Clean Areas Research Articles

Testing of the new technology «TOR» on vegetable legum crops varieties by the FSBSI FSVC breeding the Arctic Circle

Relevance. In the harsh climate of the Arctic, where the warm season with a maximum average daily temperature above 10 °C lasts only three months, scientists in the crop industry are conducting tests and creating unique varieties of crops that will be able to provide the northern regions with fresh and vitamin-rich vegetable products.Materials and Methods. In the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, at the Naryan-Mar Experimental Agricultural Station, an innovative technology for priming seeds of vegetable legumes with electromagnetic exposure developed by JSC «Concern GRANIT» with the «TOR» device was tested on domestic varieties of Pisum sativum L. и Vicia Faba L. selected by the Federal Scientific Vegetable Center (FSBSI FSVС).Results. The tested varieties of vegetable legumes beyond the Arctic Circle were able to fully realize their productive potential, and the results of observations of the growth and development of crops confirmed the presence of favorable conditions for the selected crops. The quality of vegetable products and the obtained seeds of vegetable legumes in the Arctic in 2024 turned out to be higher than in the Moscow region due to a lower phytopathogenic load. Electromagnetic priming with the «TOR» device made it possible to obtain, in the conditions of the Far North, the productivity of green peas in responsive varieties and seed productivity in beans – by 3-16% and 12-35%, respectively, more than in control. Thanks to the use of the «TOR» device, acceleration of ripening, an increase in yield and product quality are noted, which is especially important in the conditions of a short growing season. Thus, favorable conditions and competitive opportunities for agriculture in the geographical location of the Russian North provide good opportunities to produce organic products in ecologically clean areas, which will be competitive not only in the regional, but also in the national and international food markets.

Development of a VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) Measurement System to Identify Placebo Phenomenon in Emission Areas

VOCs (volatile organic compounds) can be used as a biomarker of placebo phenomenon, such as stress, panic disorder, health conditions, and many others. VOCs from the exhaled breath have different concentration levels that are also related to many health diseases. However, the use of VOCs as biomarkers in exhaled breath are very limited. Hence, this study aims to develop a novel e-nose (electric nose) system based on a VOC measurement system to identify placebo phenomenon in emission areas. For this purpose, a digital semiconductor VOC sensor and a microcontroller were used to detect VOC level. The developed system was tested inside a chamber for the initial calibration and comparation steps using fresh air and a comparator device. After calibration, the system was used to measure the VOC concentrations of 20 exhaled breath samples in the emission sampling areas (control and emission sources). In other sides, the VOC levels surrounding the emission areas were also measured using the comparator device. The placebo levels (PLS) of the exhaled breath samples were divided into PLS(-) or placebo negative and PLS(+) or placebo positive related to the placebo conditions. The sampling areas were divided into indoor and outdoor areas to identify the different placebo percentages and the dependence related to the emission levels. The results show that the emission levels of the emission sources are about 504-528 ppb, meanwhile, the control area (clean area) has <10 ppb of VOC levels. A higher VOC concentration, a higher PLS(+) percentage. The exhaled breath of PLS(+) samples contain >78 ppb of VOC levels, while PLS(-) samples has < 78 ppb of VOC levels (p < 0.05). It can be concluded that VOC concentrations in the emission sources has a potential to influence the placebo quantification in human psycological health. The developed e-nose system can be used to identify VOC levels as a biomarker of a placebo phenomenon.

Location choice of Air quality monitors in China.

Since 2013, China has added more than four thousand air quality monitoring stations that provide the public with real-time information on six airborne pollutants, i.e., particulate matter (PM) 2.5, PM10, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and carbon monoxide. Authorities manage these monitors at four levels of the government: state, provincial, municipal, and county. Typically, pollution monitors are located where they could be deemed useful, for example, within more air-polluted areas or near schools, hospitals, road traffic, and industries. While the real-time information has helped individuals, firms, and governments make decisions; it is unclear how a government body makes siting decisions. This paper aims to answer three questions: Where are the pollution monitors located? What drives the decision to add a new monitor in a particular location? Is there a difference in location choice behavior between central and local governments in China? We find that, in 2021, central monitors were located in cleaner areas than local monitors, and both monitors were located around public buildings like hospitals. However, when it comes to new placements, both monitors are generally positioned in more polluted areas, with local monitors more likely to be placed in the "dirtiest" locations. We also find that central and local monitors are both clustered around each other.

