Brazilian solar saltworks - ancient uses and future possibilities

Aquatic Biosystems

Lauro Xavier-Filho²  Cristian N Araújo¹  Antonio M Azevedo-Silva¹  David HM Medeiros¹  Rodolfo M Bezerra¹  Milton A Lucena-Filho¹  Diógenes FS Costa³  Renato De Medeiros Rocha¹ 

[1]Departamento de Geografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Campus de Caicó, Joaquim Gregório, s/n, Penedo 59.300-000, Caicó-RN, Brasil

[2]Instituto de Tecnologia e Pesquisa, Universidade Tiradentes, Av. Murilo Dantas, 300. Bairro Farolândia, 49032-490 Aracaju, Sergipe, Brasil

[3]Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal

关键词: Conservation;    Brazil;    Management;    Salt production;    Wetland;   

Others  :  794713
DOI  :  10.1186/2046-9063-8-8

 received in 2011-10-22, accepted in 2012-04-10,  发布年份 2012

【 摘 要 】

Coastal solar saltworks of Brazil are exploited for sea salt, which becomes progressively concentrated by evaporation. This study aimed to review the current and new potential uses of these systems, in order to provide more dynamic for this activity. The first evaporation ponds are also used for artisanal fisheries, ensuring the livelihood of many families. All the brine rich in secondary salts (bittern) can be widely used by the chemical industry, while the Brazil shows an incipient production of "flower of salt", a salt with distinct characteristics with higher market value than sodium chloride. On the other hand, the saltponds have a high potential for management and obtaining of large populations of Artemia spp., purifying the brine through the action as biological filter. This microcrustacean occurs naturally in intermediate salinity ponds, being commonly used in aquaculture. Species of microalgae and halobacteria found in the saltworks are employed for extraction of beta-carotene and glycerol, used in an extensive list of products with high commercial value. These ecosystems represent refuge zones for many species of migratory birds, becoming imperative to promote the conservation of these hypersaline wetlands.

【 授权许可】

   
2012 De Medeiros Rocha et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

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