Analytical methods for determining 14 endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) in coastal waters, suspended particles, and sediment samples were successfully performed by ultrafast liquid chromatography with photodiode array and fluorescence detections (UFLC-PDA-FLD). Solid phase extraction (SPE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (USE) were used for sample preparation. Two chromatographic methods have been developed. An isocratic separation method was used to separate bisphenol A (BPA) and steroids and another gradient elution method to separate phthalates and alkylphenols. The detection by fluorescence was used for alkylphenols, BPA, and steroids and photodiode array (PDA) for phthalates. Limits of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.41 (4-tert-octylphenol (4tOP)) to 63 ng L-1 (dibutylphthalate (DBP)), 0.41 (4tOP) to 63.2 ng g-1 dried weight (dw) coastal waters, and solid samples (suspended particulate matter (SPM) and sediment samples), respectively. Recoveries ranged from 52 (diethylphthalate (DEP)) to 116% (DBP) for water, from 54 (DEP) to 108% (estrone (E1)) for SPM, and from 62 (4-n-nonylphenol (4nNP)) to 117% (4-n-octylphenol (4nOP)) for sediment samples. Finally, with the minimization of reagents and energy, the proposed methods were applied to samples collected from Todos os Santos Bay (BTS), Bahia, Northeastern Brazil.

A aquicultura pode ser definida como o cultivo de organismos aquáticos em água marinha, salobra ou doce. Entre as diversas atividades que compõem a aquicultura, a carcinicultura destaca-se por sua ampla difusão em várias partes do mundo. Este artigo tem como objetivo fazer uma revisão sobre a carcinicultura e os aspectos legais que controlam tal atividade, bem como relatar os principais impactos ambientais gerados e as ações mitigadoras atualmente utilizadas no Brasil. Com o aumento do número de empreendimentos, houve a necessidade de regulamentar essa atividade, no entanto, em muitos países, tal regulamentação não ocorreu de forma específica. Consequentemente, a carcinicultura vem sendo, em muitos casos, regulada por códigos e leis adaptados de outros já vigentes. Apesar dos índices econômicos positivos divulgados pelos produtores e órgãos governamentais, essa atividade é frequentemente associada a efeitos adversos nos ecossistemas adjacentes, causados por efluentes liberados pelas fazendas de camarão, pela destruição de áreas de manguezais e pela salinização de corpos d’água, entre outros motivos. Problemas socioeconômicos que afetam as comunidades de pescadores artesanais também têm sido frequentemente associados às atividades de carcinicultura. Muitas das alternativas propostas para mitigar os problemas gerados por essa atividade apresentam um elevado valor para implantação, dificultando sua incorporação nas fazendas. Uma análise da literatura indica que é possível tornar a carcinicultura rentável ao mesmo tempo em que sustentável, por meio da implementação de medidas mitigadoras e da aplicação das leis e diretrizes existentes.

Among the various activities that are included in the aquaculture, shrimp farming stands out for its wide dissemination in various parts of the world. It is clear that, for decades, the global production and financial performance by shrimp farming achieved excellent results. However, it is also well accepted that the rapid and often uncontrolled growth of this activity frequently results in several environmental, economic and social problems. Thus, critical reviews on this activity are needed. This paper aims to contextualize the Brazilian shrimp in the world market, make a brief review on the functioning of shrimp farms, compare and discuss some important legal aspects and report and discuss the main environmental impacts and mitigation actions. The favorable environmental conditions and new technologies motivated the shrimp production and led Brazil to be one of the largest shrimp producers in the word. The rapid development and the globally increasing number of shrimp farm initiatives demanded regulation of the aquaculture activities. In many countries, including Brazil, this regulation did not occur specifically for the shrimp farming. As a result, the shrimp farming is currently regulated by numerous codes and laws adapted from others related activities. Moreover, states, municipalities and districts can each develop and apply specific regulations to control the aquaculture. As a result, there is an overlap of the governmental actions and policies that makes shrimp farming regulation a very complex and confusing, and consequently, very difficult to be applied. Despite the frequent positive economic indicators obtained by the producers, shrimp farming activity still is frequently associated with serious negative social and environmental impacts. The magnitude, frequency and duration of these impacts can be related to many factors, mostly farm and pound location, nurseries type and management, production size and types, technology employed and hydrodynamics of adjacent water bodies. Negative impacts, including ecological instability, environmental contamination, disease outbreaks, among others, are often due to lack of adequate development planning worldwide, and Brazil is no exception. Furthermore, the environmental and social impacts are associated not only with the installation but also with the operation of shrimp farms. Several studies suggested that the negative social impacts associated with aquaculture deserve higher attention. For instance, some studies suggested that shrimp farming promote marginalization and migration of traditional communities and unemployment. Moreover, it can also encourage the rupture of the traditional ways of shellfish harvesting (gathering) and fisheries practices, causing social conflicts. Among the reported environmental problems, loss of mangrove ecological services and other coastal areas, during the construction and operation of farms, and the abandonment of these farmed areas are suggested among the most important impacts, affecting the environment and the economy of traditional communities. Effluent releases by farms can also have a significant impact in the nearby natural systems (e.g. estuaries). These effluents are generally rich in nutrients, causing eutrophication of water bodies and sporadic toxic algae blooms. The liquid residues of shrimp farming can be loaded with inorganic elements, such as toxic metals, including mercury. Antibiotics and antimicrobial agents might also be presented in effluents once they are widely used to promote biomass grow, better assimilation of food and treatment of diseases. However, the effects of antibiotics and antimicrobial agents in the receiving ecosystems are still poorly studied. There is a demand for high profitability and rapid growth of shrimp farming activities in Brazil. The negative impacts of this activity together with the inefficiency of the regulating agencies may cause several socio-economic and environmental problems. Nevertheless, there are several mitigating alternatives for the negative impacts associated with shrimp farming. Most of them are associated with high costs procedures, frequently hampering their adoption. Bioremediation, for instance, has been pointed out as the best alternative to the treatment of waters subject to high loads of organic contaminants. The recirculating water system (RAS) can remove most of the contaminants in the water. For the manure and feeding it has been suggested the use of specific arrangement of the feeders along the tanks, as a strategy to limit the amount of fertilizer to be applied. To address the problems related to the use of antibiotics and antimicrobials the recommendation is the use of medicated feed. However, none of these aforementioned techniques is efficient without the adoption of the best management practices. The shrimp farming can be profitable while sustainable through the implementation of mitigating alternatives and following good practices that preserves environment and respect traditional communities.

