Browsing by Author "Molinero, Jon"

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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.
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.