Biosecurity Practices for Reducing Antimicrobial Use in Commercial Broiler Farms in Korea

Farm biosecurity is valuable for reducing the indiscriminate use of antimicrobials. However, its relationship with antimicrobial usage can be difficult to assess because of multiple factors. This study evaluated the impact of biosecurity practices on productivity, frequency of antimicrobial use, and development of antimicrobial resistance. Among factors related to biosecurity, mortality rate <2% within one week of age, survival rate >98%, and production index >350 in farms in which: bedding was not reused or only reused once, regular advice and biosecurity training was provided by poultry veterinarians, distinctions between clean and dirty areas were strictly enforced at all times, workers used farm biosecurity manuals, or disinfection guidelines were fully implemented, including cleaning before introducing new flocks and daily disinfection throughout growth, were significantly higher than those in farms without these measures (p < 0.05). The absence of biosecurity practices increased antimicrobial use to one (25.7%), two (39.2%), and three (25.7%) times (p < 0.05). In farms that implemented biosecurity practices, the antimicrobial administration was significantly increased to two times (44.2%) (p < 0.05), with only 17.4% of farms using antimicrobials three times. The prevalence of environmental Escherichia coli resistant to multiple cephalosporins and chloramphenicol, which are not used on broiler farms, was significantly reduced by biosecurity practices (p < 0.05). Our findings indicate that improved biosecurity practices decrease antimicrobial use, decrease the incidence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, and help to eliminate resistant bacteria in farm environments.

Identifying and Reducing Waste in the Chicken Carcass Production Process at PT. Ciomas Adisatwa

PT. Ciomas Adisatwa unit Berbah is one of the Poultry Slaughterhouses (PSh) in Yogyakarta, producing 2,000 chickens/hour. However, some production steps do not increase the value of the finished product. Because of that, wasteful and non-value-added production processes must be eliminated to reduce the risk of contamination in PSh products and make the production process more efficient. Therefore, this study aims to identify the causes of waste and find an appropriate system to reduce the waste process. The methods used in this study include the Value Stream Analysis Tools (VALSAT) technique and future state mapping. Lean manufacturing is a concept used to reduce or eliminate waste in a production process. The wastes identified in the PT Ciomas Adisatwa production process include waiting activity, inappropriate processing, and unnecessary motion. The material weighing process identified the waiting activity because it was waiting for the Delivery Order (DO). Inappropriate processing occurs in hair removal rework in a clean area. The third waste is unnecessary motion, movement that is not needed occurs in cutting operators and dirty processes. The proposed improvements to address these wastes include enhancing the integration of information flow systems using a computer network, adding a plucker machine, and clarifying the division of tasks for each workstation to avoid unnecessary motion.

The Impact of Carbon on Electronic Structure of N-Doped ZnO Films: Scanning Photoelectron Microscopy Study and DFT Calculations.

A Scanning Photoelectron Microscopy (SPEM) experiment has been applied to ZnO:N films deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) under O-rich conditions and post-growth annealed in oxygen at 800 °C. State-of-the-Art spatial resolution (130 nm) allows for probing the electronic structure of single column of growth. The samples were cleaved under ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions to open atomically clean cross-sectional areas for SPEM experiment. It has been shown that different columns reveal considerably different shape of the valence band (VB) photoemission spectra and that some of them are shifted towards the bandgap. The shift of the VB maximum, which is associated with hybridization with acceptor states, was found to be correlated with carbon content measured as a relative intensity of the C1s and Zn3d core levels. Generalized Gradient Approximation (GGA) supplemented by +U correction was applied to both Zn3d and O2p orbitals for calculation of the VZn migration properties by the Nudged Elastic Band (NEB) method. The results suggest that interstitial -CHx groups facilitate the formation of acceptor complexes due to additional lattice perturbation.

