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Disposable over Reusable Face Masks: Public Safety or Environmental Disaster? Environments Pub Date : 2021-04-13 Joana C. Prata, Ana L. Patrício Silva, Armando C. Duarte, Teresa Rocha-Santos
Many governments have imposed the public use of face masks and they are now moving towards enforcing disposable masks to abate COVID-19 transmission. While disposable masks consistently provide higher protection, they also carry multiple environmental burdens, from greenhouse gases released during production to the landfilling and littering. Conversely, reusable masks’ protection can vary from >90%
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Special Issue on Treatment Wetlands Environments Pub Date : 2021-04-12 Miklas Scholz
Note: In lieu of an abstract, this is an excerpt from the first page. This Special Issue is concerned with treatment wetlands, which are artificial (or constructed) wetlands usually treating municipal or industrial wastewater, greywater and storm water runoff [...]
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Monitoring Radon Levels in Hospital Environments. Findings of a Preliminary Study in the University Hospital of Sassari, Italy Environments Pub Date : 2021-04-07 Giovanna Deiana, Marco Dettori, Maria Dolores Masia, Antonio Lorenzo Spano, Andrea Piana, Antonella Arghittu, Paolo Castiglia, Antonio Azara
Background: The aim of this preliminary study was to measure radon concentrations in a hospital in order to verify to what extent these concentrations depend on various environmental variables taken into consideration, and consequently to determine the urgency to implement mitigation actions. Methods: The rooms where the concentration of the gas was potentially highest were monitored. Investigators
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Monitoring of Neotropical Streams Using Macroinvertebrate Communities: Evidence from Honduras Environments Pub Date : 2021-03-31 Stefano Fenoglio, Alberto Doretto
Assessing the water quality by using biological indicators is a reliable and economically feasible way to promote environmental conservation in developing tropical countries. Here, we report one of the few examples of river biomonitoring in Honduras. In June 2005, benthic macroinvertebrates were collected from six sites in the Río Cangrejal basin. An adapted version of the Biological Monitoring Working
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Characterization of Gas Transport Properties of Compacted Solid Waste Materials Environments Pub Date : 2021-03-30 Muhammad Rashid Iqbal, Hiniduma Liyanage Damith Nandika, Yugo Isobe, Ken Kawamoto
Gas transport parameters such as gas diffusivity (Dp/D0), air permeability (ka), and their dependency on void space (air-filled porosity, ε) in a waste body govern convective air and gas diffusion at solid waste dumpsites and surface emission of various gases generated by microbial processes under aerobic and anaerobic decompositions. In this study, Dp/D0(ε) and ka(ε) were measured on dumping solid
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Genetic Investigation of Four Beluga Sturgeon (Huso huso, L.) Broodstocks for its Reintroduction in the Po River Basin Environments Pub Date : 2021-03-27 Caterina M. Antognazza, Isabella Vanetti, Vanessa De Santis, Adriano Bellani, Monica Di Francesco, Cesare M. Puzzi, Andrea G. Casoni, Serena Zaccara
The reintroduction of the extinct beluga sturgeon (Huso huso L.), an anadromous species with economic and traditional relevance, is a priority in next conservation strategies in Northern Italy. The EU-LIFE NATURA project aims to reintroduce the beluga sturgeon in the Po River basin through a captive breeding program. Critical requirements for the success of the program are river connectivity and knowledge
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Prenatal Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants and Maternal Folic Acid Supplementation: Their Impact on Glucose Homeostasis in Male Rat Descendants Environments Pub Date : 2021-03-22 Pauline Navarro, Mathieu Dalvai, Phanie L. Charest, Pauline M. Herst, Maryse Lessard, Bruno Marcotte, Nadine Leblanc, Sarah Kimmins, Jacquetta Trasler, Amanda J. MacFarlane, André Marette, Janice L. Bailey, Hélène Jacques
Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is associated with insulin resistance while folic acid (FA) may offer a protective effect. However, the paternal contribution to metabolic phenotypes in offspring is not well known yet. Hence, we investigated whether maternal exposure to POPs affects glucose homeostasis and whether maternal FA supplementation counteracts POP effects transmitted via male
