Soil Decontamination Research Articles

Tackling soil erosion and contamination within the SDGs framework: a case study of the Erdenet copper-molybdenum mine

AbstractMining operations in Mongolia have contributed significantly to national economic growth. However, the lack of adequate mine land rehabilitation practices has resulted in various forms of land degradation, including land cover change, soil erosion and contamination with heavy metals and metalloids. These issues have negatively affected ecosystems and posed potential risks to human health due to the interconnected relationships between land, water and human activities. This study focuses on the copper-molybdenum mining site of Erdenet, the oldest and one of the largest copper mines in Mongolia, to investigate the main drivers of soil degradation and evaluate effective rehabilitation strategies. By combining findings from our previous studies on soil erosion and contamination in the Erdenet area with a review of existing research, we assess key rehabilitation priorities. Taking a Nexus approach, this study explores the interconnections between environmental, economic and social sectors, emphasizing the importance of balancing mining activities with sustainable land management. The previous studies suggest that for the next 10–15 years, priorities should focus on tailings storage facility rehabilitation and soil contamination remediation, while longer-term goals include developing sustainable environmental management strategies that foster cooperation between mining corporations and local communities, enforce regulations and improve monitoring in the Erdenet mining area. The study aligns these priorities with the Sustainable Development Goals, offering science-based recommendations for managing soil erosion and reducing contamination.

Decontamination of Soil Contaminated at the Surface with Bacillus anthracis (Anthrax) Surrogate Spores Using Steam Vapor

Decontamination of Soil Contaminated at the Surface with <i>Bacillus anthracis</i> (Anthrax) Surrogate Spores Using Steam Vapor

Biotechnological Tool for Metal(loid)s as Cd, Cu, Ni, and P Management with Multiple Approaches: Bioremediation, Recovery of Raw Materials, and Food Safety

Contaminated soils are a challenge for implementing biotechnology in bioremediation, the recovery of Critical and Strategic Raw Materials (CRMs and SRMs), and food security. European Union (EU) Governments have established strict limits on As, Pb, Cd, and Hg in foods (Document 32023R0915) and requested the recovery of 34 CRMs within a circular economy (CE) (5th CRMs list). This study proposed a biotechnological tool for the decontamination of soil with heavy metal(loid)s by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM)-assisted phytoextraction and the subsequent recovery of CRMs or by phytostabilization to prevent their entry into the food chain. It consisted of placing Baccharis salicifolia plants, inoculated or non-inoculated with AM fungi, into bioreactors (BRs) containing mining soil with Cd, Ni, and Cu, according to the Argentinian Patent (AR090183B1). The bioextractive potential (BP) was also estimated at the highest Technological Readiness Level (TRL) using a vegetable depuration module (VDM, TRL 6). Inoculated plants showed significantly higher aerial bioaccumulation coefficients (Cd: 68.62; P: 2.99; Ni: 2.51; Cu: 0.18) in BRs, and the BP values reached 1.16 g, 9.75 g, 2.40 g, and 213.1 g for Ni, Cd, Cu, and P, respectively. Finally, these CRMs and SRMs could be recovered from biomass through hydrometallurgy within a CE framework.

EHT and environmental justice at EPA Victoria: Aspirations and regulatory realities

