Browsing by Author "Martinho, Ana Paula"
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- Environmental risk assessment in a contaminated estuary: An integrated weight of evidence approach as a decision support toolPublication . Caeiro, Sandra; Vaz-Fernandes, Paula; Martinho, Ana Paula; Costa, Pedro; Silva, Maria João; Lavinha, João; Matias-Dias, Carlos; Machado, Ausenda; Castanheira, Isabel; Costa, Maria HelenaEnvironmental risk assessment of complex ecosystems such as estuaries is a challenge, where innovative and integrated approaches are needed. The present work aimed at developing an innovative integrative methodology to evaluate in an impacted estuary (the Sado, in Portugal, was taken as case study), the adverse effects onto both ecosystem and human health. For the purpose, new standardized lines of evidence based on multiple quantitative data were integrated into a weight of evidence according to a best expert judgment approach. The best professional judgment for a weight of evidence approach in the present study was based on the following lines of evidence: i) human contamination pathways; ii) human health effects: chronic disease; iii) human health effects: reproductive health; iv) human health effects: health care; v) human exposure through consumption of local agriculture produce; vi) exposure to contaminated of water wells and agriculture soils; vii) contamination of the estuarine sedimentary environment (metal and organic contaminants); viii) effects on benthic organisms with commercial value; and ix) genotoxic potential of sediments. Each line of evidence was then ordinally ranked by levels of ecological or human health risk, according to a tabular decision matrix and expert judgment. Fifteen experts scored two fishing areas of the Sado estuary and a control estuarine area, in a scale of increasing environmental risk and management actions to be taken. The integrated assessment allowed concluding that the estuary should not be regarded as impacted by a specific toxicant, such as metals and organic compounds hitherto measured, but by the cumulative risk of a complex mixture of contaminants. The proven adverse effects on species with commercial value may be used to witness the environmental quality of the estuarine ecosystem. This method argues in favor of expert judgment and qualitative assessment as a decision support tool to the integrative management of estuaries. Namely it allows communicating environmental risk and proposing mitigation measures to local authorities and population under a holistic perspective as an alternative to narrow single line of evidence approaches, which is mandatory to understand cause and effect relationships in complex areas like estuaries.
- HERA - Environmental Risk Assessment of a contaminated estuarine environment: a case studyPublication . Martinho, Ana Paula; Rodrigo, Ana; Vicente, Ana; Machado, Ausenda; Dias, Carlos Matias; Guiomar, Carla Sofia; Gonçalves, Cátia; Paixão, Eleonora; Santos, Fernanda; Louro, Henriqueta; Pinhal, Hermínia; Mateus, Inês; Coelho, Inês; Lopes, Inês; Castanheira, Isabel; Antunes, Joana; Sacadura, Joana; Lavinha, João; Toro, Joaquim; Lobo, Jorge; Nunes, Luís; Quintas, Maria do Carmo; Costa, Maria Helena; Silva, Maria João; Saraiva, Marina; Diniz, Mário; Martins, Marta; Pinto, Miguel; Fernandes, Paula Vaz; Costa, Pedro M.; Caeiro, Sandra; Gueifão, Sandra; carreira, Sara; Silva, Susana Pereira; Neuparth, TeresaSado River estuary is located in the west coast of Portugal. Previous environmental studies identified industrial contamination, non-point anthropogenic sources and contamination coming from the river, all promoting accumulation of polluted sediments with known impacts on the ecological system. Surrounding human populations have intense economic fishery activities. Together with agriculture, estuary fishing products are available to local residents. Food usage previously characterized through ethnographic studies suggests exposure to estuarine products, farming products, and water in daily activities, as potential routes of contamination. It is well established that long term exposure to heavy metals are associated with renal and neurological diseases, most heavy metals are classified as carcinogenic and teratogenic.
- Local farming quality and food composition : The case of Carrasqueira Village, PortugalPublication . Castanheira, Isabel; Coelho, Inês; Gueifão, Sandra; Saraiva, Marina; Martinho, Ana Paula; Fernandes, Ana Paula; Caeiro, SandraThe Sado estuary, located in the West Coast of Portugal, is partially classified as a natural reserve, but is threatened by many sources of anthropogenic pressure and runoff from agriculture grounds, originating a moderately contaminated estuary in some hot-spot areas. The small fishermen community of the Carrasqueira Village is located on the south margin of the Sado Estuary where previous epidemiological studies confirmed several human exposure routes to Sado estuary contaminants namely trough occupation, water and food consumption. The aim of this work is to evaluate the contamination and mineral profile from local farming as an important food intake of the Carrasqueira community. Another population VNMF, established near a pristine estuary, (the Mira Estuary) was surveyed as reference. According to a food frequency questionnaire conducted in the exposure population, the most frequent vegetables are tomato, lettuce, cabbage and potatoes. Samples of these vegetables, as well as soil and water were collected from three backyards in each population and analysed by ICP-MS and ICP-OES . Contents in phosphorus, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, chromium, manganese, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, cadmium ,lead, were evaluated. The obtained results show that tomatoes and lettuces grown in Carrasqueira farms present the highest content of copper (676±6.45 µg.kg-1 and 255±3.62 µg.kg-1 respectively). Trace amounts of selenium were detected in vegetables from different farms (5-9 µg.kg-1). The highest amount of zinc was found in lettuce grown in Carrasqueira 2 (4604±30.74 µg.kg-1). The lowest content of strontium was found in lettuce grown in VNMF (559±21.38 µg.kg-1). In all analysed samples the observed values for cadmium and lead were below levels set by European legislation. The results show that nutritional quality of local farming vegetables near pollution sources should be accessed taking into account not only nutrients but also contaminants analysis for food safety.