• Energy Research
• Open Access close
• Open Source close
• MX close
• US close
• Spanish close

Título en inglés: Anaerobic biodegradation of wastewater generated in the pulping of coffee Resumen El cultivo y procesado del café es una de las actividades agroindustriales más importantes en varios países de Latinoamérica; sin embargo, dicha actividad conlleva grandes impactos ambientales, ya que genera aguas residuales con alta carga contaminante. La peligrosidad ecológica de estos vertidos ha potenciado la búsqueda de alternativas para su tratamiento y disposición final. En este trabajo se empleó una comunidad microbiana proveniente del fluido ruminal vacuno, para investigar la factibilidad de su empleo en la depuración de aguas residuales provenientes del despulpado del café, mediante la disminución de la carga orgánica expresada como DQO, además del volumen de metano generado. La cinética de degradación fue seguida en un reactor por lotes, anaerobio y mesofílico de dos litros de capacidad, bajo diferentes condiciones de temperatura (28 y 36 ºC) y pH (4,6; 7 y 8,5). Los resultados mostraron un índice volumétrico de lodos de 0,44 mL/g y actividad metanogénica específica de 0,0076 gDQO/gSST*d. En la mayoría de los casos, los resultados de remoción de DQO fueron superiores a la mitad del contenido orgánico inicial, llegando a 91,2% con pH de 4,6 y 28 ºC en 16 días. Los resultados muestran que el consorcio bajo estudio es capaz de adaptarse al sustrato y degradar la mayor parte de su carga orgánica, lo cual lo convierte en una interesante opción biotecnológica para el tratamiento de vertidos del despulpado de café. Palabras clave: biorremediación; bacterias metanogénicas; digestión anaerobia; biogás. Abstract The cultivation and processed of coffee, is one of the agro-industrial activities more important in several countries in Latin America; however this activity involves high environmental impacts, because generate wastewater with high pollution load. The danger ecological these discharges, has maximized the search for alternatives of treatment and disposal. In this work, was used a microbial community from fluid ruminal of cow, to investigate the feasibility of your employment in the depuration of wastewater generated in the pulping of the coffee, through the reduction of organic matter expressed as COD, in addition of volume of methane generated. The kinetic of degradation was followed in a reactor batch, anaerobic and mesophilic of two liters of capacity, under different conditions of temperature (28 and 36ºC) and pH (4.6, 7 and 8.5). The results showed a volume index of sludge of 0.44 ml/g and activity specific methanogenic of 0.0076 gDQO/gSST*d. In most cases, the results of removal of COD was more than half of the initial organic content, reaching 91.2% with pH of 4.6 and 28 ºC in 16 days. The results show that the consortium under study is able to adapt to the substrate and degrade greater part of organic load, which makes it an interesting option biotechnology for the treatment of wastewater of pulping of coffee. Key words: bioremediation; methanogenic bacteria; anaerobic digestion; biogas.

Presentation on applicability of conservation agriculture techniques for mitigation of climate change. LTRA-7 (Pathways to CAPS in the Andes)

In this article, it was reviewed as the postpartum negative energy balance (NEB) affects the health and the reproductive efficiency of water buffaloes. The increase in the world buffalo population has been accompanied by an improvement in the milk yield per lactation and this could be causing negative consequences for health and reproductive efficiency, although there are still few studies about this relationship. Higher milk yield without the corresponding increase in the dry matter and energy intake can intensify the NEB, increasing weight and body condition loss, and this implies a decrease in glucose, insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels and the increases of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). This scenario may imply a greater susceptibility to diseases such as placental retention, endometritis, metritis and mastitis, as well as a longer period of anestrus, lower fertility and the lengthening of the interval to conception. To solve this situation, it is necessary to guarantee a good body condition at calving, and a high dry matter intake that allows reducing weight loss and body condition and different management, feeding and genetic alternatives are proposed.