Mapping of Soil Salinity in Absheron Soil Based on SENTINEL-2 Using LightGBM

This paper reflects the results of assessing the degree of salinity of Absheron soils based on remote sensing technologies. The research was conducted in Sumgayit, Guzdek down station, and Yashma districts located in Absheron region of Azerbaijan. Certain areas of the Absheron region are ecologically clean areas with high tourism potential in the future. Classification of soils by salinity degree was performed using indices calculated from data in Sentinel-2 spectral channels. Previously obtained field measurements and ground observations using LightGBM machine learning algorithm were used to confirm the degree of soil salinization in the areas identified on satellite images. Based on a comparative analysis of machine learning and remote sensing methods, it was found that they provide similar results for soil salinity assessment when the study area does not cover a large area of land. This work has important implications for understanding soil salinity dynamics and could be used in further research on land and agricultural management at the regional level. For a country like Azerbaijan, the result obtained by the staff of the Soil Institute is of a local nature.

Aerosol light absorption alleviates particulate pollution during wintertime haze events

Aerosol light absorption has been widely considered as a contributing factor to the worsening of particulate pollution in large urban areas, primarily through its role in stabilizing the planetary boundary layer (PBL). Here, we report that absorption-dominated aerosol-radiation interaction can decrease near-surface fine particulate matter concentrations ([PM2.5]) at a large-scale during wintertime haze events. A "warm bubble" effect by the significant heating rate of absorbing aerosols above the PBL top generates a secondary circulation, enhancing the upward motion (downward motion) and the convergence (divergence) in polluted (relatively clean) areas, with a net effect of lowering near-surface [PM2.5]. Furthermore, aerosol absorption of ultraviolet-wave light effectively reduces the photolysis of chemical species, i.e., aerosol-photolysis interaction, hindering ozone formation, reducing atmospheric oxidizing capability, and suppressing secondary aerosol concentrations. Our model assessment reveals that the synergetic two effects decrease near-surface [PM2.5] by around 7.4%, so the presence of light-absorbing aerosols can considerably alleviate particulate pollution during wintertime haze events. Such negative feedbacks to the aerosol loading should be considered in weather/climate prediction and health assessment models.

Forced Vibration Induced by Dynamic Response Under Different Inlet Distortion Intensities

Boundary layer ingestion propulsion systems have attracted much attention due to their significant potential to reduce the fuel consumption of future commercial aircraft. However, the aeroelastic stability of the fan blade is affected by the continuous non-uniform incoming flow induced by the ingestion of the boundary layer. When the fan blades rotate in the junction area between the distorted area and the clean area, blade pressure fluctuations occur. This phenomenon triggers a dynamic response process in the blade. Previous numerical investigations explored the influence of the distorted inflow on the blade vibration amplitude, and found that there are two sources of low-order excitation to the blades: the distorted inflow and the dynamic response of the blade. The results show that the low-order excitation existing in the distorted inflow varies sinusoidally with the distortion extent. However, as a new source of excitation, the key influence mechanism of dynamic response is still unclear. To explore this issue, calculations and analyses were conducted for different distorted inflow intensities. The results show that the blade vibration amplitude increases with the rise in distortion intensity. The total pressure at the leading and trailing edge of the rotor blade was extracted for analysis. It was found that when the blade enters or leaves the distorted area, there is a consistent lag in the change in total pressure at the trailing edge compared to the leading edge. This lag leads to an abrupt variation in the total pressure ratio, which constitutes the dynamic response process of the rotor blade. This periodic change generates a second-order excitation that causes the blade to vibrate.

Study of patterns of PM2.5 and PM10 changes in the atmospheric air of Ivano-Frankivsk region

The purpose of this research is to analyse the temporal patterns of changes in concentrations of dust particles – aerosols, regression modeling of the interdependence of PM2.5 and PM10 at the level of instantaneous, average hourly, average daily and average weekly concentrations, and assessment of the impact of the anthropogenic component of dust pollution of atmospheric air in the Ivano-Frankivsk region on regularities of the temporal distribution of these shares.The database for the study included measurements of the concentration of PM10, PM2.5 every hour at four Ecocity public monitoring stations: in the central part of the city of Ivano-Frankivsk, in the village of Bovshiv within the influence of the Burshtyn TPP, in the village of Broshniv-Osada within the influence of the woodworking enterprise "SVISS KRONO" and within the recreational territory of the village of Mykulychyn, Nadvirnyan district. The general regularity of the temporal distribution of PM10, PM2.5 was established for all posts for daily fluctuations – the highest concentrations are observed at night, the lowest – during the period of maximum daily temperatures. It has been proven by actual data that the greater the level of atmospheric air pollution (the greater the anthropogenic component of PM), the higher the daily concentrations of PM10, PM2.5 and the more often the one-time standards of solid suspended particles are exceeded.According to the data of monitoring stations from the territories with different anthropogenic influence, functional dependences of PM2.5 content on PM10 content were obtained for instantaneous values, hourly average values, daily average values, and weekly average values. The scientific novelty of the conducted research consists in the establishment of identical functional interdependence of temporal changes in concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 dust particles within a conditionally clean area and within the limits of the influence of stationary sources of pollution with a high level of direct regression dependence and a coefficient of determination greater than 0.9 in all cases. This allows us to conclude that the temporal patterns of changes in both PM2.5 and PM10 will not differ in clean and polluted air conditions for the Ivano-Frankivsk region. In conditions of incomplete data on the temporal distribution of the concentration of PM10, the obtained equations can be used to forecast the temporal distribution of the concentration of PM2.5.