The marine environment is certainly one of the most complex systems to study, not only because of the challenges posed by the nature of the waters, but especially due to the interactions of physical, chemical and biological processes that control the cycles of the elements. Together with analytical chemists, oceanographers have been making a great effort in the advancement of knowledge of the distribution patterns of trace elements and processes that determine their biogeochemical cycles and influences on the climate of the planet. The international academic community is now in prime position to perform the first study on a global scale for observation of trace elements and their isotopes in the marine environment (GEOTRACES) and to evaluate the effects of major global changes associated with the influences of megacities distributed around the globe. This action can only be performed due to the development of highly sensitive detection methods and the use of clean sampling and handling techniques, together with a joint international program working toward the clear objective of expanding the frontiers of the biogeochemistry of the oceans and related topics, including climate change issues and ocean acidification associated with alterations in the carbon cycle. It is expected that the oceanographic data produced this coming decade will allow a better understanding of biogeochemical cycles, and especially the assessment of changes in trace elements and contaminants in the oceans due to anthropogenic influences, as well as its effects on ecosystems and climate. Computational models are to be constructed to simulate the conditions and processes of the modern oceans and to allow predictions. The environmental changes arising from human activity since the 18th century (also called the Anthropocene) have made the Earth System even more complex. Anthropogenic activities have altered both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and the legacy of these impacts in the oceans include: a) pollution of the marine environment by solid waste, including plastics; b) pollution by chemical and medical (including those for veterinary use) substances such as hormones, antibiotics, legal and illegal drugs, leading to possible endocrine disruption of marine organisms; and c) ocean acidification, the collateral effect of anthropogenic emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere, irreversible in the human life time scale. Unfortunately, the anthropogenic alteration of the hydrosphere due to inputs of plastics, metal, hydrocarbons, contaminants of emerging concern and even with formerly "exotic" trace elements, such us rare earth elements is likely to accelerate in the near future. These emerging contaminants would likely soon present difficulties for studies in pristine environments. All this knowledge brings with it a great responsibility: helping to envisage viable adaptation and mitigation solutions to the problems identified. The greatest challenge faced by Brazil is currently to create a framework project to develop education, science and technology applied to oceanography and related areas. This framework would strengthen the present working groups and enhance capacity building, allowing a broader Brazilian participation in joint international actions and scientific programs. Recently, the establishment of the National Institutes of Science and Technology (INCTs) for marine science, and the creation of the National Institute of Oceanographic and Hydrological Research represent an exemplary start. However, the participation of the Brazilian academic community in the latest assaults on the frontier of chemical oceanography is extremely limited, largely due to: i. absence of physical infrastructure for the preparation and processing of field samples at ultra-trace level; ii. limited access to oceanographic cruises, due to the small number of Brazilian vessels and/or absence of "clean" laboratories on board; iii. restricted international cooperation; iv. limited analytical capacity of Brazilian institutions for the analysis of trace elements in seawater; v. high cost of ultrapure reagents associated with processing a large number of samples, and vi. lack of qualified technical staff. Advances in knowledge, analytic capabilities and the increasing availability of analytical resources available today offer favorable conditions for chemical oceanography to grow. The Brazilian academic community is maturing and willing to play a role in strengthening the marine science research programs by connecting them with educational and technological initiatives in order to preserve the oceans and to promote the development of society.

