Browsing by Author "Zúñiga-Venegas, Liliana"

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    A Positive Relationship between Exposure to Heavy Metals and Development of Chronic Diseases: A Case Study from Chile
    (2021) Cortés Arancibia, Sandra; Zúñiga-Venegas, Liliana; Pancetti, Floria; Covarrubias, Alejandra; Ramírez-Santana, Muriel; Adaros, Héctor; Muñoz, Luis; CEDEUS (Chile)
    Chile is a mining country, where waste mining is frequently found in the vicinity of inhabited areas. To explore the association between metal exposure and alterations in glucose metabolism, inflammatory status, and oxidative stress in individuals with chronic exposure to metals, a cross-sectional study was performed with 25 volunteers, between 45–65 years old. Inductive coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to measure urinary levels of total arsenic (As) and its metabolites, cooper, nickel, chromium, and lead. Lipid profile, glucose, and insulin were measured in blood, as well as inflammation (interleukin-6, IL-6) and oxidative stress (8-hydroxy-2′deoxyguanosine, 8-OHdG) markers. Increased levels of Low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoproteins, cholesterol and 8-OHdG, and the index for homeostasis model assessment—insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were observed in 72%, 60%, and 56% of the volunteers, respectively. Blood-glucose levels were correlated with dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) (R2 = 0.47, p = 0.019), inorganic As (Asi) (R2 = 0.40, p = 0.012), and Ni (R2 = 0.56; p = 0.044). The models with these compounds explained 72% of the glycemia variability (βDMA = −6.47; βAsi = 6.68; βNi = 6.87). Ni showed a significantly influence on IL-6 variability (β = 0.85: R2 = 0.36). Changes in glycemia could be related to exposure to low levels of Asi and Ni, representing risk factors for metabolic diseases. Body mass index would confuse the relation between IL-6 and Ni levels, probably due to known chronic inflammation present in obese people.
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    Exposure to pesticides in Chile and its relationship with carcinogenic potential: a review
    (Frontiers Media SA, 2025) Munoz-Quezada, María Teresa; Iglesias, Verónica; Zúñiga-Venegas, Liliana; Pancetti, Floria; Foerster, Claudia; Landeros, Natalia; Lucero, Boris; Schwantes, Daniel; Cortes Arancibia, Sandra Isabel
    Background: The widespread application of pesticides in agriculture and the consequent heightened human exposure to these potentially harmful substances present considerable environmental and health risks. The potential link to cancer is particularly concerning, underscoring the urgent need for more sustainable and health-conscious agricultural practices. Pesticides are pervasive global contaminants, with exposure occurring through various routes. Improper use is associated with genotoxicity, neurobehavioral problems, thyroid dysfunction, reproductive issues, and cancer, among other deleterious damages. While pesticide exposure is evident in Chile, a direct link to cancer remains uncertain. Objective: To examine the scientific evidence on pesticides exposure in the environment and human populations, and its relationship with cancer in Chilean territory. Methods: The search for original articles was performed in international peer-reviewed scientific databases, including Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), and PubMed Advanced Search Builder. Following the PRISMA extension for review guidelines, the search included studies on environmental pesticide exposure, human biomarker assessments, experimental investigations, and the potential pesticide-cancer associations in Chile. Foreign studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses were excluded. Results: Among the 83 qualifying studies conducted between 1996 and 2024, elevated pesticide exposure risks were documented, with 71% indicating high concentrations that may pose health risk. Additionally, 20% of studies reported significant chlorinated compounds, including organochlorines (OCs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), while 79.5% identified carcinogenic to humans classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The review emphasizes the urgent need to update pesticide-related regulations in Chile, including implementing bans or restrictions on carcinogenic pesticides and establishing stricter standards for allowable pesticide residue levels in food. Conclusion: Long-term epidemiological studies are essential to establishing concrete links between pesticide exposure and specific types of cancer. Additionally, investigating epigenetic markers associated with pesticide exposure, especially in occupational settings, is critical. Furthermore, allocating resources and prioritizing further research is fundamental, particularly in regions with substantial agricultural exposure.
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    Levels of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins/Furans (PCDD/Fs) and Dioxin-Like Polychlorinated Biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in Human Breast Milk in Chile: A Pilot Study
    (2021) Foerster, Claudia; Zúñiga-Venegas, Liliana; Enríquez, Pedro; Rojas, Jacqueline; Zamora, Claudia; Muñoz, Ximena; Pancetti, Floria; Muñoz-Quezada, María Teresa; Lucero, Boris; Saracini, Chiara; Salas, Claudio; Cortés Arancibia, Sandra Isabel
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    Pesticide exposure in Chile and population health: urgency for decision making [Exposición a plaguicidas en Chile y salud poblacional: urgencia para la toma de decisiones]
    (2020) Zúñiga-Venegas, Liliana; Pancetti, Floria; Muñoz-Quezada, María Teresa; Lucero, Boris; Foerster, Claudia; Cortés Arancibia, Sandra Isabel; Saracini, Chiara; CEDEUS (Chile)
    In the last 25 years, Chile has had an expanding role as an agro-export country in the global economy, with efficient rates of productivity in the region, based on the technological development of agriculture, with of large monocultures whose productivity depends on the intensive application of agrochemicals. This form of agriculture has also lacked efficient regulations and surveillance, so it is difficult to estimate the real magnitude of the exposed population and its effects on health in the short or long term. This systema-tic review compiles the epidemiological evidence generated from studies conducted in several regions of Chile regarding pesticide exposure and health effects. Of the total number of articles, 50% included agricultural workers, 25% children, and 25% women of childbearing age, with the greatest effects being the neurotoxic (54%), genotoxic (31%) and reproductive (15%). The evidence collected shows that in Chile the levels of exposure to pesticides in the general and occupational population are higher than interna-tional studies levels. It is urgent to protect the health of both the occupational and general population and especially children through a stricter control of the sale and use of pesticides, with comprehensive surveillance systems in environmental health and educational actions in the social and cultural context of rural communities. It is a priority to strengthen research with national relevance on health effects, and strictly restrict the use of pesticides already prohibited in developed countries due to their high level of risk to human and environmental health. (c) 2020 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).