Corina Iris Rodríguez

Livestock production accounts for a substantial share of global water use, primarily through feed cultivation. Global demand and production of meat continue to increase, driven by income growth and changing dietary preferences. In Argentina, the swine stock increased by 250% between 2002 and 2022. In the municipality of Tandil, province of Buenos Aires, the increase was 720% during the same period. Pork-cured sausages produced in this district have had the “Designation of origin Tandil” (DOT) since 2011. The study aimed to evaluate and compare the water footprint (WF) of small, medium, and large intensive swine production systems clustered within the DOT, during 2021–2025. The average total WF across the three production sizes was 3,140 L/kg of live animal, ranging from 2,338 to 4,100 L/kg, with the highest values reported in medium- and small-scale systems. The green water footprint related to feed production accounted for the largest share (62%) of the total WF. This proportion was lower than the global average (97–99%). In contrast, water pollution represents a more critical issue, as large volumes of excreta are generated and are not always properly managed. This increases the grey WF by 37%, while blue water accounts for only 1% of the total WF. Although differences among production sizes were not statistically significant when applying a Pearson correlation analysis, the results showed a weak negative correlation (−0.36) between farm size and WF. This suggests that production efficiency and good management practices are also important factors, alongside scale and production system. While the WF indicator enables a comprehensive understanding of water use within production systems, its results should be interpreted critically, taking into consideration other environmental indicators, as well as economic, social, productive, political, health, and biosafety considerations. This research will contribute to assessing the total water footprint of the “Salame DOT,” enabling this resource to be managed in an integrated manner through all the production stages.

En el partido de Tandil (provincia de Buenos Aires) existen fábricas de quesos de tipo artesanal, que se ubican mayormente en zonas rurales. Fueron seleccionados 7 establecimientos lácteos en donde se realizaron muestreos durante 4 años, con el objetivo de evaluar la calidad microbiológica de los efluentes vertidos por las queserías. Se identificaron distintas disposiciones finales de efluentes: por eliminación directa de desechos al ambiente, o por vertido en piletas o lagunas de estabilización. Se estudiaron microbiológicamente 41 muestras, analizando los contenidos en coliformes termotolerantes, según los límites del reglamento de vuelco de la Autoridad del Agua de la provincia de Buenos Aires. Los resultados mostraron que el 50 % de las muestras de vuelcos superaron el límite exigido de coliformes termotolerantes. También se hallaron, en algunas muestras, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp., y otras bacterias entéricas. Los problemas encontrados en los vertidos estuvieron relacionados con la falta de asesoramiento adecuado para adoptar sistemas de tratamientos eficientes y también al costo que implica su implementación.

Livestock production systems are major consumers of freshwater, potentially compromising the sustainability of water resources at production sites. The water footprint (WF) quantifies the water consumed and polluted by a product or service. The aim of this study was to evaluate the WF of steer production from the cradle to the farm gate in representative intensive, extensive, and mixed farms located in the southeast of Buenos Aires province, Argentina. The WF to produce a live steer varied between 4247 and 5912 m³/animal. The extensive system contains the highest green WF but is also the most sustainable compared to industrial and mixed productions since it does not have an associated pollutant load or blue water. This work is the first approach to calculating the WF of live steers in Argentina carried out with local and detailed data and focuses on grey WF related to nitrogen leaching from effluents in intensive systems, showing that the blue and grey footprints increase as production intensifies. The information may be relevant for consumers and producers to make more informed decisions. Furthermore, it is essential for governments to promote sustainable practices in livestock farming, recognizing the dependence on water resources both domestically and throughout international supply chains, in order to assess their environmental policies and ensure national food security.

Argentina stands as the leading producer and exporter of olive products in the Americas, with the province of La Rioja as its main productive area. Since the 1990s, the olive grove cultivated area and related agro-industry in La Rioja have expanded. However, the resulting wastewater has generally been neglected. The water footprint (WF) provides information about the water volume consumed and polluted by a production process. Since the 1990s, agricultural and agro-industrial activities in La Rioja have experienced substantial growth. This study aims to analyze the generation, quality, and management of Oil Mill Wastewater (OMWW) using the grey WF of chloride and nitrate as an indicator and focusing on two olive mills (OM) in La Rioja. Additionally, it seeks to examine the relationship between the international trade of provincial olive oil and the estimated grey WF. For the diagnosis of OMWW generation, a description of the production process was made coupled with flow and physico-chemical characterization. The total grey WF was 8.69 and 45.5 L water/L olive oil for OM 1 and OM 2, respectively. Nitrate was identified as the critical pollutant. The grey virtual water export related to the export of olive oil was 5569 m³ for OM 1 and 28,000 m³ for OM 2. The provincial grey virtual water export related to olive oil was 161,955 m³ with major trade destinations including Spain, the United States, and Brazil. The article analyses for the first time the grey WF of olive oil industries and assess the related grey virtual water exports. This research represents a step forward in the knowledge of wastewater management in the olive oil sector and facilitates the search for solutions to minimize negative environmental impacts while promoting cleaner production.

