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Metodología para la estimación de la huella hídrica en campañas de exploración de cobre en escenarios de variabilidad geológica
No full textRevisiting the concept, urban practices, current advances, and future prospects of green infrastructure
No full textThe inevitable increase in the human population's reliance on natural resources necessitates practical, and result-oriented solutions and strategies to enhance human's standard of living while minimizing its impact on essential resources. The global water resource depletion has spurred discourse among key international stakeholder in uniting efforts to achieve sustainability. For decades, the application of a combination of key strategies which relies on designing cities to promote the sustainable use of water and water resources have received global endorsement. The roadmap towards designing water-wise infrastructure in urban areas has derived from preexisting water conservation schemes. Green infrastructure (GI) is based on the key principle of the harmonious integration of natural elements and ecological processes to sustainably conserve natural resources. This paper aims to analyze and assess the development of sustainable and effective solutions for urban water quality management, by providing a comprehensive review of the concept of GI. We further digest the components and strategies of GI, its historical evolution, the rate of adoption and application on a regional scale and future prospects. GI with continued innovation and refinement, holds immense potential to mitigate the detrimental effects of urbanization on water resources and promote sustainable urban water management
A Dynamic Hydro-Economic Model to Assess the Effectiveness and Economic Benefits and Costs of Wetland Restoration and Creation
No full textModelling micropollutant cycle in Lake Como in a winter scenario: Implications for water use and reuse, ecosystem services, and the EU zero pollution action plan
No full textToxicity and bioaccumulation of the fluorosurfactant cC6O4 in the earthworm Eisenia foetida (Savigny, 1826)
No full textCyclic C6O4 (cC6O4, CAS number 1190931–27-1) is a perfluoralkyl ether PFAS used as a polymerization aid in the synthesis of fluoropolymers and produced in Italy since 2011 as substitute of PFOA. To date, available ecotoxicological information on cC6O4 is related to regulatory requirements and limited to data on aquatic organisms, while the information on the effects for terrestrial organisms is completely lacking. This work reports the first ecotoxicological data of cC6O4 on terrestrial invertebrates: short- and long-term toxicity of cC6O4 on Eisenia foetida (Savigny, 1826), exposed to spiked soil under laboratory conditions, was investigated evaluating the earthworm survival and growth (observed after 7, 14 and 28 days of exposure), and reproduction (observed after an exposure period of 56 days). Furthermore, also bioaccumulation was investigated (28 days of exposure); overall results are discussed in comparison with literature data available for legacy PFAS. cC6O4 did not cause significant mortality on earthworms, for any of the tested concentrations and exposure periods (NOEC: > 1390 mg/kg d.w.), while the reproduction (measured as juveniles production) appears to be a more sensitive endpoint (EC50: 10.4 mg/kg d.w., EC10: 0.8 mg/kg d.w.). The observed adverse effects occur at levels significantly higher than realistic soil concentrations and cC6O4 appears to be less toxic than PFOA and PFOS. As for bioaccumulation, the results indicate a negligible bioaccumulation potential of cC6O4, whose Biota-Soil Bioaccumulation Factors (BSAF) are significantly lower than all other considered PFAS
Pharmaceutical and Trace Metal Interaction within the Water–Soil–Plant Continuum: Implications for Human and Soil Health
No full textUnplanned water reuse for crop irrigation may pose a global health risk due to the entry of contaminants into the food chain, undesirable effects on crop quality, and impact on soil health.In this study, we evaluate the impact derived from the co-occurrence of pharmaceuticals (Phs), trace metals (TMs), and one metalloid within the water–soil–plant continuum through bioassay experiments with Lactuca sativa L. Results indicate that the co-occurrence of Phs and TMs has synergistic or antagonistic effects, depending on target contaminants and environmental compartments. Complex formations between drugs and TMs may be responsible for enhanced sorption onto the soil of several Phs and TMs. Concerning plant uptake, the co-occurrence of Phs and TMs exerts antagonistic and synergistic effects on carbamazepine and diazepam, respectively. With the exception of Cd, drugs exert an antagonistic effect on TMs, negatively affecting their uptake and translocation. Drug contents in lettuce edible parts do not pose any threat to human health, but Cd levels exceed the maximum limits set for leafy vegetable foodstuffs. Under Ph-TM conditions, lettuce biomass decreases, and a nutrient imbalance is observed. Soil enzyme activity is stimulated under Ph-TM conditions (β-galactosidase) and Ph and Ph-TM conditions (urease and arylsulfatase), or it is not affected (phosphatase)
Combined effects of heat waves and pesticide pollution on zooplankton communities: Does the timing of stressor matter?