Abstract EPA Victoria (Australia) is a statutory authority that regulates polluting activities and advises other Victorian government departments on relevant policy settings. In 2016, a public health function was installed at EPA Vic to provide emergency health messaging during pollution events, review research evidence of environmental-health relationships and assess industry-contracted health risk assessments of polluting entities. An Environmental Health Tracking Network (EHTN) is under development to support these activities. The EHTN is an agile data and analytical infrastructure for translating expertise across an expanding multidisciplinary network of public health researchers, EPA operational staff and public sector policy makers. Its current interactive dashboards calculate health impacts and associated costs of air pollution scenarios, model land-use influences on land and water contamination and identify coincidences of sociodemographic-, urban environment- and pollution exposure-disadvantage in a high spatial resolution environmental justice (EJ) framework. Regulatory leverage of EHTN intelligence, however, requires legislated EJ thresholds and/or legally tractable costing of industry-externalised human health impacts. Thus, to establish triggers for more stringent conditions on polluting activities and promote equity of interventions and regulations, novel regionally and EJ specific health risk functions are required. Considering these ambitions and challenges, the EHTN at EPA Vic is focussed on 1) identifying and characterising vulnerable populations at high spatial resolution, 2) estimating associated exposure-health effect size modifications using primary epidemiological methods and 3) applying these to health impact and cost assessments of pollution and waste. We seek defensible grounds on which to impose more stringent standards for polluters and redress entrenched social, health and economic disadvantage. Speakers/Panelists Hanna Tolonen THL, Helsinki, Finland

Examining Complexities of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining on Buru Island, Maluku Province, Indonesia

The Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) sector is presently one of the largest global sources of anthropogenic mercury emissions. The risk of mercury pollution from ASGM in Indonesia challenges other important industries including fisheries and tourism. Environmental degradation and risks to food safety and human health are major concerns that have been realised at local scales, including on Buru Island, Indonesia. Since the discovery of gold on Buru Island in 2011 the community has undergone dramatic changes. Some of these, such as rapid wealth accumulation, have been of benefit to people involved in the industry, however, they have been marred by negative social and economic consequences including rapid inflation, reduced rice production, and changes to the social fabric. We explore the Buru Island example through over 12 years of research interest and using empirical material through a socio-legal lens. Various legislative changes and government interventions have occurred since 2011 and there are complex interactions between industry players. Currently, the mining is low key with ore being transported to ‘back yard’ processing operations while a permitting system is anticipated. There is a legacy of land degradation and contamination as a result of the mining and ore processing. Alternatives to mercury are being considered but are challenged by uncertainty about product effectiveness, potential toxicity, and a lack of processing knowledge.

Leaching Studies for the Assessment of Individual Immobilization Potential of Chrysopogon zizanioides Root Micro Powder from Lead, Cadmium and Chromium Contaminated Soil

ABSTRACT Contemporary issues of ground contamination, exacerbated by elevated heavy metal levels due to industrial activities and improper waste disposal, significantly impact soil properties, the biosphere, and result in various geotechnical problems. This study delves into the efficacy of Chrysopogon zizanioides (vetiver) root micro powder (VRMP) in immobilizing Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), and Chromium (Cr) within contaminated soil to prevent groundwater pollution and bioavailability. Leaching experiments were conducted to evaluate the individual immobilization of heavy metals and determine the optimal VRMP dosage, testing four dosages (0%, 1%, 5%, and 10%) for their effectiveness in immobilizing Pb, Cd, and Cr in contaminated soil. The findings suggest that addition of VRMP led to an increase in pH, facilitating the enhanced immobilization of Pb, Cd, and Cr from the contaminated soil due to the reduction in mobility of these metals. Soil treated with 10% VRMP exhibited exceptional immobilization efficiency, achieving over 90% removal across all treatments. However, agglomeration caused the leaching process to take slightly longer. Consequently, a 5% VRMP dosage is considered optimal. In conclusion, vetiver root micro powder promotes a sustainable approach to immobilize Pb, Cd, and Cr in contaminated soils, underscoring the effectiveness of eco-friendly methodologies.

