Emerging and traditional organic markers: Baseline study showing the influence of untraditional anthropogenic activities on coastal zones with multiple activities (Ceará coast, Northeast Brazil)

Use of an environmental diagnostic study on a coastal lagoon as a decision support tool for environmental management policies in a coastal zone

“…Excretion from humans and other animals is considered the major source of natural estrogens (Froehner et al , 2012; Adeel et al , 2017). Natural and synthetic hormones were identified and quantified at all sampling sites and, although there is no diagnostic ratio for hormones yet, their occurrence or absence could be used to diagnose the status of natural and manmade environments (Lapworth et al , 2012; Adeel et al , 2017; Lima et al , 2019; Santos et al , 2019).…”

“…A growing approach applied to tracers of human activities in industrial, rural and urban areas is based on information of specific organic substances known as molecular markers or biomarkers (Lima et al , 2019; Morais et al , 2019; Santos et al , 2019). Molecular markers are compounds of natural and anthropogenic origin that provide information based on isotopic composition, chemical structure and the molecular distribution of individual or mixtures of substances.…”

“…Markers such as sterols (natural and fecal) and hormones (natural and synthetic) have been successfully applied to the study of sewage contamination in coastal sediments. The molecular marker approach is an alternative to the analysis of microorganisms, such as fecal coliforms and Escherichia coli , which are common tools for the evaluation of sewage input (Froehner et al , 2012; Abreu-Mota et al , 2014; Martins et al , 2014; Carreira et al , 2015; Venturini et al , 2015; Lima et al , 2019; Morais et al , 2019; Santos et al , 2019).…”

“…Both markers are preponderant in places subjected to human sewage release (treated and raw), water treatment plant effluent, solid residue release and runoff from animal husbandry activities (livestock, poultry, fish and shrimp farming), the management of which involves the use of drugs (antibiotics, hormones, etc.) (Froehner et al , 2012; Lapworth et al , 2012; Wang et al , 2015; Lima et al , 2019; Morais et al , 2019). Therefore, these compounds have been widely used as markers in environmental diagnostic studies (Froehner et al , 2012; Abreu-Mota et al , 2014; Carreira et al , 2015; Pimentel et al , 2016).…”

Piscine micronucleus assay and the evidence of environmental degradation: the case of catfish from Brazilian tropical estuaries / Bioensaio de micronúcleo em peixes e evidências de degradação ambientai: o caso dos bagres de estuários tropicais brasileiros

“…Pimentel et al (2016) found contamination by estrogens in sediment associated with the occurrence of feminization (endocrine disruption) in the pufferfish Sphoeroides testudineus from EPR, showing impairment of their reproductive structure and function, which was attributed to sewage source. More recently, contributions from diffuse input related to urban and industrial activities, predominantly the discharge of treated or untreated sewage, vehicle traffic, and manufacture of red ceramics, were attributed as main sources of PAHs to the EPR (Lima et al 2019).…”