Search Results (852)

As urbanization accelerates and climate change intensifies, the ecological integrity of urban riparian forests faces growing threats, underscoring the need for a systematic framework to guide their sustainable management. To address this gap, we developed a causal framework by applying text mining and sentence classification to 1001 abstracts from previous studies, structured within the DPSIR (Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response) model. The analysis identified six dominant thematic clusters—water quality, ecosystem services, basin and land use management, climate-related stressors, anthropogenic impacts, and greenhouse gas emissions—which reflect the multifaceted concerns surrounding urban riparian forest research. These themes were synthesized into a structured causal model that illustrates how urbanization, land use, and pollution contribute to ecological degradation, while also suggesting potential restoration pathways. To validate its applicability, the framework was applied to four major urban streams in Seoul, where indicator-based analysis and correlation mapping revealed meaningful linkages among urban drivers, biodiversity, air quality, and civic engagement. Ultimately, by integrating large-scale text mining with causal inference modeling, this study offers a transferable approach to support adaptive planning and evidence-based decision-making under the uncertainties posed by climate change. Full article

The main objective of this study was to select indigenous fungal species suitable for the potential mycoremediation of the soils polluted by organic pollutants. As a sampling area, Litvínov City (North Bohemia, Czech Republic) was selected. The city is characterized by intensive coal mining, coal processing, and the chemical industry, predominantly petrochemistry. The elevated contents of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) were identified in urban soils due to the long-term industrial pollution. The results confirmed elevated contents of PAHs in all the analyzed soil samples with high variability ranging between 0.5 and 23.3 mg/kg regardless of the position of the sampling area on the city map. PCBs and PCDD/Fs exceeded the detection limits in the soil at the sampling points, and several hotspots were revealed at some locations. All the sampling points contained a diverse community of saprotrophic and mycorrhizal fungi, as determined according to abundant basidiomycetes. Fungal species with a confirmed ability to degrade organic pollutants were found, such as species representing the genera Agaricus from the Agaricaceae family, Coprinopsis from the Psathyrellaceae family, Hymenogaster from the Hymenogasteraceae family, and Pluteus from the Pluteaceae family. These species are accustomed to particular soil conditions as well as the elevated contents of the POPs in them. Therefore, these species could be taken into account when developing potential bioremediation measures to apply in the most polluted areas, and their biodegradation ability should be elucidated in further research. The results of this study contribute to the investigation of the potential use of fungal species for mycoremediation of the areas polluted by a wide spectrum of organic pollutants. Full article

This study investigates the concept of landscape services (LS), which integrate environmental and sociocultural dimensions of sustainable development. Recognizing landscapes as essential to daily life and well-being, the research aims to support sustainable spatial planning by analyzing both their potential and their actual use. The study has three main objectives: (1) to assess the potential of 16 selected landscape types to provide six key LS through expert evaluation; (2) to determine actual LS usage patterns among the local community (residents); and (3) to identify agreements and discrepancies between expert assessments and resident use. The services analyzed include providing space for daily activities; regulating spatial structure through diversity and compositional richness; enhancing physical and mental health; enabling passive and active recreation; supporting personal fulfillment; and fostering social interaction. Expert-based surveys and participatory mapping with residents were used to assess the provision and use of LS. The results indicate consistent evaluations for forest and historical urban landscapes (high potential and use) and mining and transportation landscapes (low potential and use). However, significant differences emerged for mountain LS, rated highly by experts but used minimally by residents. These insights highlight the importance of aligning expert planning with community needs to promote sustainable land use policies and reduce spatial conflicts. Full article

This paper examines Krivelj, a copper mining village in Serbia, as a critical yet overlooked node within global extractive networks. Despite supplying copper essential for renewable energy and sustainable architecture, Krivelj experiences severe ecological disruption, forced relocations, and socio-spatial destabilization, becoming a “sacrifice zone”—an area deliberately subjected to harm for broader economic interests. Employing a hybrid methodology that combines ethnographic fieldwork with Geographic Information Systems (GISs), this study spatializes narratives of extractive violence collected from residents through walking interviews, field sketches, and annotated aerial imagery. By integrating satellite data, legal documents, environmental sensors, and lived testimonies, it uncovers the concept of “slow violence,” where incremental harm occurs through bureaucratic neglect, ambient pollution, and legal ambiguity. Critiquing the abstraction of Planetary Urbanization theory, this research employs countertopography and forensic spatial analysis to propose a counter-cartographic framework that integrates geospatial analysis with local narratives. It demonstrates how global mining finance manifests locally through tangible experiences, such as respiratory illnesses and disrupted community relationships, emphasizing the potential of counter-cartography as a tool for visualizing and contesting systemic injustice. Full article