Efficient remediation of cadmium and lead contaminated soil in coal mining areas by MICP application in hydrothermal carbon-based bacterial agents: Nucleation pathways and mineralization mechanisms

The development of industrial mining has resulted in a large amount of Cd and Pb polluting the soil in mining areas, and leads to adverse health effects on the life of both plants and animals. Here, a soft template method was conducted to prepare hydrothermal carbon (HC) with regular morphology, which assisted with Bacillus pasteurii to induce calcite precipitation for decontamination of mining soil. Soil remediation experiments over 30 days of remediation with an HC microbial agent (HCMA) resulted in 89.4% and 87.8% decrease in the amount of leached Cd and Pb, respectively. The content of exchangeable Cd and Pb decreased by 76.1% and 81.0%, respectively. At the same time, soil fertility significantly improved. The electrostatic potential and surface charge distribution of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and sodium citrate (NaCit) were analyzed using DFT simulations, their nucleophilic and electrophilic regions were determined, and the nucleation mechanism was determined. The DFT results indicated that the oxygen-containing groups of EPS and NaCit had strong negative electrostatic potential and electronegativity, which could cause Cd2+, Pb2+, and Ca2+ to aggregate on their surfaces. They also combined with CO32− produced by urease during the decomposition of urea, resulting in Cd2+ and Pb2+ being encapsulated by calcium carbonate to form a coprecipitate. X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that the precipitate was mainly calcite calcium carbonate, which is more stable and less prone to secondary leaching of HMs. The gathered data prove the significant role of HCMA in remediation of mining soil contaminated with Cd and Pb.

Sustainable Approaches used in Pesticides contaminated Agricultural Waste Water Remediation

With the growing population of our global community and thereby increasing the demand for food has led the farmers to use more and more pesticides. Pesticides are chemical compounds used to kill pests. It is commonly used to control various agricultural pests that destroy crops and ultimately affect our agricultural productivity. Although the use of pesticides is a beneficial approach, but unfortunately it also has some drawbacks in terms of harming the environment and human health. Some pesticides pose significant hazards that ultimately affect human health systems. Contamination of agricultural land and agricultural wastewater by pesticides is a serious environmental problem and has a negative impact on biodiversity. Most synthetic pesticides are not readily biodegradable, they accumulate in the environment and cause soil contamination. To overcome the environmental burden of pesticide-contaminated sites, various sustainable approaches can be effectively used to detoxify contaminants or transform them into harmless secondary compounds. The current review focuses on the role of microorganisms and lignocellulosic biomass and plants in the degradation of agricultural pesticides under sustainable approaches.

SkipResNet: Crop and Weed Recognition Based on the Improved ResNet

Weeds have a detrimental effect on crop yield. However, the prevailing chemical weed control methods cause pollution of the ecosystem and land. Therefore, it has become a trend to reduce dependence on herbicides; realize a sustainable, intelligent weed control method; and protect the land. In order to realize intelligent weeding, efficient and accurate crop and weed recognition is necessary. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are widely applied for weed and crop recognition due to their high speed and efficiency. In this paper, a multi-path input skip-residual network (SkipResNet) was put forward to upgrade the classification function of weeds and crops. It improved the residual block in the ResNet model and combined three different path selection algorithms. Experiments showed that on the plant seedling dataset, our proposed network achieved an accuracy of 95.07%, which is 0.73%, 0.37%, and 4.75% better than that of ResNet18, VGG19, and MobileNetV2, respectively. The validation results on the weed–corn dataset also showed that the algorithm can provide more accurate identification of weeds and crops, thereby reducing land contamination during the weeding process. In addition, the algorithm is generalizable and can be used in image classification in agriculture and other fields.

Mechanical mowing of semi‐natural grasslands compromises soil quality and survival of a conservation target plant species

