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 alba L.) seeds were exposed to different leachate dilution. Leachate were collected monthly in 2018 in the period from April to September. Furthermore, pH, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen were measured. The inhibition results on Sinapis alba L. seeds in the tested leachate samples ranged from −18.02 to 39.03%. Lower concentration of leachate showed a stimulating effect (only for Sample 1 and Sample 2 at 5% concentration). It was found out that leachate taken at the landfill is phytotoxic. The results of measurements are based on rainfall which affects the quantity and quality of the leachate. The values of germinated seeds/growing plants from the subchronic toxicity pot experiment ranged from 80 to 104%; therefore, the leachate is considered phytotoxic. However, it was confirmed that leachate may be used for landfill irrigation. Full article

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 in a ready-mix concrete company. A pilot plant on the lab scale was fabricated and installed. The treatment system consisted of a concrete washout reclaimer, wedgebed slurry settling pond, slow sand filtration unit, and a neutralization unit. Water samples were collected from all stages of the pilot plant and analyzed. The collected waste wash-water samples were utilized for replacement of well water (mixing water) at various ratios. Fourteen concrete mixtures were produced and cast, as well as tested at various curing ages (7, 28, and 90 days). The results show that the raw WWW was not acceptable as mixing water even after dilution as it led to significant reductions in concrete compressive strength and low workability. However, the WWW from the settling pond, the filtered WWW and the filtered-neutralized WWW at dilution ratios up to 75% were shown to be potential alternatives to fresh water for ready-mixed concrete. Therefore, the current guidelines for mixing water quality should be revised to encourage the reuse of the WWW. Full article

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 stress by PEG at five stress levels (0, −1, −4, −8, −12, −14 bars). Germination of Z. fabago was completely inhibited at an osmotic potential of −8, −10 and −12 bars and the germination of A. canescens was inhibited only at −14 bar. In contrast, S. kali responded positively to high levels of stress and our results showed the highest final germination percent (71.75, 54 and 18.25%) under three-drought stress −8, −12 and −14 bars, respectively. In addition, increasing PEG concentration adversely affected the germination rate and seedling vigor index as well as the root and shoot length of species. Under high stress levels, S. kali achieved a higher germination rate and seedling vigor index compared to Z. fabago and A. canescens. Among species, S. kali was the only one able to develop roots and shoots at −14 bar. Therefore, S. kali could be considered as a promising plant for the rehabilitation of degraded soils at risk of desertification. Full article

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 associated with pro-environmental behavior. Data analysis involved a non-probabilistic sample of 1534 adult participants from Croatia who responded to a validated questionnaire from November 2017 to March 2018. To test differences between sociodemographic groups, Welch’s t-test (two groups) and ANOVA (multiple groups) were used. The relationship between age and motivators of food choices was analyzed with Pearson’s r correlation coefficient. Participants reported a neutral rate of agreement with the items, with the exception of items related to food waste and food origin, for which they expressed a moderate amount of agreement. Socio-demographic factors that influence environmentally or politically concerned food choices in our study were age (older participants, p < 0.001), gender (women in comparison to men, p < 0.05), education level (higher education in comparison to elementary/high school, p < 0.05), marital status (married/cohabiting in comparison to unmarried, p < 0.05), responsibility for food supply (those who are responsible for food supply in comparison to those who are not responsible for food supply, p < 0.05), eating practices (participants with specific eating practices in comparison to participants without specific eating practices, p < 0.05), and smoking (those who have never smoked score and those who used to smoke in comparison to active smokers, p < 0.05). The results show that there are no statistically significant differences in environmental and political determinants of food choices based on the place of residence and employment status. The findings indicate that environmental and political determinants do not play a significant role in the food choices among the Croatian population. Full article

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 fuels from the power mix, and a combination of these policies. We find that carbon pricing, along with higher rates of LDEVs adoption, causes the highest emission reductions (up to 47%), albeit at higher costs. LDEVs become the preferred vehicle technology as soon as they reach cost parity with internal combustion engine vehicles in different scenarios. Greater LDEVs uptake, however, leads to increased electricity consumption (up to 3%), which is provided by fossil fuels when there is no emission restriction policy. If restrictions are placed on the expansion of fossil fuel power plants, fewer LDEVs are adopted (up to less than 26%) because there is not enough electricity to supply the demand. Given the state’s power mix in 2016 (58% provided by fossil fuels), investment in zero-carbon energy is necessary for mitigation policies in the transportation sector to be effective. Full article

