Alice Elizabeth González

Urban areas continue to grow steadily, leading to increases in vehicular traffic and urban noise levels, which may affect public health and quality of life. In this context, it is essential to develop tools capable of estimating and analyzing traffic-related noise. This work presents an update of the urban noise prediction model developed for Montevideo in 2000, incorporating new data obtained from the acoustic map of Montevideo 2024–2025 and recalibrating its parameters to current traffic conditions. To this end, variables such as traffic flow and composition, vehicle speed, and the presence of anomalous acoustic events (e.g., horns, braking, or modified exhaust systems) were analyzed. A statistical analysis of the recorded sound levels was also carried out to identify anomalous acoustic events and evaluate their influence on noise levels. Based on this analysis, correction factors related to these events and to traffic speed were incorporated into the model. The results show that the updated model improves predictive performance compared with the original formulation, reducing the percentage of errors outside the ±3 dBA range. Overall, the model constitutes a useful tool for estimating urban noise in Montevideo during daytime hours for traffic densities between 200 and 3000 veh/h, although challenges remain due to the high variability of the acoustic environment.

This article describes an interdisciplinary teamwork experience at the Universidad de la República (Udelar), which includes teachers from the Faculties of Medicine, Arts, Engineering and Law. The process began around 2018 as a seedbed of interdisciplinary initiatives and has continued uninterrupted to the present (2025). Four projects of varying length and scale were carried out, all with competitive funding from the Udelar Interdisciplinary Space programs. These projects are briefly presented. The analysis then focuses on identifying, in light of the specialized literature, the adaptation difficulties evident in the first two projects, explaining how the barriers to collaborative work were overcome. It is shown how rewarding work with good academic productivity was achieved, once a certain level of team maturity was reached. This article is expected to be useful to other interdisciplinary teams due to the lessons learned, encouraging them to consider the information provided in the literature to chart a more efficient path toward harmonious and successful interdisciplinary work. It also promotes perseverance and professionalism, two essential ingredients for research teams that aspire to make valuable contributions to their colleagues.

Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and other resin-bonded wood panels pose significant end-of-life management challenges due to the presence of urea–formaldehyde (UF) resins, which hinder material recovery and circular valorization. This study evaluates hydrolysis-based methods for removing UF resins from waste MDF, melamine-faced MDF, oriented strand board (OSB), and plywood generated in a technological industrial park in Montevideo, Uruguay. The evaluated hydrolysis treatments comprised acid, alkaline, and water hydrolysis at 80 °C under agitation, and steam-assisted hydrolysis in an autoclave. Treatment performance was evaluated using total Kjeldahl nitrogen analysis, elemental analysis, mass loss determination, and semi-quantitative formaldehyde measurements using Quantofix^® indicator strips. Among the evaluated treatments, solvent-assisted hydrolysis using 0.1 M oxalic acid achieved the highest resin removal efficiency, reaching nitrogen removal values of up to 95%, while steam-assisted hydrolysis achieved removals above 90% using only distilled water. Treatment efficiency was strongly influenced by the solid-to-liquid ratio (S/L ratio) and the processed mass, highlighting key operational variables for process optimization. Overall, the proposed hydrolysis routes constitute effective pretreatment strategies for producing wood fibers with substantially reduced urea–formaldehyde resin content, thereby supporting the circular valorization of resin-bonded wood waste.

This work aims to analyze the occurrence of anomalous acoustic emissions that appeared after the modification of the combustion chambers of eight reconverted four-stroke diesel engines (10 MW each, urban installation). Large variability of the sound pressure levels emitted by the same engine under nominally identical operating conditions was recorded. The phenomenon was interpreted at first as thermoacoustic instability developing inside the combustion chambers, supported by the simultaneous observation of large fluctuations in the fuel inlet pressure. Four precursor episodes were documented through an operational signature qualitatively consistent with the loss-of-chaos pattern reported in the literature. However, most of these events anticipated a decrease in the sound pressure levels in the considered third-octave band, the opposite of what is expected to happen in thermoacoustic instability events. The 0–1 test for loss-of-chaos was applied, ratifying the occurrence of a long precursor condition that should anticipate the installation of a thermoacoustic instability. The shortest timescale of the precursor states was 500 s, in contrast with the millisecond- to second-range timescales typically reported in laboratory-scale studies. Although the sample is limited, the observations suggest that long precursors may occur in megawatt-scale installations, anticipating different types of sudden changes in the operational conditions (not only thermoacoustic instability). If confirmed, it would open a practical window for feedforward active noise control to avoid abrupt changes in the engine operating conditions. A hybrid silencing strategy is proposed as a design recommendation. Limitations and the current operational status of the installation are also discussed.

