Use of isotopic techniques for determinig background levels according to groundwater directive. Study of sulfate levels in southern Spain

Presentado en: 10th International Symposium on Applied Isotope Geochemistry Budapest (Hungría) 22 a 27 de Septiembre de 2013Determine Natural Background Levels (NBL) are a key element in characterization of groundwater bodies, according to Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC and, more specifically, Groundwater Directive 2006/118/EC. The NBL are the result of numerous factors, such as water-rock interactions, chemical and biological processes in the unsaturated zone, the residence time of water in the aquifer, recharge by rain and relations with other aquifers. In many cases, these levels present very high values for some parameters and types of groundwater, which is significant for their correct determination as a prior step to establishing thresholds, assessing the status of water bodies and subsequently identifying contaminant patterns. Because chemical analyses only provide the concentration of sulphate in water but not its source, four isotopic sampling campaigns ( δ 34S-SO4) were carried out on 2004, 2006, 2009 and 20012 on groundwater bodies in the Upper Guadalhorce river basin in order to trace the origin of sulphate. The objective of the present study is to quantify the percentage of natural (Evaporites) and anthropogenic (Fertilizers) sulphate and match a concentration associated with this percentage that allow to know the NBL on the upper basin.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Distribution and interaction between selected pharmaceuticals and hydrogeochemistry in Guadalhorce aquifer(South of Spain)

Management of water resources implies the study of their quality and in recent times one of the main drawbacks is the presence of non-regulated products, the so-called "Emerging Contaminants (EC)". Currently the study of these contaminants is among the research priorities of the main organizations dedicated to the protection of public and environmental, such as OMS, EPA or the EU Commission health. The list of emerging contaminants include a wide variety of products both industrial and domestic applications, whose harmful effects include toxicity, bioaccumulation, and even endocrine disruption. Conventional wastewater treatment technologies are not efficient at removing many of these contaminants, so effluents and reuse become one of the most significant sources of contamination, even many emerging pollutants are only partially degraded and are even more toxic byproducts than the parent compounds. This research is focused in the Guadalhorce porous aquifer (Malaga, south of Spain), to study the distribution of EC and the interaction with the hydrogeochemistry. 14 EC (Ibuprofen, Hydrochlorothiazide, Salicilic Acid, Triclosan, Menfenamic Acid, Carbamazepine, Trimethoprim, Ofloxacin, Cafeine, Metotrexato, Metronidazole, Sulfadiazine, Sulfamethazine and Sulfamethoxazole) and 36 paramaters including electrical conductivity, T, pH, DO, major ions (Cl-, SO42-, HCO3-, NO3-, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+), metals (B, Al, Fe, Mn, Cd, Pb, Zn, As and Se) and isotopes (d2H-H2O, d18O-H2O, d34S-SO42-) were controlled in a single field sampling (June 2012). Relationships between certain pollutants by its focus of origin are studied. Ibuprofen and Menfenamic acid follow the same pattern since they have the same use as anti-inflammatory agents and origin, mainly related to urban centers, which is important in the Guadalhorce area close to the mouth. Some possible explanations are the close situation of the Waste Water Treatment Plant of Malaga, numerous discharges of wastewater, irrigations with reused and non-reused water, among others. Nearby to the upper part of the aquifer, where farms and livestock are concentrated, pharmaceuticals for veterinary use are frequent. Furthermore, a relationship between certain emerging contaminants and hydrogeochemical characteristics present in the groundwater masses is observed, noting that ibuprofen, for example, has an indirect correlation to the temperature and concentration of certain ions such as chlorine and lead present in water masses. So it may be said that the distribution and concentration of emerging contaminants is not only affected by the number of pollution sources but also by the hydrogeochemical characteristics of the aquifer.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Current practices and user expectations

IAISE Policy Brief No. 1 on "Impact Assessment Systems and Tools in Europe: Current Practices and User Expectations" has just been published. This policy brief presents the key findings on the most comprehensive survey yet conducted of user needs and expectations with regard to Impact Assessment (IA) systems and tools in 17 European countries. The survey was carried out by researchers from the LIAISE Network of Excellence, who collected data through documentary analysis and interviews with 130 people who steer IA at a strategic level, i.e. those people who champion, oversee, guide, audit or write guidance for IA processes. A more detailed description of the survey’s results can be found in the LIAISE Innovation Report No. 2 (January 2011)

