river may be 6,000km long and hundreds of times wider than the Amazon
----------------
Conserving
relics from ancient underground worlds: assessing the influence of cave
and landscape features on obligate iron cave dwellers from the Eastern
Amazon
3-20-2018
https://peerj.com/articles/4531/
----------------
Climate change’s impact on groundwater could leave ‘environmental timebomb’
Over the next 100 years, the full impact that climate change is
having on groundwater resources will become apparent in half of the
world’s aquifers, a study concludes.
Global
distribution of “groundwater response times” (GRT). Yellow shows areas
where groundwater is likely to respond to stresses in less than 10
years, light green shows where the response time is 10-100 years, while
dark green and blue indicate response times of 100 to more than 10,000
years. Source: Cuthbert et al. (2019)
https://www.carbonbrief.org/climate-change-impact-groundwater-environmental-timebomb
------------------
Climate change, allergy and asthma, and the role of tropical forests
2017
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5340022/
------------------
Impacts of climate change in the Amazon
https://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/amazon/amazon_threats/climate_change_amazon/amazon_climate_change_impacts/
----------------
Research shows how the Little Ice Age affected South American climate
2018
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/fda-rsh072418.php
For
the first time, scientists reconstruct the rainfall distribution in
Brazil during the climate changes that marked the Middle Ages using
isotopic records from caves.
---------------
Brazilian obligatory subterranean fauna and threats to the hypogean environment
2018
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5904564/
Abstract
The
subterranean environment harbors species that are not capable of
establishing populations in the epigean environment, i.e., the
obligatory subterranean species. These organisms live in a unique
selective regime in permanent darkness and usually low food
availability, high air humidity in terrestrial habitats, and low
temperature range allied to other unique conditions related to
lithologies and past climatic influences. The pressure to increase
Brazil’s economic growth relies on agricultural/pastoral industries and
exporting of raw materials such as iron, limestone, ethanol, soybean,
cotton, and meat, as well as huge reservoir constructions to generate
electricity. Mining (even on a small scale), agricultural expansion, and
hydroelectric projects are extremely harmful to subterranean
biodiversity, via the modification and even destruction of hypogean
habitats. The Brazilian subterranean species were analyzed with respect
to their distributions, presence on the IUCN Red List, and current and
potential threats to hypogean habitats. A map and three lists are
presented, one with the described obligatory subterranean species, one
with undescribed taxa, and one with the current and potential threats to
the hypogean environment. To date, 150 obligatory subterranean species
have been recorded in Brazil, plus at least 156 undescribed
troglomorphic taxa, totaling 306 Brazilian troglobites/obligatory cave
fauna. We also analyzed the current and potential cave threats and the
conservation actions that are underway to attempt to compensate for loss
of these habitats. In according to the Brazilian legislation (Decree
6640) only caves of maximum relevance are fully protected. One strategy
to protect the subterranean fauna of Brazil is the inclusion of these
species in the IUCN Red List (one of attributes that determines maximum
relevance for caves); however, one of the IUCN assumptions is that the
taxa must be formally described. It is clear that the description and
proposed protection of Brazilian subterranean biodiversity depends on
more systematics studies.
------------------
Spots of high diversity of troglobites in Brazil:the challenge of measuring subterranean diversity
2016
http://www.lesbio.ufscar.br/assets/trajano_gallao_bichuette_2016_spots_of_high_diversity.pdf
------------------
Rio's famous beaches take battering as scientists issue climate change warning
2016
Local
traders lament collapse in business from storm surge amid growing
concern that city’s sea defences are ill-equipped to cope
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/01/rio-de-janerio-beaches-climate-change-storms
------------------
Antarctica Hit a Record High Temperature
https://time.com/4687154/antarctica-temperature-climate-change/
------------------
Have historical climate changes affected Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) populations in Antarctica?
2014
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24759777
------------------
Earth's Tilt May Exacerbate a Melting Antarctic
1-16-2019
https://www.livescience.com/64507-antarctica-ice-melt-earth-tilt.html
-------------------------- ------------------------------
------------------------- -----------------------------
------------------------ ---------------------------
----------------------- --------------------------
South American monsoon response to iceberg discharge in the North Atlantic
4-10-2018
https://www.pnas.org/content/115/15/3788
Significance
Here,
we present a precisely dated speleothem record of South American
monsoon precipitation covering the period encompassed by the last six
Heinrich Stadials. Our monsoon record allows us to determine the timing
of regional hydroclimatic expression of Heinrich Stadials over tropical
lowland South America. By comparing our record with sea-surface
temperature reconstructions from the subtropical North Atlantic, our
results provide evidence connecting South American monsoon precipitation
and methane release with the events of iceberg discharge depicted by
the deposits of ice-rafted detritus. These results are relevant to
climate modelers and paleoclimatologists interested in abrupt climate
change, tropical–extratropical climate teleconnections, and
paleo-reconstructions of the monsoon and the tropical hydrologic cycle.
Abstract
Heinrich
Stadials significantly affected tropical precipitation through changes
in the interhemispheric temperature gradient as a result of abrupt
cooling in the North Atlantic. Here, we focus on changes in South
American monsoon precipitation during Heinrich Stadials using a suite of
speleothem records covering the last 85 ky B.P. from eastern South
America. We document the response of South American monsoon
precipitation to episodes of extensive iceberg discharge, which is
distinct from the response to the cooling episodes that precede the main
phase of ice-rafted detritus deposition. Our results demonstrate that
iceberg discharge in the western subtropical North Atlantic led to an
abrupt increase in monsoon precipitation over eastern South America. Our
findings of an enhanced Southern Hemisphere monsoon, coeval with the
iceberg discharge into the North Atlantic, are consistent with the
observed abrupt increase in atmospheric methane concentrations during
Heinrich Stadials.
---------------
12 Times Science Proved the World Is Amazing in 2019
https://www.livescience.com/amazing-uplifting-science-2019.html
Antarctic lake of bubbling lava
Just
about everything found in Antarctica is pretty amazing. This year's
discovery of a huge lake of sizzling hot lava there was no exception. On
a remote sub-Antarctic island in the South Atlantic Ocean, scientists
discovered what is now only the eighth lake of molten rock ever
identified. They found this bubbling cauldron of sorts inside the crater
of the volcano Mount Michael on Saunders Island. The molten rock, which
rises between 300 and 700 feet (90 and 215 meters), reaches a whopping
1,812 to 2,334 degrees Fahrenheit (989 to 1,279 degrees Celsius), the
researchers found.
---------------
Soil eroded by glaciers may have kick-started plate tectonics
June 5, 2019
Scientists have long wondered how Earth’s global surface recycling system got its start
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/soil-eroded-glaciers-may-have-kick-started-plate-tectonics
----------------
Distant Source of Amazon Is Evaporating Away
Oct 2019
A
glacier believed to be the most distant source of the world's largest
river is expected to disappear in just years, the scientific community
is warning.
The Apurimac River, which draws from the
glacial melt of the Mismi mountain peak in southern Peru, is seen
flowing through a valley in the Andes on its way toward flowing into the
Amazon River.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2019-10-04/amazon-rivers-most-distant-water-source-may-soon-disappear-scientists-warn
----------------
When a Volcano in El Salvador Cooled Down the Entire World
8-19-2019
It may have even helped bring on the bubonic plague.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/el-salvador-volcanic-eruption
----------------
Why is Puerto Rico Being Struck by Earthquakes?
17-2020
Multiple large earthquakes have hit Puerto Rico over the past week, all thanks to the geologically-active Caribbean Plate.
https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/why-is-puerto-rico-being-struck-by-earthquakes
---------
Something Inside The Earth Is Destroying Supercontinents
Jan 1, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ4S-52qRq8
----------
Winds Sweep African Soil To Feed Lands Far Away
1992
https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/29/world/winds-sweep-african-soil-to-feed-lands-far-away.html
--------
Saharan
dust in Brazil and Suriname during the Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere
Experiment in Amazonia (LBA)- Cooperative LBA Regional Experiment
(CLAIRE) in March 1998
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/2000JD900827
Abstract.
Advection of Saharan dust was observed via chemical and optical
measurements during March 1998 in Brazil and Suriname during the
Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia
(LBA)-Cooperative LBA Airborne Regional Experiment (CLAIRE)-98
experiment. In Brazil the dust outbreak produced an increase of a factor
of 3 in the daily mean mass concentration (up to 26 + 7 [tg m -3) of
particles smaller than 10 [tm equivalent aerodynamic diameter (EAD), and
in the daily mean aerosol particle scattering coefficient • (up to 26 +
8 Mm -1 STP, ambient humidity). Background levels of aerosol scattering
(ambient) were • - 10 Mm -•. The effect of dust advection was evident
for all major crustal elements (A1, Si, Ca, Ti, Mn, and Fe), as well as
the sea-salt elements (Na, C1, and S), as the dust layer was
transported at low altitude (below 800 h?a). Coarse ? and organic carbon
(OC) concentrations were not influenced by the occurrence of dust, and
were mainly emitted by the rain forest. The dry scattering mass
efficiency of dust (particles smaller than 10 btm EAD) was estimated to
be between 0.65 (+ 0.06) and 0.89 (+ 0.08) m 2 g-l. Airborne profiles of
aerosol scattering showed two distinct types of vertical structure in
the dust layer over Suriname, either vertically uniform (15, 26 March),
or plume-like (25 March). Dust layers extended generally up to 700 hPa,
while scattering layers occasionally encountered at higher altitudes
resulted from smoke emitted by biomass burning in Venezuela and
Colombia. Observations in South America were supported by measurements
in Israel and Tenerife (Canary Islands), where the dust outbreaks were
also detected
--------------------------
Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution
Office of Environmental Quality and Transboundary Issues
https://www.state.gov/key-topics-office-of-environmental-quality-and-transboundary-issues/convention-on-long-range-transboundary-air-pollution/
------------------
HEALTH RISKS OF PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS FROM LONG-RANGE TRANSBOUNDARY AIR POLLUTION
http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/78660/e78963.pdf
---------------------------
A natural experiment: City in pristine Amazon shows pollution alters ecosystem
2015
https://blogs.agu.org/geospace/2015/12/18/a-natural-experiment-city-in-pristine-amazon-shows-pollution-alters-ecosyste/
------------------------
Climate Change Will Affect Water Processes of the Amazon Basin, Study Finds
2016
https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/9342/Climate-Change-Will-Affect-Water-Processes-of-the-Amazon-Basin-Study-Finds.aspx
------------------------
Climate change and human activities in Brazil with emphasis on the coastal zone
2008
https://www.ige.unicamp.br/terrae/V3/PDF-N3/T_A5.pdf
------------------------
Brazil's Mangroves on the front line of climate change
May 2019
https://widerimage.reuters.com/story/brazils-mangroves-on-the-front-line-of-climate-change
------------------------
MANGROVE LEAVES (RHIZOPHORA MANGLE) AS ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION BIOMONITORS.
https://inis.iaea.org/collection/NCLCollectionStore/_Public/47/013/47013774.pdf
------------------------
Phosphorus enriched effluents increase eutrophication risks for mangrove systems in northeastern Brazil
May 2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X19302152
------------------------
Estrogen levels in surface sediments from a multi-impacted Brazilian estuarine system
May 2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X19302371
------------------------
Oil spill threatens vast areas of mangroves and coral reefs in Brazil
Nov 2019
Pollution stretches across 2,400km of coastline, with scientists fearing contamination of food chain
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/07/oil-spill-threatens-vast-areas-of-mangroves-and-coral-reefs-in-brazil
-------------------
Modeling of coastal water contamination in Fortaleza (Northeastern Brazil).
2015
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26360752
-------------------------
Amazon deforestation has a significant impact on the local climate in Brazil
8-30-2019
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190830112813.htm
------------------------
Natural high: Brazil's Guarana growers ditch chemicals for ancient knowledge
2019
For
the Guarana growers of the Amazon, the caffeine-rich berries aren't
just a fortifying brew but part of ancient tradition that respects their
rainforest home.
https://www.dw.com/en/natural-high-brazils-guarana-growers-ditch-chemicals-for-ancient-knowledge/a-49073771
------------------------
The Amazon Rainforest Was Profoundly Changed by Ancient Humans
2017
The region’s ecology is a product of 8,000 years of indigenous agriculture.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/03/its-now-clear-that-ancient-humans-helped-enrich-the-amazon/518439/
-----------------------
Amazon Jungle Once Home to Millions More Than Previously Thought
3-27-2018
Forget
small nomadic tribes and pristine jungle: the southern Amazon was
likely covered in a network of large villages and ceremonial centers
before Columbus.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/03/amazon-jungle-ancient-population-satellite-computer-model/
-----------------------
Conquistadors caused Toxic Air Pollution 500 years ago by changing Incan Mining
12 February, 2015
https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/conquistadors-caused-toxic-air-pollution-500-years-ago-020213
-----------------------
Climate breakdown is pushing Brazil’s iconic Araucaria tree to extinction – new research
9-10-2019
https://theconversation.com/climate-breakdown-is-pushing-brazils-iconic-araucaria-tree-to-extinction-new-research-123068
-----------------------
Humans Present at Brazil’s Santa Elina Rock Shelter 23,120 Years Ago, Confirms National Museum of Natural History in Paris
2017
http://ancientnews.net/2017/09/07/humans-present-at-brazils-santa-elina-rock-shelter-23120-years-ago-confirms-national-museum-of-natural-history-in-paris/
-----------------------
Sinkhole discovery suggests humans were in Florida 14,500 years ago
May 2016
Knife,
bone, and dung cast doubt on Bering Strait theory and indicate humans
spread through Americas 1,500 years earlier than thought, researchers
say
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/may/14/archaeology-florida-sinkhole-ancient-humans-mastodon-knife-bones-bering-strait
-----------------------
Chagas Disease in Ancient Hunter-Gatherer Population, Brazil
2008
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2600313/
-----------------------
Did the Deaths of 50 Million Indians Cause Climate Change?
Sep 15, 2017
https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/archive/did-the-deaths-of-50-million-indians-cause-climate-change-KQ3ZksIy_0Cw1U-8TK2mdw
Did the European invasion cause the deaths of approximately 50 million people?
No
historian seriously questions that the European invasion of the
Americas resulted in millions of deaths. The serious debate has been how
many millions. What if it was enough millions to change the carbon
dioxide (CO2) content in the atmosphere and therefore the climate and
ultimately the geology of the Earth?
-----------------------------
European colonization of the Americas killed 10 percent of world population and caused global cooling
1-31-2019
https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-01-31/european-colonization-americas-killed-10-percent-world-population-and-caused
----------------------------
Native American depopulation, reforestation, and fire regimes in the Southwest United States, 1492–1900 CE
2016
https://www.pnas.org/content/113/6/E696
Significance
Debates
about the magnitude, tempo, and ecological effects of Native American
depopulation after 1492 CE constitute some of the most contentious
issues in American Indian history. Was population decline rapid and
catastrophic, with effects extensive enough to change even the earth’s
atmosphere? Or was depopulation more moderate, with indigenous numbers
declining slowly after European colonization? Through a study of
archaeology and dendrochronology, we conclude that neither of these
scenarios accurately characterizes Pueblo peoples in the Southwest
United States. Among the Jemez pueblos of New Mexico, depopulation
struck swiftly and irrevocably, but occurred nearly a century after
first contact with Europeans. This population crash subsequently altered
the local environment, spurring the growth of trees and facilitating
the spread of frequent forest fires.
----------------------------
Earth system impacts of the European arrival and Great Dying in the Americas after 1492
March 2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379118307261
----------------------
Sphenodontian Fossil from Ancient Gondwana Found in Brazil
9-30-2019
https://magazine.scienceconnected.org/2019/09/sphenodontian-fossil-from-ancient-gondwana-found-in-brazil/
A
new reptile fossil was recently discovered in Brazil, in the southern
state of Rio Grande do Sul. The research was published in the journal
Scientific Reports and describes the species Clevosaurus hadroprodon,
which has turned out to be the oldest fossil of its kind from what was
formerly Gondwana—the ancient supercontinent that split up into Africa,
South America, Australia, Antarctica, the Indian subcontinent, and the
Arabian Peninsula. The remains of the fossil, consisting mostly of the
mandible and skull bones, were found in rocks that date back to the late
Triassic period, from approximately 237 to 228 million years ago.
-----------------------
Brazilian fossil lizard is a remnant of ancient supercontinent’s break up
http://www.eartharchives.org/articles/brazilian-fossil-lizard-is-a-remnant-of-ancient-supercontinent-s-break-up/
-----------------------
Death-spirit dragons stalked the ancient deserts of Brazil
9-3-2019
https://blogs.plos.org/paleocomm/2019/09/03/death-spirit-dragons-stalked-the-ancient-deserts-of-brazil/
-----------------------
Ancient amphibian fossils unearthed in Brazil
2015
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2015/november/ancient-amphibian-fossils-unearthed-in-brazil.html
-----------------------
What Brazil was like 100 million years ago
3-16-2016
http://agencia.fapesp.br/what-brazil-was-like-100-million-years-ago/22837/
By
Peter Moon | Agência FAPESP – One hundred and forty million years
ago, at the start of the Cretaceous Period, Brazil was covered by a vast
desert of dunes. This desert was much larger than the Sahara, but it
vanished when it was swallowed up in an ocean of lava disgorged by the
greatest magma overflow of the last 500 million years. Seven of the
planet’s ten largest volcanic eruptions during this period, including
the top three, occurred in southeastern Brazil. The picture of Brazil’s
geological origins that researchers are piecing together is startling.
-----------------------
Vancouver Island’s ancient rainforests destroyed three times faster than Brazil’s Amazon rainforest
1-3-2019
https://sierraclub.bc.ca/vancouver-islands-ancient-rainforests-destroyed-three-times-faster-than-brazils-amazon-rainforest/
-----------------------
Mexico’s
Pyramid of the Sun could collapse, 169 new species found in the last
four years in Brazil, and fossils tell of ancient climate in Paraguay.
http://latinamericanscience.org/2014/02/mexicos-pyramid-of-the-sun-could-collapse-169-new-species-found-in-the-last-four-years-in-brazil-and-fossils-tell-of-ancient-climate-in-paraguay/
-----------------------
Brazilian
Atlantic Forest lato sensu: the most ancient Brazilian forest, and a
biodiversity hotspot, is highly threatened by climate change
2010
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842010000400002
--------------------------
How Amazon forest loss may affect water—and climate—far away
8-27-2019
A
surge in deforestation under Brazil's president could "tip" the Amazon,
affecting weather and water supplies—in Brazil and beyond.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/11/how-cutting-the-amazon-forest-could-affect-weather/
--------------------------
Climate change, oxygen and biodiversity: Amazon rainforest fires leave plenty at stake
Aug. 22, 2019
"The effects of forest destruction in the Amazon don't stay in the Amazon. They affect us all," one expert said.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/climate-change-oxygen-biodiversity-amazon-rainforest-fires-leave-plenty-stake-n1045446
--------------------------
---------------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
Section 12: Microplastics & Microcontamination
-----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
--------------------------
--------------------------
Characterization and Analysis of Microplastics
2017
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/organochlorine-pesticides
Lorena M. Rios Mendoza, ... Hrissi K. Karapanagioti, in Comprehensive Analytical Chemistry, 2017
3.2 Organochlorine Pesticides
OCPs
are synthetic compounds that are hydrophobic and chemically stable.
Because of their properties such as persistence, biomagnification and
long-range transport, their use and production is forbidden in many
countries. Among OCPs, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is the
one largely used in agriculture and against vectors and pests that
cause tropical diseases, such as malaria and leishmaniasis, in many
countries such as South Africa, China, and Brazil.
Concentrations of DDT in microplastic debris also depend on their
historical use and their proximity to the sources. Rios found high
concentrations of DDT (7100 ng/g) in plastic pellets. The authors
attributed such high amounts of DDT to its proximity to an industrial
area in Los Angeles (The United States) and the extensive use of this
compound when it was still legal. Taniguchi also found relatively
high amounts of DDT in plastic pellets from the Brazilian coast (840
ng/g) where it was heavily used in agriculture and to combat the vector
that causes malaria, mainly in the northeastern region of the country. These concentrations were higher than those found in other parts
of the world (Table 1), such as those reported by Mato in pellets
collected in Japan, by Ogata, who analysed samples from 17 countries
in the initial phase of the International Pellet Watch, and by Zhang, who investigated DDT concentrations in pellets collected from two
beaches in China, one of which was close to the largest coal port in the
country. In South Africa, where this compound was still used in
anti-malarial operations and even illegally in agricultural applications
at the time of collection (i.e., 2005 and 2008), the highest
concentration of DDT in plastic debris was recorded at 1281 ng/g. DDT
found was probably likely due to the existence of illegal applications
or dumpsites, as well as the presence of DDT as an impurity in other
permitted pesticides, such as dicofol. Different proportion of
dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane
(DDD) and DDT can be observed among locations (e.g., Ogata, Rios, Karapanagioti and Taniguchi). The degradation of DDT to
DDD or DDE may occur in dumpsites before being carried to the marine
environment. The transformation may occur also in sediment, from which
the DDT metabolite may be resuspended and desorbed in water, followed by
further sorption to plastic.
Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)
may be released into the environment as a product of incomplete waste
combustion in incinerators and as a by-product of industrial processes. Moreover, this product has also been used as a fungicide in
some countries where it has caused considerable environmental and
health problems, such as leukopenia. Mirex is known in some
countries as dodecachlor and was principally used for ant control, with
restricted distribution. Mirex was used as both a pesticide and
flame retardant and its persistence is associated with high chlorination
levels. In plastic pellets collected in the southeastern coast of
Brazil, Taniguchi reported concentrations from 1.8 to 55.8 ng/g for
HCB and <0.24–3.1 ng/g for Mirex.
Hexachlorocyclohexane
(HCH) can be found in microplastic, but usually in low concentrations,
which reflect the less retention of HCH due to relatively lower
hydrophobicity and higher vapour pressure in comparison to PCBs. The
concentrations of HCH found in several countries during the initial
phase of the International Pellet Watch programme ranged from 0.14 to
37.1 ng/g, which demonstrated that these compounds were used at that
time in some countries, such as Mozambique. Isomers of HCH and
particularly ?-HCH were widely employed in cotton and coffee plantations
and used in public health campaigns against insects (Triatoma sp.) that
cause Chagas' disease. HCHs are much less bioaccumulative than
other organochlorines due to their relatively low degree of
lipophilicity. In contrast, the relatively high vapour pressures,
particularly for the a-HCH isomer, determine the long-range transport of
these pollutants in the atmosphere. The amounts of other OCPs such
as dieldrin and chlordanes in microplastic are usually very low (i.e.,
close to method detection limits).
-----------------------
Analysis
of microcontaminants in aqueous samples by fully automated on-line
solid-phase extraction-gas chromatography-mass selective detection
1996
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0021967395009795
------------
How Our Cleanliness Testing Services for Microcontamination Propel Excellence in the Hard Drive Industry
2018
https://www.innovatechlabs.com/newsroom/1913/combating-microcontamination-hard-drive-industry/
------------
Amazon Deforestation Not A Local Issue When It Comes To Pollution
Sep 24, 2019
https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewwight/2019/09/24/amazon-deforestation-not-a-local-issue-when-it-comes-to-pollution/#207e4c2739a9
With
130,000 acres of forest reported cleared and burned in Brazil in 2019,
according to various satellite sources, that means minerals once
sequestered inside plants are now being sent into the atmosphere.
Ascorra
said the danger was that air pollution that starts in the Amazon will
arrive at the Pacific and can be carried by airborne currents to Asia.
He also warned that mercury, which is a liquid at room, evaporates
easily, spreading contamination.
According to a Colombian environmental toxicologist, what comes after the land is denuded poses a different kind of threat.
Jesus
Olivero-Verbel, a researcher at the University of Cartagena, says that
accelerating deforestation, hundreds of kilometers from the sea, is
potentially bringing heavy metal contamination, particularly mercury
pollution, to coastlines across the world.
Olivero-Verbal
said, based on his team’s research in Colombia, once forests are cut
down or burned for roads or pasture-land, soils containing heavy metals
flow into creeks, with this silt eventually arriving at the sea.
His
research team has seen how microplastics, full of molecule-sized
crevices, can then carry these heavy metal molecules to far-away coasts.
They conducted a study, published in 2019, of microplastics washed on a beach in Cartagena, Colombia, on the Carribean coast.
The team found that the most degraded microplastics had the highest concentrations of contaminants.
Barium,
Chromium, Rubidium, Strontium, Cerium, Zirconium, Nickel and Lead were
among the heavy metals most likely to be found trapped inside the
microscopic pores of microplastics particles.
Many of
these metals are well documented human health effects, varying from
acute symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting to more long-term effects like
cancer and kidney failure.
“When there is
deforestation in a river basin then the contamination flows to the sea
and then microplastics spread that contamination to any coast in the
world via ocean currents,” Olivero-Verbal said.
Of all
the contaminants, Olivero-Verbal is most concerned by mercury – It is
one of the most toxic elements. Even at low concentrations it can cause
detrimental effects to wildlife and humans.
The human
health impacts include neurological effects, alterations in behavior,
decreased IQ, severe headache, loss of sensory capacity, muscle
weakness, fatigue, irregular menstrual cycles and miscarriages, among
others.
In his previous studies of mercury levels in
the hair strands of populations in Colombia, Olivero-Verbal found that
fisherman in Cauca region had an average concentration of 9 parts per
million (ppm), while indigenous communities on the Caquetá River, in the
country’s south had 17.3 ppm. The internationally recognised ‘safe’
level is only 1 ppm.
Adding to the giant blazes in
Brazil, the rate of deforestation in two other major Amazon countries is
sky-rocketing, each from a different cause.
In
Colombia, a 2016 peace accord between the government and the FARC
guerrilla group has allowed ranchers and other farmers onto large tracts
of land that were previously fiercely defended by the now-demobilised
guerilla.
In Peru, illegal gold mining is a key
deforestation driver. In 2018 alone, 22,930 acres of forest in Peru had
been destroyed by miners.
------------
80% Of Fish In The Amazon River Have Plastic In Their Stomach
https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/plastic-has-been-found-in-the-stomachs-of-amazon-fish-for-the-first-time/
------------
RUBBER ENTERPRISES IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON, 1870-1930
http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/2869/1/U615818.pdf
------------
Tropical forest conversion to rubber plantation affects soil micro- & mesofaunal community & diversity
2019
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-42333-4
------------
The biggest likely source of microplastics in California coastal waters? Our car tires
Oct. 2, 2019
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2019-10-02/california-microplastics-ocean-study
--------------
Study Finds Microplastics in More than 90 Percent of Tested Water Bottles
3-16-2018
But the effects of microplastics on human health are far from clear
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/study-finds-microplastics-more-90-percent-tested-water-bottles-2-180968507/
--------------
Uptake and Accumulation of Polystyrene Microplastics in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) and Toxic Effects in Liver
2016
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.6b00183
-----------------------
Review of micro- and nanoplastic contamination in the food chain
2019
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19440049.2019.1583381
--------------
Joane: Plastic Is Killing Us in the Amazon
7-16-2019
https://pulitzercenter.org/reporting/joane-plastic-killing-us-amazon
--------------
Plastics polluting the oceans creep into household sea salt
2017
https://www.efe.com/efe/english/technology/plastics-polluting-the-oceans-creep-into-household-sea-salt/50000267-3375901
--------------
Sea salt around the world is contaminated by plastic, studies show
2017
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/08/sea-salt-around-world-contaminated-by-plastic-studies
-----------------------
Effects of road salt on microbial communities: Halophiles as biomarkers of road salt pollution
2019
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0221355
Abstract
Increased
use of salting to de-ice roadways, especially in urban areas, is
leading to elevated salinity levels in soil as well as surface- and
ground water. This salt pollution may cause long-term ecological changes
to soil and aquatic microbial communities. In this study, we examined
the impact on microbial communities in soils exposed to urban road salt
runoff using both culturing and 16S amplicon sequencing. Both methods
showed an increase in halophilic Bacteria and Archaea in samples from
road salt-exposed areas and suggested that halophiles are becoming
persistent members of microbial communities in urban, road salt-impacted
soils. Since salt is a pollutant that can accumulate in soils over
time, it is critical to begin assessing its impact on the environment
immediately. Toward this goal, we have developed a facile
semi-quantitative assay utilizing halophilic microbes as biomarkers to
evaluate on-going salt pollution of soils.
--------------
Effects of road salt on microbial communities: Halophiles as biomarkers of road salt pollution
2019
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0221355
Abstract
Increased
use of salting to de-ice roadways, especially in urban areas, is
leading to elevated salinity levels in soil as well as surface- and
ground water. This salt pollution may cause long-term ecological changes
to soil and aquatic microbial communities. In this study, we examined
the impact on microbial communities in soils exposed to urban road salt
runoff using both culturing and 16S amplicon sequencing. Both methods
showed an increase in halophilic Bacteria and Archaea in samples from
road salt-exposed areas and suggested that halophiles are becoming
persistent members of microbial communities in urban, road salt-impacted
soils. Since salt is a pollutant that can accumulate in soils over
time, it is critical to begin assessing its impact on the environment
immediately. Toward this goal, we have developed a facile
semi-quantitative assay utilizing halophilic microbes as biomarkers to
evaluate on-going salt pollution of soils.
------------------------------
Unlocking Pandora - Insights from Pre-salt Reservoirs in Campos and Santos Basins (Offshore Brazil)
June 2015
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279783392_Unlocking_Pandora_-_Insights_from_Pre-salt_Reservoirs_in_Campos_and_Santos_Basins_Offshore_Brazil
-----------------------------
Critically Evaluating the Current Depositional Models for the Pre-Salt Barra Velha Formation, Offshore Brazil
http://www.searchanddiscovery.com/pdfz/documents/2017/51439wright/ndx_wright.pdf.html
-----------------------------
Exploration Opportunities in the Pre-Salt Play, Deepwater Campos Basin, Brazil
Feb 2017
https://www.sepm.org/files/151article.bg4mhtdfm4ho1mb7.pdf
-----------------------------
Subsalt seen as promising exploration frontier for Brazil
Brazil’s subsalt exploration is focused in the Santos, Campos and Espirito Santo basins.
6-1-2007
https://www.offshore-mag.com/geosciences/article/16761140/subsalt-seen-as-promising-exploration-frontier-for-brazil
-----------------------------
Marine Debris in the Island of Santa Catarina, South Brazil: Spatial Patterns, Composition, and Biological Aspects
Abstract
The
prevalence of marine debris is a worldwide issue, especially in coastal
areas. Half of the Brazilian population live within 200 km of the coast
and generate large amounts of garbage, which is not always sent to an
appropriate destination. This study aims to assess patterns of spatial
variability and composition of marine debris in the beaches of
Florianópolis, an important tourist destination in Brazil. Biological
aspects were also assessed. Five beaches were sampled twice, and
abundances of litter ranging from 12.8 to 498 items/100 m2 were found,
depending on location and time of sampling. Plastic items accounted for
almost 90% of the material collected. Only 5% of the items collected
showed biological encrustations, suggesting that most items had a local
origin. A weak negative correlation was found between the number of
items and the number of ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata) open burrows.
These results can be used for management purposes and to make
comparisons with other coastal cities.
https://www.jcronline.org/doi/abs/10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-09-00072.1
--------------
Over 90% of sampled salt brands globally found to contain microplastics
2018
https://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/18975/over-90-of-sampled-salt-brands-globally-found-to-contain-microplastics/
The
study highlights Asia as a hotspot for global plastic pollution meaning
that the ecosystem and human health in Asian marginal seas could
potentially be at greater risk because of severe maritime microplastics
pollution. In one Indonesian sea salt sample, researchers found the
highest quantities of microplastics. The country is considered to be the
second worst plastic emitter into the world’s oceans.
Assuming
intake of 10 grams per day of salt, the average adult consumer could
ingest approximately 2,000 microplastics each year through salt alone,
as the study suggests. Even after discounting the highly contaminated
Indonesian salt sample from this study, the average adult could still be
consuming many hundreds of microplastics each year.
“The
findings suggest that human ingestion of microplastics via marine
products is strongly related to plastic emissions in a given region,”
said Professor Kim, Seung-Kyu, corresponding author of the study. “In
order to limit our exposure to microplastics, preventative measures are
required, such as controlling the environmental discharge of mismanaged
plastics and more importantly, reducing plastic waste” he added.
Earlier
this month, Greenpeace along with the Break Free From Plastic coalition
released a report naming Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestlé as among the
most frequent companies whose packaging relies on the single-use
plastics that pollute our oceans and waterways globally.
--------------
Accumulation of Microplastic on Shorelines Woldwide: Sources and Sinks
2011
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/es201811s
--------------
Microplastics in the Marine Environment: A Review of the Methods Used for Identification and Quantification
2012
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/es2031505
--------------
Microplastics in our oceans and marine health
https://journals.openedition.org/factsreports/5257
--------------
Marine microplastics spell big problems for future generations
2-22-2016
https://www.pnas.org/content/113/9/2331
--------------
Understanding
How Microplastics Affect Marine Biota on the Cellular Level Is
Important for Assessing Ecosystem Function: A Review
10-15-2019
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-20389-4_6
--------------
Microplastics in coastal and marine environments of the western tropical and sub-tropical Atlantic Ocean
2015
https://pubs.rsc.org/tr/content/articlelanding/2015/em/c5em00158g/unauth#!divAbstract
--------------
Plastic Resin Pellets as a Transport Medium for Toxic Chemicals in the Marine Environment
2000
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/es0010498
---------------
First evidence of microplastic ingestion by fishes from the Amazon River estuary
June 2018
Abstract
This
study investigated occurrence of microplastic particles in digestive
tracts of fishes from the Amazon River estuary. A total of 189 fish
specimens representing 46 species from 22 families was sampled from
bycatch of the shrimp fishery. Microplastic particles removed from fish
gastrointestinal tracts were identified using Attenuated Total
Reflectance – Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR). In total, 228
microplastic particles were removed from gastrointestinal tracts of 26
specimens representing 14 species (30% of those examined). Microplastic
particles were categorized as pellets (97.4%), sheets (1.3%), fragments
(0.4%) and threads (0.9%), with size ranging from 0.38 to 4.16 mm. There
was a positive correlation between fish standard length and number of
particles found in gastrointestinal tracts. The main polymers identified
by ATR-FTIR were polyamide, rayon and polyethylene. These findings
provide the first evidence of microplastic contamination of biota from
the Amazon estuary and northern coast of Brazil.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325945268_First_evidence_of_microplastic_ingestion_by_fishes_from_the_Amazon_River_estuary
----------------
'Sad surprise': Amazon fish contaminated by plastic particles
Nov 2018
Scientists in Brazil find first evidence of plastic pollution in Amazon basin freshwater fish
Scientists
have found the first evidence of plastic contamination in freshwater
fish in the Amazon, highlighting the extent to which bags, bottles and
other waste dumped in rivers is affecting the world’s wildlife.
