Environmental Restoration Research Articles

Characterization of mine spoils for the reclamation of degraded lands of the Jos-Bukuru tin field, central Nigeria

Tin mining operations on the Jos Plateau have left a lasting impact on the environment, resulting in derelict land, mine spoils, and over a thousand abandoned mining ponds. These ponds have become potential hazards, endangering unsuspecting members of the public. This study aims to provide a comprehensive geochemical and geotechnical characterization of the mine spoils to assess their suitability for the reclamation and restoration of the degraded mined lands. The geochemical analysis reveals that the mine spoils exhibit a strong to moderate level of acidity, with a pH range of 3.91 to 5.90 (average: 4.85). Furthermore, they display deficiencies in essential nutrients such as phosphorus (average: 0.02%) and potassium (average: 0.31%), as well as trace elements such as copper (average: 19.15 ppm), manganese (average: 165.15 ppm), and zinc (average: 53.24 ppm). Notably, the mine spoils are enriched in iron (average: 6.31%). These findings highlight the inadequate presence of both micronutrient and macronutrient elements necessary for successful revegetation which is a crucial component of reclamation. Results from the geotechnical tests indicate that the mine spoils possess an average fines content of 56.03%, a mean liquid limit of 38.06%, and a mean plasticity index of 15.52%. Additionally, the average linear shrinkage value is measured at 10%. The average values for maximum dry density (MDD) and optimum moisture content (OMC) are 1.65 g/cm³ and 19%, respectively. The unsoaked California bearing ratio (CBR) averages 34.64%, while the coefficient of permeability for the spoil is approximately 1.24x10-3 mm/sec. Furthermore, the spoils average cohesion (C) was measured to be 12.150 while the mean angle of internal friction is 30.77 KN/M2. These results collectively indicate that mechanical and chemical stabilization, involving the use of lime, fly ash, and other soil-stabilizing agents is imperative for the effective reclamation of the degraded lands using the mine spoils. Such measures if adopted and implemented will mitigate the risk of accidents and drowning incidents from mining ponds and other abandoned pits involving unsuspecting members of the public and will contribute to the overall environmental restoration efforts in the Jos-Bukuru Tin Field.

Assessing the Interplay of Financial Development, Human Capital, Democracy, and Industry 5.0 in Environmental Dynamics

The anthropogenically induced ecological resource exploitation surpasses the Earth’s regenerative capacity and has resulted in ecological bankruptcy. Conceding that, the United Nations mandates environmental restoration by 2030. Against this backdrop, this study seeks to orchestrate a hybrid framework by modulating the Quintuple Helix Model into an Anthropomorphized Stochastic Quintuple Helix Model (ASQHM). This model introduces human behavior and allows for hypothesis testing. ASQHM stipulates that the propensity of espoused eco-innovation aimed at environmental restoration is contingent upon five composite helices: human capital, democracy, Industry 5.0, media, and pro-environmental human behavior. In addition, financial development has been deemed imperative to facilitate these variables, which were considered stakeholders in this study. To fill gaps in the literature, three variables, namely democracy, Industry 5.0, and pro-environmental human behavior (PEHB), are formed through principal component analysis. This panel data study employs the Generalized Methods of Moments model to compute the ASQHM for developed and less developed countries from 1995 to 2022. The results imply that the first helix (human capital) levitates environmental restoration in developed countries (DCs) but yields the opposite in less developed countries (LDCs). Democracy, Industry 5.0, and information and communication technology helices demonstrate a solicited negative relationship with ecological footprints in both panels, thus supplementing environmental restoration. The fifth helix, PEHB, escalates ecological footprints in DCs; however, it abets environmental restoration in LDCs. The postulated ASQHM “partially” works in DCs and LDCs, rejecting its hypothesized role in the former group while confirming it in the latter group. Astonishingly, DCs fall short of the requisite PEHB (fifth helix), and LDCs do not have the at-par human capital (first helix) to reduce ecological footprints, catalyze eco-innovation, and partake in the environmental restoration process. Despite slight discrepancies in both panels, these findings validate the effectiveness of this hybrid ASQHM as a decisive determinant of environmental restoration. Based on the findings, this study also suggests practical policies.

