Environmental Safety Regulations Research Articles

Soot nanoparticles promote ferroptosis in dopaminergic neurons via alteration of m6A RNA methylation in Parkinson’s disease

Soot nanoparticles (SNPs) are black carbon prevalent in atmospheric environment with significant impacts on public health, leading to neurodegenerative diseases including development of Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study investigated the effects of SNPs exposure on PD symptoms, employing both in vivo and in vitro PD models. In the in vivo experiments, animal behavior assessments showed that SNPs exposure exacerbated motor and cognitive impairments in PD mice. Molecular biology techniques further unveiled that SNPs aggravated degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. In vitro experiments revealed that SNPs exposure intensified ferroptosis of PD cells by increasing reactive oxygen species and iron ion levels, while reducing glutathione levels and mitochondrial membrane potential. Sequencing tests indicated elevated N6-methyladenosine (m6A) alteration of the ferroptosis-related protein, acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 4 (ACSL4). This study demonstrates that SNPs may exacerbate the onset and progression of PD by recruiting YTH domain-containing family protein 1 (YTHDF1) protein, enhancing m6A methylation in the ACSL4 5′UTR, amplifying ACSL4 protein expression, and accelerating the ferroptosis process in dopaminergic neurons. These molecular mechanisms underlying SNPs exacerbation of PD development may provide crucial insights for formulating environmental safety regulations and potential therapeutic strategies addressing PD in populations residing in regions with varied air quality.

Regulation of environmental safety of the Kyrgyz republic

This article highlights the legal issues that regulate environmental safety, in particular emissions into the atmosphere in the independent sovereign Kyrgyz Republic. Various kinds of substances enter the atmosphere due to human activity. It is worth noting that these substances can be of both natural and anthropogenic origin. The harm from emissions into the atmosphere is very diverse and has a negative impact on human health, the ecological system and the climate. We attempt to provide a comprehensive analysis of the state of legal regulation of environmental safety in the Kyrgyz Republic with an emphasis on emissions into the atmosphere as a vital clean air shell of the Earth, and propose concrete steps to improve the situation in the country.

Risk analysis and management according to Russian and international safety standards

The paper analyzes the safety aspects outlined in national standards. The considered normative documentation answers the question of how to achieve acceptable risk levels. The basic concepts of risk assessment are presented. Positive changes in Russian safety standards are noted. There is no unified code in the legislation of the Russian Federation on environmental issues: there are federal laws, codes on certain environmental areas, as well as bylaws and legal acts of the subjects of the Russian Federation. Federal Law No. 7 “On Environmental Protection” should be mentioned among the main laws related to the regulation of environmental safety in construction. However, this law regulates the employer's leadership rather than their responsibility. The use of certain fines and penalties seems quite reasonable within the framework of improving environmental audit and management. At the same time, the international standard ISO 14001:2015 is aimed at forming a responsible attitude toward the ecosystem and natural resources as the most important asset of economic activity, rather than at specifying the need for managers to demonstrate leadership qualities as the main factor of environmental safety. As a result, risk analysts cannot be fully guided by the standards because they are not aligned with the universal international standard ISO 31000:2018, which creates a significant problem. An approach to risk assessment that describes the interaction of different scenarios should be developed, which will provide an increased ecological and economic effect.

Application of Response Surface Method for Determination of Optimized Conditions for Quantification of 1,4-Dioxane in Model System of Polyethylene Glycol 200