La información por parte de los organismos públicos en el ámbito de la responsabilidad social (rs) es necesaria para legitimar sus actuaciones y dar a conocer a sus grupos de interés cómo están respondiendo a sus demandas. Las páginas web son en este mundo globalizado e informatizado un medio de comunicación adecuado y accesible. En este contexto, el objetivo del trabajo es analizar la información relacionada con la responsabilidad social que proporcionan los gobiernos locales europeos en sus páginas web y, en concreto, estudiar las corporaciones de las principales ciudades de los países nórdicos. Además se analizará si se pueden observar algunas pautas de comportamiento similares aplicando el análisis de conglomerados. Los resultados obtenidos permiten conocer el nivel de divulgación que estos países dan a la información relacionada con su comportamiento socialmente responsable y cuáles son los principales temas a los que prestan mayor atención. Public agencies should inform about their behavior in the space of the social responsibility not only to legitimate their existence but also to inform their stakeholders how they are responding to their demands. Web sites are a communication medium appropriate and accessible in this globalized and computerized world. In this context, the object of this investigation is to analyze the information related with the social responsibility that European town councils provide in their web pages, particularly of the main Nordic countries town councils. In addition, it will be analyzed if we can observe some similar guidelines of behavior applying the analysis cluster. The obtained results will allow to know the treatment that these countries give to the information related to socially responsible behavior and what are the main variables they are more responsive to. Estudio llevado a cabo con la ayuda de un proyecto de investigación financiado por la Junta de Andalucía (Ref. P09-SEJ-5395) y la de dos proyectos del Plan Nacional de Investigación (nos. ECO2010- 17463-ECON y ECO2010-20522-ECON).

¿Cómo se diferencian las fincas cafeteras campesinas en función de variables socioeconómicas y manejo de recursos? Esta fue la pregunta que motivó el presente estudio. Se analizaron los conglomerados de 39 fincas de Puriscal, Costa Rica, para establecer una tipología en función de trece variables. Se definieron tres tipos de fincas: de tecnología orgánica (TO), de tecnología mixta (TM) y de tecnología convencional (TC). En cada conglomerado se construyó una finca hipotética para analizarla como estudio de caso. En cada caso se realizó un análisis económico para determinar indicadores financieros y beneficio familiar en el corto plazo; además, se determinó la productividad energética. Los más altos beneficios financieros en el corto plazo se obtuvieron en el modelo TC, comparados con los sistemas TO y TM. Sin embargo, desde el punto de vista de la productividad energética, el modelo de caficultura orgánica presenta una mejor eficiencia, en la medida en que para producir un kilogramo (kg) de café en cereza se invirtieron 0,51 MJ/ kg, lo que representa la mitad de la energía requerida para producir el mismo kilogramo en los modelos TC (1,06 MJ/kg) y TM (0,97 MJ/kg). El estudio debe complementarse con seguimientos en el largo plazo. How do peasant coffee growing farms differ depending on socioeconomic variables and on resource management? That is precisely the question that motivated this study. The conglomerates of 39 farms in Puriscal, Costa Rica were analyzed, to establish a typology using thirteen variables. Three types of farms were defined: farms with organic technology (OT), farms with mixed technology (MT), and farms with conventional technology (CT). In each conglomerate, a hypothetical farm was built, to be analyzed as a case study. For each of these case studies, an economic analysis was made to determine short-term financial indicators and short-term family benefits; in addition, energy productivity was determined. The highest short-term financial benefits were obtained in the CT model as compared to those obtained in the OT and MT systems. However, for energy productivity, the organic coffee growing model presented more efficiency. Indeed, 0.51 MJ/kg was invested to produce one kilogram (kg) of coffee beans there; that represents half of the energy required to produce the same kilogram of coffee beans in the CT model (1.06 MJ/kg) and in the MT model (0.97 MJ/kg). This study requires long-term tracking complementation.

The aim of this investigation is to show the sustainability features of the chinampa practice in the Valley of Mexico: Xochimilco, applying a FODA diagnosis in order to reveal the environmental transcendence of this particular agricultural model. It is possible to determine that the development of the chinampa has basically two components: the native and social. The first one constitutes the local ecosystem composed by shallow water lakes that are included in a great surface across the valley of Mexico. The second one concerns to the social aspect; which is how the work gets organized, the cultural practices and the implementation of methods and agricultural technologies that are the result of the thousand-year-old wisdom of the autochthonous groups of the chinampa zone. Which has helped to support the integration of the members of the family, as well as providing self-employment and a self sustained source of food, these features show that this system of agricultural production is sustainable in the environmental, social and economic aspects. Nevertheless the chinampa production is affected by diverse aspects as the development of modern agriculture technologies, the urban growth and pollution of the water.