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 extreme sand removal. Here, we defined a road map for implementing beach clean-ups according to the logic of problem solving and project management, also adding a flow chart. More particularly, we subdivided the clean-up project into different steps as follows: context analysis, input and planning, process, monitoring (outputs and outcomes) and adaptation. Full article

Organic matter decline and compaction are two major processes of soil degradation. Organic amendment is a current practice to compensate the loss of organic matter, which could in addition contribute to increase soil aggregate stability and limit compaction. Therefore, the objective of this work was to study the effect of multiple physico-chemical stresses, organic amendment (compost of sewage sludge and green waste) addition and soil compaction, on the fate and impact (measured through the urease enzyme activity) of isoproturon. Compost addition and compaction did not significantly affect the fate and impact of isoproturon. The lack of effect of compost can be due to the delay between soil sampling and soil amendment. Compaction had no effect probably because the porosity reduction does not affect the habitable pore space accessible to degrading microorganisms. Nevertheless, isoproturon significantly increased the urease enzyme activity in compacted and not compacted unamended soils contrary to the amended ones. It seems that the organic amendment could act as a buffer with regards to the impact of isoproturon. The results obtained in this work suggest that, in general, the fate and impact of isoproturon in soils will not change following compaction and/or organic amendment addition, neither the corresponding risks for the environment. Full article

Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) utilization of combined heat and power (CHP) systems allows for the efficient use of on-site biogas production, as well as increased annual savings in utility costs. In this paper, a review of biogas energy recovery options, CHP prime mover technologies, and the costs associated with biogas cleaning give a broad summary of the current state of CHP technology in WWTPs. Even though there are six different prime mover technologies, the main ones currently being implemented in WWTPs are micro turbines, fuel cells and reciprocating engines. Different prime movers offer varying efficiencies, installation costs, and biogas impurity (H₂S, siloxanes, HCl) tolerances. To evaluate the long-term savings capabilities, a techno-economic assessment of a CHP installation at a case study WWTP shows the payback, annual savings, and initial costs associated with the installation of a CHP system. In this case, a study a payback of 5.7 years and a net present value of USD 709,000 can be achieved when the WWTP generates over 2,000,000 m³ of biogas per year and utilizes over 36,000 GJ of natural gas per year. Full article

Seaweed, a popular seafood in South Korea, has abundant dietary fiber and minerals. The toxicity of arsenic compounds is known to be related to their chemical speciation, and inorganic arsenic (iAs) is more detrimental than other species. Due to the different toxicities of the various chemical forms, speciation analysis is important for evaluating arsenic exposure. In this study, total arsenic (tAs) and six arsenic species (arsenite, arsenate, monomethylarsonic acid, dimethylarsinic acid, arsenobetaine, and arsenocholine) were analyzed in 180 seaweed samples. Although there were differences between seaweed species, the concentration of tAs was detected at levels ranging from 1 to 100 µg/g, and the distribution of six arsenic species differed depending on the seaweed species. No correlation between the concentration of iAs and tAs was found in most seaweed species. Through statistical clustering, hijiki and gulfweed were seen to be the seaweeds with the highest ratios of iAs to tAs. Using the iAs concentration data from the arsenic speciation analysis, a risk assessment of seaweed intake in South Korea was conducted. The margin of exposure values showed no meaningful risk for the general population, but low levels of risk were identified for seaweed consumers, with high intakes of gulfweed and hijiki. Full article

Artificial water-treatment wetlands can reduce nitrogen and phosphorous nutrient concentrations in wastewater effluent to improve water quality and decrease eutrophication in natural waters. The Orlando Easterly Wetlands (OEW) is an engineered wetland that polishes 57 million liters of wastewater per day, lowering the total nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations through biological, physical, and chemical processes. In addition to purifying the water, the wetlands provide habitat for avian, mammalian, reptilian and macroinvertebrate species. Previous research has shown that avian species affect the eutrophication of agricultural reservoirs near their roost. The research herein quantifies uric acid in avian and reptilian excretory product and tracks its concentration profile throughout the OEW over a seven-month period. This measure of the non-anthropogenic contribution to nitrogen within the park includes winter months when large numbers of migratory birds occupy the wetland. The enzymatic decomposition of uric acid and the subsequent fluorimetric analysis were used to quantify uric acid throughout the flow train of the OEW. High concentrations of 2–4 mg/L uric acid were found in the influent, but drastically declined to concentrations below 0.2 mg/L in the effluent. Full article

