Implementation of an Air Pollution Measurement System in Mining Areas of Cerro de Pasco-Peru

One of the big problems in the city of Cerro de Pasco is the air pollution caused by the mining activity that occurs in this area, this activity generates a total of 3737 metric tons per year of particulate matter, which are thrown into the environment in an alarming way, thus reaching that this particulate matter can lodge inside the organism of the inhabitants permanently, causing in them diseases in the respiratory system, thus affecting the most vulnerable population, producing in them infections in the respiratory tract that can even carry those to death. Nowadays the teams that carry out the monitoring of air quality are restricted only to the academic and governmental sphere, so much so that the population does not know the degree of air pollution. For this reason, it is proposed to carry out a system to measure the level of air pollution taking as main data, the measurement of particulate matter and the emission of carbon monoxide, the data that can be recovered from these measurements to be able to compare them with the parameters dictated by the Ministry of the Environment. As a result, an autonomous system was obtained, with which the level of particulate matter, possible toxic gases, and the measurement of the level of carbon monoxide can be measured, all these pollutants that could be in the environment, all these measurements are constant, thus leading the population to become aware of the level of quality of the environment where they live. Keywords- Environmental pollution, articulated matter, carbon monoxide, toxic gases, mining activity, air quality

El derecho a vivir bien desde el sistema jurídico comunitario y su implicancia en el traslado de la ciudad de Cerro de Pasco, producto de los trabajos mineros a tajo abierto

El artículo resume el estudio realizado sobre la importancia de entender el vivir bien, tan conocido por nuestros pueblos ancestrales, como una forma de vida con y para la naturaleza y cómo su comprensión puede cimentar la planificación que permita el traslado de la población de Cerro de Pasco, ciudad nacida como minera, producto de sus inmensas vetas argentífiras y de qué forma este «milagro» natural se ha convertido en su propia destrucción. Durante más de un siglo se viene escribiendo sobre la urgencia de alojar a la población en un medio ambiente lejano a los trabajos mineros; sin embargo, la existencia de leyes no ha permitido concretar el ansiado sueño de vivir con dignidad, pues no importa que la salud de todos sus pobladores se menoscabe en la misma proporción en que se extraen los minerales. Asimismo, junto con la afectación al derecho a la salud, se afectan otros como el del patrimonio cultural, el medio ambiente, el desarrollo y la paz.

Heavy metal contamination in Peru: implications on children’s health

Cerro de Pasco, Peru, has been excessively contaminated with heavy metals due to high mining activities in the region. We investigated the presence of chronic exposure to heavy metals in children living in Cerro de Pasco and its effect on health. Heavy metal concentrations were determined in hair samples collected from 78 children living in a region exposed to an open-pit mine (Paragsha region) and from other 16 children unexposed to mine activities (Carhuamayo region). Children exposed to the mine showed statistically significant higher concentration of aluminum, antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, iron, lead, tin and thallium (p < 0.05) than control children. Hair samples collected from the same children in two occasions (2016 and 2018) showed that the exposure is chronic with higher levels of heavy metals observed in 2018. The concentration of heavy metals was higher in hair tip than in hair root samples. Heavy metals are associated with substantial higher risk of nosebleed (odds ratio, OR = 15.40), chronic colic (OR = 7.30), dermatologic alterations (OR = 6.16), mood alterations (OR = 7.07), presence of white lines on nails (OR = 12.10), reduced visual camp (OR = 3.97) and other symptoms (OR = 5.12). Chronic heavy metal exposure implies various negative consequences on children’s health. Preventive measures are crucial to protect children’s health.

Structural changes in clays subjected to heat treatment: an analysis by structural refinement using the Rietveld method

Structural factors in clays influence their physical properties. Therefore, it is particularly important to understand the effects of heat treatment on the structure of the material during the ceramic process. In this work, we have analyzed clays from quarries in the Cerro de Pasco region, Peru, to evaluate their characteristics and the structural changes produced by heating, particularly in the interlaminar region. The samples were thermally treated between 150 oC and 800 oC with intervals of 50 oC. To evaluate the structural changes produced by temperature, X-ray diffraction were carried out before and after each heat treatment. The qualitative analysis of the measurements allowed to identify the mineralogical composition of the samples, finding phases of calcium montmorillonite, kaolinite, illite and quartz. The quantitative analysis by the Rietveld method found structural changes, particularly in the Ca-montmorillonite expansive clay. It was also possible to determine the decrease in the weight percentage of the kaolinite until the collapse of its structure between 450 °C and 500 °C. The illite presented greater thermal stability, with slight variations in its weight percentage during heat treatment, without compromising its structure. Although the quartz phase did not show relevant structure changes, it slightly increased its weight percentage with increasing temperature.

