This article presents the state of the art of the application of optimization tools such as Genetic Algorithms, Simulation, Neural Networks, Markov Chains and Bayesian Networks in the physical asset maintenance management. The bibliographic references used were extracted from a detailed search that allowed the selection of the empirical studies presented, in the time horizon from 2010 to 2021, through databases, research platforms and online libraries. The analysis of the identified case studies is carried out, taking into account the variables involved in the study, the optimization tool used, and the result obtained in the analysis of the physical asset maintenance management. The benefits of the application of optimization tools are identified and it is confirmed that maintenance costs and intervention times are present variables, which contribute to the improvement of reliability and maintenance management.

This study evaluated the successful establishment of sponge gourds (Luffa cylindrica) through direct seeding under open-field conditions in a subtropical climate in Mexico. Three experimental sites, E1, E2, and E3, located in different rural communities with distinct altitudes and soil types (Luvisol and Andosol) were evaluated. E1 was enhanced with an organo-mineral substrate (SOM), while E2 and E3 served as controls without SOM application. Seeds from a single fruit were used for planting following standardized cultivation practices. Each experimental plot contained a total of 10 plants arranged in 10 rows with one plant per row. Yield variables, such as fruit count, length, diameter, weight, and seed quantity, were measured. E-1 exhibited superior growth, yielding 5–20 fruits per plant, with lengths of 9–15 cm, diameters up to 6.2 cm, and weights reaching 370 g, significantly surpassing E-2 and E-3. Kruskal-Wallis tests confirmed significant differences among the plots, indicating that seed germination enhanced by SOM in E-1 promoted improved growth characteristics. The production cost per fruit was $8.40 MXN in E-1, compared to $12.70 in E-2, and $13.60 MXN in E-3. These results support sponge gourds as a viable crop option for small- and medium-scale farmers in subtropical areas, offering both economic and environmental benefits.

Mentions of microplastics (MPs) are increasingly frequent, for they are present in all environments, including wastewater. Knowing their possible harmful effects on the food chain, the fact that they appear in crops is concerning. The ways by which they are transported and stored, as well as their final destination, are still unclear. The issue of MPs in wastewater and how they are carried into agricultural crops are little-known facts. This study aims to evaluate whether horizontal subsurface flow wetlands with ornamental plants (Hippeastrum hybridum hort and Heliconia bihai marginata) can retain microplastics present in domestic wastewater while at the same time recirculating water for irrigation of the Phaseolus vulgaris crop. On average, the ornamental plants Hippeastrum hybridum hort and Heliconia bihai marginata removed contaminants such as COD, NH₄⁺, TN, NO₂⁻, TP, PO₄³⁻, and TSS, with an efficiency of 84% and 98%, respectively. The presence of MPs was identified via FTIR analysis and visual characterization in domestic wastewater, treated wastewater, and well water; the quality of the fruit for human consumption was determined using safety tests for Escherichia coli and Salmonella.

The study of river basins is key to understanding the dynamics of microplastic (MPs) generation, transport, and accumulation in regions where various productive activities converge and waste management is limited. The objective of this study was to characterize economic activities in the Tecolutla River basin, Mexico, to identify risk factors associated with MPs generation and release throughout the production chain. A descriptive applied research study was conducted using a structured questionnaire administered to 19 economic units distributed across seven municipalities in the Tecolutla River basin, Veracruz, Mexico. The instrument allowed for the evaluation of the use of plastic materials in inputs, production processes, final products, and waste management practices. Among the economic units analyzed (n = 19), 94.7% reported the use of polymeric materials, with a predominance of thermoplastics such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polypropylene (PP), which have a high potential for secondary fragmentation. Within the tertiary sector, accommodation and food preparation services account for the highest proportion of units with limited separation and recycling practices. Activities in the secondary sector, especially the textile and construction industries, showed a high potential for releasing this pollutant due to the use of synthetic fibers, composite materials, and the absence of retention systems. The results provide a basis for the design of mitigation strategies targeting priority productive sectors at the watershed scale.

Recently, the excessive generation of plastic waste and its inadequate management have represented a problem worldwide. Petrochemical plastics, which account for 80% of the world's total plastic use, are the main pollutants. With the growth of the population and its needs, the generation of polystyrene waste increases considerably. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) has a very low recycling rate; it is estimated that, of 125 thousand tons generated annually in Mexico, only 0.1% is recycled. The objective of this project is to obtain a preliminary diagnosis on the generation of EPS waste in the city of Misantla, Ver., which allows its post-consumer use as recycled raw material, under a circular economy approach. The methodological proposal for the development of this research was defined in the following steps: (1) characterization of the participating actors, from the Circular Economy approach; (2) identification of businesses that generate polystyrene as waste; (3) determination of the type of polystyrene generated; (4) estimation of the quantities of waste generated; (5) analysis in comparison with the generation of other types of waste; (6) generation of post-consumer use strategies. According to the 2019 Economic Census, in Misantla the economic sector with the largest number of economic units in the municipality is retail, where it is located, the sale of food in small establishments or street stores, these agents being identified as the main generators of polystyrene waste. A survey was applied to 96 companies, mainly in the food sector. The results of these surveys show that these establishments mainly use disposable products made of expanded polystyrene such as plates and cups, and that, in some cases, the use of disposable polystyrene products such as containers and spoons was identified. With the information collected, it is concluded that the use of disposable products generates approximately 765 kilograms of EPS waste. Unlike plastic waste, misinformation about the recycling of EPS, the lack of strategies for its collection and post-consumer use, as well as the lack of awareness for its recycling, give way to it ending up in final disposal sites, continuing with the trend framed in different investigations that maintain that its final destination is incineration. After the diagnosis, there is a concrete vision of the generation of polystyrene waste and future work is given in the generation and implementation of strategies that allow the use of post-consumer unicel for its return to the value chain.