(Invited) Carbon Sulfonation Using Plasma: Trial to Enlarge Treatment Capacity

Heterogeneous catalysis is a promising technology in conversion of biomass to biofuels because of its high reactivity, easy post-separation, and great recyclability compared to homogeneous catalysis. Various functionalized catalytic materials have emerged as promising alternatives to the homogeneous liquid acid catalyst, such as carbon materials, metal–organic frameworks, and metal nanoparticles. Among them, carbon materials such as carbon nanotube, graphene oxide, carbon black, and so on have been investigated as catalysts for cellulose hydrolysis to produce glucose.Carbon materials show considerable catalytic activity by functionalization with active acidic groups including hydroxyl groups (-OH), carboxyl groups (-COOH), and sulfonic groups (-SO3H). Hydroxyl and carboxyl groups on the carbon catalysts act as connection center to access cellulose, where sulfonic group serves as the active site to cut off the linkage between glucose units in cellulose. So, the surface modification of carbon materials with these functional groups, namely, carbon sulfonation process, becomes the determining step to producing efficient carbon acid catalysts. Conventional methods for the carbon sulfonation are the hydrothermal and reflux method, in which hazardous chemicals are necessary, such as concentrated sulfuric acid (95–98%), chlorosulfonic acid, fuming sulfuric acid, or 4-benzenediazoniumsulfonate under elevated temperature for dozens of hours.As a green and effective carbon sulfonation process, we have utilized plasma generated in contact with dilute sulfuric acid. Recently, we have investigated the mechanism of carbon sulfonation in GLIP processes. Active species produced near the gas–liquid interface such as •OH, SO3, and HOSO2• probably play important roles in carbon sulfonation. We are currently trying to enlarge the treatment capacity of carbon sulfonation by two methods, namely parallel plasma generation with ballast capacitors and large-area plasma generation by a dielectric barrier discharge. Also, effects of gases used for plasma generation such as air and Ar on the carbon sulfonation are investigated.This work was partially supported by the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund (JPMEERF20223R01) of the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency of Japan.

Agricultural sector circular economy development: Agroecological approach

This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using agroecological concepts to establish a circular economy in the agricultural industry. The paper examined circular economy as a novel economic development paradigm that seeks to optimise resource utilisation and reduce waste, particularly in the agriculture industry. The main principle of the circular economy is resource conservation, which includes the rational use of land, water and energy, as well as the preservation of biodiversity and the improvement of soil fertility. An analysis was conducted on the economic advantages of adopting a circular economy in the agriculture industry, which include the reduction of production costs, enhancement of productivity, and generation of new employment opportunities. The study also addressed the importance of digitalisation, which can significantly increase the efficiency of agricultural production using modern digital technologies for monitoring soil conditions, managing water resources and optimising processes. This paper examined the effects of the war in Ukraine on the agricultural industry, specifically highlighting a substantial decrease in the output of key crops and livestock products. A comprehensive examination of the destruction of infrastructure, soil, and water contamination exposed severe environmental issues resulting from the attacks. The successful circular concepts implemented by European countries such as the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, and France can be applied to the post-war revival of the Ukrainian agriculture industry. The study also addressed the experience of the Ukrainian company Kernel, which successfully implements circular practices such as recycling of production waste, use of biomass and introduction of precision farming, which reduces environmental impact and increases production efficiency. Based on the analysis, recommendations for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine’s agricultural sector were proposed, including the identification of priority regions for recovery, stimulation of innovation and modern technologies, support for small and medium-sized farms, development of irrigation systems, environmental restoration and protection, international cooperation and support, and education and training

Entropy optimization on EMHD Casson Williamson penta-hybrid nanofluid over porous exponentially vertical cone

