O presente estudo aborda um caso de contaminação ambiental decorrente da operação de uma indústria de galvanoplastia e suas implicações na saúde da população de sua área de influência. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida através de um estudo de caso, com o objetivo de investigar a liberação de substâncias perigosas para o ambiente, avaliando o comprometimento atual e futuro da área exposta e da população local, visando identificar ações necessárias para analisar, mitigar e prevenir os riscos ao ambiente e à saúde pública. A metodologia utilizada para avaliar a contaminação ambiental e seus efeitos sobre a saúde baseou-se nos critérios de avaliação de saúde empregados pela Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry-ATSDR, quando da investigação em áreas suspeitas de contaminação. Esta avaliação consiste no levantamento de dados ambientais, na identificação das preocupações da população exposta com o problema e dos efeitos potenciais sobre a saúde, visando a indicação, para o órgão ambiental competente, da necessidade de estudos ou ações de saúde pública mais aprofundados na área. Para tanto, foram efetuados levantamentos das informações disponíveis sobre a indústria e a caracterização sócio-ambiental da área; investigação das fontes de contaminação e de sua propagação; identificação da população exposta, das principais vias de exposição e dos efeitos potenciais dos contaminantes sobre a saúde. Os resultados obtidos confirmaram a presença de contaminantes emitidos pela indústria em todos os compartimentos ambientais pesquisados. Inicialmente supunha-se que o caso fosse resultante do lançamento de efluentes liquidos industriais fora dos padrões estabelecidos. Entretanto, a magnitude da contaminação indicou tratar-se de um caso bem mais grave, envolvendo a disposição inadequada de resíduos no solo e a referência à ocorrência de acidente industrial. Os principais efeitos identificados foram a contaminação das águas subterrâneas por poluentes químicos, a morte de dezenas de animais dos sítios vizinhos, a impossibilidade de utilização da área atingida para plantio ou criação de animais e os agravos à saúde referidos pela população, principalmente associados à ingestão das águas contaminadas. A situação encontrada tende a se agravar, devido à propagação da pluma de contaminantes nas águas subterrâneas, à incorporação dos poluentes no solo e sedimentos dos corpos d\'água, passíveis de serem liberados para o ambiente e, por outro lado, pelo atual crescimento da ocupação do núcleo residencial, que se estende ao longo da área contaminada. Com base no estudo realizado, recomenda-se uma investigação detalhada da área, com vistas à proposição e execução de medidas de remediação, tanto para a recuperação da área com o fim de se manter o uso atual da região como para a alteração de seu uso, buscando-se uma nova utilização compatível com a qualidade ambiental que venha a ser alcançada através da intervenção proposta. Recomenda-se ainda que as autoridades de meio ambiente e saúde pública efetivem ações no sentido de minimizar o risco da população exposta à área contaminada e à propagação da contaminação, monitorando a qualidade da fonte de abastecimento de água potável, fiscalizando o uso indevido de água do lençol freático, estabelecendo critérios para cultivos e criação de animais e propondo medidas para o isolamento das fontes de geração de contaminação remanescentes. / The present study approaches an environmental contamination case arising from an electroplating factory operation and its implications for the population living in the contaminated area. This research was developed as a study case to investigate the release of hazardous substances to the environment, assessing the current and future involvement of the exposed area and the local population in order to identify actions to analyze, mitigate and prevent damage to the environment and public health. The methodology to appraise environmental contamination and its effects on public health was based on the health evaluation criteria applied by ATSDR, whenever investigating probable areas of contamination. This evaluation consists of an environmental data survey, identifying the exposed population concerns about the problem and the potential effects on public health giving indication of the problem to the Department of Environmental Protection regarding the necessities for studies or deeper public health action within the area. Available information on industry and socio-economical characterization over the area such as investigation of sources of contamination and their propagation, identification of the exposed population from the ways of exposure and the potential effects of the contaminants on public health have been surveyed. The results indicated the presence of contaminants coming from the industry in all environmental effects surveyed. At first, the case was supposed to have resulted from industrial effluents not according to the required standards. Nevertheless the magnitude of the contamination proved to be a much more serious case involving inadequate disposal of solid waste in the soil and the reference to industrial accident occurrence. The main effects identified were contamination of the ground water by chemical pollutants, death of dozens of animais from the nearby little farms, impossibility of using the contaminated area to grow crops and raise animals, and the harmful effects to public health referred to by the population, mainly connected with contaminated water consumption. The situation encountered tends to get worse due to the spread of contaminated plume into the ground water, incorporation of pollutants in the soil and sediments of water collection which on one hand may be released to the environment, but on the other hand may extend along the contaminated area by the current increase of the residential nucleus occupation. Based on the this study, it is recommended that a detailed investigation of the area along with a proposal and carrying-out of the remediation measures not only for the recovery of the region to keep its present use, but also for its alteration searching for a new use of the area which could be compatible to an environmental quality reached by the intervention proposed. It is also recommended that public health and environmental protection authorities take measures to minimize the risk of human exposure to the contaminated area and the spread of the contamination by monitoring the quality of drinking water source supply, checking misuse of water arising from water bed, establishing criteria for cultivating and raising animais, and proposing measures to isolate the source of the remaining contamination.

