Current Project: 2024 - 2027

RLA 7/028 – Strengthening Regional Capabilities on the Application of Nuclear and Isotopic Techniques to Increase Knowledge about Stressors that Affect Marine and Coastal Sustainable Management (ARCAL CLXXXIX)

Previous Projects:

RLA 7/025 – Strengthening Capacities in Marine and Coastal Environments Using Nuclear and Isotopic Techniques (2020-2023).

RLA 7/022 – Strengthening Regional Monitoring and Response for Sustainable Marine and Coastal Environments (ARCAL CXLV) (2018-2019).

RLA 7/020 - Establishing the Caribbean Observing Network for Ocean Acidification and its Impact on Harmful Algal Blooms, using Nuclear and Isotopic Techniques. (2014-2017)

RLA 7/014 – Designing and Implementing Systems for Early Warning and Evaluation of the Toxicity of Harmful Algal Blooms in the Caribbean Region, Applying Advanced Nuclear Techniques, Radioecotoxicological Evaluations and Bioassays (2009-2012).

RLA 7/012 – Use of Nuclear Techniques to Address the Management Problems of Coastal Zones in the Caribbean Region. (2007-2012)

Participating Institutions:

Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC)

Research Areas:

  • Ocean Acidification.
  • Chemical Contamination.
  • Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and Marine Biotoxins.
  • Microplastic contamination.

Universidad Central, Caracas-Venezuela (UCV)

Research Areas:

  • Ocean Acidification.
  • Contaminantes Químicos.
  • Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and Marine Biotoxins.
  • Microplastic contamination.

Ministerio del Poder Popular para el Ecosocialismo (MINEC)

Servicio de Hidrografía y Navegación (SHN).

Universidad del Oriente – Venezuela (UDO)

THE PROBLEM

25% of Venezuelan GDP depends on oil exploitation and mining, activities that accidentally release chemical pollutants into bodies of water. In 2012, an oil spill spread 75 km over the Guarapiche River, contaminating an aqueduct and leaving 400,000 inhabitants without drinking water for 2 months. In 2016, PDVSA, C.A, reported 8,250 accidental spills, calculating 36,124 barrels of hydrocarbons dumped in aquatic ecosystems. This affects areas of ecological and tourist importance. Another impacted sector is fishing, which produces some 100,000 tons/year. Due to contamination, fishermen have paralyzed their activities for up to 3 weeks and reported total loss of motors and fishing gear. They also face migrations of commercial species and a decrease in catches due to harmful algal blooms (HABs), which can also cause intoxication in the population.

Assessing the current situation regarding coastal contamination by chemical compounds (POPs and metals), other emerging pollutants such as microplastics and harmful algal blooms (HABs), is vital to take measures to reduce their possible environmental, economic, health and about food safety.

INFORMATION FOR ACTION

The Escuela de Ciencias Aplicadas del Mar of the Universidad de Oriente and the Instituto Oceanográfico de Venezuela, as part of the REMARCO network, assist decision makers in establishing policies that provide solutions to the problems described. With regard to chemical contaminants and microplastics, these institutions carry out an environmental diagnosis, quantify the level of intervention, monitor the policies applied and verify their effectiveness. Regarding the HABs, they identify the responsible species and carry out monitoring to establish preventive alert systems. The necessary equipment to identify HAB toxins remains to be acquired. Additionally, they contribute to the dissemination and training on environmental issues.

Country Members:

Juan A. Alfonso Sosa. Ph.D. in Physics.

Centro de Oceanología y Estudios Antárticos, IVIC.

Role in the Project:  Senior Associate Researcher, Deputy Head of COEA-IVIC.

Contact info: 

Doctor in Physics, with more than 25 years working in the area of marine sciences. Main areas of work: geochemistry of marine, lake and river sediments, spatial and temporal marine-coastal environmental assessment, spectral reflectance of solar radiation. He has been coordinator of several multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary scientific projects and expeditions. Author of more than 60 publications in refereed international journals and in book chapters. Several tutorials for doctoral, master's and undergraduate theses.

Mónica Contreras Valero. Bachelor of Bioanalysis, Ph.D. in General Microbiology.

Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, IVIC.

Role in the Project:  Senior Associate Researcher. Gastrointestinal Physiology Laboratory, Biophysics and Biochemistry Center.        

