Since the 1970s, interest in caring for the environment has gained traction and the environmental education movement has gained momentum. The Talloires Declaration was the first document to incorporate sustainable development into higher education. After that, higher education institutions assumed the social responsibility of training human resources with a sustainable vision. This study aimed to contribute to the design of indicators that could be used to evaluate the efficacy of the sustainability taught at the Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero (Autonomous University of Guerrero) in Mexico. We administered a survey to 63 teachers and 511 students from four academic units in high schools, and undergraduate and postgraduate programs. The answers were analyzed using the F-test and the variable descriptions. For the environmental, social and economic indicators, the satisfaction levels of teachers and students were more positive in graduate and undergraduate programs than in the high school. To determine the efficacy of the teaching function in terms of sustainable education, as well as to fulfill the commitments acquired to achieve sustainability, institutional processes need to be strengthened.

Solid teacher training can be a transcendental tool in solving the most pressing environmental problems of our time. The purpose of this study was to reinforce the competencies of in-service teachers through a training process on environmental and sustainability issues. The research was carried out during the 2020–2021 cycle in Preparatory School No. 47 of the Autonomous University of Guerrero. We sought to broaden the teachers’ knowledge of environmental education for sustainability, the sustainable development goals and methodological strategies. The information was collected through an initial questionnaire, as well as the record of teachers’ activities during the course, which was structured in four topics: socio-environmental problems, environmental education for sustainability, sustainable development goals 2030, and methodological strategies. The training process influenced the teachers’ perception, achieving a more complex vision of the topics studied. The didactic and pedagogical strategies proposed facilitated the integration of transversal activities in their discipline. The work carried out demonstrated the importance of strengthening training processes that include methodological strategies such as transversality taking advantage of the physical characteristics of the rural community. Teachers develop environmental competencies for sustainability in their educational practice, to contribute to the integral formation of their students.

Contamination of aquatic ecosystems by microplastics (MPs) is mainly due to the release of high levels of MP particles from treated effluents by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Due to the lack of policies and regulations establishing criteria for the control and elimination of MPs from WWTP effluents, this research evaluates the presence of 38 and 150 µm MPs in influents and effluents from three WWTPs in the port of Acapulco, Mexico. Optical microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the MPs were polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyvinyl chloride. MP removal efficiencies of 82.5–98.7% (38 µm) and 86.8–97.5% (150 µm) were achieved. Moreover, the MP average daily emissions to the receiving bodies of the three WWTPs ranged from 9.5 × 10⁶ to 4.70 × 10⁸ particles, while the annual emissions ranged from 3.05 × 10⁹ to 1.72 × 10¹¹ particles. This work reveals the urgency of implementing regulatory policies to avoid the continuous emission of MPs into aquatic ecosystems from WWTPs in Acapulco, Mexico.

Teachers and university students require knowledge to generate positive changes and to overcome environmental challenges through innovative and relevant research. The Autonomous University of Guerrero lacks reliable methodologies and instruments required to evaluate progress towards sustainable development. This research proposes sustainability indicators as substantive functions at the educational levels of high school, bachelor’s degree, and postgraduate study. Indicators were developed via two surveys of 63 teachers and 511 students from four educational programs. Data processing was undertaken using SPSS 21 and Excel 2011. The results show that the environment was ranked more highly than the social and economic indicators. In terms of the participants, the functions of extension (61%), research (58%), teaching (45%), and management (43%) were ranked higher for students; in relation to teachers, research (15%), extension (18%), and teaching (43%) were ranked lower. It was concluded that students show greater socio-environmental concern, while teachers focus more on teaching rather than on the other substantive functions. These results represent relevant and well-founded information that can be used to make decisions that lead the university toward sustainability.

Desde hace más de 30 años, la problemática socioambiental del territorio de la subcuenca Río La Sabana-Laguna de Tres Palos ha sido ampliamente estudiada; sin embargo, los problemas en la zona continúan insolutos. El objetivo de este artículo fue analizar el papel que gobierno, sociedad y academia han tenido en la coproducción de conocimiento orientado a solucionar la problemática socioambiental del territorio. El enfoque fue cualitativo, donde se utilizó la técnica de la entrevista a profundidad y análisis etnográficos; la información recabada se examinó a través del software Atlas.Ti. Los resultados mostraron que las formas de construcción de conocimiento se fundamentan en saberes verticales poco participativos, dirigidos a cubrir necesidades políticas coyunturales, pero no hacia un planteamiento inclusivo de los actores locales. Concluimos que existen condiciones sociopolíticas robustecidas históricamente que han obstaculizado los procesos de coproducción de conocimiento y cogestión ciudadana, académica y política, para solucionar la problemática socioambiental en el territorio.

Contamination by microplastics (MP) in aquatic ecosystems is largely due to the release of millions of these particles from treated effluents from Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP). Due to the lack of policies and regulations that establish criteria for the control and elimination of MP from WWTP effluents, this research evaluated the presence of MP for particle sizes of 38 and 150 µm in influents and effluents from three WWTP in the port of Acapulco, Mexico. Using optical microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques, the MP detected were polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). MP removal efficiencies of 82.5 to 98.7% (38 µm) and 86.8 to 97.5% (150µm) were obtained; the MP average daily emissions to the receiving bodies of these three WWTPs were in the ranges of 9.5 x 106 - 4.70 x 108 particles and the annual emissions in the range of 3.05 x 109 - 1.72 x 1011 particles. This work reveals the urgency of implementing regulatory policies to avoid the continuous emission of MP to aquatic ecosystems from WWTPs in Acapulco, Mexico.