Browsing by Author "Arce, Guillermo"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    A comparative study of soil metal concentrations in Chilean urban parks using four pollution indexes
    (2022) Vega, Alejandra; Arce, Guillermo; Rivera, Javier I.; Acevedo, Sara E.; Reyes Paecke, Sonia; Bonilla, Carlos A.; Pasten Gonzalez, Pablo Arturo; CEDEUS (Chile)
    Toxic metal enrichment in urban soils from natural and anthropogenic sources is a public health concern thatchallenges sustainable urban development. Active and legacy mining is likely a major contributor of localizedmetal pollution in resource-based economies, although other sources associated with industrial and trans-portation activities may also contribute in urban settings. In mining countries, such as Chile, with no soil qualityregulation, public policies that seek to protect human health should assess metal distribution and pollution in-dexes to guide interventions, especially in urban green spaces. To assess the role of active and legacy miningwaste sites within the urban and peri-urban areas, metal concentrations in the soils of urban parks weremeasured in this study, and four pollution indexes were calculated for four cities of Chile. Copiap ́o and Andacolloin northern Chile represented the cities with several active and legacy mining waste sites located within theurban and peri-urban areas, while conurbation La Serena-Coquimbo and Gran Santiago represented the cities inmining districts that lacked major mining waste sites within their urban perimeters. A total of 82 (Copiap ́o), 30(Andacollo), 26 (La Serena-Coquimbo), and 59 (Gran Santiago) composite surface soil samples were collectedfrom the urban parks. Considering Canadian guidelines for residential/parkland soils, the value for Cu (63 mg/kg) was found to be exceeded in 99%, 50%, 100%, and 97% of samples collected from Copiap ́o, La Serena-Coquimbo, Andacollo, and Gran Santiago, respectively. The guidelines for lead (140 mg/kg) and zinc (250mg/kg) were exceeded in less than 12% of samples collected from Copiap ́o and Gran Santiago. Arsenic was notmainly quantified (<10% quantification frequency, quantification limit = 36 mg/kg). The calculated modifiedpollution load, Nemerow, and soil quality indexes indicated that soils in the urban parks were more polluted incities with urban mine wastes, however, the pollution load index ranked higher metal pollution in Gran Santiago.This study presented the first comparative study of metals in urban parks of Chile, highlighting a large proportionof parks with soil copper concentrations above the international guidelines, while showing higher median values in cities containing urban mine waste disposal sites.
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    Dynamics of metals in street dust after a mudslide: Case of mining city in Chile
    (2019) Vega Contreras, Alejandra Soledad; Arce, Guillermo; Carkovic Aguilera, Athena B.; Moya, Pablo; Coquery, Marina; Pastén González, Pablo Arturo; CEDEUS (Chile)
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    Localising urban sustainability indicators: the CEDEUS indicator set, and lessons from an expert-driven process
    (Elsevier Ltd., 2020) Steiniger, Stefan; Wagemann, Elizabeth; Barrera Melgarejo, Francisco Javier de la; Molinos Senante, María; Villegas Salgado, Rodrigo Andrés; Fuente, Helen de la; Vives Vergara, Alejandra; Arce, Guillermo; Herrera Maldonado, Juan Carlos; Carrasco Montagna, Juan Antonio; Pasten González, Pablo Arturo; Muñoz Abogabir, Juan Carlos; Barton, Jonathan Richard; CEDEUS (Chile)
    The development and application of urban sustainability indicators has gained momentum in recent years, especially since the generation of specific urban indicators for the Agenda 2030. Urban sustainability is a broad concept involving many dimensions, therefore the generation of a short, but comprehensive list of indicators is a significant challenge. In this paper, we present a set of 29 indicators designed to characterise urban sustainability in Chile, which we also expect to be relevant to other cities, particularly in the Global South where issues of poverty and inequality are prevalent. We first outline the process of selecting the indicators through expert consultation. Then we present selected indicators, and the variables used to measure them. Subsequently the set is applied to six Chilean cities that are diverse in terms of population, socio-economic conditions and geography. We show that some indicators highlight negative nationwide trends that are common to the cities, while other indicators reveal notable differences that can be traced back to their local contexts. The CEDEUS indicators provide a complement to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for cities; therefore, a comparison is made with the SDGs. The indicator development process is critically examined and policy recommendations are given.
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    Response of suspended sediment particle size distributions to changes in water chemistry at an Andean mountain stream confluence receiving arsenic rich acid drainage
    (2017) Abarca, María; Guerra, Paula; Arce, Guillermo; Montecinos, Mauricio; Escauriaza Mesa, Cristián Rodrigo; Coquery, Marina; Pastén González, Pablo Arturo; CEDEUS (Chile)
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    Toward sustainability and resilience in Chilean cities: Lessons and recommendations for air, water, and soil issues
    (2023) Simon, François; Gironás León, Jorge Alfredo; Rivera, Javier; Vega, Alejandra; Arce, Guillermo; Molinos Senante, María; Jorquera, Héctor; Flamant, Gilles; Bustamante Gómez, Waldo; Greene, Margarita; Vargas Cucurella, Ignacio Tomás; Suárez Poch, Francisco Ignacio; Pastén González, Pablo Arturo; Cortés Arancibia, Sandra; CEDEUS (Chile)
    Achieving sustainability and resilience depends on the conciliation of environmental, social, andeconomic issues integrated into a long-term perspective to ensure communities flourish. Manynations are transitioning toward both objectives, while at the same time addressing structuralconcerns that have not allowed them to look after the environment in the past. Chile is one ofthese nations dealing with such challenges within a particular administrative context, anincreasing environmental awareness, and a set of unique and complex geophysical boundariesthat impose a plethora of hazards for cities, ecosystems, and human health. This paper presentsrecent accomplishments and gaps, mostly from an environmental perspective, on issues related toair pollution, the urban water cycle, and soil contamination, in the path being followed by Chiletoward urban sustainability and resilience. The focus is on the bonds between cities and theirgeophysical context, as well as the relationships between environmental issues, the built environment, and public health. The description and diagnosis are illustrated using two cities as casestudies, Temuco and Copiapo, ´ whose socioeconomic, geographical, and environmental attributesdiffer considerably. Particulate matter pollution produced by the residential sector, drinkingwater availability, wastewater treatment, stormwater management, and soil contamination fromthe mining industry are discussed for these cities. Overall, the case studies highlight how tacklingthese issues requires coordinated actions in multiple areas, including regulatory, information, and financial incentive measures. Finally, the policy analysis discusses frameworks and opportunitiesfor Chilean cities, which may be of interest when conceiving transitional paths toward sustainability and resilience for other cities elsewhere.