Systematic review on the implementation of metrological assurance systems for medical devices in Latin America.

Background: Metrology plays a crucial role in small healthcare service businesses to ensure the quality of products and services. While legal metrology in healthcare exists in some regions, it lacks harmonization. In other countries, there is limited presence of metrology in medical and biomedical engineering. We aimed to evaluate the implementation of metrological assurance systems for medical devices in Latin America. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines and registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022359284). Searches were performed across 13 databases from October 30th to November 3rd, 2022. The search equation was "(((quality assurance) AND (metrology)) AND (medical devices))." A total of 7,789 documents were identified, of which only 16 met the inclusion criteria. Results: The majority of studies (75%) were conducted in Colombia, with a significant portion being undergraduate theses. The primary normative references used in the analyzed studies were ISO 10012 and ISO 17025, with the majority (68.75%) relying on national legislation for their approach. One study in Colombia referenced eight standards, and one in Brazil analyzed user involvement in medical device management. Among the included studies, 56.25% were conducted in healthcare institutions, mainly clinics. Most studies provided implementation guidelines, with ISO 10012 being prominent, alongside ISO 17025, which implicitly addresses ISO 9001 elements. Global bias was low across all studies. Conclusion: Our results underscore the importance of metrological assurance in managing medical devices in Latin America. The utilization of international standards and national legislation illustrates the diverse approaches adopted by different institutions. Future research should focus on optimizing metrological practices to enhance quality and safety in healthcare.

Influence of the geographic location and house characteristics on the concentration of microplastics in indoor dust.

Microplastics (MPs) are known for their ubiquity, having been detected in virtually any environmental compartment. However, indoor MPs concentrations are poorly studied despite being closely related to human exposure. The present study aims to evaluate the presence of MPs in settled atmospheric dust in 60 houses distributed in 12 districts of the metropolitan city of Lima, Peru, and investigate the influence of their geographical location and house characteristics. MPs concentration ranged from 0.01 to 33.9 MPs per mg of dust. Fibers and blue were the most frequent shape and color (98 % and 69 %, respectively). Also, 82 % of the particles were between 500 µm - 5 mm in size. A higher concentration of MPs was identified in the center-south of the city. The houses located on the highest floors (levels 4 to 13 to ground) displayed higher concentrations. MPs were primarily composed of polyester (PET), polypropylene (PP), and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), among others. The polymers identified suggest that MPs derived from the fragmentation of components frequently found in houses, such as synthetic clothing, food storage containers, toys, carpets, floors, and curtains. The incorporation of MPs from the outside into dwellings is not ruled out. Future studies should evaluate the influence of consumption habits and housing characteristics on the abundance of MPs.

REPSOL oil spill off Central Perú in January 2022: A modeling case study.

This study simulates the spillage of 1460 metric tons of oil that occurred in January 2022 off La Pampilla Refinery, in central Perú. The oil slick was predominantly displaced northward along the coastline, driven by prevailing currents and winds in the region. The weathering analysis revealed that the removal of oil was mainly due to evaporation (28%) and beaching processes (70%) within 96 h after the initial release. The coastal areas spanning from Ventanilla to Punta Chancay experienced significant impacts from the oil spill, representing 96% of the total affected coastal extent. Specifically, Ventanilla and Santa Rosa Beaches and the National Reserve System of Islands were heavily impacted during the first 24 h, while the surroundings of Ancón Bay, Aucallama and Pasamayo beaches were affected after two days. This modeling case study provides valuable insights into the fate and transport of the Repsol oil spill.

Rajids ovipositing on marine litter: A potential threat to their survival.

Marine litter is a complex environmental issue threatening the well-being of multiple organisms. In the present study, we present an overlooked pathway by which marine litter interaction with certain ovigerous skates (Family: Rajidae) communities could compromise their survival. We propose that skates from the genus Sympterygia deposit their egg capsules on marine litter substrates by accident, which are then washed ashore still unhatched. We conducted 10 monitoring surveys on three beaches of La Libertad Region, on the north coast of Peru, looking for marine litter conglomerates to determine the presence of egg capsules. We registered a total of 75 marine litter conglomerates, containing 1595 egg capsules, out of which only 15.9 % were presumably hatched, and 15.8 % were still fresh. Fishing materials were identified as the main item in marine litter conglomerates. We conclude that this behavior could contribute to the decline of Sympterygia communities, although further research is needed.

Are we underestimating floating microplastic pollution? A quantitative analysis of two sampling methodologies.

