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The increasing shortage of conventional water for crop irrigation in arid and semiarid regions is encouraging the use of nonconventional water resources. Nevertheless, concern about the presence and possible negative effects of emerging contaminants in reclaimed water can cause individuals to avoid using these water sources. To clarify the guarantees that reclaimed water offers, a mesocosm study was carried out. Lettuce plants were cultivated in pots watered with three different types of water (distilled, reclaimed, and spiked with contaminants of emerging concern). The results showed low concentrations of contaminants in the leachates and plant tissues when the reclaimed water was used. However, their concentrations were high when the pots were watered with the spiked water; this was mainly true for carbamazepine, which reached a maximum of 2982 ng L−1 in the leachates and 45.2 ng g−1 in the plant roots. In the lettuce watered with the spiked water, carbamazepine was found in the edible part at very low concentrations that did not imply any human risk. Finally, an acute toxicity test was performed on the leachates, which were found to be only slightly toxic in the spiked water. This work indicates that with the current technical improvements in active sludge water treatment, reclaimed water can be used for irrigation without the risk of contamination by contaminants of emerging concern.

RESUMO O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a qualidade da água do Ribeirão Samambaia (São Pedro, São Paulo, Brasil) utilizando parâmetros físicos e químicos, índice de estado trófico (IET) e ensaio ecotoxicológico com Daphnia magna. De janeiro a dezembro de 2011, amostras de água foram coletas mensalmente à montante e à jusante de São Pedro e dentro da cidade, e expostas a D. magna em laboratório durante 48 horas para avaliar efeitos sobre sua mobilidade. Condutividade, fenóis, oxigênio dissolvido, demanda bioquímica de oxigênio, surfactantes, pH e IET foram mensurados. Valores dos cinco primeiros parâmetros demonstraram baixa qualidade da água à jusante da cidade. Valores de clorofila-a estiveram dentro do permitido pela legislação ambiental brasileira e, dessa forma, o IET das águas do Ribeirão Samambaia foi classificado como ultraoligotrófico para a maioria dos locais e meses amostrados. Amostras de água coletadas de janeiro a abril à jusante de São Pedro foram tóxicas para D. magna. De acordo com as características físicas e químicas e o ensaio ecotoxicológico, conclui-se que o Ribeirão Samambaia possui baixa qualidade da água após a cidade de São Pedro. ABSTRACT The goal of this study was to evaluate the water quality of Samambaia Creek (São Pedro, São Paulo, Brazil) through physical chemical parameters, trophic state index (TSI) and ecotoxicological assay with Daphnia magna. From January to December 2011 water samples were monthly collected from upstream, downstream and inside the São Pedro city, and exposed to D. magna in laboratory for 48 hours to evaluate mobility effects. Conductivity, phenols, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, surfactants, pH, and TSI were measured. Values of the first five parameters showed low water quality downstream of the city. Chlorophyll a values were within the range permitted by the Brazilian environmental legislation and thus the TSI in Samambaia Creek was classified as ultra-oligotrophic for most sites and months. Water samples collected from January to April downstream of São Pedro were toxic to D. magna. The physical chemical analysis and the toxicity test indicate low quality of water from Samambaia Creek downstream the city of São Pedro.

