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COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, was declared a global pandemic on 11 March 2020 by the World Health Organization. The pandemic has triggered an unprecedented increase in the production, consumption and disposal of multiple types of plastic-based personal protective equipment (PPE) as a measure to reduce the infection. Recent research shows that plastic surfaces can serve as a fomite for coronavirus transmission as it can remain stable and be viable on polypropylene for up to 72 h or on other plastic surfaces for up to 9 days. While it is unknown whether or to what extent macroplastic debris and ubiquitous microplastics emitted into the environment can serve as physical vectors or fomites of pathogenic viruses, recent studies have reported that both macroplastic and microplastics can serve as vectors for harmful pathogens and invasive species (biological pollution). Here, hypothetical scenarios based on the weight of evidence are proposed to plausibly state the role of plastic debris (e.g., single-use-plastics), discarded PPE supplies, including facemasks, sanitizer bottles, gloves, and plastic bags, as well as microplastics as potential physical vectors of SARS-CoV-2, serving as a route of exposure to humans and wildlife in the terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.

For decades, multiple anthropogenic stressors have threatened the Galápagos Islands. Widespread marine pollution such as oil spills, persistent organic pollutants, metals, and ocean plastic pollution has been linked to concerning changes in the ecophysiology and health of Galápagos species. Simultaneously, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing are reshaping the composition and structure of endemic and native Galápagos pelagic communities. In this novel review, we discuss the impact of anthropogenic pollutants and their associated ecotoxicological implications for Galápagos species in the face of climate change stressors. We emphasize the importance of considering fishing pressure and marine pollution, in combination with climate-change impacts, when assessing the evolutionary fitness of species inhabiting the Galápagos. For example, the survival of endemic marine iguanas has been negatively affected by organic hydrocarbons introduced via oil spills, and endangered Galápagos sea lions exhibit detectable concentrations of DDT, triggering potential feminization effects and compromising the species' survival. During periods of ocean warming (El Niño events) when endemic species undergo nutritional stress, climate change may increase the vulnerability of these species to the impacts of pollutants, resulting in the species reaching its population tipping point. Marine plastics are emerging as a deleterious and widespread threat to endemic species. The Galápagos is treasured for its historical significance and its unparalleled living laboratory and display of evolutionary processes; however, this unique and iconic paradise will remain in jeopardy until multidisciplinary and comprehensive preventative management plans are put in place to mitigate and eliminate the effects of anthropogenic stressors facing the islands today. We present a critical analysis and synthesis of anthropogenic stressors with some progress from local and international institutional efforts and call to action more precautionary measures along with new management philosophies focused on understanding the processes of change through research to champion the conservation of the Galápagos. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;00:1-26. © 2022 SETAC.

Water and sediment quality, macrobenthos diversity and mercury levels were assessed in the Salado Estuary, Gulf of Guayaquil (Ecuador) during 2008, 2009 and 2014. Severe hypoxia, anoxia and large fluctuations of salinity occurred in an impacted sector within Guayaquil city relative to a mangrove area within the Salado Mangroves Faunal Production Reserve. Significant inter-site and temporal differences were observed for dissolved oxygen, salinity, total dissolved solids, percentage of silts and clays, and species diversity. Macrobenthos' species richness for both sectors was greater during 2008. Sediments revealed high concentrations of total mercury (THg) (1.20–2.76 mg kg−1 dw), exceeding Ecuador's SQG (0.1 mg kg−1 dw). Sediment THg were significantly lower in 2014 than 2008/09. Biota sediment sccumulation factor values for mussels (3.0 to 34), indicate high bioaccumulation potential from mercury-contaminated sediments. This work highlights the need to develop stronger environmental policies to protect the Salado Estuary from anthropogenic stressors.

Climate change and marine pollution are intertwined in the Galapagos’ living laboratory, where unabated anthropogenic pollution is reshaping evolution in the Anthropocene.

The bottlenose dolphin is one of the most common cetaceans found in the coastal waters, estuaries, and mangroves of Ecuador. However, its population size is gradually declining in the Gulf of Guayaquil, and anthropogenic factors including habitat degradation, uncontrolled dolphin watching, dredging activities, increasing maritime traffic, underwater noise, bycatch, and marine pollution have been implicated in their decline. Very little is known about contamination by persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury in bottlenose dolphins from the Pacific coast of South America. To address this research gap, the first assessment of total mercury (THg) and POPs, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in free-ranging bottlenose dolphins in mangroves (El Morro Mangrove Wildlife Refuge) of the Gulf of Guayaquil, was conducted in Ecuador in 2018. Dolphin samples (i.e., skin and blubber;n= 9), were obtained using dart biopsy field methods for contaminant analysis. POP concentrations ranged from 0.56 to 13.0 mg/kg in lipid weight, while THg ranged from 1.92 to 3.63 mg/kg in dry weight. The predominant POPs were OCPs (50% of ΣPOP), followed by PCBs (46%) and PBDEs (6.0%); particularly,p,p′-DDE, the main DDT metabolite and a potent anti-androgenic, accounting for 42% of ΣPOP, ranging from 0.12 to ∼7.0 mg/kg lw, followed by PCB 153 (8.0%) and PCB 180 (5.0%). PBDE 47 accounted for 2.0% of ΣPOP. While the POP concentrations are lower than those found in dolphins from many other regions of the world, some of the THg concentrations are within the concentration range found in dolphins from the southeastern coast of the United States. The ecotoxicological risk assessment showed that some of the sampled dolphins are exposed to immunotoxic and endocrine disruption effects by POPs and mercury. The low genetic diversity of this distinctive dolphin population, likely exhibiting genetic isolation and a unique evolutionary heritage, could be lost if the population continues to decline in the face of anthropogenic threats, including chemical pollution. Our finding shows that bottlenose dolphins in coastal Ecuador are exposed to environmental contaminants and can be used as sentinel species for ecosystem health to monitor pollution in the region and to support ecotoxicological risk assessment and regional pollutant management.

