[First isolation of Acanthamoeba spp. in seawater from the southeast of Buenos Aires (SE, Argentina)]. / Primer aislamiento de Acanthamoeba spp. en agua de mar del sudeste bonaerense, Argentina.

Free-living amoebae (FLA) of the genus Acanthamoeba are ubiquitous and amphizoic protozoa that colonize aquatic and terrestrial habitats and can serve as reservoirs for other microorganisms. They are considered econoses that can cause severe and rare pathologies. Due to limited epidemiological data available, the objective of this study was to investigate the presence of Acanthamoeba in coastal wetlands of the southeast of Buenos Aires province and evaluate their association with bacteriological and environmental variables. From February 2021 to July 2022, 22 seawater samples were collected at different points along the coast of the city of Mar del Plata (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Environmental parameters were determined and physicochemical and bacteriological studies, morphological identification, cultures and molecular typification were conducted. Regardless of the environmental and bacteriological variables, the presence of Acanthamoeba spp. was molecularly confirmed in 54.54% of the samples, being the first report of these protozoa in seawater in Argentina.

A Decision Support Tool For Water Pollution and Eutrophication Prevention In Groundwater-dependent Shallow Lakes From Periurban Areas Based On The DPSIR Framework.

The deterioration of water quality worldwide is a serious environmental problem. Water managers still need operational tools to assess water issues and to inform water planning and decision-making. The aim of this article is to propose a 3-step methodological framework for assessing water pollution problems by combining a conceptual modeling tool (DPSIR) with the development of a quantitative model (Multi-Criteria Decision Model). This contribution provides a practical and flexible evaluation tool for conducting an integrated assessment of eutrophication and agrochemicals delivered to groundwater-dependent shallow lakes. It lays out action guidelines for decision-making environmental managers within the context of intermediate cities in developing countries. Forty-one indicators were identified to characterize the D-P-S-I compartments and for the multi-criteria model conceptualization. In this work, response options analysis consisted of evaluating and choosing water management instruments via a decision support tool. Two lake watersheds located in the peri-urban of two middle-size cities, in Argentina, were chosen to illustrate this methodological approach. The ensuing results allowed establishing a ranking of areas to prioritize, identifying a criteria and sub-criteria to focus on in order to set out action guidelines to minimize water pollution and eutrophication. These action guidelines are urgently needed in emerging countries, where financial, human resources and infrastructure are limited. The scarcity of such causes important implications regarding policy solutions for environmental issues. The implemented decision support tool in both lake watersheds provided a common basis for the understanding of the ongoing water pollution problems and a quantitative ranking (i.e., decision scores) for defining specific actions (responses) for human-induced stresses on such natural systems.