Special Issue on Advances in Environmental Applied Physics—2nd Edition

This Special Issue, titled “Advances in Environmental Applied Physics—2nd Edition”, compiles original contributions from prominent researchers addressing environmental pollutants and their implications for human health, notably the potential link to increased cancer rates. A diverse set of analytical tools is utilized in the detection and assessment of both physical and chemical contaminants in environmental matrices. These techniques include

• Alpha and gamma spectrometry, essential for measuring the specific activities of radionuclides emitting alpha and gamma radiation;
• Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), employed for determining trace metal concentrations;
• Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC), used to measure activity levels of radionuclides such as tritium and radon and to perform gross alpha and beta analyses;
• The thick-source method, applied to assess overall alpha/beta activity in samples;
• Emanometry, often conducted in aqueous environments, to estimate radon gas activity.

One article, “Analysis of Gamma-Irradiation Effect on Radicals Formation and on Antiradical Capacity of Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L.) Seeds”, focuses on using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to explore free radical generation in irradiated seeds and to quantify their free radical scavenging ability (FRSA) through DPPH radical assays. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was also used to characterize changes in polyphenolic profiles in seeds subjected to gamma irradiation at doses of 1, 5, and 10 kGy. EPR results showed persistent radical signals—up to 45 days for 1 kGy and up to 250 days for 5 and 10 kGy. Interestingly, FRSA increased in shell extracts but declined in peeled seeds, with effects varying by dose and correlating with phenolic content. Additionally, gamma irradiation induced the degradation of some polyphenols and the synthesis of new ones, with the 5 kGy dose most positively impacting antioxidant potential [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11].

Another study, “Towards the Sustainable Removal of Heavy Metals from Wastewater Using Arthrospira platensis: A Laboratory-Scale Approach in the Context of a Green Circular Economy”, investigates the microalga’s efficiency in treating multi-metal-contaminated systems. Cultures of Arthrospira platensis were exposed to individual and combined solutions of Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb, and Zn. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) was used to determine metal uptake. Supplementary analyses included FTIR, NIR, UV-Vis spectrophotometry, optical microscopy, as well as pH and electrical conductivity (EC) measurements. Results indicated that the alga maintains effective remediation in multi-metal scenarios, with enhanced removal of Cu, Cd, Pb, and Zn, suggesting synergistic effects. Conversely, Ni removal declined under multi-metal stress, hinting at antagonistic interactions. The study confirms A. platensis as a strong candidate for bioremediation in complex pollution scenarios [12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22].

The study titled “Determination of Lichens’ Bioaccumulation Capacity for Radioactive Isotopes Under Laboratory Conditions as a Basis for Their Application as Biomonitors” assesses Cladonia uncialis as a biomonitor for radionuclide contamination. Under laboratory-simulated fallout conditions using gamma-emitting isotopes, lichens were exposed to varying concentrations across three aquariums. The uptake of isotopes including ⁵⁴Mn, ⁵⁷Co, ⁶⁰Co, ⁶⁵Zn, ¹³⁷Cs, and ²⁴¹Am was rapid, primarily within the initial days. Analysis of both washed and unwashed samples showed intracellular retention, confirming efficient bioaccumulation. Aggregated Transfer Coefficients (Tag) ranged from 0.34 to 0.64, and absorption efficiency followed the trend: ⁵⁴Mn < ⁵⁷Co < ⁶⁰Co ≤ ⁶⁵Zn < ²⁴¹Am < ¹³⁷Cs. Especially for ¹³⁷Cs and ²⁴¹Am, absorption reached about 50%, highlighting the lichen’s utility in radioactive monitoring [23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33].

The paper “Ecological and Health Risks from Trace Elements Contamination in Soils at the Rutile Bearing Area of Akonolinga, Cameroon” focuses on the analysis of trace elements in soils near a rutile deposit. Using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS) on 25 samples, the study found that concentrations followed the order: Fe, Ti, Zr, Mn, Cr, V, Ba, Zn, Nb, Ni, Pb, Ga, Cu, Co, Y, Br, and Sn. Moderate correlations between Fe and several elements point to a shared geogenic source. Enrichment Factors (EFs) revealed notable accumulation of Zr, Nb, and Ti, with localized spikes in Cr and Co. Although the Geo-Accumulation Index (I_geo) suggests low overall contamination, the Contamination Factor (CF) indicates significant levels for Cr, Nb, Ti, and Zr. The health risk assessment identified a moderate carcinogenic risk and high non-carcinogenic risks, particularly for children, emphasizing the need for further monitoring and mitigation strategies [34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43].

The case study titled “Radon-Specific Activity in Drinking Water and Radiological Health Risk Assessment: A Case Study” evaluates ²²²Rn concentrations in groundwater from the Calabria region, Italy. Measurements were conducted using a PerkinElmer Tri-Carb 4910 TR liquid scintillation counter, and results were compared to the national threshold of 100 Bq/L set by D.Lgs. 28/2016 and EU Directive 2013/51/Euratom. Where values exceeded limits, the annual effective dose from ingestion and inhalation was calculated. The findings provide essential baseline data for assessing regional exposure to radon through drinking water and help inform long-term public health policy [44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53].

Lastly, the paper “Systematic Review of Exposure Studies to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields: Spot Measurements and Mixed Methodologies” synthesizes 86 studies published between 1998 and 2023. It follows PRISMA guidelines, along with PECO criteria and the CASPe assessment tool. Of these, 61 used spot measurement techniques, and 25 used mixed methods. Notably, 43% of spot studies relied on spectrum analyzers, especially the Narda SRM-3006 and SRM-3000, reflecting the increased use of sensors in RF-EMF research. Reported exposure levels varied widely, from 0.0600 µW/m² in Palestine to 200,000 µW/m² in Norway. Across all settings, RF-EMF levels were found to be well below the thresholds recommended by the ICNIRP guidelines, indicating low exposure risks [54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72].