Abundance and distribution of cigarette butts on the sand of five touristic beaches in Latin America during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cigarette butts (CB) and cigarette butt fibers (CBF) are highly abundant and frequent residues on beach sand. Also, they are hazardous waste due to their significant toxicity and potential risk to the ecosystems' biota and the health of beach tourists. This study aimed to determine the abundance and density of CB and CBF found on the active, rest, and service zones of five pilot beaches in Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Mexico. The methodology involved collecting CB and CBF in 500 m2 transects of urban tourist beaches using a citizen science-adapted methodology between June 2021 and May 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The abundance and density of CB and CBF, and the Cigarette Butt Pollution Index (CBPI) were calculated. The highest proportion of CB was found in service and rest areas. Bocagrande (CO) reported the highest generation of CB and CBF and a severe CBPI.

Plastics and microplastics, effects on marine coastal areas: a review.

Plastics have become strong environmental stressors of coastal marine ecosystems. Their introduction into the marine ecosystem is subjected to different mechanisms, including the inadequate disposal of solid waste and dumping of wastewater. In addition, their chemical composition makes them resistant to variables such as temperature and salinity of water. These polymers are degraded and fragmented mainly due to the action of the waves, which results in the formation of smaller particles called microplastics. Microplastics are characterized by being persistent in the environment due to their low biodegradation, and although they have a maximum size of 5 mm, there is a wide range of sizes suggested by different authors. According to their use, microplastics can be classified as primary when they are recognized at first sight, and as secondary, when they are gradually divided. Microplastics have become a potential risk to the health of marine species due to their small size, and the risk to human health due to their persistence through trophic chains is alarming. Given the potential impact these materials would have in the biota, and the need to assist the different regulatory agencies to develop political acts on the proper management and disposal of microplastics, the aim of this work was to identify different research carried out at international level on established methodologies for studies of identification and quantification of microplastics, bacterial communities, and contaminants adhered to microparticles. Given the above, some methodologies have been identified and used in various studies for the identification and quantification of these materials on beaches. It should be noted that in different countries, there has been an increase in research related to contamination by microplastics on beaches, in which bacterial communities attached to these plastic particles have been also identified. Likewise, not only the risks and threats have been determined for marine species but also for the health of people who frequent tourist places such as beaches.

Aprendizaje ambiental significativo a través de la implementación de un modelo de educación ambiental, estudio de caso: institución educativa de Machado Bolívar - Colombia / Significant environmental learning through the implementation of an environmental education model. Case study: educational institution in Machado, Bolívar- Colombia

El proyecto desarrollado en la Institución Educativa de Machado, municipio de Arroyohondo en el departamento de Bolívar, Colombia, tuvo como objetivo generar un aprendizaje ambiental significativo en niños y adolescentes; de forma tal que se modifiquen actitudes y comportamientos frente a situaciones que contribuyen al deterioro y contaminación del ambiente. Los conocimientos adquiridos y los cambios actitudinales y participativos que presentaron los niños y jóvenes, mostraron los resultados positivos de trabajar educación ambiental de manera transversal en el Proyecto Educativo Institucional, encaminado a la conservación de los recursos y a la formación de sujetos más comprometidos y responsables con el ambiente. La metodología participativa incluyó una etapa de planificación, implementación, verificación y mejora continua del proceso, donde a partir de la identificación de las condiciones ambientales existentes, se establecen los lineamientos necesarios para generar un Programa de Educación Ambiental. Como resultado se obtiene la línea base ambiental y la estructuración de cuatro programas sobre los cuales debe trabajar la institución educativa en formación ambiental.

The project developed in the educational institution in Machado, Municipality of Arroyohondo in the Department of Bolivar, Colombia aimed to generate a significant environmental learning in children and adolescents in such a way that attitudes and behaviors are modified in situations that contribute to the deterioration and contamination of the environment. The knowledge acquired and the attitudinal and participatory changes displayed by the children and youngsters showed the positive results of working environmental education in a cross-curricular way in the Institutional Educational Project (PEI in Spanish), aimed at the conservation of resources and the training of people more committed and responsible with the environment. The participatory methodology included a planning, implementation, verification and continuous improvement process where, from the identification of the existing environmental conditions, the necessary guidelines to generate an environmental education program are established. As a result, the environmental baseline and the structuring of four programs on which the educational institution must work in environmental training are obtained.

Anti-Inflammatory Activity and Cheminformatics Analysis of New Poten t 2-Substituted 1-Methyl-5-Nitroindazolinones.

After the identification of the anti-inflammatory properties of VA5-13l (2-benzyl-1- methyl-5-nitroindazolinone) in previous investigations, some of its analogous compounds were designed, synthesized and evaluated in two anti-inflammatory methods: LPS-enhanced leukocyte migration assay in zebrafish; and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced mouse ear edema. The products evaluated (3, 6, 8, 9 and 10) showed the lower values of relative leukocyte migration at 30 µM (0.14, 0.07, 0.10, 0.13 and 0.07, respectively), while in ear edema and myeloperoxidase activity methods, all the compounds reduced inflammation, only 4 and 16 yielded unsatisfactory results. The relationship linking structure and activity (SAR analysis) was determinate by using SARANEA software. The importance of the 5-Nitro group of the indazole ring for the activity was evident, and showed modest reduction when benzyl (Bn) is changed by alkyl group. A substituted Bn moiety at N2 (R) is the best substituent (5-10); nevertheless, if methylene group of Bn is deleted, the activity is affected. Also, introduction of halogen atoms mainly at positions 3 or 4 of the benzyl moiety (6 and 10) leads in general to strong activities. In fact, compounds 7 and 8 (R = 4-FBn or 4-ClBn, respectively) exhibit satisfactory results in in vivo tests and appear promising. The production of IL-6 at all doses assayed was significantly reduced, except with 16. Nonetheless, the production of TNF-α was significantly inhibited only by this chemical (16) at concentration of 50 µM. On the other hand, compound 2 was the one that mostly inhibited the expression of COX-2 and iNOS. From these results, it can be concluded that the inhibition in the release of cytokines can be one of the mechanisms of action responsible for the anti-inflammatory effect for 2-benzyl derivates while other 2-alkyl derivatives can inhibit production of NO. Therefore, nitroindazolinone chemical prototype could be an interesting structural group with anti-inflammatory purposes in the therapeutic.