M.Ing. / Rietvlei Dam was completed in 1933, and has been utilized as a drinking water source for the City of Pretoria since then. The original process configuration operated for almost 50 years before being upgraded in 1988. This upgrading was mainly due to the eutrophication of the impoundment. The new plant worked excellently under normal conditions but certain serious problems did occur and full production could not be maintained at all times. Activated Carbon and Ozone are two possible solutions to these problems. This study was directed at investigating the possible implementation of Preozonation, Granular Activated Carbon, and Ozone and Granular Activated Carbon in combination (case study), and it was shown that: All these processes are beneficial to the final water quality. Pre-ozonation proved to be the most cost effective process, but the least effective process in improvement of the water quality. Ozone and Granular Activated Carbon in combination proved to be the least cost effective process, but should be the most effective in improvement of the water quality. Granular Activated Carbon proved to be the optimun process with regard to cost and water quality improvement. The final recommendation is the implementation of Granular Activated Carbon with an empty bed contact time of 10 minutes.

Tomatoes are widely produced and consumed due to their nutritional content and versatility. However, the tomato is a soft fruit liable to damage and flavour deterioration. Hence, the main challenge for the tomato producing industry is to prevent the high loss incurred during harvest, handling and transportation of the crops. The objective of this study was to investigate the overall nutritional implication of controlled storage of tomatoes using ozone on the ripening process and the basic nutritional components of tomatoes. This investigation was also designed to focus on the effect of different ozone doses on the basic components and properties (carotenoids, ascorbic acid, total antioxidant activity and soluble sugars content) of the quality and dynamic maturity of tomatoes. Green tomatoes (Rio Grande) were treated in glass chambers with ozone enriched air [(air + 2, 7 and 21 mg O3/g tomato) and control (air only)] under humidity and temperature of 90-95% and 14-17 oC respectively. Tomatoes were sampled after 14 days of ozone treatment in the storage chamber and analyzed for different quality parameters (appearance, weight loss, Total Soluble Solids (TSS), titratable acidity, total ascorbic acid and carotene) of the ripening. The variety Elegance tomatoes were selected and the fruits were graded by colour and subjected to treatment with ozone (in doses 0 (clean air), 0.25, 0.50, and1.00 mg O3/g tomatoes) during storage for 6 days under the same humidity and temperature conditions. The fruits were analysed for carotenoids, ascorbic acid content, total antioxidant activity and soluble sugars. Analysis of the fruits clearly showed that ozone significantly delayed the development of colour on the surface, particularly in the low doses, and caused black spots on the surface of the tomatoes, particularly in higher ozone doses. Ozone did not affect the ascorbic acid and titratable acidity content. However ozone did reduce the Total Soluble Solids (TSS) by about 10% at the lowest ozone dose. A high inhibition of accumulation of carotenoids, particularly at low dose, of the tomatoes (Rio Grande) was also observed. Tomatoes (Elegance) under ozone treatments contained higher ß-carotene than those under the control treatment and lycopene content increased during storage in the red stage of tomato fruits. Ascorbic acid (AsA), dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) and the total of AsA and DHA concentrations, and ratios of redox (ASA/ (ASA + DHA) and DHA/AsA in pericarp and pulp of tomatoes tissue, did not show clear differences between the different treatments. The concentrations of the glucose and fructose increased in the tomatoes which were subjected to ozone treatments. Results from this study show that controlled atmosphere storage of tomatoes using ozone is a viable technique which warrants further study.

