Publications by authors named "J R Viguri"

Tens of thousands of anthropogenic chemicals and wastes enter the marine environment each year as a consequence of the ever-increasing anthropogenic activities and demographic growth of the human population, which is majorly concentrated along coastal areas. Marine ecotoxicology has had a crucial role in helping shed light on the fate of chemicals in the environment, and improving our understanding of how they can affect natural ecosystems. However, chemical contamination is not occurring in isolation, but rather against a rapidly changing environmental horizon.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Studies detailing the environmental impact of sunscreen products on coastal ecosystems are considered a high priority. In the present study, we have determined the release rate of dissolved trace metals (Al, Cd, Cu, Co, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, and Ti) and inorganic nutrients (SiO, P-PO, and N-NO) from a commercial sunscreen in seawater, and the role of UV radiation in the mobilization of these compounds. Our results indicate that release rates are higher under UV light conditions for all compounds and trace metals except Pb.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The complete bioconversion of the carbohydrate fraction is of great importance for a lignocellulosic-based biorefinery. However, due to the structure of the lignocellulosic materials, and depending basically on the main parameters within the pretreatment steps, numerous byproducts are generated and they act as inhibitors in the fermentation operations. In this sense, the impact of inhibitory compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials is one of the major challenges for a sustainable biomass-to-biofuel and -bioproduct industry.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Carbon dioxide (CO2) Capture and Storage (CCS) aims to reduce atmospheric CO2 by storing it in geological formations, but offshore storage poses risks of leaks that could acidify marine environments.
  • Changes in pH, either from CO2 leaks or other human and natural activities, can mobilize harmful trace elements from sediment, affecting water quality.
  • The study develops a model to predict how different acidification conditions influence the release of metals from sediments and highlights that even slight acidification can significantly impact aquatic ecosystems.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The influence of predation on the biofilm activated sludge (BAS) process is studied using a unified model that incorporates hydrolysis and predation phenomena into the two stages of the BAS system: moving bed biofilm reactor pre-treatment (bacterial-predator stage) and activated sludge (predator stage). The unified model adequately describes the experimental results obtained in a cellulose and viscose full-scale wastewater plant and has been used to evaluate the role and contribution of predator microorganisms towards removal of COD, nutrient requirements, sludge production and microbial distribution. The results indicate that predation is the main factor responsible for the reduction of both nutrient requirements and sludge production.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF