Chlorpyrifos Pollutants in the Environment and Their Removal by Environmental-Based Remediation Approaches

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as electrochemical sensors for the efficient detection of pharmaceutical residues

This chapter examines the basic problems related to use of pesticides in plant production. The short history of their production and application, not only in our country, but in the whole world as well, is briefly given. It is particularly pointed at the damages caused by different harmful organisms to the plant production and at the role of pesticides in plant production and plant products. Pesticides are significant means of plant protection and their benefits are reflected in the following indicators: preventing the yield loss of cultivated plants from the attack of the pathogens, insects and weed plants, suppression of vectors of infectious pathogens and pathogens, improving the production quality and pesticide application in the sector of the utility hygiene. During the production and pesticide application, non-target organisms are exposed and pesticides reach non-target areas. Since pesticides are mostly used on agricultural areas which are mainly in rural regions, risks of pesticides application are significantly important in those regions. Risks can be reflected on the direct impact of pesticides on humans, food contamination, surface and underground water and on environment and non-target organisms. Risks of pesticides in republic of Srpska are mainly caused by their application. In order to reduce the negative consequences of pesticide application on rural areas in Republic of Srpska, the basic attention should be reduced to directing the plant protection according to the principles of the integral plant protection and pesticide application should be complied with the principles of sustainable use of pesticides. Organizing the work and activities in the field of protection of the plant health, according to the principles of integral plant protection and sustainable use of pesticides, it is necessary to systematically organize by the competent institution, not only legislative but also in terms of supervision and inspections, and to educate the agricultural advisers and agricultural producers. Special attention must be paid to prevent the contamination underground water, pesticides drifting during their application, bees poisoning and other non-target organisms and disposal of non-used pesticides and their storage.In the world, but in our country as well, the intensive pesticide application has been worrying for a long time because of its influence on the human health (acute and chronic toxicity, genotoxicity, mutagenicity, damages of the nerve and immune system), influence on the environment (contamination of water, soil and food by toxic residues) and effects on biodiversity. Therefore, it will be necessary to develop completely new strategies of plant protection, discover and synthetize new selective and ecologically acceptable pesticides and to master techniques and knowledge for their more accurate application. Certainly, in newly created conditions – reduction of active substance number of pesticides, lack of new solutions for many contemporary phenomena of disease causers, harmful insects and weed plants, and especially for wide occurrence of resistance to many pesticides, it will demand education of the producers, particularly in the choice and precise pesticide application. In this knowledge transfer, particular place will belong to experts in agricultural-expert services, because they will be demanded the permanent education and expert information about all innovations in this dynamic scientific field.

Due to the growing attention of society to the conservation of natural capital and ecosystem services, ecosystem accounting is becoming a significant tool for achieving sustainable development goals both at the national and international levels. Environmental accounting improves the way natural capital and ecosystem services are identified and valued. The System of Environmental-Economic Accounting is an international standard accounting developed by the United Nations. The ecosystem accounting system generates environmental and economic reports necessary for effective management decisions and external disclosure of environmental information. The possibility of environmental accounting lies in the development of systems that integrate information rather than create disconnected, discrete repositories of information. With the introduction of an ecosystem accounting system, it is possible to jointly review and compare disparate sources of information reflecting the state of natural capital and ecosystem services. The introduction of a system of ecosystem accounting contributes to the achievement of sustainable development goals. The result of the implementation of the eco-system accounting system is a decision support system. The author proposes to consider the system of environmental-ecosystem accounting as a reliable and effective platform for providing more complete information on the availability and sufficiency of certain types of ecosystem services and natural capital.