Mowing is a crucial management strategy for conservation and restoration of semi‐natural grasslands. In the past decades, dominant mowing methods have changed from manual to mechanical, using heavy machines causing soil compaction. Whereas the negative effects of compaction are well understood in agriculture and forestry, they have received little attention so far in nature management. This study aims to investigate the effects of compaction on soil quality, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities, and survival of a target plant species. We subjected seven grasslands to three contrasting mowing types: manual mowing with a brush cutter, softtrack mowing—designed to minimize soil compaction—and tractor mowing. We compared compaction, soil properties, and arbuscular mycorrhizal communities among the types. Additionally, we experimentally subjected intact grassland sods containing Devil's bit scabious (Succisa pratensis Moench), a target species of grassland conservation, to compaction levels corresponding to the three mowing types. Subsequently, we assessed plant survival. We found that soil compaction, soil nutrient availability, and toxic soil elements were significantly higher in the softtrack‐ and tractor‐mown parts of grassland sites compared to the manually mown parts. Also, the arbuscular mycorrhizal community composition differed significantly among mowing types, with the largest differences between “manual” and “tractor.” Succisa pratensis survival significantly decreased by 43 and 71% on the short term and by 71 and 86% on the longer term with increasing compaction. Consequently, mowing‐associated soil compaction compromises nature management targets via at least four mechanisms: nutrient enrichment, soil toxicity, changes in arbuscular mycorrhizal communities, and decreased survival of the target plant species.

Analyzing Foam Injection Dynamics in Porous Media: A Combined Computational and Experimental Approach

The study of foam injection dynamics into porous media holds numerous applications, with its primary use being the optimization of the oil extraction process. Additionally, it finds utility in various other domains, including soil decontamination techniques. This study focuses on evaluating foam injection through low-cost experiments and computational models. The model integrates a classic two-phase immiscible fluid flow in a porous media framework, augmented by a mobility reduction factor to simulate foam’s impact on gas phase mobility. Simple experiments were conducted to assess water displacement using both gas and gas-foam injection methods. Results revealed that while gas injection tends to form preferential paths rapidly, leading to gas disruption, foam injection generates a more compact front, enhancing sweep efficiency by mitigating preferential path formation. The computational model successfully reproduced the experimental findings qualitatively. This research introduces a cost-effective experiment suitable for didactic purposes, illustrating complex concepts and underscoring the complementary nature of experimental and computational methodologies in advancing engineering techniques.

Retrieval of chromium and mercury concentrations in agricultural soils: Using spectral information, environmental covariates, or a fusion of both?

The universal contamination of arable land with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) poses a severe threat to food security and jeopardizes worldwide efforts to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). How to obtain more reliable concentrations of PTEs in regional agricultural soils is a priority problem to be solved. Multispectral satellite remote sensing, with its advantages of high spatial and temporal resolution, broad coverage, and low cost, offers the potential to acquire spatial distribution of PTEs in agricultural soils over large areas. However, owing to the complexity of soil environments and the insufficiency of spectral information, the mechanism for retrieving concentrations of PTEs in agricultural soils via multispectral satellites is not yet clear, and the accuracy needs to be improved. In this study, we aimed to assess whether employing a fusion of spectral information and environmental covariates, results in more accurate retrievals of PTEs, specifically chromium (Cr) and mercury (Hg), in croplands than does employing spectral information alone. Three machine learning algorithms—kernel-based support vector machine (SVM), neural network-based back propagation neural network (BPNN), and tree-based extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost)—were developed to retrieve Cr and Hg concentrations in agricultural soils. The results showed that the fusion of spectral information and environmental covariates combined with the XGBoost model performed best in retrieving both Cr and Hg concentrations in agricultural soils with coefficient of determination (R2) values of 0.73 and 0.74, respectively. Environmental covariates were important variables for determining Cr and Hg concentrations in agricultural soils, but the ability to retrieve these element concentrations by utilizing spectral information alone was limited. High Cr concentrations occurred in central towns and southern hilly mountains. High Hg concentrations were detected in the northwestern region and southern hilly mountains. The potential of fusing spectral information and environmental covariates to precisely retrieve PTE concentrations in agricultural soils can serve as a reference for agricultural soil health information monitoring worldwide.

Efficacy of Indigenous Bacteria in the Biodegradation of Hydrocarbons Isolated from Agricultural Soils in Huamachuco, Peru.

