A espectrometria de massas baseada na tecnologia MALDI-TOF (do inglês, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight) (MALDI-TOF MS) tem sido cada vez mais incorporada à rotina de identificações microbiológicas nos laboratórios farmacêuticos de controle de qualidade, principalmente para as atividades do Programa de Monitoramento Ambiental de Salas Limpas. Isso porque o longo tempo necessário para a obtenção dos resultados por meio de métodos convencionais tem incentivado a procura por técnicas que permitam métodos rápidos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a adequação da técnica MALDI-TOF MS para a identificação de bactérias isoladas do ambiente de salas limpas utilizadas em algumas etapas da produção de uma vacina viral. Treze espécies bacterianas conhecidas, normalmente isoladas das salas limpas estudadas, e cinco cepas ATCC foram identificadas pela técnica MALDI-TOF MS e por uma técnica bioquímica (BBL Crystal®). O desempenho da técnica MALDI-TOF MS foi superior ao da técnica bioquímica na identificação correta das espécies bacterianas (88,89% e 38,89%, respectivamente) e produziu menos identificações não confiáveis (5,55% e 22,22%, respectivamente). Os resultados evidenciaram que a técnica MALDI-TOF MS pode ser implementada para identificação rotineira de bactérias em um laboratório de controle de qualidade farmacêutico. Entretanto, a dependência de bases de dados exige estudos adicionais de isolados não identificados e, se apropriado, a adição destes a uma base de dados interna. O aperfeiçoamento de métodos de identificação microbiana é muito relevante no contexto de salas limpas, pois permitem ações corretivas e proativas essenciais para garantir a segurança microbiológica do processamento asséptico. / Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been increasingly introduced in routine microbiological identifications of pharmaceutical quality control laboratories, mainly for the activities of the Environmental Monitoring Program of Clean Rooms. The long time needed to obtain the results through conventional methods has stimulated the search for techniques that allow rapid methods, as MALDI-TOF MS. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the suitability of the MALDI-TOF MS technique for the identification of bacteria isolated from the environment of clean rooms used in some stages of the production of a viral vaccine. Thirteen bacterial species commonly isolated from clean rooms studied and five strains ATCC were identified by MALDI-TOF MS technique and by a biochemical technique (BBL Crystal® System). Performance of MALDI-TOF MS was better than biochemical technique for correct species identifications (88.89% and 38.89%, respectively) and produced fewer unreliable identifications (5.55% and 22.22%, respectively). MALDI-TOF MS can be implemented for routine identification of bacteria in a pharmaceutical quality control laboratory. However, as a database-dependent system, maybe some isolated not identified by this technique must be additionally studied and, if appropriate, added to an in-house database.

As cidades são hoje o habitat natural da espécie humana. Grande parte dos fatores de risco que mais contribuem para o adoecimento são altamente prevalentes nas cidades e são modificados pelo meio ambiente e estilo de vida urbanos, como poluição do ar, falta de saneamento básico, baixos níveis de atividade física, entre outros. Modificações no uso e ocupação do solo, ciclos geoquímicos, clima, sistemas hídricos e biodiversidade, em curso nas cidades, já as caracterizam como um ecossistema particular. Ecossistemas urbanos são complexos. Cada intervenção urbana acarreta uma série de efeitos na cidade, nem sempre previsíveis ou desejáveis, de modo que a governança urbana é um dos principais desafios de desenvolvimento do século XXI. Neste estudo procuramos entender algumas relações entre cidade e qualidade de vida, partindo do caso da poluição do ar. Postulamos que seria possível produzir artigos científicos de bom nível que permitissem integrar diferentes áreas de conhecimento numa linguagem adequada a um publico mais amplo, a fim de orientar formadores de opinião, gestores públicos e órgãos legislativos desejosos de estimular políticas voltadas para a promoção da qualidade de vida. Nesta tese apresentamos na íntegra oito artigos científicos produzidos sobre cidades e qualidade de vida que conduzimos ao longo deste estudo, divididos em quatro tipologias: 1) Estudos a partir da análise de dados secundários; 2) Estudo na ausência de dados secundários sistematizados, 3) Estudo a partir de revisão sistemática e metanálise e 4) Narrativas para públicos diversos. Sete estudos já foram, de alguma forma, publicados. Para fins desta tese, concluímos que é possível produzir artigos científicos de bom nível que integrem conhecimentos científicos de diferentes áreas do conhecimento numa linguagem compreensível para gestores e demais interessados em políticas voltadas para a promoção da qualidade de vida urbana / Cities are today the natural habitat of human beings. Most of the leading risk factors for the global burden of disease are highly prevalent in cities and are partially shaped by urban life style and the built environment (e.g. ambient air pollution, unsafe sanitation, low physical activity levels, among others). Changes in land use and cover, geochemical cycles, climate, hydrosystems and biodiversity are current in course in cities, thus cities can be considered a particular ecosystem. Urban ecosystems are complex, each urban intervention