Present inquiry explores steady electro magneto hydrodynamic flow on porous exponentially vertical cone of Casson Williamson nanofluid. In this novel research work, we have successfully developed a multipurpose and adaptable penta-hybrid nanofluid by mixing nanoparticles of silver (Ag), gold (Au), magnesium oxide (MgO), copper (Cu), titanium dioxide (TiO2) with base fluid and are used in many innovative applications, including coatings, sensors, energy storage, water purification, enhanced heat transfer, biological purposes and lubricants. Numerous industries can benefit considerably from the combined features of these nanoparticles, which can improve the base fluid’s functioning and performance. Further, it aims to determine thermal and mass transportation of penta-hybrid nanofluid. The controlling PDEs can be turned into non-linear ODEs via similarity conversions, solved using fifth order Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg technique via shooting technique. Penta-hybrid nanofluid/ C2H6O2is excelled in heat transport to greater extent than other hybrid nanofluids with 62.6 %. Moreover, entropy generation rate is performed, and irreversibility demonstrates that, compared to previous efforts, total entropy generation rate minimize energy loss by 247.16 % in present study. Estimating impact of flow patterns and transmission rates are useful application with varied industrial and engineering applications, environmental restoration, and biomedical applications such as targeted medication administration.

Spatio-temporal variation and influencing factors of ecol-environment quality in Jiuzhaigou County, Sichuan, China under seismic disturbance.

Accurately monitoring and evaluating changes in ecological environment quality under earthquake disturbances is of great significance for the restoration and protection of regional ecological environment. In view of the "8·8" earthquake in Jiuzhaigou County in 2017, we used high-precision remote sensing image to analyze the vege-tation damage caused by the earthquake, and calculated remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) for the pre-earthquake period, post-earthquake period and 3-year recovery period based on GEE platform to analyze the spatio-temporal variation of ecological environment in Jiuzhaigou County, Sichuan Province. Then, we used geodetector to reveal the influencing factors of spatio-temporal variations in ecological restoration. The results showed that the fractional vegetation cover of Jiuzhaigou County decreased from 0.71 before the earthquake to 0.69 after the earthquake. The area of higher coverage zone decreased by 310.78 km2, while the area of others increased. The mean RESI decreased from 0.50 in the pre-earthquake period to 0.42 in the post-earthquake period, and increased to 0.50 after the 3-year recovery period. The ecological environment quality in the three period was mainly at the good and ave-rage levels, and it was distributed in the central and southern mountains and the eastern river valley. Annual precipitation, elevation, wet and greenness were the main factors controlling ecological quality restoration in Jiuzhaigou County, and the increases in the interaction among these factors would affect the spatial variations of regional ecological environment quality restoration.

From Command and Control Policy to Environmental Promotionalism: The Political-Instrumental Transition About Environmental Preservation in Brazil

Objective: The main objective of this work is to analyze this transition, especially with the institution of payment for environmental services (PSA) and therefore the change of paradigm, that is, from a policy based on the polluter pays to one that has as a primary foundation the protector of the environment as rewarded for promoting the ecological quality of its services. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework adopted is the work, Payment for Environmental Services (PSA) as an instrument for implementing the protector-receiver principle (PRP): Initial notes from the promotional function of Environmental Law, by Leonardo Papp. Method: The method adopted in the study is the research of specialized literature, with a qualitative approach, with the bibliographic reference as the main procedure, with the survey of works being analyzed using the deductive method. Results and Discussion: Regarding results and discussions, regarding the paradigmatic transition, the PSA represents a significant change, moving from a traditional approach based on the polluter pays to one that values ​​the environmental protector as rewarded. Research Implications: Regarding research implications, the paradigm transition can influence the formulation of public policies, governments can consider PSA as an effective tool to encourage environmental conservation and restoration, stimulating rural landowners, local communities and companies to adopt sustainable practices. Originality/Value: The present study presents an innovative approach, in addition, the research adopts the promotional ideology of law as the basis for the PSA, a perspective little explored in the literature. The value of this research lies in its contribution to the debate on the effectiveness of PSA as a mechanism to encourage environmental conservation.

