Browsing by Author "Cipriani Ávila, Eva Isabel"

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Adsorption of estradiol by natural clays and Daphnia magna as biological filter in an aqueous mixture with emerging contaminants
(2021) Cipriani Ávila, Eva Isabel; Capparelli, Mariana V.; Jara Negrete, Eliza Nuit; Alvarado Martínez, Andrés Omar; Cisneros Ramos, Juan Fernando; Tripaldi, Piercosimo; Perez Gonzalez, Bolivar Andres; Pinos Vélez, Verónica Patricia
Among emerging pollutants, endocrine disruptors such as estradiol are of most concern. Conventional water treatment technologies are not capable of removing this compound from water. This study aims to assess a method that combines physicochemical and biological strategies to eliminate estradiol even when there are other compounds present in the water matrix. Na-montmorillonite, Ca-montmorillonite and zeolite were used to remove estradiol in a medium with sulfamethoxazole, triclosan, and nicotine using a Plackett–Burman experimental design; each treatment was followed by biological filtration with Daphnia magna. Results showed between 40 to 92% estradiol adsorption in clays; no other compounds present in the mixture were adsorbed. The most significant factors for estradiol adsorption were the presence of nicotine and triclosan which favored the adsorption, the use of Ca-montmorillonite, Zeolite, and time did not favor the adsorption of estradiol. After the physicochemical treatment, Daphnia magna was able to remove between 0–93% of the remaining estradiol. The combination of adsorption and biological filtration in optimal conditions allowed the removal of 98% of the initial estradiol concentration.
Assessment of metals, emerging contaminants, and physicochemical characteristics in the drinking water and wastewater of Cuenca, Ecuador
(2022) Capparelli, Mariana; Acosta Lopez, Sofia Paola; Cipriani Ávila, Eva Isabel; Carrión Méndez, Andrea Victoria; Arcentales Rios, Yleana Romina; Pinos Vélez, Verónica Patricia; Massaine Moulatlet, Gabriel
Background: Traditional drinking water and wastewater treatments used in Latin-American and Caribbean coun- tries are meant to improve the organoleptic, and microbiological characteristics and to remove nutrients. How- ever, to be effective, treatments need to process potential threats from natural or anthropogenic origins. Objective: to evaluate emerging contaminants and metals in drinking water and wastewater from traditional water treatment systems, in the city of Cuenca, in the Ecuadorian Andes. Methods: samples were taken from the water plants of Cuenca, from its wastewater treatment plant, and from domestic houses. The physical-chemical characteristics and 15 metals (ICP-OES) were analyzed in samples from the drinking water plant and from the houses. A heavy metal pollution index (HPI) was calculated. The wastewater samples were also analyzed for 7 emerging contaminants (ECs) (GC-MS). Results: Our results show that the treated water depends on the quality of the incoming water, and that the available treatments are not capable of removing unexpected pollution, such as aluminium, which could be due to natural sources, such as ashes from the Sangay volcano might contaminate Cuenca’s water sources. The HPI varied from 0.44 to 0.59, which indicates that water distribution systems have low metal contamination. The wastewater plant was not capable of removing emerging contaminants such as caffeine. Conclusions: Natural and anthropogenic contamination in the water must be considered in the treatments due to the potential risk that they represent
Emerging contaminants in the northeast andean foothills of Amazonia: the case of study of the city of Tena, Napo, Ecuador
(2021) Pérez González, Andrés ; Pinos Vélez, Verónica Patricia; Molinero, Jon; Capparelli, Mariana V.; Cipriani Ávila, Eva Isabel; Jara Negrete, Eliza Nuit; Acosta López, Sofía Paola; Acosta, Byron
This work is a study on the occurrence of emerging pollutants in the northeast Ecuadorian Amazon. Emerging contaminants (ECs)—caffeine, triclosan, estradiol, acetaminophen, nicotine, and ibuprofen—were quantified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in rivers and streams of the Amazon basin near the city of Tena, Ecuador. For that, a total of 16 natural water samples were taken in 8 locations. Sampling sites included areas impacted by discharges from inefficient sewage networks in urban areas, wastes from fish farming and non-functional landfill, a stream with few threats, tap water, and treated sewage. Caffeine was found in the 38% of the samples studied while trimethoprim and acetaminophen had an occurrence of 13%. Caffeine was detected at two sites receiving untreated sewage and one site receiving treated sewage with mean concentrations that ranged between 19 and 31.5 μg L−1. Acetaminophen (50.4 μg L−1) and trimethoprim (2 μg L−1) were only detected in the river receiving treated sewage effluent. This is the first assessment of emerging contaminants in the upper Ecuadorian Amazon basin, and our observations highlight the need for better sewage treatment and water quality monitoring in Amazonian cities.