results in a wide range of effects, not all predicable or desired at fist. Urban governance is a major development challenge of the XXI century. In this study, we looked for selected links between cities and quality of life, focusing at first on air pollution-related issues. In this thesis we investigated if it was feasible to produce high quality scientific papers that integrate different scientific topics through a narrative suitable for a broader public: decision-makers and other actors interested in evidencebased urban polices for better quality of life. In this thesis, we depict the full text of eight scientific papers on urban health related issues produced during this postgraduation, seven of which already published. Papers are presented according to the following typologies: 1) Studies that used secondary data analysis, 2) Dealing with scarcity of secondary data, 3) Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis and 4) Narratives for a wider public. We concluded that producing high quality scientific papers that integrate different scientific topics throughout a comprehensive language for a broader public interested in evidence-based urban polices for better quality of life in urban settlements is feasible

Devido à importância do monitoramento da composição iônica da solução do solo, no que diz respeito ao meio ambiente e ao manejo da fertirrigação, associada às limitações práticas dos métodos tradicionais de sua determinação é crescente a procura por um método confiável que possibilite o monitoramento desta composição em tempo real e em curtos intervalos de tempo. Neste sentido a TDR tem sido uma alternativa viável. O presente trabalho objetivou, pelo uso da TDR, avaliar o desempenho de sete modelos na determinação da CEw; relacioná-los com a concentração dos íons potássio nitrato e cloreto avaliando os modelos em determinar a concentração dos íons; e por fim monitorar e determinar a concentração destes íons na água lixiviada em coluna de solo não saturado. O trabalho foi divido em dois experimentos, no primeiro os modelos foram calibrados em colunas de solo sendo formado por 24 tratamentos composto por 4 faixas de umidade volumétrica e 6 concentrações da solução de KCl. Para cada coluna de solo era realizada uma leitura com a TDR ( e CEa) e a CEw na solução do solo era determinada por condutivímetro de mesa, nesta solução foram determinadas as concentrações de potássio e cloreto. No segundo experimento o mesmo procedimento foi realizado, entretanto, foi aplicado KNO3 e determinados potássio e nitrato. Desta forma, foi possível calibrar os modelos para a estimativa da CEw, e para determinação das concentrações dos íons potássio, nitrato e cloreto. Os modelos foram avaliados pelos coeficientes de determinação (R²) e exatidão (d), pela estimativa do erro padrão (EEP) e, ainda, foram classificados de acordo com o índice c, produto dos dois coeficientes citados. Os resultados mostram que os modelos de Rhoads et al. (1976) e Vogeler et al. (1996) se ajustam melhor para solos com características texturais argilosas sendo classificados como Ótimos métodos para a determinação da CEw, tanto pela aplicação de KCl como pela aplicação de KNO3 via água de irrigação. Na estimativa da CEw no solo arenoso os modelos de Munõz-Carpena et al. (2005), Mualen e Friedman (1991), Vogeler et al. (1996) e Rhoads et al. (1976) apresentam melhores ajustes na determinação da CEw, sendo classificados com Muito bom. Na determinação do potássio pelos modelos avaliados o melhor ajuste se dá pela associação da relação K-CEw do tipo potência aplicada para solos argilosos e linear para solos arenosos, apresentando classificação de: Ótimo e Muito bom, respectivamente. Para o cloreto e o nitrato o melhor ajuste se dá pela relação de CEw-Cl e CEw-NO do tipo linear, apresentando classificação de Muito Bom e Ótimo respectivamente. A TDR é uma técnica confiável no monitoramento da concentração dos íons potássio e cloreto lixiviados no perfil do solo. / There is a growing demand for a reliable method applied to monitoring ionic composition of soil solution in real-time and short time intervals, due the importance to environmental sustainability and fertigation management and limitations of traditional methods for determination. Time domain reflectometry (TDR) is often considered a viable alternative to traditional methods. Consequently, this research looks for using TDR evaluate the performance of seven mathematical models for determining electrical conductivity (CEw) by comparing simulated and measured concentrations of potassium, nitrate and chloride, and to monitor and determine the concentration of these ions in water leached from unsaturated soil columns. The research was carried out under two experiments conditions. In the first experiment the models were calibrated with input data from 24 soil columns consisting of four soils with six different KCl concentrations. For each soil column CEw was determined by both TDR ( and CEa readings) and the CEw of soil solution was determined by direct measurements of potassium and chloride concentrations. In the second experiment the procedure was the same, but with KCl being replaced with KNO3. This was possible to calibrate the models to estimate the CEw, and to determine potassium, nitrate and chloride ions concentrations. The models were ranked using the c-index, the coefficient of determination (R²) and estimated standard error (ESE). The results showed were Rhoads et al. (1976) and Vogel et al. (1996) classified as \"Great\" for the CEw determination associated with the application of both KCl and KNO3 to irrigation water in clay soils. For estimating CEw in sandy soils, the models Muñoz-Carpena et al. (2005), Mualen and Friedman (1991), Vogel et al. (1996) and Rhoads et al. (1976) were classified as \"Very Good.\" The relationship between CEw and potassium concentration was best represented by a power function in clay soils, and a linear function in sandy soils, with index of \"Great\" and \"Very Good\", respectively. For chloride and nitrate, the best fits were obtained by representing the CEw-Cl and CEw-NO3 relationships with linear functions, which were classified as Very Good and Good, respectively. TDR proved to be a reliable technique for monitoring the concentration of potassium and chloride ions leached in soil profiles.