Comparison of aerosol number size distribution and new particle formation in summer at alpine and urban regions in the Guanzhong Plain, Northwest China

Ultrafine particles play a crucial role in understanding climate change, mitigating adverse health effects, and developing strategies for air pollution control. However, the factors influencing the occurrence and development of new particle formation (NPF) events, as well as the underlying chemical mechanisms, remain inadequately explained. This study compared number concentrations and size distributions of atmospheric ultrafine particles at Xi'an (urban area) and the summit of Mt. Hua (alpine region) in summer to investigate the NPF mechanism and particle growth in both clean and polluted areas of the Guanzhong Plain. The average particle number concentration in Xi'an was significantly higher than that at Mt. Hua. The diurnal variation of total particle number concentration differed between Xi'an and Mt. Hua indicating a divergence in influencing factors. The size distributions in Xi'an varied across different timescales and weather conditions, whereas Mt. Hua exhibited little variation. This stability at Mt. Hua is attributed to its cleaner background atmosphere and the steady influx of aging particles with larger diameters transported from the free atmosphere. In both areas, geometric mean diameters (GMDs) were inversely proportional to particle number concentrations suggesting that increase in particle numbers were primarily due to the generation of smaller particles. The potential governing factors for NPF events differed somewhat between the urban and mountainous stations. In the urban area, intense local stationary and mobile emission sources promoted the growth of newly formed nanoparticles, with ozone-oxidized condensable vapors serving as key precursors. In contrast, at the mountainous station, NPF process were significantly influenced by anthropogenic precursors from long-range transport and locally emitted biogenic organics. The rapid increase in ultrafine particle concentrations primarily poses serious health risks and degrades air quality in urban areas, while also contributing to climate-related effects in alpine regions.

Changes in urban residential and agricultural sources induce a decrease in PM10 levels in cold clean area: A thirteen-year monitoring at the Longfengshan WMO/GAW regional background station in Northeast China

Atmospheric background monitoring provides insights into the long-term changes in atmospheric composition resulting from human activities on both global and regional scales. It is important to understand the local characteristics of key air pollutants to evaluate and manage air quality control policies effectively. This study analyzed 13 years of continuous data of PM10 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm) concentration from the only atmospheric background station in Northeastern China, the Longfengshan (LFS) World Meteorological Organization (WMO)/Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) regional station. The results revealed a significant decrease of 58.02% in PM10 concentrations in the LFS from 2007 to 2019, which was primarily influenced by transport from Changchun and Harbin. Over periods exceeding eight months, the correlation between PM10 levels at the LFS atmospheric background station and those in Changchun and Harbin became more pronounced. The observed decline in PM10 concentrations at the LFS atmospheric background station was largely attributed to reduced emissions from urban residential and agricultural sources. Emissions of carbon monoxide and ammonia from these sources, along with temperature and relative humidity (RH), significantly affected the PM10 concentrations. Using machine learning (ML) methods and PM10 data from the LFS atmospheric background station, this study effectively predicted PM10 concentrations in neighboring cities, demonstrating that the LFS atmospheric background station can effectively assess the trend of PM10 changes in Northeast China. This study quantified the influence of urban areas on atmospheric background stations, highlighting the effectiveness of existing environmental policies, and offering a reference for similar studies and forecasts in other regions.

