Study of metal complexation by amino acids imobilized in bacterial cellulose membranes in streams contaminated by sugar cane cultivation: effects on the larvae of Chironomus sancticaroli

Abstract

Currently, Brazil, the largest producer of sugarcane, produces about 637 million tons of sugarcane in an area of 10 million hectares and produces about 25 million liters of alcohol and about 30 million tons of sugar. The State of São Paulo, the largest state producer, has an output of 337x106 tons and an area of 5 million of hectares. Previous studies have indicated that different concentrations of metals such as Cd, Pb, Cr and Ni are found in fertilizers widely used in sugarcane cultivation. These metals have contaminated the streams sediment located in adjacent areas to sugarcane cultivation, and at the same time, some studies indicated high concentrations of metals Cd, Cu, Pb, Mn, Ni and Zn found in the insect larvae in streams located in impacted areas with sugarcane. The selection and application of chelating agents of specific ions for the treatment of deficiencies or metal poisoning in animals are two of the most important aspects of this science that lies at the interface between biology and inorganic chemistry. Accordingly, previous studies showed a great potential for the use of natural compounds in the adsorption of metals. Amino acids are known as agents coordinate metal ions due to the presence of the amine group (NH2), carboxylate (COO) and carbonyl (C = O) groups in their structures. Based on this information, the general objective of this research is to study the complexation of metals by fixed amino acids in bacterial cellulose membranes in streams contaminated by the sugar cane activity and analyze its effects on larvae of Chironomus sancticaroli. (AU)