Environmental Monitoring Projects Research Articles

Nationwide noise mapping across Sweden's green landscape

This research project presents a mapping of noise levels in green areas across all of Sweden, with a particular emphasis on nature reserves, national parks, and other recreational spaces. Utilising the Nord2000 noise prediction method, our study incorporates the following noise sources: road traffic, railway traffic, wind turbines, and airports. Our analysis includes longer propagation distances than typical noise maps (up to 8 km) to account for distant sources, given the importance of low noise levels in pristine natural environments. Weather conditions play a crucial role in long-range sound propagation; therefore, we have integrated ten years of weather statistics (2013-2022) from the ERA5 climate dataset into our assessment. This mapping effort represents one of the first nationwide noise mapping initiatives with a specific focus on low-exposure natural areas. Our findings not only provide valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in managing and preserving the acoustic quality of Sweden's green spaces but also offer a foundation for analysing the potential impact of noise pollution on wildlife and biodiversity within these ecologically sensitive areas. The resulting noise map and relevant weather statistics are publicly released and downloadable. Participants from industry, government, and academia cooperated in this environmental monitoring project.

Review Paper on Recent Advances of Biotechnology Application to Aquaculture Development

Recent advances in biotechnology have significantly impacted aquaculture production, revolutionizing the industry. which explores key developments in applying biotechnological tools to enhance various aspects of aquaculture. Molecular techniques, such as genetic manipulation, have enabled the selective breeding of fish for desirable traits, improving growth rates, disease resistance, and overall productivity. Furthermore, the application of advanced genomics and bioinformatics has facilitated the identification of specific genes associated with important traits, paving the way for precision breeding. Biotechnological interventions also extend to disease management in aquaculture. Novel diagnostic methods based on molecular biology enable early detection of pathogens, contributing to effective disease prevention and control. Vaccines developed through biotechnological approaches have shown promise in protecting aquatic species against various infections, reducing reliance on traditional antibiotics. Nutrition is another critical aspect benefiting from biotechnological advancements. Genetically engineered feed formulations, enriched with essential nutrients, enhance the overall health and growth of aquaculture species. Furthermore, by enhancing feed conversion efficiency and waste management, probiotics and prebiotics obtained from biotechnological processes aid in the development of sustainable and ecologically friendly practices. Aquaculture and biotechnology are integrated in environmental conservation and monitoring projects. Aquatic organisms are guaranteed ideal conditions through real-time water quality monitoring made possible by biosensors and molecular tools. Utilizing genetically engineered organisms, bioremediation techniques help to lessen the negative environmental effects of aquaculture operations. In conclusion, recent advances in biotechnology have propelled aquaculture towards a more sustainable, efficient, and environmentally conscious industry. The integration of molecular techniques, genetic manipulation, diagnostics, and environmental monitoring has opened new avenues for addressing challenges and optimizing production in aquaculture. The continued exploration and application of biotechnological tools hold great promise for the future of this crucial food production sector.

Heuristic algorithms for design of integrated monitoring of geologic carbon storage sites

Designs for Risk Evaluation and Management (DREAM) is a tool developed under the National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) to enhance geologic carbon storage safety and efficiency. Using potential leakage scenarios generated externally by the users preferred history-matching approach, DREAM constructs ideal combinations of sensor locations in the right place at the right time to detect as many leaks as possible, detect them as early as possible, and minimize cost. This user-friendly tool, developed in Java, features a window-based GUI for input and a 3D visualization tool for viewing the domain space and optimized monitoring plans. DREAM's latest version accommodates real-world usage by allowing for joint optimization of wellbore point sensor placements and surface geophysics survey geometries, and by using more efficient multi-objective optimization algorithms. In an example shown here, these two improvements combined allow us to support containment assurance and go from detecting 80–90 % of the potential CO2 leakage to +99.7 %, a step-change improvement that can make the deciding difference in whether a site is suitable for geologic carbon storage. Though developed for geologic carbon storage, this tool would be equally applicable in many surface or offshore environmental monitoring projects.

Decadal vegetation changes in a subarctic‐alpine ecosystem: Can effects of Iceland's largest hydropower reservoir, climate change, and herbivory be detected?