Distribution and response of electroactive microorganisms to freshwater river pollution

Electroactive microorganisms (EAMs) play a vital role in biogeochemical cycles by facilitating extracellular electron transfer. They demonstrate remarkable adaptability to river sediments that are characterized by pollution and poor water quality, significantly contributing to the sustainability of river ecosystems. However, the distribution and diversity of EAMs remain poorly understood. In this study, 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR were used to assess EAMs in 160 samples collected from eight rivers within the Pearl River Delta of Southern China. The results indicated that specialized EAMs communities in polluted sediments exhibited variations in response to water quality and sediment depth. Compared to clean sediment, polluted sediments showed a 4.5% increase in the relative abundances of EAMs communities (59 genera), with 45- and 17-times higher abundances of Geobacter and cable bacteria. Additionally, the abundance of cable bacteria decreased with increasing sediment depth in polluted sediments, while the abundance of L. varians GY32 exhibited an opposite trend. Finally, the abundances of Geobacter, cable bacteria, and L. varians GY32 were positively correlated with the abundance of filamentous microorganisms (FMs) across all samples, with stronger interactions in polluted sediments. These findings suggest that EAMs demonstrate heightened sensitivity to polluted environments, particularly at the genus (species) level, and exhibit strong adaptability to conditions characterized by high levels of acid volatile sulfide, low dissolved oxygen, and elevated nitrate nitrogen. Therefore, environmental factors could be manipulated to optimize the growth and efficiency of EAMs for environmental engineering and natural restoration applications.

Research on the Purification Effect of Aquatic Plants on Polluted Water

Aquatic plants are an effective ecological restoration method for water purification. This article reviews the importance and role of plants in water purification, and explores their research progress in the purification mechanisms of pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus, their impact on water ecosystems, and their applications in water pollution prevention and control. The importance and future research directions of aquatic plants in water pollution control were analyzed based on their adaptability and biodiversity. Research has found that aquatic plants have significant purification effects and a wide range of applications in water purification. Future research can continue to delve into the purification mechanisms and ecological effects of aquatic plants, in order to promote the advancement of water technology. The importance of aquatic plants in water purification cannot be ignored and is expected to become an important means of future water environment restoration.

Research on automatic identification of coal mining subsidence area based on InSAR and time series classification

Large-scale mining of coal resources has caused surface subsidence, threatening the ecological environment and surface safety and hindering the sustainable development of coal resource-based cities seriously. In order to identify coal mining subsidence area more accurately and quickly, a novel method for automatic identification of coal mining subsidence area was proposed in this study, which is based on InSAR technology and time series classification algorithm. The method comprehensively considered the quality of data acquisition and the degree of automation of algorithm implementation, realizing automatic identification of large-space coal mining subsidence area in the case of small samples. Firstly, the unclassified subsidence dataset is constructed by SAR data around time series combined with InSAR technology. Secondly, the degree of change of time series subsidence is used as the basis of classification, and it is divided into two categories: regular type of coal mining subsidence and irregular type of non-coal mining subsidence. Finally, Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) algorithm is used to calculate the similarity distance between the time series curves of each image element of the subsidence dataset to be tested and the standard coal mining subsidence type curves, which aim at identifying the coal mining subsidence area. Through utilizing the multitude filtering algorithm to filter the recognition results, the automatic recognition results of coal mining subsidence area is finally obtained. The results show that this method can still be used to efficiently identify and circle coal mining subsidence area with only 640 samples, and the average Overall Accuracy (OA) and Kappa Coefficient (KC) of coal mining subsidence area are 0.91 and 0.83, respectively. The method can not only identify the existing and potential subsidence area in the mining area, but provide technical support for ecological environment restoration and early warning of subsidence damage.

Combination effects of laser heating and water cooling on the repair performance of Hastelloy C-276 by underwater laser direct metal deposition

The Ni-based Hastelloy C-276 was repaired by in-air and underwater laser direct metal deposition (in-air DMD and UDMD) with four gradient cooling rates (in-air DMD, in-air DMD with interlayer cooling, UDMD and UDMD with each layer re-covered by water). The microstructure and mechanical properties of repaired samples were systematically characterized with respect to the cooling rates. All samples presented good metallurgical bonding and columnar dendrites with epitaxial growth. The underwater environment had a more pronounced acceleration effect on the cooling rate compared to interlayer cooling. The rapid cooling induced intense thermal cycling, resulting in increased dislocation density and grain refinement with primary dendrite arm spacing (PDAS) diminishing from 5.30 to 3.21 μm. Accelerated cooling rate contributed to precipitation of massive M6C carbides. Carbides coarsened (sizes from 257 to 354 nm) and exhibited a reduced content as cooling rate slowed down due to intrinsic heat treatment (IHT). The residual water film in UDMD repair promoted oxide formation. Samples with increased cooling rates exhibited superior mechanical performance. The improved microhardness, tensile and impact properties were primarily attributed to the enhanced fine grain strengthening and Orowan strengthening facilitated via reduced grain size, increased dislocation density and carbide content. Quantities of large-size carbides were detrimental to tensile and impact properties as displayed in the in-air DMD sample with interlayer cooling (carbide size of 341 μm). The study could serve as a reference for in-situ restoration in deep-water environments.

