Evaluación de riesgos ambientales del uso de plaguicidas empleados en el cultivo del arroz en el Parque Natural de la Albufera de Valencia

El fallado del arroz, producido por Pyricularia oryzae, es una importante enfermedad de este cereal que, en los años en que se presenta, causa graves pérdidas económicas. Por ello, actualmente, se utilizan sistemáticamente fungicidas para prevenir su posible aparición, tratamientos que en la mayor parte de los casos están injustificados, debido a que no se dan las condiciones necesarias para el desarrollo de este patógeno. Los tratamientos fitosanitarios, conllevan la emisión periódica o puntual de xenobióticos que, como residuos procedentes de estas tareas, llegan a los ecosistemas acuáticos a través de acequias, canales de desagüe e incluso vía aérea, ocasionando con ello importantes efectos sobre la biota. Estas sustancias pueden ser bioacumuladas por diferentes eslabones de las cadenas tróficas y llegar a alcanzar niveles altamente perjudiciales para el ecosistema. Aunque los niveles de la gran mayoría de productos fitosanitarios suelen encontrarse en proporciones suficientemente bajas como para no causar la muerte directa y repentina de los organismos acuáticos, es necesario conocer la capacidad de las especies para resistir y por lo tanto vivir en estos medios periódicamente contaminados y, además, acumular en sus tejidos los tóxicos del mismo (bioconcentración), sobre todo cuando el destinatario final puede ser el hombre. Para establecer el riesgo derivado del uso de plaguicidas es necesario realizar una serie de estudios encaminados a evaluar el riesgo potencial para el medio ambiente (ERA), para dicha evaluación del riesgo se han llevado a cabo los siguientes estudios: 1. Determinar las pautas de evolución de los fungicidas considerados, en sistemas acuáticos, estudiando experimentalmente sus constantes de degradación por hidrólisis, biodegradación por microorganismo y algas. 2. Determinar la toxicidad, efectos subletales y actividad bioacumulativa de los plaguicidas empleados contra Pyricularia oryzae en P.N. de L'Albufera de Valencia en diferentes organAndreu Sánchez, OE. (2008). Evaluación de riesgos ambientales del uso de plaguicidas empleados en el cultivo del arroz en el Parque Natural de la Albufera de Valencia [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/2342Palanci

Comparing in vivo data and in silico predictions for acute effects assessment of biocidal active substances and metabolites for aquatic organisms.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the acute toxicity in aquatic organisms of one biocidal active substance and six metabolites derived from biocidal active substances and to assess the suitability of available QSAR models to predict the obtained values. We have reported the acute toxicity in sewage treatment plant (STP) microorganisms, in the freshwater microalgae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and in Daphnia magna following OECD test methods. We have also identified in silico models for acute toxicity of these trophic levels currently available in widely recognized platforms such as VEGA and the OECD QSAR ToolBox. A total of six, four and two models have been selected for Daphnia, algae and microorganisms, respectively. Finally, we have compared the in silico and in vivo data for the seven compounds plus two previously assayed biocidal substances. None of the compounds tested were toxic for Daphnia and STP microorganisms. For microalgae, CGA71019 (1,2,4 triazole) presented an ErC50 value of 38.3 mg/L. The selected in silico models have provided lower EC50 values and are therefore more conservative. Models from the OECD QSAR ToolBox predicted values for 7 out of 9 and for 4 out of 9 chemicals for Daphnia and P. subcapitata, respectively. No predictive models were identified in such platform for STP microorganism's acute effects. In terms of models's specificity, biocide-specific models, developed from curated datasets integrated by biocidal active substances and implemented in VEGA, perform better in the case of microalgae but for Daphnia an alternative, non biocide-specific has revealed a better performance. For STP microorganisms only biocide-specific models have been identified

Memòria personal : una altra manera de llegir la història

El llibre proposa el consens assolit entre les diverses fórmules que s'han afirmat amb més o menys fortuna els darrers temps al voltant de la literatura personal, aquella del "jo", autobiogràfica, dietarística. Memòria personal entre històri

Computational Tools for the Assessment and Substitution of Biocidal Active Substances of Ecotoxicological Concern

Book Editor(s):Kunal Roy Capítulo 27.In this chapter, we present the EU LIFE + project entitled “Computational tool for the assessment and substitution of biocidal active substances of ecotoxicological concern (LIFECOMBASE)” ( www.life-combase.com ), a three-year collaborative project financed by the European Commission through the LIFE + Environmental program GA N LIFE15 ENV/ES/416, which ended in September 2019.Peer reviewe

COVID-19 outbreaks in a transmission control scenario: challenges posed by social and leisure activities, and for workers in vulnerable conditions, Spain, early summer 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 community-wide transmission declined in Spain by early May 2020, being replaced by outbreaks and sporadic cases. From mid-June to 2 August, excluding single household outbreaks, 673 outbreaks were notified nationally, 551 active (>6,200 cases) at the time. More than half of these outbreaks and cases coincided with: (i) social (family/friends’ gatherings or leisure venues) and (ii) occupational (mainly involving workers in vulnerable conditions) settings. Control measures were accordingly applied

