Author(s): (Español) Alejandro Deville del Águila, Ian Vázquez Rowe, Ramzy Kahhat Abedrabbo
Microplastic (MP) pollution has been largely documented in aquaculture systems, farmed animals, fishmeal, and feed, as well as in humans due to ingestion from food, including seafood, although a skew remains with fisheries and supply chains more commonly assessed for MP pollution in the Global North. In this sense, the main objective of this short communication is to explore how Peru, the biggest fishmeal, and fish oil (FMFO) producer worldwide, performs in terms of plastic pollution in fisheries and derived seafood products. For this, the available scientific literature has been analyzed. Our analysis suggests that studies in Peru are scarce, and more research must be undergone to evaluate the full extent of plastic pollution in its seafood supply chains. The literature analyzed suggests that pelagic species are more vulnerable to MP exposure and ingestion, and that a gradient in terms of closeness to the coast and depth of the fishery may be determining the level of occurrence and abundance of MPs in Peruvian fisheries. Furthermore, the combination of lack of measures for controlling plastic leakage to the ocean in Peru, with the closeness to the coast of most fishing grounds makes the Peruvian fishing industry highly vulnerable to plastic pollution. In this sense, as the Peruvian FMFO industry overwhelmingly targets anchoveta (Engraulis ringens), a pelagic fish, MP pollution of FMFO products must be monitored, as occurrence could lead to an introduction of MPs in aquaculture products worldwide and subsequent human consumption.
Open linkAuthor(s): (Español) André Torre, Ian Vázquez Rowe, Ramzy Kahhat Abedrabbo
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are not specifically designed to tackle microplastics (MPs), leaving them in aquatic ecosystems. The novelty of our study is a critical review of the effectiveness of conventional activated sludge (CAS), membrane bioreactors (MBRs), and activated granular sludge (AGS) in managing MPs within WWTPs. We bridge a gap in scientific literature by assessing MP removal and resilience to MPs. Our scope extends beyond MPs management, evaluating these technologies against environmental, economic, and social criteria. Findings show that MBR outperforms CAS and AGS in MP removal but faces challenges with smaller MPs due to fouling and secondary pollution. AGS shows similar removal rates to CAS but often superior resilience to MPs, given its higher decontamination capabilities. Environmentally, AGS may better reduce indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to lower energy and chemical demands. Moreover, AGS exhibits higher resource recovery potential (e.g., biopolymers, phosphates). Socially, MBR excels in pathogen removal, reducing waterborne disease risks. Economically, AGS is the most cost-effective technology regarding both operational and capital expenditures. However, MPs can impact these criteria by reducing nutrient removal efficiency and increasing both direct and indirect GHGs. MPs create “plastisphere” habitats, reducing pathogen removal and compromising water safety. Moreover, MPs increase energy and chemical use, especially in MBR systems due to fouling concerns.
Open linkAuthor(s): Joan Sanchez Matos, Ian Vázquez Rowe, Ramzy Kahhat Abedrabbo
Water scarcity is a critical environmental challenge which will be exacerbated by the effects of climate change and increased human demand. Hence, more precise and realistic methods of quantifying this impact are necessary. In this sense, the present study proposes updated water scarcity characterization factors (CFs) for watersheds in Peru using the AWARE method. The novelty is linked to the consideration of present and future conditions, as well as quasi-cyclical climatic events such as El Niño.
Open linkAuthor(s): Ian Vázquez Rowe, (Español) Claudia Cucchi Quispe, Eduardo Parodi Gonzales Prada, Ramzy Kahhat Abedrabbo y []
(Español) Volcanic events with an important affectation of urban areas and other land areas with important human activity have been rare in Europe in the past century. This has led to a lack of comprehensive analysis of the social, economic and environmental damages that these types of events can cause on specific human communities. In the present study, we apply an industrial ecology approach to calculate the damage linked to the Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands in September 2021. Therefore, the main objective was to apply the multi dimensional damage assessment (MDDA) methodology to quantify the degree of damage that has been exerted by the eruption in the island of La Palma (Spain) through the inclusion of environmental damage endpoints with other sustainable development variables (i.e., social and economic dimensions). Data were obtained from different sources, including the cadastre of La Palma, local data on derived health, as well as data obtained from the global ecosystem dynamics investigation of NASA, among other sources. Thereafter, damage endpoints were all converted to disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Results show that direct gaseous emissions from the volcano were responsible for a significant amount of total DALYs, above 90% in all scenarios, followed by damage linked to economic losses, as well as social losses related to morbidity. Other environmental damages played a minor part in the total damage exerted by the volcano. The results demonstrate the importance of air quality indicators in the aftermath of an eruption in densely populated areas; in contrast, the impact associated with infrastructure loss played a minor role in total damage. Although challenges remain when providing a holistic quantification of total damage linked to volcanic disasters, the MDDA method constitutes a promising systematic standardized and transparent damage quantification tool that allows computing a deterministic damage evaluation that can aid in natural hazard risk assessment. In fact, it is considered that the method has the potential to be used as a holistic decision tool to aid in mitigating disaster risk.