AbstractAimsWhile plot‐based vegetation surveys provide means to precisely track changes in plant species abundance and distribution, ecosystems are continuously influenced by numerous drivers, confounding interpretation of monitoring results. Following the making of Iceland's largest hydropower reservoir in 2006, a decadal vegetation monitoring was set up. Relating our results to those of different types of environmental monitoring associated with the hydropower project, we aimed to gain insights into the forces driving the spatio‐temporal vegetation pattern.LocationSubarctic‐alpine area near Hálslón reservoir, East Iceland.MethodsAt the time of its making, we conducted a baseline plant survey in a total of 72 plots, spread around Hálslón reservoir's vicinity (each containing ten 0.25 m2 subplots). Plots were located in three different habitat types (heathlands, wetlands, poorly vegetated land), at three different sites regarding direction and distance from the reservoir. A decade later, we resurveyed the plots and reviewed the results of other environmental monitoring projects in the area, mostly presented in the gray literature.ResultsTemporal changes in vegetation were mostly inconsistent between and within habitat types, but some general trends were noticed, that is, decreased lichen and fern cover in heathlands. Distance from the reservoir did not significantly affect changes in vegetation cover. The greatest overall changes were detected where great changes in herbivore land usage had been recorded during the study.ConclusionsDirect effects of Hálslón reservoir on vegetation in our study plots were not noticed. Most likely, the reservoir indirectly impacted vegetation in our study through loss of grazing area, affecting herbivore land usage, coupled with an unrelated population growth of two of the area's main wild herbivores before and during the study period. Response to climate change was not detected, potentially concealed by substantial land‐use change and a short study period.

Ants in restoration ecology: Why, what's and the way forward

AbstractGlobal changes call for more nature‐based solutions, especially in nature conservation involving ecological restoration. Current methods essentially based on civil engineering are both expensive and costly in non‐renewable energy consumption and pollution terms. The non‐sustainability of these techniques is leading to the direct use of certain species to restore degraded ecosystems. Ants, because of their central role in ecosystem functioning and their occurrence on almost all terrestrial ecosystems, are promising candidates for environmental monitoring and such ecological restoration projects. We provide here a narrative review of the ecological functions performed by ants, and we take stock of how ants are currently considered in passive and active restoration. We then propose a trait‐based approach to facilitate their use by practitioners in future restoration projects. We list and discuss both life‐history traits relevant for environmental monitoring and functional traits known to affect abiotic (physical and chemical soil properties) and biotic (plant and fauna communities) components.

The importance of citizen science in coastal monitoring. Learnings from experience in Villa Gesell (Argentina)

Climate change has affected the coasts of the world due to numerous factors, including the change in the intensity and frequencies of the storms and the increase in the mean sea level, among others. Argentina has extensive coastal areas, and research and monitoring tasks are expensive and require a significant number of personnel to cover large geographical areas. Given this, citizen science has become a tool to increase scientific research's spatial and temporal extension. Therefore, the paper aims to analyze the methodology and development of the citizen science project in Villa Gesell and its lessons for applying them in future coastal environmental monitoring projects. The methodology was based on an experience of the project co-created between activists and researchers. This project included four phases for social and physical aspects: training for the citizens, theoretic and practical aspects of coastal dynamics, and how to measure its geomorphological and oceanographic variations; data collection: the activists who received the training performed the measurements to monitor the beach; data analysis by scientists; and dissemination of results; the report data were disseminated by citizens in their community. The analysis of case studies in citizen science projects generates a fundamental learning arena to apply in future projects. Among the positive aspects were the phases established for their development and the methodology used to collect beach monitoring data.

Current Utilization and Further Application of Zooplankton Indices for Ecosystem Health Assessment of Lake Ecosystems

For the sustainable use of lake ecosystem services—water resources, aquatic habitats for biodiversity conservation, and aesthetic values as waterfront space—ecosystem health assessments using biota are implemented as important national environmental monitoring projects. Zooplankton play a key role as an important linkage in the material circulation as secondary producers in lake ecosystems. At the same time, they influence the composition and biomass of other communities through biological interactions. In this review, we summarize useful zooplankton indices for ecosystem health assessment and suggest considerations for their use. Suggestions are provided for the practical application of indirectly measured zooplankton biomass, as well as the potential and limitations of eDNA application, which has recently been actively utilized in biological monitoring.