The release of 1,4-dioxane probably contributes to the deterioration of marine habitats, animal health, and human liver and kidneys. The formulation of 1,4-dioxane in glycols, which has been applied for dehumidifying agents in refineries, may need to be replaced to ensurepublic health. Further, it is necessary to identify and precisely determine the levels of 1,4-dioxane in glycols for food quality control and environmental safety regulation. The objectives of this study were to validate a liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) method for 1,4-dioxane analysis and to optimize the LLE conditions using a response surface methodology (RSM). With consideration of the food matrix and its applications, polyethylene glycol 200 was used as the model system and analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. In the experiments for the optimum extraction temperature and time of 1,4-dioxane in ultrasonic treatment, they were 20 °C and 10 min, respectively. The experimental conditions and results were analyzed by RSM with the Box–Behnken design, and the optimal extraction conditions for the LLE were determined to be coded with three independent variables (sample weight, solvent volume, and centrifugation speed). The amount of 1,4-dioxane increased as the amount of sample increased, whereas the amount of 1,4-dioxane decreased as the amount of solvent increased. This information can help to find the analytical methods for regulating the 1,4-dioxane content and its precise quantification in food products.

Regulation of environmental safety at the stages construction of main pipelines

Pipeline transport plays a special role in the unified transport system of the Russian Federation. Today, almost the entire volume of gas is delivered through the main pipelines. The technology of transportation of natural gas, oil, condensate and their byproducts, constructive solutions of the linear part and ground facilities influence the natural environment. Therefore, the issue of compliance with environmental protection rules in constructing pipeline transport facilities is relevant. It is of special significance due to the construction of new transport routes in the Asian region. The article analyzes legal documents on the stages of construction of linearly extended objects such as oil and gas pipelines. It was revealed that the compliance with the construction requirements reduces the damage to nature, but does not eliminate it. It was concluded that the production improvement is the most rational method of reducing the negative impact of construction on natural ecosystems. The analysis made it possible to provide recommendations for amending the environmental protection legislation.

Legal regulation of environmental safety on the territory of the Eurasian economic spaces (for example, Russia and Kazakhstan)

The relevance of this article is determined by the need to improve the legal regulation of environmental safety of Russia in Russia and Kazakhstan. The author proceeds from the fact that the ecological situation observed on the territory of the member countries of the Common Economic Space is assessed by leading ecologists as very difficult. At the same time, regardless of the political views of the states of the Eurasian region, their activities in the field of environmental safety require clear legal regulation. The author notes that during the existence of the Eurasian Economic Union, the issues of environmental protection, prevention of the negative impact of economic activity have not received proper regulation. Thus, the author believes that the concept of “environmental safety” should be considered as a system of political, legal, economic, organizational measures aimed at protecting the natural environment and humans from the negative impact of economic and other activities, natural and man-made emergencies. A comparative legal analysis of the regulation of environmental safety issues in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation has been carried out.

Environmental safety regulation in Russia

Legal regulation of environmental protection in Russia is established, first, by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and federal laws. In accordance with Article 42 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, all citizens of the Russian Federation have the right to a favorable environment, reliable information about its condition and to compensation for damage caused to their health or property by environmental violations. These rights occupy a central place in the system of environmental rights of citizens. We can say that these rights are the rights of citizens in the narrow sense of the word.In the process of carrying out economic activities, the user of natural resources causes increasing damage to the environment and its individual natural components, therefore it is very important to compensate and restore the damage caused to the environment.

Diversity and Abundance of Soil Collembola during GM Rice Overexpressing Cry1B-Cry1Aa Cultivations at Four Confined Field Trials in West Java.

Collembola (springtails) is an important soil biology indicator to monitor toxicity or ecological disturbances in the ecosystem. The impact of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) rice cv Rojolele events expressing Cry1B-Cry1Aa driven by the maize ubiquitin promoter resistant to yellow rice stem borer (YSB, Scirpophaga incertulas Walker) on non-target Collembola community was assessed. The experiment was performed at four locations under confined field trials according to the Indonesia's environmental safety regulation on genetically engineered crops. Six transgenic rice events were tested with non-transgenic Rojolele and the moderately resistant IR42 rice varieties as controls. The experimental design was randomised block design with three replicates. Collembola were collected from the bunds between plots using pitfall and Berlese funnel traps at seedling, vegetative and generative stages, as well as at harvesting time. The results showed that Collembola abundance and diversity were significantly affected by both experimental sites and observation times. However, no significant differences in Collembola diversity and abundance between Bt rice and non-Bt controls were observed. Thus, we can conclude that the cultivation of the Bt rice cv Rojolele events expressing Cry1B-Cry1Aa protein fusion do not adversely affect biodiversity and abundance of Collembola at the four confined rice fields.