Thesis (Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019. / The biodiesel industry produces large volumes of biodiesel wastewater (BDWW) during the purification of crude biodiesel. This wastewater is characterised by high concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), and fats, oils and greases (FOG) which in turn defines BDWW as a highly polluted effluent. The low nitrogen and phosphorous content of BDWW creates an unfavourable environment for the growth of microorganisms, thereby making it difficult to degrade naturally. Biodiesel companies discharge untreated non-compliant wastewater directly to the municipal sewer system. Treatment prior to discharge is a necessity since the disposal of untreated BDWW may raise serious environmental concerns (i.e. disturbance of biological ecosystems) resulting in penalties liable by non-compliant companies due to the implementation of the waste discharge charge system (WDCS) which is regulated by the industrial waste discharge standard limits in South Africa (SA). This study aimed to combine the advantages of the conventional anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) system with microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology resulting in an innovative technology used to treat high strength industrial BDWW at ambient conditions. Many studies have reported effective treatment of BDWW, however to date literature implementing an ABR equipped with MFC technology has not been reported. The main objectives of the study were to determine which parameters do not meet the industrial wastewater discharge standard limits, whether pH and carbon:nitrogen:phosphorous (C:N:P) ratio adjustments will suffice prior to treatment with the ABR-MFC, the maximum power density (PD) as well as to determine the treatment efficiency of the ABR-MFC.

Thesis (Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / Approximately 9 million tonnes of food waste is generated annually in South Africa. Its treatment, including treatment of confectionery waste, is costly because of the high chemical oxygen demand (COD) loads; as a result much of this waste is sent to landfill. South Africa’s confectionery industry contributes to a significant proportion of the country’s economy. Among the confectionery waste entering landfills are defective material, expired sweets and returns. This high COD waste can create breeding grounds for pathogenic microorganisms and anaerobic methanogens, causing negative environmental impacts. Part of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) Waste Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) roadmap initiative is to minimise waste entering landfills by identifying waste sources from which to produce value that will contribute to social and economic growth. Confectionery waste has a high sugar content which can be used for feedstock to bioprocesses. By placing this bioproduction into a waste biorefinery framework, bio-based raw materials can be used to produce competitively priced products with low environmental impact, thereby optimising remediation and value generation simultaneously. Ongoing research at the Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research (CeBER) at the University of Cape Town has shown that a wastewater biorefinery approach can use wastewater as feedstock for the generation of products of value. Previous studies have investigated potential products of value based on nutrient loads found in wastewater as well as the nature of the product. Among the organisms selected was the Bacillus species, producing the potential product poly-γ-glutamic acid (PGA), an extracellular poly-amino acid when there is an excess of nutrients. Similarly, this product could potentially be produced from sugar-rich waste candy. The aim of this study was to explore the use of hard candy waste as a feedstock for PGA, and Bacillus licheniformis JCM 2505 was selected as it was characterised in terms of the nutrients needed. The most attractive attribute of this strain was that it did not need L-glutamic acid to synthesise PGA but could do so from sugar. L-glutamic acid is costly. Using a cheaper nitrogen alternative would make the process more cost effective. To investigate this potential, the confectionery waste was characterised to identify the nutrients, namely, sugars, organic nitrogen and key trace elements needed for cell function and PGA production. Results showed that the nitrogen content and trace element concentrations were insignificant, as it was determined that the waste consisted mostly of sucrose. This therefore had to be supplemented with a basal medium containing the supplementation needed for cell function and PGA production. The growth of B. licheniformis was profiled in Erlenmeyer shake flasks using candy waste supplemented with the basal medium, with sucrose supplemented with basal medium as a control. The results showed similar trends on candy waste and sucrose.

