Browsing by Author "Lora-García, Jaime"

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    Critical Analysis of Stakeholders in the Municipality of Tarija, Bolivia, in Search of Strategies for Adequate Water Governance to Implement Reverse Osmosis as an Alternative for Generating Safe Water for Its Inhabitants
    (Universidad Católica Boliviana "'San Pablo". Programa VLIR - UOS., 2023-09-04) Villena-Martínez, Esteban Manuel; Alvizuri Tintaya, Paola Andrea; Lo-Iacono-Ferreira, Vanesa Gladys; Lora-García, Jaime; Torregrosa López, Juan Ignacio; Sánchez Barrero, Lorena; Fernández, Alejandra Leigue; D’Abzac, Paul
    The accelerated deterioration of water quality in the city of Tarija, Bolivia, has caused several water sources in the Municipality of Tarija to be discontinued due to the presence of toxic contaminants. The current water purification systems that are used in Tarija do not guarantee the elimination of heavy metals; in addition, political and social interest conflicts are a serious problem in the execution of projects and new public investment alternatives, with these being the main problems found in the sector. Reverse osmosis (RO) water purification technologies are one of the most effective contemporary alternatives for the elimination of contaminants in water, such as heavy metals; however, their application and implementation in countries with little or no experience in this type of technology require acceptance and knowledge on behalf of the interested parties. Political and social conflicts between interested parties generate scenarios that affect hydrological planning. Analysis of the actors in the urban and municipal sphere of the city of Tarija, Bolivia, provides a case study for adequate water governance and enabled us to come to a consensus for the implementation of RO. The results show 23 fundamental actors in water management in the Municipality of Tarija, with local actors being those with the greatest influence and power in decision-making. Our analysis of social networks showed an important polarization in the power of decision makers, with municipalities and legislative entities being those that decide on public investments. The interested parties showed considerable interest in the application of RO as a technology that can provide definitive, short-term solutions to the problems of water stress and the water crisis in the Municipality of Tarija and its application in small towns with a high level of social and environmental vulnerability.
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    Mathematical and Statistical Evaluation of Reverse Osmosis in the Removal of Manganese as a Way to Achieve Sustainable Operating Parameters
    (Universidad Católica Boliviana "'San Pablo". Programa VLIR - UOS., 2023-08-10) Alvizuri-Tintaya, Paola Andrea; Villena-Martínez, Esteban Manuel; Lo-Iacono-Ferreira, Vanesa; Torregrosa-López, Juan Ignacio; Lora-García, Jaime; d’Abzac, Paul
    Manganese is the Earth’s crust’s third most abundant transition metal. Decades of increased mining activities worldwide have inevitably led to the release of large amounts of this metal into the environment, specifically in water resources. Up to a certain level, manganese acts as an essential micronutrient to maintain health and support the growth and development of microorganisms, plants, and animals, while above a specific limit, manganese can cause toxicity in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. There are conventional ways to remove manganese from water, such as chemical precipitation, sorption, and biological methods. However, other treatments have yet to be studied much, such as reverse osmosis (RO), which has demonstrated its effectiveness in the removal of heavy metals and could be a suitable alternative for manganese removal if its energy consumption is reduced. This research presents mathematical and statistical modeling of the behavior of a system in laboratory-scale RO. The principal finding was that it is possible to remove Mn using the RO operated with low pressures without decreasing the sustainable removal efficiency. Reducing the operating costs of RO opens the possibility of implementing RO in different contexts where there are problems with water contamination and economic limitations.