Exploring Washing Procedures for Produce Brush Washer

Previous environmental monitoring projects in food production facilities have revealed inconsistencies in how produce brush washer machines are cleaned after use; thus, the study of effective sanitation procedures for these machines is needed. Four chlorine solution treatments (ranging from 25 to 200 ppm), as well as a water-only treatment, were tested for efficacy in reducing bacterial loads for a selected small brush washer machine. Results indicate that rinsing with the machine’s power and water alone, a frequent practice among some produce processors, yielded a reduction of 0.91–1.96 log CFU per brush roller in bacterial counts, which was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). However, the chlorine treatments were found to be effective in reducing bacterial loads significantly, with higher concentrations being the most effective. The 200 ppm and 100 ppm chlorine treatments yielded bacterial reductions of 4.08 and 3.95 log CFU per brush roller, respectively, leaving bacterial levels statistically similar to the levels at postprocess decontamination, meaning these are the most effective at killing bacteria of all the chlorine concentrations tested. These data suggest the use of at least 100 ppm chlorine sanitizer solution is a good method to sanitize hard-to-clean produce washing machines, yielding an approximate 4 log CFU reduction of the inoculated bacteria.

POPs in the Mongolian environment

An environmental and human monitoring project analyzing the persistent organic pollutants (POPs) listed in the Annexes of the Stockholm Convention on POPs was implemented in Mongolia with sampling activities from 2017 until 2019. In support of the global monitoring plan implementation, a total of 51 samples were analyzed for POPs whereby 23 POPs were detected frequently. Two POPs, endrin and hexabromobiphenyl (PBB 153), were not quantified in any of the samples; toxaphene was found only twice in air samples; and dicofol, pentachlorophenol, and short-chain chlorinated paraffins were analyzed only in one human milk sample. Most results were for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, 32 of 43 samples) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS, 31 of 43 samples). With respect to detection frequency, dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCB) were detected in 100% of the samples analyzed (N = 28). On scale, highest amounts were found in soil samples, almost 30 000 ng/g for lindane, more than 13 000 ng/g for α-hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH), and almost 10 000 ng/g for dichlorochlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its transformation products. The soil and ambient air samples were the drivers towards highest values in the abiotic samples, due to the presence of legacy POPs such as DDT, indicator PCB, HCHs but also hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and pentachlorobenzene (PeCBz). Concentrations of dioxin-like POPs were low in general as were the perfluorinated substances (PFAS). With respect to brominated flame retardants, the presence of hexabromocyclododecane in air samples was surprising. At present, the analytical capacity to analyze POPs in various matrices under the global monitoring plan for POPs is being set-up to strengthen future environmental monitoring activities in Mongolia.

Genome analysis of Cephalotrichum gorgonifer and identification of the biosynthetic pathway for rasfonin, an inhibitor of KRAS dependent cancer

BackgroundFungi are important sources for bioactive compounds that find their applications in many important sectors like in the pharma-, food- or agricultural industries. In an environmental monitoring project for fungi involved in soil nitrogen cycling we also isolated Cephalotrichum gorgonifer (strain NG_p51). In the course of strain characterisation work we found that this strain is able to naturally produce high amounts of rasfonin, a polyketide inducing autophagy, apoptosis, necroptosis in human cell lines and showing anti-tumor activity in KRAS-dependent cancer cells.ResultsIn order to elucidate the biosynthetic pathway of rasfonin, the strain was genome sequenced, annotated, submitted to transcriptome analysis and genetic transformation was established. Biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) prediction revealed the existence of 22 BGCs of which the majority was not expressed under our experimental conditions. In silico prediction revealed two BGCs with a suite of enzymes possibly involved in rasfonin biosynthesis. Experimental verification by gene-knock out of the key enzyme genes showed that one of the predicted BGCs is indeed responsible for rasfonin biosynthesis.ConclusionsThis study identified a biosynthetic gene cluster containing a key-gene responsible for rasfonin production. Additionally, molecular tools were established for the non-model fungus Cephalotrichum gorgonifer which allows strain engineering and heterologous expression of the BGC for high rasfonin producing strains and the biosynthesis of rasfonin derivates for diverse applications.

