Prospects of Plant-Based Systems as an Eco-Technological Approach for Heavy Metals Removal from Polluted-Waters

Contamination of natural waters by the release of aqueous effluents containing organic and inorganic poisoning substances, mostly from agro-industrial origin, has been hard increased since the beginning of the 21st century. In the last decades, environmental contamination with heavy metals has turned to a worldwide problem due to the fast growing of industrialization and urbanization. Metals are major pollutants of fresh-water reservoirs because of their non-biodegradability and highpersistence in nature. In addition, some metals are highly toxic even at very low concentrations [1]. Heavy metals are not only a serious threat to the environment but also to all living beings, including humans, since all metallic ions are inert to chemical and biological degradation and can be transferred through the trophic chain [2].Fil: Perez, Leonardo Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; Argentina. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires". Facultad de Química e Ingeniería-Rosario; Argentina. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; Españ

Constructed Wetlands for Marine Aquaculture Wastewater Treatment: A New Challenge

Aquaculture is the fastest growing food production sector worldwide. Global demand for seafood continues to grow, and landbased aquaculture is expected to grow in order to meet the increasing market demand. In this context, marine aquaculture production systems are moving towards land-based farming. However, due to the large volumes of wastewater with high salinity and other fish-metabolism derived pollutants (e.g., nitrogen compounds), it remains a challenge for treatment of effluents from land-based marine aquaculture. In this scenario, development of environmental-friendly and efficient aquaculture effluent treatment system is crucial for sustainable intensification of aquaculture. Owing to low capital, operating costs, and low energy consumption, constructed wetlands (CWs) are becoming a promising technique to treat aquaculture effluents before discharge.Fil: Perez, Leonardo Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires". Facultad de Química e Ingeniería-Rosario; Argentina. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; España. Unesco; Argentin

Key Design Factors Affecting Microbial Community Composition and Pathogenic Organism Removal in Horizontal Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetlands

Water shortages in arid and semi-arid areas such as the Mediterranean have prompted a need for wastewater treatment and subsequent reuse. Reclamation can be achieved through conventional intensive systems or natural, ecologically engineered treatments such as horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF) constructed wetlands...Fil: Morató Farreras, Jordi. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; EspañaFil: Codony, Francesc. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; EspañaFil: Sánchez Negrette, Olga. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Perez, Leonardo Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Química Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Química Rosario; ArgentinaFil: García, Joan. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Mas, Jordi. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Españ

Prospects in cadmium-contaminated water management using free-living cyanobacteria (Oscillatoria sp.)

In this study, the removal of cadmium (Cd) by free-living Oscillatoria sp. was studied. Our results showed that maximal Cd removal efficiency (~60%) by the cyanobacterial culture was achieved within 12-24 h in the presence of 5.0 or 25.0 mg/L of Cd. The mechanisms underlying this phenomenon were explored by elemental analysis and FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. It was found that metal adsorption by negatively charged functional groups in the cyanobacterial biomass was the main mechanism used by Oscillatoria sp. to remove metal from the aqueous medium, followed by Cd bioaccumulation into living cells. Additionally, Cd-exposed microalgae showed increased oxidative stress (MDA formation), a decreased dehydrogenase activity, a higher amount of soluble carbohydrates and a decreased total carotenoid concentration, as compared to the control cells. These results suggest that Oscillatoria sp. improved its antioxidative defense system under stressful conditions, through carotenoid-mediated ROS quenching and induction of carbohydrate catabolism, in order to counteract the oxidative damage and preserve the photosynthetic machinery and cellular energetics. In fact, no significant reduction in Oscillatoria sp. cell density, total protein amount, and chlorophyll a content was observed after 24-h Cd exposure, even at the highest metal concentration tested (i.e., 25.0 mg/L). Hence, the presented results are the first to describe some new insights about the metabolic and physiological behavior of living Oscillatoria sp. during Cd remediation, and open up the possibility of finding an equilibrium that maximizes metal removal performance with an active cyanobacterial metabolism, to achieve a rewarding and sustainable management of industrial metal-polluted wastewater.Fil: Carralero Bon, Iván. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires". Facultad de Química e Ingeniería del Rosario. Departamento de Investigación Institucional; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Salvatierra, Lucas Matías. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires". Facultad de Química e Ingeniería del Rosario. Departamento de Investigación Institucional; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Lario, Luciana Daniela. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires". Facultad de Química e Ingeniería del Rosario. Departamento de Investigación Institucional; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Morató Farreras, Jordi. Universidad Politecnica de Catalunya. Escuela Superior de Ingenierías Industrial, Aeroespacial y Audiovisual de Terrassa. Cátedra Unesco de Sostenibilidad.; EspañaFil: Perez, Leonardo Martin. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires". Facultad de Química e Ingeniería del Rosario. Departamento de Investigación Institucional; Argentina. Universidad Politecnica de Catalunya. Escuela Superior de Ingenierías Industrial, Aeroespacial y Audiovisual de Terrassa. Cátedra Unesco de Sostenibilidad.; España. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; Argentin