Corals incorporate major and trace elements in their tissues and skeletons, acting as good proxies for contaminant inputs over time. This incorporation occurs by a variety of mechanisms and depends on the bioavailability of elements. Corals are very susceptible to metal contamination during sample collection. As such, pre-treatment procedures need to include a decontamination step. The high Na and Ca concentrations in the matrix make the determination of trace metals an analytical challenge. The present paper reviews all the information published on coral sample pretreatments, metal determinations in corals, and also discusses the use of coral to monitor metal contamination.

Uma análise de variância de três fatores foi usada para testar a significância do tipo de recipiente, tipo de material e número de replicatas na preparação de amostras de sedimento utilizando um banho ultra-sônico. A extração convencional com HCl 1,0 mol L-1, por 0,5, 4 e 12 h, foi modificada, e o banho ultra-sônico foi aplicado para diminuir o tempo de preparo de amostras. Os metais traço foram medidos por ICP OES. Os melhores resultados foram obtidos com frascos de Teflon® com base plana. Com exceção do Ni, constatou-se que é possível trabalhar no banho de ultrasom em triplicatas, sem comprometer a eficiência e/ou precisão da extração. A eficiência de extração melhorou com o aumento no tempo de sonicação de 1 para 50 min. Para a maioria dos elementos, a extração assistida por radiação ultra-sônica pode reduzir o tempo convencional de extração de 12 h para 50 min ou menos (i.e. 6 min para Pb). A precisão obtida foi comparável aos valores obtidos com a extração convencional. O método proposto é rápido, barato e uma boa alternativa para o levantamento da biodisponibilidade e potencial de mobilidade de metais em sedimentos.

A three factors analysis of variance was used to test the significance of the type of vessel, the type of material and the number of replicates in the preparation of sediment samples using an ultrasonic bath. The conventional extraction with HCl 1.0 mol L-1, for 0.5, 4 and 12 h, has been modified, applying an ultrasonic bath, in order to speeding up the sample preparation time. Trace metals were measured by an ICP OES. The best results were obtained using a Teflon® vessel with a flat bottom. For all metals but Ni it was demonstrated the feasibility of working in triplicates in the ultrasonic bath, without compromising the efficiency and/or the precision of the extraction. Leaching efficiency enhanced with increasing sonication time from 1 to 50 min. For most elements the ultrasound-assisted leaching could reduce the conventional extraction time from 12 h to 50 min or even less (i.e. 6 min for Pb). The precision obtained was comparable to values obtained for the conventional acid extraction. The proposed method is a fast, inexpensive and easy alternative for screening of the potential mobility and bioavailability of metals in sediments.

Os materiais de controle de qualidade (QCM) têm sido usados rotineiramente no trabalho de laboratório, para preencher a lacuna entre a necessidade e disponibilidade de materiais de referência certificados (CRM). Os QCMs possuem custos relativamente baixos, quando comparados aos materiais de referência certificados (CRMs), sendo uma alternativa viável para a implementação de um sistema de controle de qualidade em laboratórios de várias áreas. Este trabalho descreve a produção de um QCM para determinação de metais em sedimentos estuarinos e os resultados de um exercício interlaboratorial. Estudos de homogeneidade e estabilidade foram realizados, e análises de variância foram aplicadas aos dados. As concentrações de Co, Cu, Cr, Ni, Mn, Pb e Zn, dentro e entre recipientes não foram significativamente diferentes. As condições de armazenagem e temperatura não promoveram variação nos resultados. O QCM produzido foi considerado estável e homogêneo, e pode ser utilizado em cartas de controle de qualidade, avaliação da reprodutibilidade e exercícios interlaboratoriais.

Quality Control Materials (QCM) have being used routinely in daily laboratory work as a tool to fill the gap between need and availability of Certified Reference Materials (CRM). The QCM are a low-cost alternative to CRMs, and they are in high demand, especially, for the implementation of quality control systems in laboratories of several areas. This paper describes the preparation of a QCM for the determination of trace metals in estuarine sediments and the results of an interlaboratory exercise. Homogeneity and stability studies were performed and analysis of variance was carried out with the results. No statistical significant differences were observed in the concentrations of Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn between- or within bottle results. Neither the storage nor temperature affected the results. Therefore, the QCM produced is considered homogeneous and stable and can be used for statistical control charts, evaluation of reproducibility and interlaboratory exercises.