Tests
on the stomach contents of fish in Brazil’s Xingu River, one of the
major tributaries of the Amazon, revealed plastic particles in more than
80% of the species examined, including the omnivorous parrot pacu,
herbivorous redhook silver dollar, and meat-eating red-bellied piranha.
The
researchers focused on fish in the Xingu because of their rich
diversity and breadth of feeding habits. The fish ranged from 4cm to
nearly a foot in length, and weighed from 2g to nearly a kilogram.
Analysis
of the fishes’ stomach contents identified a dozen distinct polymers
used to manufacture plastic items, including bags, bottles, and fishing
gear. Most pieces were black, red, blue, white or translucent and varied
from 1mm-sized particles to flakes measuring 15mm in width.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/16/sad-surprise-amazon-fish-contaminated-by-plastic-particles
---------------
Microplastics
in fisheries and aquaculture Status of knowledge on their occurrence and
implications for aquatic organisms and food safety
http://www.fao.org/3/a-i7677e.pdf
--------------
Microplastics in coastal areas and seafood: implications for food safety
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19440049.2019.1585581
--------------
Study shows how mussels handle microplastic fiber pollution
12-4-2018
https://phys.org/news/2018-12-mussels-microplastic-fiber-pollution.html
--------------
Efficiency in the environmental management of plastic wastes at Brazilian ports based on data envelopment analysis
May 2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X19302474
--------------
Plastic ingestion by sea turtles in Paraíba State, Northeast Brazil
2015
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0073-47212015000300265
--------------
Plastic litter on an urban beach---a case study in Brazil.
2009
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19220998
---------------
Microplastics
in the aquatic and terrestrial environment: sources (with a specific
focus on personal care products), fate and effects
2016
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5044952/
---------------
Uptake and Retention of Microplastics by the Shore Crab Carcinus maenas
2014
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es501090e
---------------
Microplastics as contaminants in the soil environment: A mini-review
11-15-2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969719333236
----------------
The Brazilian villagers turning plastic pollution into profit
2018
After
plastic waste contributed to deadly floods in Recife, one neighbourhood
took action. Now people can earn a living by cleaning up the river in a
scheme being imitated around the world
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/12/the-brazilian-villagers-turning-plastic-pollution-into-profit
--------------
Research finds humans across the globe have microplastics in their stool
11-6-2018
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/11/research-finds-humans-across-the-globe-have-microplastics-in-their-stool/
-----------------------
Tiny pieces of plastic found in Arctic snow
The
discovery suggests that microplastics are being carried around the
planet in atmospheric winds, and that we’re breathing them in.
8-14-2019
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/08/microplastics-found-in-arctic-snow/
----------------------------------
---------------------------
-------------------------
-------------------------
-------------------
-------------------
Section 13: Beaches & Transboundary Pollution
-------------------
-------------------
------------------------
------------------------
--------------------------
13 of the dirtiest beaches in the world
Jul 13, 2018
https://www.insider.com/dirtiest-polluted-beaches-2018-6
Guanabara Bay Beaches, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio's
notoriously polluted Guanabara Bay gained media attention before and
during the 2016 Summer Olympics, when athletes competing in events like
sailing and rowing were exposed to its mucky waters.
According
to an investigation conducted by the Associated Press, the bay water
"contained dangerously high levels of viruses and bacteria from human
sewage." Athletes who ingested as little as three teaspoons of the
polluted water faced a 99% chance of infection.
El Gringo Beach, Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic
Pure
Earth — a New York-based nonprofit formerly known as the Blacksmith
Institute that aims to identify and clean up polluted sites around the
world — once designated Bajos de Haina as one of the most polluted
places on Earth.
Nicknamed "Dominican Chernobyl," the
city outside El Gringo Beach is filled with chemical and pharmaceutical
plants — not to mention an oil refinery. The Inter Press Service news
agency reports that these factories emit high quantities of toxic
substances including formaldehyde, lead, ammonium, and sulfuric acid
each year. In addition to releasing airborne toxins, local factories are
also said to dispose of waste by dumping it into the water.
---------------------
Chevron is refusing to pay for the 'Amazon Chernobyl' – we can fight back with citizen action
17 Sep 2020
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/17/chevron-amazon-oil-toxic-waste-dump-ecuador-boycott
---------------------
A Look at Brazil’s Polluted Waters
Jun 14, 2017
https://psmag.com/news/a-look-at-brazils-polluted-waters
Water-transmitted
diseases are responsible for about 65 percent of all the
hospitalizations in Brazil. Drug-resistant bacteria have been found
around Flamengo Beach, where Olympic sailing competitions are scheduled.
Some of these “super-resistant” strains are able to withstand
antibiotics up to 600 times higher than what would normally be
administered for treatment, according to studies.
Tons
of dead fish float on the waters of the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon in Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo: Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images)
A
massive fish kill in April wiped out 50 tons of twait shad from
Guanabara Bay. While government officials cited a sudden change in water
temperature as the cause of the mysterious die-off, scientists blamed
the waterway’s extreme pollution as the root cause of the kill,
according to reports.
---------------------
Oil Washes Up on Tourist Beaches in ‘Brazilian Caribbean’
10-17-2019
https://www.voanews.com/americas/oil-washes-tourist-beaches-brazilian-caribbean
------------------
THEMATIC REPORT FOR THE GUIANAS–BRAZIL SUB-REGION
February 2007
https://www.clmeproject.org/phaseone/CLME%20Guianas%20Brazil%20Shelf%20thematic%20report[1].pdf
------------------
Humans Have Created a New Natural Disaster
8-29-2018
Massive
seaweed infestations are killing sea turtles and befouling beaches
across the Caribbean—and scientists say it's just the beginning.
The
June Sargassum invasion in Barbados claimed the lives of three sea
turtles, six dolphins, and “countless” fish and eels, The Daily Nation
reported. But surely more have perished in the months since, as sheets
of the bulbous-tipped seaweed—sometimes several feet deep—have become
regular visitors to the country’s eastern and southern shorelines.
(Sargassum on the beach of the city of Le Gosier on the French Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe in April 2018).
https://newrepublic.com/article/150775/humans-created-new-natural-disaster
------------------
Mysterious Oil Spill Becomes New Environmental Crisis for Brazil
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/08/world/americas/brazil-oil-spill-beaches.html
----------------------
Nearly three months after Brazil oil spill, origins remain uncertain
11-18-2019
https://news.mongabay.com/2019/11/nearly-three-months-after-brazil-oil-spill-origins-remain-uncertain/
-----------------------
2019 Northeast Brazil oil spill
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Northeast_Brazil_oil_spill
As
of 23 October, contamination had reached more than 200 localities from
the nine states of Northeast Brazil. More than 1,000 tonnes of oil have
already been collected from beaches along the 2,250 km (1,400 mi) of
coastline affected.
------------------
Spill and run: Brazil struggles to identify tanker behind major oil leak
12-20-2019
Mystery ship responsible for contaminating half Brazil’s coast highlights gaps in global shipping industry regulations
https://chinadialogueocean.net/12324-spill-and-run-brazil-oil-leak/
----------------
Amazon rainforest's final frontier under threat from oil and soya
Feb 2017
In
Brazil’s least developed state, Amapá, locals fear that government
plans to increase soya and oil production will destroy the area – and
their livelihoods
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/feb/16/amazon-rainforest-final-frontier-in-brazil-under-threat-from-oil-and-soya
-----------------
Effects of a shipwreck on the zooplankton community in a port region of the Amazon
2019
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-018-3999-2
------------------
Brazil's new oil frontier threatens Amazon reef
May 12, 2017
Environmentalists are now pressuring regulators to block oil exploration.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/brazils-oil-frontier-threatens-amazon-reef/story?id=47372986
-----------------
Brazil's forgotten state: oil and agribusiness threaten Amapá forests – in pictures
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2017/feb/16/brazils-forgotten-state-oil-agribusiness-threaten-amapa-forests-in-pictures
------------------
Oil spill at sea: who will pay for Peru’s worst environmental disaster?
7 Mar 2022
As the state, the refinery and tanker owners play the blame game, damage to the region’s ecosystems continues to spread
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/07/oil-spill-at-sea-who-will-pay-peru-worst-environmental-disaster
------------------
Oil spill clean-up on Brazilian beaches making volunteers sick
10-25-2019
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-environment-oil-health/oil-spill-clean-up-on-brazilian-beaches-making-volunteers-sick-idUSKBN1X42I8
------------------
Turtles Die As Mystery Oil Spill Washes Up On Brazil’s Shores
2019
https://www.iflscience.com/environment/turtles-die-as-mystery-oil-spill-washes-up-on-brazil-s-shores/
------------------------
Mystery oil spills blot more than 130 Brazilian beaches
2019
https://phys.org/news/2019-10-mystery-oil-brazilian-beaches.html
----------------------------
Oil spills reach more than 100 regions of Brazil’s coast
2019
https://apnews.com/e2d4b64a86c542028c08e53e13389892
------------------------------
Assessing the sources of high fecal coliform levels at an urban tropical beach
2015
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1517-83822015000401019
------------------------------
Sao Jose Beach {Brazil}
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g667504-d2391180-Reviews-Sao_Jose_Beach-Itacare_State_of_Bahia.html
PhoenixSaoPaulo wrote a review Mar 2013
The
owners destroyed this beach by building too many infrastructure around,
an ecological crime. Years ago thsi was a virgin, wonderful beach, and
by financial interest the nature was ireversibley violated, a real
shame.
------------------------------
Guanabara Bay ecosystem health report card: Science, management, and governance implications
January 2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235248551830238X
------------------------------
Environmental and Sanitary Conditions of Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro
2015
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4653747/
------------------------------
Rio's Relentless Beach Pollution
2014
https://www.citylab.com/equity/2014/03/rios-relentless-beach-pollution/8729/
------------------------------
World's Deadliest Beaches
2018
https://www.farandwide.com/s/most-dangerous-beaches-world-3d2e3a80e3454d9d
------------------------------
Brazil environment: Clean-up on beaches affected by oil spill
2019
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50113383
------------------------------
Scientists rush to rescue sea turtles threatened by mysterious Brazil oil spill
10-15-2019
https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-10-15/scientists-rush-rescue-sea-turtles-threatened-mysterious-brazil-oil-spill
------------------------------
Underwater Images Give First Glimpse of Newly Discovered Brazilian Reef
1-31-2017
The Amazon Reef once shocked scientists. Now, for the first time, we know what it looks like
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-are-first-images-once-brazilian-reef-180961976/
----------------------
Brazil lost 80 percent of coral reef in 50 years
9-25-2012
https://www.pri.org/stories/2012-09-25/brazil-lost-80-percent-coral-reef-50-years
----------------------
Brazil: Coral Diseases Endanger Reefs
https://www.wri.org/brazil-coral-diseases-endanger-reefs
Provided
by Ronaldo Francini-Filho and Fabiano Thompson of the Universidade
Federal da Paraiba, and Rodrigo Moura of Conservation International,
Brazil
The Abrolhos Bank, off the shores of the
populous state of Bahia in northeastern Brazil, is home to the largest
and richest coral reefs in the South Atlantic.1 Eight of the 18 coral
species commonly found in the Abrolhos Bank occur only in the South
Atlantic, with one species (Mussismilia braziliensis) endemic to the
eastern Brazilian coast alone. Brazil’s reefs are also a primary source
of food and employment for thousands of people along the coast.2
In
the last 20 years, the Bahia coast has experienced increased tourism,
urbanization, and large-scale agriculture, leading to the discharge of
untreated wastes, fertilizers, and nutrients that contaminate the
region’s reefs. Destruction of the Atlantic rainforest has also led to
increased erosion and a high influx of land-based sediments onto the
reefs. As a result, pathogenic bacteria are now common on the reefs.3
Coral
disease prevalence on the Brazilian coastline has escalated from
negligible to alarmingly high levels in recent years. Scientists have
recorded six types of diseases on the Abrolhos Bank.4 White-plague-like
disease was by far the most common, affecting primarily the key endemic
reef coral M. braziliensis.
Studies link the global
proliferation of coral diseases to elevated seawater temperature and to
the human impacts mentioned.5 Should disease-induced coral mortality
continue, Brazil’s reefs will suffer a massive coral cover decline in
the next 50 years, and M. braziliensis will be nearly extinct in less
than a century. If seawater temperatures continue to rise and local
threats continue to plague Brazil’s reefs, these ecosystems may collapse
even sooner.
----------------------
What the world can learn from Brazilian coral reefs
2018
https://sciencenorway.no/animals--plants-climate-change-forskningno/what-the-world-can-learn-from-brazilian-coral-reefs/1461014
Unlike
Australia, coral reefs in Brazil haven’t seen any mass mortality events
related to bleaching so far. Could Brazilian corals hold the key to
more resilient reefs?
-----------------------
Amazon coral reef would be ruined by planned oil drilling, scientists say
2018
The
56,000 sq km reef is thought to contain dozens of undiscovered species,
in an area where a French company intents to drill for oil
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/17/amazon-coral-reef-oil-drilling-destruction-greenpeace
-----------------------
Almost all 29 Coral Reefs on the U.N. World Heritage List Damaged by Bleeching
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/06/almost-all-29-coral-reefs-un-world-heritage-list-damaged-bleaching
----------------------
Half of the Great Barrier Reef Is Dead
2018
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/08/explore-atlas-great-barrier-reef-coral-bleaching-map-climate-change/
See where coral in the world's largest coral reef system has been bleached to death.
----------------------
Ocean Temperature Increase Has Destroyed 90 Percent of Coral Reef in Southern Bahia
9-9-2019
According
to researchers of the project Coral Vivo, the coral reefs are suffering
from stress and decolorization process. The temperature has risen
because of the "El Niño" weather phenomenon.
https://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/miscellaneous/increase-in-ocean-temperature-has-already-destroyed-90-percent-of-the-coral-reef-in-southern-bahia/
----------------------
BLACK
DEATH Sea turtles and birds wash up dead after mysterious oil spill
devastates 180 Brazilian beaches and threatens coral reefs
21 Oct 2019
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10181044/oil-spill-brazil-turtles-dead-coral-threatened-destroy-ecosystem/
----------------------
Oil drilling near newly discovered Amazon coral reef attacked by scientists
July 2017
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/oil-drilling-amazon-coral-reef-near-fossil-fuels-global-warming-a7865591.html
Campaigners say oil spills could put the 'precious and unique' reef at risk
Plans
to drill for oil near the newly discovered Amazon Reef – one of the
largest in the world – have been attacked by leading scientists,
conservationists and explorers.
The reef extends for
about 600 miles off the north coast of Brazil, near the mouth of the
mighty Amazon river, and covers an area about half the size of Wales.
Oil
companies BP and Total plan to drill for oil in the area and there is
concern that any spills would damage the “precious and unique
ecosystem”.
Now a group of scientists and others have
signed a statement calling the reef, the existence of which was only
revealed last year, to be protected.
----------------------
Massive Oil Spill Turns Brazil's Beaches Black, Kills Marine Life, Threatens Communities
Nov. 05, 2019
https://www.ecowatch.com/brazil-oil-spill-2019-2641228354.html?rebelltitem=1
----------------------
Recreational Exposure during Algal Bloom in Carrasco Beach, Uruguay: A Liver Failure Case Report
2017
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5618200/
Abstract
In January 2015, a 20-month-old child and her family took part in
recreational activities at Carrasco and Malvín beaches (Montevideo,
Uruguay). An intense harmful algae bloom (HAB) was developing along the
coast at that time. A few hours after the last recreational exposure
episode, the family suffered gastrointestinal symptoms which were
self-limited except in the child’s case, who was admitted to hospital in
Uruguay with diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, and jaundice. The patient had
increased serum levels of liver enzymes and bilirubin and five days
later presented acute liver failure. She was referred to the Italian
Hospital in Buenos Aires, being admitted with grade II–III
encephalopathy and hepatomegaly and requiring mechanical respiratory
assistance. Serology tests for hepatitis A, B, and C, Epstein-Barr
virus, and cytomegalovirus were negative. Laboratory features showed
anemia, coagulopathy, and increased serum levels of ammonium, alanine
aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and bilirubin.
Autoimmune Hepatitis Type-II (AH-II) was the initial diagnosis based on
a liver kidney microsomal type 1 antibodies (LKM-1) positive result,
and twenty days later a liver transplant was performed. The liver
histopathology had indicated hemorrhagic necrosis in zone 3, and
cholestasis and nodular regeneration, which were not characteristic of
AH-II. LC/ESI-HRMS (liquid chromatography electrospray ionization
high-resolution mass spectrometry) analysis of MCs in the explanted
liver revealed the presence of Microsytin-LR (MC-LR) (2.4 ng·gr−1 tissue) and [D-Leu1]MC-LR (75.4 ng·gr−1
tissue), which constitute a toxicological nexus and indicate a
preponderant role of microcystins in the development of fulminant
hepatitis.
-----------------------
In Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro’s Anti-Environment Agenda Goes Far Beyond the Amazon
Nov 13, 2019
An oil spill has been contaminating the northeastern shore for weeks.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/11/brazil-jair-bolsonaro-anti-environment-agenda-wildfires-oil-spill.html
----------------------
As Brazil tries to recover from huge oil spill, ExxonMobil and Chevron bid to dig even more into the country’s oil reserve
11-4-2019
https://350.org/press-release/as-brazil-tries-to-recover-from-huge-oil-spill-exxonmobil-and-chevron-bid-to-dig-even-more-into-the-countrys-oil-reserve/
----------------------
Oil contaminating Brazil's beaches 'very likely from Venezuela', minister says
2019
Government
says foreign ship appears to have caused the spill, in accusation
likely to further strain Brazilian-Venezuelan relations
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/09/brazil-beach-oil-slick-venezuela-government
----------------------
What Canada can learn from the devastating oil spill in Brazil
11-29-2019
https://blog.wwf.ca/blog/2019/11/29/canada-can-learn-devastating-oil-spill-brazil-2/
----------------------
Microplastic pollution of the beaches of Guanabara Bay, Southeast Brazil
August 2016
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301759105_Microplastic_pollution_of_the_beaches_of_Guanabara_Bay_Southeast_Brazil
----------------------
Three-dimensional distribution of plastic pellets in sandy beaches: shifting paradigms
March 2014
https://www.nature.com/articles/srep04435
----------------------
Brazil's Northeastern Coast Faces Pollution on Two Frontsoil and Sewage
Dec.23.2019
There are organisms and chemicals harmful to human health in the ocean
https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/scienceandhealth/2019/12/brazils-northeastern-coast-faces-pollution-on-two-frontsoil-and-sewage.shtml
----------------------
Toxic seaweed a menace to Caribbean tourists
2019
https://www.physiciansweekly.com/toxic-seaweed-a-menace/
Tourists
to the Caribbean may not realize that a brown drifting seaweed that’s
been piling up on beaches in recent years is dangerous, researchers say.
Travelers
and doctors alike should be aware that prolonged contact with the
Sargassum weed, or inhaling the hydrogen sulfide gas it gives off as it
decomposes on the beach, can cause heart palpitations, shortness of
breath, dizziness, vertigo, headache and skin rashes, the authors write
in the Journal of Travel Medicine.
“I’ve observed
patients returning from affected areas with unusual symptoms that were
reminiscent of an intoxication syndrome in the absence of alternate
explanations,” said co-author Dr. Andrea Boggild, clinical director of
the Tropical Disease Unit at Toronto General Hospital.
“The
more research I did on the topic, the more I realized that this really
is an issue that continues to fly under the radar of most medical
professionals,” she told Reuters Health by email.
Boggild
and co-author Dr. Mary Elizabeth Wilson of the Harvard T.H. Chan School
of Public Health in Boston report that beginning in 2011,
larger-than-normal rafts of the brown seaweed began washing up on shores
around the Caribbean, originating from the northeast coast of Brazil,
and by 2018, record amounts were reported. The seaweed also occurs in
China’s Yellow Sea, where it’s known as “golden tide.”
----------------------
Study discusses origin of floating seaweed that invaded Brazilian coast
May 31, 2017
http://agencia.fapesp.br/study-discusses-origin-of-floating-seaweed-that-invaded-brazilian-coast/25386/
----------------------
Researchers link seaweed blooms to pollution in ocean water
Jul 21, 2019
https://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20190721/researchers-link-seaweed-blooms-to-pollution-in-ocean-water
----------------------
Miami Beach wrestles with a new and unwelcome visitor: Seaweed — foul piles of it
June 20, 2019
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article231709143.html
----------------------
Mexico struggling to deal with seaweed invading some of its Caribbean beaches
2019
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2019/06/28/mexico-beaches-country-struggles-solve-seaweed-invasion/1593664001/
--------------
Mysterious masses of seaweed assault Caribbean islands
2018
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/06/mysterious-masses-seaweed-assault-caribbean-islands
--------------
Brazil’s Dirty Beaches
2014
https://www.totallycoolpix.com/magazine/2014/03/brazils-dirty-beaches
--------------
Brazil's main tourist cities have 42% of polluted beaches – 21/12/2019 – Daily life
Dec 2019
https://www.time24.news/2019/12/brazils-main-tourist-cities-have-42-of-polluted-beaches-21-12-2019-daily-life.html
The
sun shining in the clear blue water of a quiet corner of Barra da
Tijuca, in the west of Rio de Janeiro, explains the amazement of
Argentine tourist Florencia Pérez, 34, when she learns that this stretch
is considered unsuitable for bathing almost all year long. “It's very
beautiful here, I would never think about that.
Our
beaches near Buenos Aires look a lot dirtier, ”she says shortly after
leaving the sea with her daughter on her lap. Visiting Brazil for the
first time, she could hardly imagine that almost half of the country's
main tourist beaches would be dirty.
The data is in the
survey of the leaf. In the calculation, the 31 cities of the Brazilian
coast classified in category A by the Ministry of Tourism were included –
those that receive more visitors, generate more jobs in the sector and
have more lodging beds.
In these municipalities, 42% of
the 663 monitored points had water rated as poor or very poor between
November 2018 and October 2019. This means that these stretches of water
were unsuitable for bathing in at least one in four measurements taken
during the period.
The data, which the newspaper
collects with local governments four years ago, indicates a worsening.
In 2018, 40% of these priority beaches were bad or very bad, and in 2016
and 2017, 35%. The trend is also upwards when considering all the more
than one thousand points monitored on the Brazilian coast: 35% were
classified as dirty in this area. four years ago were 29%.
Swimming
in inappropriate areas can cause health problems, especially
gastrointestinal or skin diseases such as mycoses. Other foci of
contamination, which are not considered in this analysis, may be the
presence of garbage in the sand and the oil spill that reached the
northeastern coast in the last semester.
--------------
Pervasive smell of sewage at Copacabana and Ipanema beaches?
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g303506-i1199-k10379190-Pervasive_smell_of_sewage_at_Copacabana_and_Ipanema_beaches-Rio_de_Janeiro_State_of_Rio_de.html
--------------
For Brazil, Rio Sewage is One of Many Water Challenges
2016
https://www.circleofblue.org/2016/south-america/brazil-rio-sewage-one-many-water-challenges/
------------------------
‘Toxic’ levels of pharmaceuticals found in quarter of world’s rivers
February 15 2022
Potentially toxic levels of pharmaceutical drugs have been found in a quarter of river locations examined across the world, a study has found.
Researchers from around the world surveyed more than 1,000 sites on 258 rivers, from the Thames in London to the Brazilian Amazon and rivers in major cities such as Delhi, New York and Guangzhou.
The assessment measured the presence of 61 pharmaceuticals, including some compounds also linked to lifestyles such as caffeine, and whether they were above levels where they could have an effect on the environment.
The study, published in the ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)’, warns that pollution of the world’s rivers by medicinal chemicals is a global problem.
Pollution poses a risk to freshwater habitats and wildlife, potentially could contribute to the build-up of antimicrobial resistance, and also threatens global goals on water quality and pollution, the research warns.
The analysis, carried out at the University of York, found pharmaceutical pollution in rivers on every continent, with nicotine and cotinine, caffeine and paracetamol turning up everywhere, including Antarctica.
An array of chemicals such as beta blockers, antibiotics, antidepressants, sleeping medication and antihistamines were found in rivers on all inhabited continents.
While most chemicals seen in rivers globally are lower than concentrations that could cause ecological effects, there were levels of contaminants that could pose a threat to environmental or human health in more than a quarter of the studied locations.
And some rivers are exposed to complex mixtures of chemicals. Contaminants found at potentially harmful concentrations at some sites included beta blocker propranolol and antibiotic ciprofloxacin.
For the study, water samples were obtained from sites spanning from a village in Venezuela, where modern medicines are not used, to cities ranging from Lagos to Las Vegas, along with areas of political instability such as Baghdad and the Palestinian West Bank.
https://www.independent.ie/world-news/toxic-levels-of-pharmaceuticals-found-in-quarter-of-worlds-rivers-41347568.html
------------------------
Brazil’s sewage woes reflect the growing global water quality crisis
2016
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/waste/brazil-s-sewage-woes-reflect-the-growing-global-water-quality-crisis-55216
--------------
Is It Safe to Visit Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro?
July 2019
https://www.laidbacktrip.com/posts/copacabana-beach-rio-de-janeiro-safety
--------------
Temporal trend of litter contamination at Cassino beach, Southern Brazil
http://www.aprh.pt/rgci/pdf/rgci-201_Tourinho.pdf
--------------
The influence of river discharge and wind on Patos Lagoon, Brazil, Suspended Particulate Matter
2019
http://www.seasurface.umaine.edu/pdf/2019_Tavora_etal_IJRS_Brazil.pdf
--------------
Assessment of Water Pollution Signs in the Brazilian Pampa Biome Using Stress Biomarkers in Fish (Astyanax sp.)
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jeco/2015/415293/
---------------------
Assessment
of water pollution in the Brazilian Pampa biome by means of stress
biomarkers in tadpoles of the leaf frog Phyllomedusa iheringii (Anura:
Hylidae)
2015
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4458136/
---------------------
Mississippi Beaches Have Been Vacant For 2 Months As A Toxic Algae Bloom Lurks Offshore
09/08/2019
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/algae-mississippi-gulf-of-mexico_n_5d715cc6e4b03b3b730a914a
An algal bloom in the Gulf is devastating coastal businesses.
Ship
Island Excursions has survived hurricanes, global recessions, a world
war and a host of economic challenges since the ferry company began
taking passengers to the barrier islands that dot coastal Mississippi in
the 1920s. But this year, a new threat has emerged: an explosion of
blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, that has shut down virtually all of
Mississippi’s beaches since July 4.
No one knows when
the algae will disappear, and many wonder how many businesses that
operate in the region will survive the hit.
---------------------
Recreational Exposure during Algal Bloom in Carrasco Beach, Uruguay: A Liver Failure Case Report
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5618200/
------------------------------
After Amazon fires, Brazil now faces oil spill crisis
10-11-2019
Mysterious
oil slicks have spread across 2,000 kilometres of the country’s
northern coast since September, contaminating beaches and killing
wildlife
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/pollution/after-amazon-fires-brazil-now-faces-oil-spill-crisis-67192
---------------------------
Poisoning by crude oil in sheep and goats
https://www.revmedvet.com/2013/RMV164_517_520.pdf
-----------------
Blood Red Waters in Brazil a Sign of Apocalypse-Fiction!
June 1, 2015
https://www.truthorfiction.com/blood-red-waters-in-brazil-a-sign-of-apocalypse/
Summary of eRumor:
A viral video claims that photos of blood red waters off the shore of Brazil prove that the apocalypse is coming.
The Truth:
It’s true that the waters off the shores of Brazil turn blood red sometimes, but it’s not a sign of the apocalypse.
That
rumor started with a video posted at the Christian World News YouTube
channel in May 2015. The video, which had nearly 366,000 views, shows
images of red waves as a narrator warns that the blood red water is a
sign of the coming apocalypse:
“A friend sent me some
pictures, and I wanted to get this uploaded as soon as a I could. Check
this out you guys, blood red waters in Brazil this time. These pictures
were taken around the week of April 27 … This is definitely a sign of
the times that we are living in right now. The Lord said in Revelation
chapter 16, verse four, ‘And the third angel poured out his vial upon
the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.’ And that is
definitely what we are seeing all around the world.”
Water
off the shore of Brazil turns blood red sometimes because of naturally
occurring algae blooms there. The Brazilian Journal of Oceanography
reports that the blood red water was first noticed in Brazil in 2001:
“Present
data indicates that changes in the oceanographic conditions during the
passage of a cold front were sufficient to cause the bloom dispersion.
In general, the water column stability plays an important role in the
red tide formation. (The algae), similar to dinoflagellates, has the
ability to swim through the water column and concentrate in the surface
waters causing water discoloration. Its behavior has been assumed to
consist of an upward phototaxis, followed by downward migration, or
dispersal, at night. This ability was clearly shown in the red water
described in São Paulo, where data showed that the red water was
constrained within a 30 cm thick layer.”
---------------
Brazil Subsidiary Awarded $62 Million In U.S. Farm Aid Is Sued Over Colorado Pollution
05/27/2019
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/62-million-farm-aid-jbs-colorado-pollution-lawsuit_n_5ceb4c91e4b00356fc244a97
A
lawsuit accuses JBS Swift Beef of violating federal discharge permit by
dumping illegal levels of slaughterhouse waste for years.
A
U.S. subsidiary of a Brazilian meatpacking company awarded $62 million
in American farm subsidy funds has been hit with a lawsuit accusing it
of polluting Colorado waterways.
JBS USA (also known as
JBS Swift Beef) — a subsidiary of Brazil-based JBS S.A. — is accused of
illegally dumping slaughterhouse waste that’s fouling the South Platte
River and Lone Tree Creek near Greeley. The U.S. Justice Department is
investigating JBS’ foreign parent — the largest meatpacking company in
the world — for potential violations of U.S. anti-bribery laws. The
billionaire brothers who own JBS S.A. confessed to bribing top Brazilian
officials in a massive corruption scandal in Brazil.
----------------
MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION OF SAND FROM MAJOR BEACHES IN FORTALEZA, CEARÁ STATE, BRAZIL
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1517-83822001000200001
ABSTRACT
The
presence of faecal contamination and pathogenic microorganisms in
samples of dry and wet sand collected from three major beaches in
Fortaleza, Ceará State, Brazil: (Praia do Mucuripe, Praia do Futuro and
Praia do Caça e Pesca), during the period of May 1999 to January 2000
was evaluated. Praia do Caça e Pesca had the highest incidence of E.
coli in dry sand (56%) followed by Praia do Mucuripe (28%) and Praia do
Futuro (16%). In wet sand, results were 48%, 28% and 24% for Praia do
Caça e Pesca, Praia do Futuro and Praia do Mucuripe, respectively. Only
two samples from Praia do Futuro, one from dry sand and another one from
wet sand, were positive for Salmonella. V. parahaemolyticus was
isolated from four samples from Praia do Caça e Pesca (two from dry-sand
samples and two from wet-sand), one from Praia do Futuro (wet sand),
and three and four from Praia do Mucuripe (wet and dry sand,
respectively). Yeasts belonged to the Candida genus. Dry-sand samples
presented higher yeast contaminations level than wet-sand ones. Praia do
Futuro had the highest level of yeast contamination (41%), followed by
Praia do Caça e Pesca (33%) and Praia do Mucuripe (26%).
-------------------
Beach clean-up study shows global scope of plastic pollution
10-10-2018
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/10/greenpeace-beach-cleanup-report-highlights-ocean-plastic-problem/
What items retrieved from beaches tell us about trash.
On
isolated Saint Helena in the South Atlantic, mid-way between Brazil and
Namibia, Ocean Conservancy volunteers discovered “an exorbitant number”
of plastic bottles on one beach, Mallos says. An audit of the brand
names on the bottles revealed that none of them were sold on the island,
but came from Asian countries thousands of miles away. Piecing the
story together, the group concluded the bottle trash had not leaked from
poor waste practices on the island, but rather more likely came from
traveling fishing fleets working nearby waters.
The
Ocean Conservancy has long audited the trash collected by item. For the
first time in 2017, all of the top ten items retrieved were plastics,
displacing glass bottles, aluminum cans, and rope that had been
stalwarts on the list. The list includes cigarette butts (with plastic
filters), food wrappers, bottles, bottle caps, and shopping bags.
--------------
As A Massive Garbage Dump Closes In Brazil, Trash-Pickers Face An Uncertain Future
1-20-2018
The world's second-biggest garbage dump is in Brasilia. It has been growing since the 1950s, when city planners failed to factor in proper facilities for trash disposal, and now occupies the equivalent of 250 football fields.
Some 2,000 trash-pickers — known as catadores — survive by fishing out plastics, metal, cardboard and other recyclables from the dump to sell to middlemen. More than half the trash-pickers are women — often single mothers in need of cash to feed their families.
https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2018/01/20/579105943/as-a-massive-garbage-dump-closes-in-brazil-trash-pickers-face-an-uncertain-futur
---------------
Toxic Waste from Norwegian Hydro Threatens Amazon and Drinking Water Supply in Brazil
2018
Half state owned Norwegian aluminum company Hydro is accused of serious environmental damage in Brazil.
In
addition to a leak of toxic mining debris that has contaminated several
communities in Barcarena, the Norwegian giant Hydro is accused to have
used a “clandestine pipeline to discharge untreated effluent”, according
to Brazilian media.
The report from Health’s
Ministry’s Evandro Chagas Institute reveals that heavy rains led to the
overflow of several basins, including those in Hydro Alunorte’s compound
around the metropolitan area of Para’s capital, located in the Amazon
region, threatening the area’s drinking water supply.
The report issued last week by the Ministry notes that at least three communities in the region of the Amazon are at risk.
Samples
taken by the ministry’s technicians found high levels of lead,
aluminum, sodium and other substances harmful to human and animal
health, wrote Rio Times.
After denying irregularities
for weeks, Hydro and Para’s environmental agency admitted, in a note,
the existence of the channel found by the researchers and will look in
to the claims, wrote Universo Online.