A data-driven approach to optimize a sanitary survey for communities in Maputo, Mozambique

ABSTRACT Current approaches to align sanitary surveys to environmental fecal waste indicators have demonstrated limited success, leaving stakeholders focused on fecal waste management with limited and costly tools. We analyzed data from the Maputo Sanitation Project using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) to enhance the survey's correlation with Escherichia coli concentration data. EFA grouped related survey questions and sampling locations into distinct latent factors. SEM was then used to assess the relationship between the survey latent factors and the mean E. coli concentrations from grouped locations. The results suggested four survey question subgroups: latrine structure, latrine cleanliness, compound/household waste management, and community waste management. In addition, three sampling location subgroups were identified: high-traffic areas (HTAs), food activity locations, and bodily cleaning areas. The largest significant effect size identified suggested that for every 1-unit increase in community waste management, there was a decrease of 1.94 in log10 E. coli per gram of soil in HTAs (p = 0.03), a substantial improvement from the initial 0.50 decrease reported for an expert-weighted metric of all survey questions. These results underscore the importance of community-level waste management and demonstrate the use of a data-driven approach in enhancing environmental health assessments and planning interventions.

Optimizing Soil Sampling for Accurately Prediction of the Potential Remediation-Effective Area in a Contaminated Agricultural Land.

To achieve food security in a contaminated agricultural land, the remediation areas usually need more samples to obtain accurate contamination information and implement appropriate measures. In this study, we propose an optimal encryption sampling design to instead of the detailed survey, which is determined by the variation of heavy metals and the technology capability of remediation, to guide soil sampling for accurately remediation in the potential remediation-effective areas (PRA). The coefficient of screening variation threshold (CSVT), considering spatial variation, technology capacity and acceptable error of sampling, together with the spatial cyclic statistics method of neighbourhood analysis, is introduced to identify and delineate the PRA. Both of the hypothetical analysis and application case studies are conducted to illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of the optimization. The results show that, compared with the detailed survey, the optimal design shows a lower overall accuracy due to its sparsely sampling at the clean area, but it exhibits a similar effect of accurately prediction in boundary delineation and further classification in the PRA in both simulation and application studies. This work provides an effective method for subsequent accurate remediation at the investigation stage and valuable insights into application combination of technology capacity and contaminated agricultural land investigation.

Effect of Yonidhavan on Different Gynaecological Diseases - A Retrospective Study

Gynecological diseases are increasing day by day. Among all, female genital infections bear a major component. It carries the specific attention of underlying diseases such as vaginitis, cervical erosions PIDs, to malignancies. Ayurveda highlights these disorders under Yonivyapadas. Classics have highlighted 20 types of Yonivypadas where pathogenesis takes place in genital areas. Local treatments such as Yonidhavan, Picu, Varti are described for the same. Yonidhavan refers to drug delivery through genital areas. The medicated fluid of Yonidhavan helps to clean genital areas, reduce inflammation and help to regrowth healthy tissue. Understanding these, a retrospective study on the effect of Yonidhavan with Panchawalkal Kwath for a sample of 100 patients was done for 1 year. Analysis of the symptoms as well as the result, with clinical evidence and statistical evaluation, proved that overall Yonidhavan gave excellent outcomes in 94.9% patients in relieving the symptoms. The therapy proved to be promising on criteria such as per vaginal discharge (Srava), tenderness (Sparasahatwa), and tissue swelling (Shoph). It proved most significant on per vaginal profuse discharge (96.5%) and tenderness (Sparasahatwa) (74.3%). The study revealed that no recurrence of the symptoms was noticed after one year in 73% of the patients. Twenty-two percent of patients showed recurrence of symptoms in one year. The use of Panchawalkal Yonidhavan not only gave symptomatic relief but helped to cure Yonivypadas. Yonidhavan proved helpful, economical, and accessible Ayurvedic treatment.

Accumulation analysis and overall measurement to represent airborne toxic metals with passive tree bark biomonitoring technique in urban areas.