While ozone design values have decreased since 2000, the values measured in Denton Airport South (DEN), an exurban region in the northwest tip of the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex, remains above those measured in Dallas Hinton (DAL) and Fort Worth Northwest (FWNW), two extremely urbanized regions; in addition, all three sites remained in nonattainment of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) ozone despite reductions in measured NOx and CO concentrations. The region's inability to achieve ozone attainment is tied to its concentration of total non-methane organic compounds (TNMOC). The mean concentration of TNMOC measured at DAL, FWNW, and DEN between 2000 and 2018 were 67.4 ± 1.51 ppb-C, 89.31 ± 2.12 ppb-C, and 220.69 ± 10.36 ppb-C, respectively. Despite being the least urbanized site of the three, the TNMOC concentration measured at DEN was over twice as large as those measured at the other two sites. A factor-based source apportionment analysis using positive matrix factorization technique showed that natural gas was a major contributing source factor to the measured TNMOC concentrations at all three sites and the dominant source factor at DEN. Natural gas accounted for 32%, 40%, and 69% of the measured TNMOC concentration at DAL, FWNW, and DEN, respectively. The Barnett Shale region, an active shale gas region adjacent to DFW, is a massive source of unconventional TNMOC emissions in the region. Also, the ozone formation potential (OFP) of the TNMOC pool in DEN were overwhelmingly dominated by slow-reacting alkanes emitted from natural gas sources. While the air pollutant trends and characteristics of an urban airshed can be determined using long-term ambient air quality measurements, this is difficult in regions with sparse air quality monitoring. To solve the lack in spatial and temporal datasets in non-urban regions, various machine learning (ML) algorithms were used to train a computer cluster to predict air pollutant concentrations. Models built using certain ML algorithms performed significantly better than others in predicting air pollutants. The model built using the random forest (RF) algorithm had the lowest error. The performance of the prediction models was satisfactory when the local emission characteristics at the tested site were like the training site. However, the performance dropped considerably when tested against sites with significantly different emission characteristics or with extremely aggregated data points.

The Antarctic climate has undergone complex changes over the last fifty years, driven largely by stratospheric ozone depletion. By the end of this century, under the current trajectory of anthropogenic emissions, the climate of Antarctica is projected to be significantly wetter, warmer and prone to the collapse of ice shelves and loss of sea ice cover. The overarching aim of this thesis is to increase our understanding of recent and projected Antarctic climate change and its drivers. We also investigate the potential global implications of these changes and show that the effects will not be limited to the southern high latitudes. In the first half, we investigate the drivers of Antarctic climate change over the observational period. Specifically, we study the influence of the stratosphere on the southern high latitude surface climate, through stratosphere-troposphere dynamic coupling as well as stratospheric ozone depletion. We examine the impact of these on the Amundsen Sea Low, a key circulation feature near West Antarctica. We demonstrate using reanalysis that stratospheric heat flux extremes are linked to high latitude tropospheric anomalies in the Amundsen Sea region. During extreme negative (positive) events there is a westward (eastward) shift of the Amundsen Sea Low, a warming (cooling) and increase (decrease) of geopotential height over the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas. We find that most CMIP5 models are not able to capture this relationship. Next, we demonstrate that, since 1965, stratospheric ozone depletion has acted to deepen the Amundsen Sea Low in austral summer by 1 hPa per decade. This result was consistent across two different comprehensive climate models, each with very different model physics and climate sensitivity. It must be noted that the ozone depletion signal on the Amundsen Sea Low is small compared to the internal climate variability in this region. Using ensembles of model integrations and analysing them over the full period of ozone depletion (which started a couple of decades before the satellite era) is necessary to detect a robust signal. In the second half, we investigate the effects of future Antarctic climate change, specifically the effects of projected sea ice loss over the coming century. Climate model simulations are used to isolate the effect of end-of-the-century Antarctic sea ice loss which is compared and contrasted with the effects of projected Arctic sea ice loss. We first study the effects of projected Antarctic sea ice loss used atmosphere-only simulations. As for the Arctic, results indicated that Antarctic sea ice loss will act to shift the tropospheric jet equatorward, an internal negative feedback to the poleward shift associated with increased greenhouse gases. Antarctic sea ice loss is shown to have an important effect throughout the year whereas Arctic sea ice loss will have more seasonally varying impacts. Building upon these results we the use the same climate model but in a fully coupled setup to study the effects of projected Antarctic sea ice loss on the climate system. We show that both Arctic and Antarctic sea ice loss will have important global effects, causing a ‘mini global warming’ signal. The tropical response to Antarctic sea ice loss is shown to be remarkably similar to that of Arctic sea ice loss, with enhanced warming in the Eastern Tropical Pacific and increased precipitation throughout much of the equatorial Pacific. These results highlight how intimately coupled the Antarctic climate is to the rest of the climate system.