Cadmium is acute toxicity inducing heavy metal that significantly decreases the yield of crops. Due to high water solubility, it reaches the plant tissue and disturbs the uptake of macronutrients. Low uptake of nutrients in the presence of cadmium is a well-documented fact due to its antagonistic relationship with those nutrients, i.e., potassium. Furthermore, cadmium stressed plant produced a higher amount of endogenous stress ethylene, which induced negative effects on yield. However, inoculation of 1-amino cyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACCD), producing plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), can catabolize this stress ethylene and immobilized heavy metals to mitigate cadmium adverse effects. We conducted a study to examine the influence of ACCD PGPR on nutrients uptake and yield of bitter gourd under cadmium toxicity. Cadmium tolerant PGPRs, i.e., Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Agrobacterium fabrum were inoculated solely and in combination with recommended nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers (RNPKF) applied under different concentration of soil cadmium (2 and 5 mg kg⁻¹ soil). Results showed that A. fabrum with RNPKF showed significant positive response towards an increase in the number of bitter gourds per plant (34% and 68%), fruit length (19% and 29%), bitter gourd yield (26.5% and 21.1%), N (48% and 56%), and K (72% and 55%) concentration from the control at different concentrations of soil cadmium (2 and 5 mg kg⁻¹ soil), respectively. In conclusion, we suggest that A. fabrum with RNPKF can more efficaciously enhance N, K, and yield of bitter gourd under cadmium toxicity. Full article

Terrestrial oil spills have severe and continuing consequences for human communities and the natural environment. Sorbent materials are considered to be a first line of defense method for directly extracting oil from spills and preventing further contaminant spread, but little is known on the performance of sorbent products in terrestrial environments. Dog fur and human hair sorbent products were compared to peat moss and polypropylene sorbent to examine their relative effectiveness in adsorbing crude oil from different terrestrial surfaces. Crude oil spills were simulated using standardized microcosm experiments, and contaminant adsorbency was measured as percentage of crude oil removed from the original spilled quantity. Sustainable-origin absorbents made from dog fur and human hair were equally effective to polypropylene in extracting crude oil from non- and semi-porous land surfaces, with recycled dog fur products and loose-form hair showing a slight advantage over other sorbent types. In a sandy terrestrial environment, polypropylene sorbent was significantly better at adsorbing spilled crude oil than all other tested products. Full article

The majority of municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) in Sweden produce biogas from sewage sludge. In order to increase the methane production, co-digestion of internal sludge with Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) might be feasible in the future. The objective of this study was therefore to find a beneficial solution for the utilization of OFMSW at the WWTP in Varberg, Sweden. The effects of co-digesting primary sludge (PS) and OFMSW collected in the municipality, in different mixing ratios, were investigated by semi-continuous anaerobic digestion assays. Furthermore, the effects of the addition of a commercial trace elements mixture solution (CTES), available on the market in Sweden, were also examined. Co-digestion of OFMSW and PS resulted in specific methane yields of 404, 392, and 375 NmL CH₄/g volatile solids (VS), obtained during semi-continuous operations of 301, 357 and 385 days, for the reactors fed with OMFSW:PS ratio of 4:1, 3:1, and 1:1, and at maximum organic loading rates (OLRs) achieved of 4.0, 4.0 and 5.0 gVS/L/d, respectively. Furthermore, mono-digestion of OFMSW failed already at OLR of 1.0 gVS/L/d, however, an OLR of 4.0 gVS/L/d could be achieved with addition of 14 µL/g VS Commercial Trace Element Solutions (CTES) leading to 363 mL CH₄/g VS methane production. These experiments were running during 411 days. Hence, higher process efficiency was obtained when using co-digestion of OFMSW and PS compared to that of OFMSW in mono-digestion. Co-digestion is a more feasible option where a balanced Carbon/Nitrogen (C/N) ratio and nutrient supply can be maintained. Full article

Municipal sewage contains significant embedded resources in the form of chemical and thermal energy. Recent developments in sustainable technology have pushed for the integration of resource recovery from household wastewater to achieve net zero energy consumption and carbon-neutral communities. Sewage heat recovery and fit-for-purpose water reuse are options to optimize the resource recovery potential of municipal wastewater. This study presents a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) focused on global warming potential (GWP), eutrophication potential (EUP), and human health carcinogenic potential (HHCP) of an integrated sewage heat recovery and water reuse system for a hypothetical community of 30,000 people. Conventional space and water heating components generally demonstrated the highest GWP contribution between the different system components evaluated. Sewage-heat-recovery-based district heating offered better environmental performance overall. Lower impact contributions were demonstrated by scenarios with a membrane bioreactor (MBR) and chlorination prior to water reuse applications compared to scenarios that use more traditional water and wastewater treatment technologies and discharge. The LCA findings show that integrating MBR wastewater treatment and water reuse into a district heating schema could provide additional environmental savings at a community scale. Full article