Effective and sustainable bioremediation of molybdenum pollutants from wastewaters by potential microalgae

Urinary monitoring of neonicotinoid imidacloprid exposure to pesticide applicators

Nontarget effects of biological control agents.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are part of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SD) that aim to eradicate poverty, achieve economic prosperity, gender equality, ensure social well-being, promote sustainable management and use of natural resources, and protect the Earth’s natural ecosystems. However, the occurrence of human–wildlife conflict (HWC) may impair SDGs to be achieved in developing regions where people and wildlife cooccur frequently. Surprisingly, there are few studies which have examined how HWC impedes achievement of SDGs. This paucity of information hinders the formulation and implementation of appropriate policy actions to achieve SDGs. We explored how HWC impacts on the livelihoods of rural communities in Bhutan through SD lens. We used a mixed method research approach and interviewed a stratified-random sample of 96 farmers from four different regions of Bhutan. Wildlife impacts are multidimensional and can inhibit achievement of several SDGs. All interviewees suffered crop and livestock depredations with substantial economic losses. These losses were higher for female-headed households and those with low asset holding, compounding their vulnerability. Among the HWC adaptation measures, adopted guarding, vigilant livestock herding, and electric fences were perceived effective but were predominantly applied by households in high asset class. Policy actions should focus on female-headed households and those families with lower asset category to reduce negative impacts of human wildlife interactions.

The approaches to the organization and the first results of the project on the organization of a carbon landfill at the Peoples ' Friendship University of Russia are presented. The topic of the absorption of greenhouse gases by natural ecosystems is one of the most actively developing. A complex of scientific and educational projects on climate change, decarbonization, and assessment of ecosystem services is being implemented at the RUDN University. One of the directions is our own carbon landfill on the campus. The object is of interest as a technologically modified ecosystem that is under the influence of anthropogenic sources. The analysis of ecosystem activity in the absorption of greenhouse gases and, accordingly, the assessment of ecosystem services of this type is implemented using the RUDN's own environmental monitoring network, which has been operating since 2017. Preliminary assessments allowed us to draw conclusions about the degree of transformation of ecosystem components and their contribution to the absorption of greenhouse gases. The project has both practical and educational significance and is considered as part of the package of strategic topics for the development of the university "Campus as a green lab", contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals. Keyword: carbon landfill, environmental monitoring, RUDN, carbon footprint, ecosystem services

UNESCO has identified education for sustainable development (ESD) as a key factor in the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs). Education is important in developing awareness of how to preserve natural ecosystems and promote the uptake of renewable energy sources. Ecology education in primary school aims to give students a scientific foundation to further their education in biology and develop environmentally literate citizens who will protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of natural ecosystems. This early education includes awareness of how human welfare depends on resilient ecosystems. However, previous studies have shown that young students face serious challenges when constructing a holistic view of ecological relationships. In this study, we interpret students’ written texts and drawings on processes in an ecosystem. By focusing on students’ expressed ideas on the availability of energy and matter in the ecosystem, we construe four models. The students in our study propose, firstly, that energy flows or can circulate, and secondly, that matter circulates, is provided by the sun, or is created anew. The students often express fragmented processes, combined in different ways. According to our results, we propose aspects that can inform the design of primary school teaching of ecology for sustainable development.

Soil is a dynamic life-supporting component of this Planet Earth but its contamination with toxic heavy metals (HMs) is omnipresent throughout the planet. Abundances of these HMs in soil have augmented considerably in last 2–3 decades due to rapid industrialization, agricultural practices (fertilizers and pesticides application), and other anthropogenic activities, which causing environmental, ecological and health risks. Consequently, their remediation approaches from the environmental components are critical. Among the several procedures for metals remediation, organic residues with the plant-microbes (phyto-remediation) can simultaneously increase the fertility of soil along with the bio-remediation, which in turn is thought as one of the lucrative and cost-effective approaches of HM’s remediation from soil. Efficacy of phyto-remediation can be improved by simultaneous participations of plant-growth-promoting bacteria which can convert HMs into soluble and bio-available forms by the activities of siderophores, redox processes, biosurfactants, organic acids, and biomethylation. This work highlights the recent applications and advancements made hitherto to understand the molecular and biochemical mechanisms of metal-microbe-plant interactions with organic residues along with their functions in major processes belong to the phyto-remediation, for instance heavy metal detoxification, transformation, mobilization, distribution, and immobilization.KeywordsHeavy metalsPlant-microbes’ interactionPhytoremediation