Fabrication of Non-Wetting Mg(OH)2 Composites with Photoresponsive Capabilities and Their Environmental Restoration Performance.

Water pollution seriously affects the development of society and human life. There are various kinds of pollutants, including soluble pollutants and insoluble floaters on the water surface. Herein, the photocatalyst semiconductor BiOCl and superhydrophobic functional particles Mg(OH)2 were deposited on the surfaces of canvas and polyester felt to construct superhydrophobic canvas and polyester felt. The contact angles of the synthetic superhydrophobic canvas and polyester felt were measured as 152° and 155.3°, respectively. The selective adsorption of hexadecane was achieved using the wetting difference between the surface of water and pollutants floating on the surface. For dissolved pollutants, the surface wettability needed to be changed with the help of ethanol. The degradation efficiencies were all greater than 90%, demonstrating the versatility of the synthetic superhydrophobic canvas and polyester felt.

Green intellectual capital and employee environmental citizenship behavior: the mediating role of organizational agility and green creativity

PurposeThis study utilizes social exchange theory to investigate the relationship between green intellectual capital and employee environmental citizenship behavior through serial mediation of organizational agility and employee green creativity.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a multi-level and multi-wave dataset of 425 employees and 70 managers nested within 35 manufacturing firms. The authors followed a 2-2-1-1 research framework in which organizational green intellectual capital (a level 2 variable) influenced employee environmental citizenship behavior (a level 1 outcome variable), which was then mediated by organizational agility (a level 2 variable) and employee green creativity (a level 1 variable). This study used Jamovi for hypotheses testing.FindingsThe findings suggest a positive relationship between green intellectual capital and organizational agility, leading positively to employee environmental citizenship behavior and employee green creativity. It indicates that green intellectual capital positively relates to employee environmental citizenship behavior via serial mediation effects of organizational agility and employee green creativity.Practical implicationsThis study provides valuable insights for manufacturing firms and policymakers. The study encourages environmental conservation and restoration efforts by individuals and organizations, supporting initiatives to protect the environment. Findings may help manufacturing firms and policymakers towards mitigating environmental harm to achieve their sustainability objectives.Originality/valueThis study enhances our understanding of the link between green intellectual capital and employee environmental citizenship behavior through indirect path of organizational agility and employee green creativity.

Defect and doping engineering mediated M-D-MIL(Fe)/Cu-C3N4 heterojunction with dual active centers for efficient tetracycline hydrochloride removal

It is essential to explore Fe-MOFs catalysts containing both multiple active sites and rapid charge separation for improving photo-Fenton performance. Herein, a defect and doping engineering mediated M-D-MIL(Fe)/Cu-C3N4 heterojunction with dual active centers was prepared and its removal performance was investigated against tetracycline hydrochloride. Characterization confirms that: (1) The ligand vacancies in M-D-MIL(Fe) can expose plenty of coordinatively unsaturated metal sites (Fe CUS), which enhance the Lewis acidity and optimize the adsorption of H2O2. Meanwhile, the built-in dual redox centers (Fe3+/Fe2+ and Cu+/Cu2+) can synergistically promote the activation of H2O2. (2) The ligand vacancies in M-D-MIL(Fe) and copper ion in C3N4 as electron trapping sites can optimize the carrier separation of single-component materials. Furthermore, the composites exhibit a suitable energy band structure, an oriented built-in electric field, and tight interfacial contacts, all of which collectively create an optimal pathway and driving force for the efficient transport of photoinduced charges. This, in turn, accelerates the Fe3+/Fe2+ redox cycle. Finally, M-D-MIL(Fe)/Cu-C3N4 demonstrates excellent photo-Fenton performance at low H2O2 concentrations (5 mM), with a kinetic rate (k) of 0.035 min⁻¹, which is 14.58, 18.42, 1.94, and 15.21 times higher than those of MIL-100(Fe), C3N4, M-D-MIL(Fe), and Cu-C3N4, respectively. The study presents an innovative idea with potential applications in environmental restoration.