Microplastics (MPs) are widespread in the water column of several aquatic ecosystems. Thus, the sampling methodology is considered as a basic factor influencing MPs abundance. In this baseline, a total of 67 investigations were chosen to conduct a quantitative analysis between two sampling methods: Trawl and bulk. The aim is to report a general overview of the MPs abundance and characteristic differences based on the sampling procedures and provide methodological recommendations. MPs abundance reported by bulk studies is 3500 higher than trawl studies. Furthermore, the morphological types and polymers abundances were statistically affected by the type of sampling tool. Conversely, MPs size ranges were significantly different between sampling procedures, suggesting that trawling underestimates the smaller MPs fractions. The analysis confirms that the sampling methods should be selected based on the research objectives. In this sense, it is recommended to combine both types of sampling procedures to obtain comprehensive data.

Binational survey of personal protective equipment (PPE) pollution driven by the COVID-19 pandemic in coastal environments: Abundance, distribution, and analytical characterization.

In the present contribution, two nationwide surveys of personal protective equipment (PPE) pollution were conducted in Peru and Argentina aiming to provide valuable information regarding the abundance and distribution of PPE in coastal sites. Additionally, PPE items were recovered from the environment and analyzed by Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and compared to brand-new PPE in order to investigate the chemical and structural degradation of PPE in the environment. PPE density (PPE m-2) found in both countries were comparable to previous studies. FTIR analysis revealed multiple polymer types comprising common PPE, mainly polypropylene, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyester. SEM micrographs showed clear weathering signs, such as cracks, cavities, and rough surfaces in face masks and gloves. EDX elemental mapping revealed the presence of elemental additives, such as Ca in gloves and face masks and AgNPs as an antimicrobial agent. Other metals found on the surface of PPE were Mo, P, Ti, and Zn. XRD patterns displayed a notorious decrease in the crystallinity of polypropylene face masks, which could alter its interaction with external contaminants and stability. The next steps in this line of research were discussed.

Abundance and distribution of microplastics on sandy beaches of Lima, Peru.

Microplastic pollution is a problem of global scale, posing a threat to marine biota. To determine the current state of microplastic pollution on four popular sandy beaches of the coast of Lima, Peru, a sampling campaign was carried out in both intertidal and supralittoral zones. Microplastic abundance, type, size, color and distribution were recorded. The overall microplastic abundance was of the same order of magnitude as previous data obtained in Peru. Foams were the most abundant (78.3%) microplastic type. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences between sites and zones. High variability of microplastic abundance was found among adjacent beaches and zones. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed that all foams were identified as polystyrene. The present results revealed an alarming level of microplastics present on Peruvian sandy beaches, but information about the sources, local dynamics and impacts of microplastics in this region are scarce, and thus further research is needed.

Biogeochemical validation of an interannual simulation of the ROMS-PISCES coupled model in the Southeast Pacific / Validación biogeoquímica de una simulación interanual del modelo acoplado ROMS-PISCES en el Pacífico Sudeste

Currently biogeochemical models are used to understand and quantify key biogeochemical processes in the ocean. The objective of the present study was to validate predictive ability of a regional configuration of the PISCES biogeochemical model on main biogeochemical variables in Humboldt Current Large Marine Ecosystem (HCLME). The statistical indicators used to evaluate the model were the bias, root-mean-square error, correlation coefficient and, graphically, the Taylor’s diagram. The results showed that the model reproduces the dynamics of the main biogeochemical variables (chlorophyll, dissolved oxygen and nutrients); in particular, the impact of El Niño 1997-1998 in the chlorophyll (decrease) and oxygen minimum zone depth (increase). However, it is necessary to carry out sensitivity studies of the PISCES model with different key parameters values to obtain a more accurate representation of the properties of the Ocean.

Los modelos biogeoquímicos en la actualidad son utilizados para entender y cuantificar los principales procesos biogeoquímicos que suceden en el océano. El objetivo del presente estudio es validar estadísticamente la habilidad predictiva de una simulación del modelo biogeoquímico PISCES en reproducir la dinámica de las principales variables biogeoquímicas del Ecosistema de la Corriente de Humboldt (ECH). Para evaluar el modelo se utilizaron indicadores estadísticos: sesgo, error de la raíz del cuadrado medio, coeficiente de correlación y gráficamente el diagrama de Taylor. Los resultados muestran que el modelo es capaz de reproducir la dinámica de las principales variables biogeoquímicas (clorofila, oxígeno disuelto y nutriente), captando bien el impacto que tiene El Niño 1997-1998 en la clorofila (disminución) y profundidad de la zona mínima de oxígeno (incremento). Es necesario llevar a cabo estudios de sensibilidad del modelo PISCES usando diferentes valores de los principales parámetros para obtener una mejor representación de las propiedades biogeoquímicas del océano.