Accelerated industrialization and surging energy demands have led to continuously rising atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. Developing sustainable methods to reduce atmospheric CO₂ levels is crucial for achieving carbon neutrality. Concurrently, the rapid development of new energy vehicles has driven a significant increase in demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), which are now approaching an end-of-life peak. Efficient recycling of valuable metals from spent LIBs represents a critical challenge. This study employs conventional hydrometallurgical processing to recover valuable metals from spent LIBs. Subsequently, Ni-doped Co₃O₄ (Ni:Co₃O₄) supported on the natural mineral attapulgite (ATP) was synthesized via a sol–gel method. The incorporation of a small amount of Ni into the Co₃O₄ lattice generates oxygen vacancies, inducing a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect, which significantly enhances charge carrier transport and separation efficiency. During the photocatalytic reduction of CO₂, the primary product CO generated by the Ni:Co₃O₄/ATP composite achieved a high production rate of 30.1 μmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹. Furthermore, the composite maintains robust catalytic activity even after five consecutive reaction cycles. Full article

The impacts of land use transition on ecological environment quality (EEQ) during China’s rapid urbanization have attracted growing concern. However, existing studies predominantly focus on single-scale analyses, neglecting scale effects and driving mechanisms of EEQ changes under the coupling of administrative units and grid scales. Therefore, this study selects Zhejiang Province—a representative rapidly transforming region in China—to establish a “type-process-ecological effect” analytical framework. Utilizing four-period (2005–2020) 30 m resolution land use data alongside natural and socio-economic factors, four spatial scales (city, county, township, and 5 km grid) were selected to systematically evaluate multi-scale impacts of land use transition on EEQ and their driving mechanisms. The research reveals that the spatial distribution, changing trends, and driving factors of EEQ all exhibit significant scale dependence. The county scale demonstrates the strongest spatial agglomeration and heterogeneity, making it the most appropriate core unit for EEQ management and planning. City and county scales generally show degradation trends, while township and grid scales reveal heterogeneous patterns of local improvement, reflecting micro-scale changes obscured at coarse resolutions. Expansive land transition including conversions of forest ecological land (FEL), water ecological land (WEL), and agricultural production land (APL) to industrial and mining land (IML) primarily drove EEQ degradation, whereas restorative ecological transition such as transformation of WEL and IML to grassland ecological land (GEL) significantly enhanced EEQ. Regarding driving mechanisms, natural factors (particularly NDVI and precipitation) dominate across all scales with significant interactive effects, while socio-economic factors primarily operate at macro scales. This study elucidates the scale complexity of land use transition impacts on ecological environments, providing theoretical and empirical support for developing scale-specific, typology-differentiated ecological governance and spatial planning policies. Full article

Over the last decade, the scientific community has increasingly focused on forest-based practices for human well-being (FBPW), a term that includes all forest activities (e.g., forest bathing, forest therapy, social outdoor initiatives) important for improving people’s health and emotional status. This paper aims to develop a quantitative literature review on FBPW based on big data analysis (text mining on Scopus title and abstract) and PRISMA evaluation. The two techniques facilitate investigations across different geographic areas (major areas and geographical regions) and allow a focus on various topics. The results of text mining highlight the prominence of publications on FBPW for the improvement of human health in East Asia (e.g., Japan and South Korea). Furthermore, some specific themes developed by the literature for each geographical area emerge: urban green areas, cities, and parks in Africa; sustainable forest management and planning in the Americas; empirical studies on physiological and psychological effects of FBPW in Asia; and forest management and FBPW in Europe. PRISMA indicates a gap in studies focused on the reciprocal influences of forest variables and well-being responses. An investigation of the main physiological indicators applied in the scientific literature for the theme is also developed. The main strengths and weaknesses of the method are discussed, with suggestions for potential future lines of research. Full article

