Resumo O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a qualidade da água na bacia hidrográfica do rio Pirapó, Paraná-Brasil, e identificar os pontos críticos de poluição ao longo da bacia. O monitoramento da qualidade da água foi realizado no período de Jan/2011 a Dez/2012, em nove pontos de amostragem distribuídos ao longo do canal principal do rio Pirapó, totalizando 17 coletas. A qualidade da água foi avaliada por meio da determinação de 14 parâmetros físicos, químicos e microbiológicos. A aplicação da Análise Fatorial/Análise das Componentes Principais (AF/ACP) nas variáveis monitoradas na bacia do rio Pirapó indicou a formação de três grupos distintos: Temperatura da água (Tágua), oxigênio dissolvido (OD) e um grupo composto por sólidos suspensos totais (SST), Turbidez e Nitrito (NO2–). Os parâmetros Tágua e OD demonstraram relação com a sazonalidade, e os parâmetros SST, Turbidez e NO2– com o escoamento superficial provocado por eventos de precipitação. A análise dos pontos de amostragem por componentes principais (ACP) permitiu selecionar 10 variáveis com maior importância entre as 14 avaliadas. Verificou-se que os parâmetros nitrato (NO3–), NO2–, SST, Turbidez e Fósforo Total (FT) estão relacionados ao tipo de solo, e os parâmetros OD, condutividade elétrica (CE), nitrogênio amoniacal (N-NH3) e coliformes termotolerantes (CT) à poluição por matéria orgânica, sendo o ponto P5 de amostragem o trecho mais crítico. O diagrama de ordenação dos pontos de amostragem em função da ACP indicou a redução de 9 para 5 pontos de amostragem, o que implica redução de custos associados ao monitoramento.

This study aimed to evaluate the water quality of the Pirapó River watershed in Paraná, Brazil, and identify the critical pollution sites throughout the drainage basin. The water quality was monitored during the period from January 2011 to December 2012. Nine points distributed throughout the main channel of the Pirapó River were sampled for a total of 17 samplings. The water quality was evaluated based on the determination of 14 physical, chemical and microbiological parameters. Analysis of the variables monitored in the Pirapó River watershed using factor analysis/principal components analysis (FA/PCA) indicated the formation of three distinct groups of parameters: water temperature (Twater), dissolved oxygen (DO) and a group composed of total suspended solids (TSS), turbidity and nitrite (NO2–). The parameters Twater and DO exhibited a relationship with the seasonality, and the TSS, turbidity, and NO2– levels were correlated with surface runoff caused by rainfall events. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the sampling points enabled the selection of the 10 most important variables from among the 14 evaluated parameters. The results showed that the nitrate (NO3–), NO2–, TSS, turbidity and total phosphorous (TP) levels were related to the soil type, and the parameters DO, electrical conductivity (EC), ammoniacal nitrogen (N-NH3) and thermotolerant coliforms (TC) were related to organic matter pollution, with the P5 sampling site being the most critical site. The ordination diagram of the sampling points as a function of the PCA indicated a reduction from 9 to 5 sampling points, indicating the potential for decreasing the costs associated with monitoring.

Natural lignocellulosic fiber epicarp extracted from the babassu coconut (Orbignya speciosa) was chemically modified through reaction with molten maleic anhydride without solvent, with incorporation of 189.34 mg g-1 of carboxylic acid groups into the biopolymer structure. The success of this reaction was also confirmed by the presence of carboxylic acid bands at 1741 and 1164 cm-1 in the infrared spectrum. Identically, the same group is observed through 13C NMR CP/MAS in the solid state, via high field signals in the 167 pm region. Both the precursor and the immobilized maleated biopolymers presented nearly the same thermal stability and similar crystallinity to cellulose. However, the pendant carboxylic groups have the ability to remove copper with maximum sorption through a batchwise process at pH 6.0, as expected from the point of zero charge, determined to be 6.45. The sorption kinetic data were fitted to pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, Elovich-chemisorption and intra-particle diffusion models and the equilibrium data were fitted to the Langmuir, the Freundlich and Tenkim isotherm models. Taking into account a statistical error function and determination coefficients, the data were fit to the pseudo-first and pseudo-second order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models, with a maximum sorption capacity of copper ions of 55.09 mg g-1. This value suggests the application of this biopolymer with incorporated carboxylate groups as a favorable agent for copper removal from appropriate systems.

Haplometroides buccicola (Trematoda, Digenea, Plagiorchiidae) was reported in the mouth and oesophagus of Phalotris lativittatus (Serpentes, Colubridae) from Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil. This is the first report on the occurrence of H. buccicola parasitizing P. lativittatus. The Haplometroides genus was also discussed and the most important morphological characters for the identification of the species H. buccicola and H. odhneri are presented.