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Environmental Impacts of Conventional versus Organic Eggplant Cultivation Systems: Influence of Electricity Mix, Yield, Over-Fertilization, and Transportation Environments Pub Date : 2021-03-20 Spyros Foteinis, Maria Hatzisymeon, Alistair G. L. Borthwick, Efthalia Chatzisymeon
We report a comparative environmental study of organic and conventional open-field eggplant cultivation systems under Mediterranean (northern Greece) climatic conditions. Actual life cycle inventory (LCI) data were collected from local farm systems. Using life cycle assessment (LCA), organic eggplant cultivation exhibited better environmental performance per unit area (24.15% lower total environmental
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Dissolution of Ag Nanoparticles in Agricultural Soils and Effects on Soil Exoenzyme Activities Environments Pub Date : 2021-03-19 Nuno C. Cruz, Márcia Farto, Clarisse Mourinha, Daniela Tavares, Armando C. Duarte, Tito Trindade, Eduarda Pereira, Paul F. A. M. Römkens, Paula Alvarenga, Sónia M. Rodrigues
To assess environmental risks related to the mobility and toxicity of AgNPs, the chemical availability of AgNPs and polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated AgNPs (PVP-AgNPs) in three agricultural soils was quantified in a pot experiment. Porewater collection and soil extractions with 0.01 M CaCl2, 0.4 M Glycine (pH 1.5) and 0.05 M NH4-EDTA were performed. The effect on soil exoenzyme activities was also assessed
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Microplastics Contamination Versus Inorganic Particles: Effects on the Dynamics of Marine Dissolved Organic Matter Environments Pub Date : 2021-03-06 Amedeo Boldrini, Luisa Galgani, Marco Consumi, Steven Arthur Loiselle
Microplastic contamination has been linked to a range of impacts on aquatic environments. One important area that is only beginning to be addressed is the effect of microplastics on marine carbon cycling and how these compare to the effects related to inorganic particles typically present in ocean waters. The present study explores these impacts on dissolved organic matter dynamics by comparing three
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Advances in Circular Bioeconomy Technologies: From Agricultural Wastewater to Value-Added Resources Environments Pub Date : 2021-03-01 Nidhi Mehta, Kinjal J Shah, Yu-I Lin, Yongjun Sun, Shu-Yuan Pan
This review systematically outlines the recent advances in the application of circular bioeconomy technologies for converting agricultural wastewater to value-added resources. The properties and applications of the value-added products from agricultural wastewater are first summarized. Various types of agricultural wastewater, such as piggery wastewater and digestate from anaerobic digestion, are focused
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Detecting Leaders Country from Road Transport Emission Time-Series Environments Pub Date : 2021-02-27 Giovanni De Luca, Federica Pizzolante
Nowadays, climate change and global warming have become the main concerns worldwide. One of the main causes are the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by human activities, especially by the transportation sector. The adherence to international agreements and the implementation of climate change policy are necessary conditions for reducing environmental problems. This paper investigates the lead–lag
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Characterizing Seasonal Variation in Landfill Leachate Using Leachate Pollution Index (LPI) at Nam Son Solid Waste Landfill in Hanoi, Vietnam Environments Pub Date : 2021-02-27 Son Tran Hoai, Huong Nguyen Lan, Nga Tran Thi Viet, Giang Nguyen Hoang, Ken Kawamoto
The improper treatment of landfill leachates is one of the major problems associated with waste landfilling and causes serious environmental pollution at waste landfill sites and their surroundings. To develop a suitable landfill leachate treatment system and to minimize the risk of environmental pollution, it is important to characterize seasonal and temporal variations of landfill leachates. This
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Multi-Year Monitoring of Ecosystem Metabolism in Two Branches of a Cold-Water Stream Environments Pub Date : 2021-02-28 Daniel J. Hornbach
