Maria Aurora Armienta

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México | UNAM · Institute of Geophysics

The intensive use of the Aquifer of the Metropolitan Zone of Mexico City (AMZMC) has increased the concentrations of some trace elements due to natural or anthropogenic sources, as the release of elements from the heterogeneous mixture of the volcanic rocks and/or alluvial clay deposits, which play a very important hydrogeological role in the behav...

En este trabajo se presenta la importancia de la materia orgánica, específicamente Substancias Húmicas Acuáticas (SHA) dentro de la especiación y distribución de metales y nutrientes dentro de un sistema acuático, en este caso el Lago de Xochimilco, sitio con gran importancia ecológica, el cual, es hábitat natural de la especie endémica axolotl (aj...

Serdán-Oriental is an endorheic basin with scarce surface runoff. Groundwater plays an essential role in the water balance and the chemistry of the existing water bodies, including Lake Alchichica. The principal aquifer is mainly composed of pyroclastic materials with high hydraulic conductivity. Groundwater flows from the recharge zones in the bas...

In this work, an isotopic analysis of δ18O, δ 13C, and NO3−concentrations was carried out to identify the origin and the processes related to the contamination of an aquifer located in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. The research identified the possible sources of δ13C in groundwater. During groundwater flow, CO2 participates in different hydrogeo...

We studied the ability of Argyrochosma formosa growing in an arsenic heavily contaminated site to accumulate this metalloid; morphological characteristics and translocation of arsenic were evaluated in the organs. Population census of wild specimens of A. formosa was done, and 14 samples of ferns and rhizosphere soil were collected randomly. We rec...

Tropical Usumacinta River is the tenth largest in North America and Mexico's principal river. Diverse and increasing anthropogenic activities (e.g., land-use change, agriculture, urban development) occur along the river and most likely alter its water quality. We used inverse geochemical models (PHREEQC code) and chemical diagrams to determine the...

Potentially toxic metals and metalloids present in mining residues can affect ecosystems, particularly plant growth and development. In this study we evaluated As and heavy metal (Fe, Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb) contents in maize ( Zea mays L) plants grown in soils collected near (40 m), at intermediate (400 m) and remote (3000 m) distances from mine tailings...

The dispersion of mine tailings affects ecosystems due to their high content of potentially toxic elements. Environmental risk increases when the soil impacted by tailings is used for agriculture; this use may result in health impacts. This study analyzes the feasibility of remediating a calcareous soil (used for maize cultivation) polluted with le...

Volcanic ash contains potentially toxic elements which could affect human health. There is a paucity of research focusing on the impact of airborne volcanic emissions on the health of children, and on their exposure reduction. Children's carers (parents/guardians) are critical to their protection, so documenting their perceptions of the health risk...

Geothermal energy is a low-pollution energy source. However, air, soil, and water near geothermal plants may be affected by their operation. One of the largest geothermal energy sources in the world, Cerro Prieto, has a capacity of 720 MW and is located in northwest Mexico near an agricultural area. The abstracted geothermal fluids, which are enric...

Background: Reports in a northwestern Mexico state linked arsenic (As) in drinking water to DNA damage in people from indigenous communities. However, this correlation remains under discussion due to unknown variables related to nutrition, customs, and the potential presence of other metal(oid)s. Methods: To determine this association, we sample...

Radon is a radioactive gas that can migrate from soils and rocks and accumulate in indoor areas such as dwellings and buildings. Many studies have shown a strong association between the exposure to radon, and its decay products, and lung cancer (LC), particularly in miners. In Mexico, according to published surveys, there is evidence of radon expos...

A preliminary environmental assessment of four heavy metals (Mn, Pb, Zn, and Fe) on the coast of Campeche, Mexico was carried out. Surface sediments (0–10 cm), water, and plants were collected in four sites of the coastline to obtain information about the levels and spatial distribution of the selected elements. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) wa...

A preliminary environmental assessment of four heavy metals (Mn, Pb, Zn, and Fe) on the coast of Campeche, Mexico was carried out. Surface sediments (0–10 cm), water, and plants were collected in four sites of the coastline to obtain information about the levels and spatial distribution of the selected elements. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) wa...

This study was conducted to identify the origin, hydrogeochemical processes and evolution of groundwater in a tectonic valley. This study was carried out with the aim of quantifying the proportions of groundwater flows contributing to the water chemistry abstracted in a zone of convergence favored by the presence of active faults. The study area is...

Radon is a radioactive gas that can migrate from soils and rocks and accumulate in indoor areas such as dwellings and buildings. Many studies have shown a strong association between the exposure to radon, and its decay products, and lung cancer (LC), particularly in miners. In Mexico, according to published surveys, there is evidence of radon expos...