Universal access to sanitation in environmentally constrained and territorially heterogeneous settings demands decision frameworks capable of transcending cost-dominant planning approaches. This study develops a multi-criteria decision framework based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to support sustainable sewer technology selection. The model integrates technical, economic, and socio-environmental criteria within a hierarchical structure, incorporating structured expert judgment with consistency verification. The framework is applied to a real case study in Ciudad del Plata, Uruguay, an environmentally sensitive area with medium–low urban density. Results indicate that when socio-environmental criteria are explicitly prioritized, the Condominial system achieves the highest global score (35.9%), outperforming both the Conventional and Small-Diameter alternatives. Sensitivity analysis confirms the stability of the ranking under moderate variations in criteria weights. Beyond the specific case evaluated, the proposed framework advances sustainable infrastructure governance by providing a transparent, transferable, and replicable decision-support tool for sanitation planning under complex territorial conditions.

Background: While hearing loss is the most emblematic effect of exposure to high sound pressure levels, it is not neither the first nor the only one. This article explores self-reported effects of exposure to high sound pressure levels among a population of 306 academic musicians (singers, choir members and instrumentalists) in Uruguay. Methods: A special anamnesis form was prepared for use in interviews of each of the participants. The collected information was anonymized and processed. Some interesting results were found, both through direct processing and PCA analysis. Results: Most participants reported several non-auditory effects. These were classified by sex, age, and role (singer or instrumentalist, voice type, or played instrument). Conclusions: Among the reported effects, the most prevalent were muscle contractures, fatigue/tiredness, difficulty sleeping, and noise sensitivity, followed by arthralgia and headaches. The most frequent effects in women were muscle contracture (86%), followed by tiredness/fatigue, noise susceptibility, and tinnitus. The most frequent effects in men were muscle contracture (68%), followed by tinnitus, noise susceptibility, and irritability after musical activity. It was possible to establish some “effects profiles” according to instrument and gender. For example, woodwind players experience muscle contracture, tinnitus, post-musical activity irritability, noise susceptibility, and decreased performance, while soprano singers have a higher prevalence of muscle contracture, tiredness/fatigue, noise sensitivity, difficulty sleeping, arthralgia, digestive disorders, headache, tinnitus, and vertigo. They are the second most affected category of musicians, according to their effect profile.

This article develops a participatory methodology for constructing urban cleanliness indicators that advances sustainability governance through the co-production of knowledge between citizens and local authorities. The study addresses limitations of predominantly technocratic indicator systems by integrating citizen perception with quantitative analytical tools in the assessment of municipal solid waste management. The methodology was applied in two municipalities of Montevideo, Uruguay, selected for their contrasting socioeconomic characteristics. A total of 203 structured interviews were conducted and analyzed using qualitative and statistical techniques. This approach enabled the identification and prioritization of key variables associated with perceived urban cleanliness conditions. The results showed that perceptions of urban cleanliness are shaped by multiple interrelated dimensions. Significant territorial differences between municipalities supported the need for context-sensitive indicators adapted to local realities. Thus, the study proposes city-level- and municipality-specific-indicators. By incorporating citizen perception into indicator construction, the proposed framework strengthens contextual sensitivity, democratic legitimacy, and participatory environmental governance in urban sustainability monitoring. The article contributes a transferable methodological approach for integrating qualitative social knowledge in the development of urban environmental indicators in Latin American cities.

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.

The case study we present in this paper is related to the non-expected acoustic behavior of a set of large diesel engines. There were 8 reconverted 4-cycle Diesel engines of 10 MW of nominal power each, which generate alternating current at 50 Hz. Two years later than their installation, the engines needed another important modification to meet the NOx emission specifications. The cylinders’ chambers were modified and a turbocharger group operating at 25,500 rpm was installed in each engine. Sometime later, non-expected behaviors related to the acoustic emissions from the engines were perceived. Particularly, a “random variability” of sound pressure levels emitted by large engines operating in the same conditions with only a few hours of difference was recorded in many opportunities. When faced with this problem, there was a set of not obvious open questions. Finally, we met the answers to the most critical questions: the problem of noise was due to thermoacoustic instabilities, which is a phenomenon expected in large engines. The ideal approach to control this type of acoustic emission is the use of hybrid silencers, which function as passive silencers in high frequencies and include a solution of active noise control for low ones.