Browsing by Autor "Carme Huguet"

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Environmental impacts associated with gold mining in Chocó, Colombia
(2023) Carme Huguet; Laura Vanesa Rodríguez-Arcila; David Wîdory
The Choc department is located in the western part of Colombia and known for its biodiversity but also for alluvial gold mining exploitation, which represents the main local economic activity.Metal mining is concentrated in the upper and middle part of the Atrato river basin, with mainly gold and platinum deposits, but its effects have been detected downstream all the way to the river's discharge in the Caribbean (e.g.Palacios-Torres et al., 2018).The aim of this study was to assess the impact of mining on the overall environmental health and to evaluate the potential exposure of the population.To achieve this, metal and semimetal concentrations in water, sediment and soil samples in the Quito river, located in the upper portion of the Atrato basin, were measured.Additionally, the mercury content of fish mussels was determined to trace the potential metal incorporation into the food web.Metal concentrations in water and sediments were the highest immediately after active mining areas, allowing us to establish a direct correlation with gold extraction.Soils showed incorporation of copper, and cadmium in shallow horizons most likely from mining waste dumping.Mining activity has also resulted in a decrease of the tree cover in the exploitation areas as well as changes in the river channel and an overall reduction in biodiversity.Fish species with higher trophic levels present greater mercury concentrations suggesting food web magnification.While metal levels in fish are generally below the 0.5 g/g guidelines (WHO, 2017), most people in the area consume contaminated fish daily.Epidemiological studies in the area indicate metal levels up to 3 orders of magnitude higher in people's blood and urine, confirming a strong accumulation and magnification through the food web.It is crucial to carry out further studies in the area aimed at examining the geochemistry, origin and accumulation sites of metals and semimetals of importance in public health.
Introducing Geosciences in a blended Education Master degree
(2018) Carme Huguet; Idael Francisco Blanco-Quintero; Martha Cecilia Henao Mejía; Francy Julieth Moreno Vela; Lizeth Andrea Chimbí Sanchez
The aim of the project was to introduce the subject of geosciences to a group of teachers without previous knowledge of the subject. Since the students of module presented here work full time, the master was designed in a blended format. While all students had completed their university education, none had done any geoscience studies/courses before making the starting level basic for the whole course. Contents and activities were carefully selected to provide a good introduction to geosciences giving the students the basic concepts and letting them apply them in a problem based strategy. Students reported that besides the blended nature of the course collaborative learning was necessary and key to their learning process. They also reported the contents of the course to be clear, organized sufficient and interesting. We view the module as a success since all students reported enjoying the module and building novel knowledge in the field of geosciences. Additionally since the students are in turn teachers we were very happy to learn some of them will implement geosciences in their activities in the future.
Natural and Anthropogenic Sources of Cadmium in Cacao Crop Soils in Santander, Colombia
(Research Square (United States), 2021) Valentina Joya-Barrero; Carme Huguet; Jillian Pearse
Abstract Cadmium (Cd) levels in cacao products from Santander, the main producing area in Colombia, are well above those permitted for export of cocoa products and may pose a potential health hazard. High Cd in cacao is related to the high content of the metal in beans, which in turn is linked to high concentrations of Cd in soils. Geochemical and petrographic analyses of fertilizer, soil and rock samples from three farms were carried out to determine the sources of Cd and soil characteristics that can affect its bioavailability, in order to identify strategies that may reduce Cd in cocoa. Autochthonous natural sources determine the Cd concentration in soils, with a high correlation between elevated Cd in sedimentary parental rocks and soil metal levels. While no industrial or mining inputs were present, an organic fertilizer was identified as a great allochthonous source of Cd in soils. High levels in the fertilizer were probably due to bioaccumulation of the element, since it was sourced from animals in the same area. The addition of crop waste to fertilize the soil may further contribute bioavailable Cd. Even though the pH range, high OM content and presence of Mn and K all diminish bioavailability, the high metal content in the farm soils still results in significant uptake by the cocoa plants and accumulation in the beans. We suggest that phytoremediation and biological amendments, as well as testing of fertilizers before application, could all be cost-effective solutions to reduce Cd levels in the final product.
Using Augmented Reality to engage audiences in the understanding of the Carbon cycle
(2023) Carme Huguet; Jillian Pearse; Álvaro Lozano-Tarazona
We designed an activity to improve understanding of the Carbon cycle, which is key for life on Earth.The activity had 2 main objectives: a) Increase understanding of the Carbon cycle, its reservoirs and fluxes and comprehend the notion of imbalance and human interference; b) Motivate a wider audience to learn about the Carbon cycle and how we are part of it.The reason for using augmented reality (AR) coupled to inquiry-based learning was to motivate students to complete the activity independently and make it more appealing to a wider audience.By layering virtual information over the real physical world (3D models with animations), AR provides an exciting array of enhanced learning and engagement educational possibilities (e.g.Wang et al., 2018).In fact, AR has been linked to increased concept understanding, long term concept retention and motivation at all levels (e.g.Wang et al., 2018).As the Carbon cycle is complex, we used a simplified one to design the activity, retaining all the key repositories and fluxes (e.g.Killops and Killops 2005).The Carbon cycle was divided into 7 stations that were placed throughout the university campus, and which can be accessed by anybody using an android smartphone.They can choose to complete the whole cycle and answer a questionnaire, or just browse freely.Those who completed the activity were requested to answer a short activity survey.An 84.8 % of the users report that activity increased their motivation, and that it contained clear information and 90.9% reported that their knowledge of the Carbon cycle had significantly improved.We hope that giving users the opportunity to live the Carbon cycle, and see the magnitude of the impact human activity has on it, will foster interest in what we can do to reduce or mitigate the impact we are having on our planet.