Maria Christina Barbosa de Araújo

Fungi are eukaryotic organisms found worldwide, exhibiting rich enzymatic activity that enables their survival in diverse ecological conditions and various environmental niches. The objective of this study was to conduct a comprehensive review of research on fungi contamination in beach sand. Key aspects investigated included organism diversity, factors influencing occurrence and quantity, and a comparison of commonly used methods for sand sample collection. To evaluate beach sand contamination by fungi, a literature search was conducted in June 2022. A wide variety of fungi is present in beach sands, including potentially pathogenic species, with many belonging to the genera Candida and Aspergillus. Several environmental variables were found to be associated with fungi presence. While sampling methodologies varied among studies, a degree of standardization was observed, with minimal variation. Continuous monitoring and disseminating information are crucial for ensuring the safety of beachgoers and aiding public managers in decision-making processes. Keywords: urban beach, beach sand, environmental parameters, fungi sampling methodology, mycological contamination.

Uma infinita parcela de fragmentos plásticos é invisível a olho nu, e constitui microplásticos de tamanho microscópico. Essas partículas estão transpondo as barreiras ambientais, onde já ocorrem aos milhares, se acumulando nos animais e até mesmo em nós humanos. Inúmeros estudos, especialmente na última década, têm descrito a onipresença dos microplásticos nos mais diversos locais do planeta (inabitados ou não) e os impactos associados, principalmente sobre a biota aquática. Mais recentemente, pesquisadores têm divulgado dados alarmantes, que comprovam a ocorrência de microplásticos em diversos tecidos e órgãos humanos, o que gera uma preocupação crescente sobre os danos à saúde, ainda praticamente desconhecido. Este ensaio tem como objetivo fazer um levantamento sobre a presença de microplásticos nos produtos consumidos pela população e sua ocorrência no corpo humano.

Cigarette butts (CBs) are non-biodegradable residues of synthetic origin, prevalent on beaches all over the world. The study evaluates discarded CBs on an intensely used urban beach, determining variations in physical and chemical characteristics. CBs collected were observed, classified, and visually separated according to a proposed scale of four levels of degradation to test the potential match between physical and chemical decay. CBs (un-smoked, smoked, and discarded) were used to determine the average length (cm) and mass (g) in order to observe changes in these parameters among the levels. Cigarette butts experience consecutive mass loss during environmental exposure. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images were obtained to assess physical changes in fibers due to smoking. FTIR-ATR was used to assess CBs new (un-smoked), smoked, and discarded samples in relation to cellulose acetate decay. The FTIR-ATR spectroscopy of the most visually degraded cigarette butts indicated modifications in the spectra when compared to un-smoked cigarettes.

Smoking is a social phenomenon of global scope. The impacts start from the cultivation of the plant to the disposal of cigarette butts in the most diverse places. These aspects go beyond economic and public health issues, also affecting natural environments and their biota in a serious and indistinct way. Of the six trillion cigarettes consumed globally each year, four and a half trillion are disposed somewhere in the environment. Cigarette butts are predominantly plastic, non-biodegradable waste, prevalent in coastal environments in various parts of the world, and with high potential for generating impacts on a wide range of socioeconomic and environmental aspects. Among the 5000 compounds found in a cigarette, those with higher toxic potential are mainly concentrated in the filter and in tobacco remnants, which are items found in discarded cigarette butts. After surveying published studies on this topic, the present study addressed the interaction between the impacts related to tobacco smoking, highlighting the problem as an important and emerging issue that demands joint efforts, and actions especially focused on the reduction of environmental impacts, an aspect that has not yet been assessed.

Este trabalho teve como objetivo realizar uma revisão de literatura sobre a utilização de indicadores ambientais de áreas costeiras. Um levantamento bibliográfico foi realizado compreendendo o período de 1993 a 2017 nas bases de dados do SciELO, SCOPUS, Web of Science e banco de dados CAPES. Utilizando as palavras-chave “indicator, environmental indicators, use of environmental indicators, indicators and environmental quality, socioeconomic and environmental indicators, beaches and estuarine indicators, environmental monitoring”. Após a leitura dos resumos, 89 trabalhos foram selecionados. Os artigos foram agrupados quanto sua distribuição geográfica: África, Américas, Ásia, Europa e Oceania; e o quantitativo de indicadores utilizados com suas principais características. A literatura apontou a distribuição dos indicadores quanto as suas características, sendo eles: naturais, sociais, econômicos e físico-químicos. O continente europeu apresentou uma maior quantidade de bibliografia sobre indicadores ambientais em áreas costeiras (32,6%). A praia foi o ambiente mais frequentemente utilizado para o uso dos indicadores (42,7%). Existe um consenso na literatura da necessidade de uma matriz comum de indicadores para a consolidação dos estudos nas áreas costeiras do mundo.

This research aimed to evaluate anthropogenic litter found on beaches with different levels of development and use along the coast of Pernambuco (northeast Brazil) to determine patterns in composition and origin. The study was conducted in January 2013 at nine beaches classified into three groups according to the level of urbanization. At each beach, three sections measuring 100 m long and 1 m wide were defined along the high-tide waterline where all items of anthropogenic litter larger than 2 cm were visually counted and classified. The sections were separated by intervals of 100 m. Within each 100 m section, random stretches of 10 m were selected where all the visible plastic fragments with sizes between 0.5 and 2 cm were collected and bagged for subsequent counting. Sources of anthropogenic litter were divided into three categories, namely beach users, land-based (houses/residences), mixed, and fisheries. A total of 12,815 items were found on the nine beaches within the three transects on each beach (one survey per beach), with densities (items/m²) of 2.3, 5.7, and 6.3 for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The most-represented items of anthropogenic litter in the evaluated samples were plastic, food scraps, and wood (wooden skewers). With respect to items composed of plastic, the majority were cigarette butts (45%). Additionally, cigarette butts made up 26% of all anthropogenic litter samples collected. A larger amount of fragments smaller than 2 cm occurred in all beaches; for this size fraction, the densities were 0.6, 0.5, and 0.76 items/m² for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively, which were 1.5, 2.5, and 1.65 times higher, respectively, compared to those of fragments larger than 2 cm.The beaches with lower levels of urbanization also had smaller quantities of anthropogenic litter. Items related to beach users were predominant for most of the beaches. The confirmation that beach users are primarily responsible for the generation of anthropogenic litter may contribute to the development of strategies to reduce the problem, such as installing bins and distribution containers for anthropogenic litter collection and designing educational campaigns for beach users.