A Região Metropolitana de São Paulo (RMSP) enfrenta sérios problemas relacionados à degradação da qualidade do ar devido às emissões de sua intensa frota veicular, apresentando constantes ultrapassagens dos Padrões de Qualidade do Ar de poluentes como o ozônio (PQAr ~80ppbv). O Ozônio é formado na atmosfera em condições complexas em presença de intensa radiação solar, altas temperaturas, baixa umidade relativa, ventos fracos e altas concentrações dos precursores, óxidos de nitrogênio (NOx = NO + NO2) e compostos orgânicos voláteis (COVs). Assim, o problema da poluição do ar em centros urbanos precisa ser tratado com metodologias mais modernas para que possam ser estabelecidos novos critérios para redução de seus precursores e o conhecimento das condições mais adequadas (relação entre os COVs e os NOx, além da especiação destes COVs) para a redução do ozônio troposférico. Neste contexto, modelos fotoquímicos de qualidade do ar têm sido usados para auxiliar na tomada de decisões ambientais estratégicas. O módulo químico SAPRC Statewide Air Pollution Research Center é um mecanismo detalhado para simular reações entre COVs e NOX, desenvolvido para ser aplicado para atmosferas urbanas e regionais dos Estados Unidos. Porém, devido características específicas do combustível (aproximadamente 30% da frota usa etanol), no Brasil a poluição urbana apresenta características próprias. Dessa forma, baseado em campanhas anteriores de amostragem de COVs, no presente estudo foram modificados o inventário de emissões e o módulo químico (SAPRC99) do modelo fotoquímico CIT a fim de melhorar a representação do ozônio quanto a sua formação e consumo na atmosfera da RMSP. Para isso, alguns COVs como xilenos, 1-buteno e trimetilbenzenos foram explicitados. As simulações para os dias 30 e 31 de outubro de 2006 mostraram aumentos de espécies como peroxiacetilnitrato e ozônio de aproximadamente 10% para o centro de formação de pluma sobre a RMSP. / The Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP) suffers severe problems related to air quality degradation presenting constant air quality standard overpasses for pollutants like ozone (QSAir ~80ppbv), due to its intense vehicular fleet. Ozone is formed in the atmosphere under complex conditions in the presence of strong solar radiation, high temperatures, low relative humidity, weak winds and also high precursor concentrations, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Therefore, the problem of air pollution in urban centers has to be treated using modern methodologies in order to establish new criteria for reduction of precursors and to know more adequate conditions (relation between VOCs and NOx, as well as speciation of these VOCs) in order to reduce tropospheric ozone. In this context, air quality photochemical models have been used to support strategic environmental decisions. SAPRC chemical mechanism Statewide Air Pollution Research Center developed to be applied in the United States urban atmospheres, consists of a detailed mechanism to simulate reactions between VOCs and NOx. However, due to specific fuel properties (about 30% of vehicular fleet uses ethanol), urban air pollution in Brazil presents its own characteristics, such as higher level of the oxygenated compounds. Hence, based on previous campaigns where VOCs had been sampled, the emission inventory and the chemical module (SAPRC99) were modified in order to improve ozone consumption and formation representation in the MASP atmosphere. As a result, some VOCs like xylenes, 1-butene and trimethilbenzens were explicated. Simulations for 30 and 31 of October 2006 presented increases in species formation like peroxyacetylnitrate and ozone about 10% in the centre of the MASP plume.

