The intake of trace elements (TEs) through the consumption of vegetables is a subject of great concern. This study intends to evaluate human health risks associated with consumption of vegetables grown near the Ventanas copper smelter (Valparaiso region, Central Chile). Experimental plots were established in the proximity of the smelter and in a control area. Leafy vegetables (lettuce, chard, and cabbage) and root vegetables (potato, carrot, and beetroot) were grown on the experimental plots. Daily intake of elements was estimated based on consumption habits. A hazard quotient (HQ) was calculated as a ratio between the daily intake and the reference dose that represents the maximum safe TE intake. Generally, concentrations of TEs in the edible tissues of vegetables were higher in the exposure area than in the control area. The most significant difference was for leafy vegetables, with arsenic (As) being the main TE of concern. Lettuce was also the vegetable of concern due to its relatively high consumption rate and a relatively high concentration of TEs in the plant tissue. In this study, we obtained an HQ value of~0.6 for inorganic As considering vegetable consumption pathway, for the age group of 1-5 years old. Likewise, our previous study reported a similar HQ value of~0.6 for inorganic As considering incidental soil and dust ingestion pathway, for the same age group. Importantly, HQ value surpasses 1.0 for inorganic As considering both exposure pathways. Thus, there is a health risk associated with soil As for inhabitants of Puchuncavi Valley.

Human exposure to trace elements has been a large concern due to the potential health issues. Accordingly, this study aimed to compare the concentrations of arsenic, copper, and zinc in the edible parts of vegetables grown in a mining-agricultural area and in an exclusively agricultural area and to compare the potential human health risks of consuming vegetables from both areas. The consumption habits of the studied population were extracted from the 2010 National Alimentary Survey of Chile. In most cases, the concentrations of trace elements in the edible tissues of vegetables (lettuce, spinach, garlic, onion, carrot, potato, sweet corn, and tomato) were higher in the mining-agricultural area than those in the control area. This difference was most pronounced for leafy vegetables, with arsenic being the trace element of concern. Specifically, the arsenic concentrations in the edible tissues of lettuce and spinach were 8.2- and 5.4-fold higher, respectively, in the mining-agricultural area than in the control area. Lettuce was the vegetable of concern due to its relatively high consumption and relatively high concentration of trace elements. Nevertheless, there was no health risk associated with vegetable consumption in either the mining area or the control area because none of the HQ values surpassed 1.0.

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El presente trabajo inquiere acerca de un conocido artículo de Hannah Arendt, titulado Reflections on Little Rock, publicado en la revista Dissent en 1959. Su importancia radica en que representa el parecer de la autora acerca de los sucesos acontecidos en Little Rock, Estados Unidos, como consecuencia de la problemática racial. El propósito de este trabajo será, por tanto, examinar críticamente el análisis efectuado por la autora, cristalizado en el ya mencionado artículo. En miras a tal cometido, se realizará primeramente una aproximación general al trasfondo político y jurídico que impulsa su obra. A continuación, realizaremos un esquemático resumen de los pilares argumentativos que sustentan la tesis central del artículo. Finalmente, a partir de la distinción entre vita activa y vita contemplativa, plantearemos dos observaciones críticas a sus reflexiones: la primera, referente a la distinción entre los espacios público y social y, luego, al juicio efectuado por Arendt.

El propósito del presente trabajo es proporcionar una reconstrucción argumental de los postulados de Robert Alexy y Juan Antonio García Amado sobre la derrotabilidad normativa. En miras a tal cometido, se expondrán sistemática y someramente los cimientos teóricos de cada uno de los autores para posteriormente explicitar su específica tesis sobre el particular. Finalmente, se realizará un análisis crítico del debate y sus principales proyecciones, demostrando la prosperidad de las críticas de García Amado y, consecuentemente, las ventajas de su teoría de la derrotabilidad por sobre la de Alexy.