As the number of soil and sediment remediation projects performed increase, so do the remedial approaches applied to the site-specific needs of these projects. This paper provides a discussion of a multi-component stream channel remediation and restoration approach applied to a site impacted by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Based on the complexity of the site’s tributary system, considerable time and effort were expended, by the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, (the Company) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (the Agency), to develop a “performancebased” approach for remediating the site in a way that would achieve the goal of protecting human health and the environment, meet applicable Standards, Criteria, and Guidance (SCGs), and avoid extensive disruption and/or damage to the natural tributary ecosystem caused by large-scale excavation. This multi-component alternative for soils and sediments in the tributary consisted of: combination of erosion protection and removal and disposal of potentially erodible material with relatively high PCB levels; installation of a sediment trap and sedimentation basin to reduce the amount of potentially PCB-containing sediments transporting off site; and site restoration that included installing erosion controls to prevent meandering of the stream and potential erosion of soils containing residual PCBs. A key aspect to the soil/sediment removal component was the “performance-based” approach; hence, a removal “action level” was not defined, rather, the removal limits were based on on-site discussions with Agency representatives. The Company, in consultation with the Agency, proposed a remedy for the tributary system in a reach-byreach manner, which targeted erodible soil removal and prevention of off-site migration of sediments via stream channel erosion and sedimentation control. This remedial approach, while allowing some PCBs to remain in-place, focused on preventing destruction of over 3 kilometers of a pristine tributary ecosystem while maximizing improvements to the ecosystem through targeted removal and restoration.

Propanil (3',4'-dichloropropionanilide) is one of the world’s most widely used rice herbicides, and it is extensively used in Arkansas, the leading rice producer in the United States (Webster and Gunnel1 1992). On average, the United States has applied approximately five kg/ha/year to about 70-100% of rice hectareacreage for the past two decades (US EPA 1987; Schlenk and Moore 1993). Arkansas, in 1992 alone, applied over 2.7 million kg of propanil (Jackman 1994). It is important to understand the toxicity of such herbicides to non-target aquatic organisms because of the amounts of pesticide field application and the risk of mixture with water exiting fields. During agricultural applications, aerial drift or accidental spills may expose nearby non-target areas such as ponds, rivers, lakes, wetlands, etc. to herbicides. Predictions of possible impacts upon the diverse range of species found in these ecosystems are usually drawn from a somewhat limited number of toxicity tests with standardized organisms. Comparative toxicity tests should use species of different feeding preferences, habitats, physiology, and size to determine a toxicant’s effects (Rodgers et al. 1997). The relative sensitivities of five freshwater aquatic test species to propanil were determined in aqueous laboratory exposures to provide a wider range of response data inclusive of amphibians, insects, and crustacea. Test species utilized in this study were a cladoceran (Ceriodaphnia dubia), an epibenthic amphipod (Hyalella azteca), a larval midge (Chironomus tentans), the fathead minnow (Pimephnles promelas), and an amphibian (Xenopus laevis). Data generated from such comparative toxicity experiments may be used for future assessments of potential effects on non-target organisms following accidental (or intentional) exposures. Comparative slopes that are specific for each test organism can also offer resolution of risks associated with the recent movement toward using more concentrated pesticide products.