Open linkAuthor(s): Diana Ita Nagy, Ian Vázquez Rowe, Ramzy Kahhat Abedrabbo
(Español) Marine plastic accumulation has gained international attention in recent years. Sources, pathways, and environmental impacts are being currently studied to understand the complex interactions during waste, especially plastic, transportation to the sea. Rivers have been identified as debris corridors allowing transportation of mismanaged waste. However, there is also evidence of waste accumulation in river basins, suggesting they can also act as sinks. Thus, assuming a uniform and continuous transportation of waste through rivers towards the ocean may signify an oversimplification. This study proposes a methodology to estimate plastic release to the ocean, considering a more detailed characterization of each river basin, including natural attributes and manmade constructions that may act as barriers or boosters for this release. The methodology is exemplified using a case study for the Region of Piura, Peru, and estimating a range of 4.2 to 13.9 kg/person/year of plastic waste reaching the Pacific coast during 2018. These results, when compared with the existing literature, demonstrate more conservative estimations. This methodology is presented as a useful tool that can be easily applied to develop more accurate mismanaged waste dissipation along different compartments.
Download publication (2.13 MB)Author(s): (Español) Joan Sanchez-Matos, Leticia Regueiro, Sara González-García, Ian Vázquez-Rowe
(Español) Aquaculture is an increasingly important supplier of food worldwide. However, due to its high dependence on agricultural and fishing resources, its growth is constantly constrained by environmental impacts beyond aquaculture production systems. Within the European Union, Spain accounts for approximately 25 % of total aquaculture production, which implies that environmental impacts in rivers and marine ecosystems must be monitored to understand the role of aquaculture systems. While studies on the environmental performance of mussels or turbot production have been reported in the literature, Spanish rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) has not received much attention despite its relative importance. In this sense, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study of rainbow trout produced in a medium-sized plant in Galicia (NW Spain) was carried out in the present study. The study considered the production of round weight trout, as well as some commonly produced processed products, including filleting. The life cycle modelling included a high level of primary data in the foreground system. In addition to the widely considered environmental impact categories for this activity (e.g., global warming potential, terrestrial acidification and freshwater eutrophication), the recent proposed antibiotic resistance (ABR) enrichment impact category was included to explore the potential impact of antibiotic release in freshwater microbiota. The results highlighted the high contribution of aquafeed to most impact categories, due to upstream agricultural and fishing processes, whereas farm operation was responsible for the larger part of the impact in freshwater eutrophication, mainly due to direct emissions of nutrients from fish feeding. Amoxicillin release to recipient water bodies was the main driver to the ABR enrichment category. In contrast, the processing phase (i.e., gutting, freezing and packaging) showed low environmental burdens. In order to improve the environmental performance of the rainbow trout production system, decreasing the feed conversion ratio (FCR), shifting to renewable energy, using low environmental burden ingredients in aquafeed, and alternatives to control diseases without antibiotics could be considered.
Open linkAuthor(s): (Español) Jorge Cristóbal, Ian Vázquez-Rowe, María Margallo, Diana Ita-Nagy, Kurt Ziegler-Rodriguez, Jara Laso, Israel Ruiz-Sálmon, Ramzy Kahhat, Rubén Áldaco
(Español) Waste management is a critical policy towards the reduction of environmental impacts to air, soil and water. Many Latin American countries, however, lack a correct waste management system in many cities and rural areas, leading to the accumulation of unmanaged waste in illegal or unregulated dumpsites. The case of Peru is of interest, as it hosts 5 of the 50 largest dumpsites in the world. An erratic waste management compromises climate actions for Peru to commit with the Paris Agreement, as no correct closure systems are established for these dumpsites. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to assess the contribution of the past and present biodegradable waste produced and disposed of in the most critical open dumpsters to the overall annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Peru using the IPCC model. Thereafter, the climate change mitigation potential of possible dumpsite closure strategies based on a selection of technologies, including economic feasibility, were estimated. Results show that cumulative GHG emissions in 2018 for the 24 crit- ical dumpsites evaluated added up to 704 kt CO2 eq. and a cumulative value of 4.4 Mt CO2 eq. in the period 2019–2028, representing over 40 % of solid waste emissions expected by 2030. Mitigation potentials for these emissions tanged from 91 to 970 kt CO2 eq. in the ten-year period depending on the mitigation strategies adopted. The costs of these strategies are also discussed and are expected to be of utility to complement Peru's waste management commitments in the frame of the Paris Agreement.
Download publication (1.43 MB)Author(s): (Español) Alejandro Parodi, Gianfranco Villamonte-Cuneo, Ana Maria Loboguerrero, Deissy Martínez-Barón, Ian Vázquez-Rowe
(Español) Peru is promoting the adoption of agroforestry systems with the aim to halt the deforestation of tropical forests caused by smallholder farmers. However, deficient soil conservation practices and nutrient management are common among the targeted smallholders, hampering the success of this strategy. In this study, we explore the potential of valorizing municipal biowaste as compost to be used as soil amendment in coffee agroforestry systems and in silvopastoral systems. The analysis was concentrated in four Peruvian regions and the most populous city in each of them. For lands with coffee production, it was assumed that 90 kg N ha−1 (i.e., 50% of the N requirements) should come from compost, while for pastures, the requirement was 40 kg P ha−1. We found that composting could lead to large greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions compared with the current waste disposal methods (i.e., deep dumping and landfilling), as it only emits 5–10% of the GHG emissions produced with the other methods. Nonetheless, the area of agroforestry and silvopastoral systems that could be fertilized with compost obtained from the main city of each region is limited and insufficient. If all compost were to be used for the coffee agroforestry system, less than 3% of the coffee agroforestry area could be fertilized, while in the case of pastures, only 4% would be attained. Large amounts of compost could be obtained from Lima, the most populated city; however, its transportation to the agroforestry areas would increase compost GHG emissions by 15–60%. Although composting municipal food waste and loss may bring GHG benefits and should be promoted, its use as a fertilizer requires mixing with N-rich sources to improve its nutrient quality.
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