Analysis of Mercury in Aquifers in Gold Mining Areas in the Ecuadorian Amazon and Its Associated Risk for Human Health.

Gold mining activity is a source of supply in many areas of the world, and especially in developing countries, it is practiced illegally and by applying unsafe techniques. Particularly in Ecuador, artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is widespread, and it is based on the use of toxic substances, such as mercury (Hg), in gold recovery. Hg is a heavy metal that is water-insoluble, which, once mobilized, poses a threat to both the environment and human health. This study analyzes Hg concentrations in the six provinces of Napo, Sucumbíos, Orellana, Pastaza, Morona Santiago, and Zamora Chinchipe of the Ecuadorian Amazon region to conduct a human health risk assessment. Significant differences in Hg levels were found between provinces, but concentrations were below MPL imposed by Ecuadorian regulations everywhere. Nevertheless, a worrisome picture emerges, especially with regard to the most vulnerable receptors represented by the child population. There are multiple factors of incidence that may affect the possible future development of the phenomenon, and with reference to the social, economic, and environmental context of the region, it can be concluded that it may be appropriate to plan further investigation to arrive at a more comprehensive assessment. The results of this study can be used by decision makers to plan further investigation and to implement monitoring networks, risk mitigation strategies, and groundwater protection measures.

Beach litter distribution in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, Antarctica.

In the Antarctic Peninsula, most important activities are touristic visits, from the second half of the 20th Century, and scientific investigation linked to 75 research stations. Beach litter content/abundance was investigated at 17 beaches in Admiralty Bay (King George Island, Antarctica) and the type of plastic material was determined by Raman spectroscopy. An average value of 0.16 items m-1 was observed. Wood items consisted of processed wood fragments representing 47.27% of the total. Foam represented 21%, hard plastic pieces 9.68% (consisting of polyvinyl chloride or high density polyethylene), metal 3.37%, rubber fragments 2.81%, foamed plastic pieces 2.66% (composed by polystyrene), the rest of categories representing less than 2% of the total. Wood debris and metal are essentially remnant objects of ancient whaling activities and research expeditions, polyurethane and expanded polystyrene materials have different origins and hard plastic, rubber, paper/cardboard and paint fragments seem mostly linked to present research activities.

Characterization of plastic beach litter by Raman spectroscopy in South-western Spain.

The characteristics and distribution of plastic litter were evaluated in October 2018 at 40 beaches along the coast of Cádiz Province, in Spain. A total of 14,261 plastic items, appertaining to 57 litter groups, were identified along the study area at different beach zones, i.e. at low tide water level (2%), along the foreshore (6%), at high tide water level (67%) and in the backshore area (25%). Plastic items have a great floatability, being this one of the main reasons for their proportional dominance among beach litter, especially in the wrack line. Hundreds of measurements were made of different items using Raman spectroscopy, an effective technique to determine the type of plastic. Cellulose acetate represented the most abundant material (79%) linked to cigarette butts, followed by polypropylene, 9% and polyethylene, 8%. The remaining were composed by polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate and polyvinyl chloride. Smoke related items were the most common in the study area, followed by film and hard pieces, cotton bud sticks, fishing strings, food wrappers, caps/lids and single-use plastics. Beach litter can be related to beachgoers but some categories can be attributed to fishing activities or wastewater discharges. Plastics cause a multitude of damages to the coastal ecosystem, due to their toxic components and adsorbed substances and their facility of fragmentation and dispersion. Principal objective is the compositional characterization of plastic beach litter items and their spatial variability. It is therefore important to avoid unnecessary consumption, promote recycling and use other materials that are less harmful to the environment.

Microbiological water quality and sources of contamination along the coast of the Department of Atlántico (Caribbean Sea of Colombia). Preliminary results.

Microbiological sea water quality is a public health problem that has serious repercussions in the tourism and economy of Colombia. This study determines the concentrations of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis and Clostridium perfringens at eleven beach water points and seven streams along the coast of the Department of Atlántico, Colombia. In seawater, total E. coli, E. faecalis and C. perfringens concentrations were found between 16 and 572 cfu/100 mL, 7-450 cfu/100 ml and 2-125 cfu/100 ml, respectively. The highest counts were observed mainly on urbanised beaches and in correspondence with streams whose waters had a high concentration of faecal origin microorganisms, which represent a serious health risk factor for bathers. Relevant efforts have to be addressed to improve the microbiological quality of these beaches by the establishment of efficient wastewater management programs aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the local treatment plant and the control of illegal sewage pouring onto the coast.

Beach litter in Ecuador and the Galapagos islands: A baseline to enhance environmental conservation and sustainable beach tourism.