Larval fish and zooplankton assemblages were studied in nine south and west coast estuaries in the cool-temperate and the cool/warm-temperate boundary region between June 2003 and March 2004. This study served to provide new information on previously unstudied estuaries and expand on existing knowledge of larval fish and zooplankton assemblages associated with various estuary types. The south and west coast estuaries sampled in this study showed lower salinities (12.2 - 13.7), lower water temperatures (14.5 - 16.9 °C) and higher turbidities (k = 0.02 - 0.04) in winter and spring while higher salinities (21.7 - 21.8), higher water temperatures (21.7 - 23.1°C) and lower turbidities (k <0.02) were observed in summer and autumn. Mean winter and summer water temperatures in estuaries were lower than those observed in warm-temperate and subtropical systems by other researchers. A total of 49274 larval fishes were caught, comprising 9 orders, 20 families, 29 genera and 47 taxa. The clupeid Gilchristella aestuaria (78.8 %) dominated the larval fish assemblages and occurred in all estuaries. The majority (70 %) of identified species are endemic to southern Africa and 96.4 % of larval fishes caught were estuary-resident species. The zooplankton study yielded a total of 44 taxa, comprising 7 phyla, >20 orders and >35 families. The copepod Pseudodiaptomus hessei dominated (59 %) the zooplankton and occurred in similar densities to those observed in other South African estuaries. Larval fish and zooplankton varied across seasons, peaking simultaneously in summer although zooplankton showed additional density peaks during the closed phase of some estuaries. Both plankton components were more abundant in the oligohaline and mesohaline zones within the estuaries. Freshwater input, estuary type and the biogeography of the area influenced the composition and structure of larval fish and zooplankton assemblages in these estuaries. The findings suggest that the estuaries are functioning as successful breeding areas for the larvae of endemic estuary-resident fish species and that these estuaries have to be managed to ensure an adequate freshwater supply to maintain the biological integrity of the ecosystem, specially the maintenance of the highly productive River-Estuary Interface (REI) regions.

Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in the southeastern United States and is a central component of the hydrology and environment of the Everglades ecosystem in South Florida. The natural state of the lake has been degraded as wetlands and natural habitats in the Lake Okeechobee watershed have been replaced with farms, urban areas, and dairy operations. Excessive phosphorus loadings from these diverse sources have been identified as the leading causes of the lake’s impairment. For more than four decades, many resources have been allocated to regional and local restoration efforts to reduce phosphorus loadings into the lake. However, phosphorus loadings have not decreased and the recovery of the lake could take more time, particularly with today’s limited local budgets. Market-based instruments, such as water quality trading programs, have emerged over the past decades to cost-effectively achieve water quality objectives in impaired watersheds. The main objective of this dissertation was to assess the environmental and economic benefits of implementing a phosphorus trading program in Lake Okeechobee watershed, compared to a conventional command-and-control approach. A comprehensive literature overview of nationally and internationally implemented trading programs was conducted to highlight advantages and challenges of these programs towards achieving water quality goals, and to outline the essential elements of a successful program. Furthermore, a modeling framework, integrating a hydrologic-water quality model with an economic model, was developed to assess the potential cost savings that trading might offer over a command-and-control approach. The modeling framework was applied in three priority basins of the Lake Okeechobee watershed. In each case, while developing trading scenarios to achieve phosphorus load reduction targets, the trading program was less expensive than the conventional command-and-control approach. This research provided the foundation for stakeholders to better understand whether water quality trading has the potential to work in the Lake Okeechobee watershed and to facilitate the development of a pilot program. In addition, it offered some insights on the potential economic opportunities that pollution sources would have by participating in the trading program. The modeling framework developed in this dissertation could facilitate the assessment of future water quality trading programs in other watersheds.