Authorities have long proved the utility of bioindicators in monitoring the state of environmental pollution. Some biological indicators can measure environmental pollutant levels, and many tree species have been tested for suitability for monitoring purposes. The differences in morphological characteristics in the trees have demonstrated the effects of human activities on different materials. Measuring bark and wood biomass from contaminated sites was identified and directly compared with those from a clean site or areas characterized by distinct contamination sources. However, preliminary results demonstrate the approach's potential in the realization of strategies for disease control and promoting health to reduce environmental and health inequalities in at-risk urban areas. Picea orientalis L. and Cedrus atlantica Endl., especially their bark, can be regarded as a more robust storage of Cu (37.95 mg/kg) and Mn (188.25 mg/kg) than Pinus pinaster, Cupressus arizonica, and Pseudotsuga menziesii, which and is therefore a better bioindicator for Cu and Mn pollution. Considering the total concentrations as a result of the study, the pollution is thought to be caused by environmental problems and traffic in the region. The deposition of Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn elements was found P. menziesii (60, 443, 58, and 258 mg/kg) and P. orientalis (76, 1684, 41, and 378 mg/kg) and seems to reflect atmospheric quite clearly compared to P. pinaster, C. arizonica, and C. atlantica. Ni and Zn concentrations have significantly increased since 1983, and P. menziesii and P. orientalis can be potentially valuable bioindicators for emphasizing polluted fields.

Outbreak of New Delhi Metallo-β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, New York State

Background: Outbreaks of carbapenemase-producing (CP) organisms (CPOs), including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are not well documented. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies CP-CRE as an urgent threat to United States (US) healthcare facilities. Wadsworth Center, the New York State (NYS) Department of Health’s (NYSDOH’s) public health laboratory, participates in CDC’s Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Network to provide CPO identification, characterization, and surveillance. NYSDOH investigated an outbreak of CP-CRE Escherichia coli (E. coli) infections in NICU patients reported by one hospital. Method: Hospital A reported a CRE E. coli outbreak in their NICU to NYSDOH, as required by NYS Sanitary Code. In response, epidemiologists reviewed case data, conducted case finding, and provided infection control guidance to the hospital. Hospital A continued NICU clinical surveillance and conducted colonization screening to detect additional cases of CRE E. coli. The Wadsworth Center Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Network tested isolates from affected patients for CP genes and performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) to determine the CP gene variant, multilocus sequence type (MLST), and relatedness by mutation event (ME) analysis. NYSDOH epidemiologists assessed Hospital A’s infection control practices in affected areas and provided recommendations. Result: Hospital A identified two CRE E. coli infections in NICU patients with overlapping admissions in June-July 2023. Retrospective surveillance identified a third CRE E. coli case in an adult medical intensive care unit patient on admission to Hospital A in June 2023, with prior hospitalization April-May 2023. WGS analysis identified the blaNDM-5 gene in all three CRE E. coli patient isolates. The two NICU patients’ isolates had the same MLST (361/650) and differed by 9 MEs, indicating relatedness to each other and not the adult patient’s (MLST 167/2). NICU patient colonization screening identified no additional blaNDM-5 E. coli cases. NYSDOH’s NICU infection control assessment found that both cases were in adjacent isolettes within three feet of each other. Clean isolettes, equipment, and supplies for new admissions were stored in the clinical care space, not in a separate clean area. Conclusion: CP-CRE is an urgent threat to US healthcare facilities, including hospital NICUs. Though the incidence and prevalence of CP-CRE blaNDM-5 E. coli are not well-defined in NY, single healthcare-associated cases in NICU populations represent an outbreak. The Wadsworth Center Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Network’s contributions complement traditional epidemiologic surveillance and investigation methods to provide more specific, comprehensive infection

Evaluation of atmospheric particulate matter pollution characteristics in Shanghai based on biomagnetic monitoring technology

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) pollution is one of the world's most serious environmental challenges, and it poses a significant threat to environmental quality and human health. Biomagnetic monitoring of PM has great potential to improve spatial resolution and provide alternative indicators for large area measurements, with respect and complementary to standard air quality monitoring stations. In this study, 160 samples of evergreen plant leaves were collected from park green spaces within five different functional areas of Shanghai. Magnetic properties were investigated to understand the extent and nature of particulate pollution and the possible sources, and to assess the suitability of various plant leaves for urban particulate pollution monitoring. The results showed that magnetic particles of the plant leaf-adherent PM were predominantly composed of pseudo-single domain (PSD) and multi-domain (MD) ferrimagnetic particles. Magnolia grandiflora, as a large evergreen arbor with robust PM retention capabilities, proved to be a more suitable candidate for monitoring urban particulate pollution compared to Osmanthus fragrans, a small evergreen arbor, and Aucuba japonica Thunb. var. variegata and Photinia serratifolia, evergreen shrubs. Meanwhile, there were significant differences in the spatial distribution of the magnetic particle content and heavy metal enrichment of the samples, mainly showing regional variations of industrial area > traffic area > commercial area > residential area > clean area. Additionally, the combination with the results of scanning electron microscopy, shows that industrial production (metal smelting, coal burning), transport and other activities are the main sources of particulate pollution. Plant leaves can be used as an effective tool for urban particulate pollution monitoring and assessment of atmospheric particulate pollution characteristics, and the technique provided useful information on particle size, mineralogy and possible sources.