Climate change is likely to have large impacts on freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem function, especially in cold-water streams. Ecosystem metabolism is affected by water temperature and discharge, both of which are expected to be affected by climate change and, thus, require long-term monitoring to assess alterations in stream function. This study examined ecosystem metabolism in two branches of
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Microbial Communities in Methane Cycle: Modern Molecular Methods Gain Insights into Their Global Ecology Environments Pub Date : 2021-02-22 Sergey Kharitonov, Mikhail Semenov, Alexander Sabrekov, Oleg Kotsyurbenko, Alena Zhelezova, Natalia Schegolkova
The role of methane as a greenhouse gas in the concept of global climate changes is well known. Methanogens and methanotrophs are two microbial groups which contribute to the biogeochemical methane cycle in soil, so that the total emission of CH4 is the balance between its production and oxidation by microbial communities. Traditional identification techniques, such as selective enrichment and pure-culture
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Toxicological Effects of Inorganic Nanoparticle Mixtures in Freshwater Mussels Environments Pub Date : 2020-12-12 Joelle Auclair, Patrice Turcotte, Christian Gagnon, Caroline Peyrot, Kevin J. Wilkinson, François Gagné
The toxicological effects of nanoparticles mixtures in aquatic organisms are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the tissue metal loadings and sublethal effects of silver (nAg), cerium oxide (nCeO), copper oxide (nCuO) and zinc oxide (nZnO) nanoparticles individually at 50 µg/L and in two mixtures to freshwater mussels Dreissena bugensis. The mixtures consisted of 12.5 µg/L
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Innovative Animal Manure Management for Environmental Protection, Improved Soil Fertility, and Crop Production Environments Pub Date : 2020-12-13 Kyoung S. Ro, Ariel A. Szogi, Gilbert C. Sigua
Note: In lieu of an abstract, this is an excerpt from the first page. Traditionally, livestock manure has been used to provide nutrients for plant growth and to improve soil conditions [...]
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Evaluation of the Phytotoxicity of Leachate from a Municipal Solid Waste Landfill: The Case Study of Bukov Landfill Environments Pub Date : 2020-12-13 Markéta Šourková, Dana Adamcová, Jan Zloch, Zdzisław Skutnik, Magdalena Daria Vaverková
Municipal solid waste landfilling, landfilling process and landfill reclamation result in leachate, which may be dangerous to the environment. Municipal solid waste leachate phytotoxicity tests were performed using the toxicity test and a subchronic toxicity pot experiment by direct application of leachate to reference soil in 5, 25, and 50% concentration for a period of 28 days. White mustard (Sinapis
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Proton Competition and Free Ion Activities Drive Cadmium, Copper, and Nickel Accumulation in River Biofilms in a Nordic Ecosystem Environments Pub Date : 2020-12-15 Vincent Laderriere, Louise-Emmanuelle Paris, Claude Fortin
Biofilms can be used as a biomonitoring tool to determine metal bioavailability in streams affected by mining and other anthropogenic activities. Surface water and biofilm were sampled over two years from rivers located in the vicinity of a mine located in a Nordic ecosystem (Nunavik, Quebec). Biofilm metal content (Cd, Cu, and Ni) as well as a variety of physicochemical properties were determined
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Adsorption and Degradation of Three Pesticides in a Vineyard Soil and in an Organic Biomix Environments Pub Date : 2020-12-16 Costantino Vischetti, Elga Monaci, Cristiano Casucci, Arianna De Bernardi, Alessandra Cardinali
A soil and an organic biomix (soil/vine branch/garden compost 20/40/40) were used in this lab experiment to evaluate adsorption and degradation parameters for three pesticides (chlorpyrifos, metalaxyl and cymoxanil) used in a vineyard. Adsorption in the biomix material was higher than in the soil for the three pesticides and chlorpyrifos was the most adsorbed pesticide. The role of the organic carbon
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New Insights into Impacts of Toxic Metals in Aquatic Environments Environments Pub Date : 2020-12-30 Elise David, Claudia Cosio
Note: In lieu of an abstract, this is an excerpt from the first page. Chemical contamination of the aquatic environment, as a consequence of anthropogenic activities, remains of major worldwide concern [...]