La investigación biográfica en la formación inicial de magisterio: las historias de vida como temática del trabajo fin de grado de educación infantil y primaria

Planteamos el Trabajo de Fin del Grado de Educación Infantil y Primaria como nueva plataforma para indagar en la profesión docente a través de las historias de vida de maestras. Este modelo de trabajo en la formación inicial obliga a indagar en la experiencia, en el testimonio y en el relato con una mirada propia, capaz de contar, desde lo particular, los cambios colectivos, las condiciones socioculturales de una época, las conductas de los géneros, las expectativas de futuro, etc. Las historias de vida ofrecen tres vertientes académicas - metodología de investigación, testimonio socio-histórico e instrumento de formación de maestras y maestros-. El intercambio simbólico entre generaciones, es además, fuente de aceptación, respecto y convivencia democrática, y por ende, de cohesión socialWe propose the Final Grade and Primary Education as a new platform for probing the teaching profession through the life stories of teachers. This working model requires initial training to look into the experience, in the testimony and in the story with a look of its own, able to tell from the particular, collective changes, the sociocultural conditions of an era, the behavior of the genres, future expectations, etc. Life stories offer three-pronged research methodology academic, socio-historical testimony and instrument teachers and teacher training. Symbolic exchange between generations is also a source of acceptance, respect and democratic coexistence, and therefore social cohesio

Intergenerational entrepreneurship to foster sustainable development: A methodological training proposal

Intergenerational entrepreneurial initiatives are aimed at addressing the needs and opportunities of certain social groups and have the potential of becoming successful business projects. Moreover, they are a key to undertake sustainability practices that may represent a competitive advantage for the companies and an example to imitate when creating businesses. The objective of the study is to propose an intergenerational training methodology so that young people and seniors can create companies together, generating social cohesion and sustainable development in response to generational challenges. Intergenerational entrepreneurship seems to be a novel research area, especially when referring to developing methodologies of collaborative entrepreneurship projects. For this purpose, our literature review focuses on, first, the matching theories and experiences applied for intergenerational cooperation; then, literature about training methodologies for entrepreneurship is reviewed; finally, the main theories on training skills for entrepreneurship are approached. Focus groups were conducted as they serve as the main sources of data and are very appropriate for the generation of new ideas within a social context. In general, results show that, for achieving a successful intergenerational cooperation, some specific training is needed for both generations. This paper is a starting point for future research approaching intergenerational entrepreneurship, or entrepreneurial initiatives with singular characteristics, such as rural contexts or people with disabilitiesThis research was funded by IVI project (2018-1-FR01-KA204-047946). Erasmus+ Key Action 204, funded with support from the European Commissio

Implementation of a food safety management system according to ISO 22000 in the food supplement industry: A case study

[EN] This work aims to present a methodology to carry out hazard and control measures assessments to properly establish operational prerequisite programmes (oPRPs) and the HACCP plan in the food supplement industry according to the ISO 22000 standard. This study focused on the manufacture of propolis, royal jelly and vitamin C ampoules, sold as energy boosters. Seven of the 13 hazards identified in this study were significant: two hazards were in the reception step (residues of pesticides, antibiotics and/or heavy metals (code 2) and contamination by pathogens (code 3)), two in the ingredients weighing step (cross-contamination by metabisulphite (code 9) and contamination by pathogens (code 10)), one in the mixture preparation step (contamination by pathogens and/or proliferation of microorganisms (code 11)) and two in the ampoule-filling and -sealing step (cross-contamination by metabisulphite (code 12) and contamination by pathogens (code 13)). After assessing the control measures, critical control points (CCPs) were determined in the hazards with codes 2, 9 and 12, which could be managed by an HACCP plan. The remaining hazards were managed by establishing oPRPs. Implementation of the ISO 22000 standard in the food supplement industry guarantees food safety and helps improve their competitiveness in the global market. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Fernández Segovia, I.; Perez-Llacer, A.; Peidro, B.; Fuentes López, A. (2014). Implementation of a food safety management system according to ISO 22000 in the food supplement industry: A case study. Food Control. 43:28-34. doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2014.02.042S28344

Estudio de contaminantes emergentes en acuíferos detríticos de la cuenca hidrográfica del Río Guadalhorce (Málaga)