Participant retention in a continental-scale citizen science project increases with the diversity of species detected

AbstractSustaining the efforts of volunteers is a challenge facing citizen science programs. Research on volunteer management shows that a diversity of factors may be correlated with sustained volunteerism. In the present article, we explore retention of participants in a large-scale citizen science project. We focus on Project FeederWatch, a bird-monitoring program. Using data from 17,991 participants, we found that the probability of retention increased with the diversity of species (species richness) reported by a participant, but retention was unrelated to the overall abundance of birds reported. Participants who successfully submitted an observation were more likely to remain in the project the following year (82.0% interannual retention) than people who registered but never submitted an observation (39.7%). Two measures of effort were positively correlated with retention. This work provides a case study for examining how demographic information and scientific data collected by participants can be mined to understand volunteer retention in environmental monitoring projects.

Cold homes in Australia: Questioning our assumptions about prevalence

Australia is considered by many to be a warm climate country and hence winter cold and its health effects are often overlooked. The majority of the Australian population live in temperate climate regions, which are heating-dominated and experience cold wintertime conditions. The prevalence of cold in Australian homes has to date been rarely measured or estimated, and the few studies that do are based on proxy data that estimate a low prevalence (around 5 %). This paper tests these proxy measures, using high resolution temperature data on indoor temperature from 100 homes across temperate Australia. The data were assessed using the World Health Organization's Housing and Health guideline for minimum indoor temperature (18 °C), which provides an internationally recognised benchmark for defining cold in homes. Across the sampled homes, 81 % were below 18 °C on average across the whole of winter (June–August 2022). Average winter indoor temperatures were 16.5 ± 2.7 °C across all homes, with no significant difference between locations. These early findings suggest that the problem of unhealthily cold homes in Australia is likely to be significantly more prevalent than previously estimated. Far from affecting 5 % of Australian households, the affected population may be 10 times this value. These initial findings have important implications for how we model health impacts and develop policy. This early release data from a recently commenced large environmental monitoring project is of timely importance. It challenges our understanding of the prevalence of cold housing in Australia context, flagging the pressing need to increase policy attention in advance of winter.

High time-resolution fenceline air quality sensing and dispersion modeling for environmental justice-centered source attribution

Since compliance air monitoring networks have limited spatial coverage, low-cost air quality sensors (LCAQS) are being used to facilitate exposure assessment for environmental justice communities and investigating the effects from nearby emitters. This study illustrates an application of LCAQS at the Spring Valley High School (SVHS), located at the southern fenceline of an asphalt plant in Las Vegas, Nevada, from March through August 2019 to assess the plant's contributions to schoolchildrens' PM2.5 and PM10 exposure. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based dispersion modeling found that the plant's emissions affected SVHS only for wind directions ranging from 270° to 112.5°. Within the wind sector, the plant's contributions at a 5-min resolution were estimated by the incremental PM concentrations between downwind and upwind senor measurements made at SVHS and a northern fenceline site, respectively. The method was able to attribute 3.7% of the PM2.5 and 11.8% of the PM10 at SVHS to the asphalt plant over the measurement period and estimate the plant's daily contributions that were up to 28% and 50% for PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. The contributions depended on wind speed, time of day, and day of week (weekday vs. weekend), consistent with emission activities from aggregate handling in such a facility. By coupling LCAQS and CFD results, an average PM10 emission rate of 0.58 g s−1 and PM10/PM2.5 emission ratio of 11 were derived for a 10 miles per hour (4.5 m s−1) wind speed. The emission rate and ratio agree, within 20%, with estimates from the U.S. National Emission Inventory. This study design may be applicable for environmental justice-centered monitoring projects with resource constraints, providing information for stakeholders to take necessary actions to address air quality concerns.

First record of a benthic ctenophore in the Mexican Atlantic:Vallicula multiformis(Platyctenida, Coeloplanidae)

AbstractCtenophores are one of the least known invertebrate phyla in Mexico, especially the benthic forms in which studies are incomplete and infrequent, lacking information about their ecology and diversity. As part of the environmental monitoring project ‘Biodiversidad Marina de Yucatán’ conducted in the southern Gulf of Mexico and Mexican Caribbean Sea, the benthic ctenophoreVallicula multiformis(Coeloplanidae) was identified in association with green algae in the southern Gulf of Mexico, and on an autonomous reef monitoring structure in the Mexican Caribbean Sea. This finding represents the first record of the occurrence of a benthic ctenophore species in Mexican waters. We provide morphological characteristics ofV. multiformisin both reef areas. Recording this species increases the known number of Mexican ctenophore fauna from 33 to 34 taxa and represents baseline information for the continuous study of the ecology and diversity of benthic ctenophores in Mexico.

STATE-WIDE WETLAND INVENTORY MAP OF MINNESOTA USING MULTI-SOURCE AND MULTI-TEMPORALREMOTE SENSING DATA

Abstract. Carbon sequestration coupled with flood mitigation and other functions of wetlands, such as water filtration, coastal protection, biodiversity, and providing recreational spots, make wetland mapping and monitoring important for different countries. Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform is becoming a very important tool for lots of environmental studies as it provides a suite of tools and access to data that facilitate large-scale environmental monitoring projects through its powerful parallel processing capabilities. In this study, we use GEE to access multi-source remote sensing datasets and implement an object-based image analysis, and random forest algorithm for the classification of wetlands in the state of Minnesota. Emergent, forested, and scrub-shrub wetland classes, water, as well as urban, forest, and agriculture land cover types were classified using Sentinel-2, Sentinel-1, USGS 3D Elevation Program 10-meter DEM, and gridded soil data. NDVI, EVI, BSI, NDBI, and NDWI spectral indices were calculated from Sentinel-2 imagery, VV and VH polarization channels, and their ratio, as well as span parameters, were calculated from Sentinel-1 imagery, and slope and aspect features were extracted from DEM. Simple Non-Iterative Clustering (SNIC), Gray-Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM), Principal Components Analysis (PCA), and random forest algorithms were implemented to classify wetlands from the GEE platform. Emergent wetlands, water, urban, and agriculture classes performed well with producer accuracies greater than 90%. Sentinel-1, DEM, and soil datasets improve the identification of wetland classes and highlight the importance of multi-source approaches for wetland mapping.

Collaborating With Communities: Citizen Science Flood Monitoring in Urban Informal Settlements

Concerns regarding the impacts of climate change on marginalised communities in the Global South have led to calls for affected communities to be more active as agents in the process of planning for climate change. While the value of involving communities in risk management is increasingly accepted, the development of appropriate tools to support community engagement in flood risk management projects remains nascent. Using the Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environments Program as a case study, the article interrogates the potential of citizen science to include disadvantaged urban communities in project-level flood risk reduction planning processes. This project collected more than 5,000 photos taken by 26 community members living in 13 informal settlements in Fiji and Indonesia between 2018 and 2020. The case study documents the method used as well as the results achieved within this two-year project. It discusses the method developed and implemented, outlines the main results, and provides lessons learned for others embarking on citizen science environmental monitoring projects. The case study indicates that the engagement model and the technology used were key to the success of the flood-monitoring project. The experiences with the practice of monitoring floods in collaboration with communities in Fiji and Indonesia provide insights into how similar projects could advance more participatory risk management practices. The article identifies how this kind of approach can collect valuable flood data while also promoting opportunities for local communities to be heard in the arena of risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

Perceived neighbourhood safety moderates the relationship between active school travel and health-related quality of life.