With only 7.01 million hectares of remaining forested areas in the Philippines, there is an urgency to protect these areas, while also implementing restoration strategies to increase forest cover and improve forest functionality. In this study, we assess how the so called “rainforestation” approach, attempts to implement close-to-nature restoration strategies in humid tropic areas. One of the main objectives of the “rainforestation” approach as a form of a mixed-species plantation is the rehabilitation of structural and floristic integrity similar to natural conditions. We compared study areas located in the provinces of Leyte and Southern Leyte composed of logged forests (temporary plots), with logged forests on a permanent research plot and with mixed-species plantations. Basal area, carbon stocks, volume and biological diversity between study areas were calculated and compared, both for static and dynamic data. Results from the static data indicate that carbon stocks (89.30 t ha⁻¹) and volume (262.56 m³ ha⁻¹) of the mixed-species plantations (“rainforestation” approach) is significantly lower than that of the logged forests. However, when it comes to the capacity of the study areas for potential increments, the mixed-species plantations are not significantly different on basal area increment (0.99 m² ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), carbon stock increment (3.67 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) and total volume increment (10.47 m³ ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) as compared to the logged forests’ capacity (basal area—1.08 m² ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, carbon—4.06 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and total volume—11.98 m³ ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). The species composition was only partly comparable to logged forests of the region, but overall tree species richness is high in comparison to classical plantation approaches. Previously logged forests are able to recover fast reaching surprisingly high values of carbon stocks and potential commercial timber volume. Our study indicates that “rainforestation” cannot fully replace the functionality of natural forests, but can provide a surprisingly multifunctional tool for landscape restoration, providing both timber and non-timber ecosystem services. Full article

Sound has the potential to increase biogas yields and enhance wastewater degradation in anaerobic digesters. To assess this potential, two pilot-scale digestion systems were operated, with one exposed to sound at less than 10 kHz and with one acting as a control. Sounds used were sine waves, broadband noise, and orchestral compositions. Weekly biogas production from sound-treated digesters was 18,900 L, more than twice that of the control digester. The sound-treated digesters were primarily exposed to orchestral compositions, because this made cavitational events easier to identify and because harmonic and amplitude shifts in music seem to induce more cavitation. Background recordings from the sound-treated digester were louder and had more cavitational events than those of the control digester, which we ascribe to enhanced microbial growth and the resulting accelerated sludge breakdown. Acoustic cavitation, vibrational energy imparted to wastewater and sludge, and mixing due to a release of bubbles from the sludge may all act in concert to accelerate wastewater degradation and boost biogas production. Full article

Review of the existing bibliography shows that the direction and magnitude of the long-term trends of UV irradiance, and their main drivers, vary significantly throughout Europe. Analysis of total ozone and spectral UV data recorded at four European stations during 1996–2017 reveals that long-term changes in UV are mainly driven by changes in aerosols, cloudiness, and surface albedo, while changes in total ozone play a less significant role. The variability of UV irradiance is large throughout Italy due to the complex topography and large latitudinal extension of the country. Analysis of the spectral UV records of the urban site of Rome, and the alpine site of Aosta reveals that differences between the two sites follow the annual cycle of the differences in cloudiness and surface albedo. Comparisons between the noon UV index measured at the ground at the same stations and the corresponding estimates from the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) forecast model and the ozone monitoring instrument (OMI)/Aura observations reveal differences of up to 6 units between individual measurements, which are likely due to the different spatial resolution of the different datasets, and average differences of 0.5–1 unit, possibly related to the use of climatological surface albedo and aerosol optical properties in the retrieval algorithms. Full article

Thermal baths are the main touristic attraction of Ourense (Galicia, Spain). Therefore, protecting and potentializing the resources related to this type of tourism is essential for the province. Most of these resources are located by the banks or nearby rivers, which makes them particularly susceptible to flooding, a very common phenomenon throughout the province. In this context, vulnerability analysis, and particularly flooding damage evaluation, are of utmost importance to this area. Considering this scenario, the present study consists of a preliminary analysis of a historical-heritage tourism resource’s vulnerability to flooding. To this end, the study examines the visitation patterns to the Aquis Querquennis complex (Bande, Ourense, Spain), which is located by the banks of the As Conchas reservoir, and the water levels of said reservoir. The complex is a touristic resource with great historical value. Apart from the thermal baths, it encompasses a military campsite and a hostel. The Roman complex attracts a constant tourist flow, which has a positive socioeconomic impact to the area. The analysis showed that there is a correlation between the number of visits and flooding patterns. Increased levels of water are a hinderance for those willing to access the attraction. Consequently, there is a negative relationship between water level and number of visitors. Full article