Empleabilidad y rentabilidad de las carreras universitarias de la región centro del Perú: desafíos para la gestión universitaria peruana

El artículo muestra la probabilidad de empleabilidad y rentabilidad de egresados de universidades de la región Junín en el 2018, dispersos en departamentos colindantes (Huancavelica, Cerro de Pasco, Huánuco y Ayacucho), con información obtenida a través de entrevistas personales e información de empleo de la ENAHO-2018, se identificaron brechas de empleabilidad y rentabilidad, por tipo de formación académica, género y regímenes de universidades. Se identificó que un profesional universitario alcanza plena empleabilidad y máxima rentabilidad alrededor de los 40 y 43 años respectivamente y entre los factores que la determinan están los relacionados a la educación universitaria, el régimen y tipo de carrera universitaria, la edad, el sexo y el estado civil.

Influencia del Internet en el Rendimiento Académico de los Estudiantes de Educación Básica Regular

La investigación influencia del internet en el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes del nivel de Educación Secundaria de Educación Básica Regular de Cerro de Pasco, provincia y región Pasco – Perú, tuvo como objetivo principal determinar la influencia del uso de internet en el rendimiento académico, asimismo; describir como favorece en los aprendizajes de los estudiantes, y explicar en qué medida el uso del internet mejora el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes. El tipo de investigación fue básica de nivel descriptivo – explicativo, se utilizó el método científico, además el hipotético – deductivo, en una muestra de 92 estudiantes de tipo probabilístico estratificada. Se hizo uso la encuesta en la aplicación del cuestionario de 26 preguntas, obteniendo como resultado según el estadígrafo de Correlación de Pearson 0,639, nivel de correlación alta, lo que permitió determinar que el uso de internet influye en el rendimiento académico de manera significativa.

Global Reach 2018: Dysfunctional Extracellular Microvesicles in Andean Highlander Males with Excessive Erythrocytosis

High altitude-related excessive erythrocytosis (EE) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. The experimental aim of this study was to determine the effects of microvesicles isolated from Andean highlanders with EE on endothelial cell inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis and nitric oxide (NO) production.Twenty-six male residents of Cerro de Pasco, Peru (4,340 m) were studied: 12 highlanders without EE (age: 40±4 yr; BMI: 26.4±1.7; Hb: 17.4±0.5 g/dL, SpO2: 86.9±1.0%) and 14 highlanders with EE (43±4 yr; 26.2±0.9; 24.4±0.4 g/dL;79.7±1.6%). Microvesicles were isolated, enumerated and collected from plasma by flow cytometry. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured and treated with microvesicles from highlanders without and with EE. Microvesicles from highlanders with EE induced significantly higher release of interleukin (IL)-6 (89.8±2.7 vs 77.1±1.9 pg/mL) and IL-8 (62.0±2.7 vs 53.3±2.2 pg/mL) compared with microvesicles from healthy highlanders. Although intracellular expression of total NF-kB p65 (65.3+6.0 vs 74.9+7.8.9 AU) was not significantly affected, microvesicles from highlanders with EE resulted in ~25% higher (P<0.05) expression of p-NF-kB p65 (173.6+14.3 vs 132.8+12.2 AU) in cells treated with microvesicles from highlanders with EE. Cell reactive oxygen species production was significantly higher (76.4.7±5.4 vs 56.7±1.7 % of control) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (p-eNOS) activation (231.3±15.5 vs 286.6±23.0 AU) and NO production (8.3±0.6 vs 10.7±0.7 μM/L) significantly lower in cells treated with microvesicles from highlanders with vs without EE. Cell apoptotic susceptibility was not significantly affected by EE-related microvesicles.Circulating microvesicles from Andean highlanders with EE increase endothelial cell inflammation and oxidative stress and reduced NO production.

Satisfacción laboral y engagement en empleados del servicio de alimentación de campamentos mineros

La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo determinar la relación entre satisfacción laboral y engagement en empleados del servicio de alimentación ubicados en los campamentos mineros de Moquegua, Cerro de Pasco y Ayacucho. Se tuvo como muestra 107 empleados cuyos rangos de edad fueron de 20 y 50 años. Asimismo, se utilizaron los inventarios de Ultrech Work Engagement Survey (UWES) y el Cuestionario de Satisfacción Laboral (S20/26). Los resultados prueban la existencia de la relación entre el vigor y dedicación con la satisfacción con la supervisión (r = .274, r = .322), satisfacción intrínseca (r = .359, r = .417), satisfacción con la producción (r= .287, r=3.27) y satisfacción con la participación (r = .316, r = .351). Se puede concluir que las variables vigor y dedicación tienen una relación con satisfacción con la supervisión, satisfacción intrínseca, satisfacción con la calidad de producción y satisfacción con la participación.