Se determina el tema central de importancia “análisis de la utilización del vidrio templado en las urbanizaciones situadas vía a la Costa desde el km 7 al km 23, en el análisis se enfoca a determinar que influye en la adquisición de este producto si es el costo o la seguridad, al presentar viviendas con acabados de vidrios templados muchas hogares no lo utilizan por falta de conocimiento, para la misma se plantea una propuesta de un diseño de marketing para las empresas que comercializan vidrios templados, por ende puedan aplicar en el mercado de estudio. Se realiza una investigación de campo a través de encuestas para conocer si les gustaría que los acabados de su vivienda tengan vidrios templados para su seguridad de sus hogares, mediante esta interrogantes se determinó que el 88% de los encuestados si les gustaría que sus viviendas presenten este tipo de acabado, por ende se demuestra que prefieren la seguridad, sin embargo el 12% no lo realizaría por el alto costo. Posterior a ello se determinó el diseño de marketing a través de las cuatro P de marketing entre las más principales está la estrategia del producto que hace referencia a los “ A eventos que realicen las empresas constructoras, brindar información del uso del vidrio templado en las construcciones, en relación al precio la estrategia que se planteo es el “Dar a conocer al consumidor los beneficios del producto, y de esta forma informar las facilidades de pago para su adquisición de los vidrios templados, el más importante es la promoción en la cual se considera “Realizar anuncios publicitarios especiales, mediante la herramienta de BTL” que permitirán que las empresas comercializadoras de este producto tengan un mejor posicionamiento en el mercado del Km 7 al Km 23 vía a la costa. The focus of importance "analysis of the use of tempered glass is determined in located developments route to the coast from km 7 to km 23, the analysis focuses on determining which influences the purchase of this product if the cost or safety, introducing housing finished with tempered glass many households do not use it for lack of knowledge, for the same a proposed design marketing for companies that market tempered glass arises therefore be applied in the market study. field research is done through surveys to find out if they would like the finishes of your home have tempered glass for safety of their homes by the questions was determined that 88% of respondents if they would like their homes present this type of finish thus demonstrated that prefer the security, but 12% did not take place because of the high cost. Following this marketing design was determined by the four P's of marketing among the key is the product strategy that refers to "events that made construction companies, providing information on the use of tempered glass in buildings in relation to price strategy that emerged is the "Introduce the consumer the benefits of the product, and thus inform the payment facilities for purchase of tempered glass, the most important is the promotion in which considers "Make special advertisements, using BTL tool" that will allow the product marketing companies have a better position in the market at Km 23 Km 7 via the coast.

The presence of avian pox in endemic birds in the Galapagos Islands has led to concern that the health of these birds may be threatened by avipoxvirus introduction by domestic birds. We describe here a simple polymerase chain reaction-based method for identification and discrimination of avipoxvirus strains similar to the fowlpox or canarypox viruses. This method, in conjunction with DNA sequencing of two polymerase chain reaction-amplified loci totaling about 800 bp, was used to identify two avipoxvirus strains, Gal1 and Gal2, in pox lesions from yellow warblers (Dendroica petechia), finches (Geospiza spp.), and Galapagos mockingbirds (Nesomimus parvulus) from the inhabited islands of Santa Cruz and Isabela. Both strains were found in all three passerine taxa, and sequences from both strains were less than 5% different from each other and from canarypox virus. In contrast, chickens in Galapagos were infected with a virus that appears to be identical in sequence to the characterized fowlpox virus and about 30% dif- ferent from the canarypox/Galapagos group viruses in the regions sequenced. These results in- dicate the presence of canarypox-like viruses in endemic passerine birds that are distinct from the fowlpox virus infecting chickens on Galapagos. Alignment of the sequence of a 5.9-kb region of the genome revealed that sequence identities among Gal1, Gal2, and canarypox viruses were clustered in discrete regions. This indicates that recombination between poxvirus strains in com- bination with mutation led to the canarypox-like viruses that are now prevalent in the Galapagos.