Phytoremediation of soils contaminated as a result of military and anthropogenic impact

Military conflicts and anthropogenic accidents cause significant soil contamination with heavy metals, oil products, pesticides, and other toxic substances. The purpose of this study was to highlight the factors of influence of military-anthropogenic load on soils and to analyse the available methods of their remediation. The study summarised the available and promising phytoremediation methods with an assessment of their impact on soil contamination by chemicals that are typical pollutants during military conflicts. The study summarised, classified, and compared the groups of pollutants that are most common during military operations; analysed the impact of pollutants on the fertile soil layer and their mobility; and analysed the available remediation methods. It was found that the available soil remediation technologies, which can be used individually or in combination, provide the necessary tools to address the problem of chemical contamination of soils due to toxic products such as explosive derivatives and heavy metals. The degree of economic feasibility was considered, which, accordingly, suggested that soil phytoremediation may be the most economically feasible under certain conditions. This opens wide possibilities for further investigations, where the synergy of ecology, economics, and agrobiology will enable the development of mechanisms for optimising soil phytoremediation methods, considering their type, profile, and intended use. An algorithm of actions for remediation of soils as a result of military-anthropogenic load was proposed, which includes a related set of related actions on zoning, demining, assessment, and return of land to industrial use. The findings of this study can be used to clean industrial areas that have been contaminated during production processes or accidents

Phytoncidal activity of the needles of Juniperus L. representatives in the technogenic conditions of the city of Dnipro

The territory of the Dnipro urban agglomeration is one of the most polluted in Ukraine. The high concentration of industrial enterprises, roads, density of residential buildings and urban population are factors of anthropogenic pressure on urban ecosystems that significantly affect the quality of the habitat of living organisms and human life. Therefore, an urgent problem of modern urban planning and urban amenities is compliance with sanitary requirements for landscaping residential and industrial areas. The creation of decorative compositions with a predominance of tree and shrub species ensures the landscape attractiveness of the city, reduces the level of noise and dust pollution, improves temperature and wind conditions, improves public health by normalizing the psychological state of people and purifying the city air with phytoncides of plants, especially conifers. Taking into account the high decorative qualities and resistance of junipers to adverse climatic conditions, the aim of the study was to analyze the annual dynamics of phytoncidal activity of Juniperus media V. D. Dmitriev «Blue gold» and J. sabina L. «Tamariscifolia» needles in conditionally clean and polluted by vehicle emissions areas of Dnipro city. The plant material was collected at 4 monitoring points in Dnipro, 1 was a conditional control, and the other 3 were experimental plots with different levels of vehicle traffic. Needles were sampled at all periods of shoot ontogeny. The phytoncidal activity was determined by the method of «steaming» microbial test cultures with volatile needle secretions on test cultures of Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus sp., Bacillus subtilis, Esherechia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Candida albicans. The results of the study show that the dynamics of phytoncidal activity of J. media and J. sabina needles during the year is the same in plants growing in a conditionally clean area and under the influence of motor vehicle traffic: the amount of released phytoncides increases in spring, during the period of intensive shoot growth, reaches a maximum at the stage of slowing down their growth (in summer), decreases in autumn, with the cessation of growth processes, and is minimal in winter, when there is no shoot growth. It has been shown that in a clean area, needle extracts of both representatives of the genus Juniperus have the greatest inhibitory effect on the growth of S. aureus colonies, and under the influence of vehicle emissions, the phytoncidal activity is highest against S. aureus and S. epidermidis strains. It was found that out of the two studied representatives of the genus Juniperus, J. media has the highest stability of the ability to secrete phytoncides under conditions of motor vehicle traffic load, which we recommend for use in urban landscaping.