Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) and the National Toxicology Reference Center of the National Institute of Public Health Research (INSPI – Dr. Leopoldo Izquieta Pérez) held a keynote lecture dedicated to disseminating critical research on heavy metal pollution and its implications for community health.
The hybrid session took place at the Atilio Macchiavello Auditorium at INSPI Headquarters and was livestreamed via Zoom, featuring Washington Cárdenas, Ph.D., research professor at FLS-ESPOL, as a distinguished member of the presiding committee.
During the event, ESPOL research professor Paola Calle Delgado, Ph.D., presented findings from the research project: “Determination of Total Mercury in Fish and Bivalves from Puerto Hondo, Guayaquil – Ecuador (2023–2024).” Her presentation delivered an in-depth ecotoxicological assessment, highlighting bioaccumulation levels in commercially harvested aquatic species consumed within this estuarine system.
The session was complemented by a talk from Silvia Salazar, M.Sc., laboratory analyst at INSPI's Toxicology Unit, who presented the study “Determination of Total Mercury Concentrations in Residents of the Puerto Hondo Community, Guayaquil – Ecuador (2023–2024),” shedding light on the direct correlation between environmental exposure and biomarkers of exposure in the local population.
Through this scientific partnership between FLS-ESPOL and INSPI, academia reaffirms its dedication to rigorous environmental monitoring, aquatic toxicology, and the generation of evidence-based data to safeguard public health across the nation's estuarine ecosystems.