Leaves of yerba mate plant (Ilex paraguariensis) have a wealth of nutrients, ingested by people who drink them in the hot water infusion popularly known as mate. In the present work, the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique was applied for the first time to analysis of the extractability of macronutrients, including Mg, Ca, Na, and K, in commercial samples of yerba mate. Powdered samples from leaves’ material were used to simulate the infusion process in the laboratory. To carry out LIBS analysis, the emission spectra were measured before and after the infusion from the samples prepared in pellets. The spectral data were processed and analyzed by a specially designed algorithm. A coefficient of extractability was calculated for each of the investigated macronutrients in the range 34–76%, showing a good correlation with the corresponding elemental concentrations leached into the water infusion, determined by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. The obtained results demonstrated the feasibility of our approach for the rapid analysis of extractable macronutrients present in yerba mate leaves.

Humanity’s need for freshwater has more than doubled since the 1960s, in line with population and economic growth

El ordeñe bovino en tambo es una de las principales actividades primarias en la provincia de Buenos Aires. Abastece al mercado interno y externo de leche cruda y derivados. La cuenca lechera Mar y Sierras abarca 68.267 km2 del sudeste de la provincia. En el último registro del año 2013 contaba con 182 tambos en actividad. A partir de un plan económico destinado a favorecer la competitividad del sector y mejorar la productividad en cada establecimiento, se produjo una concentración de la producción y la acentuación de problemas ambientales, principalmente en el consumo de agua y la gestión de los efluentes. Debido a la diversidad regional del medio físico, se requiere de herramientas para evaluar la peligrosidad de que el recurso hídrico subterráneo sea contaminado por esta actividad. El objetivo del trabajo fue evaluar el peligro de contaminación del agua subterránea por la actividad de tambo en el sudeste bonaerense. Se aplicó el método GOD para determinar la vulnerabilidad del acuífero y estimar índices de carga contaminante (ICC) en cinco campos con siete tambos de distintas escalas productivas y ubicadas en sitios con diversas características. Los sitios mostraron peligrosidad ‘Elevada’ y ‘Moderada’ de contaminación. Los tambos familiares, aunque presentaron menor ICC, se ubicaban en sitios con alta vulnerabilidad, mientras que los tambos de mayor escala, con alta carga contaminante, se situaron áreas de menor vulnerabilidad. Estos análisis colaboran en la prevención y categorización del peligro de contaminación del recurso hídrico subterráneo por la actividad de tambos.

El ordeñe bovino en tambo es una de las principales actividades primarias en la provincia de Buenos Aires. Abastece al mercado interno y externo de leche cruda y derivados. La cuenca lechera Mar y Sierras abarca 68.267 km² del sudeste de la provincia. En el último registro del año 2013 contaba con 182 tambos en actividad. A partir de un plan económico destinado a favorecer la competitividad del sector y mejorar la productividad en cada establecimiento, se produjo una concentración de la producción y la acentuación de problemas ambientales, principalmente en el consumo de agua y la gestión de los efluentes. Debido a la diversidad regional del medio físico, se requiere de herramientas para evaluar la peligrosidad de que el recurso hídrico subterráneo sea contaminado por esta actividad. El objetivo del trabajo fue evaluar el peligro de contaminación del agua subterránea por la actividad de tambo en el sudeste bonaerense. Se aplicó el método GOD para determinar la vulnerabilidad del acuífero y estimar índices de carga contaminante (ICC) en cinco campos con siete tambos de distintas escalas productivas y ubicadas en sitios con diversas características. Los sitios mostraron peligrosidad ‘Elevada’ y ‘Moderada’ de contaminación. Los tambos familiares, aunque presentaron menor ICC, se ubicaban en sitios con alta vulnerabilidad, mientras que los tambos de mayor escala, con alta carga contaminante, se situaron áreas de menor vulnerabilidad. Estos análisis colaboran en la prevención y categorización del peligro de contaminación del recurso hídrico subterráneo por la actividad de tambos.