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Subtle Changes or Dramatic Perceptions of Air Pollution in Sydney during COVID-19 Environments Pub Date : 2021-01-01 Peter Brimblecombe, Yonghang Lai
The COVID-19 pandemic made it critical to limit the spread of the disease by enforcing human isolation, restricting travel and reducing social activities. Dramatic improvements to air quality, especially NO2, have often characterised places under COVID-19 restrictions. Air pollution measurements in Sydney in April 2019 and during the lockdown period in April 2020 show reduced daily averaged NO2 concentrations:
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Assessing the Ecotoxicity of Soil Affected by Wildfire Environments Pub Date : 2021-01-07 Petra Martínez Barroso, Magdalena Daria Vaverková, Jakub Elbl
This study was carried out to assess the ecotoxicity of soil affected by wildfire using two laboratory toxicity tests, and to investigate the possibility of application of selected soil amendment into the burnt soil in order to improve its properties for faster post-fire reclamation. A phytotoxicity test is a fast-indicative test for revealing acute toxicity and was performed on quickly growing plant
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Factors Affecting Alkali Activation of Laterite Acid Leaching Residues Environments Pub Date : 2021-01-10 Konstantinos Komnitsas, Georgios Bartzas, Vasiliki Karmali, Evangelos Petrakis
In this experimental study, the alkali activation of acid leaching residues using a mixture of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and alkaline sodium silicate solution (Na2SiO3) as activators is investigated. The residues were also calcined at 800 and 1000 °C for 2 h or mixed with metakaolin (MK) in order to increase their reactivity. The effect of several parameters, namely the H2O/Na2O and SiO2/Na2O ratios
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Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Environments in 2020 Environments Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Environments Editorial Office
Note: In lieu of an abstract, this is an excerpt from the first page. Peer review is the driving force of journal development, and reviewers are gatekeepers who ensure that Environments maintains its standards for the high quality of its published papers [...]
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Water Quality Monitoring with Arduino Based Sensors Environments Pub Date : 2021-01-14 Wong Jun Hong, Norazanita Shamsuddin, Emeroylariffion Abas, Rosyzie Anna Apong, Zarifi Masri, Hazwani Suhaimi, Stefan Herwig Gödeke, Muhammad Nafi Aqmal Noh
Water is a quintessential element for the survival of mankind. Its variety of uses means that it is always in a constant state of demand. The supply of water most primarily comes from large reservoirs of water such as lakes, streams, and the ocean itself. As such, it is good practice to monitor its quality to ensure it is fit for human consumption. Current water quality monitoring is often carried
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Mercury Bioavailability in Fluvial Sediments Estimated Using Chironomus riparius and Diffusive Gradients in Thin-Films (DGT) Environments Pub Date : 2021-01-25 Laura Marziali, Lucia Valsecchi
Mercury bioavailability was assessed by exposing the dipteran Chironomus riparius for the whole life cycle to legacy-contaminated fluvial sediments (0.038–0.285 mg Hg kg−1 d.w.) and analyzing tissue concentrations in larvae at different exposure times (7, 11, and 16 days) and in adults. In the same experiment, diffusive gradients in thin-film passive samplers (DGTs), both piston- and probe-shaped,
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An Investigation of the Potential Adoption of Anaerobic Digestion for Energy Production in Irish Farms Environments Pub Date : 2021-01-27 Sean O’Connor, Ehiaze Ehimen, Suresh C. Pillai, Niamh Power, Gary A. Lyons, John Bartlett
Anaerobic digestion (AD) has been recognised as an effective means of simultaneously producing energy while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Despite having a large agriculture sector, Ireland has experienced little uptake of the technology, ranking 20th within the EU-28. It is, therefore, necessary to understand the general opinions, willingness to adopt, and perceived obstacles of potential
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Relating Hydro-Meteorological Variables to Water Table in an Unconfined Aquifer via Fuzzy Linear Regression Environments Pub Date : 2021-01-31 Christopher Papadopoulos, Mike Spiliotis, Ioannis Gkiougkis, Fotios Pliakas, Basil Papadopoulos