Thesis (Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / Renewable energy security for the future and better use of natural resources are key challenges that can be concurrently managed by a practical anaerobic co-digestion approach in the production of methane. For this study, co-digestion of cassava and winery waste was investigated for the production of biogas. Cassava biomass is a good substrate for biogas production due to its high carbohydrate yield per hectare (4.742 kg/carb) than most plants. Winery wastes constitute a lot of challenge in South Africa due to high amounts currently being dumped at landfills. Due to the chemical properties of the two substrates, it is envisaged that their co-digestion will produce more biogas than use of a single substrate. Biomethane potential (BMP) tests were carried out in a batch, mesophilic (37 °C±0.5) reactor using cassava and winery waste singly and in combination at a ratio of 1:1 and ran for 30 days. Biogas optimization was also evaluated. The optimal conditions for methane production from anaerobic co-digestion of cassava biomass and winery solid waste using response surface methodology (RSM). The effects of temperature, pH and co-substrate ratios on the methane yield were explored. A central composite design technique was used to set-up the anaerobic co-digestion experiment was determined. Once the optimized values were established, biogas production from co-digestion of cassava biomass with winery waste was investigated using a single-stage 5 L mesophilic batch digester and the microbial dynamics inside the digester during co-digestion of cassava and winery waste in the single-stage 5 L mesophilic batch digester. The samples were collected on days 1, 15 and 30 of the anaerobic digestion period and DNA extracted from them while 16sRNA bacterial sequencing was performed. The results for the BMP tests showed that cumulative methane yield for cassava, winery waste and in combination were 42, 21 and 38 mLCH4 respectively. It was concluded that biogas production from anaerobic digestion was dependent on many factors such as pH, substrate properties and the ratio of different feedstocks used during co-digestion. The results from the optimization study were pH 7, temperature of 35 °C±0.5 and co-digestion ratio of 70:30 cassava to winery waste. The maximum methane yield of 346.28 mLCH4/gVSadded was predicted by the quadratic model at the optimal temperature of 35 oC±0.5, pH of 7 and 70:30 ratio of cassava biomass to winery solid waste. Experimental results showed a close fit but higher methane yield (396 mLCH4/gVSadded) than predicted values as indicated by the coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.9521. The response surface model proved successful in the optimization process of methane yield. The single-stage 5L mesophilic batch digester with a co-substrate ratio of 70:30 cassava to winery waste produced a total of 819.54 mL/gVS biogas with a 62 % methane content. The study of microbial community dynamics showed the presence of the bacteria that is responsible for each stage of anaerobic digestion. The study concluded that both winery waste and cassava substrates were favourable for biogas production and most underprivileged people in the rural areas with no access to electricity can produce & utilise it.

Thesis (MTech (Food Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / Lipase-catalysed chemical transformations are today routinely considered by synthetic organic chemists as economical and competitive “green chemistry” alternatives. Although lipases can effortlessly be produced on a large-scale by fermentation, their industrial application was, until recently, limited to the detergent, oleo-chemistry and dairy industry. However, during the last few decades, the biotechnological application of lipases has expanded significantly, becoming indispensable in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, single cell protein production, biosensor preparations and waste management. Similarly, lipases have become a vital ingredient in the contemporary food processing industry with applications ranging from fruit juice production to baked foods, vegetable fermentations and dairy enrichment. Furthermore, lipases are routinely used as flavour development agents in cheese, butter and margarine products. Lipases are also applied in the leather industry for processing hides and skins and for treatment of activated sludge and other aerobic waste product treatments where its action enhances oxygen transfer. While lipases currently account for less than 21 % of the enzyme market, a growing interest in lipases is reflected by the publication of an average of 1000 research papers per year and the growing number of available lipases since the 1980s. There is a sustained interest to bioprospect for novel lipase enzymes from available unexplored biodiversity. This study aimed to screen for lipase-producing microorganisms resident in olive wastewater biofilms. Lipase activity of positive isolates was subsequently also quantitatively determined to select for the highest producers of true lipases. A Geotrichum candidum isolate from olive mill wastewater biofilms was selected for subsequent studies based on its superior lipase production phenotype. Using a yeast mediated ligation approach the G. candidum GCL1 lipase gene was cloned and heterologously expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as an enzyme production host. The recombinant lipase was purified and analysed in terms of substrate specificity, pH optima, temperature optima and stability as well as organic solvent tolerance. The G. candidum gcl1 lipase presented enhanced thermo- and organic solvent-stability that are highly sought after traits for industrial application.