This dissertation focused on developing a numerical model of spatial and temporal changes in bed morphology of ridge and slough features in wetlands with respect to hydrology and sediment transport when a sudden change in hydrologic condition occurs. The specific objectives of this research were: (1) developing a two-dimensional hydrology model to simulate the spatial distribution of flow depth and velocity over time when a pulsed flow condition is applied, (2) developing a process-based numerical model of sediment transport coupled with flow depth and velocity in wetland ecosystems, and (3) use the developed model to explore how sediment transport may affect the changes in bed elevation of ridge and slough landscape patterns observed in wetlands when a conditional pulsed flow was applied. The results revealed the areas within deep sloughs where flow velocities and directions change continuously. This caused enhanced mixing areas within the deep slough. These mixing areas may have had the potential to affect processes such as sediment redistribution and nutrient transport. The simulation results of solute/sediment transport model also supported the existence of areas within the domain where the mixing processes happened. These areas may have caused that nutrients and suspended particles stay longer time rather than entraining toward downstream and exiting the system. The results of bed simulation have shown very small magnitude of change in bed elevation inside deep slough and no changes on the ridge portion of the study area, when a conditional pulsed flow is applied. These findings may suggest that implementing pulsed flow condition did not increase suspended sediment concentration, which results in insignificant changes in bed morphology of a ridge and slough landscape. Therefore sediment transport may not play an important role in wetland bed morphology and ridge and slough stability. Results from the model development and numerical simulations from this research will provide an improved understanding of how wetland features such as ridge may have formed and degraded by changes in water management that resulted from increasing human activity in wetlands such as The Florida Everglades, over the past decades.

The larval fish and zooplankton assemblages were studied in the permanently open Sundays Estuary on the south-east coast of South Africa, using standard boat-based plankton towing methods. A total of 8174 larval and early juvenile fishes were caught, representing 12 families and 23 taxa. The Clupeidae, Gobiidae and Blenniidae were the dominant fish families. Common species included Gilchristella aestuaria, Caffrogobius gilchristi, Omobranchus woodi, Liza dumerilii, Glossogobius callidus and Myxus capensis. Estuarine resident species (Category I) predominantly in the preflexion developmental stage, dominated the system. A total of 19 zooplankton taxa were recorded. Copepoda dominated the zooplankton community. Dominant species included Pseudodiaptomus hessei, Acartia longipatella, Halicyclops sp., Mesopodopsis wooldridgei, and the larvae of Paratylodiplax edwardsii and Hymenosoma orbiculare. Mean larval fish density showed similar trends seasonally, spatially and across salinity zones, with mean zooplankton density in the Sundays Estuary. Gut content analysis of five larval fish species: Gilchristella aestuaria, Pomadasys commersonnii, Monodactylus falciformis, Myxus capensis and Rhabdosargus holubi, revealed species specific diet and prey selection. Although larval fish diet contained a variety of prey items, guts were dominated by P. hessei, chironomid larvae, Corophium triaenonyx, copepod eggs and insect larvae. Physico-chemical drivers and the interactions between these two plankton communities provide information that enables a more holistic view of the dynamics occurring in the Sundays Estuary planktonic ecosystem.