Desarrollo de una nueva técnica de base colorimétrica para una rápida evaluación de la biodegradabilidad de materiales poliméricos

La necesidad de reducir el impacto ambiental causado por el uso de plásticos sintéticos obtenidos a partir de fuentes no-renovables ha motivado el desarrollo de nuevos materiales con carácter biodegradable. Sin embargo, los protocolos internacionales comúnmente utilizados para evaluar la biodegradabilidad de un material son laboriosos y suelen demandar elevados tiempos de procesamiento. En este trabajo, se presentan resultados preliminares obtenidos durante la etapa de desarrollo y puesta a punto de un método rápido, sencillo y eficiente para evaluar el potencial biodegradable de un material plástico, formulado a base de proteínas del lactosuero, utilizando un ensayo colorimétrico indirecto basado en la reducción enzimática de sales de tetrazolio durante el metabolismo aeróbico bacteriano.In the last decades, the need to reduce environmental impact caused by petroleum-based plastics has motivated the development of new bio-based materials with biodegradable properties. However, international standard methods frequently used to assess the biodegradability of plastics require a complicated experimental setup, are time-consuming, and demand months of laborious work. In this article, we show preliminary results of a new, rapid, simple, and efficient method to assess the biodegradability of polymer plastics by using a colorimetric assay based on the enzymatic reduction of tetrazolium salts by the bacterial aerobic metabolism.Fil: Burdisso, Maria Lucia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Química Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Química Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Salvatierra, Lucas Matías. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas; Argentina. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires". Facultad de Química e Ingeniería-Rosario; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas; ArgentinaFil: Perez, Leonardo Martin. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires". Facultad de Química e Ingeniería-Rosario; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Química Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Química Rosario; Argentin

Enhancing spatial inference of air pollution using machine learning techniques with low-cost monitors in data-limited scenarios

Ensuring environmental justice necessitates equitable access to air quality data, particularly for vulnerable communities. However, traditional air quality data from reference monitors can be costly and challenging to interpret without in-depth knowledge of local meteorology. Low-cost monitors present an opportunity to enhance data availability in developing countries and enable the establishment of local monitoring networks. While machine learning models have shown promise in atmospheric dispersion modelling, many existing approaches rely on complementary data sources that are inaccessible in low-income areas, such as smartphone tracking and real-time traffic monitoring. This study addresses these limitations by introducing deep learning-based models for particulate matter dispersion at the neighbourhood scale. The models utilize data from low-cost monitors and widely available free datasets, delivering root mean square errors (RMSE) below 2.9 μg m−3 for PM1, PM2.5, and PM10. The sensitivity analysis shows that the most important inputs to the models were the nearby monitors' PM concentrations, boundary layer dissipation and height, and precipitation variables. The models presented different sensitivities to each road type, and an RMSE below the regional differences, evidencing the learning of the spatial dependencies. This breakthrough paves the way for applications in various vulnerable localities, significantly improving air pollution data accessibility and contributing to environmental justice. Moreover, this work sets the stage for future research endeavours in refining the models and expanding data accessibility using alternative sources

Calidad de leche en tambos familiares del periurbano oeste del área metropolitana de Buenos Aires

