SARS-CoV-2 surveillance of viral populations in wastewater samples is recognized as a useful tool for monitoring epidemic waves and boosting health preparedness. Next generation sequencing of viral RNA isolated from wastewater is a convenient and cost-effective strategy to understand the molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 and provide insights on the population dynamics of viral variants at the community level. However, in low- and middle-income countries, isolated groups have performed wastewater monitoring and data has not been extensively shared in the scientific community. Here we report the results of monitoring the co-circulation and abundance of variants of concern (VOCs) of SARS-CoV-2 in Uruguay, a small country in Latin America, between November 2020—July 2021 using wastewater surveillance. RNA isolated from wastewater was characterized by targeted sequencing of the Receptor Binding Domain region within the spike gene. Two computational approaches were used to track the viral variants. The results of the wastewater analysis showed the transition in the overall predominance of viral variants in wastewater from No-VOCs to successive VOCs, in agreement with clinical surveillance from sequencing of nasal swabs. The mutations K417T, E484K and N501Y, that characterize the Gamma VOC, were detected as early as December 2020, several weeks before the first clinical case was reported. Interestingly, a non-synonymous mutation described in the Delta VOC, L452R, was detected at a very low frequency since April 2021 when using a recently described sequence analysis tool (SAM Refiner). Wastewater NGS-based surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 is a reliable and complementary tool for monitoring the introduction and prevalence of VOCs at a community level allowing early public health decisions. This approach allows the tracking of symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, who are generally under-reported in countries with limited clinical testing capacity. Our results suggests that wastewater-based epidemiology can contribute to improving public health responses in low- and middle-income countries.

Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) infection is an emergent zoonotic disease of increasing concern in developed regions. HEV genotype 3 (HEV-3) is mainly transmitted through consumption of contaminated food in high-income countries and is classified into at least 13 subtypes (3a–3n), based on p-distance values from complete genomes. In Latin America, HEV epidemiology studies are very scant. Our group has previously detected HEV3 in clinical cases, swine, wild boars, captive white-collared peccaries, and spotted deer from Uruguay. Herein, we aimed to provide novel insights and an updated overview of the molecular epidemiology of zoonotic HEV in Uruguay, including data from wastewater-based surveillance studies. A thorough analysis of HEV whole genomes and partial ORF2 sequences from Uruguayan human and domestic pig strains showed that they formed a separate monophyletic cluster with high nucleotide identity and exhibited p-distance values over the established cut-off (0.093) compared with reference subtypes’ sequences. Furthermore, we found an overall prevalence of 10.87% (10/92) in wastewater, where two samples revealed a close relationship with humans, and animal reservoirs/hosts isolates from Uruguay. In conclusion, a single, new HEV-3 subtype currently circulates in different epidemiological settings in Uruguay, and we propose its designation as 3o along with its reference sequence.

Introduction: Active transport is encouraged by the Uruguayan authorities; however, the criteria for expanding the cycling routes are unclear. This article presents a research project aiming to examine statistically significant links between environmental exposure during active travel in Montevideo (Uruguay) and urban environment parameters. Methods: Two monitoring routes were defined by working with cycling groups, and their urban environments were characterized. PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and NO₂ concentrations and doses, and noise exposure doses, were measured. Simultaneously, meteorological parameters were recorded. The minimum required sample size was defined based on a statistical procedure: 30 samples were needed. Results: 31 environmental exposure measurements were performed on each route. The monitoring showed high temporal and spatial variability of the environmental parameters. The PM and NO₂ hot spots were not the same. Moreover, while Route N°1 presented higher PM₁₀ and NO₂ potential inhaled doses and higher NO₂ concentrations, the noise exposure doses were higher in Route N°2, with more traffic flow and a lower street aspect ratio. Discussion and conclusions: To our best knowledge, this is the first study of this kind in Montevideo. The results were statistically analyzed and discussed regarding the routes’ characteristics. However, the prevailing weather conditions had a strong influence on them. The latter implies a challenge to define public spaces’ design parameters, in order to achieve a more sustainable city. This study accomplishes a first approach for posing recommendations in this direction for Montevideo and a contribution for further research in the matter.

Acoustic quality of closed spaces is an increasing concern all around the world, since noise pollution is one of the main nowadays pollutants, but also one of the less considered when building designing and construction. In 2011, the World Health Organization stated that noise pollution should be treated as a public health concern: about 1 million years of human healthy life are lost yearly because of the environmental noise pollution, emphasizing on traffic noise in the cities. There are some physics phenomena that are the rule of thumb for room acoustic projects. This chapter introduces the main concepts about them: sound absorption, insulation, and diffusion. Their principles, main implementation, and computing are presented for each one.

This article presents a case study related to environmental noise exposure of cyclists in Montevideo (Uruguay), as a part of a wider interdisciplinary research project. The main objective of this study was to find the most important parameters related to cyclists’ noise exposure in the city. Two monitoring routes were defined, and their traffic flows were characterized. After that, noise dosimetries were carried out along the monitoring routes, determining a set of relevant parameters for each measurement: L_Aeq, L_AF,10, L_AF,90, noise climate (L_AF,10–L_AF,90), kurtosis, occupational and environmental noise doses, exceedance time for each dose, and traffic flow by categories met during cycling. A total of 66 noise dosimetries were carried out: 34 on Route N°1 and 32 on Route N°2. L_Aeq was lower in Route N°1. With a basis in multivariate tests, the main variables related to noise exposure of cyclists were found to be the following: kurtosis; noise climate; total traffic; and number of trucks met during the trip. Noise doses were lower on Route N°1, as well as exceedance times, presenting this route with lower traffic flow and fewer trucks but narrower streets and higher street aspect ratio values. Better knowledge in terms of selecting healthier places for cycling routes was obtained: traffic flow—and not urban geometric characteristics—was found to be the main urban determinant of high noise doses.

Green hydrogen is a promising solution for decarbonizing emission-intensive sectors, with its production through offshore wind energy offering viable opportunities. This study presents a preliminary assessment of the main environmental factors potentially affected by offshore wind and green hydrogen projects in Uruguay’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), where such developments pose environmental challenges that require evaluation, particularly given the limited prior research in Uruguay and Latin America. Through a comprehensive review of international literature and national technical data, the study identifies key interactions between project activities and the physical, biotic, and anthropic environmental components during the development, construction, and operational phases. Using cross-reference matrices and impact categorization, the analysis highlights that activities such as foundation installation, submarine cable deployment, and offshore electrolysis could significantly affect the seabed, underwater noise levels, water quality, and marine biodiversity. The biotic and physical environment were found to be the most frequently impacted. To contextualize these findings, technical information specific to Uruguay’s EEZ was reviewed to identify the most vulnerable regional environmental factors. The results offer a science-based foundation to support early-stage environmental assessments and guide sustainable offshore energy development in the region.