Spatial association analysis is essential for understanding interdependencies, spatial proximity, and distribution patterns within spatial data. The spatial scale is a key factor that significantly affects the result of spatial association mining. Traditional methods often rely on a fixed distance threshold (bandwidth) to define the scale effect, which can lead to scale sensitivity and discontinuity results. To address these limitations, this study introduces the Fuzzy Geographically Weighted Colocation Quotient (FGWCLQ) method. By integrating fuzzy theory, FGWCLQ replaces binary distance cutoffs with continuous membership functions, providing a more flexible and stable approach to spatial association mining. Using Point of Interest (POI) data from the Beijing urban area, FGWCLQ was applied to explore both intra- and inter-category spatial association patterns among star hotels, transportation facilities, and tourist attractions at different fuzzy neighborhoods. The results indicate that FGWCLQ can reliably discover global prevalent spatial associations among diverse facility types and visualize the spatial heterogeneity at various spatial scales. Compared to the deterministic GWCLQ method, FGWCLQ delivers more stable and robust results across varying spatial scales and generates more continuous association surfaces, which enable clear visualization of hierarchical clustering. Empirical findings provide valuable insights for optimizing the location of star hotels and supporting decision-making in urban planning. The method is available as an open-source Matlab package, providing a practical tool for diverse spatial association investigations. Full article

In this study, we report the development of a novel magnetized coal fly ash-supported nano-silver composite (AgNPs/MCFA) for dual-functional applications in wastewater treatment: the efficient degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye and broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. The composite was synthesized via a facile impregnation–reduction–sintering route, utilizing sodium citrate as both a reducing and stabilizing agent. The AgNPs/MCFA composite was systematically characterized through multiple analytical techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The results confirmed the uniform dispersion of AgNPs (average size: 13.97 nm) on the MCFA matrix, where the formation of chemical bonds (Ag-O-Si) contributed to the enhanced stability of the material. Under optimized conditions (0.5 g·L⁻¹ AgNO₃, 250 °C sintering temperature, and 2 h sintering time), AgNPs/MCFA exhibited an exceptional catalytic performance, achieving 99.89% MO degradation within 15 min (pseudo-first-order rate constant k_a = 0.3133 min⁻¹) in the presence of NaBH₄. The composite also demonstrated potent antibacterial efficacy against Escherichia coli (MIC = 0.5 mg·mL⁻¹) and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 2 mg·mL⁻¹), attributed to membrane disruption, intracellular content leakage, and reactive oxygen species generation. Remarkably, AgNPs/MCFA retained >90% catalytic and antibacterial efficiency after five reuse cycles, enabled by its magnetic recoverability. By repurposing industrial waste (coal fly ash) as a low-cost carrier, this work provides a sustainable strategy to mitigate nanoparticle aggregation and environmental risks while enhancing multifunctional performance in water remediation. Full article

In mining areas with high groundwater levels, intensive coal mining has led to the accumulation of substantial surface water and significant alterations in regional landscape patterns. Reconstructing the ecological security pattern (ESP) has emerged as a critical focus for ecological restoration in coal mining subsidence areas with high groundwater levels. This study employed the patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) model to predict the landscape evolution trend of the study area in 2032 under three scenarios, combining environmental characteristics and disturbance features of coal mining subsidence areas with high groundwater levels. In order to determine the differences in ecological network changes within the study area under various development scenarios, morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) and landscape connectivity analysis were employed to identify ecological source areas and establish ecological corridors using circuit theory. Based on the simulation results of the optimal development scenario, potential ecological pinch points and ecological barrier points were further identified. The findings indicate that: (1) land use changes predominantly occur in urban fringe areas and coal mining subsidence areas. In the land reclamation (LR) scenario, the reduction in cultivated land area is minimal, whereas in the economic development (ED) scenario, construction land exhibits a marked increasing trend. Under the natural development (ND) scenario, forest land and water expand most significantly, thereby maximizing ecological space. (2) Under the ND scenario, the number and distribution of ecological source areas and ecological corridors reach their peak, leading to an enhanced ecological network structure that positively contributes to corridor improvement. (3) By comparing the ESP in the ND scenario in 2032 with that in 2022, the number and area of ecological barrier points increase substantially while the number and area of ecological pinch points decrease. These areas should be prioritized for ecological protection and restoration. Based on the scenario simulation results, this study proposes a planning objective for a “one axis, four belts, and four zones” ESP, along with corresponding strategies for ecological protection and restoration. This research provides a crucial foundation for decision-making in enhancing territorial space planning in coal mining subsidence areas with high groundwater levels. Full article