Actualmente existe un creciente interés por los contaminantes emergentes, en especial por los productos farmacéuticos y de cuidado personal (PPCPs), ya que son contaminantes que han pasado inadvertidos a lo largo de los años debido a sus bajas concentraciones, pero que presentan efectos perjudiciales para la salud y el medio ambiente, algunos de ellos se comportan, incluso, como disruptores endocrinos. Estos compuestos, en su mayoría, no regulados en la legislación, han sido hallados en aguas superficiales, subterráneas, sedimentos e incluso en aguas de abastecimiento. Este trabajo se centra en las aguas subterráneas de la cuenca del río Guadalhorce, determinando la distribución de los PPCPs, y la relación que presentan con las fuentes de contaminación existentes en el área de estudio.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Production and characterization of the Cr35Fe35V16.5Mo6Ti7.5 high entropy alloy

The microstructure, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of a novel Cr35Fe35V16.5Mo6Ti7.5 high-entropy alloy were studied. The mechanical properties were mapped by nanoindentation, and the results correlated with the microstructure and the Vickers microhardness measurements. The alloy was produced by arc melting in a low pressure He atmosphere. Thermal treatments were performed to study the thermal stability of the alloy. The as-cast microstructure of the alloy exhibited a body-centered cubic phase with morphology of dendrites, outlined by a very thin interdendritic phase with a crystallographic structure compatible with Fe2Ti. The presence of the intermetallic particles was predicted by a free-energy based model, in contrast with the single solid solution alloy predicted by a parameter-based model. The volume fraction of the dendrites in the alloy is ∼ 94 % after arc melting. A small fraction of sparse Ti-rich particles, ∼0.4 vol%, was observed. The thermal treatments produced an increase of the population of Ti-rich particles, the formation of a σ-phase and nucleation of precipitates enriched with Fe and Ti into the previous dendrites. The material in as-cast condition exhibited a microhardness value of 6.2 ± 0.3 GPa, while the alloy aged at 960 °C resulted in 7.1 ± 0.4 GPa. Nanoindentations maps showed an excellent correlation with the microstructure, and their statistical analyses yielded a nanohardness mean value of 8.2 ± 0.4 GPa in the dendritic BCC regions of the as-cast and thermal treated samples and 14.1 ± 0.6 GPa for the σ-phase. The onset of the plastic behavior has been studied by analyzing the pop-in phenomenon observed in the nanoindentation loading curves. For the as-cast alloy, this analysis showed that the elastic-to-plastic transition seems to be triggered by dislocation nucleation. The alloy has a low thermal diffusivity in the measured temperature range that increases on increasing temperature.This research has been supported by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación of Spain (PID2019-105325RB-C33/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and by the Regional Government of Madrid through the program TECHNOFUSIÓN(III)CM (S2018/EMT-4437), project cofinancing with Structural Funds (ERDF and ESF). The support of the Madrid Government (Comunidad de Madrid-Spain) through the Multi-annual Agreement with UC3M ( Excellence of University Professors – EPUC3M14 and in the context of the V PRICIT - Regional Programme of Research and Technological Innovation) is also acknowledge

Exploring CuCrFeVTi system to produce high entropy alloys for high heat flux applications

Cu5Cr35Fe35V20Ti5, Cu10Cr35Fe35V10Ti10, Cu15Cr35Fe35V5Ti10 and Cu20Cr30Fe30V10Ti10 were produced by low-pressure arc-melting to evaluate the feasibility of developing reduced activation high entropy alloys containing copper. The materials present a dendritic microstructure and some Cu and Ti segregation in the as-cast condition, being the Cu5Cr35Fe35V20Ti5 the most homogenous alloy. Copper particles, with a mean size of about 10 nm, are found distributed inside the dendrites. The volume fraction of the copper particles is ~ 7 times higher in the alloy with 5 at.% Cu content that in the alloy with 20 at.%, with values ranging from 22 ± 5 to 3 ± 2 particles/¿m2. Combination of massive Berkovich nanoindentation, statistical analysis and analytical scanning electron microscopy, has been successful for determining the hardness and elastic modulus values of each phase and quantifying their contribution to microhardness values obtained by standard Vickers microindentation.This research has been supported by Agencia Estatal de Investigación (PID2019-105325RB-C33 / AEI / 10.13039/501100011033) and by the Regional Government of Madrid through the program TECHNOFUSIÓN(III)CM (S2018/EMT-4437)