This study aims to assess the short-term response of groundwater to the main hydro-meteorological variables of drought in a coastal unconfined aquifer. For this purpose, a multiple fuzzy linear regression-based methodology is implemented in order to relate rainfall, streamflow and the potential evapotranspiration to groundwater. Fuzzy regression analysis is recommended when there is a lack of data
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Influence of Biochar Derived Nitrogen on Cadmium Removal by Ryegrass in a Contaminated Soil Environments Pub Date : 2021-02-08 João Antonangelo, Hailin Zhang
Little is known about the effect of nitrogen (N) application via biochar on the removal of trace elements by crops, and the effects with chemical fertilizers are inconsistent. We determined, from a previous study, the influence of increased N addition via biochars produced from switchgrass (SGB) and poultry litter (PLB) on cadmium (Cd) removal by ryegrass. The biochar rates of 0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4%
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Classification of Noise Sources for Port Area Noise Mapping Environments Pub Date : 2021-02-09 Luca Fredianelli, Matteo Bolognese, Francesco Fidecaro, Gaetano Licitra
Maritime transportation is recognized to have advantages in terms of environmental impact compared to other forms of transportation. However, an increment in traffic volumes will also produce an increase in noise emissions in the surroundings for a greener source, as ports are frequently surrounded by urban areas. When more sources or higher noise emissions are introduced, the noise exposure of citizens
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Assessment of the Levels of Pollution and of Their Risks by Radioactivity and Trace Metals on Marine Edible Fish and Crustaceans at the Bay of Bengal (Chattogram, Bangladesh) Environments Pub Date : 2021-02-11 Krishna Prasad Biswas, Shahadat Hossain, Nipa Deb, AKM Saiful Islam Bhuian, Sílvia C. Gonçalves, Shahadat Hossain, Mohammad Belal Hossen
Marine environmental pollution is a longstanding global problem and has a particular impact on the Bay of Bengal. Effluent from different sources directly enters rivers of the region and eventually flows into the Bay of Bengal. This effluent may contain radioactive materials and trace metals and pose a serious threat to the coastal environment, in addition to aquatic ecosystems. Using gamma spectrometry
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Potential Influence of Sewage Phosphorus and Wet and Dry Deposition Detected in Fish Collected in the Athabasca River North of Fort McMurray Environments Pub Date : 2021-02-15 Tim J. Arciszewski, Mark E. McMaster
The health of fish is a primary indicator of ecosystem response in the Oil Sands Region of northeastern Alberta. However, industrial activity is accompanied by other stressors, such as the discharge of sewage, municipal activity, forest fires, and natural weathering and erosion of bitumen. To combat the spatial confounding influences, we examined white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) captured in the
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Discontinuous Geochemical Monitoring of the Galleria Italia Circumneutral Waters (Former Hg-Mining Area of Abbadia San Salvatore, Tuscany, Central Italy) Feeding the Fosso Della Chiusa Creek Environments Pub Date : 2021-02-20 Orlando Vaselli, Marta Lazzaroni, Barbara Nisi, Jacopo Cabassi, Franco Tassi, Daniele Rappuoli, Federica Meloni
The Galleria Italia waters drain the complex tunnel system of the former Hg-mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Tuscany, central Italia) and feed the 2.5 km-long Fosso della Chiusa creek. The mining exploitation was active for more than one century and more than 100,000 tons of liquid mercury were produced by roasting processes of cinnabar (HgS). In this work, a discontinuous geochemical monitoring
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Waste Wash-Water Recycling in Ready Mix Concrete Plants Environments Pub Date : 2020-12-11 Ayoup M. Ghrair, Andrew Heath, Kevin Paine, Muath Al Kronz
The management of waste wash-water (WWW) is one of the most significant environmental problems associated with ready-mix concrete production worldwide. The problems are exacerbated should it be disposed of in an inappropriate manner. This study evaluated the potential of WWW recycling in ready mix concrete plants in Jordan. A representative waste wash-water sample (400 L) was collected from a basin
