Impacts of the sugar-alcoholic sector and alternatives for environmental cost

Abstract

Brazil is the largest sugarcane producer in the world, and as a result of this large production, there is intense use of agricultural pesticides and fertilizers. The result of these facts is the various ecosystem impacts that can be observed, such as the change of the original landscape and the contamination of water and soil. The use of herbicides is regulated by a federal law, however the inefficiency in its application and inspection, corroborate for environmental irresponsibility to continue happening. When used in excess or incorrectly, vinasse can cause serious environmental problems such as salinization of the soil and groundwater. Biogas production appears as an alternative to mitigate this. For a long time, herbicides with characteristics of persistent organic pollutants were used, which even after decades of their prohibition, are still found in different trophic levels. The use of bioremediation with fungi of the Phlebia genus, the marine fungus Trichoderma sp. and the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa L2-1, as a measure of soil and water decontamination, proved to be efficient and economically viable; and when using an alternative carbon source, an even higher rate of biodegradation was obtained. In view of the above facts, the present study was carried out through bibliographical research.