But two days ago
Hydro wrote: “Technical surveys by different surveillance authorities
have confirmed that there has been no leakage from or rupture of red
mud. Hydro cooperates with the relevant authorities and the local
community.”
https://www.tnp.no/norway/panorama/toxic-waste-from-norwegian-hydro-amazon-water-brazil
---------------
Norwegian company poisons the Amazon Rainforest and the press keeps silent
2018
The
Norwegian mining company Hydro has been dumping toxic waste in
Amazonian waters and refusing to pay fines, but somehow this has gone
nearly unnoticed by the international press.
https://medium.com/@annacivolani/why-is-the-press-so-quiet-about-the-norwegian-company-that-consistently-poisons-the-amazon-dfa00d1ed260
--------------
Norway hits back at Brazilian president's whale hunt tweet
8-20-2019
https://www.thelocal.no/20190820/norway-hits-back-at-brazilian-presidents-whale-hunt-claims
--------------
Brazil Fines MSC Cruises R$2,505,000 for Dumping Bags of Garbage
9-20-2015
https://www.cruiselawnews.com/2015/09/articles/cruise-pollution/brazil-fines-msc-cruises-r2505000-for-dumping-bags-of-garbage/
The
Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente E Dos Recursos Naturais
Renováveis (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural
Resources) (IBAMA) levied a fine of R$ 2.505 million against MSC
Cruises.
Based on today’s exchange rate, the fine is approximately $635,545 in U.S. dollars.
IBAMA said that MSC Cruises released garbage into the sea during a cruise between Madeira
Island and the Port of Recife.
---------------
Bilge Dumping off the Coast of Brazil
11-8-2019
https://skytruth.org/2019/11/bilge-dumping-off-the-coast-of-brazil/
The
cause of the massive oil spill plaguing Brazil’s beaches is still
unknown, but monitoring reveals a potential new bilge dumping incident
We still haven’t found the cause of the massive oil spill that’s been plaguing Brazil’s beaches since early September.
---------------
Around 3,000 cases of illegal dumping of hydrocarbons in European seas are reported every year
12-3-2003
The destination of most of the more than 20 million cubic metres of oil waste produced in Europe is yet unknown.
https://eu.oceana.org/en/press-center/press-releases/around-3000-cases-illegal-dumping-hydrocarbons-european-seas-are
---------------
STRATEGIES FOR INNOVATION IN CONSTRUCTION DEMOLITION WASTE MANAGEMENT IN BRAZIL
https://www.irbnet.de/daten/iconda/CIB9698.pdf
---------------
Brazilian Government Asked To Stop Dumping Toxic Ships On South Asian Beaches
6-15-2017
https://www.shipbreakingplatform.org/press-release-brazilian-government-asked-to-stop-dumping-toxic-ships-on-south-asian-beaches/
The
Brazilian CONTTMAF trade union federation and its member SINDMAR have
recently criticized the shipbreaking practices of Transpetro, the oil
and gas transportation subsidiary of the Brazilian petroleum corporation
Petrobras, majority-owned by the State. In the last five years, more
than twenty vessels owned by the oil and gas giant have been dismantled
on the beaches of India and Pakistan, where shipbreaking activities
endanger both workers and the environment.
In an
official letter sent on 2 June 2017 to Transpetro, Severino Almeida,
president of CONTTMAF and SINDMAR, expresses his serious concerns about
the Petrobras’ poor end-of-life fleet management. Several of the ships
that ended up in South Asia were built thanks to financing provided by
the Merchant Marine Fund. In other words, public money has therefore
been used to build ships that now put workers’ lives at risk and pollute
the environment in developing countries.
--------------------------
North Brazil Shelf
https://www.climatehotmap.org/global-warming-locations/north-brazil-shelf.html
-------------------------
Oceans (Sea level) Recife, Brazil
https://www.climatehotmap.org/global-warming-locations/recife-brazil.html
--------------------------
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Section 14: Dams & Water Pollution
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Brazil-China fund greenlights $2.4 bln in potential loans
May 9, 2018
https://www.reuters.com/article/brazil-china-investment/brazil-china-fund-greenlights-2-4-bln-in-potential-loans-idUSL4N1RI4YT
--------------------
Brazil's Petrobras to pre-pay Chinese loans, end oil supply obligation
8-14-2019
https://www.reuters.com/article/petrobras-debt/brazils-petrobras-to-pre-pay-chinese-loans-end-oil-supply-obligation-idUSE6N21601S
--------------------------
Chinese dam builder eyeing major Amazon mega-dam contract
CTG’s record of violations in other nations
2-26-2016
The China Three Gorges company arrived in Brazil almost twenty years after being founded for the purpose of building the largest hydropower plant in the world, the Three Gorges Dam, on the Yangtze river, in China.
https://news.mongabay.com/2016/02/chinese-dam-builder-eyeing-major-amazon-mega-dam-contract/
--------------------------
Brazil's mega hydro plan foreshadows China's growing impact on the Amazon
5 Oct 2017
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/05/brazil-amazon-tapajos-hydrovia-scheme
--------------------------
China Opened the Three Gorges Dam, Flooding Cities; Swine Flu 2.0 | Crossroads | Joshua Philipp
Jun 30, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdx7r3UcHzk
-------------------------
Floods in China Reach Biblical Proportions; Why Would TikTok Spy On Americans | Crossroads | Joshua
Jul 2, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CQY0lgvLSw
--------------------------
China bridge guardrail crumbles under man's touch; officials warn flooding will last through summer
July 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3pCyoEFX9I
------------------------
Bad Chinese Dams Could Kill Thousands in Malaysia
Nov 21, 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd5ZUOdJ4cU
-------------------------
Malaysia Hits Brakes on China’s Corrupt Investment
July 11, 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThedGta_zr4
------------------------
Malaysia Warns Philippines Over China Debt | Mahathir Mohamad Warns Duterte about CCP Loans
Mar 11, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY6FZioxlgw
--------------------------
4/15/2020 - Coronavirus Investigation News - Race Virus 201 - Pollution Science 101 (COVID-19 & SARS-CoV-2)
https://coronavirusinvestigation.blogspot.com
--------------------------
China Overseas Dams List
https://www.internationalrivers.org/resources/china-overseas-dams-list-3611
-------------------------
In Bolsonaro’s Brazil, dams are ticking time bombs
11-5-2019
https://newint.org/features/2019/11/05/bolsanaro-brazil-dams-are-ticking-time-bombs
---------------
Photos: Haunting images show the devastating effects of a toxic mud slide in Brazil
https://qz.com/560131/photos-haunting-images-show-the-devastating-effects-of-a-toxic-mud-slide-in-brazil/
---------------
Brazil dam toxic mud reaches Atlantic via Rio Doce estuary
11-22-2015
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-34892237
A
wave of toxic mud travelling down the Rio Doce river in Brazil from a
collapsed dam has reached the Atlantic Ocean, amid concerns it will
cause severe pollution.
The waste has travelled more than 500km (310 miles) since the dam at an iron mine collapsed two weeks ago.
Samarco, the mine owner, has tried to protect plants and animals by building barriers along the banks of the river.
Workers have dredged the river mouth to help the mud flow out to sea fast.
The
contaminated mud, tested by the water management authorities, was found
to contain toxic substances like mercury, arsenic, chromium and
manganese at levels exceeding human consumption levels.
Samarco has insisted the sludge is harmless.
In
an interview with the BBC, Andres Ruchi, director of the Marine Biology
school in Santa Cruz in Espirito Santo state, said that mud could have a
devastating impact on marine life when it reaches the sea.
He
said the area of sea near the mouth of the Rio Doce is a feeding ground
and a breeding location for many species of marine life including the
threatened leatherback turtle, dolphins and whales.
"The
flow of nutrients in the whole food chain in a third of the
south-eastern region of Brazil and half of the Southern Atlantic will be
compromised for a minimum of a 100 years," he said.
The
magazine Chemistry World quotes Aloysio da Silva Ferrao Filho, a
researcher at the respected Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, as saying that the
impact has been severe in the river itself.
"The biodiversity of the river is completely lost, several species including endemic ones must be extinct."
Samarco
has erected 9km of temporary floating barriers similar to those used at
sea during oil spills in the river to try to hold back the mud from
river banks and to protect flora and fauna from the mud.
One concern is that because the mud is high in iron ore and silica it will set hard as concrete when it dries out.
At
the mouth of the river, the company has been using heavy equipment to
remove sand banks and dredge so that the mud, when it reaches the sea,
can flow out as fast as possible and be diluted quickly.
It
is the fish and turtle breeding season at this time of year. Local
people have been helping get fish into tanks and have been collecting
turtle eggs to incubate.
In the meantime, Samarco says
it is doing repairs on two other dams it uses to hold waste water which
is says are at risk of collapsing.
Eleven people were killed and 12 are missing - presumed dead - in the disaster.
Samarco is owned by mining giants, Vale, from Brazil, and the Anglo-Australian company, BHP Billiton.
It has agreed to pay the Brazilian government 1bn (£170m; $260m) compensation.
The money will be used to cover the initial clean-up and to offer compensation to families.
Oil barriers were placed at the mouth of the Rio Doce to protect the vegetation from the mud before it arrives.
-----------------
Brazil's Doce River still foul eight months after dam collapse
05.07.2016
Eight
months after a mining dam collapsed in southeastern Brazil, the 1.6
million people living along the Doce River are still struggling not only
with health risks, but also with a crisis of public confidence.
(Dredging near the town of Rio Doce shows the extent of ongoing contamination).
https://www.dw.com/en/brazils-doce-river-still-foul-eight-months-after-dam-collapse/a-19375872
-----------------
Another Deadly Dam Collapse in Brazil
1-14-2019
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/144501/another-deadly-dam-collapse-in-brazil
For the second time in three years, Brazil faces a humanitarian and environmental disaster in the wake of a mining dam collapse.
On
January 25, 2019, a retaining wall abruptly failed along the edge of a
pond of mud-like waste material from a Brazilian mine. The collapse at
the Córrego do Feijão mine in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais
released a torrent of tailings that quickly flattened buildings,
overwhelmed a bus, and swamped nearby houses. Tailings rushed through
the mine, the nearby town of Brumadinho, and the Paraopeba River, a key
source of drinking and irrigation water for people in the area. More
than 100 people have died and hundreds of people are missing, according
to multiple news reports.
------------------
Mud from Brazil dam disaster is toxic, UN says, despite mine operator denials
Nov 2015
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/nov/26/mud-from-brazil-dam-disaster-is-toxic-un-says-despite-mine-operator-denials
The
UN contradicts claims by Samarco, the operator co-owned by BHP
Billiton, that the 60 million cubic metres of waste was no danger to
humans
--------------
Brazil's mining tragedy: was it a preventable disaster?
Nov 2015
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/nov/25/brazils-mining-tragedy-dam-preventable-disaster-samarco-vale-bhp-billiton
--------------
Arsenic and mercury found in river days after Brazil dam burst
26 Nov 2015
Unacceptable levels of pollutants found at several places along Rio Doce following Brazil’s worst ever environmental disaster
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/nov/26/brazil-dam-arsenic-mercury-rio-doce-river
------------------
Arsenic occurrence in Brazil and human exposure.
2007
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17351814
Abstract
Environmental
exposure to arsenic (As) in terms of public health is receiving
increasing attention worldwide following cases of mass contamination in
different parts of the world. However, there is a scarcity of data
available on As geochemistry in Brazilian territory, despite the known
occurrence of As in some of the more severely polluted areas of Brazil.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss existing data on As distribution
in Brazil based on recent investigations in three contaminated areas as
well as results from the literature. To date, integrated studies on
environmental and anthropogenic sources of As contamination have been
carried out only in three areas in Brazil: (1) the Southeastern region,
known as the Iron Quadrangle, where As was released into the drainage
systems, soils and atmosphere as a result of gold mining; (2) the
Ribeira Valley, where As occurs in Pb-Zn mine wastes and naturally in
As-rich rocks and soils; (3) the Amazon region, including the Santana
area, where As is associated with manganese ores mined over the last 50
years. Toxicological studies revealed that the populations were not
exposed to elevated levels of As, with the As concentrations in surface
water in these areas rarely exceeding 10 microg/L. Deep weathering of
bedrocks along with formation of Fe/Al-enriched soils and sediments
function as a chemical barrier that prevents the release of As into the
water. In addition, the tropical climate results in high rates of
precipitation in the northern and southeastern regions and, hence, the
As contents of drinking water is diluted. Severe cases of human As
exposure related to non-point pollution sources have not been reported
in Brazil. However, increasing awareness of the adverse health effects
of As will eventually lead to a more complete picture of the
distribution of As in Brazil.
--------------------
Arsenic contamination of groundwater
(Groundwater arsenic contamination areas).
Argentina
The
central portion of Argentina is affected by arsenic-contaminated
groundwater. Specifically, the La Pampa produces water containing 4–5300
microgram per litre.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenic_contamination_of_groundwater
--------------------
Dams on the Amazon River could have widespread, devastating impacts—and we keep building more of them
2017
https://www.popsci.com/environmental-damage-amazon-river-dams/
----------------
Hydroelectric Dams in the Brazilian Amazon as Sources of ‘Greenhouse’ Gases
1995
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/environmental-conservation/article/hydroelectric-dams-in-the-brazilian-amazon-as-sources-of-greenhouse-gases/B02E5246EF25F78DD96E05E9EBCC79CD
-----------------------
Brazil's hydro dams could make its greenhouse gas emissions soar
July 01, 2013
https://www.pri.org/stories/2013-07-01/brazils-hydro-dams-could-make-its-greenhouse-gas-emissions-soar
----------------
Environmental impact in Brazil
1997
https://www.partagedeseaux.info/Environmental-impact-in-Brazil
In
Brazil, traditional fishermen are today confronted with problems
created by, among other things, the construction of large dams and other
developmental projects, water pollution by mining activities, the
invasion of lakes and rivers by industrial fishing boats, and by the
establishment of national parks and reserves.
----------------
What’s Up With Water – Brazil’s Water After Rupture of Mining Waste Dam, and More
Feb 4, 2019
https://www.circleofblue.org/2019/world/whats-up-with-water-brazils-water-after-rupture-of-mining-waste-dam-and-more/
------------------------
AP Explains: What are dangers of mining waste in Brazil?
1-28-2019
https://apnews.com/98cf6d47bf8547b88d12c9b151ee19ed
--------------
A dam holding back iron mining waste burst in Brazil—again
1-26-2019
https://qz.com/1534542/a-dam-holding-back-iron-mining-waste-burst-in-brazil-again/
---------------
Santo Antônio mega-dam on Brazil’s Madeira River disrupts local lives
2018
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/12/santo-antonio-mega-dam-on-brazils-madeira-river-disrupts-local-lives/
-----------------
Viewpoint–Brazil’s Madeira River Dams: A Setback for Environmental Policy in Amazonian Development
http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol7/v7issue1/244-a7-1-15/file
-------------
Amazon dams and waterways: Brazil’s Tapajós Basin plans
2015
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4510327/
--------------
Top Scientists: Amazon's Tapajós Dam Complex "a Crisis in the Making"
2016
Leading
researchers call Brazil's plan for 40+ dams in Tapajós River Basin
“devastating” – a threat to Amazon ecosystems, people and global climate
https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/1128-top-scientists-amazons-tapajos-dam-complex-a-crisis-in-the-making
---------------
Battle for the Amazon: Tapajós Basin threatened by massive development
2017
https://news.mongabay.com/2017/01/battle-for-the-amazon-tapajos-basin-threatened-by-massive-development/
---------------------------
Metal pollution in the environment of Minas Gerais State - Brazil.
2006
Abstract
Intense
mining activities in Minas Gerais State - Brazil brings out tons of
waste to the environment. Considerable concentrations of toxic elements
penetrate the soil, ground waters and rivers. This endangers the
environment quality not only in the surrounding areas but also in
ichthyofauna and in more distant areas of cattle raising and
agricultural activities. After seasonal floods, veterinary clinic
studies have shown that most animals raised in this region are affected
by symptomatologic nervous diseases, still not clearly diagnosed, which
suggests intoxication. These pathologies are mostly noted after floods.
Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis was applied to determine Al,
As, Au, Ba, Br, Ca, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Nd,
Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Th and Zn in environmental samples. The obtained results
show that the water and sediment contaminated with heavy metals and
toxic elements from the Das Velhas River upstream basin, the mining
region, carry contamination to the ichthyofauna and farming region
within a distance of approximately 400 km.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16917705
----------------------
Metal distribution in sediment cores from São Paulo State Coast, Brazil.
2011
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21440269
Abstract
Ten
sediment core samples with lengths ranging from 35 to 100 cm were
collected in the Baixada Santista region and analyzed to determine As,
Br, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, Rb, Sb, Ta, Th, U, Zn and rare earths (Sc, Ce, Eu,
La, Lu, Nd, Sm, Tb and Yb) level concentrations using instrumental
neutron activation analysis (INAA). The studied region is located in the
southeastern coast of São Paulo State and is comprised of a densely
urbanized area, the largest industrial complex of the country, with a
predominance of petrochemical and fertilizer plants. It is also home to
Brazil's most important and busiest port. The conclusions found that the
As, La, Sm, Ne, Ce, Eu, Hf, Ta, Th, and U elements have a high
background level in the region and that Fe and Zn were the main
indicators of anthropogenic contribution in the sediments.
----------------------
Long-term uncertainties and potential risks to urban waters in Belo Horizonte
December 2010
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228338583_Long-term_uncertainties_and_potential_risks_to_urban_waters_in_Belo_Horizonte
----------------------
Evolution in revegetation of iron-ore mines in Minas Gerais State, Brazil
http://www.fao.org/3/y2795e/y2795e04.htm
----------------------
Brazil: where the toxic river feeds communities
12-21-2015
https://www.slowfood.com/brazil-where-the-toxic-river-feeds-communities/
On
November 5, the Rio Doce, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais,
suffered the country’s worst environmental disaster, after the collapse
of two tailings dams at a Brazilian iron ore mine owned by Samarco, a
Brazilian company founded in 1977 and based in Belo Horizonte.
----------------------
Water quality modeling at Poti river in Teresina (Piauí, Brazil).
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1413-41522018000100003&script=sci_abstract
The
uncontrolled growth of Piauí’s capital, in Brazil, characterized mainly
by the occupation of the banks of the river Poti and the existence of
illegal connections of raw sewage in rainwater drainage pipes, has
contributed significantly to water pollution in the basin of Parnaíba
river (semiarid region of Brazil). This research aims at performing the
mathematical modeling of water quality in an area of 36.8 km of the Poti
river, based on the QUAL-UFMG platform. The research is presented as
the first study involving modeling of water quality in said river.
Modeled components were: dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen
demand (BOD) and thermotolerant coliforms (TC). The results obtained
from field measurements indicated nonconformities of the parameter TC
with respect to CONAMA Resolution nº 357/2005. The calibration of the
decay coefficients for each parameter resulted in mean deviations
between measured and modeled data of up to 20% and Nash-Sutcliffe
efficiency coefficients higher than 0.75, which indicate that the
QUAL-UFMG can be used as a basis for predicting the water quality in
rivers of semiarid areas. The calibrated model was also compared to
field data obtained from the literature. Finally, model simulations were
performed for different flow scenarios (minimum and maximum), with
consistent results that can be used for the management of the Piauí
state water resources.
---------------------
Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of Guaribas river water (Piauí, Brazil), influenced by anthropogenic action.
Abstract
In
general, tropical rivers have a great impact on human activities.
Bioaccumulation of toxins is a worldwide problem nowadays and has been,
historically, overlooked by the supervisory authorities. This study
evaluated cytogenotoxic effects of Guaribas river (a Brazilian river)
water during dry and rainy seasons of 2014 by using the Allium cepa test
system. The toxicogenetic variables, including root growth, mitotic
index, and chromosomal aberrations, were analyzed in meristematic cells
of A. cepa exposed to water samples taken from the up-, within, and
downstream of the city Picos (state: Piauí). The physical-chemical
parameters were also analyzed to explain water quality and possible
anthropogenic action. Additionally, the presence of heavy metals was
also analyzed to explain water quality and possible damaging effects on
eukaryotic cells. The results suggest that the river water exerted
cytotoxic, mutagenic, and genotoxic effects, regardless of the seasons.
In addition, Guaribas river presented physico-chemical values outside
the Brazilian laws, which can be a characteristic of human pollution
(domestic sewage, industrial, and local agriculture). The genetic damage
was positively correlated with higher levels of heavy metals. The
pollution of the Guaribas river water may link to the chemical
contamination, including the action of heavy metals and their impacts on
genetic instability in the aquatic ecosystem. In conclusion, necessary
steps should be taken into account for further toxicogenetic studies of
the Guaribas river water, as it has an influence in human health of the
same region of Brazil.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28555439
----------------------
Genesis of sandstone-derived soils in the Cerrado of the Piauí State, Brazil
2019
http://www.ambi-agua.net/seer/index.php/ambi-agua/article/view/2127
Abstract
This
study characterized the morphological, physical and chemical attributes
of sandstone-derived soils at the Cerrado of the Piauí State, Brazil,
in order to identify evolutionary standards. The study was carried out
with five representative soil profiles identified as P1-RY (Typical
Flavic Psychotic Neosol - Aquents), P2-PA (Typical Dystrophic Yellow
Argisol - Alfisol), P3-RL (Fragmentary Litholic Distrophic Neosol -
Psammenit), P4-RQ (Typical Ortic Quartzenetic Neosol - Orthents) and
P5-PV (Typical Dystrophic Red Argisol - Ultisol). Soil samples were
submitted laboratory analysis described morphologically. In general, the
soils presented high sand content, low pH, low content of exchangeable
bases and low cation exchange capacity (CEC). Organic matter governed
the CEC in most cases, suggesting dependence of organic matter in the
supply of charges. These soils showed a low degree of weathering, but
with iron of high crystallinity. Thus, the relief and the parent
material are the major important soil-forming factors at the Cerrado of
the Piauí State. Moreover, these soils are young, with the soils from
the Piauí Formation being more evolved. However, the sandstones from the
Canindé Group apparently are providing lithological secondary minerals
for the soil.
----------------------
Burden of disease in Brazil, 1990–2016: a systematic subnational analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)31221-2/fulltext
----------------------
Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of Guaribas river water (Piauí, Brazil), influenced by anthropogenic action
2016
https://search.proquest.com/openview/3400d97aee0588ddef49c4dc6fe63190/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=54151
----------------------
Pollutants of the Guaribas river water and their toxicogenic effects
Mar. 1, 2019
https://go.gale.com/ps/anonymous?id=GALE%7CA580262167&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=20084935&p=AONE&sw=w
Introduction
Aquatic
environments that often serve as temporary or final receptors of a wide
variety of contaminants may consequently contaminate the entire
watershed (Tsangaris et al. 2011; Klobucar et al. 2012). Many of these
toxic compounds released into the water are cytotogenotoxic in nature,
therefore, may affect living organisms in the ecosystem through DNA
damage (Akinboro et al. 2011). The presence of contaminating agents in
our environment is responsible for many diseases in human, including
cancer (Grzesiuk et al. 2018). Thus, it is extremely important to assess
toxicological effects of the aquatic system in the viewpoint of
environmental monitoring and risk assessment (Ansari et al. 2011; Kern
et al. 2015).
Using fish, through the micronucleus (MN)
test, is a popular genetic model to monitor pollutants and toxic
contaminants in an aquatic environment (Hoshina et al. 2008). According
to Cavas and Ergene-Gozukara (2005a, b), the species Oreochromis
niloticus (tilapia) is an excellent test system for this purpose. This
species is commonly found in estuaries around the world, and is
recognized for its fast response to environmental changes (Jha 2004).
----------------------
The influence of heavy metals on toxicogenetic damage in a Brazilian tropical river
2017
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653517311554
----------------------
Metal(oid)s contamination in rural and urban vegetable gardens of Teresina (Brazil)
https://www.actahort.org/books/1189/1189_92.htm
----------------------
Brazil Sets Up an Innovative Model to Reverse Land Degradation
https://www.indepthnews.net/index.php/the-world/latin-america-the-caribbean/2157-brazil-sets-up-an-innovative-model-to-reverse-land-degradation
-------------------
Evidence of transboundary mercury and other pollutants in the Puyango-Tumbes River basin, Ecuador–Peru
2018
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2018/em/c7em00504k/unauth#!divAbstract
------------------
An
investigation of mercury sources in the Puyango-Tumbes River: Using
stable Hg isotopes to characterize transboundary Hg pollution.
2018
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29609178
-----------------
Transboundary Water Management of the Amazon Basin
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233228236_Transboundary_Water_Management_of_the_Amazon_Basin
------------------
THE SHARED MANAGEMENT OF TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS, BRAZIL AND COLOMBIA
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1984-22012015000200099&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en
------------------
IAEA Impact: Brazil and Its Neighbours Work to Protect One of the World's Largest Groundwater Reservoirs
2015
https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/iaea-impact-brazil-and-its-neighbours-work-protect-one-worlds-largest-groundwater-reservoirs
----------------------
Is land speculation helping destroy Brazil’s “birthplace of waters”?
by Jeff Conant, senior international forests program manager
An interview with Fabio Pitta of the Brazilian Network for Social Justice and Human Rights
(Giant chain pulled between tractors to deforest land owned by TIAA in Piaui State).
(Dried up river in the Cerrado. Photo via FIAN).
https://foe.org/land-speculation-helping-destroy-brazils-birthplace-waters/
----------------------
Mapping and assessment of protection of mangrove habitats in Brazil
https://panamjas.org/pdf_artigos/PANAMJAS_5(4)_546-556.pdf
---------------------
Changing tide for the Rio Doce: bringing a river back to life
19.03.2018
https://www.iucn.org/crossroads-blog/201803/changing-tide-rio-doce-bringing-river-back-life
---------------------
Genotoxicity
effects on Geophagus brasiliensis fish exposed to Doce River water
after the environmental disaster in the city of Mariana, MG, Brazil
2018
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1519-69842019000400659&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en
---------------------
Pictures: Toxic Foam Chokes Brazil River
2010
An outbreak of toxic foam pollution in Brazil's Tietê River has been made worse by the driest August in decades, experts say.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/9/100921-toxic-foam-river-brazil-science-environment-pictures/
---------------------
Polluted Tiete River in Brazil
2015
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/928861.shtml
--------------------
São Paulo’s Tietê River’s Polluted Stretch Increases 33 Percent Over Last Year
9-20-2019
On
the eve of Tietê Day, celebrated on September 22nd, the study shows
that the river's environmental quality is inappropriate for use, with
bad or very water quality over some 163 kilometers, corresponding to
28.3 percent of the river monitored by the organization.
https://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/sao-paulo/politics-sao-paulo/tiete-polluted-stretch-increases-33-percent-and-is-163-kilometers-long/
---------------------
A Willing Explorer of São Paulo’s Polluted Rivers
DEC. 14, 2012
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/world/americas/a-diver-sifts-through-sao-paulos-polluted-rivers.html
---------------------
Heavy metal distribution in recent sediments along the Tietê River basin (São Pauro, Brazil)
https://oatao.univ-toulouse.fr/5436/1/Mortatti_5436.pdf
-----------------------
The
Paraguay-Paraná Hidrovía: Protecting the Pantanal with Lessons from the
Past: Large-scale channelization of the northern Paraguay-Paraná seems
to be on hold, but an ongoing multitude of smaller-scale activities may
turn the Pantanal into the next example of the “tyranny of small
decisions”
April 2001
https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/51/4/301/247105
-----------------------
Alismatales from the upper and middle Araguaia river basin (Brazil)
2004
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-84042004000300005
------------------------
Occurrence
of Boto-do-Araguaia (Inia araguaiaensis) in a Region of the Araguaia
River, Brazil, Documented for an Environmental Impact Study for a
Hydroelectric Dam
12-15-2017
https://go.gale.com/ps/anonymous?id=GALE%7CA509163662&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=fulltext&issn=01675427&p=AONE&sw=w
------------------------
The fishing productivity of the Araguaia river, Tocantins, Brazil
2019
http://www.ajer.org/papers/Vol-8-issue-2/ZZH0802248252.pdf
-----------------------
Projections of hydrology in the Tocantins-Araguaia Basin, Brazil: uncertainty assessment using the CMIP5 ensemble
https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1469358/3/Brierley_1469358.pdf
-----------------------
TOCANTINS
RIVER, BRAZIL. Vicinity Maraba, Amazon. This river is heavily polluted
with mercury used by miners to extract gold from sediment. Mining
activities also increase turbidity which kills fish.
http://www.hardrainproject.com/hrpl?n=6374
-----------------------
The environmental impacts of the tucuri dam on the middle and lower tocantins river basin, Brazil
1987
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/rrr.3450010106
Like
many developing country environmental impact assessments, that carried
out at Tucuruí was begun after the construction site had been selected
and construction had begun. Tucuruí impact studies have tended to
concentrate on the environmental and socioeconomic impacts generated in
the vicinity of the dam and reservoir; downstream impacts have received
less attention but are already apparent. Major impacts identified
include reservoir siltation, disruption of fisheries and agriculture
(especially floodland cultivation) downstream, and human disease
problems.
-----------------------
Projections of hydrology in the Tocantins-Araguaia Basin, Brazil: uncertainty assessment using the CMIP5 ensemble
2014
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02626667.2015.1057513
-----------------------
Tucuruí Dam and Amazon/Tocantins River Basin - Brazil case study
11-1-2000
https://www.internationalrivers.org/resources/tucuru%C3%AD-dam-and-amazon-tocantins-river-basin-brazil-case-study-2554
------------------------
Response
of the river discharge in the Tocantins River Basin, Brazil, to
environmental changes and the associated effects on the energy potential
2019
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10113-018-1396-5
------------------------
The environmental impacts of the tucuri dam on the middle and lower tocantins river basin, Brazil
1987
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/rrr.3450010106
Like
many developing country environmental impact assessments, that carried
out at Tucuruí was begun after the construction site had been selected
and construction had begun. Tucuruí impact studies have tended to
concentrate on the environmental and socioeconomic impacts generated in
the vicinity of the dam and reservoir; downstream impacts have received
less attention but are already apparent. Major impacts identified
include reservoir siltation, disruption of fisheries and agriculture
(especially floodland cultivation) downstream, and human disease
problems.
------------------------
Alismatales from the upper and middle Araguaia river basin (Brazil)
2004
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-84042004000300005
------------------------
The Araguaia River as an Important Biogeographical Divide for Didelphid Marsupials in Central Brazil
2015
https://academic.oup.com/jhered/article/106/5/593/2961883
------------------------
The fishing productivity of the Araguaia river, Tocantins, Brazil
2019
http://www.ajer.org/papers/Vol-8-issue-2/ZZH0802248252.pdf
-----------------------
Projections of hydrology in the Tocantins-Araguaia Basin, Brazil: uncertainty assessment using the CMIP5 ensemble
https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1469358/3/Brierley_1469358.pdf
-----------------------
TOCANTINS
RIVER, BRAZIL. Vicinity Maraba, Amazon. This river is heavily polluted
with mercury used by miners to extract gold from sediment. Mining
activities also increase turbidity which kills fish.
http://www.hardrainproject.com/hrpl?n=6374
-----------------------
Description
of a new catfish genus (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) from the Tocantins
River basin in central Brazil, with comments on the historical
zoogeography of the new taxon
2016
https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/7400/
-----------------------
New cave catfish threatened by deforestation, mining, pollution
March 2017
https://news.mongabay.com/2017/03/new-cave-catfish-threatened-by-deforestation-mining-pollution/
-----------------------
Madeira River dams may spell doom for Amazon’s marathon catfish: Studies
March 2019
https://news.mongabay.com/2019/03/brazil-madeira-river-dams-may-spell-doom-for-amazons-marathon-catfish-studies/
-----------------------
The
largest fish in the world’s biggest river: Genetic connectivity and
conservation of Arapaima gigas in the Amazon and Araguaia-Tocantins
drainages
August 16, 2019
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0220882
-----------------------
Whole Genome Sequencing of the Pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) Supports Independent Emergence of Major Teleost Clades
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6143160/
Arapaima gigas belongs to the superorder Osteoglossomorpha of
bony-tongued fishes whose tongue contains sharp bony teeth for disabling
and shredding preys (Sanford and Lauder 1990; Burnie and Wilson 2001).
Together with Elopomorpha (eels and tarpons) and Clupeocephala (most of
extant fish species), the Osteoglossomorpha comprises one of the three
main teleosts groups whose phylogenetic position has been controversial
(Le et al. 1993; Inoue et al. 2003; Near et al. 2012; Betancur-R 2013;
Faircloth et al. 2013; Chen et al. 2015; Hughes et al. 2018). Fossil
records and some early molecular studies, including a recent
comprehensive analysis of >300 Actinopterygii species (Hughes et al.
2018), placed Osteoglossomorpha as the oldest teleost group (Greenwood
1970; Inoue et al. 2003), while other studies placed Elopomorpha as the
most ancestral one (Near et al. 2012; Betancur-R 2013; Faircloth et al.
2013). Recently, a phylogenetic study based on whole genome sequencing
of the bony-tongued Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus) suggested that
the branching of Elopomorpha and Osteoglossomorpha occurred almost
simultaneously, placing them as sister lineages of Clupeocephala (Bian
2016). Within this context, the genome of the Pirarucu provides new
insights to study the evolutionary history of teleosts as well as
providing useful information for sustainable exploration of this giant
Amazon fish. Here, we present the first whole genome assembly, gene
annotation, and phylogenomic inference of the Pirarucu which should
facilitate the molecular characterization and conservation of this
economically important fish species.
-----------------------
Fish Consumption, Fish Lore, and Mercury Pollution—Risk Communication for the Madeira River People
2000
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935100940350
-----------------------
Mercury Contamination in the Madeira River, Amazon-Hg Inputs to the Environment
1989
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2388449?seq=1
-----------------------
Impacts of Brazil's Madeira River Dams: Unlearned lessons for hydroelectric development in Amazonia
Jan 2013
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259471383_Impacts_of_Brazil's_Madeira_River_Dams_Unlearned_lessons_for_hydroelectric_development_in_Amazonia
-----------------------
The Madeira River Complex: Socio-Environmental Impact in Bolivian Amazonia and Social Resistance
2009
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10455750903215712
-----------------------
Will mega-dams destroy the Amazon?
2012
150 new dams may destroy connectivity of the Amazon River to the Andes and drive deforestation.
https://news.mongabay.com/2012/04/will-mega-dams-destroy-the-amazon/
------------------------
Belo Monte Dam: A spearhead for Brazil’s dam-building attack on the Amazon?
2012
https://news.mongabay.com/2012/03/belo-monte-dam-a-spearhead-for-brazils-dam-building-attack-on-the-amazon/
------------------------
Brazil’s plan to cut protected areas for dams faces constitutional challenge
17 February 2012
https://news.mongabay.com/2012/02/brazils-plan-to-cut-protected-areas-for-dams-faces-constitutional-challenge/
------------------------
Amazon river ecosystems being rapidly degraded, but remain neglected by conservation efforts
2013
The main drivers of wetland degradation for which basin-wide data are available, and the protected area network. Courtesy of Castello et al (2013).
https://news.mongabay.com/2013/02/amazon-river-ecosystems-being-rapidly-degraded-but-remain-neglected-by-conservation-efforts/
------------------------
State of the Amazon: Freshwater Connectivity and Ecosystem Health
http://whrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/MacedoetalWWFReport.15.pdf
------------------------
Are Brazil’s Dams to Blame for Record Floods in Bolivia?
