Lesly Patricia Tejeda Benítez

Evaluación de la degradación ambiental de bolsas plásticas biodegradables

Plastic bags are used as disposable materials, and they are released into the environment at an increasing rate. For this reason many manufacturers are producing degradable polymeric material-based bags, like for example the polyhydroxyalkanoates and the polylactates. In this work, the degradability of bags declared as degradable by their manufacturers, was evaluated by exposure to the environment, and compared to those of the conventional bags. Three parameters were studied: weight loss, water absorption and mechanical strength. The results showed that the degradable bags suffered greater weight loss, increased water absorption and lower mechanical strength before and after exposure to the environment than the conventional bags. This show that the chemical modifications made by manufacturers, actually promote their degradation.

Uso de extractos de plantas como inhibidores de corrosión

Corrosion problems are common in the chemical, petroleum, naval, civil construction industry, in transportation, communication systems, among others. Corrosion inhibitors are widely used in the control and prevention of this phenomenon; most of the compounds used for this purpose are often too toxic, expensive and harmful to the environment and humans. This has created the need for corrosion inhibitors that are environmentally friendly and inexpensive. The plant extracts are biodegradable and represent a renewable source of chemical compounds that have a high potential as inhibitors. This paper presents a review of the variety of higher plants and algae that have been used as corrosion inhibitors showing the type of metal (steel, zinc and aluminum) and environmental exposure conditions (acidic and neutral).

Aprovechamiento de lodos de aguas residuales

El manejo y disposicion de los lodos generados en el tratamiento de las aguas residuales ha sido un problema ambiental, economico y tecnologico para municipios e industrias. En este articulo se muestran los conceptos mas importantes relacionados con el tema de los lodos y la forma de aprovechar sus propiedades en multiples aplicaciones.

CARACTERIZACIÓN Y EVALUACIÓN DE LA CALIDAD DEL AGUA DE ORIGEN SUBTERRÁNEO

En el presente trabajo se determinaron las caracteristicas fisicoquimicas y microbiologicas del agua que actualmente se esta consumiendo en el municipio de Ovejas (Sucre), teniendo en cuenta lo establecido en el decreto 475 de 1998 del Ministerio de Salud Nacional. Igualmente se evaluaron los procesos de captacion, tratamiento y distribucion del agua, por comparacion de caracteristicas entre muestras tomadas en diferentes sitios del municipio: en los pozos, estacion de rebombeo, tanques de almacenamiento y varios tramos en la red de distribucion, los cuales fueron seleccionados de tal manera que se consideraron todos los sectores del municipio.Las caracteristicas del agua que se determinaron fueron: pH, color, olor, turbiedad, dureza total y calcica, solidos totales, sustancias flotantes, cloruros, nitratos, nitratos, sulfatos, hierro total soluble, manganeso, conductividad, cloro residual libre, coliformes totales y Escherichia coli.