Evaluation of the Use of Lime and Nanosilica for the Improvement of Clay Soil Structure and Degradation of Hydrocarbons
(2022) García Villacís, Karina; Cipriani Ávila, Eva Isabel; Ruíz Sánchez, Pablo Sebastián; Hidalgo Lasso, Daniel Francisco; Pinos Vélez, Verónica Patricia
Soil structure is an important key in the bioremediation process; for instance, clay soils tend to have high absorption of pollutants and low rates of bioremediation due to their high plasticity and oxygen restrictions. This work assesses seven different treatments for contaminated clay soil using lime, silica nanoparticles, and both components in combination. After a three-month treatment, the variation of the soil granulometry, pH, porosity, cation exchange capacity (CEC), humidity, organic matter, respirometry, and humic acids were measured in order to evaluate the improvements regarding soil structure. Furthermore, total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals were monitored before and after the treatments. The combined treatment using lime and nanosilica presented the best results, reducing the percentage of clays from 61% to 5% and showing a relationship between improved of soil structure and the reduction of pollutants, with a 35% removal for TPHs being the highest obtained with the seven treatments.
Microplastics in rivers and coastal waters of the province of Esmeraldas, Ecuador
(2021) Capparelli, Mariana V; Molinero, Jon; Moulatlet, Gabriel M; Barrado, Miren; Prado Alcívar, Santiago; Cabrera, Marcela; Gimiliani, Giovana; Ñacato, Carolina; Pinos Vélez, Verónica Patricia; Cipriani Ávila, Eva Isabel
This study represents the first assessment of microplastic (MP) contamination in the coastal area of the Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador. MPs were quantified in 14 coastal waters in beaches with different urbanization level and in 10 rivers. The most abundant MP types were transparent fibres, brown fragments, grey fragments, transparent fragments, and black fragments, which together represented 84% of the total count. Coastal waters presented significantly higher quantities of MP than rivers. No difference in microplastic abundance was detected between beaches with higher and lower urban occupation, nor between beaches facing North or West. Our results indicate that MP contamination is widespread, and most likely transported from multiple sources. Our results can serve as a baseline for future MP monitoring in the area.
Occurrence of emerging contaminants in surface water bodies of a coastal province in Ecuador and possible influence of tourism decline caused by COVID-19 lockdown
(2023) Acosta López, Sofía Paola; Barrado Guezala, Miren; Pinos Vélez, Verónica Patricia; Cabrera Bejarano, Marcela Victoria; Medina Villamizar, Evencio Joel; Vellosa Capparelli, Mariana; Salazar Mogollón, Noroska Gabriela; Cipriani Ávila, Eva Isabel ; Jara Negrete, Eliza
Emerging contaminants in water bodies is an issue of concern due to their impact on the ecosystem and human health. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the implementation of protective measures such as social distancing, lockdowns, and remote work, which have affected the tourism influx. This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of emerging pollutants in bodies of water in Esmeraldas, a coastal province of Ecuador, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in a highly touristic region. For this purpose, surface waters from 14 beaches and ten river mouths were sampled at two-time points in November 2019 and November 2020. Compounds widely consumed in Ecuador: acetaminophen, caffeine, sodium diclofenac, trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole were extracted from water samples by solid phase extraction SPE and detected with a UPLC-QTOF-MS system. We found a decrease in the occurrence of caffeine from 100 % to 4.2 % of caffeine and 25 % to 0 % of diclofenac, likely related to the decline in tourist afflux due to the lockdown measures. Most of the compounds diminished in terms of frequency and/or concentration; however, as COVID-19 treatments make use of different pharmaceutical compounds such as antivirals, antibiotics, antiparasitics, or glucocorticoids, future studies should include these to assess their environmental impact