Mining is one of the main economic activities in Mexico, and Hidalgo State is one of the main areas; however, this activity produces wastes, such as mine tailings, that are disposed in deposits and may be dispersed on the soils (e.g., agricultural soils). In this study, the concentrations of As and heavy metals in maize plants cultivated in a green...

Today (year 2020), the globally recognized problem of arsenic (As) contamination of water resources and other environments at toxic levels has been reported in all of the 20 Latin American countries. The present review indicates that As is prevalent in 200 areas across these countries. Arsenic is naturally released into the environment and mobilize...

The sub-province Bajío Guanajuatense is located in Central Mexico, is one of the most important agricultural areas in Mexico, where are used large volumes of water. The current panorama of Guanajuato shows an increase of more than three times in the use of groundwater, compared to extraction 30 years ago; this water is used to maximize crop yields;...

Background An essential element imbalance in the joint might favor gradual degeneration of the articular cartilage. It has been reported that cadmium (Cd) plays an antagonistic role with regards to the presence of essential elements, such as zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn), which may favor the development of disabling diseases, like osteoa...

This study assessed the spatial and temporal nutrient variability in the El Fuerte River basin in northwestern Mexico, considering its effects on the water trophic status as well as the nutrient loading to the Gulf of California. Physicochemical parameters, inorganic species of nitrogen, phosphate, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll-...

The challenge for many communities in Latin America is to find adequate solutions which are feasible given the local economic and technical conditions and which enable them to source water with arsenic concentrations below the WHO guideline value for drinking water (<10 μg/L) of arsenic (As) pollution, suitable for human consumption and the irrigat...

The influence of common groundwater major ions on arsenic (As) retention by native limestones was studied through column experiments. Columns were packed with rock particles (0.5–1.41 mm) and fed with solutions containing As, and chloride (Cl), sulfate, bicarbonate or fluoride (F) in concentrations similar to those measured in one of the most As-ri...

Arsenic transport in alluvial aquifers is usually constrained due to arsenic adsorption on iron oxides. In karstic aquifers, however, arsenic contamination may spread to further extensions mainly due to favorable hydrogeochemical conditions. In this study, we i) determined the spatial and temporal behavior of arsenic in water in an alluvial-karstic...

A hydrogeochemical and isotopic study was conducted in the western portion of the Celaya Valley Aquifer, Mexico, to assess the role of dissolved carbon dioxide in groundwater contamination. The partial pressure of carbon dioxide value is used to evaluate a complex hydrogeochemical environment, and the carbon dioxide behavior is used to identify the...

A complete analysis on the occurrence of arsenic (As) in aquifers and several superficial water bodies in Latin America, identified in 13 countries, is presented. The Chaco-Pampean plain in Argentina is the largest area affected by groundwater As contamination. Research on the chemical and hydrogeological processes of release and mobilization of As...

Long-term exposure to As through drinking water is an important health problem in Latin America (LA), causing both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects (McClintock TR, Chen Y, Bundschuh J, Oliver JT, Navoni J, Olmos V, Villaamil Lepori E, Ahsan H, Parvez F (2012) Arsenic exposure in latinamerica: biomarkers, risk assessments and related health...

An overview of arsenic (As) presence in waters in Latin America (LA) is presented. Aspects on As occurrence, effects of As on human health, regulations regarding the maximum allowable concentration of As in drinking water, analytical techniques for As determination, and conventional/emerging technologies for As removal developed in LA are menti...

Volcanic ash presents a widespread and common hazard during and after eruptions. Complex interactions between solid ash surfaces and volcanic gases lead to the formation of soluble salts that may be mobilized in aqueous environments. A variety of stakeholders may be concerned about the effects of ash on human and animal health, drinking water suppl...

Sesión: CS Ciencias del suelo Sesión regular Resumen: Una de las actividades económicas primordiales para México es la minería. Los procesos de extracción de minerales se llevan a cabo en diferentes puntos del país, uno de ellos es la región minera de Zimapán, Hidalgo. El procesamiento de los minerales trae consigo la generación de residuos, que co...

Geothermal fluids and volcanic emissions are important sources of arsenic (As), resulting in elevated concentrations of As in ground-, surface-water and soil, which may adversely affect the environment. Arsenic originating from geothermal features and volcanic activities is common in Latin America forming a serious threat to the livelihoods of mill...

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the gradual loss of articular cartilage and decrease in subchondral space. One of the risk factors Exposure to cadmium (Cd) through tobacco smoke has been identified as a major OA risk factor. There are no reports addressing the role of Cd in OA progression at the molecular level. Our findings revealed that Cd can promote the...

