Lab

CINAES - UCB La Paz


About the lab

We are aimed at solving issues from the bottom to the headwaters! From water management towards technological solutions, with focus on the developing world. We are at the Universidad Católica Boliviana, in La Paz - Bolivia

Generamos soluciones en el mundo en desarrollo. Gestión, agua y saneamiento. Desde modelos conceptuales hasta soluciones tecnológicas. Tenemos el equipo!

Featured research (9)

El tratamiento y el análisis de las mediciones topobatimétricas genera una mejor comprensión de la dinámica sedimentaria de un embalse, esto contribuye a los encargados de la operación del embalse a implementar mejores prácticas de manejo, además de diseñar e implementar medidas efectivas para el manejo y conservación de estas importantes infraestructuras para asegurar su sostenibilidad. El propósito de este estudio fue analizar la información disponible de las topobatimetrías del embalse San Jacinto que fueron ejecutadas en 1989, 1995, 2004, 2013, 2016 y 2019, para así poder determinar la variación temporal y espacial del sedimento depositado. Este estudio permitió identificar los cursos de agua de mayor aporte de sedimentos y los patrones morfológicos longitudinales. Los resultados muestran que en 30 años de operación se tiene un volumen acumulado de sedimento de 16.5 hm3, 3.1 hm3 por encima del volumen muerto previsto en proyecto, evidenciando la subestimación de la vida útil en la etapa de diseño.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat to global health. Understanding the emergence, evolution, and transmission of individual antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is essential to develop sustainable strategies combatting this threat. Here, we use metagenomic sequencing to analyse ARGs in 757 sewage samples from 243 cities in 101 countries, collected from 2016 to 2019. We find regional patterns in resistomes, and these differ between subsets corresponding to drug classes and are partly driven by taxonomic variation. The genetic environments of 49 common ARGs are highly diverse, with most common ARGs carried by multiple distinct genomic contexts globally and sometimes on plasmids. Analysis of flanking sequence revealed ARG-specific patterns of dispersal limitation and global transmission. Our data furthermore suggest certain geographies are more prone to transmission events and should receive additional attention.
Compendio de publicaciones realizadas durante el periodo 2020-2021, a través de la Carrera de Ingeniería Ambiental, CINAES. Universidad Católica Boliviana "San Pablo".
It is evaluated the efficiency of Vicia faba (i.e., bean) seed flour, in water turbidity removal at drinking water treatment plants. The evaluation of the bean´s coagulant potential was carried out through the use of extracted aqueous and saline crude extract of the pure and delipidified flour. The experimental design with three levels and three factors, pointed out to the coagulant dose and the flocculation rate as the most important variables. The optimal coagulant dose of saline raw bean flour extract and the flocculation rate determined throughout the tests, resulted in a 49% reduction in turbidity in synthetic water (kaolinite), 33% in tank water from the sump tank of the drinking water company and 91.2% of the water adduction point, which is located on the beach of the city of Copacabana.
The high-altitude wetlands in the Central Andes are unique ecosystems located above 4000 masl in the Bolivian Altiplano. Slight modifications in anthropogenic interventions and the threat of global climatic changes constitute a threat to their existence. To address the issue, wetland mapping provides valuable information for the conservation and management of natural wetland areas. In this context, machine learning algorithms are valuable in regions with scarce field information. The objective of this study was to test machine learning algorithms to map Andean wetlands, to promote its management of groundwater recharge zones.

Lab head

Private Profile

Members (2)

Paola Andrea Alvizuri
  • Universidad Católica Boliviana "San Pablo"
Carolina Garvizu
  • Universidad Católica Boliviana "San Pablo"

Alumni (8)

Afnan Agramont
  • Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Universidad Católica Boliviana "San Pablo"
Alejandra Tancara
  • Universidad Católica Boliviana "San Pablo"
Claudia Medina
  • Universidad Católica Boliviana "San Pablo"