Efficient removal of chromate from wastewater using a one-pot synthesis of chitosan cross-linked ceria incorporated hydrous copper oxide bio-polymeric composite

Remediating hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] from contaminated water systems is a significant concern due to its harmful effects on human health, aquatic life, and plants. To tackle this issue, scientists have created a chitosan cross-linked hydrous ceria incorporated cupric oxide bio-polymeric composite (CHCCO) by combining chitosan biopolymer with corresponding metal ions using glutaraldehyde as a cross-linker. The composite was characterized using advanced analytical instruments such as FTIR, p-XRD, SEM, XPS, etc. The synthesized composite (CHCCO) was then tested for its efficiency in removing Cr(VI) from synthetic Cr(VI) aqueous samples. The parameters examined included pH, material dose, contact time, concentration, temperature, and co-existing ions. The experimental data showed that the kinetics and equilibrium data fit well with the pseudo-second-order and the Freundlich isotherm models, respectively. Thermodynamic analysis demonstrated that the investigated surface adsorption process is spontaneous and endothermic. Except for the SO42− ion, no other species imparts adverse influence significantly on the reaction. The CHCCO bio-composite surfaces were refreshed using a dilute NaOH (1.0 M) solution and effectively recycled five times for Cr(VI) adsorption, indicating no significant surface activity deterioration. This study highlights the high effectiveness of CHCCO bio-polymeric composites in Cr(VI) remediation and the potential for this technology as an easy-to-use technique for environmental restoration.

Nitrate Upcycling Mediated by Organonickel Catalysis

AbstractNitrogen oxides (NOx) are major environmental pollutants and to neutralize this long‐term environmental threat, new catalytic methods are needed. Although there are biological denitrification processes involving four different enzymatic reactions to convert nitrate (NO3−) into dinitrogen (N2), it is unfortunately difficult to apply in industry due to the complexity of the processes. In particular, nitrate is difficult to functionalize because of its chemical stability. Thus, there is no organometallic catalysis to convert nitrate into useful chemicals. Herein, we present a nickel pincer complex that is effective as a bifunctional catalyst to stepwise deoxygenate NO3− by carbonylation and further through C−N coupling. By using this nickel catalysis, nitrate salts can be selectively transformed into various oximes (>20 substrates) with excellent conversion (>90 %). Here, we demonstrate for the first time that the highly inert nitrate ion can be functionalized to produce useful chemicals by a new organonickel catalysis. Our results show that the NOx conversion and utilization (NCU) technology is a successful pathway for environmental restoration coupled with value‐added chemical generation.

Nitrate Upcycling Mediated by Organonickel Catalysis.

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are major environmental pollutants and to neutralize this long-term environmental threat, new catalytic methods are needed. Although there are biological denitrification processes involving four different enzymatic reactions to convert nitrate (NO3 -) into dinitrogen (N2), it is unfortunately difficult to apply in industry due to the complexity of the processes. In particular, nitrate is difficult to functionalize because of its chemical stability. Thus, there is no organometallic catalysis to convert nitrate into useful chemicals. Herein, we present a nickel pincer complex that is effective as a bifunctional catalyst to stepwise deoxygenate NO3 - by carbonylation and further through C-N coupling. By using this nickel catalysis, nitrate salts can be selectively transformed into various oximes (>20 substrates) with excellent conversion (>90 %). Here, we demonstrate for the first time that the highly inert nitrate ion can be functionalized to produce useful chemicals by a new organonickel catalysis. Our results show that the NOx conversion and utilization (NCU) technology is a successful pathway for environmental restoration coupled with value-added chemical generation.

