[en] The Matanza River Basin, in Argentina, is the site of the most notorius environmental problem in the country, with high levels of organic contamination from the discharge of untreated sewage and toxic chemicals, such as hydrocarbons and heavy metals, from petrochemical factories, tanneries, and refrigerators. Almost one million socially vulnerable people who are exposed to environmental threats live in the so-called "emerging development zones (urbanizaciones emergentes, or UREM)." This study describes the methodology for drawing an Environmental Health Risk Map (MaRSA) by weighting environmental health determinants (threats and vulnerabilities),in order to characterize the 593 UREM in the Matanza River Basin according to their risk level (very high, high, moderate, low, and very low) and to prioritize the taking of evaluation and management actions. Fifty variables were selected from secondary sources, and prioritization factors and a weighting system interrelating the former by means of the application of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) were established. Out of the 593 UREM, 71 were classified as being at very high risk (where 170 977 people live), 138 at high risk, 136 at moderate risk, 139 at low risk, and 109 at very low risk.High-risk Zand very-high-risk UREM were selected as a priority to under go Comprehensive Assessments of the Environmental Health in Risk Areas by conducting surveys of households, homes and people and toxicological evaluations of the soil and water and the biomarkers of human exposure to toxic chemicals in each UREM, while identifying and implementing management mechanisms to minimize the risks.

[es] La Cuenca Matanza-Riachuelo (CMR), en Argentina, es el problema ambiental más visible del país, con altos niveles de contaminación orgánica procedente de la descarga de residuos cloacales sin tratamiento y de compuestos químicos tóxicos, tales como hidrocarburos y metales pesados, que provienen de industrias petroquímicas, curtiembres y frigoríficos. En las llamadas "urbanizaciones emergentes (UREM)" residen casi un millón de personas con vulnerabilidad social y expuestas a amenazas ambientales. En este trabajo, se describe la metodología para construir un Mapa de Riesgo Sanitario Ambiental (MaRSA), ponderando determinantes ambientales de la salud (amenazas y vulnerabilidades), para caracterizar las 593 UREM identificadas en la CMR según riesgo (muy alto, alto, moderado, bajo y muy bajo) y priorizar la implementación de acciones de evaluación–gestión. Se seleccionaron 50 variables de fuentes secundarias y se establecieron factores de priorización y un sistema de ponderación relacionándolas entre sí, aplicando el método del Proceso Analítico Jerárquico. De las 593 UREM, se clasificaron 71 como riesgo muy alto (donde viven 170 977 personas), 138 con riesgo alto, riesgo moderado 136, 139 riesgo bajo y 109 como muy bajo riesgo.Las UREM de riesgo alto y muy alto, se seleccionan prioritariamente para realizar las evaluaciones integrales de salud ambiental en áreas de riesgo, a través de encuestas por vivienda, hogar y persona, evaluación toxicológica de suelo y de agua, y de biomarcadores de exposición humana a agentes químicos tóxicos en cada UREM, al tiempo que identifica y pone en marcha mecanismos de gestión para la minimización de los riesgos.