Los manglares se extienden a través de las zonas tropicales y sub tropicales del planeta, se han adaptado a sobrevivir a condiciones ambientales adversas por lo tanto, han desarrollado características de supervivencia únicas frente a suelos de alta salinidad, anaerobios, y a un entorno desafiante para la dispersión y propagación de semillas. Estos bosques ofrecen servicios ecosistémicos que han ido disminuyendo en los últimos años por factores principalmente antropogénicos y se prevé que el cambio climático también influirá negativamente; por lo tanto se hace necesario gestionar de manera sostenible el recurso manglar con el que aún se cuenta. En el presente trabajo se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica que recopiló información entre el período temporal 2009-2020. Se recuperaron 89 artículos científicos de buscadores académicos como Springer Link, Scielo y Dialnet. Los principales tópicos de la búsqueda contemplaron: descripción general de manglares, servicios ecosistémicos, cambio climático, áreas prioritarias de investigación, papel de educación ambiental, gestión comunitaria y perspectivas futuras. Ésta revisión no tiene el propósito de contemplar todo el estado del arte del tema en discusión, sin embargo, realiza un acercamiento a la actualidad de los manglares.

Chronic kidney disease of non-traditional origin (CKDnt) in Central America, also known as Mesoamerican Nephropathy (MeN), is of particular concern in agricultural populations. The member states of the Central American Integration System (SICA) determined in 2013 that there was an imperative need to address the situation in a comprehensive manner and defined policies for the intervention of the disease. A situation that currently worries health authorities is that cases are on the rise—without distinguishing or implementing effective actions to achieve a decrease in disease prevalence. The incidence of heat and strenuous activities on renal health is undeniable; however, labeling these variables as the only responsible causes for MeN has not catalyzed the implementation of health measures to lead to a preventive approach to solve the epidemic or to achieve a decrease in the number of new cases. This review addresses the role nephrotoxic metals present in the environment, mainly in soils and water, may have as part of a scenario of exposure to environmental toxins in which environmental, occupational, geographic and population variables interact. An integral approach was used to encompass the multicausality that is attributed to MeN and based on the multidisciplinary concept of the re-emerging discipline called medical geology.

Se clasifico y cuantificó los desechos sólidos antropogénicos en los puntos balneario Los Olivos y puente río La Villa. Se utilizó la técnica de lista de cotejo para clasificar y cuantificar los desechos en el área de estudio. Se realizó muestreos cada quince días por un período de cuatros meses durante la temporada seca 2023. Además, se determinó la calidad sanitaria del agua del rio La Villa en los dos sitios de estudio mediante los indicadores de contaminación coliformes fecales y totales. Los resultados indican que el desecho más abundante corresponde restos de alimentos y las bolsas plásticas, botellas plásticas. Se encontraron valores de coliformes fecales que superan el valor máximo permitido para aguas con fines recreativos, asimismo se reporta un incremento de coliformes en temporada lluviosa en comparación con lo reportado en temporada seca. Los desechos sólidos de origen antropogénico encontrados nos indican que población hace una disposición inadecuada de sus desechos lo que afecta la calidad de este efluente, así como los servicios ecosistémicos que brinda. Por lo antes descrito concientizar a la población del área es necesario para tener un río La Villa con menos contaminación y se minimice las afectaciones a la calidad de sus aguas.

Mesoamerican nephropathy (MeN) is a non-traditional chronic kidney disease in some areas of Mesoamerica. The health risk from nephrotoxic metals, such as arsenic (As), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), vanadium (V), cadmium (Cd), rubidium (Rb), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni), was assessed in drinking water and soils. These metals, even at low concentrations, have the capacity to induce epigenetic damage and a nephrotoxic effect. The quantification of metals in soils was made through X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometry (ICP-OES), while the quantification of metals in water was carried out through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) and atomic absorption (AA) spectrometry. The levels of As, Hg, Cd, and V in water were within the permissible limits, whereas Pb was found to be double and triple the value recommended by the World Health Organization. The non-carcinogenic risk from As in soil was evaluated using the Hazard Index (HI), and the route of ingestion was found to be the most important route. The results indicate that consuming water or ingesting soil particles with Pb and As poses a health risk to humans. Therefore, these findings identify the presence of toxicants in an exposure scenario and justify further research into these metals in people and the analysis of exposure routes.

This study evaluated spatial and seasonal patterns of physicochemical water quality in the Chiriquí Viejo River basin (western Panama), a tropical watershed characterized by strong seasonal variability. A total of 90 water samples were collected at ten stations during the rainy season (May to October 2024) and dry season (January to March 2025). Dissolved oxygen (DO), turbidity, potential of hydrogen (pH), apparent color, total dissolved solids (TDS), and electrical conductivity (EC) were analyzed following ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited methods, and precipitation patterns were characterized using spatial interpolation of meteorological data. Spatio-temporal variability was assessed using linear mixed-effects models, with season and basin position as fixed effects and sampling site as a random factor. Results showed a spatial and seasonal structuring of water quality, with the upper basin exhibiting high and stable DO concentrations and low turbidity and apparent color. In contrast, the middle and lower basin showed rainy-season increases in turbidity and apparent color, supported by a significant season × basin interaction, indicating that precipitation driven impacts are heterogeneous along the basin. EC and TDS displayed spatial gradients, while DO remained relatively stable across seasons and basin levels. These findings highlight turbidity and apparent color as sensitive indicators of precipitation-driven impacts.