3/31/2014
https://nacla.org/blog/2014/3/31/are-brazil%25E2%2580%2599s-dams-blame-record-floods-bolivia
-----------------------
Record floods in Brazil bring chaos to Amazon towns
2014
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-28123680
-----------------------
Mercury Pollution in the Upper Beni River, -- Amazonian Basin:’ Bolivia
https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/pleins_textes_7/b_fdi_51-52/010019126.pdf
-----------------------
An overview of mercury contamination research in the Amazon basin with an emphasis on Brazil
https://www.scielosp.org/article/csp/2008.v24n7/1479-1492/
------------------------
The Madeira Dams: Impacts and Actions in Bolivian Territory
2009
https://amazonwatch.org/news/2009/0904-the-madeira-dams-impacts-and-actions-in-bolivian-territory
-----------------------
How Chile Can Avoid Brazil's Fate
BY Oliver Stuenkel | December 13, 2019
Chile's challenges are more than skin deep. As things stand, the political establishment will be hard-pressed to face them.
https://www.americasquarterly.org/content/chile-protests-brazil-2013
-----------------------
Jirau and Santo Antonio Dams on Madeira River, Brazil
https://ejatlas.org/conflict/jirau-and-santo-antonio-dams-on-madeira-river-brazil
-----------------------
Santo Antônio mega-dam on Brazil’s Madeira River disrupts local lives
2018
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/12/santo-antonio-mega-dam-on-brazils-madeira-river-disrupts-local-lives/
------------------------
Viewpoint–Brazil’s Madeira River Dams: A Setback for Environmental Policy in Amazonian Development
http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol7/v7issue1/244-a7-1-15/file
-----------------------
Decline of fine suspended sediments in the Madeira River Basin (2003–2017)
March 2019
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331708857_Decline_of_fine_suspended_sediments_in_the_Madeira_River_Basin_2003-2017
Abstract
The
Madeira River is the second largest Amazon tributary, contributing up
to 50% of the Amazon River’s sediment load. The Madeira has significant
hydropower potential, which has started to be used by the Madeira
Hydroelectric Complex (MHC), with two large dams along the middle
stretch of the river. In this study, fine suspended sediment
concentration (FSC) data were assessed downstream of the MHC at the
Porto Velho gauging station and at the outlet of each tributary (Beni
and Mamoré Rivers, upstream from the MHC), from 2003 to 2017. When
comparing the pre-MHC (2003–2008) and post-MHC (2015–2017) periods, a
36% decrease in FSC was observed in the Beni River during the peak
months of sediment load (December–March). At Porto Velho, a reduction of
30% was found, which responds to the Upper Madeira Basin and
hydroelectric regulation. Concerning water discharge, no significant
change occurred, indicating that a lower peak FSC cannot be explained by
changes in the peak discharge months. However, lower FSCs are
associated with a downward break in the overall time series registered
at the outlet of the major sediment supplier—the Beni River—during 2010.
-------------------------
Diversity and Abundance of Fish Larvae Drifting in the Madeira River, Amazon Basin: Sampling Methods Comparison
2014
https://www.intechopen.com/books/biodiversity-the-dynamic-balance-of-the-planet/diversity-and-abundance-of-fish-larvae-drifting-in-the-madeira-river-amazon-basin-sampling-methods-c
-----------------------
Amazon Dams Keep the Lights On But Could Hurt Fish, Forests
2015
A surge in hydroelectric power could displace the iconic region’s indigenous peoples and resources.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/04/150419-amazon-dams-hydroelectric-deforestation-rivers-brazil-peru/
----------------------
Tragic History Repeats Itself on Brazil’s Madeira River
2009
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tragic-history-repeats-it_b_242869
-----------------------
Brazilian and Australian researchers estimate the impact of gold panning on the Madeira River
https://smartwatermagazine.com/news/agencia-fapesp/brazilian-and-australian-researchers-estimate-impact-gold-panning-madeira-river
Artisanal
and small-scale mining (ASM) in the north region of Brazil, especially
alluvial gold panning, has declined since 1985 but is still responsible
for pollution by toxic metals in and near the Madeira River, which is
the largest tributary of the Amazon River.
A study
conducted by researchers at São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Rio
Claro, Brazil, in partnership with colleagues at Queensland University
of Technology in Australia found relatively high levels of mercury from
gold panning that were accumulated in sediment in lakes in the Madeira
Basin.
------------------------
Mercury in the environment and riverside population in the Madeira River Basin, Amazon, Brazil
http://philip.inpa.gov.br/publ_livres/Dossie/Mad/Outros%20documentos/bastos%20et%20al_2006_Stoten.pdf
------------------------
Mercury
accumulation in sediment and fish from rivers affected by alluvial gold
mining in the Brazilian Madeira River basin, Amazon
1994
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00546279
------------------------
Spatial
segregation between Chalceus guaporensis and Chalceus epakros
(Osteichthyes: Characiformes) in the Madeira River, Amazon Basin
2018
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0044-59672018000300239
-------------------------
The Tiete, Sao Paulo State's main river, is filtered by dam reservoirs
2019
https://phys.org/news/2019-04-tiete-sao-paulo-state-main.html
----------------------
Case Study VI* - The Upper Tietê Basin, Brazil
https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/resourcesquality/wpccasestudy6.pdf
----------------------
Fish community alterations due to pollution and damming in Tietê and Paranapanema rivers (Brazil)
January 2003
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/rra.697
----------------------
Management of phosphorus in water: case study of the Tietê River, Brazil
2017
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321262066_Management_of_phosphorus_in_water_Case_study_of_the_Tiete_River_Brazil/fulltext/5a177e53aca272df0808b542/Management-of-phosphorus-in-water-Case-study-of-the-Tiete-River-Brazil.pdf
----------------------
The upper reached ichthyofauna of the Tietê River, São Paulo, Brazil: aspects of their diversity and conservation
2006
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10531-004-1460-y
---------------------
Explaining Brazil #44: How Sao Paulo Killed its Rivers
2019
https://brazilian.report/podcast/2019/01/23/sao-paulo-killed-rivers/
----------------------
Photojournalist’s Notebook: São Paulo’s Wastewater
2019
https://www.circleofblue.org/2019/world/photojournalists-notebook-sao-paulos-wastewater/
----------------------
Urban Sewage in Brazil: Drivers of and Obstacles to Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Governing the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Series
https://www.die-gdi.de/uploads/media/DP_26.2016.pdf
----------------------
How São Paulo will clean up the Pinheiros river
8-19-2019
https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/how-sao-paulo-will-clean-up-the-pinheiros-river
----------------------
The Amazon effect: how deforestation is starving São Paulo of water
2017
A
drought two years ago triggered fighting, looting and official ‘states
of calamity’ across the metropolis, with the army preparing to send in
troops. Now, new warnings suggest it could happen again – and point to a
surprising culprit
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/nov/28/sao-paulo-water-amazon-deforestation
------------------------
Paraná River Basin
https://www.itaipu.gov.br/en/energy/parana-river-basin
----------------------
POLLUTION OF NATURAL WATER SOURCES IN AMAZONIA: SOURCES, RISKS AND CONSEQUENCES
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9d63/3693987dbf890bac1a8e3f5e7d444ae73dc5.pdf
-----------------------
An Inentory of Brazilian Wetlands
https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/WTL-014.pdf
-----------------------
Amazonian freshwater habitats experiencing environmental and socioeconomic threats affecting subsistence fisheries
2015
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4510326/
-----------------------
Restricted-Range Fishes and the Conservation of Brazilian Freshwaters
2010
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0011390
------------------------
José Bueno: Discovering rivers hidden in the concrete jungle
‘Rios and Ruas’ finds unpolluted springs underneath the largest city in Latin America. Believe it or not, they exist!
https://believe.earth/en/jose-bueno-discovering-rivers-hidden-in-the-concrete-jungle/
----------------------
Nestle agrees to sell Brazilian water brands to local company
2018
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nestle-brazil-divestiture/nestle-agrees-to-sell-brazilian-water-brands-to-local-company-idUSKBN1H429C
----------------------
Lawsuit Seeks To Stop Nestlé From Sucking Water Out Of Drought-Plagued California
2015
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lawsuit-nestle-water-california_n_561ea2a1e4b050c6c4a3e900
It’s simply not OK to extract and profit from local waters during a drought, says everyone but Nestlé and the Forest Service.
----------------------
Nestlé water bottling operations raise fears about future water shortages in Ontario
3-27-2019
The
bottled water giant's operations abroad are drying up local aquifers
and forcing communities to pipe in water from neighbouring towns
https://nowtoronto.com/news/nestle-world-water-day-doug-ford-ontario/
----------------------
Why Nestle is one of the most hated companies in the world
2015
https://www.zmescience.com/science/nestle-company-pollution-children/
Pollution
As
with any “respectable” large company, Nestle has been involved in
several incidents regarding pollution. A 1997 report found that in the
UK, over a 12 month period, water pollution limits were breached 2,152
times in 830 locations by companies that included Cabdury and Nestle.
But again, the situation in China was much worse.
While
people in the US and Europe are slowly becoming more environmentally
concerned and some are opting for more sustainable sources of water,
Nestle has moved to another market – Asia. Alongside companies such as
Kraft or Shell, Nestle made several environmental violations.
Nestle
Sources Shanghai Ltd’s bottled water manufacturing plant also made the
list for starting operation before its wastewater treatment facilities
had passed an environmental impact assessment.
“These are only some of the water pollution violations committed by
multinational companies in China, since our website has yet to cover
information about air and solid waste pollution,” said Ma Jun, director
of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs. “The parent
companies in their home countries are models for environmental
protection. But they have slackened their efforts in China.”
Another
article claims that Nestle capitalizes on China’s already-polluted
waters to make a good profit, while Corporate Watch highlights the fact
that Nestle continues to extract water illegally from Brazil for their
Perrier brand. Although Nestlé lost the legal action, pumping continues
as it gets through the appeal procedures, something which can take ten
years or more.
----------------------
The fight to stop Nestlé from taking America's water to sell in plastic bottles
Oct 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/29/the-fight-over-water-how-nestle-dries-up-us-creeks-to-sell-water-in-plastic-bottles
Meanwhile,
Maine’s regulatory apparatus is stacked with former Nestlé employees or
contractors. The Maine Public Utilities Commission was set to rule on
the Fryeburg water deal in 2013 when it was revealed the three
commissioners considering the case included a former Nestlé lobbyist,
attorney, and consultant. Former governor Paul LePage last year
appointed a Nestlé manager to the state’s environmental protection
board, while former Nestlé lobbyist Patricia Aho previously ran the
state’s department of environmental protection.
According to Food and Water Watch, Nestlé or its lobbyists donated $634,000 to Maine politicians between 2001 and 2012.
“They’re in bed together,” Swinton said.
Such
strategies are part of Nestlé’s playbook. In Michigan, where the
company is pumping 1,100 gallons per minute across several wells, it
paid for new ambulances and fireworks for economically struggling
communities. Evart public schools’ superintendent Howard Hyde said in
2005 that he was “tickled” by Nestlé funding new baseball diamonds for
the district’s baseball team.
----------------------
While Flint drinks poison, Nestlé is pumping 200 gallons of fresh water out of Michigan every minute
https://actions.sumofus.org/a/while-flint-drinks-poison-nestle-is-pumping-out-200-gallons-of-fresh-water-every-minute
----------------------
Nestlé plan to take 1.1m gallons of water a day from natural springs sparks outcry
Aug 2019
Opponents fighting to stop the project say the fragile river cannot sustain such a large draw
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/aug/26/nestle-suwannee-river-ginnie-springs-plan-permit
The
crystal blue waters of Ginnie Springs have long been treasured among
the string of pearls that line Florida’s picturesque Santa Fe River, a
playground for water sports enthusiasts and an ecologically critical
haven for the numerous species of turtles that nest on its banks.
Soon,
however, it is feared there could be substantially less water flowing
through, if a plan by the food and beverage giant Nestlé wins approval.
In
a controversial move that has outraged environmentalists and also
raised questions with authorities responsible for the health and
vitality of the river, the company is seeking permission to take more
than 1.1m gallons a day from the natural springs to sell back to the
public as bottled water.
Opponents say the fragile
river, which is already officially deemed to be “in recovery” by the
Suwannee River water management district after years of earlier
overpumping, cannot sustain such a large draw – a claim Nestlé
vehemently denies. Critics are fighting to stop the project as
environmentally harmful and against the public interest.
Meanwhile,
Nestlé, which produces its popular Zephyrhills and Pure Life brands
with water extracted from similar natural springs in Florida, has spent
millions of dollars this year buying and upgrading a water bottling
plant at nearby High Springs in expectation of permission being granted.
----------------------
Stop Nestlé's Theft of Six Nations Water!
https://www.thepetitionsite.com/721/655/050/stop-nestl%C3%A9s-theft-of-six-nations-water/
----------------------
Africa: trapped in water privatization
2011
https://newint.org/blog/majority/2011/06/20/africa-water-privatization
‘Nestlé
is the global leader in the exploitation of water across the globe. It
has 67 bottling factories and sells in more than 130 countries. In
Pakistan, Nestlé, the world leader in bottled water, invented a
“blue-print factory” that could be shipped to any location in the world.
It chose Pakistan for a number of reasons, one of which is that it is
the only country in the region that has an unregulated groundwater
sector, meaning that anyone can simply dig a hole and extract as much
water as they want without paying a penny. The Pure Life water has been
produced in Pakistan, Asia, Africa and South America and is marketed as
“capturing nature in its purest form”. In short, Nestlé now owns and
distributes “nature” on every continent.’ (New Internationalist)
----------------------
Brazilian Water Protection a $100 Million Market?
2010
With conservation cheaper than cleanup, governments are paying people to protect water supplies at the source
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/6/100604-brazil-watershed-protection/
----------------------
Settlement Ends Nestlé’s Expired 'Zombie' Permit to Siphon Water From San Bernardino National Forest
2018
https://www.ecowatch.com/nestle-water-san-bernardino-2575958681.html
Federal
officials and conservation groups reached an agreement Wednesday that
will finally end Nestlé Corp.'s ability to rely on a permit that expired
30 years ago to siphon water from the San Bernardino National Forest
for its massive bottled-water operation. The company's diversion has
severely reduced water in spring-fed Strawberry Creek, which forest
wildlife and plants need to survive.
----------------------
French town of Vittel suffering water shortages as Nestle accused of 'overusing' resources
2018
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/26/french-town-vittel-suffering-water-shortages-nestle-accused/
----------------------
'The river is dead': is a mine polluting the water of Brazil's Xikrin tribe?
2018
Federal
courts are battling to shut down a nickel mining plant said to be
contaminating the Cateté river – a charge the company denies
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/may/15/brazil-xikrin-catete-river-amazon
----------------------
Ten towns hit by river pollution from Brazil dam disaster
1-13-2019
https://phys.org/news/2019-02-ten-towns-river-pollution-brazil.html
----------------------
Seasonal
variations, metal distribution and water quality in the Todos os Santos
River, Southeastern Brazil: a multivariate analysis
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0001-37652018000602701
----------------------
Influence of water quality on diversity and composition of fungal communities in a tropical river
2018
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-33162-y
----------------------
Deviation of the Sao Francisco River, Brazil
Name of conflict:
Deviation of the Sao Francisco River, Brazil
Country:
Brazil
https://ejatlas.org/conflict/deviation-of-the-sao-francisco-river-brazil
RIO
DE JANEIRO — A torrent of muddy mining waste unleashed by a dam breach
that killed at least 84 people in southeastern Brazil is now heading
down a small river with high concentrations of iron oxide, threatening
to contaminate a much larger river that provides drinking water to
communities in five of the country’s 26 states.
The
release of the muddy waste has already turned the normally greenish
water of the Parapoeba River brown about 11 miles (18 kilometers)
downstream from the southeastern city of Brumadhinho, where the broken
dam is.
The chief of an indigenous community said
Tuesday that Brazilian environmental agents warned his community to stop
fishing in the river, bathing in it and using its water for the plants
they cultivate as food.
The Parapoeba flows into the
much larger Sao Francisco River, which provides drinking and irrigation
water to hundreds of municipalities and larger cities such as Petrolina,
in the state of Pernambuco, 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) from
Brumadhino, which is in Minas Gerais state.
As grieving
relatives of the dead bury family members and searchers continue
looking for 276 people who are missing, Brazilian authorities and
companies involved with river water management are trying to figure out
how to prevent the contamination.
Their main focus is
the Retiro Baixo hydroelectric dam and plant complex about 186 miles
(300 kilometers) from Brumadinho. Officials and environmentalists hope
the dam’s reservoirs can be used to isolate the muck so it can be
cleaned before that water is released to head farther downstream to the
Sao Francisco River...
----------------------
Brazilian actor Domingos Montagner drowns in river near set of TV show
2016
Witnesses thought he was being filmed so initially did not try to help him
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/domingos-montagner-death-brazil-actor-drowns-river-tv-show-velho-chico-a7311746.html
---------------------
WATER QUALITY EVALUATION OF THE LOWER SÃO FRANCISCORIVER, SERGIPE, BRAZIL
https://iwra.org/member/congress/resource/PAP00-4888.pdf
----------------------
Reappearance of matrinxã Brycon orthotaenia(Characiformes: Bryconidae) in the lower São Francisco river, Brazil
http://www.bioflux.com.ro/docs/2016.949-953.pdf
----------------------
Genotoxic effects of water from São Francisco River, Brazil, in Astyanax paranae.
2014
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24849712
----------------------
SÃO FRANCISCO RIVER BASIN Integrated Management of Land Based Activitiesin the São Francisco River Basin
http://www.oas.org/en/sedi/dsd/IWRM/Past_Projects/Documents/Sao_Francisco_Brochure.pdf
----------------------
Challenge and response in the São Francisco River Basin
2014
https://iwaponline.com/wp/article-abstract/16/S1/153/20180/Challenge-and-response-in-the-Sao-Francisco-River?redirectedFrom=fulltext
----------------------
Suspended sediment fluxes in the large river basins of Brazil
2005
https://iahs.info/uploads/dms/13042.48%20355-363%20S11-19%20Werneck%20et%20al.pdf
----------------------
Economic
impacts of regional water scarcity in the São Francisco River Basin,
Brazil: an application of a linked hydro-economic model
2011
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/environment-and-development-economics/article/economic-impacts-of-regional-water-scarcity-in-the-sao-francisco-river-basin-brazil-an-application-of-a-linked-hydroeconomic-model/0CD7D172C7BF71D712297F2FF37CF28C
----------------------
Inter-annual variability on the water quality in the Lower São Francisco River (NE-Brazil)
http://www.ablimno.org.br/acta/pdf/v28/acta28n105.pdf
----------------------
Contaminated Sludge Rushes toward Drinking Water, Irrigation Supplies in Five Brazil States
1-30-2019
https://www.environmentalleader.com/2019/01/contaminated-sludge-oozes-toward-drinking-water-irrigation-supplies-in-five-brazil-states/
----------------------
Waste unleashed from Brazil dam on its way to a larger river
2019
https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/waste-unleashed-from-brazil-dam-on-its-way-to-a-larger-river-1.4274718
----------------------
River running through Brumadinho shows high level of heavy metals
2019
http://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/geral/noticia/2019-02/river-running-through-brumadinho-shows-high-level-heavy-metals
----------------------
Management of Tropical River Basins and Reservoirs under Water Stress: Experiences from Northeast Brazil
2019
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3298/6/6/62/htm
----------------------
Fallout from Brumadinho dam collapse harming crucial Brazilian River
2019
https://brazilian.report/society/2019/03/24/brumadinho-sao-francisco-river/
----------------------
Brazil's Pataxo depended on a river that's now polluted with mud
12 Feb 2019
The Pataxo indigenous tribe's main source of food and water was destroyed after January's dam collapse in eastern Brazil
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/brazil-pataxo-depended-river-turned-mud-190212165216265.html
----------------------
Reappearance of matrinxã Brycon orthotaenia(Characiformes: Bryconidae) in the lower São Francisco river, Brazil
2016
http://www.bioflux.com.ro/docs/2016.949-953.pdf
----------------------
Anaerobic degradation of anionic surfactants by indigenous microorganisms from sediments of a tropical polluted river in Brazil
2015
https://www.scielo.sa.cr/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-77442015000100024
----------------------
10 Most Polluted Rivers in Brazil
https://thebrazilbusiness.com/article/10-most-polluted-rivers-in-brazil
1. Rio Tietê, State of São Paulo
2. Rio Iguaçu, State of Paraná
3. Rio Ipojuca, State of Pernambuco
4. Rio dos Sinos, State of Rio Grande do Sul
5. Rio Gravataí, State of Rio Grande do Sul
6. Rio das Velhas, State of Minas Gerais
7. Rio Capibaribe, State of Pernambuco
8. Rio Caí, State of Rio Grande do Sul
9. Rio Paraíba do Sul, States of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais
10.Rio Doce, State of Minas Gerais
----------------------
This is the 9 most bizarre colored rivers and lakes of our planet
3. Tietê River (Brazil)
This Brazilian river did not take hit us with its peculiar color, but by thick layer of foam
which forms regularly every year from June to August. When drought
occurs, the level of the river is reduced and smaller volume accumulates
hazardous components, which in reaction with water form the foam.
It is estimated that poorly regulated waste from huge city of São Paolo is behind the production of toxic foam.
https://www.hydrotech-group.com/blog/9-najbizarnejsie-sfarbenych-riek-jazier-planety
----------------------
World's Most Polluted Rivers
2013
https://weather.com/news/news/worlds-most-polluted-rivers-20130627#/7
Overview
of foam blocks floating on the surface of Tiete river emitting harmful
gases as it goes through Pirapora de Bom Jesus historical city, 60km
north from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
----------------------
Distribution of heavy metals in the geochemicalphases of sediments from the Tietê River, Brazil
2013
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3184/095422913X13785624164620
----------------------
Sediment-contact
fish embryo toxicity assay with Danio rerio to assess particle-bound
pollutants in the Tietê River Basin (São Paulo, Brazil).
2011
http://europepmc.org/article/med/21802730
----------------------
Fish diversity in the upper Paraná River basin: habitats, fisheries, management and conservation
2007
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14634980701341719?scroll=top&needAccess=true
--------------
Fish diversity in the cascade of reservoirs along the Paranapanema River, southeast Brazil
2018
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-62252018000200213
ABSTRACT
The
Paranapanema River is a major tributary of the upper Paraná river
basin. Eleven hydropower dams regulate its main course, but no study has
investigated fish diversity in these impoundments at the basin-scale.
The present study investigated spatial patterns of richness,
composition, and abundance of native (non-migratory and migratory) and
non-native fishes in the cascade of reservoirs along the Paranapanema
River. The study is based on data collected from 34 independent studies
conducted in nine reservoirs (47 samples). The compilation recorded 161
species, being 111 native (14 migratory) and 50 non-native. Total
richness ranged between 56 and 112 species/reservoir, with a mean of 72
(49.9 non-migratory, 8.1 migratory and 14 non-native). The number of
non-migratory species showed no spatial trend along the cascade system,
but migratory and non-native richness increased toward downstream
reaches. We also observed spatial variation in species composition along
the cascade system, but some non-native fishes were widely distributed.
Migratory fishes showed low relative abundance (usually < 10%),
while non-native species were common and more abundant, especially in
reservoirs downstream. Our results revealed a high diversity of fishes
in the cascade of impoundments, but indicated that migratory fishes are
rare, while non-native species are common or dominant.
--------------
Subfossil and periphytic diatoms from the upper Paraná river, Brazil: last ~1000 years of a transition period
2018
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2236-89062018000300431
--------------
Paraná River
https://www.britannica.com/place/Parana-River
--------------
The Paraná River system
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-94-017-3290-1_11
--------------
Parana River: Its Importance and Its Threats
2018
https://ourglobalclimate.com/parana-river/
------------------------
ARGENTINA: Parana River Not What It Used to Be
BUENOS
AIRES, Feb 17 2012 (IPS) - Lower water levels and increasing pressure
from overfishing in the Paraná river are causing an unprecedented
decline in fish stocks in the river that is regarded as the second most
biodiverse in South America after the Amazon river.
http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/02/argentina-parana-river-not-what-it-used-to-be/
--------------
Lead pollution from waterfowl hunting in wetlands and rice fields in Argentina
2015 Dec 31
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26745298/
--------------
Water quality monitoring of the Pirapó River watershed, Paraná, Brazil
2015
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842015000900148
--------------
Water quality of the main tributaries of the Paraná Basin:glyphosate and AMPA in surface water and bottom sediments
2015
https://www.foroambiental.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/ronco2016-Glifo-parana.pdf
--------------
Environmental risk assessment in five rivers of Parana River basin, Southern Brazil, through biomarkers in Astyanax spp.
2017
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28540546
--------------
Folder Argentina - Water quality measurement on the Parana river - technical report - S-0140-0001-01
https://search.archives.un.org/argentina-water-quality-measurement-on-parana-river-technical-report
--------------
Overview of Parana Delta
http://www.delta-alliance.org/gfx_content/documents/documentation/overview%20Parana%20delta.pdf
The Parana River is considered the third largest river in the American Continent, after the Mississippi in the United States and the Amazonas in Brazil. It is located in South America and it runs through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, where it flows into the Río de la Plata. Its length is 2570 Km and its basin surface is around 1.51 million km2. The two initial tributaries of the Parana are the Paranaiba River and the Grande River, both in Brazil, but the most important tributary is the Paraguay River, located in homonymous country. In comparison with other rivers, the Paraná is about half the length of the Mississippi River (6211 km), but it has similar flow. Parana River’s mean streamflow is 18500 m3/s (Menendez, 2002) and Mississippi’s flow is 17704 m3/s. Thus, the Parana has twice the length of the Rhine (1320 km), but it has 8 times its flow (2300 m3/s).
Climate
Change in the Delta
The analysis of river discharges variability is important for the area because changes in river flow lead to floods and droughts. Parana River drains to the Rio de la Plata through the bifurcation into two rivers: the Parana de las Palmas River and the Parana Guazu River. Parana de las Palmas discharge represent 25% of the total Parana river ́s discharge and Paraná Guazu represents the other 75%. Between Parana river and Uruguay river there are a lot of natural and artificial canals which flow from West to East or vice versa, depending on the rise and fall of river streamflow. This characteristic makes the territory a very changing environment.
Among other factors, changes in river streamflow are related to precipitations and also to the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The ENSO is a cycle that takes place in the tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean and is characterized by a change of temperature and pressure of surface waters. The warming phase is called El Niño and the cooling phase is called La Niña. ENSO is the main source of variability in South America and in spite of not always being followed by precipitations, it has a great influence on them. In the case study, precipitation variability is mostly influenced by ENSO during the warming phase El Niño and during neutral periods –phases between El Niño and La Niña. Scientific evidence shows that there is a deep connection between the ENSO phenomenon and extreme increases of river discharges, mostly during the period of 1971-2001.
---------------
Bleeding the Flying River Dry:
Deforestation, Climate Change and Drought in the Amazon
https://www.amazonfrontlines.org/chronicles/bleeding-river/
South American Lifeline
The
Flying River is a lifeline for millions of people living in the Amazon
and further to the south, where it empties onto the continent as
essential seasonal rains. An innovative project using participatory
methods (Indigenous Health Adaptation to Climate Change (IHACC))
identified both climate-change induced flooding and water shortages as
having health-related outcomes in two indigenous populations of the
Western Amazon (Peru). Flooding episodes have become more intense and
lead to the spread of water-borne disease (e.g. diarrhea) and
vector-borne diseases (e.g. malaria and Leishmaniasis). Water shortages
at other times force people to consume stagnant, murky water. Water
shortages also lead to rice and palm crop failure, while high water
yields fewer and smaller plantain. Additionally, villagers described
suffering from the hot temperatures, reducing their agricultural work
day from 6 to 3 hours. (Hofmeijer et al., 2012; Sherman et al. 2015)
Drought has also been linked to respiratory problems, especially among
children. In periods of dry weather, hospitalizations for respiratory
complaints soar throughout the Brazilian Amazon due to irritating
particles billowing up from dry soil and forest fire fumes. (Smith et
al. 2014).
A changing climate also impacts the wildlife
which communities depend on for their food. A recent study in
Pacaya-Samiria Park in the Peruvian Amazon found that flooding led to a
devastating 95% decrease in terrestrial mammals. On the other hand,
flooding had positive impacts on fish numbers. Drought had the opposite
effect on fish but not on terrestrial mammals. The indigenous diet is
dependent on these natural resources and well balanced in normal
conditions. But climate disruptions are triggering a shift in local food
systems. Hunting frequency among the Cocama people in the area
decreased from 84% of families to only 33% as game populations crashed
following five consecutive years of flooding. The worst-case scenario is
when drought follows several years of flooding. Mammal populations take
some time to recover so in dry periods following inundations indigenous
people wouldn’t be able to rely on either game or fish. (Bodmer et al.
2018).
Taming the Turning Tides of the Flying River
All
indicators point to continued alterations in the Flying River. There
are three lines of defence to this desiccation: 1) prevent further
disturbances in the Amazon; 2) adapt to the new ebbs and flows; and 3)
reduce global carbon emissions.
Local solutions for
preventing further deterioration of the atmospheric currents include
keeping forests intact and using traditional agroforestry systems.
Protecting forests has wide-reaching consequences. According to the
theory of the Flying River, a single stand of trees saved in Ecuador can
have ripple effects across the entire Amazon Basin. Ecuador’s
traditional agroforestry practices mitigate carbon emissions from
cultivation through sequestering carbon in the trees that are grown
alongside crops and feeding moisture to the Flying River (Torres et al.
2015).
--------------
The pollution of Brazilian urban rivers, a study about Bombas river, Joao Pessoa/Paraíba-Brazil.
2017
https://www.iwra.org/member/congress/resource/ABSID308_ABSID308_The_pollution_of_Brazilian_urban_rivers_a_study_about_Bombas_river_Joao_PessoaParabaBrazil.pdf
---------------
Brazil's depleted rivers
2003
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3125459.stm
Explorer
Captain Richard Burton, wrote in August 1867, in Sabara, Brazil: "Here a
man can catch a half a dozen sprat like Piabas simply by heaving up a
bucketful of water and throwing it upon the river bank."
--------------
The Plata River Basin: International Basin Development and Riverine Fisheries - R. Quirós
http://www.fao.org/3/ad525e/ad525e0h.htm
--------------
Climatology and Hydrology of the Plata Basin
https://www.atmos.umd.edu/~berbery/lpb/science_plan.html
----------------------
Amazon’s giant South American river turtle holding its own, but risks abound
December 2019
https://news.mongabay.com/2019/12/amazons-giant-south-american-river-turtle-holding-its-own-but-risks-abound/
----------------------
Drica: Resistance in the Quilombos of the Trombetas River
July 05, 2019
https://pulitzercenter.org/reporting/drica-resistance-quilombos-trombetas-river
----------------------
Phytoplankton in an Amazonian flood-plain lake (Lago Batata, Brasil): diel variation and species strategies
2000
https://academic.oup.com/plankt/article/22/1/63/1549631
----------------------
--------------------------
---------------------
-------------------
----------------
----------------
Section 15: Rivers
----------------
----------------
-------------------
---------------------
Brazil's river of death
12 Dec 2009
https://www.aljazeera.com/focus/climatesos/2009/12/2009121075234359382.html
Thousands of fish perish as drought dries up the Amazon's Manaquiri River.
Thousands of fish in the river have been killed by a sharp drop in water oxygen levels
The
once free-flowing Manaquiri River, which runs through the state of
Amazonas in northwest Brazil, is in the fight of its life against a
spell of dry weather - and it appears to be losing the battle.
Thousands
of dead fish are rotting on the river banks and hundreds more float on
its surface, turning the area into a toxic cesspool.
Vultures
circle overhead, picking away at the rotting carcasses. Even an
alligator - one of the fiercest reptiles of the Amazon - floats belly up
in the river.
Local fishermen say it has not rained in
more than 25 days, leaving the large surrounding rivers in recession.
This has in turn choked off the tributaries that provide fresh water to
the Manaquiri.
With no fresh water coming in, oxygen levels in the river have dropped, leaving the fish to suffocate to death.
"One week the river water levels dropped, the next week all the fish died," Bruno dos Santos, a fisherman, told Al Jazeera.
"In five days all the fish were dead. We have nothing left, only this ugly water."
Fishermen unemployed
The
town of Manaquiri lies about three hours from Manaus, the capital of
Amazonas, and is home to a population of nearly 20,000, 800 of whom are
fishermen. "All are unemployed now," says dos Santos.
When Al Jazeera visited the town last week, water levels were so low that fishing boats were beached on the banks, immobile.
"I used to make 100 or 200 reais ($57-$114) a day, but now nothing," fisherman Gevaldo Maciel says.
"All
I do all day now is eat, sleep and drink water. We are prisoners here,
because the water is so low if we try to get to another river our boats
will get stuck. So what are we supposed to do?"
Estimates
suggest that the 14,000 of the town's inhabitants who rely on the river
as an economic lifeline are being adversely affected by the water
shortage.
In November, local media reported that local
schools suspended classes for 2,600 children who used the river as a
means of transportation.
Some Amazon scientists warn
that the drying up of the Manaquiri River may signal similar droughts
occurring with higher frequency as the climate continues to change.
"This
is something that fits with the climate changes that are happening now
and that are expected to increase in the future," says Philip Fearnside,
a research professor in the Department of Ecology at the National
Institute for Research in the Amazon (INPA) in Manaus.
"We
have an El Nino [weather pattern] beginning this year and that means
that water is warming up in the Pacific Ocean. Whenever that happens we
have droughts here in the Amazon."
Climate change 'fact'
Fearnside,
who has lived in the Amazon for the past 33 years and is considered one
of Brazil's top ecologists, says climate change theories are not built
on speculation.
"This is something we have experience
with and know from the data, it's not something that depends on the
outcome of a computer simulation," he adds.
He says that while droughts can occur without climate change, such events are more likely to develop in a warming climate.
For
the fishermen passing time on their now idle boats on the Manaquiri,
the stench of fish carcasses baking under the sun is a constant reminder
of their dwindling livelihood.
The ice chest on
Antonio Farias' boat, which used to be filled with fish, is now empty.
Although he admits that he has no scientific expertise, he does offer
his own theories for the cause of his community's misery.
"I think this is related to some changes in the climate," he says.
