Abstract Measurements of the marine carbonate system on tropical and subtropical continental margins are poorly distributed in space and time, with many uncertainties persisting regarding the role of carbon exchanges at the ocean-atmosphere interface in these areas. To calculate sea-to-air CO 2 fluxes in Marine Ecoregions along the Brazilian continental margin (4°N to 34°S), we used data from the Surface Ocean CO 2 Atlas (SOCAT v2020), collected up to 400 km from the coast, at the surface (5 m), between 1991 and 2018, with the aim of investigating the role of ecoregions as potential sinks or sources of atmospheric CO 2. The temperature and salinity of seawater presented variability in the north-south direction mainly because of the broad latitudinal range, reflecting typical patterns of tropical (T = 27.4°C ±1.49; S = 36.4 ±1.91) and subtropical waters (T = 22.8°C ±3.41; S = 35 ±2.91), in addition to the greater or lesser influence of river inputs in each ecoregion. The pCO 2 values in the surface waters varied from 121.81 (Amazon) to 478.92 μatm (Eastern), differing significantly between ecoregions and showing an expected decadal increasing trend, both in the atmosphere and in the seawater. The calculated values of CO 2 fluxes showed non-homogeneous spatio-temporal variations, from -24.37 mmol m-2 d-1 (Rio Grande) to 9.87 mmol m- 2 d-1 (Southeastern). Throughout the analyzed time series, we observed that the Northeast, Amazon and Eastern ecoregions acted predominantly as sources of CO 2 and the Southeastern ecoregions and, mainly, Rio Grande, acted predominantly as sinks of atmospheric CO 2.

SOURCE OR SINK? A REVIEW OF THE CO2 FLUXES AT THE BRAZILIAN CONTINENTAL SHELF. Studies of global carbon balance estimates are still incipient in the oceans of the Southern Hemisphere, mainly in coastal areas and continental shelf. Even in Brazil, despite its continental proportion coastline, there is still a great inconsistency in studies on the marine carbonate system and CO2 fluxes at the air-sea interface. This article presents a review of studies on CO2 fluxes on the coast of Brazil, published between the years 2000 and 2022, aiming to map the distribution of CO2 fluxes on the Brazilian continental shelf, to understand its role as a source or sink of CO2. In general, large-scale studies show that the Brazilian shelf exhibits a latitudinal variation of air-sea CO2 fluxes, behaving mainly as a source in the north, where there is no influence of the Amazon River plume, and as a sink in the south portion. We also identified there is a strong influence on the occurrence of mesoscale and synoptic oceanographic and meteorological events, and the presence of different ecosystems, which can change the behavior of CO2 fluxes locally. However, there are still many data gaps along the continental shelf, as well as in different seasons for the entire coast.

Epidemiologic data on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are relatively scarce, and its real incidence and prevalence are unknown. Recent studies suggest that mortality due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is rising in developed countries. OBJECTIVE: To describe mortality caused by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in the State of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, from 1970 to 2000, analyzing its trend and comparing it with that from other countries. METHOD: Prevalence study, using data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), analyzing death certificates in which idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was stated as the ultimate cause of death. RESULTS: Annual mortality rate adjusted to the population was 0.22/100,000 people in the 1970’s, 0.3/100,000 people in the 1980’s, and 0.48/100,000 people in the 1990’s. Total mortality raised 36% from 1970 to 1980, and 73% from 1980 to 1990. The mortality rate adjusted to the population raised 36% and 60% during the same periods. The rise in both total and adjusted mortality from IPF was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The mean mortality rate per 100,000 inhabitants between 1996 and 1998, however, was 0.683, corresponding to a 70% increase when compared to the previous three-year period, which was 0.4 (p = 0.0002), probably reflecting coding practices. CONCLUSION: There was a significant increase in IPF mortality in RS from 1970 to 2000, partly due to changes in coding practices. This increase is in conformity with observations in other countries, although mortality rates in RS are considerably lower.