The presence and characterization of beach litter was investigated, according to the EA/NALG (2000) methodology, at 59 sites along four provinces of Ecuador, i.e., three continental and the Galapagos Islands Province. The methodology, which has been verified in several countries, was used to classify beaches into four grades (from "A" - excellent to "D" - poor) according to the content of nine types of litter. Twenty-two sites (i.e., 37% of total) obtained Grade "C", 18 (31%) Grade "B", 12 (20%) Grade "A", and 7 (12%) Grade "D". The province that showed excellent litter grades was the Galapagos Islands where 88% of beaches obtained Grade "A", whereas Santa Elena and Esmeraldas provinces presented the worst beaches in terms of litter content and abundance. Environmental authorities should focus more attention on continental beaches by improving adequate cleaning operations to make them more attractive to national and international tourism.

Killing the goose with the golden eggs: Litter effects on scenic quality of the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

137 coastal sites located along the Caribbean coast of Colombia were surveyed to determine scenic quality, litter content, and typology. Scenic evaluation categorized sites into five classes. 26 appeared in Class I; 18 in Class II; 19 in Class III; 30 in class IV; and 44 in Class V. Beach type was categorized into urban (31), resort (18), rural (46), village (32) and remote (10). Litter gave 17 sites an "A" grade (excellent); 34 sites a "B" grade; 53 sites a "C" grade and 33 locations a "D" grade (poor). Almost all sites surveyed have a low scenic quality and also significant litter content. Currently, litter directly produces aesthetic problems along the study area, and improvements are necessary to favor coastal scenic quality. Stakeholders should make a significant effort to improve the scenic human parameters along the study area, litter removal and prevention being the most important.

Transect based analysis versus area based analysis to quantify shoreline displacement: spatial resolution issues.

Field surveys, aerial photographs, and satellite images are the most commonly employed sources of data to analyze shoreline position, which are further compared by area based analysis (ABA) or transect based analysis (TBA) methods. The former is performed by computing the mean shoreline displacement for the identified coastal segments, i.e., dividing the beach area variation by the segment length; the latter is based on the measurement of the distance between each shoreline at set points along transects. The present study compares, by means of GIS tools, the ABA and TBA methods by computing shoreline displacements recorded on two stretches of the Tuscany coast (Italy): the beaches of Punta Ala, a linear coast without shore protection structures, and the one at Follonica, which is irregular due to the presence of groins and detached breakwaters. Surveys were carried out using a differential global positioning system (DGPS) in RTK mode. For each site, a 4800-m-long coastal segment was analyzed and divided into ninety-six 50-m-long sectors for which changes were computed using both the ABA and TBA methods. Sectors were progressively joined to have a length of 100, 200, 400, and 800 m to examine how this influenced results. ABA and TBA results are highly correlated for transect distance and sector length up to 100 m at both investigated locations. If longer transects are considered, the two methods still produce good correlated data on the smooth shoreline (i.e. at Punta Ala), but correlation became significantly lower on the irregular shoreline (i.e., at Follonica).

Distribution of beach litter along the coastline of Cádiz, Spain.

A total of 59 categories of litter items were found at 20 beaches (13 mechanically cleaned, 7 non-cleaned) in the Cádiz tourist environment, Spain. Cluster Analysis and Principal Components Analysis were used to highlight similarities and contrasts between sites and/or associations between litter categories. Multivariate analyses separated beaches according to the total numbers of litter items present. Non-cleaned sites showed a variety of litter category abundance with distinct origins and abundant, ubiquitous items (plastic and glass fragments). Of the 7 non-cleaned beaches (49 litter categories) river-mouth sites were distinct due with high numbers of litter items. The sheltered inner part of Cádiz Bay beaches had a wide range of litter type. Many sites were associated with locally deposited recreational litter categories; while industrial/commercial/fishing categories were abundant only at a few sites, indicating items transported onto the shore from the Guadalete river.

Assessment of coastal vulnerability through the use of GIS tools in South Sicily (Italy).

This study assessed coastal erosion vulnerability along a 90-km sector, which included both erosional and accretionary beaches, and different levels of human occupation. Two aerial photogrammetric flights were used to reconstruct coastal evolution between 1977 and 1999. During this period, extensive accretion was recorded updrift of human structures at harbors and ports, e.g., Scoglitti (105.6 m), Donnalucata (52.8 m), and Pozzallo (94.6 m). Conversely, erosion was recorded in downdrift areas, with maximum values at Modica Stream mouth (63.8 m) and Point Castellazzo (35.2 m). Assessments were subsequently divided into four categories ranging from "high erosion" to "accretion." Several sources were examined to assess human activities and land use. The latter was mapped and divided into four categories, ranging from "very high" to "no capital" land use. Subsequently, coastal erosion vulnerability was assessed by combining land use categories with recorded coastline behavior. Results showed "very high" to "high" vulnerability along 5.8% and 16.6%, respectively, of the littoral, while 20.9% and 56.7%, respectively, was found to exhibit "medium" and "low/very low" vulnerability. A very good agreement between predicted coastal vulnerability and coastal trend had been observed over recent years. Furthermore, several human structures and activities are located within the "imminent collapse zone (ICZ)" which reached maximum values of 17.5 m at Modica Stream and 13.5 m at Point Braccetto.