"Because
for us, it's been over 20 days without rain here. This was a surprise,
because we have never experienced this before. It's sad, all the dead
fish."
As Al Jazeera prepared to leave Manaquiri toward the end of the week, rain twice fell on the region , breaking the dry spell.
However, the fishermen say the damage has already been done. It will take a year at least, they say, for the river to recover.
--------------------------
Where the Xingu Bends and Will Soon Break
https://www.americanscientist.org/article/where-the-xingu-bends-and-will-soon-break
With
its globally unique geomorphology, hydrology, and aquatic biota,
Brazil’s Xingu River offers a seemingly foolproof argument for its
preservation. Yet the will to harness the Xingu for hydroelectricity has
prevailed over decades of heroic efforts to sustain its natural course.
--------------
Spatial patterns of water quality in Xingu River Basin (Amazonia) prior to the Belo Monte dam impoundment
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842015000500034
----------------
The natural and social history of the indigenous lands and protected areas corridor of the Xingu River basin.
2013
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23610170
-------------------------
The
18O: 16O of dissolved oxygen in rivers and lakes in the Amazon Basin:
Determining the ratio of respiration to photosynthesis rates in
freshwaters
June 1995
https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.4319/lo.1995.40.4.0718
Abstract
The concentration and 18O:16O ratio of dissolved
oxygen were measured for 23 rivers and lakes of the Amazon Basin during
1988, 1990, and 1991. With only two exceptions, the rivers and lakes had
dissolved oxygen concentrations that were at 20–90% of atmospheric
saturation levels. The δ18O of the dissolved oxygen ranged from 15 to 30‰ (vs. SMOW). The δ18O for the lakes were the lowest at 15–23‰. δ18O <24.2‰ (the atmospheric equilibrium value) are the result of photosynthetic oxygen input. The δ18O of the rivers, in contrast, ranged from 24 to 30‰. δ18O > 24.2‰ resulted from respiration. Despite thisclear difference between the δ18O for rivers and lakes, these water bodies had similar levels of oxygen undersaturation. The δ18O and dissolved oxygen concentrations are used to determine the ratio of community respiration (R) to gross photosynthesis (P) rates. R : P varied between ∼ 1 and 1.5 for lakes and between 1.5 and 4 for rivers. For all rivers and lakes, the measured δ18O indicated the presence of photosynthetically produced oxygen, with the highest proportion occurring in lakes. The δ18O of dissolved oxygen is a unique tracer of photosynthetic oxygen and provides, through a determination of R : P, a means of quantifying the heterotrophic state of freshwaters.
--------------------------
Large-scale degradation of Amazonian freshwater ecosystems.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26700407
--------------------------
The vulnerability of Amazon freshwater ecosystems
https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/conl.12008
--------------------------
Quality index of the surface water of Amazonian rivers in industrial areas in Pará, Brazil
2017
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X17307373
--------------------------
Seasonal
assessment and apportionment of surface water pollution using
multivariate statistical methods: Sinos River, southern Brazil.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29884932
--------------------------
Amazon River 'Breathes' Carbon Dioxide from Rain Forest
May 23, 2013
https://www.livescience.com/34629-amazon-river-carbon-cycle.html
--------------------------
Assessment of surface water in two Amazonian rivers impacted by industrial wastewater, Barcarena City, Pará State (Brazil)
ABSTRACT
In
2007, surface waters were collected from 21 sampling points in
Barcarena City in Northern Region of Brazil: one sampling point located
in a stream that receives discharge of wastewater from a kaolin
processing industry and flows into the Curuperê River, three sampling
points located near sources that emerge on the left bank and flow into
the Curuperê River, nine sampling points in Curuperê River, which flows
into the Dendê River, and eight in Dendê River, a tributary on the right
bank of the Pará River. For all water samples were quantified 14
physicochemical variables and levels of 12 metals. The results in the
points near the sources of the Curuperê River presented physicochemical
profile and metal levels which are typical of surface waters being used
as reference to compare and identify possible changes in the chemical
characteristics of the other sampling points. The comparison between the
results obtained for the sources of the Curuperê River and the ones for
the point near the discharge of industrial wastewater revealed strong
changes in the values of 6 physicochemical variables (pH, electrical
conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), sulfate (SO4),
ammoniacal nitrogen (NH4-N) and salinity) and an increase in magnitude
of the levels of four metals (Al, Fe, Mn and Zn). These facts
characterized that the wastewaters were discharged into the environment
without adequate treatment. Results in other sampling sites showed that
these anomalous conditions were also found along the Curuperê and Dendê
Rivers, especially during low tide. This chemical characterization of
the waters allowed to identify harmful conditions to aquatic ecosystems
and potential health risk for the local people, who use the rivers for
drinking water, recreation and transportation.
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0103-50532011000800013
--------------------------
Five years of soil moisture and ocean salinity
November 4, 2014
https://watchers.news/2014/11/04/five-years-of-soil-moisture-and-ocean-salinity/
--------------------------
The Geochemistry of Natural Radionuclides in Saline Soils from Brazil Treated with Phosphogypsum Imbituba
11 January 2017
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11270-016-3235-y
--------------------------
Spectral reflectance characteristics of soils in northeastern Brazil as influenced by salinity levels
13 October 2016
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10661-016-5631-6
--------------------------
Salinity of soil characteristics in crops in Brazil
January 2014
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284769474_Salinity_of_soil_characteristics_in_crops_in_Brazil
--------------------------
Sodicity and salinity in a Brazilian Oxisol cultivated with sugarcane irrigated with wastewater
2008
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378377408002023
--------------------------
Soil salinization and maize and cowpea yield in the crop rotation system using saline waters
2011
https://www.scielo.br/j/eagri/a/VSmSCrSGFQDCxqxhfDPxfKJ/
--------------------------
Laboratory Salinization of Brazilian Alluvial Soils and the Spectral Effects of Gypsum
25 March 2014
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/6/4/2647/html
--------------------------
Role of Plant–Microbe Interactions in Combating Salinity Stress
06 May 2022
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-16-7759-5_13
--------------------------
Effect of sulphur inoculated with Thiobacillus on soil salinity and growth of tropical tree legumes
2001
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11710345/
--------------------------
Surface water quality assessment of the main tributaries in the lower São Francisco River, Sergipe
Aug 06, 2018
ABSTRACT
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2318-03312018000100230
Contamination
of water body by diffuse and point sources in springs has caused
concerns mainly due to restrictions on its quality. The problem becomes
more serious when contamination affects water for human consumption, as
occurs in the river São Francisco, which supplies several municipalities
of Sergipe. In this sense, the objective of the study was to evaluate
water quality in eleven tributaries of the São Francisco river in its
low course in the period from 2013 to 2014, in order to subsidize
decision making by public management bodies operating in the region. For
this purpose, it was used the Water Quality Index (WQI) and the Trophic
State Index (TSI), as well the hierarchical grouping techniques
associated to the samples to compare the different causes of
contamination of each source. The lowest WQI values were observed in the
rivers Betume and Jacaré and they were associated with high
concentrations of coliforms related to the disposal of domestic
effluents from the riverside cities. It was observed a tendency to
eutrophication in the Jacaré stream, Santo Antônio, Pilões, Papagaio and
Capivara rivers demonstrated by the high TSI in the rainy season. The
results of the cluster analysis were close to their Euclidean distance,
and showed that there were similarity relationships between the
different water sources related to their parameters of water quality. In
this piece of work, we also used the Factor Analysis resulted in the
selection of five factors of water quality indicators which are mainly
related to mineral content, organic matter, surface runoff and the level
of pollution. Thus, it is concluded that the water quality of the São
Francisco river tributaries is at a strong tendency towards
contamination and that its tributaries need a constant monitoring for
the environmental management decisions to be the most adequate for the
sustainable survival of the riverside communities.
--------------------------
Rediscovery
and redescription of the endangered Hypostomus subcarinatus Castelnau,
1855 (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the Rio São Francisco basin in
Brazil
2019
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0207328
--------------------------
Carbon dioxide emissions from estuaries of northern and northeastern Brazil
(2014)
Abstract
The
carbon dioxide flux through the air–water interface of coastal
estuarine systems must be quantified to understand the regional balance
of carbon and its transport through adjacent coastal regions. We
estimated and calculated the emissions of carbon dioxide (FCO2) and the
partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) values in 28 estuarine environments at a
variety of spatial scales in the northern and northeastern regions of
Brazil. The results showed a mean FCO2 (water to air) of 55 ± 45
mmol·m-2·d-1. Additionally, a negative correlation between dissolved
oxygen saturation and pCO2 was observed, indicating a control by
biological processes and especially by organic matter degradation. This
leads to increased dissolved CO2 concentration in estuarine waters which
results in a pCO2 that reached 8,638 µatm. Our study suggests that
northern and northeastern Brazilian estuaries act as sources of
atmospheric CO2. The range of pCO2 observed were similar to those found
in inner estuaries in other places around the world, with the exception
of a few semi-arid estuaries (Köppen climate classification – BSh) in
which record low levels of pCO2 have been detected.
https://www.nature.com/articles/srep06164
--------------------------
Modeling chlorophyll-a and dissolved oxygen concentration in tropical floodplain lakes (Paraná River, Brazil)
June 2009
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842009000300005
ABSTRACT
The
need for prediction is widely recognized in limnology. In this study,
data from 25 lakes of the Upper Paraná River floodplain were used to
build models to predict chlorophyll-aand dissolved oxygen
concentrations. Akaike's information criterion (AIC) was used as a
criterion for model selection. Models were validated with independent
data obtained in the same lakes in 2001. Predictor variables that
significantly explained chlorophyll-aconcentration were pH, electrical
conductivity, total seston (positive correlation) and nitrate (negative
correlation). This model explained 52% of chlorophyll variability.
Variables that significantly explained dissolved oxygen concentration
were pH, lake area and nitrate (all positive correlations); water
temperature and electrical conductivity were negatively correlated with
oxygen. This model explained 54% of oxygen variability. Validation with
independent data showed that both models had the potential to predict
algal biomass and dissolved oxygen concentration in these lakes. These
findings suggest that multiple regression models are valuable and
practical tools for understanding the dynamics of ecosystems and that
predictive limnology may still be considered a powerful approach in
aquatic ecology.
--------------------------
Oxygen depletion and carbon dioxide and methane production in waters of the Pantanal wetland of Brazil
August 1995
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00002727
This study examines dissolved O2, CO2 and CH4
in waters of the Pantanal, a vast savanna floodplain in Brazil.
Measurements are presented for 540 samples from throughout the region,
ranging from areas of sheet flooding to sluggish marsh streams to the
major rivers of the region. Dissolved O2 is often strongly
depleted, particularly in waters filled with emergent vascular plants,
which are the most extensive aquatic environment of the region. Median O2
concentrations were 35 μM for vegetated waters, 116 μM for the Paraguay
River, 95 μM for tributary rivers, and 165 μM for open lakes
(atmospheric equilibrium, 230–290 μM). Airwater diffusive fluxes were
calculated from dissolved gas concentrations for representative
vegetated floodplain waters, based on data collected over the course of
an annual cycle. These fluxes reveal about twice as much CO2 evasion as can be accounted for by invasion of O2 (overall means in nmol cm-2 s-1: O2 0.18, CO2 0.34, and CH4
0.017). Methanogenesis is estimated to account for ca. 20% of the total
heterotrophic metabolism in the water column and sediments, with the
remainder likely due mostly to aerobic respiration. Anaerobic
respiration is limited by the low concentrations of alternate electron
acceptors. We hypothesize that O2 transported through the
stems of emergent plants is consumed in aerobic respiration by plant
tissues or microorganisms, producing CO2 that preferentially dissolves into the water, and thus explaining most of the excess CO2 evasion. This hypothesis is supported by measurements of gases in submersed stems of emergent plants.
-------------------------
Evaluation of Primary Production in the Lower Amazon River Based on a Dissolved Oxygen Stable Isotopic Mass Balance
07 February 2017
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2017.00026/full
--------------------------
Flying Rivers of the Amazon Rainforest—a Critical Rain Generator for the Planet
October 04, 2016
https://blog.pachamama.org/flying-rivers-of-the-amazon-rainforest-a-critical-rain-generator-for-the-planet
A
new theory proposes that the Amazon is the beating "heart of the
Earth", as millions of trees work together as a kind of "biotic pump"
that releases water vapor into the air, and circulates water and weather
patterns around the globe.
“The
importance of the Amazon rainforest in regulating not only South
America’s climate but also that of the entire world cannot be
overestimated. Like the Earth’s cryosphere, the Amazon and other
rainforests are essential geographic features of the planet that help
regulate the climate and provide habitat for unique wildlife. As with
the melting polar regions, the loss of the Amazon to capitalist
“resource development” will prove to be a self-destructive act for all
of mankind.” - Forests Precede Us, Deserts Follow
---------------------------
Avocado Wars: The Battle Over Water Rights In Chile
Season 2, Episode 2
The
popular demand for avocados, once considered an “exotic” item, is
having a devastating impact on a drought-stricken community in Chile.
Lying within one of the largest avocado producing regions in the
country, Petorca avocado plantations are in a battle over water rights,
where claims of illegal water diversion are creating civil unrest.
https://www.kcet.org/shows/earth-focus/episodes/avocado-wars-the-battle-over-water-rights-in-chile
----------------------------
----------------------------
--------------------------------
----------------------------------
Section 16: Cerrado
----------------------------------
-------------------------------
----------------------------
----------------------------
---------------------------------
The Cerrado: Brazil’s Other Biodiverse Region Loses Ground
April 14, 2011
https://e360.yale.edu/features/the_cerrado_brazils_other_biodiversity_hotspot_loses_ground
While Brazil touts its efforts to slow destruction of the Amazon, another biodiverse region of the country is being cleared for large-scale farming. But unlike the heralded rainforest it borders, the loss of the cerrado and its rich tropical savanna so far has failed to attract much notice.
-----------------------------
Agricultural Expansion in the Brazilian Cerrado: Increased Soil and Nutrient Losses and Decreased Agricultural Productivity
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/8/1/12
----------------------------
Soil, land use time, and sustainable intensification of agriculture in the Brazilian Cerrado region.
2017
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28116603
----------------------------
The expansion of Brazilian agriculture: Soil erosion scenarios
December 2013
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275280668_The_expansion_of_Brazilian_agriculture_Soil_erosion_scenarios
----------------------------
Between Fenix and Ceres: The Great Acceleration and the Agricultural Frontier in the Brazilian Cerrado
2018
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0104-87752018000200409&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en
----------------------------
Agricultural Intensification Can Preserve the Brazilian Cerrado: Applying Lessons From Mato Grosso and Goiás to Brazil’s Last Agricultural Frontier
August 30, 2017
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1940082917720662
----------------------------
Farming is destroying the Brazilian cerrado—one of the world's richest savannas
The cerrado covers 21% of Brazil, hosts 935 bird species and 10,000 plant species, and is an important carbon store, but farming has reduced it to less than half of its original size. The growing demand for food and biofuels has led to large-scale cultivation of soybean and sugarcane, forcing cattle ranchers and slash-and-burn farmers to re-locate ever deeper into the Amazon rainforest.
http://datazone.birdlife.org/sowb/casestudy/farming-is-destroying-the-brazilian-cerrado-one-of-the-worlds-richest-savannas
----------------------------
Pathways for recent Cerrado soybean expansion: extending the soymoratorium and implementing integrated crop livestock systems withsoybeans
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aafb85/pdf
----------------------------
The expansion of soybean production in the Cerrado
https://www.inputbrasil.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/The-expansion-of-soybean-production-in-the-Cerrado_Agroicone_INPUT.pdf
----------------------------
Amazon biome
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_biome
The Amazon biome (Portuguese: Bioma Amazônia) contains the Amazon rainforest, an area of tropical rainforest, and other ecoregions that cover most of the Amazon basin and some adjacent areas to the north and east. The biome contains blackwater and whitewater flooded forest, lowland and montane terra firme forest, bamboo and palm forest, savanna, sandy heath and alpine tundra. Some areas are threatened by deforestation for timber and to make way for pasture or soybean plantations.
----------------------------
Massive deforestation found in Brazil's Cerrado
April 2016
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160401131123.htm
----------------------------
Climate challenges and opportunities in the Brazilian Cerrado
https://ipam.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/PB-Cerrado-COP23-web.pdf
----------------------------
The Brazilian Cerrado: assessment of water and soildegradation in catchments under intensive agricultural use
2014
http://www.geografiaufmt.com.br/docs/humboldt/hunke.pdf
----------------------------
Understanding patterns of land-cover change in the Brazilian Cerrado from 2000 to 2015
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rstb.2015.0435
----------------------------
Brazil’s Cerrado forests won’t be saved by corporate pledges on deforestation
December 8, 2017
https://theconversation.com/brazils-cerrado-forests-wont-be-saved-by-corporate-pledges-on-deforestation-87130
----------------------------
Deforestation ticks up in Brazil's savannah
12 July 2018
The Cerrado is the most threatened biome in Brazil, environmentalists proclaim.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05695-9
----------------------------
Strategies to Reduce Deforestation in Brazil From controlling illegal deforestation to the challenge of sustainable production in the country’s forests and savannas
http://www.stapgef.org/sites/default/files/stap/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Strategies-to-Reduce-Deforestation-in-Brazil.pdf
-----------------------------
Massive deforestation found in Brazil's Cerrado
April 2016
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-04/uov-mdf040116.php
----------------------------
Scientists Are Making Brazil’s Savannah Bloom
OCT. 2, 2007
https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/science/02tropic.html
----------------------------
About This Species
https://insideclimatenews.org/species/mammals/bats-brazilian-cerrado
The bats of the Cerrado—Brazil's vast tropical savannah— play a vital role in pollinating and dispersing seeds of important plants in one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. The Cerrado covers 23 percent of Brazil, an area the size of Western Europe. There are at least 118 bat species living there, representing 10.5 percent of the world's bat species. With rapid deforestation and climate change eating away at the Cerrado, however, bats face a threat to their existence. They have limited ability to adapt to the rapid climate change underway because of their slow reproductive rates. They also have specific habitat needs, so even if they could move elsewhere, they would be hard-pressed to find a suitable setting.
Conservation Status
Many of the bat species found in the Brazilian Cerrado are doing relatively well elsewhere in the world. But the Cerrado has become particularly inhospitable.
The Brazilian Cerrado was shown to be losing forest at more than twice the rate of the Amazon in 2008—5,482 square miles of its three-quarters of a million square miles were lost that year alone. The Cerrado is considered the most threatened savannah in the world and one of Brazil's most threatened biomes. As the Cerrado has become fragmented due to deforestation and agricultural expansion, so has the bats' habitat, isolating groups or even entire species and making them more vulnerable to climate change.
------------------------------
Threat Down Below: Polluted Caves Endanger Water Supplies, Wildlife
2009
Caves
are home to some of the planet's most unusual creatures and important
drinking water supplies. Now these underground resources are being
polluted by surface activities, ranging from sewage spills to old
factories.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pollution-caves-water-wildlife-trout/
------------------------------
NEMATODES: INDICATORS OF METAL POLLUTION IN THE WONDERFONTEIN CAVE (SOUTH AFRICA).
2014
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279041916_NEMATODES_INDICATORS_OF_METAL_POLLUTION_IN_THE_WONDERFONTEIN_CAVE_SOUTH_AFRICA
-------------------------------
THE LEGAL SYSTEM OF THE BRAZILIAN SPELEOLOGICAL PATRIMONY
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/0c58/0111f70d79d35980d53ad8f864b49621f402.pdf
-------------------------------
------------------------------
----------------------------
----------------------------
Section 17: Atlantic Forest
----------------------------
----------------------------
------------------------------
--------------------------------
Atlantic Forest
The
Atlantic Forest (Portuguese: Mata Atlântica) is a South American forest
that extends along the Atlantic coast of Brazil from Rio Grande do
Norte state in the north to Rio Grande do Sul state in the south, and
inland as far as Paraguay and the Misiones Province of Argentina, where
the region is known as Selva Misionera.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Forest
----------------------------
Almost Three Quarters of Brazil's Population Lives in Its Shrinking Atlantic Forest
https://psmag.com/social-justice/almost-three-quarters-of-brazils-population-lives-in-its-shrinking-atlantic-forest
----------------------------
Verrucomicrobia in Brazilian Atlantic Forest Soil
2011
https://aem.asm.org/content/77/11/3903
The
Brazilian Atlantic forest is one of the main biodiversity hot spots in
the world (4). This biome stretches along the Brazilian Atlantic coast,
from the state of Rio Grande do Norte to Rio Grande do Sul, with an
original area of 1,233,875 km2 that has been reduced to less than 8% of
its original cover (Fig. 1). Also included in this hot spot is the
offshore archipelago of Fernando de Noronha and several other islands
off the Brazilian coast. In fact, the Atlantic forest is a continental
biome; it extends inland to eastern Paraguay, into northeastern
Argentina, and narrowly along the coast into Uruguay.
-----------------------------
Deforestation up 9 percent in Brazil's Atlantic forest
2014
https://www.worldbulletin.net/health-environment/deforestation-up-9-percent-in-brazils-atlantic-forest-h137520.html
Less
known than the Amazon, the Atlantic Rainforest stretched the length of
Brazil's eastern seaboard and is home to hundreds of species, including
iconic birds and primates.
----------------------------
A Giant Brought to its Knees: The Atlantic Coastal Forest
June 9, 2011
http://coastalcare.org/2011/06/a-giant-brought-to-its-knees-the-atlantic-coastal-forest/
----------------------------
FACTS ON BRAZIL'S ATLANTIC FOREST
https://rainforests.mongabay.com/mata-atlantica/mata-atlantica.html
----------------------------
Emerging Threats and Opportunities for Large-Scale Ecological Restoration in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil
http://www.lerf.eco.br/img/publicacoes/Emerging%20Threats%20and%20Opportunities%20for%20Large-Scale%20Ecological%20Restoration%20in%20the%20Atlantic%20Forest%20of%20Brazil.pdf
----------------------------
Water Pollution In Atlantic Rainforest (South America)
2015
http://www.icontrolpollution.com/articles/water-pollution-in-atlantic-rainforest-south-america-.php?aid=65280
----------------------------
New Project Focuses on the Atlantic Forest of Southeastern Brazil
February 19, 2016
https://www.thegef.org/news/new-project-focuses-atlantic-forest-southeastern-brazil
----------------------------
Municipalities in Brazil take the lead in conserving fragile Atlantic Forest biome
16 Nov 2018
https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/municipalities-brazil-take-lead-conserving-fragile-atlantic-forest-biome
----------------------------
Espirito Santo, Brazil, saves the Atlantic Rainforest to ensure clean water for all
May 3, 2013
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2013/05/03/brazi-saves-atlantic-rainforest-ensure-clean-water
----------------------------
Water pollution and distribution of the black fly (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil
2015
https://www.scielo.sa.cr/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-77442015000300683
----------------------------
Wildlife
Conservation Society Birds of Brazil, Volume 2: The Atlantic Forest of
Southeast Brazil, including São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro
https://www.nhbs.com/wildlife-conservation-society-birds-of-brazil-volume-2-the-atlantic-forest-of-southeast-brazil-including-sao-paulo-and-rio-de-janeiro-book
----------------------------
Air pollution impact on the Atlantic forest in the Cubatäo region, SP, Brazil
1998
https://pesquisa.bvsalud.org/portal/resource/pt/lil-262164?lang=fr
----------------------------
Tree species impoverishment and the future flora of the Atlantic forest of northeast Brazil
March 2000
https://www.nature.com/articles/35003563
----------------------------
Land Changes Fostering Atlantic Forest Transitionin Brazil: Evidence from the Paraíba Valley
24 May 2016
https://msu.edu/~moranef/documents/Silva%20et%20al%202016.pdf
----------------------------
Phylobetadiversity among Forest Types in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Complex
August 14, 2014
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0105043
----------------------------
Restoring Ecology and Revitalizing Society in Brazil's Atlantic Rainforest
https://www.brown.edu/academics/institute-environment-society/news/story/restoring-ecology-and-revitalizing-society-brazils-atlantic-rainforest
----------------------------
Weakening
the Brazilian legislation for forest conservation has severe impacts
for ecosystem services in the Atlantic Southern Forest
2014
https://www.uvm.edu/giee/pubpdfs/Alarcon_2015_Land%20Use%20Policy.pdf
----------------------------
Socioeconomic changes and environmental policies as dimensions of regional land transitions in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil
https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enscpo/v74y2017icp14-22.html
----------------------------
Oxidant-antioxidant
balance and tolerance against oxidative stress in pioneer and
non-pioneer tree species from the remaining Atlantic Forest.
2018
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29289786
----------------------------
Brazil: Restoration of the Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica)
https://www.ser-rrc.org/project/brazil-restoration-of-the-atlantic-forest-mata-atlantica/
----------------------------
DEFORESTATION AND PRESERVATION OF THE ATLANTIC FOREST IN THE STATE OF SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL
http://faef.revista.inf.br/imagens_arquivos/arquivos_destaque/5GlbiOX4EJcZlxD_2013-4-24-15-42-32.pdf
----------------------------
Combined effort amplifies restoration in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest
https://www.iucn.org/news/forests/201611/combined-effort-amplifies-restoration-brazil%E2%80%99s-atlantic-forest
Nov 2016
In
a new article published in World Development Perspectives, “Governance
innovations from a multi-stakeholder coalition to implement large-scale
Forest Restoration in Brazil,” the authors explore how bringing together
the efforts of 270 groups made a stronger impact on forest landscape
restoration.
----------------------------
The Other Brazilian Rainforest: Why Restoring the Atlantic Forest Can Help Tackle Climate Change
August 14, 2019
https://www.wri.org/blog/2019/08/other-brazilian-rainforest-why-restoring-atlantic-forest-can-help-tackle-climate-change
----------------------------
A Tale of Two Cities in Brazil (and the Forest that Connects Them)
https://thecityfix.com/blog/tale-two-cities-brazil-forest-connects-sabin-ray-will-anderson-maria-franco-chuaire/
----------------------------------
-------------------------------
------------------------------
----------------------------
----------------------------
Section 18: Caatinga
----------------------------
----------------------------
------------------------------
-------------------------------
----------------------------------
Recurrent connections between Amazon and Atlantic forests shaped diversity in Caatinga four-eyed frogs
https://carstenslab.osu.edu/Publication_files/Thome.etal.2016.pdf
----------------------------
Caatinga ecosystem almost wholly ignored in Brazil
26 September 2011
https://news.mongabay.com/2011/09/caatinga-ecosystem-almost-wholly-ignored-in-brazil/
----------------------------
In Brazil’s Drought-ravaged Caatinga Ecosystem, Small Farmers Know Best
June 21, 2018
https://www.wri.org/blog/2018/06/brazils-drought-ravaged-caatinga-ecosystem-small-farmers-know-best
----------------------------
Caatinga, the Brazilian dry tropical forest: can it tolerate climate changes?
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309546684_Caatinga_the_Brazilian_dry_tropical_forest_can_it_tolerate_climate_changes
----------------------------
The role of game mammals as bushmeat In the Caatinga, northeast Brazil
https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol21/iss2/art2/
----------------------------
Latin America’s tropical dry forests fading away
30/03/18
https://www.scidev.net/global/forestry/news/latin-america-tropical-dry-forests-fading.html?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=0fbeb779eeb3249026c6ca3d5b764de30f4ac70c-1578157243-0-Ado3hjZC9L-In4ZeC6z8_z4bMCilqNwbYCNLSflq29aRFJ49L7maE8_MDVIV_v9my6XZ1k9biXNFk3tc6ynwALu_8AaLFB9yDrhBNvK6W8QEbHOth5aOnZYPbG9u_W4GPOAtZX7rOrf1iIqU3YLN6qTf-F-ONwFKCDrOzK-rvyQlYOfO-T5yqxNFHB7KTj68mKerTqlWoUpFClyTqRo7ckeeCMXl4EJ-GBIDZSsvX9tGTJBO5vNZe9x0qIcHl2Noi_QtePQIsdmY4pgnNh-VfIwn5kc3pFW3ap7qJCyD0eYabZbfgkDJX5i0CCXnQ1lv3CrsfccLEdelN6OJf3W6LUZjsyeJOVSIGWqh45BoR9Ou
Speed read
Tropical dry forests lost in Latin America, 13-year monitoring shows
They prevent soil erosion, regulate water balance, support biodiversity
Just one of 300 scientific papers on tropical rainforests relates to dry forests
[SÃO
PAULO] Only 40 per cent of the “original extent” of tropical dry
forests remains intact in Latin America, according to a
13-year-monitoring project.
The rest have been
irretrievably lost, mainly due to deforestation for pastureland,
according to estimates by scientists from Tropi-Dry, a research network
sponsored by Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI).
Using
modelling techniques and remote sensing, they monitored changes in land
use in the tropical dry forest areas of Brazil, Mexico and across
Central America since 2005.
“With the exception of Costa Rica, all the other tropical dry forests are quickly vanishing.”
Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa, University of Alberta in Canada
Unlike
rainforests, tropical dry forests exist in areas with long dry seasons.
The two most extensive contiguous areas that remain intact are located
in northeastern Brazil (Caatinga) and across southeastern Bolivia,
Paraguay and northern Argentina. In most other areas, these forests are
fragmented.
“With the exception of Costa Rica, all the
other tropical dry forests are quickly vanishing”, says Arturo
Sanchez-Azofeifa, a professor at the University of Alberta in Canada,
and Tropi-Dry’s lead researcher, in an interview with SciDev.Net.
He
adds that the study’s results raise concerns over how these forests
might respond to climate change — a concern that is even more pressing
because they have received little attention from scientists over the
last century.
For every 300 scientific papers on
tropical rainforests published since the turn of the 20th century, just
one was related to tropical dry forests, according to the research.
In
the neotropical region of the American continent — which includes
almost all of South America, Central America, Antilles, parts of the
United States and Mexico — dry forests host at least 66 per cent of
water reservoirs.
In addition to being an important
source of firewood, medicinal plants and hunting animals, they provide
important ecosystem services that regulate the water cycle and protect
the soil from erosion.
“Dry forests were [until
recently] believed to be ecosystems with low biological diversity”,
biochemistry Antonio Salatino, from the University of Sao Paulo’s
Bioscience Institute (IB-USP), tells SciDev.Net. Because of the harsh
conditions in areas of dry and semi-arid climate, it was assumed these
forests were incapable of sustaining a high diversity of animal and
plant life”, he explains.
Salatino has been researching
Caatinga’s biodiversity for at least two decades, funded by FAPESP. He
believes tropical dry forests have been overlooked because the long dry
seasons mean that many plant species lose chlorophyll, making the
landscape look grey and desolate. “Taking their high biodiversity value
into account, tropical dry forests should be given as high a priority
for conservation as the Amazon rainforest”, Sanchez-Azofeifa points out.
Conserving
these forests would also benefit terrestrial vertebrate species, such
as the reptiles. In a study recently published in Nature Ecology &
Evolution, an international group of researchers mapped the distribution
of over 10,000 species of terrestrial reptiles.
The
mapping revealed unexpected patterns, and high biodiversity in areas not
considered a priority for conservation — including Caatinga, which is
the world’s largest dry forest and takes up nearly 10 per cent of
Brazil’s land area.
"Most of the lizards are
distributed across open or semi-arid areas, such as the Caatinga, and
there are several endemic species in these regions”, says ecologist
Cristiano Nogueira, from the IB-USP, and one of the study’s authors.
----------------------------
Geographic review on the specimens of the Caatinga Biome in the Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro (RB) herbarium
https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/38248/
----------------------------
Land
cover changes in the Brazilian Cerrado and Caatinga biomes from 1990 to
2010 based on a systematic remote sensing sampling approach
March 2015
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0143622815000284
----------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------
---------------------
---------------------
Section 19: Pantanal
---------------------
---------------------
-----------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------
'The Pantanal is national heritage': protecting the world's largest wetlands
2016
Spanning
Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia and home to 4,700 species, the Pantanal
wetlands are under threat from deforestation and agriculture. But local
people are taking on the challenge to protect this unique region
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2016/nov/12/pantanal-conservation-wetlands-brazil-paraguay-bolivia
----------------------------
Deforestation threatens Brazil's wetland sanctuary
February 3, 2012
https://phys.org/news/2012-02-deforestation-threatens-brazil-wetland-sanctuary.html
----------------------------
Report shows deforestation threatens Brazil's Pantanal
2006
Almost half of the Paraguay River Basin that includes vast Pantanal wetlands already transformed into grazing and crop lands
Deforestation
from increased grazing and agriculture has destroyed 17 percent of the
native vegetation in Brazil's Pantanal, considered the world's largest
wetland.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-01/ci-rsd011006.php
----------------------------
The Pantanal: Saving the world’s largest tropical wetland
https://www.worldwildlife.org/projects/the-pantanal-saving-the-world-s-largest-tropical-wetland
----------------------------
World's largest wetland threatened in Brazil
2009
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-pantanal/worlds-largest-wetland-threatened-in-brazil-idUSTRE51F4RO20090217
----------------------------
Massive wildfires hit southern Brazil's Pantanal wetlands
1 Nov 2019
Local authorities warn blazes are 'bigger than anything seen before' with tens of thousands of hectares affected.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/massive-wildfires-hit-southern-brazil-pantanal-wetlands-191101052452347.html
----------------------------
Brazil's next fire disaster, in the Pantanal wetlands
Brazil's
Pantanal wetlands are on fire. While the world was shocked by the
wildfires that ravaged the Amazon, few seem to have noticed the
destruction of the world's largest tropical wetland area.
https://www.dw.com/en/brazils-next-fire-disaster-in-the-pantanal-wetlands/a-51199164
----------------------------
DRY FOREST DEFORESTATION DYNAMICS IN BRAZIL’S PONTAL BASIN
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1983-21252018000200385&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en
--------------------------------------------
--------------------
------------------
------------------
Section 20: Rio De Janeiro & São Paulo
------------------
------------------
--------------------
-------------------------------------------
Who Is Polluting Rio’s Bay?
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/07/28/magazine/rio-sarapu-guanabara-bay-pollution.html
A
major part of Rio’s winning Olympic bid was a plan to capture and treat
80 percent of the sewage that flows into Guanabara Bay, something
organizers now admit will not happen — certainly not by August, if ever.
For the past couple of years, sailors in training for the Olympics have
reported putrid conditions and floating debris, their stories and
shocking pictures drawing worldwide attention to the tainted water. Some
have unsuccessfully called for the relocation or postponement of
sailing and other open-water events, such as kayaking, triathlon and
marathon swimming.
But Olympic athletes and
international visitors will come and go. Remaining will be roughly nine
million people who live in the watershed of Guanabara Bay. About half of
them are not hooked up to sanitation systems.