A presença de substâncias recalcitrantes na vinhaça causa inibição da anaerobiose. Pesquisas indicam que a oxidação destas substâncias com ozônio (\'O IND.3\') promova um aumento da biodegradabilidade da vinhaça (DBO5/DQO) de aproximadamente 25%. A introdução de vinhaça pré-ozonizada em reatores anaeróbios resultou em ganhos no rendimento de metano da ordem de 15% (mL\'CH IND.4\'/gDQO removida). Por outro lado, sabe-se que a composição da vinhaça varia bastante de acordo com a matéria-prima, solo, clima e processo industrial empregado para a produção de etanol. Assim, é necessário verificar o efeito da ozonização sobre a biodegradabilidade de uma vinhaça proveniente de uma destilaria brasileira. Além disso, é necessário responder se a quantidade de energia produzida pela combustão do metano adicionalmente gerado por conta da ozonização compensaria a energia consumida por um ozonizador em escala real. Desta forma, esta pesquisa pretendeu avaliar os efeitos da aplicação de ozônio na biodegradabilidade de uma vinhaça bruta proveniente de uma destilaria brasileira, assim como realizar uma avaliação econômica da ozonização em escala real. Procedeu-se a operação de um reator em escala de bancada para ozonização de vinhaça em batelada (0, 2, 4, 6 e 8 horas), com a aplicação das doses de 0, 2, 4, 6 e 8 g \'O IND.3\'/L, respectivamente. A ozonização deu-se em três valores iniciais de pH (4.8, 7 e 9). Os parâmetros avaliados foram: DQO, DBO5, COT, cor, fenóis e Abs254, DBO5/DQO e DQO/COT. De acordo com os resultados, observou-se que a aplicação de 2 g \'O IND.3\'/L elevou a biodegradabilidade da vinhaça em 22% e 10% em pH inicial 4,8 e 7, respectivamente. A avaliação econômica preliminar mostrou que a quantidade de energia elétrica consumida por um ozonizador em escala real seria 6 vezes maior (278.400 kWh) do que aquela possivelmente produzida pela combustão do metano adicionalmente gerado (44.780 kWh). Estes resultados indicam que a ozonização de vinhaça bruta com o objetivo específico de se produzir metano adicional em um reator anaeróbio posteriormente instalado é inviável do ponto de vista econômico. / The presence of recalcitrant substances in the vinasse causes inhibition in anaerobic process. Research indicates that oxidation of these substances with ozone (\'O IND.3\') promotes an increase in biodegradabilidade of vinasse (DBO5/DQO) in approximately 25%. The introduction of vinasse pre-ozonated in anaerobic reactors resulted in gains in the yield of methane on the order of 15% (mL\'CH IND.4\'/gDQO removed). However, it is known that the composition of vinasse varies greatly depending on the raw material, soil, climate and industrial process used to produce ethanol. It is therefore necessary to verify the effect of ozonation on biodegrability of a vinasse from a Brazilian distillery. Moreover, it is also necessary to answer if the amount of energy produced by combustion of methane additionally generated by ozonation would off set the energy consumed by a full-scale ozonator. Thus, this study sought to evalu-ate the effects of ozone on the biodegradability of a raw stillage from a Brazilian distillery, as well as conduct an economic evaluation of a full-scale ozonation. The procedure was the operation of a bench scale reactor for the batch ozonation of vinasse (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 hours), with the application of 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 g \'O IND.3\'/L, respectively. The ozonation occurred in three starting values of pH (4.8, 7 and 9). The parameters evaluated were: COD, BOD5, TOC, color, phenols and Abs254, DBO5/DQO and COD / TOC. According to the results, it was observed that the application of 2 g \'O IND.3\'/L increased biodegradability of vinasse in 22% and 10% at initial pH 4,8 and 7, respectively. The preliminary economic assessment showed that the amount of electricity consumed by a full-scale ozonator would be 6 times greater (278.400 kWh) than that energy, possibly produced by combustion of additional methane generated (44.780 kWh). These results indicate that the ozonation of raw vinasse with the specific goal of producing additional methane in an anaerobic reactor later installed, it is unfeasible from an economic perspective.