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Comparación de utilización de los servicios de urgencias hospitalarios entre la población inmigrante y la población autóctona

Objetivo: Cuantificar la demanda asistencial a un Servicio de urgencias hospitalario (SUH) de la población inmigrante (PI), describir sus características sociodemográficas y determinar si existen diferencias en la utilización de los servicios sanitarios entre la PI y la población autóctona (PA). Métodos: Durante el mes de febrero 2004, se incluyeron de forma prospectiva a todos los inmigrantes que acudieron a la sección de urgencias de Medicina (SUM), apareándolos por sexo y década de edad con pacientes autóctonos. Se analizaron variables sociodemográficas (en la PI) y clínicas, sanitarias y grado de satisfacción percibida (en ambos colectivos). Resultados: De un total de 2.829 pacientes visitados, 181 eran inmigrantes (6,4%). La mayoría eran jóvenes iberoamericanos, con predominio de mujeres, con estudios primarios, sin trabajo y con situación administrativa regularizada. Existía barrera idiomática en un 11% de los casos. Cuando se comparó con la PA, con mayor frecuencia la PI había consultado previamente a su llegada a la SUM con un facultativo (p<0,05) y, una vez en la SUM, se les practicó pruebas complementarias más a menudo (p<0,001). La satisfacción percibida fue mayor en la PI (p<0,05). No se obtuvieron diferencias en ambos colectivos respecto a los motivos de consulta y el destino final de los mismos. Conclusiones: Existe una demanda asistencial urgente cuantitativamente importante entre la PI, si bien cualitativamente no difiere en gran medida de la PA

Insights into the Potential Effects of Micro(nano)plastic-Containing Nanoparticles in the Environment

Micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) can be generated from a variety of sources, including the breakdown of larger plastic items, the abrasion of synthetic textiles, and the fragmentation of plastic waste. These particles can become airborne and be transported by wind, potentially leading to their presence in the atmosphere. Due to their widespread applications, ZnO particles at the nanometer range have attractive proprieties that make them appropriate for being combined with polymers, especially PET (polyethylene terephthalate), the most commonly used polymer in the packaging sector. Nevertheless, ZnO NPs have a potential ecotoxicity that could be reflected in PET-ZnO composites reaching the environment in the form of micro(nano)plastics. To assess the potential release of PET-ZnO, as well as the ecotoxicity of ZnO NPs, PET-ZnO and weathered composites were analyzed. The ecotoxicity of PET-ZnO was tested in organisms representing different food-chain levels and compared to ZnO NPs’ ecotoxicity. The composite form contained a stable dispersion of around 3.7% of NPs uniformly scattered in the polymeric matrix. ZnO NPs were toxic to Vibrio fischeri and Brachionus calyciflorus. PET-ZnO did not exhibited any toxicity to the organisms studied, while a moderate level of toxicity was observed for the weathered forms.LIFE project NanoExplore funded by the European Commission’ LIFE programme under grant agreement LIFE17 ENV/GR/000285European project FP7 NanoSafePack project (G.A. 286362

Exposure Assessment and Risk Characterization of Carbon-Based Nanomaterials at Different Production Scales

[EN] Data on the potential impact on human health of engineered nanomaterials are still scarce, with an evident lack of knowledge on the exposure levels at all stages of the life cycle. By prioritizing the responsible handling of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), companies can promote sustainability by minimizing the risks of occupational exposure, protecting employee well-being, reducing liability, and avoiding costly environmental remediation efforts. This research aims to evaluate the risk in real scenarios involving the use of carbon-based nanomaterials in research laboratories, pilot-scale facilities, and industrial settings. Several online and offline instruments have been employed to characterize the particulate matter present in these environments, including particles in the nanometer range and relevant fractions for risk assessment purposes. Samples collected on polycarbonate filters were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Exposure estimation has been performed by applying a decision based on tier 2 from the nanoGEM methodology, with the weighing and transferring of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) in a pilot plant being the most liberating processes, which are the activities with the highest risk of exposure. In addition, high levels of particle concentration, with peaks up to 1.7 x 10(5) and 4.7 x 10(5) part/cm(3), have been found for the dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and incorporation of carbonaceous nanoparticles into resins, respectively.This research was carried out as part of the LIFE project NanoExplore funded by the European Commission s LIFE program, under grant agreement LIFE17 ENV/GR/000285.Fito López, C.; Colmenar-González, I.; Andreu Sánchez, O.; Vela, V.; Domat Rodríguez, M. (2023). Exposure Assessment and Risk Characterization of Carbon-Based Nanomaterials at Different Production Scales. Sustainability. 15(16). https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612544151