-----------------
Funding problems hit plan to clean Rio's polluted waterways ahead of Olympics
2016
Olympic swimmers and sailors face the prospect of heavily polluted waters at the Rio Olympics. Photograph: Silvia Izquierdo/AP
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/feb/01/funding-problems-hit-plan-clean-rios-polluted-waterways-olympics
------------------
Rio 2016: Swimmers need to ingest only three teaspoons of water to be almost certain of contracting a virus
A
report commisioned by the Associated Press has revealed that water in
Rio's Olympic and Paralympic venues holds viral levels 1.7m times what
would be considered alarming in the United States and Europe just five
days before the Games get underway
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/rio-2016-water-pollution-virus-risk-danger-swimming-sailing-rowing-chance-of-infection-almost-a7165866.html
------------------
Keep Your Mouth Closed: Aquatic Olympians Face a Toxic Stew in Rio
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/27/world/americas/brazil-rio-water-olympics.html
------------------
Rio 2016: 'Chance of infection very likely' after tests show extent of pollution
Experts say ‘virus levels are widespread’ after AP testing shows water is badly contaminated, even far offshore
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/dec/02/rio-olympics-2016-water-pollution
-------------------------
Expert to Rio athletes: "Don't put your head under water"
2016
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/experts-warns-rio-de-janeiro-brazil-olympic-athletes-of-viruses-in-water-days-ahead-of-games/
-------------------------
Not many fish are left to bite in Rio's trash-lined bay
2016
“Cup Island,” a mangrove island on Guanabara Bay in Brazil, is a magnet
for the tons of trash that are dumped in the bay's waters each day.
https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-02-26/not-many-fish-are-left-bite-rios-trash-lined-bay
--------------------------
Water Statistics in Brazil: an Overview
https://unstats.un.org/unsd/environment/envpdf/pap_wasess4a4brazil.pdf
------------------
Rio’s most dangerous levels of deadly air pollution are at the Olympic Stadium
August 1, 2016
https://qz.com/747229/rios-most-dangerous-levels-of-deadly-air-pollution-are-at-the-olympic-stadium/
------------------
Corrosion in Brazil
The
following map of the atmospheric corrosivity measured in Brazil was
adapted from "Atmospheric Corrosion of Copper in Ibero-America" by M.
Morcillo, E. Almeida, M. Marrocos, and B. Rosales, Corrosion, Vol. 57,
No. 11, pages 967-980.
https://corrosion-doctors.org/AtmCorros/mapBrazil.htm
------------------
Bangu has the Worst Air Quality in Rio de Janeiro
https://www.rioonwatch.org/?p=6734
------------------
2016 Olympics: Rio's Air Is Toxic Too
8/2/16
https://www.newsweek.com/rio-olympics-2016-water-pollution-air-beijing-who-environment-dangerous-deadly-486666
In
the lead-up to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, everyone was
talking about air pollution. The situation was so bad that some athletes
showed up wearing protective face masks. Now, eight years later, as Rio
de Janeiro's Olympics approaches, athletes, fans and commentators are
focused on a different scourge: toxic, sewage-filled water.
-------------------
Evaluation of the impact of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on air quality in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1352231019300998
------------------
Report: Polluted Rio air more dangerous for Olympians than filthy water
Aug 1, 2016
https://www.cbssports.com/olympics/news/report-polluted-rio-air-more-dangerous-for-olympians-than-filthy-water/
The air in Rio de Janeiro is not up to World Health Organization standards
-------------------
Distribution of indoor air pollutants in downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0103-50532011001100016
-------------------
Why is Rio de Janeiro finding it so hard to clear up its waste?
Aug 2016
The Olympic Games host city is like thousands of others grappling with industrialisation, population growth and lack of money
Pollution spreads off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 2015.
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/aug/03/why-is-rio-de-janeiro-finding-it-so-hard-to-clear-up-its-waste-olympic-games
-------------------
Rio 2016: Rio de Janeiro's air more deadly than its water, study finds
August 2016
(Pollution rests among pollution along the edge of Guanabara Bay, the venue for the Olympic sailing).
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/rio-2016-rios-air-more-deadly-than-its-water-study-finds-a7169371.html
-------------------
Coarse and fine aerosol source apportionment in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2008
http://lfa.if.usp.br/ftp/public/Publications_Paulo_Artaxo/2009/Coarse_and_fine_aerosol_source_apportionment_in_Rio_de_Janeiro_Brazil_Godoy_2009_Atmospheric-Environment.pdf
-------------------
Air pollution in São Paulo kills more people than car accidents, breast cancer, and AIDS combined
September 24, 2013
https://www.treehugger.com/environmental-policy/traffic-pollution-kills-more-people-traffic-accidents-sao-paulo-brazil.html
------------------
Respiratory diseases in children and outdoor air pollution in São Paulo, Brazil: a time series analysis
https://oem.bmj.com/content/57/7/477
------------------
Socioeconomic inequalities and exposure to traffic-related air pollution in the city of São Paulo, Brazil
Jan 2014
https://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-311X2014000100119
------------------
Air quality of an urban school in São Paulo city
November 2019
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10661-019-7815-3
------------------
Willingness to pay for mortality risk reduction associated with air pollution in São Paulo
2009
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-71402009000100001
------------------
Air Pollution and Child Mortality: A Time-Series Study in São Paulo, Brazil
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3434781?seq=1
------------------
São Paulo tackles organic waste
12 April, 2019
São Paulo is developing a network of composting facilities to reduce emissions from organic waste
https://www.ccacoalition.org/en/news/s%C3%A3o-paulo-tackles-organic-waste
------------------
Air pollution affects tree growth in São Paulo
20-May-2019
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-05/fda-apa052019.php
------------------
Air pollution and hospitalizations in the largest Brazilian metropolis
2017
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5708266/
-----------------
Exposure to pollution is uneven in the city of São Paulo
November 29, 2018
http://agencia.fapesp.br/exposure-to-pollution-is-uneven-in-the-city-of-sao-paulo/29315/
------------------
Ahead of World Cup, Sao Paulo's smog still killing thousands
2013
Smog
in Sao Paulo kills more people annually than road accidents, AIDS and
breast cancer combined says a recent report. While the city seeks a
solution ahead of next year's World Cup, local residents remain
frustrated.
https://www.dw.com/en/ahead-of-world-cup-sao-paulos-smog-still-killing-thousands/a-17203179
------------------
Quantifying the impact of air pollution on the urban population of Brazil
2007
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-311X2007001600013
------------------
Influence
of air pollution residues on the respiratory health of urban public
transport drivers in a city of São Paulo State - Brazil
2018
https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/52/suppl_62/PA5074
------------------
Urban air pollution and cardiovascular hospitalizations in Salvador, BA, Brazil: a time series study
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/abs/10.1289/isee.2016.4715
------------------
Impacts of a high-discharge submarine sewage outfall on water quality in the coastalzone of Salvador (Bahia, Brazil)
2015
http://www.goat.fis.ufba.br/uploads/userfiles/362.pdf
------------------
Historical
overview of air pollution in Sao Paulo metropolitan area, Brazil:
influence of mobile sources and related health effects
https://www.witpress.com/Secure/elibrary/papers/UT01/UT01033FU.pdf
------------------
These 5 Cities have WORSE air quality than M-A does right now
São Paulo, Brazil experienced 163 on the Air Quality Index. This smog
is a byproduct of clay extraction and transportation near this South
American city.
https://www.machronicle.com/these-5-cities-have-worse-air-quality-than-m-a-does-right-now/
-------------------
These Workers in São Paulo, Brazil Are Marching Toward Zero Waste
https://storyofstuff.org/blog/they-did-it-in-sao-paulo/
The
streets of Belo Horizonte were filled with singing, dancing, chanting,
and marching. It was not a holiday or an election day or a soccer game.
The chant was: “We don’t want incineration! Recycle! Recycle!”
It
was September 19, 2014, and this was the launch of a national Zero
Waste Alliance, Brazil style. Exuberant, celebratory, and led by
recycling workers.
The recycling workers of Brazil have
long been a powerful force in protecting their communities and the
climate. Now they are on the forefront of a nation-wide movement for
zero waste.
--------------------
Effects of air pollution caused by sugarcane burning in Western São Paulo on the cardiovascular system
2015
https://researchmgt.monash.edu/ws/portalfiles/portal/38644051/38643989_oa.pdf
---------------------
The Effects of Driving Restrictions on Air Quality: São Paulo, Bogotá, Beijing, and Tianjin
2011
https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/103381/?ln=en
--------------------
Recent study linking air pollution to lower intelligence sparks concern for São Paulo residents
August 28, 2018
https://brazilreports.com/recent-study-linking-air-pollution-to-lower-intelligence-sparks-concern-for-sao-paulo-residents/1638/
--------------------
Air Pollution Consequences in Sao Paulo: Evidence for Health
https://www.stata.com/meeting/brazil17/slides/brazil17_Guidetti.pdf
--------------------
Particulate
pollutants in the Brazilian city of São Paulo:1-year investigation for
the chemical compositionand source apportionment
2017
https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/17/11943/2017/acp-17-11943-2017.pdf
---------------------------------
-------------------------
-----------------------
---------------------
-------------------
Section 21: Endangered Animals & Plants
------------------
--------------------
----------------------
------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
50 endangered species that only live in the Amazon Rainforest
August 30, 2019
https://thestacker.com/stories/3452/50-endangered-species-only-live-amazon-rainforest
------------------
Endangered Animals of the Amazon Rainforest
February 21, 2019
https://www.rainforestcruises.com/jungle-blog/endangered-animals-of-the-amazon-rainforest
------------------
São Paolo Trafficking: Smuggling Brazil’s Wildlife
2015
https://news.mongabay.com/2015/10/sao-paolo-trafficking-smuggling-brazils-wildlife/
-------------------
Walking dead: the Amazon's endangered species
2012
Study says some rainforest species are doomed to disappear even if deforestation were halted overnight
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/jul/12/amazon-endangered-species-doomed-brazil
------------------
Report: 100 Amazon Bird Species Are at Greater Risk of Extinction Due to Deforestation
June 8, 2012
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/100-amazon-bird-species-extinction-deforestation/
------------------
What threatens Brazilian endangered species and how they are Red-2 Listed
2019
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2019/07/26/711242.full.pdf
------------------
List of threatened mammals of Brazil
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_threatened_mammals_of_Brazil
Contents
1 Threatened mammals of Brazil - ICMBio (2014)
1.1 Order Didelphimorphia (opossums)
1.2 Order Pilosa (anteaters and sloths)
1.3 Order Cingulata (armadillos)
1.4 Order Chiroptera (bats)
1.5 Order Primates (monkeys, marmosets, tamarins)
1.6 Order Carnivora (cats, dogs and relatives)
1.7 Order Cetacea (whales and dolphins)
1.8 Order Sirenia (manatees)
1.9 Order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates)
1.10 Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
1.11 Order Rodentia (rodents)
Threatened mammals of Brazil - ICMBio (2014)
Order Didelphimorphia (opossums)
Family Didelphidae
Caluromysiops irrupta (Black-shouldered opossum) LC IUCN - ICMBio status CRPEx
Marmosops paulensis (Brazilian slender opossum) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Thylamys macrurus (Paraguayan fat-tailed mouse opossum) NT IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Thylamys velutinus (Dwarf fat-tailed mouse opossum) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Order Pilosa (anteaters and sloths)
Family Bradypodidae (Three-toed sloths)
Bradypus torquatus (Maned sloth) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Myrmecophagidae (Anteaters)
Myrmecophaga tridactyla (Giant anteater) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Order Cingulata (armadillos)
Family Dasypodidae
Priodontes maximus (Giant armadillo) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Tolypeutes tricinctus (Brazilian three-banded armadillo) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Order Chiroptera (bats)
Family Furipteridae (Smoky bats)
Furipterus horrens (Thumbless bat) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Natalidae (funnel-eared bats)
Natalus macrourus (Brazilian funnel-eared bat) NE - ICMBio status VU
Family Phyllostomidae (New World leaf-nosed bats)
Glyphonycteris behnii (Behn's bat) DD IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Lonchophylla aurita (NR) - ICMBio status VU
Lonchophylla dekeyseri (Dekeyser's nectar bat) NT IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Xeronycteris vieirai (Vieira's long-tongued bat) DD IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Vespertilionidae (Vesper bats)
Eptesicus taddeii NE - ICMBio status VU
Order Primates (monkeys, marmosets, tamarins)
Family Atelidae (howlers, spider and woolly monkeys, muriquis)
Alouatta belzebul (Red-handed howler) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Alouatta discolor (Spix's red-handed howler) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Alouatta guariba clamitans (Southern brown howler) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Alouatta guariba guariba (Northern brown howler) CR IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Alouatta ululata (Maranhão red-handed howler) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Ateles belzebuth (White-bellied spider monkey) EN IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Ateles chamek (Peruvian spider monkey) EN IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Ateles marginatus (White-cheeked spider monkey) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Brachyteles arachnoides (Southern muriqui) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Brachyteles hypoxanthus (Northern muriqui) CR IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Lagothrix cana cana (Gray woolly monkey) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Lagothrix lagothricha (Brown woolly monkey) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Lagothrix poeppigii (Silvery woolly monkey) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Famlily Callitrichidae (tamarins and marmosets)
Callithrix aurita (Buffy-tufted marmoset) VU IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Callithrix flaviceps (Buffy-headed marmoset) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Leontopithecus caissara (Superagui lion tamarin) CR IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Leontopithecus chrysomelas (Golden-headed lion tamarin) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Leontopithecus chrysopygus (Black lion tamarin) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Leontopithecus rosalia (Golden lion tamarin) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Mico rondoni (Rondon's marmoset) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Saguinus bicolor (Pied tamarin) EN IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Saguinus niger (Black tamarin) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Cebidae (capuchins and squirrel monkeys)
Cebus kaapori (Kaapori capuchin) CR IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Saimiri vanzolinii (Black squirrel monkey) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Sapajus cay (Azaras's capuchin) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Sapajus flavius (Blond capuchin) CR IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Sapajus robustus (Crested capuchin) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Sapajus xanthosternos (Golden-bellied capuchin) CR IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Family Pitheciidae (titis, saki monkeys and uakaris)
Cacajao hosomi (Neblina uakari) VU IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Callicebus barbarabrownae (Barbara Brown's titi) CR IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Callicebus coimbrai (Coimbra Filho's titi) EN IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Callicebus melanochir (Coastal black-handed titi) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Callicebus personatus (Atlantic titi) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Chiropotes satanas (Black bearded saki) CR IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Chiropotes utahicki (Uta Hick's bearded saki) EN IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Order Carnivora (cats, dogs and relatives)
Family Canidae (dogs)
Atelocynus microtis (Short-eared dog) NT IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Chrysocyon brachyurus (Maned wolf) NT IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Lycalopex vetulus (Hoary fox) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Speothos venaticus (Bush dog) NT IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Mustelidae (otters)
Pteronura brasiliensis (Giant otter) EN IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Felidae (cats)
Leopardus colocolo (Colocolo) NT IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Leopardus geoffroyi (Geoffroy's cat) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Leopardus guttulus (Southern tigrina) NE - ICMBio status VU
Leopardus tigrinus (Oncilla) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Leopardus wiedii (Margay) NT IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Puma concolor (Cougar) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Puma yagouaroundi (Jaguarundi) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Panthera onca (Jaguar) NT IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Order Cetacea (whales and dolphins)
Family Balaenidae (whales)
Eubalaena australis (Southern right whale) LC IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Family Balaenopteridae (rorquals)
Balaenoptera musculus (Blue whale) EN IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Balaenoptera physalus (Fin whale) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Balaenoptera borealis (Sei whale) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Family Delphinidae (dolphins)
Sotalia guianensis (Guiana dolphin) DD IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Iniidae (river dolphins)
Inia geoffrensis (Amazon river dolphin) DD IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Family Physeteridae (sperm whales)
Physeter macrocephalus (Sperm whale) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Pontoporiidae (river dolphins)
Pontoporia blainvillei (La Plata dolphin) VU IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Order Sirenia (manatees)
Family Trichechidae
Trichechus inunguis (Amazonian manatee) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Trichechus manatus (West Indian manatee) VU IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates)
Family Tapiridae (tapirs)
Tapirus terrestris (Brazilian tapir) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
Family Cervidae (deers)
Blastocerus dichotomus (Marsh deer) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Mazama bororo (Small red brocket) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Mazama nana (Pygmy brocket) VU IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Ozotoceros bezoarticus bezoarticus (Pampas deer) NE - ICMBio status VU
Ozotoceros bezoarticus leucogaster (Pampas deer) NE - ICMBio status VU
Family Tayassuidae (peccaries)
Tayassu pecari (White-lipped peccary) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Order Rodentia (rodents)
Family Caviidae (cavies)
Cavia intermedia (Santa Catarina's guinea pig) CR IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Kerodon acrobata (Acrobatic cavy) DD IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Kerodon rupestris (Rock cavy) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Cricetidae (New World rats and mice)
Akodon mystax (Caparaó grass mouse) DD IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Cerradomys goytaca NE - ICMBio status EN
Euryoryzomys lamia (Buffy-sided oryzomys) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Gyldenstolpia planaltensis NE - ICMBio status EN
Juscelinomys candango (Candango mouse) EX IUCN - ICMBio status CRPEx
Microakodontomys transitorius (Transitional colilargo) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Noronhomys vespuccii (Vespucci's rodent) EX IUCN - ICMBio status EX
Oligoryzomys rupestris DD IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Rhipidomys cariri (Cariri climbing mouse) DD IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Rhipidomys tribei (Yellow-bellied Climbing Mouse) NE - ICMBio status EN
Thalpomys cerradensis (Cerrado mouse) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Thalpomys lasiotis (Hairy-eared cerrado mouse) LC IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Wilfredomys oenax (Greater Wilfred's mouse) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Family Ctenomyidae (tuco-tucos)
Ctenomys bicolorNE - ICMBio status EN
Ctenomys flamarioni (Flamarion's tuco-tuco) EN IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Ctenomys lami (Lami tuco-tuco) VU IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Ctenomys minutus (Tiny tuco-tuco) DD IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Echimyidae
Callistomys pictus (Painted tree-rat) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Phyllomys lundi (Lund's Atlantic tree-rat) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Phyllomys unicolor (Short-furred Atlantic tree-rat) CR IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Phyllomys brasiliensis (Orange-brown Atlantic tree-rat) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Phyllomys thomasi (Giant Atlantic tree-rat) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Trinomys eliasi (Elias' Atlantic spiny rat) EN IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Trinomys moojeni (Moojen's Atlantic spiny rat) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Trinomys mirapitanga (Dark-caped Atlantic spiny rat) DD IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Trinomys yonenagae (Yonenaga's Atlantic spiny rat) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Family Erethizontidae (New World porcupine)
Chaetomys subspinosus (Bristle-spined rat) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Coendou speratus NE - ICMBio status EN
-----------------
List of threatened mammals of Brazil
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/List_of_threatened_mammals_of_Brazil
----------------------
Striking National Geographic photos show animals that could disappear from the face of the Earth
Nov 26, 2019
https://www.insider.com/photos-endangered-species-that-are-going-extinct-2019-9
-----------------
Amazon Rainforest Animals: A Beginner’s Guide to 21 Species
https://www.ietravel.com/blog/amazon-rainforest-animals-beginners-guide-21-species
-----------------
What about the animals caught in the Amazon rainforest fires?
29 August 2019
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-49497857
It's
believed about three million different species of plant and animal -
one in 10 of all the species in the world - live in the Amazon.
This has been the worst year for Amazon fires since 2010.
At the time of writing, Brazil's space agency Inpe reports that there have been almost 85,000 fires in the rainforest so far.
So what does this mean for the many animals who call the Amazon home?
-----------------
What Is Happening to the Animals in the Amazon?
8/28/19
https://www.newsweek.com/what-happening-animals-amazon-1456689
-----------------
How the Amazon Rainforest Fire Impacts Animals
Posted on August 29, 2019
https://www.greengeeks.com/blog/2019/08/29/how-the-amazon-rainforest-fire-impacts-animals/
Of
course, there are plenty of other animals that are in trouble. Even
before these fires began, the giant otter was endangered due to the
illegal fur trade.
While you may think that aquatic
life would be safe from a fire, it’s the exact opposite. The ash from
the burned trees makes its way into the water along with sediment. This
will alter the oxygen levels in the water.
The flames
will raise the water’s temperature rapidly, which is too much for fish
to cope with. This will kill off the main food supply that the giant
otter eats.
Plants Will Burn
Unlike
animals, plants are stationary and have zero defenses against a fire.
The Amazon Rainforest is home to over 40,000 unique plant species and
they are all susceptible.
The destruction of the trees
will allow more sunlight into the rainforest, which will make certain
plant species unable to cope. Of course, trees that produce fruits will
be missed.
These trees provide a much-needed food source to birds, monkeys, and other animal species.
Relief Is Needed
Since
the fires are manmade, they are much harder to contain. And due to the
volume of fires, Brazil does not have the resources to deal with it.
Only additional aid will be able to remedy the situation.
------------------
Amazon Forest Fires May Have Already Destroyed Thousands Of Animal Species
August 24, 2019
The
Amazon is home to 10 percent of all animal species in the world and
some have adapted to niche habitats of the forest like the Milton's Titi
monkey and the Toucans. There are fears that the raging forest fire
might have led to the extinction of a few species and endangered others.
https://apsari.com/the-amazon-forest-fires-may-have-already-decimated-thousands-of-animal-species
------------------
Amazon fish species at risk if fires destroy river habitat
2019
The
fires burning through the Brazilian Amazon are a threat to the fish
that rely on forest flooding to survive, raising fears the fish will be
lost.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/09/amazon-fires-brazil-threaten-fish/
------------------
On the brink: 10 South American species endangered by environmental change
https://granthaminstitute.com/2016/03/02/on-the-brink-10-south-american-species-endangered-by-environmental-change/
Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis)
Galapagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra)
Golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia)
Wonderfully-bristled Turks cap cactus (Melocactus deinacanthus)
Waved albatross (Phoebastria irrorata)
Orinoco crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius)
Panamanian golden frog (Atelopus zeteki)
Apparition orchid (Masdevallia apparitio)
Lemur leaf frog (Agalychnis lemur)
Spix’s macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii)
----------------
The “Big Five” of the Cerrado
2015
https://www.wwf.org.br/informacoes/english/?50242/The-Big-Five-of-the-Cerrado
The
vastness and location of the Cerrado makes it strategically important.
Apart from connecting three countries (Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay), it
links four of Brazil’s five biomes - the Amazon, Caatinga, Atlantic
Forest, and Pantanal – and shares many plants and animals with these
regions. It also harbours many unique species, many of which only exist
here, making this region - which occupies one-quarter of the area of
Brazil - the world's most biologically rich savannah.
Imagine
a place where there are over 11,000 species of plants and the fauna is
as diverse as the flora. The Cerrado harbours 837 species of birds, 120
reptiles, 150 amphibians, 1,200 fish, 90,000 insects and 199 mammals.
Together, they account for 5% of the world’s species and 30% of Brazil’s
biodiversity.
There are 5,487 species of mammals in
the world. Brazil is second in the global rankings of total number of
mammal species, with 700 species, while one in three of the country’s
mammal species can be found in the Cerrado.
More than
five thousand of Brazil’s animal species can be found in the Cerrado,
mainly in protected areas, where the majority of remnant native
vegetation can be found. Less than 10% of the Cerrado is covered by
protected areas, and less than 3% of its area is strictly protected,
putting various animals at risk of extinction.
Apart from loss of habitat, the main threats to the survival of wildlife in the Cerrado are illegal hunting and forest fires.
The
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species confirms that one in four of the
world's known mammal species face extinction and the populations of half
of the world's mammal species are in decline. If nothing is done, these
animals are likely to disappear from the Planet in the near future.
According
to Julio César Sampaio, coordinator of WWF-Brasil’s Cerrado/Pantanal
Programme, “The Cerrado is disappearing at an alarming rate, giving way
to agriculture and extensive cattle ranching. This form of natural
resource exploitation has resulted in serious threats to the survival of
at least 137 species of fauna (22%), including the Maned Wolf, Jaguar,
Giant Anteater and Giant Armadillo, which are flagship species and
threatened with extinction”.
Learn more about the “Big Five” of the Cerrado.
The Jaguar (Panthera onca)
The Giant Armadillo (Priodonte Maximus)
The Tapir (Tapirus terrestres)
The Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)
The Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)
----------------
AN ASSESSMENT OF WILDLIFE POACHING AND TRAFFICKINGIN BOLIVIA AND SURINAME
https://www.iucn.nl/files/publicaties/an_assessment_of_wildlife_poaching_and_trafficking_in_bolivia_and_suriname.pdf
----------------
Amazon river dolphins now listed as ‘Endangered’ by IUCN
11 December 2018
The
update is part of assessments or reassessments of 35 cetacean species,
subspecies or populations published on the IUCN Red List in November
2018
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-biodiversity/amazon-river-dolphins-now-listed-as-endangered-by-iucn-62425
----------------
Hunting, Fishing Cause Dramatic Decline in Amazon River Dolphins
Jun. 16, 2018
https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-river-dolphin-population-2578034917.html
-----------------
Amazon River Dolphin
2018
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/10831/50358152
-----------------
What’s Killing the Pink River Dolphin?
In the Brazilian Amazon, two veteran scientists are embroiled in a bitter feud over how to protect the endangered mammal.
https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/magazine/entry/whats-killing-the-pink-river-dolphin-brazil-amazon/
---------------
Mysterious river dolphin helps crack the code of marine mammal communication
Date: April 19, 2019
Source: University of Vermont
Summary:
The Araguaian river dolphin of Brazil was thought to be solitary with
little social structure that would require communication. But
researchers have discovered the dolphins actually are social and can
make hundreds of different sounds, a finding that could help uncover how
communication evolved in marine mammals.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190419094047.htm
------------------------
Dolphins are the sentinels of pollution in Brazil
9/5/13
In
Guanabara Bay in Southeastern Brazil, Guiana dolphins are highly
contaminated by PCBs. Tissue samples taken from the cetaceans showed PCB
concentrations that are among the highest in the world, according to a
study conducted by researchers from Brazil and Liège who were concerned
about the health of Guanabara Bay’s 12 millions residents.
http://www.reflexions.uliege.be/cms/c_350727/en/dolphins-are-the-sentinels-of-pollution-in-brazil?portal=j_55&printView=true
---------------
Genotoxicity
effects on Geophagus brasiliensis fish exposed to Doce River water
after the environmental disaster in the city of Mariana, MG, Brazil
2018
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329021694_Genotoxicity_effects_on_Geophagus_brasiliensis_fish_exposed_to_Doce_River_water_after_the_environmental_disaster_in_the_city_of_Mariana_MG_Brazil
---------------
Light-stick: A problem of marine pollution in Brazil
Jan 2017
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313254988_Light-stick_A_problem_of_marine_pollution_in_Brazil
Light-sticks
are used as bait in surface long-line fishing, to capture swordfish and
other large pelagic predators. When discharged in the ocean, it may
reach the beaches. The traditional Brazilian community of Costa dos
Coqueiros, Bahia, use light-sticks as a medicine for rheumatism,
vitiligo and mycoses. It may affect the marine life when its content
leak in the open ocean. This work evaluated and identified the acute and
chronic toxicity of the light-stick. A high acute toxicity was observed
in the mobility/mortality of Artemia sp.; in the fertilization of sea
urchin eggs, and a high chronic toxicity in the development of the
pluteus larvae of the same sea urchin. The main compounds that probably
caused toxicity were the volatiles such as the fluorescent PAH and
oxidants such as the hydrogen peroxide. Its disposal in the open ocean
is a potential threat for marine life.
------------------------
Marine Pollution Bulletin
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/marine-pollution-bulletin/vol/142/suppl/C
------------------------
How Marine Protected Areas Help Fisheries and Ocean Ecosystems
June 3, 2019
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/reports/2019/06/03/470585/marine-protected-areas-help-fisheries-ocean-ecosystems/
---------------
Shark Fishing in Brazil Stirs Controversy
8-3-2010
https://www.americasquarterly.org/node/1757
---------------------
Nearly 2,000 Pounds of Illegal Shark Fins Found in Cargo
7-10-2016
In this week’s crime blotter: fins from Panama, ivory necklaces and bracelets, and 24 illegal logging suspects arrested.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/07/wildlife-shark-fins-hong-kong-hammerheads-smuggling-poaching/
---------------------
CSI shark edition: revealing illegal trade with DNA
5-3-2018
https://academic.oup.com/conphys/article/6/1/coy022/4992167
---------------------
Canada becomes the first G20 country to ban shark fin trade
6-21-2019
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48714320
---------------------
Asia demand 'spurs Brazilian shark kills'
8-3-2010
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-10848165
---------------------
The Path towards Endangered Species: Prehistoric Fisheries in Southeastern Brazil
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0154476
Abstract
Brazilian
shellmounds are archaeological sites with a high concentration of
marine faunal remains. There are more than 2000 sites along the coast of
Brazil that range in age from 8,720 to 985 cal BP. Here, we studied the
ichthyoarchaeological remains (i.e., cranial/postcranial bones,
otoliths, and teeth, among others) at 13 shellmounds on the southern
coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro, which are located in coastal
landscapes, including a sandy plain with coastal lagoons, rocky islands,
islets and rocky bays. We identified patterns of similarity between
shellmounds based on fish diversity, the ages of the assemblages,
littoral geomorphology and prehistoric fisheries. Our new radiocarbon
dating, based on otolith samples, was used for fishery characterization
over time. A taxonomical study of the ichthyoarchaeological remains
includes a diversity of 97 marine species, representing 37% of all
modern species (i.e., 265 spp.) that have been documented along the
coast of Rio de Janeiro state. This high fish diversity recovered from
the shellmounds is clear evidence of well-developed prehistoric fishery
activity that targeted sharks, rays and finfishes in a productive area
influenced by coastal marine upwelling. The presence of adult and
neonate shark, especially oceanic species, is here interpreted as
evidence of prehistoric fisheries capacity for exploitation and possibly
overexploitation in nursery areas. Various tools and strategies were
used to capture finfish in seasonal fisheries, over rocky reef bottoms
and in sandy littoral environments. Massive catches of whitemouth
croaker, main target dermersal species of South Atlantic coast, show
evidence of a reduction in body size of approximately 28% compared with
modern fisheries. Fishery activity involving vulnerable species,
especially in nursery areas, could mark the beginning of fish depletion
along the southeastern Brazilian coast and the collapse of natural fish
populations.
----------------
Conservation efforts for giant South American river turtles have protected 147,000 females
6-25-2019
The paper surveyed 85 conservation projects that protect the 'charapa' in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190625173427.htm
----------------
Vulnerability
of Giant South American Turtle (Podocnemis expansa) nesting habitat to
climate-change-induced alterations to fluvial cycles
2016
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1940082916667139
----------------
Violence and pollution stain Brazil's shrimp farming boom
2012
https://theecologist.org/2012/feb/17/violence-and-pollution-stain-brazils-shrimp-farming-boom
--------------
Suspicious Shrimp
The Health Risks of Industrialized Shrimp Production
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412018328113
---------------
Mercury in fish and sediment of Purus River, Acre State, Amazon
2016
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1414-462X2016000300294
--------------
Fish, upper Purus River, state of Acre, Brazil
June 2008
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/40440888_Fish_upper_Purus_River_state_of_Acre_Brazil
Abstract
The
ichthyofauna of the headwaters of the main tributaries of the mighty
Solimões/Amazonas River hasbeen little studied. Considering the
importance of those environments for the overall fish diversity in that
river system,we surveyed the composition of the fish fauna of the upper
portion of Purus River and two of its tributaries (Caeté andMacapá
rivers), state of Acre, Brazil. The collections were done in November
2004, using a seine net and a set ofgillnets of different mesh sizes. A
total of 735 specimens belonging to 86 species and 28 families were
collected. Eightspecies, Creagrutus occidaneus, Phenacogaster
pectinatus, Prionobrama filigera, Moenkhausia cf. lepidura,Leptagoniates
pi (Characidade), Henonemus punctatus (Trichomycteridae), Toracocharax
stellatus (Gateropelecidae),and Eigenmannia macrops (Sternopygidae)
composed nearly half of the specimens collected. This survey adds 48
newrecords to the ichthyofauna of Purus River and elevates to 243 the
number of known fish species in that river, but agreater sampling effort
is necessary to produce a reasonably complete picture of the fish
diversity in the basin.
--------------
Amazon river dolphins threatened by mercury pollution
2019
https://www.france24.com/en/20191024-amazon-river-dolphins-threatened-by-mercury-pollution
--------------
Amazon river dolphins threatened by mercury pollution
2019
https://phys.org/news/2019-10-amazon-river-dolphins-threatened-mercury.html
--------------
Mercury Contamination in Humans Linked to River Chemistry in the Amazon Basin
1999
https://www.jstor.org/stable/4314944?seq=1
--------------
Healthy Rivers Healthy People
Addressing the Mercury Crisis in the Amazon
https://www.wwf.org.uk/sites/default/files/2018-11/WWF%20-%20Healthy%20Rivers%20Healthy%20People.pdf
--------------
Hg and δ15N in juvenile green turtles from southeastern Brazil (~23°S): Inferences about contamination levels and recruitment to coastal waters
2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X19302073
--------------
Amazon Turtles Recovering, Thanks to Local Volunteers
2018
Forty
years of community engagement has brought the freshwater turtles of
Brazil back from the brink—but lack of funding may imperil conservation.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/amazonian-turtle-comeback-local-conservation/
--------------
Blood
plasma levels of heavy metals and trace elements in white sharks
(Carcharodon carcharias) and potential health consequences
2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X19302024
--------------
Amazon River, South America
https://www.britannica.com/place/Amazon-River/Soils
--------------
Brazil's troubled waters
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2015/jun/25/brazils-gamble-on-deep-water-oil-guanabara-bay
--------------
What Causes Brazil’s Bizarre "Meeting of the Waters"?
Though
it looks like a huge sandbar or rampant pollution, the Meeting of the
Waters in Brazil is composed of water from the Rio Negro and Rio
Solimões rivers. They meet up to form the Lower Amazon River, but do not
mix together initially. This amazing phenomenon stretches for 6 km (3.7
mi) and is caused by irreconcilable differences in the water properties
between the two rivers.
https://www.iflscience.com/environment/what-causes-brazil%E2%80%99s-bizarre-meeting-waters/
-------------
The Amazon River’s Ecosystem: Where Land Meets the Sea
https://eos.org/science-updates/the-amazon-rivers-ecosystem-where-land-meets-the-sea
-------------
Brazilian Salamanders: Rare, Beautiful and Endangered
2018
https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2018/05/05/brazilian-salamanders-rare-beautiful-and-endangered/
-----------------
Copper
exposure and seawater acidification interaction: Antagonistic effects
on biomarkers in the zooxanthellate scleractinian coral Mussismilia
harttii.