In this paper, I will show how applying a spatially explicit context to an existing environmental health surveillance framework is vital for more complete surveillance of disease, and for disease prevention and intervention strategies. As a case study to test the viability of a spatial approach to this existing framework, the risk of human exposure to Lyme disease will be estimated. This spatially explicit framework divides the surveillance process into three components: hazard surveillance, exposure surveillance, and outcome surveillance. The components will be used both collectively and individually, to assess exposure risk to infected ticks. By utilizing all surveillance components, I will identify different areas of risk which would not have been identified otherwise. Hazard surveillance uses maximum entropy modeling and geographically weighted regression analysis to create spatial models that predict the geographic distribution of ticks in Texas. Exposure surveillance uses GIS methods to estimate the risk of human exposures to infected ticks, resulting in a map that predicts the likelihood of human-tick interactions across Texas, using LandScan 2008TM population data. Lastly, outcome surveillance uses kernel density estimation-based methods to describe and analyze the spatial patterns of tick-borne diseases, which results in a continuous map that reflects disease rates based on population location. Data for this study was obtained from the Texas Department of Health Services and the University of North Texas Health Science Center. The data includes disease data on Lyme disease from 2004-2008, and the tick distribution estimates are based on field collections across Texas from 2004-2008.

An automated on-line SPE-LC-MS/MS method was developed for the quantitation of multiple classes of antibiotics in environmental waters. High sensitivity in the low ng/L range was accomplished by using large volume injections with 10-mL of sample. Positive confirmation of analytes was achieved using two selected reaction monitoring (SRM) transitions per antibiotic and quantitation was performed using an internal standard approach. Samples were extracted using online solid phase extraction, then using column switching technique; extracted samples were immediately passed through liquid chromatography and analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry. The total run time per each sample was 20 min. The statistically calculated method detection limits for various environmental samples were between 1.2 and 63 ng/L. Furthermore, the method was validated in terms of precision, accuracy and linearity. The developed analytical methodology was used to measure the occurrence of antibiotics in reclaimed waters (n=56), surface waters (n=53), ground waters (n=8) and drinking waters (n=54) collected from different parts of South Florida. In reclaimed waters, the most frequently detected antibiotics were nalidixic acid, erythromycin, clarithromycin, azithromycin trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole and ofloxacin (19.3-604.9 ng/L). Detection of antibiotics in reclaimed waters indicates that they can’t be completely removed by conventional wastewater treatment process. Furthermore, the average mass loads of antibiotics released into the local environment through reclaimed water were estimated as 0.248 Kg/day. Among the surface waters samples, Miami River (reaching up to 580 ng/L) and Black Creek canal (up to 124 ng/L) showed highest concentrations of antibiotics. No traces of antibiotics were found in ground waters. On the other hand, erythromycin (monitored as anhydro erythromycin) was detected in 82% of the drinking water samples (n.d-66 ng/L). The developed approach is suitable for both research and monitoring applications. Major metabolites of antibiotics in reclaimed wates were identified and quantified using high resolution benchtop Q-Exactive orbitrap mass spectrometer. A phase I metabolite of erythromycin was tentatively identified in full scan based on accurate mass measurement. Using extracted ion chromatogram (XIC), high resolution data-dependent MS/MS spectra and metabolic profiling software the metabolite was identified as desmethyl anhydro erythromycin with molecular formula C36H63NO12 and m/z 702.4423. The molar concentration of the metabolite to erythromycin was in the order of 13 %. To my knowledge, this is the first known report on this metabolite in reclaimed water. Another compound acetyl-sulfamethoxazole, a phase II metabolite of sulfamethoxazole was also identified in reclaimed water and mole fraction of the metabolite represent 36 %, of the cumulative sulfamethoxazole concentration. The results were illustrating the importance to include metabolites also in the routine analysis to obtain a mass balance for better understanding of the occurrence, fate and distribution of antibiotics in the environment. Finally, all the antibiotics detected in reclaimed and surface waters were investigated to assess the potential risk to the aquatic organisms. The surface water antibiotic concentrations that represented the real time exposure conditions revealed that the macrolide antibiotics, erythromycin, clarithromycin and tylosin along with quinolone antibiotic, ciprofloxacin were suspected to induce high toxicity to aquatic biota. Preliminary results showing that, among the antibiotic groups tested, macrolides posed the highest ecological threat, and therefore, they may need to be further evaluated with, long-term exposure studies considering bioaccumulation factors and more number of species selected. Overall, the occurrence of antibiotics in aquatic environment is posing an ecological health concern.