Climate and market shocks impact on the livelihood strategies of families in Altiplano communities. A household survey of 360 families in the Altiplano sheds light how families participate in markets, cope with climate and market shocks, and their feelings of control over these events. Theory proposes that the higher levels of capitals and climate resilient activities will result in a greater sense of control and therefore lower sense of dread. Cluster analysis identified three groups by wealth and life cycle characteristics in each region, as well as clear differences in income, assets, and market production activities between and within regions. Coping strategies in region facing warming and drying trends has focused on loss of assets, such as sales of animals. While in both regions there is diversity of income sources, the major source of diversity in Ancoraimes is crop varieties. While in both regions climatic shocks have had a negative impact on production, this has been experienced in Ancoraimes by 99 to 100 percent of the families, which has implications in terms of coping mechanism that rely on community networks. The other region has also experienced high rates of production shocks, from 71 to 92 percent of household members in each group. Strategies to diversify to climate resilient activities have resulted in increased off farm activities, mostly migration, in the lower income, lower asset region, while the greater assets in livestock, which face a more stable market and ability to withstand climate shocks presents a bifurcated response. Comparison between groups identified in the clusters for each region found no significant differences between groups on climate shock and climate change perceptions, in both regions. The rating on the risk of climate shock hazards at the household level was above 4 in a scale of 1-5 where 4 meant a very high threat and 5 an extreme threat. Umala households ratings were higher for the shocks than for change in climate with an average of 3.79 for the latter, while in Ancoraimes most of the risks were rated from 3.70 to 3.92, with the exception of climate change that was around 4. Overall though, in both regions climate hazard perceptions are high. Market risks are also considered a threat but rated lower than climate. Dread of losing outside networks of support was ranked high by elderly men and women, as well as the change in climate, in Umala, with no differences in Ancoraimes, but higher rates of dread overall do to the significance of this income in their livelihood strategies. Finding to date are consistent with theory, in that the dread, a reflection of the coping or lack of coping mechanisms, is higher in terms of markets for livestock in Umala, and higher in terms of loss of remittances from family members in Ancoraimes. The study finds that coping mechanism are based on individual household strategies, rather than community or institutions. LTRA-4 (Practices and Strategies for Vulnerable Agro-Ecosystems)

Partiendo del concepto de los sistemas complejos, dinámicos, no lineales, que integran larelación hombre-naturaleza, se propone una metodología fundamentada en la Lógica Difusa, para la determinación de la vulnerabilidad al cambio climático. Su aplicación se efectúa en los hogares rurales de los corregimientos de ladera de Cali, escogiendo como modelo el marco de los Medios de Vida Sostenibles (MVS). La información primaria se obtuvo de una encuesta entre los pobladores bajoel encabezado del concepto de los 5 Activos de los MVS: físicos, naturales, humanos, económicos-financieros y sociales-culturales-políticos. Se utilizó la caja de herramientas fuzzy de Matlab parala evaluación difusa de la capacidad de adaptación y la sensibilidad, los dos componentes de la vulnerabilidad. Para la especificación de la sensibilidad agrícola, sobre la base del cambio de aptitud delos cultivos de maíz, fríjol, plátano, yuca y café, entre 2015 y 2030, se aprovechó la disponibilidad de bases de datos como WorldClim, Ecocrop, IPCC y software como DivaGis y ArcGIS. La metodologíademostró ser promisoria como alternativa a los métodos lineales para medir la vulnerabilidad frente al cambio climático y permitió responder adecuadamente las tres preguntas de investigació Based on the concept of complex, dynamic, non-linear systems that integrate the man-nature relationship, a methodology based on fuzzy logic for determining vulnerability to climate change is proposed. Its application takes effect by rural households in the districts on the hillsides of Cali, choosing as a model the Sustainable Livelihood (SL) framework. Primary information was obtained from a survey among residents under the heading of the concept of the 5 SLAssets: physical, natural, human, economic-financial, socio-cultural-political. Matlab Fuzzy toolbox for fuzzy evaluationof adaptability and sensitivity, the two components of vulnerability is used. For specification of agricultural sensitivity, based on the change of suitability of maize, beans, bananas, cassava and coffee between 2015 and 2030, it was made the most of the availability of databases as WorldClim, Ecocrop, IPCC and software as a DivaGis and ArcGIS. The methodology proved to be promising as an alternative to linear methods to measure vulnerability to climate change and allowed adequately answering the three research questions