AIM: This study aimed to assess the quality of water and sediment of urban streams (Lajeado, Preto, Pedras and Lewis-Pedroso) located in Santa Cruz do Sul County, RS, Brazil, using the microcrustacean Ceriodaphnia dubia as test-organism. METHODS: Quarterly scientific excursions to the streams were held on August and November 2011, February and May of 2012 in order to collect water and sediment samples, in the upper reaches (P1, P3, P5, P7) and lower reaches (P2, P4, P6, P8), totalizing 8 points. To evaluate the toxicity (acute and chronic), the microcrustacean C. dubia was used. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The results indicated high toxicity levels detected in samples P2, P6 and P8 (lower reaches), as they caused the mortality of 100% of organisms in the water samples (P6 and P8) and sediment samples (P2 and P8), denoting acute effect. Yet, all upstream sites showed chronic effects in sediment samples, at least for one collection period, with the highest significant toxicity level among all samples (55.2%), which indicates the presence of contamination even in upper areas. These results indicated a strong degradation of the water and sediment quality of urban streams coming from the wastewater and industrial discharges of the urban area, which can cause damage to the biota as well as the public health, due to the multiples uses of water that the local population does, highlighting many of them as inappropriate to the water quality detected, such as the primary contact recreation (balneability). OBJETIVO: O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a qualidade da água e do sedimento de córregos urbanos (Lajeado, Preto, Pedras e Lewis-Pedroso) localizados no município de Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brasil, utilizando o microcrustáceo Ceriodaphnia dubia como organismo-teste. MÉTODOS: Excursões científicas trimestrais foram realizadas nesses arroios, em agosto e novembro de 2011; fevereiro e maio de 2012, para coletar amostras de água e sedimento nos trechos superiores (P2, P4, P6 e P8) e nos trechos inferiores (P1, P3, P5 e P7), totalizando 8 pontos. Para avaliar a toxicidade (aguda e crônica), utilizou-se o microcrustáceo C. dubia. RESULTADOS E CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados indicaram alta toxicidade nos pontos P2, P6 e P8 (trechos inferiores), uma vez que causaram 100% de mortalidade dos organismos nas amostras de água (P6 e P8) e amostras de sedimento (P2 e P8), denotando efeito agudo. Ainda, todos os trechos superiores mostraram efeito crônico em amostras de sedimento, em pelo menos uma época de amostragem, com os maiores níveis de toxicidade significativa entre todas as amostras (55.2%), o que indica a presença de contaminação mesmos em trechos superiores. Estes resultados indicaram uma forte degradação da qualidade da água e do sedimento dos arroios urbanos proveniente das descargas de águas residuais e industriais da área urbana, que podem causar danos à biota, bem como a saúde pública, devido aos múltiplos usos de água que a população local faz, destacando muitos deles como inadequados para a qualidade da água detectada, como a recreação de contato primário (balneabilididade).

La evaluación de riesgos ambientales por productos fitosanitarios es un componente de importancia en los estudios de impacto ambiental en el sector agrícola. Se evaluó la ecotoxicidad de los plaguicidas de suelo, lindano y clorpirifos, sobre la mortalidad del oligoqueto Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri (CL50 24h) y tres plantas, en las cuales se observaron los siguientes efectos subletales: germinación en Lactuca sativa (CI90 96h), crecimiento de raíz en Lycopersicon esculentum (CI50 96h) y clorosis, necrosis, ruptura y formación de hojas nuevas en la lenteja de agua, Lemna minor (CE50 48h). En ambos agroquímicos se observó en general el siguiente orden de ecotoxicidad decreciente: Lycopersicon Lemna Lactuca Limnodrilus. En los tres ensayos con plantas se observó una mayor toxicidad del organofosforado clorpirifos. Se analizan las perspectivas de empleo, en el Perú, de estas herramientas ecotoxicológicas para la evaluación de riesgos ambientales por productos fitosanitarios The environmental risk assessments of phytosanitary products is a main subject in the studies of the impact assessment in the agriculture areas. The ecotoxicity of the soil pesticides lindane and chlorpyrifos was performed with: the mortality in tubifids worm Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri (LC50 24h) and in three plants: seed germination assay in Lactuca sativa (IC90 96h), root elongation assay in Lycopersicon esculentum (IC50 96h) and the duckweed test in Lemna minor (EC50 48h) (chlorosis, necrosis, colony breakup and new fronds increased) sublethal effects were analized. Both agrochemistries in general showed a decrease order of ecotoxicity: Lycopersicon Lemna Lactuca Limnodrilus. In the three plant bioassays were seen a high toxicity to the organophosphate chlorpyrifos. The perspectives of use of these phytosanitary products in Perú, was analized for environmental risk assessment.