The occupational health and safety framework identifies workers with an active implantable medical device (AIMD), such as a pacemaker (PM) or an implantable defibrillator (ICD), as a particularly sensitive risk group that must be protected against the dangers caused by the interference of electromagnetic field (EMF). In this paper, we describe the results of in vitro testing/measurements performed according to the EN50527-2-1:2016 standard, for the risk assessment of employees with a PM exposed to three EMF sources: (1) An electrosurgical unit (ESU); (2) a transcranial stimulator (TMS); and (3) an arc welder. The ESU did not affect the PM behavior in any of the configurations tested. For the TMS and the arc welder, interference phenomena were observed in limited experimental configurations, corresponding to the maximum magnetic field coupling between the EMF source and the implant. The in vitro measurements presented can be considered an example of how the specific risk assessment for a worker with a PM can be performed, according to one of the methodologies proposed in the EN50527-2-1:2016, and can be used as scientific evidence and literature data for future risk assessments on the same EMF sources. Full article

The majority of studies on biofilms have focused on autotrophic and bacterial taxa, without considering the potential effects on biofilm grazers. In this work, we investigated the effects of realistic environmental concentrations of zirconium (Zr) on periphyton algal growth and micromeiofauna biodiversity. Glass slides were submerged in a pond for four weeks to colonize biofilms and exposed for four weeks in aquaria to targeted Zr concentrations of 0, 1, and 10 nM, which were monitored over time (average measured concentrations were 0.2 ± 0.1, 0.5 ± 0.3, and 2.9 ± 0.3 nM Zr). The four-week exposure to the highest concentration (3 nM) affected the micromeiofauna structure of biofilms and modified the autotrophic biofilm structure by increasing the proportion of green algae and decreasing the abundance of cyanobacteria and brown algae. Rotifers and the ciliate Aspidisca cicada appeared to be the most sensitive organisms among the observed micromeiofauna. A toxic effect of Zr on rotifers could explain such results. Indirect effects, such as reduced food availability given the reduced algal growth in the presence of Zr, could also play a role in the changes of micromeiofauna community structure. These results are among the few published data on the effects of Zr. Full article

The relative tolerance of four diatoms (Nitzschia palea, Pinnularia mesolepta, Mayamaea atomus, and Gomphonema truncatum) to Cd was evaluated, including their proneness to deformities, and the severity of the abnormalities in relation to Cd concentration. The indirect effect of Cd on photosynthetic capacities was assessed during a short time exposure experiment using a dose-response approach to evaluate the relative tolerance of the four diatom species. The EC₂₅ were 9 (3, 23), 606 (348, 926), 1179 (1015, 1349) and 2394 (1890, 2896) µg/L for P. mesolepta, G. truncatum, N. palea, and M. atomus respectively. P. mesolepta was by far the most Cd sensitive species while M. atomus was the most tolerant. In addition, diatoms were exposed to a single concentration of Cd comparable to a heavily contaminated environment for a longer duration to evaluate the effect of Cd on growth kinetics and the deformities induced. N. palea, P. mesolepta, and M. atomus were able to grow when cultivated with Cd while G. truncatum was not. Cadmium strongly affected the effective quantum yield in G. truncatum (4.8 ± 5.9% of the control) and P. mesolepta cultures (29.2 ± 6.9% of the control). The effects were moderate for N. palea (88.3 ± 0.7% of the control) and no impact was observed for M. atomus. The results from the two approaches were in accordance since they identified N. palea and M. atomus as the two most tolerant species to Cd, while P. mesolepta and G. truncatum were the most sensitive. The microscopy analyses revealed that P. mesolepta was more impacted by Cd than N. palea and M. atomus considering both the quantity of abnormal cells and the severity of the deformities. Overall, this research shows that not all deformities can be considered equal for a water quality bio-assessment. The work highlights a need to take into account metal-tolerance/sensitivity of the species and the severity of the deformities. Full article