Nenhuma / O Projeto RBMN tem como objetivo a implantação do Repositório Nacional para rejeitos de baixo e médio nível de radiação e no contexto de seu gerenciamento a gestão de riscos é um dos fatores cruciais. Diante do potencial impacto ambiental que poderia ser causado pela gestão inadequada de resíduos radioativos, torna-se essencial a implantação de um repositório nacional com um plano de gestão eficaz que reduza radicalmente as probabilidades de ocorrência de incidentes. O presente trabalho teve o objetivo de desenvolver a metodologia de gerenciamento de riscos para o Projeto RBMN, levando em consideração suas especificidades. Para isso, foi feito um estudo abrangente do Projeto, da gestão de rejeitos radioativos, incluindo repositórios, de gerenciamento de projetos e de gerenciamento de riscos. A solução proposta teve como referência as metodologias mais usadas atualmente para gerenciamento de riscos. Constata-se que os processos são praticamente os mesmos para todas elas, variando a forma de aplicação. Nota-se também que todas são aderentes ao guia PMBOK do PMI, que é amplamente reconhecido como guia das melhores práticas em gerenciamento de projetos. O estudo do Projeto RBMN revelou que o nível de maturidade em gestão de projetos e riscos da instituição e das partes interessadas era baixo, ou seja, ainda não existia a cultura de gerenciamento de riscos entre os profissionais responsáveis pelo Projeto. Para adequar-se a essa realidade e aumentar as chances de sucesso, foi desenvolvida uma metodologia simples, porém robusta, que permite absorver a evolução do nível de maturidade das partes interessadas e da instituição, considerando os fatores ambientais, culturais e ativos dos processos organizacionais. Como consequência do trabalho, houve um nivelamento de conhecimento em gerenciamento de riscos entre os integrantes da equipe do projeto e conscientização quanto à importância do gerenciamento de riscos no mundo atual, considerando principalmente as facilidades de comunicação nas mídias e o desconhecimento da população sobre o tema central do projeto. A utilização correta da metodologia permite ações proativas que podem potencializar as oportunidades e reduzir as probabilidades e impactos das ameaças ao sucesso do projeto. É importante criar uma estrutura de governança de riscos, inicialmente para o Projeto RBMN e que possa evoluir para uma estrutura central para toda a CNEN. Considerando que o Projeto envolve todo o público brasileiro e que os acontecimentos sócio-políticos que estão acontecendo no Brasil podem influenciar diretamente nos rumos do Projeto, a CNEN deve estar preparada para levar a informação correta de forma clara a todos os nichos da população, bem como formar uma base sólida para que as gerações futuras que gerenciarão as etapas posteriores possam ter segurança quanto aos processos já executados. / The RBMN Project aims the implementation of the National Repository for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste, and risk management is a crucial factor in its context. Given the potential environmental impact that could be caused by improper radioactive disposal, it is essential to implement the national repository with an effective management plan that radically reduces the probability of incident occurrence. This study aimed to develop a risk management methodology for the RBMN Project, taking into account its specificities. With this objective, the Project and a theoretical framework were studied, including the issues involved in the management of radioactive waste: radioactive disposal, repositories, project management and risk management. The proposed solution has used the most currently used methodologies for risk management. It is noticed that the processes are essentially the same for all of them, although ways of applying may vary. It is also noticed that they all adhere to the PMI PMBOK, which is widely recognized as a best practice guide on project management. The study of the RBMN Project revealed that the maturity level in project and risk management of both the institution and its stakeholders was low. That is, there was not a culture of risk management among the professionals responsible for the project. To adapt to this reality and increase the chances of success, a simple, yet robust, methodology was developed, which takes into account the evolving maturity level of the stakeholders and the institution, considering organizational process assets, environmental and cultural factors. As a consequence of this work, there was a leverage of risk management knowledge among the staff members of the Project, and increased awareness on the importance of risk management nowadays, especially considering the ease of communication in the media and the lack of knowledge of the population on the central theme the project.

