Environmental Assessment Tool Research Articles

Geochemical assessment of groundwater quality for domestic, irrigation and industrial purposes: a tool for environmental monitoring and assessment in a semiarid region of eastern Maharashtra, India

Geochemical assessment of groundwater quality for domestic, irrigation and industrial purposes: a tool for environmental monitoring and assessment in a semiarid region of eastern Maharashtra, India

Comparative life cycle assessment of non-thermal plasma for the removal of pharmaceuticals from wastewater

Wastewater effluents are a continuous source of pharmaceuticals in water bodies, which pose a serious environmental threat to aquatic ecosystems. This work provides a comprehensive technical, environmental and cost assessments of different advanced quaternary treatments for wastewater effluents, with special focus on novel Non-Thermal Plasma technology. For this porpouse Non-Thermal Plasma, Sand Filtration + Ozonation, Ultrafiltration, Ultrafiltration + Nanofiltration and Ultrafiltration + Reverse Osmosis technologies were compared with UV disinfection-based technology. This work applies the Life Cycle Analysis tool for the impact environmental assessment using both ReciPE 2016(H) method and, for a more detailed analysis of the contribution of pharmaceuticals to freshwater ecotoxicity category of impact, the USETOX method, which was integrated with 7 new characterisation factors. The results obtained showed overall removal efficiency of pharmaceuticals always higher than 80%, with performances in descending order of Ultrafiltration + Reverse Osmosis > Sand Filtration + Ozonation > Ultrafiltration + Nanofiltration > Non-Thermal Plasma, being Sand Filtration + Ultraviolet disinfection and standalone Ultrafiltration comparatively not suitable for pharmaceuticals removal. Regarding the target pharmaceuticals proposed on the EU Directive 271/91 revision, the Non-Thermal Plasma perform better towards venlafaxine than Sand Filtration + Ozonation, and towards diclofenac and carbamazepine than Ultrafiltration + Nanofiltration. Ultrafiltration + Nanofiltration and Non-Thermal Plasma showed better environmental performance than Sand Filtration + Ozonation and Ultrafiltration + Reverse Osmosis in 7 out of 18 categories of impact (ReciPe method), with Ultrafiltration + Nanofiltration being more advantageous than Non-Thermal Plasma in human and ecotoxicity-related categories of impact, and Non-Thermal Plasma more advantageous in Global Warming, Fossil Resource Scarcity, and Fine Particulate Matter Formation. Regrading Freshwater Ecotoxicity (USEtox method), the quaternary treatment configuration and its energy demand affect the Freshwater final value of impact more than the presence of pharmaceuticals. Under the conditions tested, the Non-Thermal Plasma provided the lower OPEX (0.24 € m−3) than other tested technologies, showing an interesting compromise between pharmaceuticals removal efficiency, environmental impacts, and economic operational cost.

Assessment of Mortality Attributable to Air Pollution in the Urban Area of Pisa (Central Italy) Characterized by Multi-Source Exposures

Air pollution is one of the main risk factors for human health. The aim of this study was to provide an Integrated Environmental and Health Impact Assessment (IEHIA) tool to estimate the impacts on both environment and human health in Pisa municipality (central Italy). For each pollutant considered (PM2.5, PM10, and NO2), both Population-Weighted Exposure (PWE) and Attributable Deaths (ADs) were calculated considering the difference between the PWE and the latest air quality guidelines suggested by the World Health Organization. The PWEs were 16.1 µg/m3, 24.9 µg/m3, and 25.9 µg/m3 for PM2.5, PM10, and NO2, respectively. The ADs from natural causes due to exposure to PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 were 63, 29, and 51, respectively. The AD distribution was mainly concentrated in urban areas for particulate matter and in urban and suburban areas for NO2. The results highlighted significantly higher levels of air pollution than the reference levels, with a percentage of ADs from natural causes of approximately 6% of the total mortality in Pisa. IEHIA offers support for environmental and health policies and territorial planning. The authors recommend the adoption of prevention measures aimed at mitigating air pollution in critical areas, with a consequent reduction in avoidable mortality.