Communities living near active volcanoes may be exposed to respiratory hazards from volcanic ash. Understanding their perception of the risks and the actions they take to mitigate against those risks is important for developing effective communication strategies. To investigate this issue, the first comparative study of risk perceptions and use of...

Acid mine drainage treatments using limestones have been widely reported in the literature; however, additional studies are needed to select the most effective limestone type based on an adequate characterization and in consideration of the kinetics of the rock's reaction upon exposure to high iron concentrations. In this study, with the aim to sel...

Tailings constitute an important source of potentially toxic metals and metalloids (PTMM) to the environment. Determining PTMM mobilization potential is relevant for estimating their hazard. The release of Pb, Zn, Fe, Cd and As from oxidized and less oxidized tailings situated at the mining town of Zimapán, México, was evaluated by applying various...

To evaluate the hydrogeochemical processes related to the presence, mobility, and transport of uranium and thorium in the southeastern Sierra de Guanajuato of the Bajio Guanajuatense, Mexico, the concentration of these elements in volcanic rocks and in groundwater were determined. Acidic volcanic rocks contained uranium concentrations of 1.04–6.88...

A geochemical-environmental mapping was carried for a low polluted forest in North-western Mexico (Santiago Papasquiaro mining area), as part of the North American forests accounting for environmental behavior of arsenic (As), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) in soil and tree components (stem wood and aciculums). Spectroscopic and microscopic t...

p>This review presents environmental geochemistry studies developed in Mexico involving analytical chemistry applied to marine, lake, lagoon, dam, and fluvial sediments, soils, and groundwater over the past 15 years. The paper summarizes the objectives of the research, the analytical methods that were used, the methodologies applied for the interpr...

A study was carried out to estimate the level of fluoride exposure and the human health risk of developing dental and skeletical fluorosis in some of the villages in Santa Cruz de Juventino Rosas (JR), state of Guanajuato, Mexico. The study included a fluoride concentration analysis of groundwater samples from 23 wells during the years 2010 to 2016...

Aiming to determine the relationship between source and complexing capacity, humic substances obtained from three sites (Sorocaba and Itapanhau Brasilian rivers, and Xochimilco Lake in Mexico) were studied. Copper, manganese, zinc and arsenic complexing capacity were determined for the three substances under various pH conditions. Results showed si...

Two low-temperature geothermal systems located at the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt with presence of fluoride and arsenic were studied with the aim to determine hydrogeochemical indicators of the toxic elements' presence, and to propose adequate geothermometers. The hydrogeological and geochemical study was carried out in Ixtapan de la Sal and Tonati...

In order to understand the geological and hydrogeological processes influencing the hydrogeochemical behavior of the Cerro Prieto Geothermal Field (CP) aquifer, Mexico, a characterization of the water samples collected from geothermal wells was carried out. Different hydrochemical diagrams were used to evaluate brine evolution of the aquifer. To de...

Soil is a major reservoir for Potential Toxic Elements (PTEs). These PTEs can occur in various forms in soil and different bonding forces keep them bound to soil particles. The high concentrations, form and availability of PTEs in environment, can compromise the soil ecosystem and the growth of plants. At the end of the chain PTEs may entering in h...

This research is focused on evaluating heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn) uptake and removal by Eleocharis ovata, Cyperus manimae, Typha dominguensis, and Pteridium aquilinum in a natural wetland impacted by mining activities. We analyzed heavy metals content and distribution in native plants, soils, and water of a semipermanent natural wetl...

In man biological studies, statistical and data mining methods are extensively used to analyze the data and discover actionable knowledge. But, bad data quality causing incorrect analysis results and wrong interpretations may induce misleading conclusions and inadequate decisions. To ensure the validity of the results, avoid bias and data misuse, i...

Presence of pollutants such as: hevay metals, peticides, pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PPCPs), or halogenated organic compounds on surface waters is a major concern due to their environmental and human impact. The uncontrolled release of such contaminants and the scarce information of their content in Mexican surface waters increase the...

In many biological studies, statistical and data mining methods are extensively used to analyze the data and discover actionable knowledge. But, bad data quality causing incorrect analysis results and wrong interpretations may induce misleading conclusions and inadequate decisions. To ensure the validity of the results, avoid bias and data misuse,...

This manuscript reports on batch and column water-treatment experiments to remove fluoride using limestones from various geological rock formations (KIT1, KIT2, and KSS). The experiments evaluated removal efficiency and its relation with CaCO3 content and particle size (63–125 μm, 300–600 μm, and 840–1410 μm). The results showed an efficient remova...