No full textMost studies assessing the combined effects of chemical and non-chemical stressors on aquatic ecosystems have been based on synchronous stressor applications. However, asynchronous exposure scenarios may be more common in nature, particularly for pulsed stressors such as heatwaves and pesticide concentration peaks. In this study, we investigated the single and combined effects of the insecticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) and a heatwave (HW) on a zooplankton community representative of a Mediterranean coastal wetland using synchronous (CPF+HW) and asynchronous (HW→CPF and CPF→HW) exposure scenarios. CPF was applied at a concentration of 0.8 µg/L (single pulse), and the HW was simulated by a temperature increase of 8°C above the control temperature (20°C) for 7 days in freshwater microcosms. The interaction between stressors in synchrony resulted in synergistic effects at the population level (Daphnia magna) and additive at the community level. The partial reduction of sensitive species resulted in an abundance increase of competing species that were more tolerant to the evaluated stressors (e.g. Moina sp.). The asynchronous exposure scenarios resulted in a similar abundance decline of sensitive populations as compared to the synchronous one; however, the timing of stressor resulted in different responses in the long term. In the HW→CPF treatment, the D. magna population recovered at least one month faster than in the CPF+HW treatment, probably due to survival selection and cross-tolerance mechanisms. In the CPF→HW treatment, the effects lasted longer than in the CPF+HW, and the population did not recover within the experimental period, most likely due to the energetic costs of detoxification and effects on internal damage recovery. The different timing and magnitude of indirect effects among the tested asynchronous scenarios resulted in more severe effects on the structure of the zooplankton community in the CPF→HW treatment. Our study highlights the relevance of considering the order of stressors to predict the long-term effects of chemicals and heatwaves both at the population and community levels
Microplastic burial potential and ecological risks in mangrove forests of the Amazon River delta
No full textCoastal mangrove ecosystems have been shown to be important microplastic (MP) sinks. Yet, information regarding their MP sequestration capacity is scant. Here, we characterized the spatial and vertical distribution of MPs in mangrove ecosystems of the Amazon River delta and quantified, for the first time, their MP burial and potential economic value related to their surface water filtering capacity. Furthermore, we assessed the ecotoxicological risks considering differing effect mechanisms for benthic organisms (i.e., food dilution and translocation-mediated effects). Soil core samples (up to 3 m) were taken from seven locations in the northern part of the Amazon River delta and analyzed for MP contamination. MPs in the 100–5000
μm range were measured and the polymer type was characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. The collected soil samples were dated based on a radionuclide analysis, and a burial analysis was done based on the sediment mass accumulation rates and the mass concentration of MPs. The outcomes of this study show that MPs are ubiquitous contaminants in mangroves of the Amazon River delta (present in 30 out of the 35 analyzed samples).
The largest MP concentration was found in the upper soil layer (0–15 cm), 138 MPs/kg dw, which has been deposited and reworked during the time of the soil core collection. However, moderate exposure levels were also found in older samples (71–138 MPs/kg dw), and in samples taken before the plastic era (≈ 1870–1930), suggesting a downward MP migration. We estimated a mean burial rate of 0.32 ± 0.17 kg of MPs km 2 /year, which corresponds to 0.55 ± 0.28 tons per year in the Amazon River delta. Based on the estimated burial rate, we valued the removal of MPs from surface waters by these mangroves at 0.3–1.1 million USD per year. Our study shows that the exposure levels of MPs in mangroves of the Amazon River delta are relatively low when compared
to other mangrove ecosystems and ecotoxicological risks for benthic organisms are not expected given the current exposure levels