Ecological Environment Assessment System in River–Riparian Areas Based on a Protocol for Hydromorphological Quality Evaluation

This paper aims to propose a method for the evaluation of the hydromorphological quality of a river and its riparian areas using three essential components: morphological characterization, river connectivity, and vegetation coverage. The method has been applied to the Tordera river in Catalonia, Spain. The general goal is to establish a riparian environment assessment tool by proposing parameters for each of the three mentioned aspects. This approach relies on data collection and evaluation with a simple computational procedure for eliminating subjectivity in the weighting and classification of evaluation levels. In the proposed methodology, the weights of the indicators are determined by the Distance Correlation-Based CRITIC (D-CRITIC) method, and the results are integrated using the Coupling Coordination Degree Model (CCDM). The proposed methodology quantifies assessment parameters and analyzes the environmental problems faced by riparian zones and rivers through the parameters and the results of the CCDM and thus can be used as a basis for proposing methods to improve the ecological situation. The results can be used for the enhancement of the coordination between the development of riparian resources and the requirements of ecosystem protection and utilization, and they can be used to promote the healthy development of ecological environments and the effective use of riparian resources.

GGAS2SN: Gated Graph and SmilesToSeq Network for Solubility Prediction.

Aqueous solubility is a critical physicochemical property of drug discovery. Solubility is a key issue in pharmaceutical development because it can limit a drug's absorption capacity. Accurate solubility prediction is crucial for pharmacological, environmental, and drug development studies. This research introduces a novel method for solubility prediction by combining gated graph neural networks (GGNNs) and graph attention neural networks (GATs) with Smiles2Seq encoding. Our methodology involves converting chemical compounds into graph structures with nodes representing atoms and edges indicating chemical bonds. These graphs are then processed by using a specialized graph neural network (GNN) architecture. Incorporating attention mechanisms into GNN allows for capturing subtle structural dependencies, fostering improved solubility predictions. Furthermore, we utilized the Smiles2Seq encoding technique to bridge the semantic gap between molecular structures and their textual representations. Smiles2Seq seamlessly converts chemical notations into numeric sequences, facilitating the efficient transfer of information into our model. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach through comprehensive experiments on benchmark solubility data sets, showcasing superior predictive performance compared to traditional methods. Our model outperforms existing solubility prediction models and provides interpretable insights into the molecular features driving solubility behavior. This research signifies an important advancement in solubility prediction, offering potent tools for drug discovery, formulation development, and environmental assessments. The fusion of GGNN and Smiles2Seq encoding establishes a robust framework for accurately forecasting solubility across various chemical compounds, fostering innovation in various domains reliant on solubility data.

Assessing ecosystem resilience: effects of different environments on native flora, lichens and bee pollen in a mid-sized Brazilian city

Abstract The alteration of the natural environment by human activities has increased in recent decades, with a significant impact on the organisms that inhabit it. One of the most apparent consequences of environmental alterations is the occurrence of climatic changes. The city of Joinville is situated in the southern region of Brazil. It has achieved a notable position at the national level, largely due to the significant presence of large-scale industrial operations in the metal-mechanical, plastic, and textile sectors. This study aimed to assess the effects of urban environments on Nectandra oppositifolia plants and lichen communities using a passive biomonitoring approach, and on Tetragonisca angustula stingless bees using an active biomonitoring approach. This study demonstrated a pronounced effect of anthropogenic activities on plant anatomy and morphology (higher leaf area, fresh mass, dry mass, and water content in the urban-industrial site), with higher metal concentrations in leaf particulate matter (3.14 ± 0.4 μg cm−2). The diversity of lichens was the lowest, whereas that of crustose lichens was the highest in industrial-urban and residential-rural sites (industrial-urban site = 13 species, residential-rural site = 29 species, control site = 33 species, p < 0.05). The distribution of species within the lichen communities was inversely correlated with the degree of anthropogenic influence. Some lichen species were found exclusively in the control areas, suggesting that they may indicate good environmental quality (Arthonia sp., Astrothelium sp., Phyllopsora pyxinoides, Phyllopsis sp., and others). Beehive pollen analysis revealed the presence of Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Pb, and industrial-urban site exhibited higher metal concentrations (particularly, Ni, 12.59 ± 0.9, and Cr, 3.76 ± 1.00, mg kg−1). This approach highlights the environmental repercussions that affect the Plantae, Fungi, and Animalia kingdoms. The use of biomonitoring as a robust tool in good environmental quality assessment provides insight into policy decisions and underscores the importance of pollution studies.

Living Conditions of Children with Disabilities in Rural Thailand: Factors Leading to Life Change through Interventions

This study aimed to identify the characteristics and challenges faced by children with disabilities and their families living in rural Thailand, and understand the factors that bring changes in their lives through intervention. In a 2021 online survey on the quality of life of school-aged children with disabilities, approximately half of the respondents indicated that they were not enrolled in school. However, the factors responsible were not identified. Therefore, in 2023, we interviewed three children with disabilities in one of the target areas for the abovementioned survey to explore the correlation between the level of independence in the activities of daily living (ADL) and educational and rehabilitation opportunities. This study did not identify a clear correlation between the two factors. Furthermore, a hypothesis emerged that the changes in their lives are influenced more by environmental factors, especially personal factors such as social group awareness and attitudes, caregivers’ understanding and support, and individual relationships within the community. Further research is needed to develop environmental factor assessment tools for problem-solving in accordance with the regional characteristics of rural areas, assess the degree of functional independence of children with disabilities in daily life, and build regional support models.

Life Cycle Assessment of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Remediation Technologies: A Literature Review

The remediation of environments contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has become a growing priority due to the persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic characteristics of these compounds. To promote green and sustainable remediation practices, it is crucial to assess and minimize the environmental impacts of PFAS remediation projects through life cycle assessment (LCA) at the early stages of planning. So far, no systematic literature review has been published to assess the current state of the art or identify the challenges associated with applying LCA to PFAS remediation. This article provides a review of the recent literature on LCAs of PFAS remediation, following the ISO 14040 and 14044 standards. The results indicate that the application of LCA to PFAS remediation remains in its infancy and is highly fragmented. Significant methodological variations, including differences in system boundaries and data quality, hinder the comparability and benchmarking of LCA results across studies. To enhance the use of LCA as a decision support tool for environmental assessment, there is a pressing need for methodological harmonization and improved practices. Key areas for improvement include enhancing data quality, reducing uncertainties, and increasing the robustness of PFAS LCAs, thereby enabling more informed and sustainable decision-making in PFAS remediation efforts.

The Study on the Chinese Environmental Audit Tool (C-EAT) for Long-Term Care Facilities.

Objective: The aim of this study was to translate the Australian Environmental Assessment Tool (EAT) into Chinese and identify culturally specific characteristics in the Chinese context for adaptation. Background: In the context of dementia-specific care, the design of the environment is considered an influential factor in supporting and maintaining skills. However, despite the increasing number of individuals with dementia in China, there is currently no valid instrument available to systematically assess the quality of the physical environment in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Methods: This study utilized a mixed-method procedure consisting of seven steps, including translation and adaptation. The study involved focus groups comprising an expert panel (n = 17) and potential users (n = 64) of the newly developed tool. Cross-cultural adaptation was performed through Chinese literature review and literature quality appraisal, field study, and expert committee review. Results: The final version of the China Environmental Assessment Tool (C-EAT) consisted of 10 key design principles and 64 items. The C-EAT was tested in four LTCFs in China and underwent two rounds of review by an expert panel. Conclusions: The C-EAT was deemed a suitable tool for assessing the environment and enhancing the living environments for individuals with dementia in LTCFs in China. In future research, field tests will be conducted to validate the C-EAT scale and modify the EAT-HC to enhance its applicability in China.

Effects of Vitamin D-3 Supplementation During Pregnancy and Lactation on Maternal and Infant Biomarkers of Environmental Enteric Dysfunction, Systemic Inflammation, and Growth: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundEnvironmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is an acquired, subclinical state of intestinal inflammation common in children and adults in low-income and middle-income countries. Although vitamin D-3 supplementation has purported anti-inflammatory properties, its ability to ameliorate biomarkers of EED remains unclear. ObjectivesThis study aimed to examine the effects of maternal vitamin D-3 supplementation during pregnancy and lactation on biomarkers of EED, systemic inflammation, and growth in women living with HIV and their infants in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. MethodsWe conducted subgroup analyses among randomly selected mothers (n = 720) and infants (n = 365 at 6 wk of age, and n = 266 at 6 mo of age) who participated in a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial of daily maternal 3000 IU vitamin D-3 supplementation from the second trimester of pregnancy until 1 y postpartum. Biomarkers of EED (soluble CD14 and intestinal fatty acid-binding protein), systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein and α1-acid glycoprotein), and growth factors (insulin-like growth factor 1 and fibroblast growth factor 21) were measured via the Micronutrient and Environmental Enteric Dysfunction Assessment Tool. Anti-flagellin and anti-lipopolysaccharide immunoglobulins were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Comparisons by randomized treatment arm were performed using ordinary least squares regression models with log2-transformed biomarkers. ResultsAt 32 wk of gestation, intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (β: −0.19; P = 0.03) and α1-acid glycoprotein (β:−0.11; P = 0.04) were significantly lower in mothers in the vitamin D-3 group than those in mothers in the placebo group. At 6 wk of age, insulin-like growth factor 1 (β:−0.31; P = 0.03) was significantly lower in infants whose mothers were in the vitamin D-3 group than that in infants whose mothers were in the placebo group. ConclusionsVitamin D-3 supplementation during pregnancy and lactation reduced selected EED and systemic inflammation biomarkers among women living with HIV. While the effects of maternal vitamin D-3 supplementation do not appear to extend to infants, there may be an effect on growth factors.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02305927 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02305927).