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Germination and Seedling Growth Responses of Zygophyllum fabago, Salsola kali L. and Atriplex canescens to PEG-Induced Drought Stress Environments Pub Date : 2020-12-10 Ali Reza Yousefi, Sakineh Rashidi, Parviz Moradi, Andrea Mastinu
In arid and semi-arid regions, planting drought-tolerant species is the most useful strategy in the reclamation of degraded soils. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of simulated drought by polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) on seed germination and seedling growth of three desert plants such as Atriplex canescens, Salsola kali and Zygophyllum fabago. Seeds were subjected to water stress to drought
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Chemical Composition of Bulk Precipitation and Its Toxicity Potential Index in the Metropolitan Area of Monterrey, Northeastern Mexico Environments Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Darithsa Loya-González, Daniel López-Serna, Juan Manuel Alfaro-Barbosa, Antonio López-Reyes, Humberto González-Rodríguez, Israel Cantú-Silva
The rainwater chemistry within the Metropolitan Area of Monterrey (MAM) was studied during a one-year period (January 2019–January 2020) in seven sampling sites. The metal concentration of Zn, Fe, Cd, Cu, Ni, and Mn was analyzed in bulk samples and the toxicity potential (TP) was calculated for each metal. A canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was applied to identify the relationship between environmental
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Hydrogeological and Hydrochemical Regime Evaluation in Flamouria Basin in Edessa (Northern Greece) Environments Pub Date : 2020-12-03 Matthias Bannenberg, Maria Margarita Ntona, Gianluigi Busico, Kyriaki Kalaitzidou, Manassis Mitrakas, George Vargemezis, Ilias Fikos, Nerantzis Kazakis, Konstantinos Voudouris
Groundwater quality deterioration and overexploitation constitute two critical environmental issues worldwide. In this study, with the aim to achieve a groundwater sustainability purpose, a preliminary hydrogeochemical survey is conducted in the Flamouria basin, Pella prefecture, Northern Greece using available and collected data. For this purpose, chemical analyses of groundwater, springs, and surface
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Co-Management of Small-Scale Fisheries in Chile From a Network Governance Perspective Environments Pub Date : 2020-11-28 Cristian Albornoz, Johannes Glückler
We examine decision-making, shared authority, and pluralism as key characteristics for the effective co-management of natural resources. Drawing on the concept of network governance, we complement this approach by studying localized practices of governance that support existing and compensate for missing aspects in the regulation. The regime of territorial use rights for fisheries (TURF) in Chile is
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Environmental and Political Determinants of Food Choices: A Preliminary Study in a Croatian Sample Environments Pub Date : 2020-11-22 Marijana Matek Sarić, Krešimir Jakšić, Jelena Čulin, Raquel P. F. Guiné
Production, processing, transporting, selling, and consumption of food are highly resource intensive. Therefore, if they are not well managed the consequences for the environment are far-reaching. This study aimed at investigating behaviors and attitudes of the Croatian population concerning the influence of environmental and political determinants of food choices, and the socio-demographic factors
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The Influence of Seasonal Meteorology on Vehicle Exhaust PM2.5 in the State of California: A Hybrid Approach Based on Artificial Neural Network and Spatial Analysis Environments Pub Date : 2020-11-19 Fan Yu, Amin Mohebbi, Shiqing Cai, Simin Akbariyeh, Brendan J. Russo, Edward J. Smaglik
This study aims to develop a hybrid approach based on backpropagation artificial neural network (ANN) and spatial analysis techniques to predict particulate matter of size 2.5 µm (PM2.5) from vehicle exhaust emissions in the State of California using aerosol optical depth (AOD) and several meteorological indicators (relative humidity, temperature, precipitation, and wind speed). The PM2.5 data were
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Sound Environments Environments Pub Date : 2020-11-11 Jian Kang
Note: In lieu of an abstract, this is an excerpt from the first page. Sound environment is a vital part of our overall environment [...]