A oxidação é um método que visa a modificação do amido por agentes oxidantes diversos, introduzindo grupamentos funcionais e realizando cisão das ligações glicosídicas. Seus objetivos são reduzir a viscosidade do polissacarídeo, elevar a transparência da pasta e limitar sua retrogradação. O objetivo do presente estudo foi modificar os amidos de milho com diferentes teores de amilose e o amido de mandioca pelo tratamento com ozônio e também caracterizar as amostras oxidadas quanto às características moleculares, estruturais e funcionais, correlacionando-as entre si. O processo de oxidação foi efetivo em alterar diversas propriedades e funcionalidades dos amidos estudados, contudo de modos distintos para as diferentes fontes. Tais diferenças decorrem da composição e estrutura granular peculiares de cada um, promovendo diferentes taxas de degradação das lamelas amorfas e cristalinas e da presença de grupos carboxilas. A oxidação pelo ozônio nas condições estudadas reduziu a viscosidade apenas do amido de milho normal; no caso dos amidos de milho ceroso e de mandioca, a viscosidade foi ligeiramente aumentada. O amido de milho de alta amilose não apresentou viscosidade nas condições de analisadas pelo Rapid Visco Analyser, tanto antes como após a oxidação. O setback foi reduzido pelo processo oxidativo com o ozônio para os três amidos, tornando-os mais estáveis. A oxidação aumentou a claridade de pasta de todos os amidos. A ozonização também causou alterações no amido de milho ceroso e no de mandioca, de modo a proporcionar capacidade de expansão no forno, em índices próximos àqueles de amostras comerciais de polvilho azedo. Os demais amidos não se expandiram significativamente. A propriedade de expansão no forno foi afetada principalmente pela variação de entalpia de gelatinização dos amidos, mas também pelos teores de carboxilas e de carbonilas, fator de inchamento, quebra de viscosidade, setback, cristalinidade relativa e tamanho das cadeias ramificadas de amilopectina (cadeias B2 e B3 e tamanho médio). O uso do ozônio, portanto, poderá ser útil nesta modalidade de modificação dos amidos e, em especial para o amido de mandioca ou de milho ceroso, capacitando-os para a expansão no forno, o que poderia gerar produtos panificáveis mais padronizados do que os obtidos pelo polvilho azedo, ou sem as consequências da oxidação por métodos químicos mais agressivos, como o uso do hipoclorito de sódio. / Oxidation is a method which aims the starch modification by various oxidizing agents, introducing functional groups and performing the cleavage of glycosidic linkages. Its objectives are to reduce the polysaccharides viscosity, raising the transparency paste and minimizing retrogradation. The aim of this study was to modify the corn starch with different levels of amylose and the cassava starch using ozone and also to characterize the samples oxidized as the molecular, structural and functional characteristics, relating them with each other. The oxidation process was effective changing several properties and features of the studied starches, however, in different ways for the different sources. These differences come from having starches different composition and granular structure, providing different rates of degradation of amorphous and crystalline lamellae and the presence of carbonyl groups, and carboxyl formed. A reduction in viscosity was observed for the normal corn starch after oxidation, and an increase for the waxy maize and cassava starches. The high amylose corn starch showed no viscosity by Rapid Visco Analyser, before or after oxidation. The setback was reduced by the oxidation process with ozone for the three starches, rendering them more stable. Oxidation by ozone under the conditions studied increased paste clarity of all starches. Ozonation caused changes in the waxy corn and cassava starches, providing baking properties, in indices close to those of commercial samples of sour cassava starch. The other starches are not expanded significantly in the oven. The baking property was mostly affected by enthalpy of gelatinization of starches, but also by carboxyl and carbonyl contents, swelling factor, breakdown, setback, relative crystallinity and size of amylopectin branched chains (B2, B3 and medium size). So, the use of ozone may be useful in this starch modification modality, and in particular for cassava or waxy maize starches, enabling the expansion in oven, which could generate more standardized baking products than those obtained by sour cassava starch, or without consequences of oxidation using more aggressive chemical methods, such as sodium hypochlorite.