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-01T18:20:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 gilmar_goncalves_brito.pdf: 3439629 bytes, checksum: ed230adf1f2ca149aa0edf61c1997996 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-04-16 / Landslides occur around the world, in various conditions of weather and terrain, costing billions of dollars, causing thousands of deaths and worsening environmental, economic and political problems. A serious question associated with landslides is the disordered of human occupation - characterizing a geopolitical and economic issue. Actions to mitigate the problems arising from this phenomenon include environmental monitoring of the areas of greatest susceptibility for managing the higher risk population. The monitoring processes consist of recognizing soil dynamics and climatic factors, responsible for causing destabilization and landslides. In the Brazilian context, there is a strong relationship between heavy rains and landslides, since the phenomenon of runoff water infiltrated the soil and produces erosion. Therefore, a predictive monitoring of the first soil layers is an important feature for detecting areas of imminent risk of slippage. Several approaches for monitoring were presented internationally, they are based on different technologies, such as acoustic waves in the soil; detectors of relative humidity and rainfall selective analysis. All these approaches are anchored in the paradigm of remote sensing and smartsensor networks. Based on that, this paper proposes a model to estimate the imminence of of landslides risk. The proposed model is built on four pillars: (i) proposing a physics simulation environment, from the creation of a laboratory scale test environments, (ii) recognizing the technology and refinement of pre-existing models, (iv) developing of multiparametric smart sensor and (v) developing of a peer-to-peer network of sensors. This study aggregates to the scientific and technical contribution a framework for monitoring, useful for studying of landslides dynamics. Such framework is crucial for prototyping monitoring networks to be used by civil defense. / Fenômenos de deslizamentos de encostas ocorrem em todo o mundo em diversas condições climáticas e de terrenos, custando bilhões de dólares e produzindo milhares de mortes, agravando problemas ambientais, econômicos e políticos. Um problema sério que se associa à questão dos deslizamentos de encostas é o crescimento populacional e a ocupação desordenada das encostas, caracterizando os deslizamentos como uma questão geopolítica e econômica. Ações para mitigar os problemas decorrentes desses fenômenos de deslizamentos incluem o Monitoramento Ambiental das áreas de maior susceptibilidade e o Manejo da População, quando submetidas a elevado risco de deslizamento. Os processos de monitoração consistem na coleta de um conjunto de sinais e parâmetros, provenientes do solo das encostas, que possam ser usados para o reconhecimento das dinâmicas dos solos. Combinando os sinais provenientes do solo e parâmetros que reflitam os fatores climáticos e antrópicos, causadores de desestabilizações e deslizamentos, torna-se possível utilizar estes dados combinados em modelos de avaliação de risco para realizar a Predição de Deslizamentos. No Contexto Brasileiro, existe uma forte relação entre chuvas intensas e deslizamentos de encostas, devido aos fenômenos de escoamento de águas infiltradas no solo e na erosão decorrente, sendo, portanto, o monitoramento preditivo das primeiras camadas do solo um importante recurso para a detecção das áreas de eminente risco de deslizamento. Diversas abordagens para a monitoração dos solos foram apresentadas internacionalmente, sendo estas abordagens baseadas em diversas tecnologias, como exemplos podem ser citadas as técnicas de ondas acústicas no solo, detectores de umidade relativa e pluviometria seletiva. Essas abordagens podem tirar proveito do recente paradigma de Redes Sensores, baseados em dispositivos computacionais móveis de baixo consumo, movidos a baterias, que podem formar redes de trocas de dados baseadas em redes sem fio, permitindo a conexão de diversos sensores de solo, espalhados ao longo das encostas, formando um sistema de coleta destes dados de sensores em tempo real para posterior processamento e avaliação de riscos. Frente ao exposto, este trabalho propõe um sistema de monitoramento baseado em rede sensores, capaz de estimar o risco eminente de deslizamento. O sistema proposto considerou quatro dimensões do problema de desenvolvimento e prototipação do sistema de monitoramento: (1) Proposição de um Ambiente de Simulação Física, a partir da criação de um ambiente de testes em laboratório utilizando escala reduzida; (2) Reconhecimento tecnológico e refinamento de propostas de sistemas pré-existentes, que tenham a mesma finalidade, já descritos na literatura, sejam eles projetos acadêmicos ou sistemas já comercialmente disponíveis; (3) Desenvolvimento de um Sensor Inteligente Multiparamétrico; (5) desenvolvimento de uma Rede de Monitoramento para coleta de dados vindos da encosta e processamento local. Este trabalho apresenta, como contribuição técnico-científica principal, um ambiente de simulação e monitoração, sendo este ambiente relevante para estudos das dinâmicas dos deslizamentos, bem como para a prototipação de redes de monitoração para aplicações em ambientes reais, para geração de informação sobre os riscos de deslizamento, uteis para as atividades de contingenciamento dos defeitos de deslizamento por parte da Defesa Civil.