Promoting Person-Centered Care for Older Adults: Development of the Long-Term Care Unit Environment Assessment Tool (LTCU-EAT)

Providing older people with quality long-term care (LTC) contributes to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3—Good Health and Well-being. Person-Centered Care (PCC) is the optimal approach that enhances the quality of life for older adults residing in LTC facilities. This study develops the Long-Term Care Unit Environment Assessment Tool (LTCU-EAT) to assess how LTC environments support PCC goals. The study was conducted in five steps. (1) Reviewing and revising assessment items based on existing literature; (2) Preliminary assessment and protocolling with expert opinions; (3) On-site assessments conducted by two raters among 21 LTC units across 13 facilities; (4) Reliability test of assessment items; (5) Scoring and reliability test of LTC unit samples. The LTCU-EAT, comprising 89 items distributed across 12 subscales within four themes, was developed based on a summary of 14 PCC goals. A total of 83 items (93.26%) demonstrated strong inter-rater reliability. The assessments of all LTC unit samples displayed good criterion-related validity. The LTCU-EAT is a valuable tool for conducting post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of LTC facilities, systematically evaluating the level of environment support for PCC, and providing empirical evidence for future research, policy and practice.

Trusted artificial intelligence for environmental assessments: An explainable high-precision model with multi-source big data

Environmental assessments are critical for ensuring the sustainable development of human civilization. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in these assessments has shown great promise, yet the "black box" nature of AI models often undermines trust due to the lack of transparency in their decision-making processes, even when these models demonstrate high accuracy. To address this challenge, we evaluated the performance of a transformer model against other AI approaches, utilizing extensive multivariate and spatiotemporal environmental datasets encompassing both natural and anthropogenic indicators. We further explored the application of saliency maps as a novel explainability tool in multi-source AI-driven environmental assessments, enabling the identification of individual indicators' contributions to the model's predictions. We find that the transformer model outperforms others, achieving an accuracy of about 98% and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.891. Regionally, the environmental assessment values are predominantly classified as level II or III in the central and southwestern study areas, level IV in the northern region, and level V in the western region. Through explainability analysis, we identify that water hardness, total dissolved solids, and arsenic concentrations are the most influential indicators in the model. Our AI-driven environmental assessment model is accurate and explainable, offering actionable insights for targeted environmental management. Furthermore, this study advances the application of AI in environmental science by presenting a robust, explainable model that bridges the gap between machine learning and environmental governance, enhancing both understanding and trust in AI-assisted environmental assessments.

Health, safety and environmental risk assessment tool applied to site selection for geological hydrogen storage in saline aquifers

Hydrogen (H2) emerges as a pivotal player in the transition to renewable energy sources. To address the seasonal fluctuations in energy dynamics, underground storage emerges as the most efficient approach, and saline aquifers within sedimentary basins as promising repositories for substantial H2 volumes. However, this potential storage solution remains relatively unexplored. Conducting a comprehensive health, safety, and environment (HSE) risk assessment is vital for the technological advancement and public acceptance of geological H2 storage sites. This study introduces a methodology designed to select and classify potential formations based on their HSE risks, offering a safety-oriented approach to identifying suitable storage sites. The proposed methodology underwent testing in two deep saline aquifers located in distinct geological contexts within the Iberian Peninsula. The aim of this study is to establish a foundation for further investigations and implementation of geological H2 storage sites while ensuring safety and adhering to environmental and health standards.