There is a dearth of studies examining associations between active school travel and children's health-related quality of life. Additionally, studies have not examined how perceived neighbourhood characteristics may moderate these associations. This study aims to examine the relationship between regular active school travel, children's physical and psychosocial health-related quality of life, and the potential moderating effects of their perceived neighbourhood safety (interpersonal and traffic). This cross-sectional study used data from Ontario schoolchildren (aged 8-14) as part of the Spatial Temporal Environment and Activity Monitoring (STEAM) Project. Results showed no significant direct relationship between regular active school travel and children's physical or psychosocial functioning; but the relationships were moderated by perceived neighbourhood safety. Regular active school travelers with high levels of perceived neighbourhood interpersonal safety, had higher physical and psychosocial functioning than regular active school travelers with low levels of perceived neighbourhood interpersonal safety. Additionally, at higher levels of perceived neighbourhood traffic safety, regular active school travelers had higher psychosocial functioning than regular active school travelers with lower perceived neighbourhood traffic safety. Interventions promoting active school travel should consider the environments through which children will be traveling.

How and why beekeepers participate in the INSIGNIA citizen science honey bee environmental monitoring project

In the “contributory” citizen science project INSIGNIA, beekeepers carried out non-invasive sampling of their own honey bee colonies for an environmental investigation of pesticide residues and pollen plant origin. We surveyed several traits and attitudes of 69 of the volunteering beekeepers from ten countries. We found that their motivation was similar to that found in previous studies of environmental volunteer motivation, with helping the environment and contributing to scientific knowledge being strong motivators. Our results suggest that receiving laboratory analysis results of the samples from their colonies is the most meaningful way of appreciation for beekeepers, but is not their primary reason for participation. A citizen scientist beekeeper in this study spent on average 10.4 working hours on the project during a sampling season. Our study indicates that most of our volunteers would participate in similar future investigations, or would recommend participation to other beekeepers, underlining the potential of beekeepers as citizen scientists in honey bee research.

Measuring Temporal Differences in Rural Canadian Children's Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity.

The purpose of this study was to measure the factors that influence children’s moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during school curriculum time, recess time, and outside school time in a rural area. During the Fall and Winter of 2016, 34 boys and 55 girls aged 8–14 years from rural communities in rural Northwestern Ontario participated in the Spatial Temporal Environment and Activity Monitoring project. The children’s MVPA was measured using an accelerometer, and child-level demographic, behavioral, and environmental data were gathered from surveys, passively logging global positioning units, and municipal datasets. Data on daily temperature and precipitation were gathered from the closest Environment Canada weather station. A mixed model was used to assess the relationship between child- and day-level factors and children’s MVPA. On average, children were getting 12.9 min of MVPA during recess, 17.7 min during curriculum time, and 29.0 min of MVPA outside school time. During all three time points, boys were more active than girls. During curriculum time, children in lower grades were more active, and the weather had differing impacts depending on the time of day. The findings of this study illustrate the differences in MVPA and the factors that influence MVPA by time of day. Examining different time segments provides valuable information for understanding children’s MVPA patterns.

Bioaccumulation of metal in liver tissue of fish in response to water toxicity of the Araguari-Amazon River, Brazil.

This study aimed to determine the concentration of metals in the water and in the liver tissue of fish (Anodus orinocensis, Hemiodus unimaculatus, Curimata vittata, and Plagioscion squamosissimus) in the lower Araguari River. Steps were also taken to estimate any difference in metal bioaccumulation in the liver of fish species at different trophic levels, determine any correlations between metals found in hepatic tissue of fish species relative to that found in river water, and evaluate the bioaccumulation factor. The metals analyzed in the water in the lower Araguari River (Cd, Pb, Fe, Hg, Cu, and Zn) exceeded the limits considered safe for aquatic life. We found a significant difference only in the bioaccumulation of Pb between A. orinocensis and C. vittata (F = 4.65, p = 0.005) and Cr between A. orinocensis and H. unimaculatus (F = 3.12, p = 0.03). Species of distinct trophic levels showed differences in metal concentration in liver. Cd and Cu showed bioaccumulation factor above 100, especially Cu with a relatively high value, for all fish species. The bioaccumulation of metals in the liver of fish species showed a positive correlation with the metals detected in the water of the Araguari River. In this sense, the lower course of the Araguari River is undergoing some type of environmental stress, making this study of additional valuable in diagnosing environmental quality pursuant to the development of environmental monitoring projects in order to guarantee the safety and maintenance of aquatic life.