2019
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30472481
-----------------------
Taxonomic guide and historical review of starfishes in northeastern Brazil (Echinodermata, Asteroidea)
2014
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4233396/
-----------------------
A new species of Notodiaptomus from the Amazon basin (Crustacea, Copepoda, Calanoida, Diaptomidae)
2017
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5523360/
-----------------------
Seasonal changes in the use of feeding resources by fish in stands of aquatic macrophytes in an Amazonian floodplain, Brazil
2014
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/a-Map-showing-the-position-of-the-Trombetas-River-in-relation-to-Brazil-and-South_fig1_260529977
-----------------------
Biodiversity of freshwater sponges (Porifera: Spongillina) from northeast Brazil: new species and notes on systematics
https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3981.2.4
--------------
Along the Rio Negro: Brazilian Children's Environmental Views and Values
1996
https://depts.washington.edu/hints/publications/Along_the_Rio_Negro.pdf
--------------
Lobbying for the new Mining Code and cooptation of indigenous communities along Rio Negro, Amazonas, Brazil
https://ejatlas.org/conflict/indigenous-communities-of-rio-negro-divided-over-mining-regularization-and-affected-by-commercial-cooptation-and-illegal-mining
--------------------------
Differential resilience of Amazonian otters along the Rio Negro in the aftermath of the 20th century international fur trade
2018
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5877832/
---------------------------
A Contribution to the Chemical Characterization of Rivers in the Rio Negro Basin, Brazil
2000
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26363562_A_Contribution_to_the_Chemical_Characterization_of_Rivers_in_the_Rio_Negro_Basin_Brazil
---------------------------
Energy at the Junction of the Rivers Negro and Solimões, Contributors of the Amazon River, in the Brazilian Amazon
2014
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2014/794583/
---------------------------
Chronology of the Atmospheric Mercury in Lagoa da Pata Basin, Upper Rio Negro Region of Brazilian Amazon
2001
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/radiocarbon/article/chronology-of-the-atmospheric-mercury-in-lagoa-da-pata-basin-upper-rio-negro-region-of-brazilian-amazon/83DB453EFC25A4E2F29FCBB0B6D05768
---------------------------
Banned from the beach for pollution, these Brazilians brought beach culture to a lake
2016
https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-03-01/banned-beach-pollution-these-brazilians-brought-beach-culture-lake
----------------------------
Why be red listed? Threatened Myriapoda species in Brazil with implications for their conservation
2018
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5904424/
----------------
Endangered Species In The Amazon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFk6GG8w-Ak
----------------
In Search of Lost Frogs: The Quest to Find the World's Rarest Amphibians
2014
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21563969-in-search-of-lost-frogs
----------------
In Search of Lost Frogs: The Quest to Find the World’s Rarest Amphibians – book review
10-24-2014
https://blog.mongabay.com/2014/10/24/in-search-of-lost-frogs-the-quest-to-find-the-worlds-rarest-amphibians-book-review/
----------------
In Search of Lost Frogs
2014
https://wild.com.au/gear/reviews/lost-frogs-robin-moore/
----------------
Seven new species of miniature frogs discovered in cloud forests of Brazil
2015
Tiny
frogs smaller in size than bumblebees have evolved with fewer fingers
and toes to reduce their size to adapt to life on isolated mountaintops
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/04/seven-new-species-of-miniature-frogs-discovered-in-cloud-forests-of-brazil
----------------------
Lost frogs: finding the world's rarest amphibians – in pictures
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2014/sep/11/lost-frogs-finding-the-worlds-rarest-amphibians-in-pictures
-----------------
Climate change may drive 10% of amphibian species in Brazil's Atlantic Rainforest to extinction
9-12-2018
http://agencia.fapesp.br/climate-change-may-drive-10-of-amphibian-species-in-brazils-atlantic-rainforest-to-extinction/28689/
----------------
Two new endangered species of Anomaloglossus (Anura: Aromobatidae) from Roraima State, northern Brazil.
2015
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25781778
----------------
Can Frogs Return From the Dead?
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20140911-quest-for-the-worlds-lost-frogs
----------------
Assessment of water pollution in the Brazilian Pampa biome by means
of stress biomarkers in tadpoles of the leaf frog Phyllomedusa iheringii
(Anura: Hylidae)
6-4-2015
https://peerj.com/articles/1016/
Abstract
The
Brazilian Pampa biome is currently under constant threat due to
increase of agriculture and improper management of urban effluents.
Studies with a focus on the assessment of impacts caused by human
activities in this biome are scarce. In the present study, we measured
stress-related biomarkers in tadpoles of the leaf frog Phyllomedusa
iheringii, an endemic species to the Pampa biome, and tested its
suitability as a bioindicator for the assessment of potential aquatic
contamination in selected ponds (S1 and S2) nearby agricultural areas in
comparison to a reference site. A significant decrease in
acetylcholinesterase activity was observed in S2 when compared to S1 and
reference. The levels of total-hydroperoxides were increased in S2
site. In parallel, increased activity of the antioxidant enzymes
catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase were
observed in S2 when compared to S1 and reference. Further studies are
necessary in order to correlate the changes observed here with different
chemical stressors in water, as well as to elucidate mechanisms of
toxicity induced by pesticides in amphibian species endemic to the Pampa
biome. Nevertheless, our study validates Phyllomedusa iheringii as a
valuable bioindicator in environmental studies.
----------------
Conservation Status of Brachycephalus Toadlets (Anura: Brachycephalidae) from the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest
2019
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/11/9/150/htm
----------------
7 Awesome Frog Species of the Tropics
https://www.britannica.com/list/7-awesome-frog-species-of-the-tropics
----------------
Chemical that castrates frogs among new pesticides approved by Bolsonaro in Brazil despite being banned elsewhere
2019
Three weedkillers approved this year contain Atrazine, which chemically castrates frogs
Bolsonaro
has undone a number of key environmental standards in the country as he
believes they hinder Brazil’s economic potential. Pictured is
deforestation in the Amazon
https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/pesticides-brazil-jair-bolsonaro-amazon-deforestation-agribusiness-a8957261.html
----------------
Worldwide Amphibian Declines:
3-3-2017
What is the scope of the problem, what are the causes, and what can be done?
https://amphibiaweb.org/declines/declines.html
----------------
Climate change sensitivity of threatened, and largely unprotected, Amazonian fishes
2016
https://depts.washington.edu/oldenlab/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/AquaticConservation_2016.pdf
----------------
WSB: Which animals are hunted in the eastern Amazon?
2018
https://wildlife.org/wsb-which-animals-are-hunted-in-the-eastern-amazon/
----------------
Sloths, manatee, other wildlife rescued from Amazon tourism trade
2018
Authorities have rescued 22 wild animals illegally being used as tourist photo props in a Peruvian town on the Amazon river
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/12/22-wild-animals-rescued-from-tourism-trade-on-amazon-river/
----------------
Wild animal trafficking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3dTCjzKX8Q
----------------
Illegal
and Legal Parrot Trade Shows a Long-Term, Cross-Cultural Preference for
the Most Attractive Species Increasing Their Risk of Extinction
2014
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0107546
----------------
DNA Barcoding Identifies Illegal Parrot Trade
https://academic.oup.com/jhered/article/106/S1/560/2961831
----------------
Understanding the Illegal Parrot Trade
https://lafeber.com/vet/understanding-the-illegal-parrot-trade/
----------------
Endangered plant-parrot mutualisms: seed tolerance to predation makes parrots pervasive dispersers of the Parana pine
2016
https://www.nature.com/articles/srep31709
------------------
Illegal wildlife trade in the Amazon
https://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/amazon/amazon_threats/other_threats/illegal_wildlife_trade_amazon/
----------------
Illegal wildlife trade: A case study report on the illegal wildlife trade in the United Kingdom, Norway, Colombia and Brazil
https://efface.eu/illegal-wildlife-trade-case-study-report-illegal-wildlife-trade-united-kingdom-norway-colombia-and
-----------------
Spotlight on threatened birds
http://datazone.birdlife.org/sowb/spotthreatbirds
-----------------
Endangered
and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reclassifying the Golden Conure
From Endangered to Threatened With a Section 4(d) Rule
09/05/2018
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/09/05/2018-19153/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-reclassifying-the-golden-conure-from-endangered-to
---------------
The
Harpy Eagle and the Amazon rainforest in Brazilian federal law -
thoughts on environmental law and the conservation of birds of prey and
their habitat
2017
http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2225-71602017000200002
----------------
The jaguar's struggle for survival
11.06.2019
https://www.dw.com/en/the-jaguars-struggle-for-survival/g-49104882
-----------------
Suspect said to boast he killed over 1,000 jaguars
2019
https://www.ecoamericas.com/issues/article/2019/7/1E847D80-3EB8-4169-9FB5-BAE62C71EC48
-----------------
Brazil’s Operation Jaguar: Busting a Poaching Ring
3 October 2010
https://news.mongabay.com/2010/10/brazils-operation-jaguar-busting-a-poaching-ring/
-----------------
The Illegal wildlife trade
A case study report on the illegal wildlife trade intheUnited Kingdom,Norway, Colombia and Brazil
https://www.ecologic.eu/sites/files/publication/2015/efface_illegal_wildlife_trade_in_united_kingdom_norway_colombia_and_brazil_0.pdf
----------------
The illegal parrot trade remains a problem in Latin America
http://datazone.birdlife.org/sowb/casestudy/the-illegal-parrot-trade-remains-a-problem-in-latin-america
In
Latin America thousands of wild parrots are illegally caught and traded
every year despite national laws and international trade agreements.
High levels of exploitation are causing local population declines in the
most sought-after species and are contributing to the declines of
already globally threatened species.
----------------
This Amazon bird’s eggs are black-market gold. Here’s why.
June 5, 2019
In
a sophisticated laundering scheme, traffickers fly the eggs to Europe,
incubate them, and pass the live birds off as captive-bred.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/06/hyacinth-macaw-egg-laundering-for-pet-trade/
----------------
Bird's Eye View
1-16-2019
50 years of bird trade regulation & conservation in Amazon countries
https://www.traffic.org/publications/reports/birds-eye-view/
----------------
Trends in Illegal Trade of Wild Birds in Amazonas State, Brazil
2015
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/194008291500800416
----------------
Is Brazil’s threatened bird situation Latin America’s future?
2016
https://news.mongabay.com/2016/06/is-brazils-threatened-bird-situation-latin-americas-future/
----------------
Threats and Promises in Brazil’s Lawless Amazon
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/06/video/amazon-rainforest-fires-burning.html
-----------------
Commercialization
of a critically endangered species (largetooth sawfish, Pristis
perotteti) in fish markets of northern Brazil: Authenticity by DNA
analysis
2013
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956713513002016
-----------------
Sawfish (Pristidae) records along the Eastern Amazon coast
https://www.int-res.com/articles/esr2017/34/n034p229.pdf
-----------------
Meet the World’s 10 Most Endangered Sharks
2018
https://blog.nature.org/science/2018/07/23/meet-the-worlds-10-most-endangered-sharks/
-----------------
Amazon river dolphins threatened with extinction
Jul 2010
The pink dolphins of the Amazon are being threatened with extinction as fishermen kill them to use their flesh as bait.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/brazil/7908246/Amazon-river-dolphins-threatened-with-extinction.html
-----------------
Fishermen in Amazon See a Rival in Dolphins
4-16-2011
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/world/americas/17dolphins.html
-----------------
Found: An Elusive Shark In A South America Freshwater Lake For The First Time
2019
https://www.forbes.com/sites/melissacristinamarquez/2019/11/04/found-an-elusive-shark-in-a-south-america-freshwater-lake-for-the-first-time/#f40e1a319d86
-----------------
Extinct Animals in the Amazon Rainforest
https://sciencing.com/extinct-animals-amazon-rainforest-6456928.html
Giant Boas
Extinct Amazon Reptile
Phoberomys
----------------
Extinct Animals of the Rainforest
2019
https://owlcation.com/stem/Extinct-Animals-of-the-Rainforest
Titanoboa
Great Boa
Aukland Island Merganser
Photos of Extinct Birds
Piopio: Extinct Birds
Huias
Huia
Laughing Owl
----------------
Endangered Animals of the Amazon
https://www.aquaexpeditions.com/blog/wildlife/endangered-animals-amazon/
Giant otter
South American Tapir
The red-faced Uakari (Cacajao calvus)
----------------
30 Amazon rain forest animals that may go extinct
https://www.science101.com/30-animals-amazon-rainforest-extinct/
Ocelot
Howler monkey
Capybara
Glass frog
King vulture
Squirrel monkey
Giant river otter
Toco toucan
Poison dart frog
Hyacinth macaw
Brazilian three-toed sloth
Bullet ant
Giant armadillo
Green anaconda
Jaguar
Jumping stick
Spectacled owl
Red uakari
Jaguarundi
Amazon river dolphin
Jocotoco antpitta
Yasuni bat
Black spider monkey
Hoatzin
Harpy eagle
Black caiman
South American tapir
Pygmy marmoset
South American river turtle
Leaf-mimic katydid
----------------
These Amazon Animals Would Still Go Extinct Even if Deforestation Stopped Tomorrow
2012
https://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/these-amazon-animals-would-still-go-extinct-even-if-deforestation-stopped-tomorrow.html
White-cheeked spider monkey
Rio Branco antbird
Tree ocelot
Hoary-throated spinetail
Brazilian tapir
Yellow-headed poison frog
----------------
These species went extinct in 2018. More may be doomed to follow in 2019
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/31/extinct-species-these-animals-were-lost-forever-2018/2450121002/
-----------------
Nearly 600 suspects arrested in largest anti-wildlife-trafficking operation ever
2019
https://www.treehugger.com/endangered-species/600-suspects-arrested-largest-anti-wildlife-trafficking-operation-ever.html
Operation Thunderball (which I like to picture as being orchestrated by an angry Zeus) made 1,828 seizures, including:
23 live primates
30 big cats and large quantities of animal parts
440 pieces of elephant tusks and an additional 1200 pounds of ivory
Five rhino horns
More than 4,300 birds
Just under 1,500 reptiles and nearly 10,000 turtles and tortoises
Almost 7,700 wildlife parts from all species
2,550 cubic meters of timber (equivalent to 74 truckloads)
More than 2,600 plants
Almost 10,000 marine wildlife items
Among the wildlife parts were seven packages of pangolin parts weighing 1200 pounds bound for Asia seized in Nigeria.
“It’s
landmark. It’s the first time such a large joint network has been
mobilized — across 109 countries,” INTERPOL's wildlife expert Henri
Fournel told The Associated Press.
----------------
20 Extinct Animals We've Lost in the Past 150 Years
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/g201/recently-extinct-animals-list-470209/?slide=20
The Spix Macaw {Native to Brazil}
Thought
to be extinct in the wild, the Spix Macaw currently exists in captivity
with their numbers in the dismally low 60-80 range. The bird is also
referred to as Little Blue Macaw because they're known for their vibrant
blue feathers.
The Golden Toad
The golden toad is not the only species to disappear in the past 40 years, but it just might be the brightest.
The
small toad was last seen in 1989 in a Costa Rican rainforest before
being declared extinct in 1994. It is believed that Chytridiomycosis, a
fatal skin disease, decimated this toad population that was already
vulnerable thanks to what Science is calling a "limited habitat and
small population."
Cause of Extinction: pollution, global warming, and chytrid skin infections led to the extinction of this species.
Pinta Island Tortoise
The
Pinta Island tortoise was around when Darwin visited the Galapagos in
1835. Sadly, a male named Lonesome George (pictured), was the last
purebred of this subspecies and passed in 2015.
Cause
of Extinction: goats that humans introduced to Pinta Island who
destroyed their habitats, rats (also introduced by humans) who preyed on
young tortoises, and humans killing the tortoises for their meat.
----------------
The endangered maned sloth Bradypus torquatus of the Brazilian
Atlantic forest: a review and update of geographical distribution and
habitat preferences
https://slothconservation.com/scientific-resource/endangered-maned-sloth-bradypus-torquatus-brazilian-atlantic-forest-review-update-geographical-distribution-habitat-preferences/
----------------
Extinction of Rainforest Species Slows Future Growth
https://www.rainforestmaker.org/extinction-of-rainforest-species-slows-future-growth.html
----------------
New Amazonian species discovered every two days while the rainforest is trashed by 'relentless deforestation'
2017
‘There
is a real risk that at the rate at which the Amazon is changing many
species may become extinct before we have had a chance to find them’
https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/amazon-new-species-discover-rainforest-south-america-deforestation-jungle-a7921641.html
----------------
Wait, Have We Really Wiped Out 60 Percent of Animals?
The findings of a major report have been widely mischaracterized—although the actual news is still grim.
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/wait-have-we-really-wiped-out-60-percent-of-animals?utm_source=pocket-newtab
----------------
24 Amazing Animals That Are Almost Extinct
2019
It's not too late, but the future looks bleak for these species.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/g20955197/animals-almost-extinct/
----------------
Endangered Species of the Amazon Rainforest
https://study.com/academy/lesson/endangered-species-of-the-amazon-rainforest.html
----------------
Amazon's doomed species set to pay deforestation's 'extinction debt'
2012
Ending forest clearance would not save some species from the effects of decades of destruction, scientists find
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/jul/12/amazon-deforestation-species-extinction-debt
---------------
These are the animals that went extinct in 2018
2018
https://mashable.com/article/animals-that-went-extinct-2018/
---------------
1 million species of plants and animals at risk of extinction, U.N. report warns
2019
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/report-1-million-animals-plant-species-face-extinction-due-climate-change-human-activity-population/
---------------
A million plant and animal species are going extinct—and capitalism is to blame
5-6-2019
https://qz.com/1612943/un-biodiversity-report-says-a-million-species-face-extinction/
---------------
1 million species are under threat. Here are 5 ways we speed up extinctions
5-8-2019
A report that analyzed 15,000 studies conducted in the last 50 years presents a stark view
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/1-million-species-under-threat-humans-speed-extinction
---------------
Species Are Going Extinct At An Unprecedented Rate — Here’s Why You Should Care
5-6-2019
Saving plants and animals from extinction isn’t just our duty, it’s our salvation.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/biodiversity-ipbes-crisis-nature_n_5ccd2fcce4b0e4d75732c371
----------------
These 8 Bird Species Have Disappeared This Decade
2018
The pace of bird extinction is picking up as their habitats vanish.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/09/news-macaw-extinct-bird-species-deforestation/
--------------
Distribution
of birds along an elevational gradient in the Atlantic forest of
Brazil: implications for the conservation of endemic and endangered
species
2010
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bird-conservation-international/article/distribution-of-birds-along-an-elevational-gradient-in-the-atlantic-forest-of-brazil-implications-for-the-conservation-of-endemic-and-endangered-species/DEFB3D28FA51E33A2A967321B7DC5AE1
--------------
11 Animals That Are Now Extinct ... And It’s Our Fault
2013
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/11-extinct-animals_n_4078988
Major extinction events are nothing new for the planet, but species are now dying out at an alarming rate thanks to humans.
We
are presently losing dozens of species every day, according to the
Center for Biological Diversity. Nearly 20,000 species of plants and
animals are at a high risk of extinction and if trends continue, Earth
could see another mass extinction event within a few centuries.
--------------
Why extinct species seem to be returning from the dead
2019
https://theconversation.com/why-extinct-species-seem-to-be-returning-from-the-dead-113067
--------------
Here's All The Incredible Species That Went Extinct In 2018
2019
https://www.tyla.com/news/real-life-the-list-of-incredible-species-that-went-extinct-in-2018-20190104
--------------
Larger species are more at risk of extinction than smaller ones - here's why
17 Jun 2019
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/06/humans-are-causing-larger-species-to-go-extinct-faster/
--------------
Meet the Scientists Bringing Extinct Species Back From the Dead
2018
New
gene-editing technology could revive everything from the passenger
pigeon to the woolly mammoth. But should scientists be playing God?
https://www.wsj.com/articles/meet-the-scientists-bringing-extinct-species-back-from-the-dead-1539093600
--------------
Eastern Amazonian - Brazil
https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/nt0180
Types and Severity of Threats
Extensive
deforestation and intense land degradation follow the roads though this
region. Commercial logging operations also provide inroads to the
interior where cattle ranches and agricultural projects are then
established. Anthropogenic fire is a major threat to the environment
with regard to both habitat loss and degradation of water and air
quality. Large-scale mining operations of the rich stores of mineral
deposits near the city of Marabá and elsewhere have disrupted the
natural vegetation. To run the smelters alone in Marabá requires the
wood from 2,000 km2 of forest each year.
--------------
Is Amazon industrial hub the latest 'endangered species' in Brazil?
https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2014/0512/Is-Amazon-industrial-hub-the-latest-endangered-species-in-Brazil
--------------
Brazil's Critically Endangered Mammals
Brazil's primates are at especially great risk, as they continue to be killed, captured, and subjected to habitat losses.
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/brazil-s-critically-endangered-mammals.html
---------------
List of threatened mammals of Brazil
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/List_of_threatened_mammals_of_Brazil
Caluromysiops irrupta (Black-shouldered opossum)
Marmosops paulensis (Brazilian slender opossum)
Thylamys macrurus (Paraguayan fat-tailed mouse opossum)
Thylamys velutinus (Dwarf fat-tailed mouse opossum)
Bradypus torquatus (Maned sloth)
Myrmecophaga tridactyla (Giant anteater)
Priodontes maximus (Giant armadillo) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Tolypeutes tricinctus (Brazilian three-banded armadillo) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Order Chiroptera (bats)
Family Furipteridae (Smoky bats)
Furipterus horrens (Thumbless bat) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Natalidae (funnel-eared bats)
Natalus macrourus (Brazilian funnel-eared bat) NE - ICMBio status VU
Family Phyllostomidae (New World leaf-nosed bats)
Glyphonycteris behnii (Behn's bat) DD IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Lonchophylla aurita (NR) - ICMBio status VU
Lonchophylla dekeyseri (Dekeyser's nectar bat) NT IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Xeronycteris vieirai (Vieira's long-tongued bat) DD IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Vespertilionidae (Vesper bats)
Eptesicus taddeii NE - ICMBio status VU
Order Primates (monkeys, marmosets, tamarins)
Family Atelidae (howlers, spider and woolly monkeys, muriquis)
Alouatta belzebul (Red-handed howler) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Alouatta discolor (Spix's red-handed howler) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Alouatta guariba clamitans (Southern brown howler) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Alouatta guariba guariba (Northern brown howler) CR IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Alouatta ululata (Maranhão red-handed howler) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Ateles belzebuth (White-bellied spider monkey) EN IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Ateles chamek (Peruvian spider monkey) EN IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Ateles marginatus (White-cheeked spider monkey) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Brachyteles arachnoides (Southern muriqui) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Brachyteles hypoxanthus (Northern muriqui) CR IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Lagothrix cana cana (Gray woolly monkey) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Lagothrix lagothricha (Brown woolly monkey) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Lagothrix poeppigii (Silvery woolly monkey) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Famlily Callitrichidae (tamarins and marmosets)
Callithrix aurita (Buffy-tufted marmoset) VU IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Callithrix flaviceps (Buffy-headed marmoset) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Leontopithecus caissara (Superagui lion tamarin) CR IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Leontopithecus chrysomelas (Golden-headed lion tamarin) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Leontopithecus chrysopygus (Black lion tamarin) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Leontopithecus rosalia (Golden lion tamarin) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Mico rondoni (Rondon's marmoset) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Saguinus bicolor (Pied tamarin) EN IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Saguinus niger (Black tamarin) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Cebidae (capuchins and squirrel monkeys)
Cebus kaapori (Kaapori capuchin) CR IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Saimiri vanzolinii (Black squirrel monkey) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Sapajus cay (Azaras's capuchin) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Sapajus flavius (Blond capuchin) CR IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Sapajus robustus (Crested capuchin) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Sapajus xanthosternos (Golden-bellied capuchin) CR IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Family Pitheciidae (titis, saki monkeys and uakaris)
Cacajao hosomi (Neblina uakari) VU IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Callicebus barbarabrownae (Barbara Brown's titi) CR IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Callicebus coimbrai (Coimbra Filho's titi) EN IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Callicebus melanochir (Coastal black-handed titi) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Callicebus personatus (Atlantic titi) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Chiropotes satanas (Black bearded saki) CR IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Chiropotes utahicki (Uta Hick's bearded saki) EN IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Order Carnivora (cats, dogs and relatives)
Family Canidae (dogs)
Atelocynus microtis (Short-eared dog) NT IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Chrysocyon brachyurus (Maned wolf) NT IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Lycalopex vetulus (Hoary fox) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Speothos venaticus (Bush dog) NT IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Mustelidae (otters)
Pteronura brasiliensis (Giant otter) EN IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Felidae (cats)
Leopardus colocolo (Colocolo) NT IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Leopardus geoffroyi (Geoffroy's cat) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Leopardus guttulus (Southern tigrina) NE - ICMBio status VU
Leopardus tigrinus (Oncilla) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Leopardus wiedii (Margay) NT IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Puma concolor (Cougar) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Puma yagouaroundi (Jaguarundi) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Panthera onca (Jaguar) NT IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Order Cetacea (whales and dolphins)
Family Balaenidae (whales)
Eubalaena australis (Southern right whale) LC IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Family Balaenopteridae (rorquals)
Balaenoptera musculus (Blue whale) EN IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Balaenoptera physalus (Fin whale) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Balaenoptera borealis (Sei whale) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Family Delphinidae (dolphins)
Sotalia guianensis (Guiana dolphin) DD IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Iniidae (river dolphins)
Inia geoffrensis (Amazon river dolphin) DD IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Family Physeteridae (sperm whales)
Physeter macrocephalus (Sperm whale) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Pontoporiidae (river dolphins)
Pontoporia blainvillei (La Plata dolphin) VU IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Order Sirenia (manatees)
Family Trichechidae
Trichechus inunguis (Amazonian manatee) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Trichechus manatus (West Indian manatee) VU IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates)
Family Tapiridae (tapirs)
Tapirus terrestris (Brazilian tapir) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
Family Cervidae (deers)
Blastocerus dichotomus (Marsh deer) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Mazama bororo (Small red brocket) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Mazama nana (Pygmy brocket) VU IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Ozotoceros bezoarticus bezoarticus (Pampas deer) NE - ICMBio status VU
Ozotoceros bezoarticus leucogaster (Pampas deer) NE - ICMBio status VU
Family Tayassuidae (peccaries)
Tayassu pecari (White-lipped peccary) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Order Rodentia (rodents)
Family Caviidae (cavies)
Cavia intermedia (Santa Catarina's guinea pig) CR IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Kerodon acrobata (Acrobatic cavy) DD IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Kerodon rupestris (Rock cavy) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Cricetidae (New World rats and mice)
Akodon mystax (Caparaó grass mouse) DD IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Cerradomys goytaca NE - ICMBio status EN
Euryoryzomys lamia (Buffy-sided oryzomys) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Gyldenstolpia planaltensis NE - ICMBio status EN
Juscelinomys candango (Candango mouse) EX IUCN - ICMBio status CRPEx
Microakodontomys transitorius (Transitional colilargo) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Noronhomys vespuccii (Vespucci's rodent) EX IUCN - ICMBio status EX
Oligoryzomys rupestris DD IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Rhipidomys cariri (Cariri climbing mouse) DD IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Rhipidomys tribei (Yellow-bellied Climbing Mouse) NE - ICMBio status EN
Thalpomys cerradensis (Cerrado mouse) LC IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Thalpomys lasiotis (Hairy-eared cerrado mouse) LC IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Wilfredomys oenax (Greater Wilfred's mouse) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Family Ctenomyidae (tuco-tucos)
Ctenomys bicolorNE - ICMBio status EN
Ctenomys flamarioni (Flamarion's tuco-tuco) EN IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Ctenomys lami (Lami tuco-tuco) VU IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Ctenomys minutus (Tiny tuco-tuco) DD IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Family Echimyidae
Callistomys pictus (Painted tree-rat) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Phyllomys lundi (Lund's Atlantic tree-rat) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Phyllomys unicolor (Short-furred Atlantic tree-rat) CR IUCN - ICMBio status CR
Phyllomys brasiliensis (Orange-brown Atlantic tree-rat) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Phyllomys thomasi (Giant Atlantic tree-rat) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Trinomys eliasi (Elias' Atlantic spiny rat) EN IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Trinomys moojeni (Moojen's Atlantic spiny rat) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Trinomys mirapitanga (Dark-caped Atlantic spiny rat) DD IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Trinomys yonenagae (Yonenaga's Atlantic spiny rat) EN IUCN - ICMBio status EN
Family Erethizontidae (New World porcupine)
Chaetomys subspinosus (Bristle-spined rat) VU IUCN - ICMBio status VU
Coendou speratus NE - ICMBio status EN
----------------
Endangered species
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/brazil/wildlife/endangered-species
---------------
Refuges of Endangered Species Mapped, Providing Opportunity to Prevent Global Species Extinctions
2018
https://abcbirds.org/article/refuges-of-endangered-species-mapped-providing-opportunity-to-prevent-global-species-extinctions/
---------------
Endangered Species Search by Area Selection
http://earthsendangered.com/search-regions3.asp?search=1&sgroup=allgroups&ID=44
---------------
Chile's Most Endangered Mammals
Darwin's Foxes, Short-Tailed Chinchillas, Long-Tailed Chinchillas, and Pacific Degus are Critically Endangered in Chile
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/chile-s-most-endangered-mammals.html
---------------
We are killing species at 1000 times the natural rate
29 May 2014
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25645-we-are-killing-species-at-1000-times-the-natural-rate/
----------------
A New Brazilian Red List is published
2015
https://www.nationalredlist.org/a-new-brazilian-red-list-is-published/
Habitat
loss or disturbance, mainly resulting from the expansion of agriculture
and cattle ranching, urbanisation, and large constructions like
hydroelectric power plants, ports, and mining plants are the main threat
to mainland species. For marine species, the main threat is
overfishing, either direct or accidental.
The
assessment found that 1,182 species (9.6% of all species assessed) are
threatened, nine of which are still to be described (five snakes, two
birds, one mammal and one fish). The undescribed species were not
included in the official red lists published on 18 December 2014. The
official red list (threatened species only), containing 1,173 taxa,
included 110 mammals (15% of all mammals assessed), 234 birds (12%), 80
reptiles (11%), 41 amphibians (4%), 353 bony fishes (8%), 55
elasmobranchs (32%), one myxine (20%) and 299 invertebrates (9%). Among
these species, one is Extinct in the Wild, 318 are Critically
Endangered, 406 are Endangered and 448 are Vulnerable. Furthermore, five
species are Extinct and an additional five are extinct in Brazil
(Regionally Extinct). Finally, 314 (2.5%) species were assessed as Near
Threatened and 1,669 (13.6%) were regarded as Data Deficient.
ICMBio
is now focusing on determining conservation strategies and preparing
action plans aiming to combat the main threats and reduce the risk of
extinction of threatened taxa in order to remove them from the
threatened categories of the Red List (in line with the CBD’s Target 12:
“By 2020, the extinction of known threatened species has been prevented
and their conservation status, particularly of those most in decline,
has been improved and sustained”), to avoid Near Threatened species
becoming threatened and to enhance knowledge on Data Deficient taxa.
--------------
Last refuges of endangered species mapped, showing nearly half lack protection
Nov 2018
https://www.iucn.org/news/species/201811/last-refuges-endangered-species-mapped-showing-nearly-half-lack-protection
A
major assessment by the international Alliance for Zero Extinction –
the global conservation partnership that works to identify, map and
safeguard sites holding the only known locations of highly threatened
species – finds that nearly half of these irreplaceable sites are
currently unprotected, but that with concerted action, hundreds of
extinctions can be prevented.
--------------
Brazil's agriculture minister wants to scrap endangered marine species list
April 24, 2019
https://www.treehugger.com/endangered-species/brazils-agriculture-minister-wants-scrap-list-endangered-marine-species.html
--------------
Nearly half of endangered species’ last refuges unprotected
2018
https://www.birdlife.org/worldwide/news/nearly-half-endangered-species-last-refuges-unprotected
--------------
Brazil's endangered species list triples in size
Deforestation and illegal animal trade have done enormous damage to Brazil's wildlife
https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/brazils-endangered-species-list-triples-in-size
---------------
2018 Global Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) map
https://zeroextinction.org/site-identification/2018-global-aze-map/
---------------
10 MOST DANGEROUS ANIMALS OF AMAZON RAINFORESTS!
2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SX0NqoGAlY
--------------
List of endangered insects
https://wikivisually.com/wiki/List_of_endangered_insects
--------------
Scientists discover 20 new gnat species in Brazil
9-21-2018
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180921113427.htm
--------------
The beasts from Brazil: country aims to clone endangered species
2012
Scientists
set to clone species including jaguars, anteaters and wolves for zoos,
but project is likely to concern conservationists
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/nov/14/brazil-aims-clone-endangered-species
---------------
Brazil will release billions of lab-grown mosquitoes to combat infectious disease. Will it work?
2016
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/10/brazil-will-release-billions-lab-grown-mosquitoes-combat-infectious-disease-will-it
------------------------
The real infectious disease problem in Brazil isn’t actually Zika, it’s syphilis
2016
https://qz.com/763105/brazil-zika-syphilis-infant-mortality/
---------------
10 Ways the Earth Changed Forever in 2019
Dec 2019
https://www.livescience.com/earth-changed-forever-in-2019.html
----------------
Connecting Habitats to Prevent Species Extinctions
https://www.americanscientist.org/article/connecting-habitats-to-prevent-species-extinctions
----------------
DNA-based identification reveals illegal trade of threatened shark species in a global elasmobranch conservation hotspot
2018
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-21683-5
---------------
A new endangered species of Polygala (Polygalaceae) from Niquêlandia, Goiás, Brazil
https://www.biotaxa.org/Phytotaxa/article/view/phytotaxa.288.1.11
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Half of the Amazon's Tree Species Are Threatened
Even the ones we don't have names for.