Pollution from crude oil and its derivatives poses a serious threat to human health and ecosystems, with accidental spills causing substantial damage. Biodegradation, using microorganisms to break down these contaminants, presents a promising and cost-effective solution. Exploring and utilizing new bacterial strains from underexplored habitats could improve remediation efforts at contaminated sites. This study aimed to evaluate the hydrocarbon biodegradation capacity of bacteria isolated from agricultural soils in Huamachuco, Peru. Soil samples from Oca crops were collected and bacteria were isolated. Biodegradation assays were conducted using diesel as the sole carbon source in the Bushnell Haas Mineral medium. Molecular characterization of the 16S rRNA gene identified four strains. Diesel biodegradation assays at 1% concentration were performed under agitation conditions at 150 rpm and 30 °C, and monitored on day 10 by measuring cellular biomass (OD600), with hydrocarbons analyzed by gas chromatography. The results showed Pseudomonas protegens (PROM2) achieved the highest efficiency in removing total hydrocarbons (91.5 ± 0.7%). Additionally, Pseudomonas citri PROM3 and Acinetobacter guillouiae ClyRoM5 also demonstrated high capacity in removing several individual hydrocarbons. Indigenous bacteria from uncontaminated agricultural soils present a high potential for hydrocarbon bioremediation, offering an ecological and effective solution for soil decontamination.

Coastal Sea Ice Concentration Derived from Marine Radar Images: A Case Study from Utqiaġvik, Alaska

We apply the Canny edge algorithm to imagery from the Utqiaġvik coastal sea ice radar system (CSIRS) to identify regions of open water and sea ice and quantify ice concentration. The radar-derived sea ice concentration (SIC) is compared against the (closest to the radar field of view) 25 km resolution NSIDC Climate Data Record (CDR) and the 1 km merged MODIS-AMSR2 sea ice concentrations within the ∼11 km field of view for the year 2022–2023, when improved image contrast was first implemented. The algorithm was first optimized using sea ice concentration from 14 different images and 10 ice analysts (140 analyses in total) covering a range of ice conditions with landfast ice, drifting ice, and open water. The algorithm is also validated quantitatively against high-resolution MODIS-Terra in the visible range. Results show a correlation coefficient and mean bias error between the optimized algorithm, the CDR and MODIS-AMSR2 daily SIC of 0.18 and 0.54, and ∼−1.0 and 0.7%, respectively, with an averaged inter-analyst error of ±3%. In general, the CDR captures the melt period correctly and overestimates the SIC during the winter and freeze-up period, while the merged MODIS-AMSR2 better captures the punctual break-out events in winter, including those during the freeze-up events (reduction in SIC). Remnant issues with the detection algorithm include the false detection of sea ice in the presence of fog or precipitation (up to 20%), quantified from the summer reconstruction with known open water conditions. The proposed technique allows for the derivation of the SIC from CSIRS data at spatial and temporal scales that coincide with those at which coastal communities members interact with sea ice. Moreover, by measuring the SIC in nearshore waters adjacent to the shoreline, we can quantify the effect of land contamination that detracts from the usefulness of satellite-derived SIC for coastal communities.

Evaluation of textile effluent treatment plant sludge as supplementary cementitious material in concrete using experimental and machine learning approaches

