Gordon A. and Mary Cain Department of Chemical Engineering
Contaminants in Quanabara Bay, Brazil |
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Contaminants in Quanabara Bay, Brazil
B[a]P combines with dust particles in the air and settles in water and on soil, where it is often washed into nearby waterways. The pollutant has been found in levels exceeding World Health Organization standards in two major waterways in the Rio de Janeiro area, Quanabara Bay and Paraiba River. Industrial waste, combustion sources, and automotive pollution over the last 30-50 years have created the high concentrations of B[a]P in the mud of Quanabara Bay. B[a]P could be considered a carcinogen, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Because of the abundance of fish and seafood in the South American diet, there are concerns about the accumulation of B[a]P in aquatic life. In addition, many of the residents of Rio who enjoy swimming in Quanabara Bay could themselves come into direct contact with contaminated mud. Dr. Thibodeaux expects the completion of the modeling effort and the identification of key chemicals processed in the bay to provide a basis to guiding future clean-up efforts. In this spirit, the collaborative research will continue, to look for answers about what is happening in Quanabara Bay with respect to B[a]P; specificially, tracking where it comes from, where it goes, and its rate of entry into the environment. One factor that will be especially significant is where B[a]P is being degraded, due to the pollutant's resiliency to breakdown. Once those questions are answered, then the task will be to determine how to protect the public. According to Dr. Thibodeaux, this protection could be either through advisories, closing areas of the bay, or by dredging the bay and surrounding waterways in an attempt to remove B[a]P.
Dr. Thibodeaux braves the wilds of Brazil. While in Brazil, Dr. Thibodeaux and his wife, Joyce, had the opportunity for a bit of an adventure. They spent a few days at the Ariau Amazon Towers, a tree top lodge in the heart of the rain forest. As the Amazon River floods during Brazil's winter months, elevated walkways over the river allow a "living with the animals" feeling, as many birds and mammals take refuge near the resort at this time of year. Day tours included bird watching, jungle-medicine tree tours, spot-lighting camiaus, piranha fishing, and all sights and sounds of living in the jungle. Indian and Brazil guides, thankfully in English, provided a wonderful insight to an area containing some of the world's most precious natural resources.
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