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Estimating Release of Trace Elements from an Area with Historical Open Pit Mining of Alum Shale Using Mass Transport and Element/Sulfate Ratios Calculations Environments Pub Date : 2020-11-10 Kristina Åhlgren, Viktor Sjöberg, Mattias Bäckström
Alum shale was mined for oil and uranium production in Kvarntorp, Sweden, 1942–1966. Remnants such as pit lakes, exposed shale and a 100-meter-high waste deposit with a hot interior affect the surrounding environment, with elevated concentrations of, e.g., Mo, Ni and U in the recipient. Today most pit lakes are circumneutral while one of the lakes is still acidic. All pit lakes show signs of sulfide
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Climate Change Mitigation Policies in the Transportation Sector in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Environments Pub Date : 2020-11-07 Tatiana Bruce da Silva, Patrícia Baptista, Carlos A. Santos Silva, Luan Santos
This study analyzes climate change mitigation policies focused on light-duty electric vehicles (LDEVs) in the transportation sector in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, in the 2016–2050 period. We use the Open Source Energy Modeling System (OSeMOSYS) to analyze scenarios that consider greater uptake of LDEVs in different time frames, implementation of a CO2 emission restriction policy, exclusion of fossil
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Urban Soils and Road Dust—Civilization Effects and Metal Pollution—A Review Environments Pub Date : 2020-11-04 Manfred Sager
Urban soils have been changed much by human impacts in terms of structure, composition and use. This review paper gives a general introduction into changes from compaction, mixing, water retention, nutrient inputs, sealing, gardening, and pollution. Because pollutions in particular have caused concerns in the past, metal pollutions and platinum group metal inputs have been treated in more detail. Though
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Desulfurization Performance of Choline Chloride-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents in the Presence of Graphene Oxide Environments Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Chiau Yuan Lim, Mohd Faridzuan Majid, Sarrthesvaarni Rajasuriyan, Hayyiratul Fatimah Mohd Zaid, Khairulazhar Jumbri, Fai Kait Chong
Extractive catalytic oxidative desulfurization (ECODS) is the one of the recent methods used in fuel desulfurization which involved the use of catalyst in the oxidative desulfurization of diesel fuel. This study is aimed to test the effectiveness of synthesized choline chloride (ChCl) based deep eutectic solvent (DES) in fuel desulfurization via ECODS method, with the presence of graphene oxide (GO)
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Structural Assessment of Reinforced Concrete Beams Incorporating Waste Plastic Straws Environments Pub Date : 2020-10-29 Jamal M. Khatib, Ali Jahami, Adel Elkordi, Hakim Abdelgader, Mohammed Sonebi
The behavior of reinforced concrete beams containing fibers made of waste plastic straws (WPSs) under the three point bending test is examined. The effect of WPS fiber addition on the compressive and split tensile strength is reported. Four concrete mixes were prepared. The control mix PS-0 had a proportion of 1 cement: 1 sand: 2 coarse aggregate and a water cement ratio of 0.4. In the other three
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Lead Complexation by Humic Acids and Their Analogs: A Voltammetric Study Environments Pub Date : 2020-10-26 Spencer Steinberg, Vernon Hodge
Differential pulse polarography (DPP) was used to assess the interaction of Pb2+ with various humic acid analogs and several humic acids. DPP analysis demonstrated that the reduction peak maximum (Ep) for Pb2+ shifted to more negative values in the presence of humic acids and humic acid analogs. The observed Ep for Pb2+ in the presence of humic acids and humic acid analogs is influenced by ligand concentration
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Road Verge Vegetation and the Capture of Particulate Matter Air Pollution Environments Pub Date : 2020-10-20 Lory Sillars-Powell, Matthew J. Tallis, Mike Fowler
Urban air quality is considered a major issue in cities worldwide, with particulate matter (PM) recognised as one of the most harmful pollutants regarding human health. The use of plants to act as air filters and immobilise PM has been identified as a potential method to improve the air quality in these areas. The majority of the work has focused on trees, with the application of shrub and herbaceous
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Evaluation of the Efficacy of SIFT-MS for Speciation of Wastewater Treatment Plant Odors in Parallel with Human Sensory Analysis Environments Pub Date : 2020-10-15 Vaughan S. Langford, Cassandra Billiau, Murray J. McEwan
Odors from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have frequently been attributed primarily to hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Low-to-medium cost hydrogen sulfide sensors have been utilized as odor indicators. However, other odorous species are usually present that may have lower odor thresholds than hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is not always present in odorous environments and the correlation of hydrogen