Muitos estudos têm sido realizados com intuito de desenvolver tecnologias capazes de minimizar o volume e a toxicidade dos efluentes industriais. Uma alarmante fonte de contaminação de efluentes aquosos são os pesticidas encontrados na forma de efluentes e resíduos industriais, agrícolas e domésticos, na aplicação direta para controle de pragas, na lavagem de produtos após a colheita e de maquinário na agroindústria e a lixiviação a partir de resíduos. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar a degradação do herbicida amicarbazona em solução aquosa, por oxidação por ozônio sob irradiação UV, em um reator fotoquímico tubular com escoamento anular, constituído por um tubo externo em vidro borossilicato Pyrex® (volume irradiado de 3,9 L), no interior do qual se adaptou uma lâmpada tubular germicida concêntrica (Philips, emissão em 253,7 nm). O reator é posicionado verticalmente e o líquido escoa pela região anular entre a lâmpada e a parede interna do tubo externo com fluxo descendente em contracorrente com o fluxo de gás. O reator é acoplado a um gerador de ozônio, sendo a mistura O2+O3 admitida ao reator por meio de um difusor de gases. A concentração de ozônio na fase gasosa foi monitorada por meio de espectrofotometria UV em 254 nm usando uma célula de fluxo em um equipamento Shimadzu MultiSpec-1501. Os efeitos da concentração de alimentação de O3 concentração inicial de amicarbazona, pH (4 e 10) e potência elétrica da lâmpada (36 ou 75 W) foram estudados a partir de um projeto experimental Doehlert modificado. Os resultados indicaram degradação de amicarbazona superiores a 99% em até 20 minutos de tratamento. A análise estatística dos resultados em termos de meia vida e da taxa inicial de degradação confirmou que sendo baixa ou alta a concentração de ozônio a degradação de amicarbazona é efetiva, porém para alcançar a mineralização dos subprodutos é necessário maior consumo de ozônio. O efeito do aumento do pH sobre a remoção de amicarbazona mostrou-se mais importante para níveis baixos de [O3] sendo nítido o efeito do aumento do pH no sentido de promover a mineralização. / Many studies have been carried out that aim the development of new technologies able to reduce the volume and toxicity of industrial wastewaters. Pesticides are an important class of wastewater contaminants. They are found in domestic, industrial and agricultural effluents as a result of direct application to control pests, rinse water from spray equipment and pesticide containers, spills due to improper handling and disposal, agricultural runoff, etc. The main purpose of this work was to study the degradation of the herbicide amicarbazone in aqueous solution by ozonation under UV radiation, in a Pyrex® tubular photochemical reactor with annular flow and irradiated volume of 3.9 L, equipped with a tubular, concentric UV lamp (Philips, emission at 253.7 nm). The reactor is mounted vertically, and the liquid flows downwards through the gap between the lamp and the inner wall of the reactor tube in countercurrent gas-liquid flow arrangement. The reactor is coupled to an ozone generator and the mixture O2+O3 is inflowed through a porous gas diffuser. Ozone concentration in the gas phase was measured at 254 nm with a Shimadzu MultiSpec-1501 spectrophotometer equipped with a quartz low cell. The effects of inlet ozone concentration, amicarbazone initial concentration, pH (4 and 10) and lamp electric power (36 or 75 W) were studied by means of a modified Doehlert experimental design. The results indicated that more than 99% of amicarbazone was degraded in 20 minutes. The statistical analysis of amicarbazone half-lives and initial degradation rates confirmed that amicarbazone degradation is effective at high or low ozone concentration, whereas higher ozone inputs are needed to achieve the mineralization of the herbicide degradation products. The effect of increasing pH on amicarbazone removal showed to be more important at low [O3] levels. Accordingly, pesticide mineralization was higher at the high pH level.