The growing demand for readymade garments is leading to the production of a large amount of textile effluent sludge (TES) from wastewater treatment plants, which is currently disposed of as backfill, causing land and groundwater contamination. This scenario has prompted researchers to explore the use of industrial waste, such as TES, as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) to mitigate the carbon footprint of cement production. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the fresh, mechanical, non-destructive characteristics, and predictive modeling of mechanical strengths of TES-based concrete. Machine learning models, including random forest (RF) and artificial neural networks (ANN), were utilized to predict compressive and tensile strengths from various input variables. This study also evaluated the alkalinity, specific gravity, oxide content, and surface area of TES. The findings showed a pH of 9.4 and a CaO content of 33.3 %, indicating TES's potential as an SCM. The research further investigated the properties of concrete with 5–20 % cement-replaced TES, using a total binder content of 488.1 kg/m3 and a water-binder ratio of 0.32. The fresh state properties of the 5–15 % TES incorporated concrete produced normal density concrete, with a slump of 100 ± 20 mm, Kelly ball penetration of 45 ± 7 mm, a compaction factor of 0.92 ± 0.05, and a fresh density of 2464 ± 152 kg/m3. At 28 days, concrete with 15 % TES replacement showed a compressive strength of 25.6 MPa and a tensile strength of 2.88 MPa, achieving 76 % of the strength activity index and 72 % of the relative tensile strength. However, the 15 % TES concrete displayed a water permeability coefficient of 4.4 × 10−12 m/s and an electrical resistivity of 31.5 kΩ cm, compared to the control mix's 2.0 × 10−12 m/s and 37.7 kΩ cm. However, the hardened properties declined significantly after replacing 15 % of cement with TES. The mechanical properties were also estimated using ultra pulse velocity and rebound hammer tests, showing a coefficient of determination (R2) higher than 0.87. The RF model demonstrated superior performance with an R2 value of 0.8802 for compressive strength and 0.8518 for tensile strength, outperforming the ANN model's R2 values of 0.8126 and 0.695, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the consistent development of hydration products in the TES-enhanced concrete samples.

Soil pollution identification and human health risk assessment of soil heavy metals in an abandoned mine area in the Republic of Korea

ABSTRACT In this study, the Geo-accumulation index (Igeo), Human Health Risk Assessment (HRA), and Ecological Risk Index (ERI) were utilized to examine the risks associated with the soils at the DaeyangYeongseong mine. Brassica juncea and Raphanus sativus were employed in the ecological toxicity test. In all soil samples, the mean Igeo value of arsenic measured 3.15, and cadmium measured 6.63, indicating a very high level of heavy metal contamination. The carcinogenic risk of cadmium and arsenic for adults was 4.30×10−3 and 1.43×10−5, respectively. For children, these values were 3.92 × 10−2 and 1.33 ×10−4, exceeding the acceptable level (1×10−6). In all soils, cadmium showed extremely high ecological risk levels, and arsenic had extremely high risk levels in 34.8% of the total area. This was also confirmed in toxicity assessments using plants. Therefore, arsenic and cadmium were found to be the main causes of soil contamination and ecological risk.

Magnet-assisted nanoscale zerovalent iron soil washing in chlorpyrifos-contaminated soil remediation: Proof of concept

Chlorpyrifos (CPF)––a widely used organophosphate pesticide––is banned in many countries due to its persistence in the environment and high toxicity. Residue levels often vastly exceed safety thresholds, posing significant risks to human health and ecosystems. This persistent contamination challenges farmers, especially those transitioning to organic practices. Here, we propose magnet-assisted soil washing with nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) for the rapid remediation of CPF-contaminated soil. Soil mixed with water and nZVI facilitates CPF adsorption and degradation, with the CPF-sorbed nZVI being magnetically separated. We tested various nZVI conditions (inactivated [IZ] and activated [AZ], with and without hydrogen peroxide [H2O2]) against controls, including untreated soil and conventionally washed soil. The control experiments showed that conventional washing without nZVI removed 50.54 ± 3.48 % of the CPF via volatilization, leaving CPF residues in the soil (25.44 ± 2.12 %) that were above the maximum contamination level (MCL). Inactivated nZVI increased the removal by 24.38 ± 0.78 % via CPF sorption, but the MCL was still exceeded. However, AZ or nZVI with H2O2 achieved complete CPF removal (>99.95 %) within 180 min, reducing its concentration to below the MCL (<0.03 mg/kg). Thus, CPF sorption followed by either reductive dechlorination or oxidative degradation proved effective. Additionally, nZVI demonstrated reusability for three rounds while mitigating CPF toxicity, improving seed germination and plant growth. This method offers a promising solution for rapid soil decontamination, supporting the transition to organic farming.