Cerca de las grandes ciudades, parte de los sistemas pecuarios se desarrollan en un marco de crianza Agroecológicos (AE), fortaleciendo al sector de la pequeña agricultura, generando alimentos de elevado valor, con trazabilidad. Para conocer las características del producto y generar valor agregado, es necesario determinar calidad composicional, sanitaria y ausencia de residuos de antibióticos, que influyen en la industrialización de la leche. El objetivo fue caracterizar la calidad de leche analizando leche de tanque de 26 productores de Marcos Paz, La Matanza y Gral. Rodríguez. Se llevó a cabo entre junio y diciembre de 2014; por productores, investigadores y extensionistas del INTA. Los resultados demostraron una baja incidencia de mastitis clínicas, ausencia de residuos de antibióticos aunque una elevada flora saprófita. Este tipo de experiencias resultan útiles para detectar dificultades en el proceso de producción de leche, y poner en valor los productos obtenidos en explotaciones lecheras con manejo AE.EEA AMBAFil: Motta, Leonardo Ivan. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires. Agencia De Extensión Rural Marcos Paz; ArgentinaFil: Barbano, Pablo Martin. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires. Agencia De Extensión Rural Luján; ArgentinaFil: Perez, Raul Alberto. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Investigación Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Agricultura Familiar Región Pampeana; ArgentinaFil: Cavanna, Facundo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires. Agencia De Extensión Rural Marcos Paz; ArgentinaFil: Lavarello Herbin, Agustina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Investigación Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Agricultura Familiar Región Pampeana; ArgentinaFil: Garbaccio, Sergio Gabriel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Patobiología; Argentin

Effect of aeration on nitrogen removal-associated microbial community in an innovative vertical cork-based constructed wetland for winery wastewater treatment

The wine industry produces large quantities of wastewater that often contains high levels of organic matter and nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorous. In particular, nitrogen pollution can be harmful, even at low levels, since infants are vulnerable to nitrates in drinking water, and excess nitrogen can harm the health of soils and waterways. Herein, an innovative compact, modular, and mobile treatment wetland (TW) using cork by product as the only granular media was used to treat the final effluents from the Codorniu winery (Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, Spain). The TW was operated during two 5-month periods with or without intermittent induced aeration (40 min cycles, 90 L/min air flow rate). Nitrate (N-NO3) and total nitrogen (TN) removal were higher (52.8% and 46.8%, respectively, p < 0.05) during TW operation under aerated-condition. Additionally, qPCR analysis of 16S rRNA, nirS and nosZ genes revealed that intermittent induced aeration facilitates N-NO3 reduction by the stimulation of denitrifying bacteria in the TW biofilm (11.4% increase in nirS copies number/g cork sample, p < 0.05) as well as increasing the number of heterotrophic bacteria adhered to cork (25.5% increase in 16S rRNA copies number/g cork sample, p < 0.05). Moreover, SEM images demonstrated the suitability of cork as a resistant filter media for TW after long-term system operation (1.5 years). In conclusion, our results suggest that aeration improved ni- trogen compounds removal compared to the non-aerated period, without affecting phosphorous elimination. Additionally, residual cork is presented here in a circular bioeconomy view, as a suitable filling media to treat winery wastewater that can provide additional carbon source to increase C/N rate stimulating denitrification, as well as a reliable organic substrate for biomass growth.To LIFE Programme, the EU's financial instrument supporting environmental, nature conservation, and climate action projects throughout the EU that supports LIFE ECORKWASTE 14 ENV/ES/460.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Treatments used for obsessive-compulsive disorder-An international perspective

© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to characterise international trends in the use of psychotropic medication, psychological therapies, and novel therapies used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). METHODS: Researchers in the field of OCD were invited to contribute summary statistics on the characteristics of their samples. Consistency of summary statistics across countries was evaluated. RESULTS: The study surveyed 19 expert centres from 15 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States) providing a total sample of 7,340 participants. Fluoxetine (n = 972; 13.2%) and fluvoxamine (n = 913; 12.4%) were the most commonly used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications. Risperidone (n = 428; 7.3%) and aripiprazole (n = 415; 7.1%) were the most commonly used antipsychotic agents. Neurostimulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, deep brain stimulation, gamma knife surgery, and psychosurgery were used in less than 1% of the sample. There was significant variation in the use and accessibility of exposure and response prevention for OCD. CONCLUSIONS: The variation between countries in treatments used for OCD needs further evaluation. Exposure and response prevention is not used as frequently as guidelines suggest and appears difficult to access in most countries. Updated treatment guidelines are recommended.Peer reviewe

Sinopse do censo demográfico para o semiárido brasileiro

107 p.A Sinopse do Censo Demográfico para o Semiárido Brasileiro foi concebida e elaborada pelo Instituto Nacional do Semiárido (INSA), Unidade de Pesquisa do Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (MCTI), com o objetivo precípuo de disponibilizar informações atualizadas acerca das principais características da população da região semiárida