Background: Plastic pollution is a critical environmental issue due to the persistence of synthetic polymers in natural ecosystems. Conventional waste management approaches are inefficient in addressing this challenge, necessitating sustainable alternatives. Microbial degradation has emerged as a promising biotechnological solution, as specific bacterial and fungal strains possess enzymatic capabilities to degrade plastics. However, the efficiency of microbial plastic biodegradation is highly dependent on environmental factors, including temperature, pH, and oxygen availability. This study evaluates how these stressors influence the degradation of polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to optimize microbial plastic waste management strategies. Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of temperature, pH, and oxygen availability on microbial plastic degradation efficiency and to determine the optimal environmental conditions that enhance biodegradation rates. Methods: Following ethical approval (ERC144/23) from Punjab University Lahore, plastic-degrading microbial strains were isolated from landfill sites and aquatic environments. These isolates were cultured in a controlled laboratory setting using minimal salt medium supplemented with PE and PET as the sole carbon sources. The experiment was conducted over four weeks, with plastic samples incubated at 25°C, 35°C, and 45°C under pH conditions of 5, 7, and 9. Oxygen availability was controlled to create aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Plastic degradation efficiency was assessed by weight loss measurements, surface morphology analysis via scanning electron microscopy, and microbial growth monitoring through optical density (OD600) measurements. Statistical analyses were performed using one-way ANOVA and t-tests, with p-values < 0.05 considered significant. Results: Microbial degradation efficiency was significantly influenced by environmental stressors (p < 0.05). The highest degradation rates were observed at 35°C and pH 7, with PE and PET weight loss reaching 8.5 ± 0.5% and 7.0 ± 0.4%, respectively. Lower degradation occurred at 25°C (4.2 ± 0.3% for PE, 2.8 ± 0.2% for PET) and 45°C (3.1 ± 0.2% for PE, 1.9 ± 0.2% for PET). Similarly, microbial activity was highest at pH 7 (OD600 = 1.41 ± 0.07) and declined under acidic (pH 5) and alkaline (pH 9) conditions. Oxygen availability significantly affected degradation rates, with aerobic conditions yielding 10.1 ± 0.6% PE degradation and 7.8 ± 0.5% PET degradation, whereas anaerobic conditions resulted in markedly lower values (3.8 ± 0.3% for PE, 2.5 ± 0.2% for PET) (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study confirms that temperature, pH, and oxygen availability significantly impact microbial plastic degradation. Optimal conditions of 35°C, pH 7, and aerobic environments yielded the highest degradation efficiency. These findings support the development of biotechnological strategies to enhance microbial plastic biodegradation, contributing to sustainable waste management solutions.

Climate change poses a critical global challenge, driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). These gases contribute to the greenhouse effect, leading to long-term alterations in Earth's atmospheric conditions, including temperature and precipitation patterns. Addressing this challenge requires innovative approaches, among which carbon sequestration emerges as a pivotal strategy. Carbon sequestration involves the capture and storage of atmospheric carbon, crucial for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Natural ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, and oceans, alongside human-engineered methods like afforestation, reforestation, and advanced carbon capture technologies, play integral roles in this process. By enhancing environmental resilience, carbon sequestration not only mitigates climate change impacts but also promotes sustainable development goals (SDGs). Effective land-use practices integrating carbon sequestration not only enhance ecosystem resilience but also foster economic growth, food security and societal well-being. Emphasizing sustainable land management practices and supporting policies can drive these benefits further. International agreements such as the Paris Agreement provide essential frameworks for global collaboration on carbon sequestration efforts. There is an urgent need for coordinated efforts among governments, international organizations and stakeholders to implement robust regulations, incentives and financial mechanisms that support carbon sequestration initiatives. By doing so, we can address climate change effectively while advancing towards a more sustainable and resilient future.

Continuous environmental pollution, as well as uncontrolled or excessive exhaustion of natural resources and their corresponding risks to human health, safety, security and environment, present great challenges to modern societies. Consequently, innovative and responsible community actions are crucial for achieving environmental security. Effective policy, strategy and measures to control and reduce environmental pollution and preservation of natural resources and ecosystems are of paramount concern in the development process and are synonymous with the achievement of sustainable development goals. However, the achievement of these goals will to a large extent depend on changing the behaviors of individuals, as well as whole societies. With increasing levels of personal and social responsibility, it is the research, development and application of innovative technology and new knowledge that present critical circumstances and tools and that are at the same time the key driving forces significantly contributing to achieving environmental security. Science and innovation will primarily enable a reliable and timely recognition, better understanding and effective reduction of environmental and health risks associated with pollution. On the one hand, this awareness will help in assisting all individuals to reach well-informed decisions about their behavioral choices; the other hand, it may be helpful in recognizing and understanding the importance of challenges and opportunities for ecologically conscious business decisions. Environmental issues are not recognized as a foremost priority in developing countries. Therefore, the scientific community has to accept a full responsibility to act as a leader in building and strengthening the institutional framework by defining the environmental security research priorities as well as initiating, mobilizing, and actively participating in creation and adoption of innovative solutions. It must also aim at raising the general level of knowledge and ethical responsibility within our societies, which will in return enable and encourage policy, science and social dialogue to meet the goals of sustainable development. The challenge may be great, but it is also essential and all the more exciting for it.