Contact info: 

She has a degree in Bioanalysis with a doctorate in General Microbiology from the Paris XI University and the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France. Coordinator and teacher of the Postgraduate course in Physiology and Biophysics, and Microbiology at the IVIC. My interest in research has focused on the molecular study of microorganisms in humans and some domestic animals in order to determine the microbial composition in relation to its habitat, depending on the environmental, physical and biotic conditions where it develops.

Carlos Barrios. Bachelor’s Degree in Geochemistry, MSc. Geochemistry mention.

Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, UCV.

Role in the Project:  Director ICT Jefe del Laboratorio de Geoquímica Ambiental       

Contact info: 

Bachelor’s Degree in geochemistry, MSc. with mention in Geochemistry. Specialist in Environmental Geochemistry in contamination by heavy metals in sediments and soils in marine-transitional zones. Member of the Venezuelan Mercury Research Network (REVIME). Studies in chemical and morphological characterization of atmospheric particulate material, with electron microscopy. Study of HAB in water and sediments. Studies of distribution, speciation and concentration of metals in soils, sediments.

Alejandra Delgado, Bachelor of Chemistry.

Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, UCV.

Role in the Project:  Teacher-researcher       

Contact info: 

She has a degree in Chemistry. Prospective study of minerals such as gold, coltan and diamonds in the Guiana Shield, as well as studies on the recovery of metals such as aluminium, iron, titanium and gallium from red sludge from bauxite processing to obtain alumina, this with the intention of reducing the environmental liability generated and, on the other hand, obtaining economic benefit from the metals of interest such as titanium and gallium. She is knowledgeable in the preparation of radionuclide radiotracers for aqueous, gaseous and organic phases.

María Chaveli Fernández. Bachelor of Chemistry, MSc. Geochemistry mention.

Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, UCV.

Role in the Project:  Teacher-researcher      

Contact info: 

She has a degree in Chemistry and MSc. Geochemistry mention. Research in the area of geochemistry of rock weathering in tropical environments and in the area of environmental geochemistry. Determination of mineral phases by X-ray diffraction, determination of major and trace elements by atomic absorption and emission spectroscopy and by classical volumetric techniques in rock, soil and sediments. She is a specialist in studies of water chemistry, physicochemical parameters, alkalinity, acidity, cations and anions.

María Alexandra García-Amado. Bachelor of Biology, Ph.D. in cs. Biological.

Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, IVIC.

Role in the Project: Senior Associate Researcher.

Contact info: 

She has a Bachelor's degree in Biology with a doctorate in Biological Sciences from the Universidad Simón Bolívar. Professor and sub-coordinator of the Biochemistry postgraduate course, Director of the Latin American Center for Biological Sciences and ambassador for Venezuela of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). My line of research is on the molecular study of the microbial community of wild animals and environmental samples in order to determine the transmission routes of pathogenic microorganisms.

Belkis García. Degree in Chemistry, with mention in Geochemistry.

Centro de Oceanología y Estudios Antárticos, IVIC.

Role in the Project:  Research Associate Professional.

Contact info: 

She has a degree in Chemistry, mention Geochemistry, from the Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra of the UCV. 25 years of experience in some aspects of Environmental Geochemistry. Petroleum geochemistry: Compatibility studies of fluids/porous medium and Quality of formation, injection, and production waters, using laboratory tests and simulations. Biogeochemistry: of essential nutrients in tropical forests. Geochemistry of waters, sediments, soils and cores in order to study the environmental status in different environments: Near Coastal, Estuaries, Beach, Mangroves of the Venezuelan coasts. Study of the temporal and spatial variation of potentially toxic metals and radionuclides in sediments, soils and cores. Determination of mineral phases by X-ray diffraction.

Helga Handt Delgado. Bachelor's Degree in Geochemistry.

Centro de Oceanología y Estudios Antárticos, IVIC.

Role in the Project:  Research Associate Professional

Contact info: 

She is completing a Doctorate in Chemistry, IVIC, MSc in Chemistry-Environmental Chemistry Mention, IVIC. Degree in Geochemistry, Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, UCV. MSc in Chemistry, Mention in Environmental Chemistry, IVIC. She is completing a Ph.D. in Chemistry, IVIC. She works fundamentally on the chemistry of chemical elements (trace, minor, major, potentially toxic metals, radionuclides, some isotopes), geochemical processes (weathering, source and origin), biogeochemistry. This in order to study the environmental status in different environments, verify anthropogenic and environmental changes, establish temporal and spatial variation in different matrices: sediment, suspended solids and biota in different ecosystems: estuaries, beaches, rivers, near coastal environments of the Venezuelan coast. Determination of mineral phases by X-ray diffraction.