Global resource consumption continues to grow each year, exerting increasing pressure on their availability. This trend could lead to a shortage of raw materials in the coming years. Aware of the risks associated with this situation, the European Union has implemented policies and strategies aimed at diversifying its supply sources, including waste recycling. In this context, the present study was conducted with the objective of developing innovative processes to concentrate valuable metals present in the non-recovered fractions of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Three types of samples were studied: washing table residues (WTRs), printed circuit boards (PCBs), and powders from cathode-ray tube screens (CRT powders). Several separation techniques, based on the physical properties of the elements, were implemented, including electrostatic separation, magnetic separation, and density and gravity-based separations. The results obtained are promising. For WTRs and PCBs, the recovery rates of targeted metals (Cu, Al, Pb, Zn, Sn) reached approximately 91% and 80%, respectively. In addition to these metals, other valuable metals, present in significant quantities, deserve further exploration. Regarding CRT powders, the performances are also encouraging, with recovery rates of 54.7% for zinc, 57.1% for yttrium, and approximately 71% for europium. Although these results are satisfactory, optimizations are possible to maximize the recovery of these critical elements. The techniques implemented have demonstrated their effectiveness in concentrating target metals in the treated fractions. These results confirm that recycling constitutes a viable alternative to address resource shortages and secure part of the supplies needed for the European Union’s industry. Full article

Rivers in tropical semi-arid regions face increasing anthropogenic pressures yet remain critically understudied despite their global importance. This study evaluated the aquatic macroinvertebrate community structure in the Ranchería River, Colombia, across three land use conditions: conserved zones (CZs), urban/agricultural zones (UAZs), and mining influence zones (MZs). Ten sampling stations were established, and macroinvertebrate communities were assessed alongside physical, chemical, and hydromorphological variables during the dry season (January–March 2021). A total of 9288 individuals from 84 genera across 16 orders were collected. Generalized Linear Models revealed significant differences among zones for 67 genera (79.8%), indicating strong community responses to land use gradients. Conserved zones exhibited the highest diversity according to the Hill numbers and were dominated by sensitive taxa, including Simulium, Smicridea, and Leptohyphes. Urban/agricultural zones showed the lowest richness (35 genera) and were characterized by disturbance-tolerant species, particularly Melanoides. Mining zones displayed intermediate diversity but exhibited severe habitat alterations. A redundancy analysis with variance partitioning revealed that land use types constituted the primary driver of community structure (a 24.1% pure effect), exceeding the physical and chemical variables (19.5%) and land cover characteristics (19.2%). The integrated model explained 63.5% of the total compositional variation, demonstrating that landscape-scale anthropogenic disturbances exert a greater influence on aquatic communities than local environmental conditions alone. Different anthropogenic activities create distinct environmental filters affecting macroinvertebrate assemblages, emphasizing the importance of land use planning for maintaining aquatic ecosystem integrity in semi-arid watersheds. Full article

Environmental comfort and air pollution are among the most important indicators for assessing the population’s quality of life in urban agglomerations. This study aims to explore long-term memory in air pollution time series by analyzing the dynamics of the Hurst exponent and evaluating the predictability index. This type of statistical pre-forecast analysis is essential for developing accurate forecasting models for such time series. The effectiveness of air quality monitoring systems largely depends on the precision of these forecasts. The Ekibastuz coal-mining center, which houses one of the largest coal-fired power stations in Kazakhstan and the world, with a capacity of about 4000 MW, was chosen as an example for the study. Data for the period from 1 March 2023 to 31 December 2024 were collected and analyzed at the Ekibastuz coal-fired power station. During the specified period, 14 indicators (67,527 observations) were collected at 10 min intervals, including mass concentrations of CO, NO, NO₂, SO₂, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀, as well as current mass consumption of CO, NO, NO₂, SO₂, dust, and NO_x. The detrended fluctuation analysis of a time series of air pollution indicators was used to calculate the Hurst exponent and identify long-term memory. Changes in the Hurst exponent in regards to dynamics were also investigated, and a predictability index was calculated to monitor emissions of pollutants in the air. Long-term memory is recorded in the structure of all the time series of air pollution indicators. Dynamic analysis of the Hurst exponent confirmed persistent time series characteristics, with an average Hurst exponent of about 0.7. Identifying the time series plots for which the Hurst exponent is falling (analysis of the indicator of dynamics), along with the predictability index, is a sign of an increase in the influence of random factors on the time series. This is a sign of changes in the dynamics of the pollutant release concentrations and may indicate possible excess emissions that need to be controlled. Calculating the dynamic changes in the Hurst exponent for the emission time series made it possible to identify two distinct clusters corresponding to periods of persistence and randomness in the operation of the coal-fired power station. The study shows that evaluating the predictability index helps fine-tune the parameters of time series forecasting models, which is crucial for developing reliable air pollution monitoring systems. The results obtained in this study allow us to conclude that the method of trended fluctuation analysis can be the basis for creating an indicator of the level of air pollution, which allows us to quickly respond to possible deviations from the established standards. Environmental services can use the results to build reliable monitoring systems for air pollution from coal combustion emissions, especially near populated areas. Full article