Water quality monitoring is a regular practice to assess the presence of pollutants in the water. The importance of monitoring is justified by the need to know the current state of aquatic ecosystems to design appropriate conservative and protective actions (Serrano Balderas et al., 2015). Data from water quality monitoring may be prone to have var...

The groundwater of low-temperature geothermal systems located in the Mexican Highlands is used as an urban water supply owing to water scarcity in the area. In the Juventino Rosas (JR) area, central Mexico, the highest well temperature is 50°C; most of the hot waters range from 24°C to 48°C. The aquifer systems are formed mainly by Oligocene-Plioce...

A groundwater sampling campaign was carried out in the summer of 2013 in a low-temperature geothermal system located in Juventino Rosas (JR) municipality, Guanajuato State, Mexico. This groundwater presents high concentrations of As and F− and high Rn counts, mainly in wells with relatively higher temperature. The chemistry of major elements was in...

Groundwater of geothermal systems of low temperature located in the Mexican Highlands is used as urban water supply due to water scarcity in the area. Juventino Rosas, Irapuato, Cuitzeo and Jocotitlan in Guanajuato and Mexico States, are some of the areas supplied with geothermal water. These aquifer systems are formed mainly by volcanic rocks of t...

Purpose Mining wastes may cause important environmental impacts in soil, water, and air due to their high metals and arsenic contents. The aim of this work was the assessment of the mobility of arsenic and several heavy metals in soils located near different types of tailing heaps in the town of Zimapán, México. Materials and methods One hundred tw...

Arsenic and fluoride groundwater concentrations over national standards for drinking water were measured in the regional aquifer of Juventino Rosas, Guanajuato State, Central Mexico. Also anomalous temperature occurs in groundwater wells of the area. Concentrations of total dissolved solids, silica, and chloride are too low to indicate a geothermal...

Monitoring of El Chichón volcanic activity is a very important given its eruption of March 28th, 1982 that was the worst volcanic disaster of the modern era in Mexico. To help mitigation of volcanic risk, we intend the establishment of an analytical methodology for the determining various sulfur species (S2-, SO 3 2-, S4O6 2-, SO4 2-) occurring in...

The objective of this work was to investigate the interaction of arsenic species (As(III) and As(V)) with tropical peat. Peat samples collected in Brazil were characterized using elemental analysis and (13)C NMR. Adsorption experiments were performed using different concentrations of As with peat in natura and enriched with Fe or Al, at three diffe...

Water isotopic ratios 18O/16O, 2H/H and 34S/32S in dissolved sulfates were measured to determine sulfur provenance and dominant processes of transport, and, distribution of As and metals in surface waters in the mining district of Taxco. Zinc, Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb and As were analyzed in river and stream waters located nearby mine tailings. δ18O and δD v...

El monitoreo geoquímico del volcán Chichón, localizado al suroeste del Estado de Chiapas, representa una actividad de suma importancia dados los antecedentes eruptivos del mismo; la erupción del 28 de Marzo de 1982 fue el peor desastre volcánico de la era moderna en México. Para contribuir a la mitigación del riesgo volcánico se plantea el establec...

In this article a study of the distribution of heavy metals in Cupressus lindleyi breaching-leaves was done in Taxco, Guerrero. At the same, heavy metals micro-localization was conducted in the breaching-leaves to understand the structural changes provoked by mining waste on plants. The most abundant contaminants in soils, tailings and different pl...

El Chichón volcano has an eruptive record of at least 12 major eruptions in the Holocene, the latest one in March-April 1982 causing the worst volcanic disaster in the history of Mexico. After about 6 centuries of quiescence, this eruption destroyed a large dome and opened a 1 km wide crater. A lake, formed within the crater shortly after the erupt...

The results of an international inter-laboratory proficiency test for the determination of carbonic species concentration are presented. Eight laboratories performed the analysis of twelve water samples (four synthetic waters, one lake water, four geothermal waters, one seawater, and two petroleum waters) by two methods: (a) individual laboratory a...

Assessment of drinking groundwater quality south of the Basin of Mexico was carried out using as indicators the concentration of nitrates jointly with geochemical behavior. Hydrogeochemical characterization was based on the composition of 42 supply wells by means of iso-concentration maps, Piper diagrams, geological sections, and the behavior of NO...

Inappropriate data preprocessing and low data quality will produce unreliable results of statistical analysis and therefore conduct to misleading conclusions in studies for environmental assessments. In this experimental comparative study we intent to demonstrate the impact of inaccurate data preprocessing on the interpretation of water pollution....