Land Use Regression (LUR) modeling is a widely used technique to model the spatial variability of air pollutants in epidemiology. In this study, we explore whether a LUR model can predict home-to-school commuting exposure to black carbon (BC). During January and February 2019, 43 children walking to school were involved in a personal monitoring campaign measuring exposure to BC and tracking their home-to-school routes. At the same time, a previously developed LUR model for the study area was applied to estimate BC exposure on points along the route. Personal BC exposure varied widely with mean ± SD of 9003 ± 4864 ng/m3. The comparison between the two methods showed good agreement (Pearson’s r = 0.74, Lin’s Concordance Correlation Coefficient = 0.6), suggesting that LUR estimates are capable of catching differences among routes and predicting the cleanest route. However, the model tends to underestimate absolute concentrations by 29% on average. A LUR model can be useful in predicting personal exposure and can help urban planners in Milan to build a healthier city for schoolchildren by promoting less polluted home-to-school routes. Full article

Global increase of urban population has brought about a growing demand for more dwelling space, resulting in various negative impacts, such as accelerated urbanization, urban sprawl and higher carbon footprints. To cope with these growth dynamics, city authorities are urged to consider alternative planning strategies aiming at mitigating the negative implications of urbanization. In this context, the present contribution investigates the potential of urban densification to mitigate the heat island effects and to improve outdoor thermal conditions. Focusing on a quite densely urbanized district in Vienna, Austria, we carried out a set of simulations of urban microclimate for pre- and post-densification scenarios using the parametric modelling environment Rhinoceros 3D and a set of built-in algorithms in the Rhino’s plug-in Grasshopper. The study was conducted for a hot summer period. The results revealed a notable solar shielding effect of newly introduced vertical extensions of existing buildings, promoting temperature decrease and improved thermal conditions within more shaded urban canyons and courtyards. However, a slight warming effect was noted during the night-time due to the higher thermal storage and lower sky view factor. Full article

Grazing lands should be monitored to ensure their productivity and the preservation of ecosystem services. The study objective was to investigate the effectiveness of an Ecological Health Index (EHI) for assessing ecosystem ecological health in grazing lands. The EHI was developed by synthesizing existing vegetation and soil cover indicators. We implemented long-term transects at 44 farms from two ecological regions in Patagonia, the Humid Magellan Steppe (HMS) (n = 24) and Subandean Grasslands (SG) (n = 20), to collect data on established quantifiable vegetative and soil measurements and the EHI. Using known quantifiable measures, the HMS had numerically greater species richness compared to SG. Similarly, the average percentage of total live vegetation was more favorable in HMS. Correlating the EHI with these known quantifiable measures demonstrated positive correlations with species richness, the percentage of total live vegetation and carrying capacity and was negatively correlations with bare ground. These results suggest that EHI could be a useful method to detect the ecological health and productivity in grazing lands. Overall, we conclude that EHI is an effective short-term monitoring approach that ranchers could implement annually to monitor grazing lands and determine the impacts of ranch decision-making on important ecosystem indicators. Full article

Ash from power plants that incinerate poultry litter has fertilizer value, but research is lacking on optimal land application methodologies. Experiments were conducted to evaluate calcitic lime and flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FGDG) as potential fillers for poultry litter ash land applications. The ash had phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) contents of 68 and 59 g kg⁻¹, respectively. Soil extractable P and K were measured in an incubation pot study, comparing calcitic lime to FGDG at filler/ash ratios of 1:3, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1. After one month, soils were sampled and annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) seeds were planted to investigate how plant growth and uptake of P and K were influenced by the fillers. Application of ash alone or with fillers increased soil extractable P and K levels above unamended controls by 100% and 70%, respectively. Filler materials did not affect biomass or P and K concentration of the ryegrass. A field study with a commercial spinner disc fertilizer applicator was conducted to compare application uniformity of ash alone and filler/ash blends. Overall, test data suggested that uniform distribution of ash alone or with fillers is feasible in field applications using a commercial fertilizer spreader. Full article

Digestion of wastes to produce biogas is complicated by poor degradation of feedstocks. Research has shown that waste digestion can be enhanced by the addition of low levels of aeration without harming the microbes responsible for methane production. This research has been done at small scales and without provision to retain the aeration in the digestate. In this paper, low levels of aeration were provided to poultry litter slurry through a sub-surface manifold that retained air in the sludge. Digestate (133 L) was supplied 0, 200, 800, or 2000 mL/day air in 200 mL increments throughout the day via a manifold with a volume of 380 mL. Digesters were fed 400 g of poultry litter once weekly until day 84 and then 600 g thereafter. Aeration at 200 and 800 mL/day increased biogas production by 14 and 73% compared to anaerobic digestion while aeration at 2000 mL/day decreased biogas production by 19%. Biogas quality was similar in all digesters albeit carbon dioxide and methane were lowest in the 2000 mL/day treatment. Increasing feed to 600 g/week decreased gas production without affecting biogas quality. Degradation of wood disks placed within the digesters was enhanced by aeration. Full article