Jun 14, 2017
https://psmag.com/environment/half-of-the-amazons-tree-species-are-threatened
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Half of Amazon Rainforests on the verge of extinction
2015
Up to 57 per cent of all tree species in the Amazon Rainforest are on the verge of extinction, shows new research.
https://sciencenordic.com/biodiversity-denmark-earth/half-of-amazon-rainforests-on-the-verge-of-extinction/1426062
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Nearly 400 New Species Found in Amazon Rainforest
Aug. 31, 2017
Researchers say humans are putting the newly discovered plants and animals at risk.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2017-08-31/nearly-400-new-species-discovered-in-the-amazon-rainforest
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Endangered species of South America: Plants and flowers
2018
https://blogpatagonia.australis.com/endangered-south-america-plants-and-flowers/
In South America plants and flowers are abundant. Currently, scientists estimate that about 80% of the planet’s flowering plant species are in the Amazon rainforest – which covers about 5.5 square kilometers of the continent. These plants and flowers are some of the most weird and wonderful you’ll ever see, with bright colors and bizarre shapes. However, much of the plant life in the Amazon is under threat.
Due to logging, ranching, and commercial development, many of these beautiful plants face extinction. For example, environmental activists estimate that almost half of the Amazon’s tree species are endangered. Overall, logging, mining, and farming have cleared nearly 12% of the Amazon’s total area. If deforestation continues at this pace, then 57% of the rainforest tree species could be endangered. Here, we list a few of the Amazon’s endangered species and some simple ways we can help slow deforestation.
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Extinction risks of Amazonian plant species
2009
https://www.pnas.org/content/106/30/12382
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List of endangered flora of Brazil
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_endangered_flora_of_Brazil
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Coastal Forest Plant Diversity in Northeastern Brazil
https://www.nybg.org/science-project/coastal-forest-plant-diversity-in-northeastern-brazil/
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Which species are globally invasive, but threatened in their native range?
2014
Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) currently a rare species with three small California coastal populations and two Mexican island populations. Each population is suffering significant declines from human threats.
But it is invasive in the South America and other southern hemisphere regions.
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Which_species_are_globally_invasive_but_threatened_in_their_native_range
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New Brazilian Floristic List Highlights Conservation Challenges
2012
https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/62/1/39/295209
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Seed Dispersal of Threatened Tree Species by a Critically Endangered Primate in a Brazilian Hotspot
2016
https://www.karger.com/Article/Fulltext/447712
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Brazil's Rare Native Plants Face Mass Extinction
2009
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2009/2009-07-13-01.html
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Naming Potentially Endangered Parasites: Foliicolous Mycobiota of Dimorphandra wilsonii, a Highly Threatened Brazilian Tree Species.
2016
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26910334
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Why be red listed? Threatened Myriapoda species in Brazil with implications for their conservation
Abstract
The biodiversity crisis we live in, marked by high extinction rates, requires well-planned conservation efforts. To overcome this issue, red lists of threatened species are recognized as the main objective approach for evaluating the conservation status of species and therefore guiding conservation priorities. This work focuses on the Myriapoda (Chilopoda and Diplopoda) species listed in the Brazilian red list of fauna to enable discussion of the practical implications of red lists for conservation. Almost all myriapods assessed are endemic to Brazil (99 %) and 73 % are known from subterranean habitats only. Despite of 33 % being recorded from protected areas (PAs), downgrading, degazettement or downsizing of PAs and intense and unregulated ecotourism represent great threats.
https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/21971/
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Rediscovery of Ruellia reitzii (Acanthaceae), a narrowly endemic critically endangered species from Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, and notes on R. squarrosa
Mar 2019
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00837792.2019.1607997
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Endophytic and mycorrhizal fungi associated with roots of endangered native orchids from the Atlantic Forest, Brazil
2013
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00572-013-0512-0
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Three new cercosporoid fungi from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
2013
https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/mtax/mt/2013/00000123/00000001/art00046?crawler=true
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Going extinct before being discovered? New lichen fungi from a small fragment of the vanishing Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil
2018
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1676-06032018000100212
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Brazil: Much more flora in danger of extinction than originally thought
2014
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2014/11/14/brasil-flora-peligro-extincion-biodiversidad-amazonia
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Plants Humans Don't Need Are Heading for Extinction, Study Finds
March 11, 2022
https://news.slashdot.org/story/22/03/11/1549218/plants-humans-dont-need-are-heading-for-extinction-study-finds
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Scientists estimate 9,000 tree species are still unknown to them
2022
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-estimate-9-000-tree-species-are-still-unknown-to-them/ar-AATl4Fm
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Mass plant extinction: A rising alarm for all species
11 Jun 2019
Human activity is the main cause of the disappearance of some 600 plant species, a first-of-its-kind study warns.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/6/11/mass-plant-extinction-a-rising-alarm-for-all-species
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Begonia ciliatifolia (Begoniaceae), a rare, critically endangered new species endemic from Santa Catarina, southern Brazil
https://www.biotaxa.org/Phytotaxa/article/view/phytotaxa.407.1.7
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Alterations in the lignicolous myxomycete biota over two decades at the Dois Irmãos Ecologic State Reserve, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
http://www.fungaldiversity.org/fdp/sfdp/24-7.pdf
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Composition of the ichthyofauna in Brazilian semiarid reservoirs.
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1676-06032017000300203&script=sci_abstract
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Brazil's Atlantic forests lose key species
Survey reveals that local extinctions of large mammals are far worse than predicted.
Claudio Angelo
8-15-2012
https://www.nature.com/news/brazil-s-atlantic-forests-lose-key-species-1.11175
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As Amazon burns, 135 animal species win protections at global CITES wildlife conference where nations closed in on reckless trade and commercial exploitation of flora and fauna
8-28-2019
https://www.hsi.org/news-media/cites-cop18-wrap-up/
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Amazon rainforest fires threaten 265 endangered species, WWF warns
9 SEP 2019
The WWF has revealed that the Amazon rainforest fires have increased threats to 265 endangered species of plants and animals
https://www.mirror.co.uk/science/amazon-rainforest-fires-threaten-265-19911335
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Brazil set to cut forest protection
2012
https://www.nature.com/articles/485019a
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Deforestation May Threaten Majority of Amazon Tree Species, Study Finds
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/21/science/deforestation-may-threaten-majority-of-amazon-tree-species-study-finds.html
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Tree DNA to fight illegal logging
20 August 09
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/mobile/business/8209645.stm
-----------------
Checklist of the ichthyofauna of the Rio Negro basin in the Brazilian Amazon
https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/32055/
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Brazilian Companies Illegally Degrading the Amazon Continue to Operate With Impunity
May 6, 2019
Although producers of soy, cattle, and timber were charged with environmental crimes, their products continue to flow into international markets.
https://psmag.com/environment/brazilian-companies-continue-to-degrade-amazon-with-impunity
----------------
Palm Heart Harvesting in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: Changes in Industry Structure and the Illegal Trade
1998
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2405128?seq=1
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The 29 Most Fascinating Plants in the Amazon Rainforest
2019
https://tourthetropics.com/guides/most-fascinating-plants-in-the-amazon-rainforest/
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Restricted and Endangered Wood Species
https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/restricted-and-endangered-wood-species/
--------------
Rhynchosia mineira (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae), a new and critically endangered species from Minas Gerais, Brazil
December 2019
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12225-019-9852-z
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Couple Plants 2.7 Million Trees To Restore Brazilian Forest Home To Endangered Species
2019
https://www.intelligentliving.co/couple-brazilian-forest/
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Brazil Plans to Clone Its Endangered Species
11-14-2012
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/brazil-plans-to-clone-its-endangered-species/
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Bioresources and "Biopiracy" in Brazil
1998
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/280/5364/655.4
----------------------
Recognition of biopiracy in Brazil a good step, but much still to be done, EJOLT reports
https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/recognition-of-biopiracy-in-brazil-a-good-step-but-much-still-to-be-done-ejolt-reports
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Biopiracy crackdown results in $59M in fines for Brazilian companies, receives mixed reviews
2010
https://news.mongabay.com/2010/12/biopiracy-crackdown-results-in-59m-in-fines-for-brazilian-companies-receives-mixed-reviews/
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Brazil fines 35 firms US$44 million for biopiracy
20/07/12
https://www.scidev.net/global/biodiversity/news/brazil-fines-35-firms-us-44-million-for-biopiracy.html
----------------------
Why Does This Prominent Amazon Researcher Face 14 Years in Prison for Biopiracy?
05.19.08
https://www.wired.com/2008/05/mf-monkeybusiness/
----------------------
Biopiracy: When corporations steal indigenous practices and patent them for profit | The World Weekly
https://www.theworldweekly.com/reader/view/2464/biopiracy-when-corporations-steal-indigenous-practices-and-patent-them-for-profit
----------------------
Biopirates loot the Amazon
Feb 24, 2001
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/biopirates-loot-the-amazon-1.284575
----------------------
The Rubber Thief of Brazil
2015
Because the earliest biopiracy stretched from the Amazon to your car tires.
https://www.ozy.com/flashback/the-rubber-thief-of-brazil/60424/
----------------------
The war for the Amazon's most valuable trees
Nov 22, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1_4JseKlO4
----------------------
Brazil probes California firm for 'biopiracy' of tropical fruit açaí
2018
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-biopiracy/brazil-probes-california-firm-for-biopiracy-of-tropical-fruit-aa-idUSKBN1J82SJ
----------------------
The Indigenous Tribes Fighting to Reclaim Stevia From Coca-Cola
July 12, 2019
Guaraní have long cultivated the plant, which they introduced to a world hungry for natural sweeteners.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/where-is-stevia-from
----------------------
There's No Such Thing as Biopiracy...and It's a Good Thing Too
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2889&context=mlr
-----------------------
Countries debate plan to equate digitized DNA data to biological material
2018
Controversial Nagoya protocol proposal aims to share benefits from genetic sequence information to conserve biodiversity
https://cen.acs.org/policy/intellectual-property/Countries-debate-plan-equate-digitized/96/i46
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Scientists Say It's Time To End 'Parachute Research'
4-2-2016
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/04/02/472686809/scientists-say-its-time-to-end-parachute-research
Critics call them "parachute researchers": Scientists from wealthy nations who swoop in when a puzzling disease breaks out in a developing country. They collect specimens, then head straight back home to analyze them. They don't coordinate with people fighting the epidemic on the ground — don't even share their discoveries for months, if ever.
Sometimes it's because they want to publish their results – and medical journals prefer exclusives. And sometimes it's because they can make a lot of money by coming up with copyrighted treatments for the disease.
------------------------
Blowing In The Wind
Seeds & Fruits Dispersed By Wind
https://www2.palomar.edu/users/warmstrong/plfeb99.htm
--------------------------
These Tree-Planting Drones Are About To Start An Entire Forest From The Sky
2017
https://www.fastcompany.com/40450262/these-tree-planting-drones-are-about-to-fire-a-million-seeds-to-re-grow-a-forest
----------------
Hacking photosynthesis, researchers might almost double crop yields
1-11-2019
Researchers writing in the journal Science describe a groundbreaking new way of genetically engineering plants, that could almost double yields in the world’s most important crops.
The technique, which was tested on tobacco plants as a proxy for crops, works by increasing the efficiency of photosynthesis. This enables plants to grow faster and bigger–and ultimately increases their yields by 40%, the study showed.
https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2019/01/hacking-photosynthesis-researchers-might-almost-double-crop-yields/
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Tobacco plant 'stickiness' aids helpful insects, plant health
8-8-2019
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190808115111.htm
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Tobacco plant thwarts caterpillar onslaught by opening flowers in the morning
1-25-2010
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100121135659.htm
---------------------------
THE POISON GARDEN website
http://www.thepoisongarden.co.uk/atoz/nicotiana_sylvestris.htm
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Tobacco Mosaic Virus - How To Protect Your Cannabis Plants
Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is a virus that was first identified in tobacco crops, but can impact other plants, including cannabis. While it cannot hurt the grower, it can significantly deform plants and lower yields. There is no cure. Here is how to spot it and what to do if you have infected crops.
https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/blog-tobacco-mosaic-virus-how-to-protect-your-cannabis-plants-n736
---------------------------
Making new species without sex: Plants can transfer their entire genetic material to a partner in an asexual manner
2014
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140611102201.htm
Summary: Plants can transfer their entire genetic material to a partner in an asexual manner, researchers report. Occasionally, two different plant species interbreed with each other in nature. This usually causes problems since the genetic information of both parents does not match. But sometimes, instead of passing on only half of each parent's genetic material, both plants transmit the complete information to the next generation. This means that the chromosome sets are totted up. The chromosomes are then able to find their suitable partner during meiosis, allowing the plants to stay fertile and a new species is generated.
The researchers introduced resistance genes against two different antibiotics into nuclear genomes of the tobacco species Nicotiana tabacum and Nicotiana glauca, which usually cannot be crossed. Afterwards, Nicotiana glauca was grafted onto Nicotiana tabacum or the other way round. After fusion had occurred, the scientists excised tissue at the contact zone and cultivated it on a growth medium containing both antibiotics, so that only cells containing both resistance genes and thus, DNA from both species, should survive. Surprisingly, the scientists succeeded in growing up numerous doubly resistant plantlets.
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Section 22: Medicine
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Medicinal Plants at Risk
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/publications/papers/Medicinal_Plants_042008_lores.pdf
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Plant Hallucinogen Holds Hope for Diabetes Treatment
2018
A potent molecular cocktail containing a compound from ayahuasca spurs rapid growth of insulin-producing cells
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/plant-hallucinogen-holds-hope-for-diabetes-treatment/
-------------------------
The Vanishing Vine
What's Up with Ayahuasca's Rumored Extinction?
https://www.ayahuascawisdom.com/the-vanishing-vine/
-------------------------
What the people of the Amazon know that you don't
https://www.ted.com/talks/mark_plotkin_what_the_people_of_the_amazon_know_that_you_don_t?language=en
------------------------
What's Hidden In The Amazon?
Jun 18, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR-cYbBJ17w
------------------------
The vital links between the Amazon rainforest, global warming and you
The
Amazon rainforest has long been recognized as a repository of
ecological services not only for local tribes and communities, but also
for the rest of the world. It is also the only rainforest that we have
left in terms of size and diversity.
https://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/amazon/about_the_amazon/why_amazon_important/
The Amazon rainforest could cure you
What
is the connection between the blue-green pills in your bathroom
cupboard and the Amazon wildlife? The natural roots of medicine. For
millennia, humans have used insects, plants and other organisms in the
region for a variety of uses; and that includes agriculture, clothing
and, of course, cures for diseases.
Indigenous people
such as the Yanomamo and other groups of mixed ancestry (e.g. the
mestizos of Peru or the caboclos of Brazil) have perfected the use of
chemical compounds found in plants and animals. Knowledge of using these
plants is usually held by a medicine man (shaman), who passes on this
tradition to an apprentice, a process which has been ongoing for
centuries and that forms an integral part of people’s identity.
With rainforests going fast, the continuity of this knowledge for the benefit of future generations is under threat.
-----------------
A New Book Argues That Generic Drugs Are Poisoning Us
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/13/books/review/bottle-of-lies-katherine-eban.html
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Pharmaceutical Exploitation of the Rainforests: Where Do We Draw the Line?
By Meredith McGrath
3/6/99
https://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/trade_environment/children/hline.html
Bio-prospecting--searcWng the rairlforest for useful species, has arrived. Biodiversity prospecting includes the exploration, extraction, and screening of biological diversity and indigenous knowledge for commercially valuable genetic and biochemical resources. With the renewed interest in the potential found in the rainforests, pharmaceutical companies in particular have crossed an ethical line with regards to the indigenous peoples.
There is an immediate need for a renewed effort to control the destruction of natural forests in the tropics, which are disappearing at an alarming rate of 12.9 million hectares per year. It is widely agreed upon among biologists that in SO- I 00 years, without intervention, most remaining tropical forests will be destroyed. However, many self-serving groups exist with questionable motives for preserving the forests.
The "rainforest harvest", as it is often referred, is perhaps a misleading marketing campaign. The idea links the exotic and environmental credentials of the rainforest to the reassurance of fertility and abundance. The theory behind the slogan is that if it can be proven that forests are more valuable left standing, then their preservation is more apt to be considered. No mention is made of preserving biodiversity for its own sake.
Since the philosophy of a free-market economy encourages individuals and corporations to utilize the environment to their maximum benefit, without considering environmental effects, it has contributed to the present situation. Northern-based institutions seek access to tropical biodiversity for the primary purpose of developing patented and profitable products. No matter
how convincing the rhetoric, conservation and equity are secondary issues. The Rural Advancement Foundation International estimates that medicinal plants and microbials from the South contribute at least $30 billion per year to the North's pharmaceutical industry. It is conservatively estimated that the market for research samples or extracts of biological materials within the U.S. pharmaceutical industry alone is $30-60 million per year.
For decades, plant collectors from industrialized countries have ventured to the tropical forests in search of valuable genetic material for agricultural plant breeding. No money changed hands in the process. In 1980, none of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry research budget was spent on research into higher plants. Today, it is estimated that over 200 companies and research organizations worldwide are screening plant and animal compounds for medicinal properties.
It is generally acknowledged that about one in 10,000 chemicals derived from the mass screening of plants, animals, and microbes eventually results in a potentially profitable drug. As recently as 199 1, Monsanto Inc. was recruiting company employees traveling to exotic destinations, to dig up a few soil samples. Claiming it was for the sake of science, a spokesman for Monsanto declared nothing off limits.
The Convention on Biological Diversity of 1993 addressed the issues of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. However, rather than suggesting multilateral implementation, the Convention promoted bilateral deals-commercial contracts and other agreements for access to biodiversity. The Convention's language on intellectual property rights is subject to varying interpretations. As it stands, the Convention offers passive support that pits indigenous communities and countries against one another.
The first and perhaps most well-publicized example of a bilateral contract for bioprospecting occurred in 1992 between pharmaceutical giant Merck and Co. and InBio, a Costa Rican non-profit research center committed to cataloging the country's half-million insects and plants. InBio agreed to provide Merck's drug-screening programs with chemical extracts from wild plants, insects, and microorganisms. In return, Merck agreed to give InBio a two-year research budget of $1.135 million, undisclosed royalties on any resulting commercial products, and technical assistance and training for in country research. The agreement stipulates that Merck receives the exclusive rights to screen InBio's samples for medicinal properties. If a drug is developed from one of the samples, theoretically InBio (and ultimately Costa Rica) would receive royalties from drug sales. Although the Merck/InBio agreement was hailed by many as a "model" agreement for bio-prospecting, others think it is a questionable way of protecting biodiversity.
Bilateral prospecting agreements are sanctioned by the multilateral Convention on Biological Diversity. In the majority of cases, however, commercial agreements cannot be effectively monitored or enforced. Unfortunately the reality is that when indigenous peoples share information or genetic materials, they in essence lose control over such resources, regardless of whether or not they are compensated.
Two examples of such exploitation resulted from actions taken by Eli Lilly and Co. and again by Merck Pharmaceuticals. Eli Lilly removed specimens of the rosy periwinkle plant from the forest of Madagascar. Extracts from the plant led to the development of two anti-cancer drugs, which have since earned Eli Lilly approximately $ 1 00 million per year. Madagascar received nothing. In a related example, a photographer on assignment in the forests of Brazil for National Geographic Magazine recognized the potential applications for Western medicine of a tribal remedy. He sent bark and sap specimens from the tiki uba tree to Merck, which proceeded to research and develop a drug for use by Western physicians. The Brazilian tribe received neither credit nor payments from the drug.
Costa Rica's rainforests are estimated to hold 5-7% of the world's remaining biodiversity. If similar agreements were widely duplicated, the biodiversity of the South could be auctioned off for roughly $10 million per year. Merck's sales in 1992 were $8.6 billion, while Costa Rica's GNP that year was $5.2 billion. For Merck, the contract with InBio provided extremely cheap labor, access to unidentified species, and good public relations.
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The Evils of Big Pharma Exposed
18 January 2015
https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-evils-of-big-pharma-exposed/5425382
Originally published on Global Research in January 2015
What’s wrong with America is what’s wrong with Big Pharma. And what’s wrong with Big Pharma is what’s wrong with America. This circular reality is aimed to be thoroughly covered in this presentation. This is the story of how Big Pharma seeks enormous profits over the health and well-being of the humans it serves, and how drug companies invasively corrupted the way that the healthcare industry delivers its vital services. This is neither a new nor unique story. In fact, the story of Big Pharma is the exact same story of how Big Government, Big Oil, Big Agri-Chem Giants like Monsanto have come to power. The controlling shareholders of all these major industries are one and the same. Big Money belonging to the global central banking cabal own and operate all the Fortune 500 companies in addition to virtually all national governments on this earth. The Rockefellers privatized healthcare in the United States back in the 1930’s and has financed and largely influenced both healthcare and Big Pharma ever since.
The history of the last several centuries is one in which a handful of these oligarch families, primarily from Europe and the United States, have been controlling governments and wars to ruthlessly consolidate and maximize both power and control over the earth’s most precious resources to promote a New World Order of one totalitarian fascist government exercising absolute power and control over the entire global population. This group of oligarch families have systematically and effectively eliminated competition under the deceptive misnomer of a free enterprise system. Modernization is synonymous with globalization, privatization and militarization. Subsequently, an extremely small number of humans representing a privileged ruling elite has imposed a global caste system that’s hatched its long term diabolical plan to actualize its one world government. Sadly at this tumultuous moment in our human history, it’s never been closer to materialization.
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Deforestation impacting pharmaceutical industry
June 29, 2015
https://globalriskinsights.com/2015/06/deforestation-impacting-pharmaceutical-industry/
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4 medicines with roots in the rainforest
Oct. 27, 2015
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/4-medicines-with-roots-in-the-rainforest/
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Opinion: Deforestation isn't just changing our climate, it could be destroying life-saving medicines
Sep 4th 2014
https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/deforestation-medical-research-1652815-Sep2014/
Promising results
To highlight the potential of Amazonian plants, we must turn to a small group of researchers in Universidade Paulista in São Paulo, Brazil. Headed by Dr Drauzio Varella, the team have spent over 10 years collecting plant extracts from the Brazilian Amazon, and have built up a catalogue of over 1,220 extracts during the course of their work. #
These extracts have been tested for their ability to combat disease, and the results were very promising. Over 70 extracts have been shown to have cytotoxic (cell-killing) ability, and the team have published their findings of cytotoxic activity against a strain of breast cancer, prostate cancer, as well as lung, colon, CNS cancer and leukaemia. Of four strains of bacteria that have shown drug resistance in the past, the team in Brazil have also shown positive effects of plant extracts against two of them. Their findings highlight the importance of continued research into the hundreds of thousands of plants found within the ‘lungs of the earth’.
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Tropical Rainforests Are Nature's Medicine Cabinet
February 18, 2019
https://www.thoughtco.com/tropical-rainforests-natures-medicine-cabinet-1204030
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This Amazonian tree frog's poison has become part of the latest supercleanse trend
2017
https://abcnews.go.com/International/amazonian-tree-frogs-poison-part-latest-super-cleanse/story?id=46431345
Native tribes have used them for their supposedly powerful healing properties.
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Owed to Nature: Medicines from Tropical Forests
2013
https://www.rainforesttrust.org/owed-to-nature-medicines-from-tropical-forests/
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Owed to Nature: Medicines from Tropical Forests
January 26, 2013
https://www.rainforesttrust.org/owed-to-nature-medicines-from-tropical-forests/
Do We Know What We Are Losing?
The answer is NO!
Every day, some 80,000 acres of tropical rainforests are cleared, and another equivalent amount is degraded. Unknown numbers of species undergo extinction or are threatened with extinction. Mostly all of these occur without human knowledge, but there are some examples on record.
The U.S. National Cancer Institute funded a 1987 plant collection expedition on the island of Borneo in the Malaysian State of Sarawak. Among the samples obtained were those from the tree Calophyllum lanigerum var austrocoriaceum, an incredibly rare species. When extracts of this plant were discovered to show good antiviral activity toward the AIDS-causing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), researchers returned to the site of the original collection to find that the tree was gone, cut down for firewood or building purposes. No more C. lanigerum could be located. Fortunately, however, an intense search finally led to additional samples of C. lanigerum in the Singapore Botanic Garden. Over a century ago, the British had planted several collected specimens.
Calanolide A, a complex natural product, is obtained from the bark and latex of Calophyllum lanigerum var austrocoriaceum, and it is now undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of HIV infection. Medical research narrowly escaped a major scientific loss.
How many undocumented losses have occurred? We can glean a sense from the experiences of two botanists working with the Missouri Botanical Garden. In 1978, Alwyn Gentry and Calaway Dodson surveyed a small ridge called Centinela in in the Ecuadorean rainforest and discovered about 90 previously unknown plant species that were endemic–that occurred nowhere else. They returned to find in 1986 that the ridge had been completely cleared of forest. There was no trace of the 90 endemic species, and they have been presumed to now be extinct. We can also reasonably expect that unknown numbers of associated insects and other species winked out with the demise of these plants.
How many times this catastrophe has been repeated in the human-dominated biosphere is unknown, but odds are that valuable biological and medical knowledge has disappeared at human hands into oblivion along with wonderful life-forms that evolved over untold ages of evolutionary struggle. Indeed, we have not a rudimentary knowledge what we are losing. There can be no more obligatory challenge than preserving life–all life–on Earth.
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Scientists Put Shamanic Medicine Under The Microscope
2015
In an unlikely collaboration with Amazonian shamans, medical researchers seek a cure for autoimmune disease.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/shaman-medicine-autoimmune-disease_n_55f8737be4b0d6492d633c23
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Healing With Tobacco: Rapé Tribal Snuff
Oct 4, 2017
https://psychedelictimes.com/healing-tobacco-rape-tribal-snuff/
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Wildly Magical Treasures of the Amazon Rainforest
http://www.zoehelene.com/wildly-magical-treasures-amazon-rainforest-wildlife
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15 Facts About the Amazon River That’ll Blow Your Mind
https://www.chimuadventures.com/blog/2016/07/amazon-river/
1. The Amazon River originates in Peru
4. The Amazon River provides 20% of the ocean’s fresh-water supply
5. Researchers discovered an entire coral reef system at the Amazon River Delta in 2016
6. The Amazon River used to flow backwards
The creation of the Andes Mountains some 15 million years ago can be regarded as the most defining moment in the evolution of the Amazon River. Up until the rise of this incredible mountainous border, the river flowed out into the Pacific Coast of South America. Remaining landlocked for nearly five million years, the relentless river finally found its ocean outlet once again, only this time, in the opposite direction – straight into the Atlantic.
9. The Amazon River has a hidden twin-river flowing below it
The Amazon River made headline news back in 2011 when scientists finally confirmed the existence of an ‘underground Amazon River’, which mirrors its above-ground twin in length and flow. The Hamza River (named after the Indian scientist leading the research group) flows some 4km underground and although it’s believed to be up to four times wider than the Amazon River itself, it boasts only 1/34th of its water volume.
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The potential impact of new Andean dams on Amazon fluvial ecosystems
2017
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0182254
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Fragmentation of Andes-to-Amazon connectivity by hydropower dams
2018
https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/1/eaao1642
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Andean Influences on the Biogeochemistry and Ecology of the Amazon River
2008
https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/58/4/325/310279
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10 Things You Need to Know About the Fires in the Amazon
September 15, 2019
https://truthout.org/articles/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-fires-in-the-amazon/
1. Deforestation Fires Have Burned the Amazon for Decades
2. Fires Have Increased by 85% Under Bolsonaro’s Government
3. Previous Governments Also Let Agribusiness Interfere in the Amazon Basin
4. A Handful of Multinational Companies Are Helping to Destroy the Amazon
Bolsonaro and the agricultural bourgeoisie of Brazil are not the only ones who want to destroy the jungle for their capitalist enterprises. Important imperialist companies are behind the deforestation as well: Credit Agricole and BNP Paribas (France), financial groups like Blackrock and Capital Group (United States), and pharmaceutical companies like Johnson & Johnson also have business in the area. Other multinational companies responsible for doing business with this devastation are grain producers; Cargill, Bunge and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) control 60% of the soybean industry in Brazil and directly benefit from the forest fires, as do agrochemical companies such as Monsanto and Bayer. France and Germany also have direct interests in mining in the region. The involvement of these companies reveals the hypocrisy of the apparent opposition to Bolsonaro’s policies by governments such as that of Emmanuel Macron in France. Imperialist capital gains millions by setting the Amazon on fire.
5. “Green Capitalism” Won’t Save the Rainforests
6. More Than a Million Indigenous Lives Are in Danger
7. The Fires Have Disastrous Environmental Consequences
8. The Fires Put Working People’s Health At Risk
9. The Amazon Isn’t the Only Region Being Destroyed for Agribusiness
10. Demonstrations Around the World Are Calling for the Protection of the Amazon
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Section 23: BRICS
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Look at how BRICS alliance just ruined the planet.
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China is plundering the planet’s seas—and it’s doing it 12 times more than it’s telling anybody
April 30, 2013
https://qz.com/78803/china-fishing-more-than-its-telling-anybody/
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Systematic GPS Manipulation Occuring at Chinese Oil Terminals and Government Installations
2019
https://skytruth.org/2019/12/systematic-gps-manipulation-occuring-at-chinese-oil-terminals-and-government-installations/
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China’s Influence on Deforestation in Brazilian Amazonia: A Growing Force in the State of Mato Grosso
2015
http://www.bu.edu/pardeeschool/files/2014/12/Brazil1.pdf
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Ecuador’s China-backed hydropower revolution
2019
https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/11464-Ecuador-s-China-backed-hydropower-revolution
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Morococha: the Peruvian town the Chinese relocated
15.04.2013
https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/5898-Morococha-the-Peruvian-town-the-Chinese-relocated
The
movement of a town and its population to make way for a mining project
in Peru could signal a new Chinese approach to community relations
overseas
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China’s Brazilian beef demand linked to Amazon deforestation risk
Analyses of Brazil's beef exports show 22,700 hectares of Amazon deforestation in 2017 that may be connected to Chinese demand
https://dialogochino.net/31057-chinas-brazilian-beef-demand-linked-to-amazon-deforestation-risk/
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Brazil's forests could fall victim to the US-China trade war
18 May 2018
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/05/brazil-forests-could-be-casualties-in-u-s-china-trade-war
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Niobium’s silent impact in Brazil
2019
https://dialogochino.net/25605-niobiums-silent-impact-in-brazil/
Chinese steelmakers boost metal production in Goiás and Minas Gerais as accusations of pollution mount
Quiet, enduring impacts
While
the industry has grown quickly and quietly in Brazil, it has a toxic
legacy. Complaints from nearby communities about air and water pollution
– and resulting sickness – have endured for decades.
“The
day-to-day reality of mining in Brazil is ‘silent’ contamination that
has been dragging on for years,” says Brother Rodrigo Péret, a member of
a regional environmental council that has reported mining problems in
Araxá, home to Brazil’s oldest niobium mine at more than 50 years old.
In
2018, the state prosecution service and CBMM agreed to rectify damage
caused by niobium mines dating back to 1982. Then, the process CBMM used
to extract niobium from the ore produced a chemical reaction that
created barium chloride, a toxic compound that was then dumped in the
mine’s waste dams.
Barium began to infiltrate wells
supplying water to the Complexo do Barreiro district near the mine, as
well as watercourses below the dam. The substance can cause serious
health problems if ingested.
A 2015 technical report on
the incident by the State Foundation for the Environment and the Minas
Gerais Institute for Water Management read:
“The
contamination mainly occurred because waste and effluents exhibited high
concentrations of barium chloride, which is soluble and spread
underground at levels higher than normal, even for this region”.
The
company said the incident did not affect the popular Barreiro tourist
resort and spa, whose mud and waters are famous for their supposed
healing qualities. CBMM claimed remediation of the wells has shown
positive results.
517 cases relating to the 1982 pollution incident were dismissed
CBMM’s
rectification agreement was signed less than a month after Minas Gerais
state courts dismissed 517 other cases relating to the1982
contamination. Those cases were filed by current and ex-residents of
Barreiro against former owner Bunge, who they held responsible for
damaging their health.
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Brazil’s biggest coal-producing state eyes Chinese investment
2018
Rio Grande do Sul coal project creates jobs but conflicts with Chinese domestic plans and CO2 cuts
https://dialogochino.net/15659-brazils-biggest-coal-producing-state-eyes-chinese-investment/
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Bioethanol and Biodiesel as Vehicular Fuels in Brazil — Assessment of Atmospheric Impacts from the Long Period of Biofuels Use
https://www.intechopen.com/books/biofuels-status-and-perspective/bioethanol-and-biodiesel-as-vehicular-fuels-in-brazil-assessment-of-atmospheric-impacts-from-the-lon
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Illegal timber from the Brazilian Amazon sold all over the world
2014
https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/new-greenpeace-investigation-illegal-timber-brazilian-amazon-sold-world-legal-paperwork/
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Section 24: Extra
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To continue to part II of this book view the following link.
Race Dysgenics Brazil | Eugenics in Brazil
https://eugenicsbrazil.blogspot.com
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Pollution Science 101 - Mexico
https://pollutionscience101mexico.blogspot.com
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Pollution Science 101- Russia
https://pollutionscience101russia.blogspot.com
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Pollution Science 101 - India
https://pollutionscience101india.blogspot.com
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Pollution Science 101 - China
https://pollutionscience101china.blogspot.com
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Pollution Science 101 - Cancer Investigated (California)
https://pollutionscience101cancerinvestigated.blogspot.com
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6/1/2020 - Pollution Science 101 - Egypt
https://pollutionscience101egypt.blogspot.com
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Pollution Science 101 - Israel
https://pollutionscience101israel.blogspot.com
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Pollution Science 101 - Texas
https://pollutionscience101texasvsbpoil.blogspot.com
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Pollution Science 101 - Solutions
https://pollutionscience101solutions.blogspot.com/2016/08/pollution-science-101-solutions-by.html
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The DuPont Investigation
https://dupontinvestigation.blogspot.com
----------------
TheInvestigations@email.com
PollutionScience@Protonmail.com
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This report was released in an emergency, if you see some things that were unfinished, it is because I had to release this report in an emergency.
I received a message from a friend today stating that the FBI was looking for me, the reason is for something I posted. My friend told me the FBI said they just wanted to talk to me and not arrest me. My friend said that the FBI just wanted to talk to me about a post online and for me to knock it off. If I were to guess this would most likely be a post about my Fight Book or about the corruption going on in Laguna Beach, California. We did a pollution report in Laguna Beach, California and the authorities continued to harass my media agency and we called for the arrest of these government officials in our books and on our website, these officials have yet to face arrest.
The reason I want to release this information is I believe as soon as I walk out the door I might be detained by the authorities. Please do not let the authorities destroy my research on the Amazon rainforest and arrest me. My California Driver's License is D8434627, please do not let the authorities wrongfully detain me.
I wanted to release this report on January 12, 2020, instead I must release this report on January 7th, 2020.
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1/15/2020 - Michael Ross gets illegally abducted by the Laguna Beach, California Police (Help) - Laguna Beach Police Brutality - Scientific Research Being Destroyed
https://archive.org/details/michaelrosslagunabeachpolicebrutality
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