Nenhuma / A utilização da energia nuclear está presente na geração de energia elétrica, na medicina, na indústria, na agricultura e na pesquisa e desenvolvimento. Todas essas atividades podem gerar rejeitos radioativos. Estes rejeitos são gerenciados e tratados por seus geradores e seu armazenamento definitivo é feito em repositórios. O Programa Nuclear Brasileiro inclui a implantação do Repositório Nacional de Rejeitos, visando garantir o gerenciamento e o armazenamento seguro dos rejeitos radioativos produzidos no território nacional. O Projeto RBMN, sob a responsabilidade da Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN), tem como objetivo implantar este Repositório até seu licenciamento, o qual será o primeiro da América Latina. O grande desafio do Projeto RBMN é seu gerenciamento, devido, principalmente, à influência do grande número de partes interessadas envolvidas. Gerenciamento de projeto não é uma disciplina nova, existindo desde os primórdios da humanidade. A diversidade de projetos, bem como a complexidade envolvida, é crescente tanto em empresas públicas quanto em empresas privadas. Portanto, a utilização dos princípios e ferramentas do gerenciamento de projetos são de extrema importância para que este Projeto seja bem sucedido. O objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver o modelo de gestão a ser utilizado no gerenciamento do Projeto RBMN para proporcionar o entendimento entre os participantes do Projeto sobre o que fazer, quando fazer e como fazer, permitindo sua execução dentro dos requisitos definidos. A elaboração do diagnóstico da situação do Projeto e do plano de crescimento de maturidade, juntamente com a proposição das atividades do Escritório de Gerenciamento de Projeto (EGP), levaram ao desenvolvimento do Modelo de Gestão do Projeto RBMN (MGP-RBMN). O MGP-RBMN apresenta a governança, o ciclo de vida e os processos para a gestão do Projeto RBMN, levando em consideração as especificidades de projetos gerenciados por pesquisadores dentro de instituições públicas. Este modelo de gestão além de potencializar as chances de sucesso do Projeto RBMN permitirá o controle e recuperação de toda a documentação gerada durante o ciclo de vida do Projeto, de forma a apoiar o gerenciamento do repositório pelas gerações futuras. / The use of nuclear energy is present in eletrical power generation, medicine, industry , agriculture and research and development. All these activities can generate radioactive wastes. These wastes are managed and treated by their generators. Their final storage is made in repositories. The Brazilian Nuclear Program includes the implementation of the National Waste Repository, in order to ensure the management and the safe storage of the radioactive wastes produced in the country. Brazilian National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN) is responsible for the RBMN Project, which aims to implement and license this repository that will be the first one in Latin America. The great challenge of RBMN Project is to manage it, mainly due to the influence of the large number of stakeholders. Project management is not a new discipline, it exists since the antiquity. The diversity of projects and the complexity involved are increasing in both public and private institutions. Therefore, the use of project management principles and tools are very important for the success of the RBMN Project. The aim of this study was to develop a management model to be applied in the management of RBMN Project to improve the understanding of the stakeholders on what, when and how to do, enabling its execution meeting the defined requirements. The diagnosis of the Project status, the preparation of the growing maturity plan, and the proposal of the for Project Management Office (PMO) resulted in the development of the Project Management Model of the RBMN Project (MGP-RBMN). The MGPRBMN presents the governance, life cycle and the processes to manage the RBMN Project, according the specificities of the management in public research institutions. This management model will enhance the chances of success of RBMN Project and it will enable to control and to recovery all documentation generated during the life cycle of the project, in order to support the management of the repository by future generations

Thesis. 1976. M.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Civil Engineering. / Microfiche copy available in Archives and Engineering. / Bibliography: leaf 116. / M.S.

No description available.