Durante a exploração de uma mina, vários impactos são causados no meio ambiente, entre eles a geração da drenagem ácida de minas (DAM), que consiste da exposição de minerais sulfetados ao ar, água e microorganismos do tipo ferroxidantes, apresentando reações de oxidação e formação de ácido sulfúrico solubilizando metais ali presentes contaminando o solo e as águas. O objetivo deste trabalho de pesquisa foi estudar uma solução tecnológica fazendo uso da oxidação avançada com ozônio de metais pesados presentes em efluentes contaminados, em mina de urânio, com especial foco na remoção do manganês. A mina de urânio das Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil INB, em Caldas, Minas Gerais, local de aplicação deste estudo, enfrenta o problema da DAM e tem como principais contaminantes de suas águas superficiais os elementos, alumínio (Al), manganês (Mn), zinco (Zn), ferro (Fe), sulfatos (SO4+2), fluoretos (F-), metais de terras raras, alem do urânio (U) e do tório (Th). Os testes com ozônio realizados em laboratório com os efluentes da INB e in situ, mostraram uma grande eficiência para remoção do ferro, manganês e cério em até 99%. A concentração total de manganês ficou abaixo dos limites estabelecidos pela resolução 430 e 357 do CONAMA. Elementos como neodímio (Nd), lantânio (La) e zinco (Zn) pouco se oxidam com O3. O Al se mantém praticamente inalterado, enquanto que o tório e o urânio decaem, mas com o passar do tempo de ozonização voltam a se concentrar, porém com um valor inferior ao inicial. O precipitado obtido após a ozonização consiste de até 85% de oxido de manganês. A fim de descartar, após a ozonização, o efluente líquido para o ambiente é necessário uma correção do pH, de modo a atender os parâmetros da legislação CONAMA, sendo utilizado 50 a 86% menos reagente (CaOH2), do que as quantidades utilizadas no processo adotado pela INB. / During a mine exploration the environment can be affected by different ways being one of them the mine acid drainage(DAM), that is formed by the exposition of sulpheted minerals to the atmospheric air, water and iron-oxidation microorganisms. This exposition results in oxidation reactions and formation of sulphuric acid that dissolves all kind of metals present at the mineral that will result in the contamination of the ground and waters. The object of this research work is to test a technological solution of the mine acid drainage problem applying ozone advanced oxidation of the heavy metals present at the mine drainage of a uranium mine with special focus in the manganese removal. This study is applied to the material from the uranium mine of the Brazilian Nuclear Industry INB, at Caldas- MG. The INB Industry has serious DAM contamination being the main contaminants of the superficial waters the elements, aluminium (Al), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), sulfates(SO4+2), fluorides(F-), rare earth metals besides uranium (U) and thorium (Th). The Caldas unity is being used as research and testing field for the treatment of areas with environment degradation formed by the mining activity. The ozone testing showed a high efficiency for the removal of iron(Fe), manganese(Mn) and cerium (Ce) up to 99%. The manganese total concentration was reduced to values bellow the ones determined by CONAMA resolution. Elements as neodymium (Nd), zinc (Zn) and lanthamium (La) are also oxidated in presence of ozone but with lower efficiency. The aluminium remained unaffected by the ozone while Thorium and Uranium show an initial decay but at the end present only a concentration slight lower than the initial. The solid material formed after the ozone treatment consists mainly of manganese oxide (85%). In order to dispose, after the ozonization, the liquid efluente to the environment is necessary a pH correction in order to be within the CONAMA legislation, being used less reagent (CaOH2), 50 to 86% less, than the amounts used in the process adopted by INB.