Gas-permeable membrane technology is a new strategy to minimize ammonia losses from manure, reducing pollution and recovering N in the form of an ammonium salt fertilizer. In this work, a new operational configuration to recover N using the gas-permeable membrane technology from swine manure was tested in a semi-continuous mode. It treated swine manure with a total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentration of 3451 mg L⁻¹. The system was operated with low aeration rate (to raise pH), and with hydraulic retention times (HRT) of seven days (Period I) and five days (Period II) that provided total ammonia nitrogen loading rate (ALR) treatments of 491 and 696 mg TAN per L of reactor per day, respectively. Results showed a uniform TAN recovery rate of 27 g per m² of membrane surface per day regardless of the ALR applied and the manure TAN concentration in the reactor. TAN removal reached 79% for Period I and 56% for Period II, with 90% of recovery by the membrane in both periods. Water capture in the acidic solution was also uniform during the experimental period. An increase in temperature of 3 °C of the acidic solution relative to the wastewater reduced 34% the osmotic distillation and water dilution of the product. These results suggested that the gas-permeable membrane technology operating in a semi-continuous mode has a great potential for TAN recovery from manure. Full article

The production of ethanol from sugarcane or molasses generates vinasse, a residue rich in organic matter and minerals. Vinasse is often used in fertilization and irrigation practices, which may be linked to negative environmental outcomes if excess is applied. Herein, we introduce a novel alternative to the treatment of vinasse promoting the reduction in Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) levels, phenolic compounds, and its mineral content through the coupling of ozone treatment, anaerobic digestion, and the aerobic growth of fungi. The ozone treatment is able to remove about 30% of the total COD, and deplete the concentration of phenolic compounds, while anaerobic digestion produces biogas and generates vinasse digestate, which is less biorecalcitrant than raw vinasse. The aerobic fungal growth generates oleaginous fungal biomass and promotes over 80% of Kjeldahl-Nitrogen in the vinasse. If vinasse were treated following the sequence of anaerobic digestion, aerobic fungal growth, and ozone treatment, the effluent would have about 95% of the COD decreased, complete removal of phenolic compounds, and over 80% of Kjeldahl-Nitrogen. Full article

Urban environments are characterised by the presence of copious and unstructured noise. This noise continuously challenges speech intelligibility both in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired individuals. In this paper, we investigate the impact of urban noise, such as traffic, on speech identification and, more generally, speech understanding. With this purpose, we perform listening experiments to evaluate the ability of individuals with normal hearing to detect words and interpret conversational speech in the presence of urban noise (e.g., street drilling, traffic jams). Our experiments confirm previous findings in different acoustic environments and demonstrate that speech identification is influenced by the similarity between the target speech and the masking noise also in urban scenarios. More specifically, we propose the use of the structural similarity index to quantify this similarity. Our analysis confirms that speech identification is more successful in presence of noise with tempo-spectral characteristics different from speech. Moreover, our results show that speech comprehension is not as challenging as word identification in urban sound environments that are characterised by the presence of severe noise. Indeed, our experiments demonstrate that speech comprehension can be fairly successful even in acoustic scenes where the ability to identify speech is highly reduced. Full article

During a survey related to acoustic and visual perception of users of urban areas, 614 people have been interviewed in Pisa (Italy). The work aims to identify and quantify the effects of parameters influencing the perception of tranquillity in order to understand the soundscape and to propose a method based on the perception of tranquillity for the detection of quiet areas within urban ones. A linear model that predicts the tranquillity perceived in different environments, based on their visual and acoustic characteristics, is proposed. Users were interviewed by operators inside the areas, using a direct approach of standardized questionnaires and oral questions. Simultaneous noise measurements and soundwalks have been performed, together with visual registrations. The linear model obtained predicts the perceived tranquillity based on the statistical level L_A10 (A-weighted noise level exceeded for 10% of the measurement time) the sound sources and visual elements. The perceived tranquillity results negatively correlated to L_A10 and to the presence of sound sources or negative visual elements. The presence of beneficial sound sources is positively correlated to the perceived tranquillity. However, the effect of the noise level is regulated by environmental characteristics. Perceived tranquillity is proposed as an indicator to identify quiet areas in the urban environment, according to European Directive 49/2002/EC. The obtained model identifies the areas that would get a higher tranquillity value than a fixed threshold value and therefore would be perceived as quiet. The model can be used as a cost-benefit analysis support tool to identify the best solution between the reduction of noise levels and the regeneration of urban areas, referring to the tranquillity perceived by the users. Full article