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Measuring Soil Metal Bioavailability in Roadside Soils of Different Ages Environments Pub Date : 2020-10-15 Shamali De Silva, Trang Huynh, Andrew S. Ball, Demidu V. Indrapala, Suzie M. Reichman
Finding a reliable method to predict soil metal bioavailability in aged soil continues to be one of the most important problems in contaminated soil chemistry. To investigate the bioavailability of metals aged in soils, we used roadside soils that had accumulated metals from vehicle emissions over a range of years. We collected topsoil (0–10 cm) samples representing new-, medium- and old-aged roadside
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Developments in Molecular Level Characterization of Naphthenic Acid Fraction Compounds Degradation in a Constructed Wetland Treatment System Environments Pub Date : 2020-10-14 Chukwuemeka Ajaero, Ian Vander Meulen, Monique C. Simair, Mignon le Roux, Joanne Parrott, Kerry M. Peru, Dena W. McMartin, John V. Headley
The reclamation of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) is a matter of environmental importance because of the aquatic toxicity to biota. This study describes refinements in advanced analytical methods to assess the performance of biological treatment systems for OSPW, such as constructed wetland treatment systems (CWTSs). Assessment of treatment efficiency by measurement of the degradation of naphthenic
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The Impact of Tourism Activity on Coastal Biodiversity: A Case Study at Praia da Cova Redonda (Algarve—Portugal) Environments Pub Date : 2020-10-12 Leonel J. R. Nunes, Mauro A. M. Raposo, Carlos J. Pinto Gomes
Tourism activity has a very significant weight in the world economy, even being the main activity responsible for the export of many countries, in the form of providing services to foreign citizens. In mainland Portugal, the main tourist region is the Algarve, where beach tourism, known as sun and sea tourism, plays a decisive role. However, this activity also has its negative impacts. In the present
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Small Environmental Actions Need of Problem-Solving Approach: Applying Project Management Tools to Beach Litter Clean-Ups Environments Pub Date : 2020-10-11 Corrado Battisti, Gianluca Poeta, Federico Romiti, Lorenzo Picciolo
Clean-ups can be considered real conservation actions since beach litter may impact many ecosystem components. However, although these actions are quite easy to carry out, we think that they need to follow specific criteria and clear planning. Contrariwise, an unplanned clean-up could lead to counter-productive—or even harmful—consequences to the fragile dune ecosystem; e.g., excessive trampling and/or
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Assessment of the Lowland Bog Biomass for Ex Situ Remediation of Petroleum-Contaminated Soils Environments Pub Date : 2020-10-08 Dmitriy V. Tarabukin
Bog petroleum-contaminated soils have been remediated ex situ in conditions close to natural ones. It was found that during the first 30 days in natural conditions, the decomposition of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) was 30 ± 5%. On the 60th and 90th days, the process of TPH decomposition was 45 ± 5% and 60 ± 5%, respectively. The effect of various stimulant supplements was negligible. For the
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Spatiotemporal Evaluation of PM10 Concentrations within the Greater Athens Area, Greece. Trends, Variability and Analysis of a 19 Years Data Series Environments Pub Date : 2020-10-06 Konstantinos P. Moustris, Ermioni Petraki, Kleopatra Ntourou, Georgios Priniotakis, Dimitrios Nikolopoulos
This work investigates the spatiotemporal variation of suspended particles with aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 10 μm (PM10) during a nineteen years period. Mean daily PM10 concentrations between 2001 and 2018, from five monitoring stations within the greater Athens area (GAA) are used. The aim is to investigate the impact of the economic crisis and the actions taken by the Greek state over
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Evaluation of Light Gradient Boosted Machine Learning Technique in Large Scale Land Use and Land Cover Classification Environments Pub Date : 2020-10-03 Dakota Aaron McCarty, Hyun Woo Kim, Hye Kyung Lee
The ability to rapidly produce accurate land use and land cover maps regularly and consistently has been a growing initiative as they have increasingly become an important tool in the efforts to evaluate, monitor, and conserve Earth’s natural resources. Algorithms for supervised classification of satellite images constitute a necessary tool for the building of these maps and they have made it possible
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Evaluating the Effectiveness of Urban Hedges as Air Pollution Barriers: Importance of Sampling Method, Species Characteristics and Site Location Environments Pub Date : 2020-10-01 Tijana Blanuša, Zeenat Jabeen Qadir, Amanpreet Kaur, James Hadley, Mark B. Gush
Urban hedgerows can act as barriers to roadside particulate air pollution, but details on methodologies to quantify pollutant capture, most efficient species to use, and practical planning advice are still evolving. We aimed to compare three widely used approaches to quantify particulate accumulation and deposition, and to ascertain the most cost-effective and robust approach for the rapid screening