Alguns relatos encontrados na literatura sobre as propriedades da molécula de ozônio de interferir de maneira favorável na reparação de tecidos e da sua ação antimicrobiana têm fundamentado emprego do ozônio com fins terapêuticos no tratamento de diversas doenças. Nenhuma pesquisa ainda conseguiu comprovar, por meio de estudos padronizados, os efeitos terapêuticos sobre os processos de reparação óssea desta molécula triatômica de oxigênio quando diluído em água. Nesta investigação foram avaliados os aspectos histomorfológicos e histomorfométricos do processo de reparo tecidual ósseo após a irrigação com 100mL de 4ppm de ozônio diluído em água Milli-Q® durante a perfuração de feridas monocorticais padronizadas, realizadas por meio de broca trefina (2mm), após 7, 14 e 21 dias, em fêmures de ratos Wistar induzidos e não induzidos ao diabetes por injeção intraperitoneal de Estreptozotocina (STZ- Sigma®). Nos grupos controles as feridas foram irrigadas com de 100mL de água Milli-Q® pura. Os resultados histomorfológicos revelaram que os animais diabéticos que receberam o ozônio apresentaram intensa hemorragia, maior proliferação de vasos sanguíneos e trabeculado ósseo imaturo quando comparados aos animais diabéticos não submetidos à aplicação de ozônio em todos os períodos avaliados. Os animais não diabéticos que receberam ozônio apresentaram intenso infiltrado inflamatório e maior proliferação de vasos sanguíneos quando comparados aos animais do grupo controle. Comparativamente as feridas nos animais que receberam a irrigação por meio de água ozonizada mostraram maior proliferação de vasos sanguíneos e trabéculas ósseas mais imaturas quando comparados aos animais dos grupos que não receberam ozônio. A avaliação histomorfométrica mostrou as médias percentuais de trabéculas ósseas neoformadas. O estudo estatístico, entre os grupos de animais diabéticos e não diabéticos, não apresentou resultados estatisticamente significantes (7 dias, P=0,362; 14 dias, P=0,54; 21 dias, P=0,351) nos períodos de 7, 14 e 21 dias pós-operatórios. A comparação entre o grupo de animais não diabéticos que receberam e não receberam o ozônio, 21 dias pós-operatórios mostrou resultados estatisticamente significantes (P=0,034) confirmando um retardo no processo de maturação das trabéculas. Os resultados desta pesquisa sugerem que a irrigação de feridas ósseas de animais induzidos e não induzidos ao diabetes empregando solução de 4ppm de ozônio diluídos em água Milli-Q® foram capazes de estimular a proliferação de vasos sanguíneos durante a fase inflamatória da reparação tecidual, sem produzir efeitos tóxicos ou prejudiciais, mas não mostrou benefícios na neoformação de trabéculas ósseas em animais diabéticos. / Some accounts in the medical literature about ozones molecule properties to favorably interfere with tissue repair and its antimicrobial action have based the therapeutic usage of ozone to treat several diseases. No standardized investigation yet succeeded to establish the therapeutic effects over bone repair process of this triatomic molecule of the oxygen when diluted in pure water. In this investigation we evaluated the histomorphological aspects of bone tissue repair process after irrigation with 100 ml of the 4 ppm of the ozone dissolved in Milli-Q ® during drilling of the standardized monocortical wounds performed through trephine drill (2mm), after 7, 14 and 21 days in femurs of rats induced and not induced to diabetes by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, Sigma®). The wounds of the control groups were irrigated with 100ml of Milli-Q®. The histomorphological evaluation revealed that the diabetic animals that received ozone showed intense hemorrhage, increased proliferation of blood vessels and immature bone trabeculae when compared with diabetic animals not submitted to the application of ozone in all evaluated periods. The non-diabetic animals that received ozone presented intense inflammatory infiltrate and increased proliferation of blood vessels compared to the control group. Comparatively wounds of the animals that received irrigation through ozonized water showed higher proliferation of blood vessels and bone trabeculae more immature when compared to groups that did not receive ozone. Histomorphometric of bone trabeculae development, comparatively in wounds of diabetic and non diabetic animals showed no statistically significant results (7 days, P=0,362; 14 days, P=0,54; 21 days, P=0,351) . The comparison of bone trabeculae development between wounds in the group of non-diabetic animals that received and did not receive ozone, 21 days postoperatively showed statistically significant (P = 0.034). These results suggests that the irrigation of bone wounds of animals induced and not induced to diabetes with 4 ppm of ozone diluted in Milli-Q® were capable to stimulate the proliferation of blood vessels during the inflammatory phase of tissue repair without producing toxic or detrimental effects but did not improve bone trabeculae development when a diabetes state is present.