Environmental impacts in water resources surrounding world surfing reserves: A case study in the Madre Watershed, Brazil

In order to promote the adoption of an ecosystem-based approach in environmental management processes, integrated assessment studies can be conducted to link human activities and observed impacts on natural environments. Analytical models such as DPSIR are used, based on the monitoring of environmental indicators, to improve planning and management processes for water resources at multiple scales. World Surfing Reserves (WSRs) are institutions that have been utilizing this environmental assessment model to successfully implement environmental management strategies and instruments in coastal zones. Building upon the adaptive co-management model developed in the 6th WSR of Bahía de Todos Santos (Mexico), which incorporates DPSIR analysis and the use of GIS (remote sensing) tools in environmental assessment, this research develops a protocol for integrated environmental assessment, focusing on water resource management, through a case study conducted in the 9th WSR of Guarda do Embaú, Santa Catarina, Brazil. It is understood that this protocol can be utilized in other surfing reserves, especially in estuarine regions, to identify priority aspects for water resource management through: (i) water quality indicators, (ii) institutional environmental monitoring reports, and (iii) georeferenced statistical data (GIS). Based on these data, integrated analyses were conducted to determine which polluting agents pose a greater risk to the sustainable management of water resources surrounding the 9th WSR. Among the observed results, it was found that multiple pressure factors pose high environmental risk to the water resource stocks, mainly due to the discharge of urban and agricultural effluents into rivers, as well as deforestation in protected areas directly associated with the conservation of water reservoirs. As a result of these factors, a moderate risk of eutrophication, water scarcity, unavailability of recreational water use, disease spread, and sedimentation was observed, alongside a high risk of biodiversity loss, habitat loss, and unavailability of drinking water. Due to the risks of the mentioned impacts, the aspects identified in this study require management at the appropriate scale for processes occurring in the watershed, in order to gradually mitigate the effects of polluting activities.

An innovative environmental tool to evaluate the sustainability of anthropogenic processes: the tetrahedron approach.

The Tetrahedron approach is a new environmental tool adapted to assess the sustainability of anthropogenic processes. This tool is based on a four-step methodology that includes (a) the identification of critical parameters, (b) evaluation through the Tetrahedron Parameter Global Evaluator, (c) construction of a tetrahedron diagram based on the final scores and (d) quantitative estimation of the global sustainability. The Tetrahedron incorporates various aspects of sustainability, including economic, social and environmental factors, and provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating the impact of human activities. This article presents the methodology and application of the Tetrahedron in determining the sustainability of five case studies: CO2 capture, unconventional methanol production, the Solvay process, CO2-alcoholic fermentation process strategy and the CO2-Rumen fermentation process strategy. The results demonstrate the Tetrahedron as an effective and reliable tool to quantify the sustainability of anthropogenic processes and to promote sustainable practices across various industries and sectors. The Tetrahedron offers several advantages over other environmental assessment tools, including holistic approach, simplicity and flexibility.

The voice of the little giants: Arcellinida testate amoebae in environmental DNA-based bioindication, from taxonomy free to haplotypic level.

Bioindication, evaluating biological responses to environmental disturbances, is crucial for assessing the ecological status of an ecosystem. While historical bioindication relied on macroscopic organisms, the introduction of environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques allows the application of protists without the necessity of morphological identification. In this study, we propose a novel bioindication methodology utilizing Arcellinida, a group of top predators among protists, as bioindicators of freshwater ecosystems. For that purpose, we first characterized the Arcellinida diversity over 1 year at three different points of Lake Sanabria, an ancient glacier lake known to be subjected to anthropogenic disturbances. We compared this diversity with an undisturbed control site. Second, we characterized the Arcellinida diversity in other ecosystems to generate the ecological background to test the connectivity between them. Results indicate limited connectivity between the different ecosystems and an edge effect between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Disturbed freshwater ecosystems exhibited reduced Arcellinida diversity at both specific and infraspecific levels, providing valuable insight into recent disturbances. Arcellinida-based bioindication provides a sensitive, accurate and easy-to-interpret protocol for monitoring disturbances in freshwater ecosystems. It represents a valuable tool for environmental assessments and conservation strategies.

Molecular and eco-physiological responses of soil-borne lead (Pb2+)-resistant bacteria for bioremediation and plant growth promotion under lead stress