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 it is not possible to cover the entire literature done on this field, it has been tried to give examples from all continents, regarding geochemical background levels. Urban metal soil pollution depends on the age of the settlement, current emissions from traffic and industry, and washout. It seems that in regions of high precipitation, pollutants are swept away to the watershed, leaving the soils less polluted than in Europe. Health hazards, however, are caused by ingestion and inhalation, which are higher in 3rd world countries, and not by concentrations met in urban soils as such; these are not treated within this paper in detail. With respect to pollutants, this paper is focused on metals. Contrary to many reviews of the past, which mix all data into one column, like sampling depth, sieved grain sizes, digestion and determination methods, these have been considered, because this might lead to considerable interpretation changes. Because many datasets are not Gaussian distributed, medians and concentration ranges are given, wherever possible. Urban dust contains about two to three fold the hazardous metal concentrations met in urban soils. Some data about metal mobilities obtained from selective and sequential leaching procedures, are also added. Soil compaction, pollution, sealings and run-offs cause stress situations for green plants growing at roadside locations, which is discussed in the Section 5. Environmental protection measures have led to decrease metal pollutions within the last decade in many places. Full article

Climate change has enhanced the occurrence of rural fires, since changes in the hydrological cycle have led to the occurrence of increasingly long and frequent periods of drought. This recurrence of rural fires in Portugal, in turn, has led to the successive elimination of vast areas traditionally occupied by native species or species of economic interest, which are being successively replaced by new species with invasive behavior. Among these, Acacia dealbata stands out for its dispersion capacity and for the area it has already occupied. In the present work, which reviews the evolution of forest cover over the last 18,000 years in the Serra da Estrela Natural Park, we intend to demonstrate that fire acts as a species selection agent and that it enhances the development of heliophile and pyrophyte species. For this purpose, an area of the municipality of Seia was selected, more specifically Casal do Rei, where the development of Acacia dealbata forests is monitored. In the end, it was concluded that, in fact, by analyzing the ages of the specimens present in these populations, fire acts as a selection agent by freeing up the space previously occupied by other species, opening the way for the growth of heliophiles and pyrophytes invasive species while enhancing their germination. Full article

In aquatic environment, engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are present as complex mixtures with other pollutants, such as trace metals, which could result in synergism, additivity or antagonism of their combined effects. Despite the fact that the toxicity and environmental risk of the ENPs have received extensive attention in the recent years, the interactions of ENPs with other pollutants and the consequent effects on aquatic organisms represent an important challenge in (nano)ecotoxicology. The present review provides an overview of the state-of-the-art and critically discusses the existing knowledge on combined effects of mixtures of ENPs and metallic pollutants on aquatic organisms. The specific emphasis is on the adsorption of metallic pollutants on metal-containing ENPs, transformation and bioavailability of ENPs and metallic pollutants in mixtures. Antagonistic, additive and synergistic effects observed in aquatic organisms co-exposed to ENPs and metallic pollutants are discussed in the case of “particle-proof” and “particle-ingestive” organisms. This knowledge is important in developing efficient strategies for sound environmental impact assessment of mixture exposure in complex environments. Full article

Noise barriers are the most widespread solution to mitigate noise produced by the continuous growth of vehicular traffic, thus reducing the large number of people exposed to it and avoiding unpleasant effects on health. However, conventional noise barriers present the well-known issues related to the diffraction at the edges which reduces the net insertion loss, to the reflection of sound energy in the opposite direction, and to the complaints of citizens due to the reduction of field of view, natural light, and air flow. In order to avoid these shortcomings and maximize noise abatement, recent research has moved toward the development of sonic crystals as noise barriers. A previous review found in the literature was focused on the theoretical aspects of the propagation of sound through crystals. The present work on the other hand reviews the latest studies concerning the practical application of sonic crystal as noise barriers, especially for road traffic noise mitigation. The paper explores and compares the latest developments reported in the scientific literature, focused on integrating Bragg’s law properties with other mitigation effects such as hollow scatterers, wooden or recycled materials, or porous coating. These solutions could increase the insertion loss and frequency band gap, while inserting the noise mitigation action in a green and circular economy. The pros and cons of sonic crystal barriers will also be discussed, with the aim of finding the best solution that is actually viable, as well as stimulating future research on the aspects requiring improvement. Full article