Evaluating physico-chemical and biological impacts of brine discharges for a sustainable desalination development on South America's Pacific coast.

The expansion of seawater desalination is presented as a new way to supply fresh water for many coastal regions as an effort to counteract the increasing water scarcity. However, brine discharges also pose significant environmental challenges regarding their potential environmental impacts of marine ecosystems. The main objective of this study was to assess the physico-chemical impact of the brine discharges from Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) desalination plants on South America pacific coastal ecosystems, assessing its potential physical-chemical impact (temperature, salinity, density and dissolved oxygen) on the receiving marine environment, and evaluating the oxidative and osmotic stress responses of the red macroalgae Rhodymenia corallina through diagnostic biomarkers in field-transplantation experiments.

Assessment of brine discharges dispersion for sustainable management of SWRO plants on the South American Pacific coast.

Seawater desalination is one of the most feasible technologies for producing fresh water to address the water scarcity scenario worldwide. However, environmental concerns about the potential impact of brine discharge on marine ecosystems hinder or delay the development of desalination projects. In addition, scientific knowledge is lacking about the impact of brine discharges on the South America Pacific coast where desalination, is being developed.

A risk assessment on Zostera chilensis, the last relict of marine angiosperms in the South-East Pacific Ocean, due to the development of the desalination industry in Chile.

Seagrasses, which are considered among the most ecologically valuable and endangered coastal ecosystems, have a narrowly limited distribution in the south-east Pacific, where Zostera chilensis is the only remaining relict. Due to water scarcity, desalination industry has grown in the last decades in the central-north coasts of Chile, which may be relevant to address in terms of potential impacts on benthic communities due to their associated high-salinity brine discharges to subtidal ecosystems. In this work, we assessed ecophysiological and cellular responses to desalination-extrapolable hypersalinity conditions on Z.

Limited predatory effects on infaunal macrobenthos community patterns in intertidal soft-bottom of Arctic coasts.

Predation shapes marine benthic communities and affects prey species population dynamics in tropic and temperate coastal systems. However, information on its magnitude in systematically understudied Arctic coastal habitats is scarce. To test predation effects on the diversity and structure of Arctic benthic communities, we conducted caging experiments in which consumers were excluded from plots at two intertidal sedimentary sites in Svalbard (Longyearbyen and Thiisbukta) for 2.

A novel fast-vegetative propagation technique of the pioneer shrub on mine tailings by adding compost.

Interest in has increased as an alternative for assisted phytostabilization due to its spontaneous colonization of tailings dumps. The search for a novel fast-vegetative propagation technique to accelerate its coverage on mine tailings is a promising research area for sustainable mine closure plans. In this study, we determined the optimal proportion of compost and tailings as growing media to promote fast propagation through a compound layering technique.

Merkel cell polyomavirus detected in head and neck carcinomas from Chile.

Background: The role of human polyomaviruses (HPyVs) in epithelial tumors such as head and neck carcinomas (HNSCCs) including oral and oropharyngeal carcinomas has not been established. In this study, we evaluated for the first time the presence of Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), BK human polyomavirus (BKPyV), and JC human polyomavirus (JCPyV) in HNSCCs from Chilean subjects.

Methods: One hundred and twenty HNSCCs were analyzed for the presence of MCPyV, BKPyV and JCPyV using real-time polymerase chain reaction procedures.

Consistent Richness-Biomass Relationship across Environmental Gradients in a Marine Macroalgal-Dominated Subtidal Community on the Western Antarctic Peninsula.

Biodiversity loss has spurred the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning research over a range of ecosystems. In Antarctica, however, the relationship of taxonomic and functional diversity with ecosystem properties (e.g.

Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in close relatives of intensive care unit patients: Prevalence data resemble that of earthquake survivors in Chile.

Introduction: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in relatives of intensive care unit (ICU) patients has not been fully described. We studied potential relationships between PTSD and specific patients' conditions and relatives' psychologic characteristics.

Methods: This is a prospective study of family caregivers of ICU patients.

Involvement of citizens in hazardous waste management and use of recycling centres in the city of Madrid (Spain).

In Spain, hazardous household waste management by citizens occurs via fixed recycling centres (FRC) and mobile recycling centres (MRC) which usually depend on local governments. This paper addresses a request by the Madrid City Council, in an attempt to improve the service it provides to the city of Madrid. The aim of the study involved analysing the information people possess in relation to hazardous waste and to the use of available equipment, and conducting a post-evaluation of the effectiveness of an environmental communication campaign conducted by the Madrid City Council and aimed at providing awareness of the existence of new FRCs and MRCs.