Medicinal Water? The occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments A short communication

Although very little is known about the transport, fate and toxic effects of medical compounds in aquatic environments, the presence of these compounds in potable water sources can no longer be overlooked. We can argue that trace concentrations of drugs in the water is relatively a minor problem, however, the current and future demands on global potable freshwater supplies will probably lead to greater incidents of indirect and direct water-reuse situations at the local, regional, and cross-border levels. It is important to remark that the solution of this emerging ecological issue does not rely on new and better wastewater treatment technologies, but a new paradigm of responsibility and the understanding of the relations between anthropogenic actions and their ecological effects as well. The objective of this brief communication is to present the state of the art of research conducted in the last decade in Europe and United States concerning the presence of pharmaceuticals products in aquatic environments.

RESUMENES DE PONENCIAS, SEMINARIO DEL AGUA (PRIGA-UNA)

-Sistematización de la experiencia de manejo de humdales en Costa Rica. Lillianna Piedra Castro y Juan Bravo-Contaminación por plaguicidas de las aguas superficiales y subterráneas de áreas agrícolas de la zona atlántica de Costa Rica. Luisa Eugenia Castillo y Clemens Ruepert-El proceso de sedimentación del río San Juan: desde los tributarios del Lago Cocibolca hasta el Mar Caribe. Sandra Leon Coto, Ricardo Sánchez, Yuri Saravia, David Benavidez, Daniel Ballestero y Álvaro Madrigal.-Bosque Nuboso en Costa Ricva: distribución, cambio de cobertura entre 1979 y 1977-2001 e implicaciones hidrológicas en el rendimiento hídrico en cuencas hidrográficas. Jorgue Fallas Gamboa.-Desarrollo de modelos industriales de filtros de zeolita para el tratamiento de aguas residuales. Svetlana Nikolaeva y Carlos Delgado.-Sistema de Información Brunca para el Desarrollo Sostenible (SIBRUDES). Ileana Arauz, Ileana Schmidt y Alan Zúniga.-Impacto potencial de la urbanización sobre los recursos hídricos en el canton de Belén, Costa Rica. Melissa Rodríguez, Jenny Reynolds y Gonzálo Gaínza.-Hipermapa climatológico de Costa Rica. Gonzalo Hernández.-Participación comunitaria para la conservación de humedales. Lilliana Piedra y Juan Bravo.-Comisión Interdisciplinaria de Microcuencas de Heredia. Roberto Ramírez, Alonso Alfaro, Vivian Solano, Aurelia Viquez, Higinia Rodriguez, Yamileth Conejo, Grettel Balmaceda, Antonieta Camacho y HArry Bonilla.-Reflejos. Gráficas del agua: conciencia y estética. Hernberth Bolaños Rivera.  

Caracterización molecular por patrones electroforéticos de isoenzimas esterasas en Lemna aequinoctialis y Lemna valdiviana (lemnaceae) de Costa Rica (ING)

The Lemnaceae family lacks morphologic and anatomical characteristics with comparative aims and for that reason the molecular studies has been necessary a differentiation. In Costa Rica there are two species of Lemna: Lemna aequinoctialis and Lemna valdiviana. With the objective of a molecular characterization and differentiation of both species were extracted isoenzymes esterases. The study was carried out in the Molecular Genetics Laboratory of the School of Biological Sciences at Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica. The technical electrophoresis in gel of polyacrylamida SDS-PAGE was used. It was difference in the pattern of isoenzymes between both species. According to previous molecular studies based on morphology and anatomy, flavonoides, isoenzymes, and DNA sequences of certain genes both species are very different; in addition they belong to different monophyletics groups. On the other hand, the importance of this molecular characterization is its possible use in water treatment, because the esterases have had important in the bioremediation. Also, species of the Lemnaceae family are used in the water treatment like bioremediation.