The Amazon faces significant challenges related to mercury contamination, including naturally elevated concentrations and gold mining activities. Due to mercury’s toxicity and the importance of fish as a protein source for local populations, assessing mercury levels in regional fish is crucial. However, there are gaps in knowledge regarding mercury concentrations in many areas of the Amazon basin. This study aims to synthesize the existing literature on mercury concentrations in fish and the exposure of urban and traditional social groups through fish consumption. A systematic review (1990–2022) was conducted for six fish genera (Cichla spp., Hoplias spp. and Plagioscion spp., Leporinus spp., Semaprochilodus spp., and Schizodon spp.) in the Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics) and Scopus (Elsevier) databases. The database consisted of a total of 46 studies and 455 reports. The distribution of studies in the region was not homogeneous. The most studied regions were the Madeira River sub-basin, while the Paru–Jari basin had no studies. Risk deterministic and probabilistic assessments based on Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA, 2007) guidelines showed high risk exposure, especially for traditional communities. Carnivorous fish from lakes and hydroelectric reservoirs, as well as fish from black-water ecosystems, exhibited higher mercury concentrations. In the Amazon region, even if mercury levels in fish muscle do not exceed regulatory limits, the high fish consumption can still elevate health risks for local populations. Monitoring mercury levels across a broader range of fish species, including both carnivorous and non-carnivorous species, especially in communities heavily reliant on fish for their diet, will enable a more accurate risk assessment and provide an opportunity to recommend fish species with lower mercury exposure risk for human consumption. The present study emphasizes the need to protect regions that already exhibit higher levels of mercury—such as lakes, hydroelectric reservoirs, and black-water ecosystems—to ensure food safety and safeguard public health. Full article

The Ghris watershed in southern Morocco is a significant ecological and agricultural area. However, due to the current impacts of climate change, farming activities, and pollution, data on its quality and biological importance need to be updated. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the physico-chemical and biological quality of surface water in the Ghris River. The Water Quality Index (WQI) and the Iberian Biological Monitoring Working Group (IBMWP) index were used to assess water quality along four sampling sites in 2024. The collected data were analyzed with descriptive and multivariate statistics. In total, 424 benthic macroinvertebrates belonging to seven orders were identified in the surface waters of the Ghris basin. These microfauna were significantly variable among the studied sites (p < 0.05). Station S4 is significantly rich in species, including seven orders and nine families of macroinvertebrates, followed by Station S2, with seven orders and eight families. Stations S3 and S1 showed less species diversity, with three orders and one family, respectively. The Insecta comprised 95.9% of the abundance, while the Crustacea constituted just 4.1%. The physico-chemical parameters significantly surpassed (p < 0.05) the specified norms of surface water in Morocco. This indicates a decline in the water quality of the studied sites. The findings of the principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrate that the top two axes explain 87% of the cumulative variation in the data. Stations 2 and 3 are closely associated with high concentrations of pollutants, notably Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻, and K⁺ ions. Dissolved oxygen (DO) showed a slight correlation with S2 and S3, while S4 was characterized by high COD and PO₄ concentrations, low levels of mineral components (except Cl⁻), and average temperature conditions. Bioindication scores for macroinvertebrate groups ranging from 1 to 10 enabled the assessment of pollution’s influence on aquatic biodiversity. The IBMWP biotic index indicated discrepancies in water quality across the sites. This study gives the first insight and updated data on the biological and chemical quality of surface water in the Ghris River and the entire aquatic ecosystem in southeast Morocco. These data are proposed as a reference for North African and Southern European rivers. However, more investigations are needed to evaluate the impacts of farming, mining, and urbanization on the surface and ground waters in the study zone. Similarly, it is vital to carry out additional research in arid and semi-arid zones since there is a paucity of understanding regarding taxonomic and functional diversity, as well as the physico-chemical factors impacting water quality. Full article