Monitoring Soil Copper in Urban Land Using Visibale and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy with Spatially Nearby Samples.

Soil heavy metal contamination in urban land can affect biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and the health of city residents. Visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy is fast, inexpensive, non-destructive, and environmentally friendly compared to traditional methods of monitoring soil Cu, a common heavy metal found in urban soils. However, there has been limited research on using spatially nearby samples to build the Cu estimation model. Our study aims to investigate how spatially nearby samples influence the Cu estimation model. In our study, we collected 250 topsoil samples (0-20 cm) from China's third-largest city and analyzed their spectra (350-2500 nm). For each unknown validation sample, we selected its spatially nearby samples to construct the Cu estimation model. The results showed that compared to the traditional method (Rp2 = 0.75, RMSEP = 8.56, RPD = 1.73), incorporating nearby samples greatly improved the model (Rp2 = 0.93, RMSEP = 4.02, RPD = 3.89). As the number of nearby samples increased, the performance of the Cu estimation model followed an inverted U-shaped curve-initially increasing and then declining. The optimal number of nearby samples is 125 (62.5% of the total), and the mean distance between validation and calibration samples is 17 km. Therefore, we conclude that using nearby samples significantly enhances the Cu estimation model. The optimal number of nearby samples should strike a balance, covering a moderate area without there being too few or too many.

Recommendations for Protective Actions Based on Projected Public Health Risks Following a Postulated Nuclear Power Plant Accident

This study conducted a regional assessment of the environmental and health consequences due to the release of radionuclides, including the most harmful, such as Cs-137 and I-131, from a hypothetical reactor accident at the first Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, in Turkiye under different meteorological conditions. Simulations of the atmospheric flow were done using a Gaussian-based probabilistic model. Based on the estimated air and land contamination, radiation doses and cancer risks to the population were calculated. The assessment results were then compared with the criteria for protective actions in the event of a radioactive release and were subsequently used to assess the sufficiency of the Precautionary Action Zone (PAZ) and Urgent Protective Zone (UPZ) provided by regulations. The assessment indicated that evacuation outside the UPZ would likely be required during the early phase of the emergency, while sheltering indoors might be necessary up to 80 km. Protective actions such as restrictions on being outdoors or iodine prophylaxis are needed far beyond the radius of the UPZ. These results provide important insights into safe protective measures to reduce the risk of radiation-related cancer when considering a hypothetical severe nuclear accident. In addition, the results of this study aim to improve the current nuclear emergency response program and support nuclear decision-making.

Perspectives for Photocatalytic Decomposition of Environmental Pollutants on Photoactive Particles of Soil Minerals.

The literature shows that both in laboratory and in industrial conditions, the photocatalytic oxidation method copes quite well with degradation of most environmental toxins and pathogenic microorganisms. However, the effective utilization of photocatalytic processes for environmental decontamination and disinfection requires significant technological advancement in both the area of semiconductor material synthesis and its application. Here, we focused on the presence and "photocatalytic capability" of photocatalysts among soil minerals and their potential contributions to the environmental decontamination in vitro and in vivo. Reactions caused by sunlight on the soil surface are involved in its normal redox activity, taking part also in the soil decontamination. However, their importance for decontamination in vivo cannot be overstated, due to the diversity of soils on the Earth, which is caused by the environmental conditions, such as climate, parent material, relief, vegetation, etc. The sunlight-induced reactions are just a part of complicated soil chemistry processes dependent on a plethora of environmental determinates. The multiplicity of affecting factors, which we tried to sketch from the perspective of chemists and environmental scientists, makes us rather skeptical about the effectiveness of the photocatalytic decontamination in vivo. On the other hand, there is a huge potential of the soils as the alternative and probably cheaper source of useful photocatalytic materials of unique properties. In our opinion, establishing collaboration between experts from different disciplines is the most crucial opportunity, as well as a challenge, for the advancement of photocatalysis.