The present work aims at the preliminary evaluation of the Paspalun repens macrophyte dry biomass adsorbent material of zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) metals from water. The diversity of Species is due to the extensive aquatic environment where it is inserted. The Paspalun repens species comes from the Buiuçu lake located in the region of Parintins-Amazonas- Brazil. The macrophyte was dried in a mill and then a digestion through biomass microwaves was done before and after its exposure to the solutions containing different concentrations of zinc and copper (1.00, 1.50, 2.00, 3.00 mg mL-1 of metals) for a period of 48 hours. As a source of the metals, zinc sulfate (ZnSO4 7H2O) for zinc, and copper sulfate (CuSO4 5H2O) for copper were used as the source. As a result, the efficiency of Paspalun repens was observed in the metals removal, the highest removal percentage, of 29.67 and 37.07% in the leaves, whereas in the root it was 25.25 and 32.84% (at the concentration 1.0 and 2.0 mg/mL consequently), was of zinc, therefore the dry biomass of this species can be considered as a low cost alternative material in the removal of these heavy metals, contributing to the improvement of water quality.

Amscottia mira (Grönblad) Grönblad (Desmidiaceae, Zygnematophyceae) fue colectada por segunda vez 55 años después de su descripción original. El presente material fue colectado del río Curicuriari (localidad de muestreo 00º 12,454' S, 66º 47,678' W), un río de aguas negras tributario de la orilla derecha del río Negro, Estado Amazonas, norte de Brasil. Los especímenes examinados concordaron íntegramente en su morfología general con la ilustración y descripción original de la especie. La localidad en que los especímenes fueron colectados está ubicada a 49 m s.n.m. La temperatura del agua fue de 26,9º C, elevada acidez (pH 3,7), conductividad relativamente baja (24,37 µS cm-1), buena cantidad de oxígeno disuelto (6,26 mg L-1) y fuerte color (256,56 mg Pt-1).

Amscottia mira (Grönblad) Grönblad (Desmidiaceae, Zygnematophyceae) was collected for the second time 55 years after its original description. The present material was collected from the Curicuriari River (sampling site 00º 12.454' S, 66º 47.678' W), a black water tributary on the right bank of the Negro River, Amazonas State, northern Brazil. Examined specimens totally agreed in their overall morphology with that of the original illustration and description of the species. The locality from which specimens were gathered is located at 49 m a.s.l. The river water temperature was 26.9º C, with high acidity (pH 3.7), somewhat low conductivity (24.37 µS cm-1), good amount of dissolved oxygen (6.26 mg L-1) and strong color (256.56 mg Pt-1).

O rio Negro, na orla de Manaus, recebe de seus tributários urbanos resíduos domésticos e industriais, cuja composição variada vem modificando as características naturais de suas águas. Com o intuito de avaliar o efeito da ação antrópica sobre o rio Negro foram coletadas amostras de água e analisadas as variáveis: pH, Eh, condutividade elétrica e alcalinidade (por potenciometria); oxigênio dissolvido (titrimetria); nitrogênio amoniacal e de nitritos (espectrofotometria); os cátions Ca, Mg, Na e K, e os metais Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb e Zn (por espectroscopia de absorção atômica - EAA). Os resultados obtidos para pH, condutividade, oxigênio dissolvido, nitrogênio amoniacal e nitritos mostram piora na qualidade da água do rio Negro, na foz dos igarapés São Raimundo (FISR) e Educandos (FIE) e a jusante destes (JIE), que são os dois maiores tributários urbanos e receptores de esgotos domésticos e efluentes industriais. Os metais predominaram na fase dissolvida e, a maior parte, está acima do limite máximo desejável, preconizado pelo ministério da saúde para águas destinadas ao abastecimento público, exceto cobre e zinco. O estudo mostrou que apesar da contribuição antrópica dos tributários urbanos, o rio Negro mantém, ainda, sua capacidade de diluir os poluentes, principalmente, no período de maior volume de água.

The Negro river, on the shoreline of the city of Manaus, receives an input of industrial and domestic wastes from its urban tributaries, which varying composition has been changing the natural characteristics of its waters. Aiming to assess the effect of the human action on the Negro River water samples were collected, and pH, Eh, electric conductivity and alkalinity (by potentiometry); dissolved oxygen (titrimetry); ammonia and nitrite (spectrophotometry); cations Ca, Mg, Na and K, and the metals Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn (by atomic absorption spectroscopy, AAS) were analyzed. The results for pH, electric conductivity, dissolved oxygen, ammoniacal nitrogen and nitrite values, indicated a worsening water quality in the Negro river, at the mouths of the São Raimundo (FISR) and Educandos (FIE) streams, which are the two major urban tributaries and receptors of domestic wastes and industrial effluents and downstream from them (JIE). Metals predominate in the dissolved phase and, apart from copper and zinc, are mostly above the maximum desirable limit allowed by the Health Ministry for human consumption. This study showed that in spite of the human contribution from its urban tributaries, the Negro river, still maintains its ability for diluting pollutants, mainly during the period of high water.

Foram investigados cinco igarapés de terra-firme com substrato arenoso localizados em área de reserva florestal nas proximidades da Rodovia BR-174 (Manaus - Boa Vista), Estado do Amazonas (02° 19-02°27'S, 59°45'-60°05'W). Os igarapés foram visitados entre julho de 1996 e setembro de 1997, e cada um foi percorrido em duas ocasiões, uma no período de menor precipitação ("seco") e outra no de maior precipitação ("chuvoso"). As variáveis ambientais analisadas foram: temperatura da água, concentração de oxigênio dissolvido, saturação de oxigênio, velocidade superficial da correnteza, cobertura do dossel, largura do igarapé, profundidade do igarapé, pH, condutividade elétrica e turbidez. Espécimes de B. cayennense foram encontrados apenas no período "seco" em um dos igarapés e em ambos os períodos nos demais. Os resultados obtidos para os parâmetros físicos e químicos foram, em linhas gerais, condizentes com aqueles registrados anteriormente para a região.

Five sandy soil terra-firme streams in five forest reserves near BR-174 Road (Manaus-Boa Vista) in Amazonas State (02o19'-02°27'S, 59º45'-60º05'W) were investigated. The streams were visited from July/1996 to September/1997, and each one was searched through for two times, one in the "dry" period and other in the "rainy" one. The environmental variables analysed were: water temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, dissolved oxygen saturation, current velocity, canopy cover, stream width, stream depth, pH, specific conductance and turbidity. B. cayennense specimes were found just at the "dry" period in one of the streams, and in both of them in the others. The results for physics and chemical parameters were in agreement with that previosly recorded for this region.