O presente estudo aborda um caso de contaminação ambiental decorrente da operação de uma indústria de galvanoplastia e suas implicações na saúde da população de sua área de influência. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida através de um estudo de caso, com o objetivo de investigar a liberação de substâncias perigosas para o ambiente, avaliando o comprometimento atual e futuro da área exposta e da população local, visando identificar ações necessárias para analisar, mitigar e prevenir os riscos ao ambiente e à saúde pública. A metodologia utilizada para avaliar a contaminação ambiental e seus efeitos sobre a saúde baseou-se nos critérios de avaliação de saúde empregados pela Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry-ATSDR, quando da investigação em áreas suspeitas de contaminação. Esta avaliação consiste no levantamento de dados ambientais, na identificação das preocupações da população exposta com o problema e dos efeitos potenciais sobre a saúde, visando a indicação, para o órgão ambiental competente, da necessidade de estudos ou ações de saúde pública mais aprofundados na área. Para tanto, foram efetuados levantamentos das informações disponíveis sobre a indústria e a caracterização sócio-ambiental da área; investigação das fontes de contaminação e de sua propagação; identificação da população exposta, das principais vias de exposição e dos efeitos potenciais dos contaminantes sobre a saúde. Os resultados obtidos confirmaram a presença de contaminantes emitidos pela indústria em todos os compartimentos ambientais pesquisados. Inicialmente supunha-se que o caso fosse resultante do lançamento de efluentes liquidos industriais fora dos padrões estabelecidos. Entretanto, a magnitude da contaminação indicou tratar-se de um caso bem mais grave, envolvendo a disposição inadequada de resíduos no solo e a referência à ocorrência de acidente industrial. Os principais efeitos identificados foram a contaminação das águas subterrâneas por poluentes químicos, a morte de dezenas de animais dos sítios vizinhos, a impossibilidade de utilização da área atingida para plantio ou criação de animais e os agravos à saúde referidos pela população, principalmente associados à ingestão das águas contaminadas. A situação encontrada tende a se agravar, devido à propagação da pluma de contaminantes nas águas subterrâneas, à incorporação dos poluentes no solo e sedimentos dos corpos d\'água, passíveis de serem liberados para o ambiente e, por outro lado, pelo atual crescimento da ocupação do núcleo residencial, que se estende ao longo da área contaminada. Com base no estudo realizado, recomenda-se uma investigação detalhada da área, com vistas à proposição e execução de medidas de remediação, tanto para a recuperação da área com o fim de se manter o uso atual da região como para a alteração de seu uso, buscando-se uma nova utilização compatível com a qualidade ambiental que venha a ser alcançada através da intervenção proposta. Recomenda-se ainda que as autoridades de meio ambiente e saúde pública efetivem ações no sentido de minimizar o risco da população exposta à área contaminada e à propagação da contaminação, monitorando a qualidade da fonte de abastecimento de água potável, fiscalizando o uso indevido de água do lençol freático, estabelecendo critérios para cultivos e criação de animais e propondo medidas para o isolamento das fontes de geração de contaminação remanescentes. / The present study approaches an environmental contamination case arising from an electroplating factory operation and its implications for the population living in the contaminated area. This research was developed as a study case to investigate the release of hazardous substances to the environment, assessing the current and future involvement of the exposed area and the local population in order to identify actions to analyze, mitigate and prevent damage to the environment and public health. The methodology to appraise environmental contamination and its effects on public health was based on the health evaluation criteria applied by ATSDR, whenever investigating probable areas of contamination. This evaluation consists of an environmental data survey, identifying the exposed population concerns about the problem and the potential effects on public health giving indication of the problem to the Department of Environmental Protection regarding the necessities for studies or deeper public health action within the area. Available information on industry and socio-economical characterization over the area such as investigation of sources of contamination and their propagation, identification of the exposed population from the ways of exposure and the potential effects of the contaminants on public health have been surveyed. The results indicated the presence of contaminants coming from the industry in all environmental effects surveyed. At first, the case was supposed to have resulted from industrial effluents not according to the required standards. Nevertheless the magnitude of the contamination proved to be a much more serious case involving inadequate disposal of solid waste in the soil and the reference to industrial accident occurrence. The main effects identified were contamination of the ground water by chemical pollutants, death of dozens of animais from the nearby little farms, impossibility of using the contaminated area to grow crops and raise animals, and the harmful effects to public health referred to by the population, mainly connected with contaminated water consumption. The situation encountered tends to get worse due to the spread of contaminated plume into the ground water, incorporation of pollutants in the soil and sediments of water collection which on one hand may be released to the environment, but on the other hand may extend along the contaminated area by the current increase of the residential nucleus occupation. Based on the this study, it is recommended that a detailed investigation of the area along with a proposal and carrying-out of the remediation measures not only for the recovery of the region to keep its present use, but also for its alteration searching for a new use of the area which could be compatible to an environmental quality reached by the intervention proposed. It is also recommended that public health and environmental protection authorities take measures to minimize the risk of human exposure to the contaminated area and the spread of the contamination by monitoring the quality of drinking water source supply, checking misuse of water arising from water bed, establishing criteria for cultivating and raising animais, and proposing measures to isolate the source of the remaining contamination.