Katya Reategui. Chemist, MSc and PhD in Geochemistry.

Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, UCV.

Role in the Project:  ICT Director, Head of the Organic Geochemistry Laboratory.

Contact info: 

Chemist, Master's and Doctorate in Geochemistry. She is a specialist in environmental geochemistry with studies in the fields of environmental geochemistry, organic geochemistry and hydrocarbon geochemistry. Coordinator of research and development projects in the characterization of hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and pesticides, in water and sediments, in marine-transitional environments and air. She has studies on remediation technologies for soil and water contaminated with HAP and crude oil. Participant in a Regional IAEA project in the evaluation phase and a national IAEA project in the evaluation phase

Soraya Silva. PhD. in Oceanography and Coastal Sciences.

Centro de Oceanología y Estudios Antárticos, IVIC.

Role in the Project:  Associate Researcher.

Contact info: 

She obtained a PhD in Oceanography and Coastal Sciences at Louisiana State University in the United States, where she studied the effects of diesel and copper on the phytobenthic community in a coastal zone, through the analysis of the photosynthetic pigments of the different taxa with High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Her research interest is in the area of biological oceanography with a focus on phytoplankton dynamics, marine ecology, and eco-toxicology. She has extensive experience in the cultivation of microalgae and currently manages a collection of microalgae and cyanobacteria cultivation and develops a project on bioprospecting of microalgae and cyanobacteria of biotechnological interest (environmental, health, etc). Along with the coordination and execution of research projects, she carries out activities for the transfer of knowledge to coastal communities and integrates teaching, tutoring and training activities for undergraduate and graduate students.

Roxana Viana. Bachelor of Environmental Management.

Ministerio del Poder Popular para el Ecosocialismo.

Role in the Project:  Professional Support       

Contact info: 

She has a degree in Environmental Management, Universidad Bolivariana de Venezuela, with diploma studies in Comprehensive Management of Residues and Solid Waste, Specialization in water quality for lotic environments and Environmental Education for community development, UBV. She has 12 years of experience in the area of social work, 8 years of experience in the handling and management of residues and solid waste, and 15 years developing activities of planning and structuring educational programs at the formal and non-formal level for the different educational levels and age groups. She is currently an official of the Ministry of Popular Power for Ecosocialism, attached to the Vice Ministry of Ecosocialist Waste Management, and a member of the UNEP Scientific Advisory Committee on Plastic and Microplastic Marine Waste.

Hendrik Yánez.

Unidad de Tecnología Nuclear, IVIC.

Role in the Project:  Professional Associated with Research/Head of Health Radiophysics Service. Nuclear Technology Unit, Head of Nuclear Electronics and Instrumentation Laboratory.

Contact info:

He works as a specialist in the sphere of radiological protection and safety, including nuclear safety, performing functions as head of the technical services and advice provided by the IVIC in the area of radiological protection and safety of radiation sources. Likewise, he supervises the IVIC occupational radiological protection program as a general radiological safety officer, including radiological protection of the public and the environment, an area where he advises and monitors the analysis of radionuclides by nuclear analytical techniques, in samples of diverse nature, as well as the management of radioactive waste and disused radioactive sources. He is coordinator of the radiological emergency response group of the IVIC and point of contact in the country before the ALMERA Network (Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity) of the IAEA. He is a professor in the master's program in medical physics at IVIC; coordinator and teacher of IVIC professional extension courses linked to the areas of radiological protection and radiological emergencies. He also performs functions as National Counterpart of the IAEA Regional Technical Cooperation Project RLA / 9/088 during the 2020-2021 cycle.

Progress and Challenges

In the country it is possible to perform conventional analysis of metals by atomic absorption spectroscopy, COPs through gas chromatography and HPLC. In addition to nutrients and other variables by UV-Vis spectroscopy. Analyses that require the use of nuclear techniques such as alpha, beta and gamma spectrometry are developed through technical cooperation with regional laboratories belonging to REMARCO.