Lead (Pb) is the 2nd known portentous hazardous substance after arsenic (As). Being highly noxious, widespread, non-biodegradable, prolonged environmental presence, and increasing accumulation, particularly in arable land, Pb pollution has become a serious global health concern requiring urgent remediation. Soil-borne, indigenous microbes from Pb-polluted sites have evolved diverse resistance strategies, involving biosorption, bioprecipitation, biomineralization, biotransformation, and efflux mechanisms, under continuous exposure to Pb in human-impacted surroundings. These strategies employ a wide range of functional bioligands to capture Pb and render it inaccessible for leaching. Recent breakthroughs in molecular technology and understanding of lead resistance mechanisms offer the potential for utilizing microbes as biological tools in environmental risk assessment. Leveraging the specific affinity and sensitivity of bacterial regulators to Pb2+ ions, numerous lead biosensors have been designed and deployed worldwide to monitor Pb bioavailability in contaminated sites, even at trace levels. Besides, the ongoing degradation of croplands due to Pb pollution poses a significant challenge to meet the escalating global food demands. The accumulation of Pb in plant tissues jeopardizes both food safety and security while severely impacting plant growth. Exploring Pb-resistant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) presents a promising sustainable approach to agricultural practices. The active associations of PGPR with host plants have shown enhancements in plant biomass and stress alleviation under Pb influence. They thus serve a dual purpose for plants grown in Pb-contaminated areas. This review aims to offer a comprehensive understanding of the role played by Pb-resistant soil-borne indigenous bacteria in expediting bioremediation and improving the growth of Pb-challenged plants essential for potential field application, thus broadening prospects for future research and development.

Ingress of municipal solid waste into water resources: an environmental assessment and monitoring tool near dumpsites in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT Municipal solid waste (MSW) dumping sites are only used for trash discarding. Beyond the reek that the dumpsites generate, which defiles the milieu, the primary issue is the spreading of fluid from the landfills. The thrust of this research is to utilize the contiguous data from geophysics and laboratory analysis of groundwater samples to decipher the influence of MSW on aquifer systems in Uyo and Eket Counties. Geo-electrical studies featured vertical electrical sounding (VES) and constant electrode separation techniques to generate 1D and 2D electrical resistivity models. The analyzed field data were integrated with water sample analysis to deduce the influence of leachate on groundwater. The VES curve types conformed to A (7.1%), HK (21.4%), Q (21.4%), and K (50.0%). The created 2D image maps for MSW locations lay bare the fact that leachate dispersal between source and sink obeys the inverse square rule. The heavy ions, which were all higher than the approved standards have, chromium as the highest and nickel as the least. The anionic average relative abundance has hydrogen trioxocarbonate ion concentration as the highest and fluoride ions as the least. The survey demonstrates that leachate has a considerable impact on groundwater.

Innovative and practical tools for monitoring and assessing biodiversity status and impacts of multiple human pressures in marine systems.

Human activities at sea can produce pressures and cumulative effects on ecosystem components that need to be monitored and assessed in a cost-effective manner. Five Horizon European projects have joined forces to collaboratively increase our knowledge and skills to monitor and assess the ocean in an innovative way, assisting managers and policy-makers in taking decisions to maintain sustainable activities at sea. Here, we present and discuss the status of some methods revised during a summer school, aiming at better management of coasts and seas. We include novel methods to monitor the coastal and ocean waters (e.g. environmental DNA, drones, imaging and artificial intelligence, climate modelling and spatial planning) and innovative tools to assess the status (e.g. cumulative impacts assessment, multiple pressures, Nested Environmental status Assessment Tool (NEAT), ecosystem services assessment or a new unifying approach). As a concluding remark, some of the most important challenges ahead are assessing the pros and cons of novel methods, comparing them with benchmark technologies and integrating these into long-standing time series for data continuity. This requires transition periods and careful planning, which can be covered through an intense collaboration of current and future European projects on marine biodiversity and ecosystem health.

Predicting the Global Extinction Risk for 6569 Species by Applying the Life Cycle Impact Assessment Method to the Impact of Future Land Use Changes

Land use change is considered to be one of the key direct drivers of ecosystem erosion and biodiversity loss. The Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) serves as a robust tool for environmental impact assessment, featuring an advanced framework and indicators for assessing global biodiversity loss. In this research, we utilized the Species Distribution Model (SDM) to evaluate 6569 species across five taxonomic groups. We simulated habitat change and losses induced by land use changes under sustainable future scenarios from the present to 2100. This enables us to assess spatial extinction risks based on shifts in the global distribution of species. Our findings reveal a global biodiversity extinction risk of approximately 4.9 species/year, equivalent to an extinction rate of 745.9 E/MSY. Notably, higher-risk hotspots have been identified in regions such as South America, South Australia, and New Zealand. Although future sustainable scenarios involving land intensification may mitigate the biodiversity extinction rate, the objective of reaching 10 E/MSY by the end of this century remains a distant goal. By providing a more rational basis for biodiversity loss, the indicators of spatial extinction risk demonstrate the advantage of effectively reflecting regional characteristics.