The Efficiency of Financing Environmental Protection Measures in the Context of Ukraine’s Future Membership in the EU

In recent decades, humanity has had a significant negative impact on the environment. This problem can be solved only by establishing a rational environmental management policy and ensuring an effective financial policy in the context of balancing emissions and expenditures on environmental protection measures. The purpose of this article is to analyze the efficiency of financing environmental protection measures by determining the dependence of pollutant emissions on environmental protection expenditures in Ukraine and the European Union. The following methods were used for the study: analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison, specification, and statistical and graphical methods. The statistical information was systematized on the basis of open data from the Open Budget web portal, the State Statistics Service, and Eurostat. This study identified the dynamics of revenues from environmental taxes in Ukraine; taxes on air emissions prevail. Most of the expenditures are made from the state budget. According to the functional classification, environmental expenditures are mainly aimed at preventing and eliminating environmental pollution. The dynamics of capital investments in environmental protection were also studied. To assess the effectiveness of the state policy in the field of environmental protection, we analyzed the dependence of pollutant emissions in Ukraine, Poland, and Romania on the amount of environmental expenditures and investments in this area and revenues from environmental tax. In Ukraine, the amount of pollutants released into the atmosphere depends mostly on investments in this area; in Poland—on revenues from environmental taxes; and in Romania—on expenditures on environmental protection. It has been established that the obtained models are adequate and can be used to build future forecasts of pollutant emissions. Directions for the development of financial and environmental policy are proposed. Post-war restoration of the environmental situation should be carried out on the basis of sustainable development, focusing on the European Green Deal A triple-task approach should be implemented, including environmental restoration, the minimization of negative climate change and balanced use of resources, and the expansion of powers of the relevant ministry with a focus on the strategic goals of the state policy. It is necessary to develop methodological recommendations according to international standards to assess the real state of the environment.

Maize Root Exudates Promote Bacillus sp. Za Detoxification of Diphenyl Ether Herbicides by Enhancing Colonization and Biofilm Formation.

Diphenyl ether herbicides are extensively utilized in agricultural systems, but their residues threaten the health of sensitive rotation crops. Functional microbial strains can degrade diphenyl ether herbicides in the rhizosphere of crops, facilitating the restoration of a healthy agricultural environment. However, the interplay between microorganisms and plants in diphenyl ether herbicides degradation remains unclear. Thus, the herbicide-degrading strain Bacillus sp. Za and the sensitive crop, maize, were employed to uncover the interaction mechanism. The degradation of diphenyl ether herbicides by strain Bacillus sp. Za was promoted by root exudates. The strain induced root exudate re-secretion in diphenyl ether herbicide-polluted maize. We further showed that root exudates enhanced the rhizosphere colonization and the biofilm biomass of strain Za, augmenting its capacity to degrade diphenyl ether herbicide. Root exudates regulated gene fliZ, which is pivotal in biofilm formation. Wild-type strain Za significantly reduced herbicide toxicity to maize compared to the ZaΔfliZ mutant. Moreover, root exudates promoted strain Za growth and chemotaxis, which was related to biofilm formation. This mutualistic relationship between the microorganisms and the plants demonstrates the significance of plant-microbe interactions in shaping diphenyl ether herbicide degradation in rhizosphere soils. [Formula: see text] The author(s) have dedicated the work to the public domain under the Creative Commons CC0 "No Rights Reserved" license by waiving all of his or her rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law, 2024.

Perceiving the resourcefulness of the natural environment: empirical research experience

The article presents the results of an exploratory empirical study devoted to the study of the psychological effects of interaction between man and nature based on content analysis of descriptions of subjective experiences of unity between man and nature. The study was conducted online and involved 416 respondents from 17 to 70 years old (average age 35.3 years SD = 11.05; 35% men and 65% women). The concepts of psychological restoration and the restorativeness of the natural environment were used for the analysis. Psychological restorative effects are represented in the descriptions by the presence of positive emotions, a state of relaxation and solitude. The results show that most often a person experiences these effects in such environments as forest and water spaces, perceiving them as integral systems, focusing both on individual elements (trees, leaves, waves, landscape) and on temporal characteristics (seasons, days). The positive stimulation of the forest and aquatic natural environments, as well as the aesthetic appeal of landscapes, can be considered as factors determining the restorative potential of nature.