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Estudio retrospectivo bibliográfico multidisciplinario de las investigaciones ecotoxicológicas desarrolladas en Ecuador hasta el 2022.
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Researchers compiled a retrospective review of ecotoxicology research conducted in Ecuador through 2022, finding most studies focused on aquatic organisms, with contamination by heavy metals, microplastics, and coliforms frequently exceeding safety limits, and noting that much of the existing work remains in grey literature, limiting its policy impact.
Las investigaciones en toxicología han sido insuficientes en el Ecuador, a pesar de los casos reportados de productos alimenticios, particularmente de origen pesquero, con niveles de contaminantes que superan ampliamente los límites permitidos para consumo humano. Por ello, surge la necesidad urgente de información para prevenir y solucionar la problemática ambiental que origina esta situación. El objetivo de este estudio fue recopilar documentos y estudios relacionados a la ecotoxicología que se han desarrollado en el territorio ecuatoriano, contenidos en la literatura gris y científica. Se registraron datos como el año de publicación, la región, el lugar de ejecución, objeto de estudio, ambiente, el riesgo de contaminación por componentes químicos (metales pesados), físicos (microplásticos) y biológicos (coliformes), lo que facilitó comparar estos resultados con fuentes nacionales e internacionales, y evaluar el nivel de bioacumulación en los organismos registrados. El año 2016 tuvo la mayor cantidad de trabajos de investigación en la costa ecuatoriana, siendo los organismos de ambientes acuáticos los más analizados. Se identificó cantidades muy elevadas de contaminantes en varios de los modelos de bioensayo y ambientes reportados en el país, los cuales pueden terminar en el ser humano al momento de ingerir alimentos de origen animal o vegetal no tratados correctamente. En Ecuador, muchos de los trabajos toxicológicos registrados pertenecen a la literatura gris, limitando el alcance de resultados entre profesionales e instituciones de control que regulan los niveles de toxicidad y contaminación en los ecosistemas naturales. La flora y fauna han sido los mayormente perjudicados, pero la salud de la población ecuatoriana debe añadirse, ya que sufre enfermedades y padecimientos que pueden ser mortales por la ingesta indirecta de diversos contaminantes en los alimentos.
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Microplásticos, un problema de salud pública emergente
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Researchers conducted an unstructured literature review of microplastic contamination in Ecuador published over the last five years, finding chronological evidence of microplastics in oceans, freshwater, terrestrial ecosystems, air, food, and the human body, and concluding that microplastic pollution requires immediate control measures as a critical public health issue.
Plastic and microplastic pollution in Ecuador: Environmental evidence, human exposure, regulatory gaps, and circular economy responses // Poluição por plásticos e microplásticos no Equador: evidências ambientais, exposição humana, lacunas regulatórias e respostas da economia circular
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This review pulls together 109 studies showing that plastic and microplastic pollution in Ecuador is everywhere, not just on beaches, but in rivers, high-altitude lakes, glacier snow, and even food and drinking water like seafood, canned tuna, milk, honey, and bottled water. The catch: while people are clearly being exposed to microplastics through their diet, no study has yet actually measured whether this exposure is harming human health, so the real-world risk to your body remains an open question. The bigger takeaway is that Ecuador's waste management and recycling systems have major gaps, meaning this exposure is likely to contin
Efectos de la contaminación por micro plásticos en los ecosistemas marinos
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Researchers conducted a systematic literature review on microplastic contamination in marine ecosystems, documenting ingestion by organisms from zooplankton to marine mammals, bioaccumulation of co-contaminants, and evaluating mitigation strategies, concluding that coordinated global action and circular economy transitions are urgently needed.
Presença e efeitos da poluição plástica em peixes marinhos e de água doce
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This thesis (in Portuguese) investigates plastic contamination in freshwater and marine fish, examining physiological, functional, and ecological effects across multiple levels of biological organization, including food safety implications for human consumption. The author finds that the scientific community has made progress on understanding individual-level effects but that broader ecological impacts and ecosystem-level consequences remain underexplored. The work contributes important evidence that plastic pollution in fish poses intertwined risks for wildlife and the people who eat them.
Microplastics in Ecuador: A review of environmental and health-risk assessment challenges
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This review summarizes the current state of microplastic research in Ecuador, covering contamination in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments as well as potential health effects. Researchers found that while evidence of microplastic pollution across Ecuador is growing, significant gaps remain in monitoring coverage and risk assessment methods. The study calls for standardized sampling and analysis protocols to better understand the scope of microplastic contamination in the country.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.