Current Problems of International Legal Regulation of the Black Sea Environmental Safety

The problems of international legal regulation of the protection and preservation of the marine environment are especially acute for the coastal states of closed and semi-enclosed seas, i.e. the Black Sea, which, due to oceanographic and environmental conditions, are very sensitive to pollution entering them. The legal framework for ensuring the environmental safety of this natural object should take into account the unique hydrological features of the reservoir and be progressive. Currently, the legal regulation of the environmental safety of the Black Sea is carried out by the coastal states separately, which means that the current standards are not coordinated and sufficiently effective. This leads to local pollution, which, in turn, spreads to the entire sea. Thus, if the coastal states within the exclusive economic zone agree on a single legal mechanism for the entire Black Sea, such a multilateral agreement will be able to take into account the interests of all interested states without diminishing the sovereignty of any of the parties

Metal nanoparticles against fungicide resistance: alternatives or partners?

Chemical control suffers from the loss of available conventional active ingredients due to strict environmental safety regulations which, combined with the loss of fungicide efficacy due to resistance development, constitute major problems of contemporary crop protection. Metal-containing nanoparticles (MNPs) appear to have all the credentials to be next-generation, eco-compatible fungicide alternatives and a valuable anti-resistance management tool. Could the introduction of MNPs as nano-fungicides be the answer to both reducing the environmental footprint of xenobiotics and dealing with fungicide resistance? The potential of MNPs to be utilized as nano-fungicides, both as alternatives to conventional fungicides or/and as partners in combating fungicide resistance, is discussed in terms of effectiveness, potential antimicrobial mechanisms as well as synergy profiles with conventional fungicides. However, their "golden" potential to be used both as alternatives and partners of conventional fungicides to combat resistance and reduce environmental pollution is challenged by undesirable effects towards non-target organisms such as phytotoxicity, toxicity to humans and environmental ecotoxicity, constituting risks that should be considered before their commercial introduction as nano-pesticides at a large scale. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Образование и выгорание полициклических ароматических углеводородов в топках котлов

This paper presents the results of the next stage of ongoing author’s research on hazardous emissions from thermal power plants. Environmental safety regulations require utility companies to determine limits of their highly toxic pollutants with oncogenic and mutagenic effects, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Such hazardous emissions depend on a fuel type, combustion technique, and combustion process parameters. In this research, the factors of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon formation and combustion for boiler furnaces were explored.

The role of local self-government bodies in administrative and legal regulation of environmental safety

Purpose. The analysis of the role of local governments in the administrative and legal regulation of environmental safety. Methods. The interaction among administrative-legal and economic tools of environmental safety regulation in the analysis of collection, receipts and use of funds from the payment of environmental tax by the cost method is studied. Results. The comparative analysis of the main provisions of the Strategies of the state environemtnal policy till 2020 and till 2030 is carried out. It was found that until 2020, the responsibility for the availability and accuracy of environmental information was on the executive, not local governments. It is noted that by 2020 the indicator of effectiveness of the Strategy was the number of adopted local action plans for environmental protection, a strategic environmental assessment is among the qualitative indicators, however, the relevant law was adopted 7 years after the Strategy, and the first assessments were conducted only in 2019. It was found that the Strategy until 2030 needs to be adjusted either in terms of recalculating the planned targets for achieving the Environmental Performance Index (ERI) (achieving a score below 83 points) or recalculating the entire Strategy in order to intensify it and overcome "weaknesses". are highlighted when using the new ERI assessment methodology. Conclusions. It was found that the transfer of most of the revenue from the environmental tax to the general fund of the state budget created risks of their misuse, which does not allow local governments to fully implement environmental measures in accordance with the needs of cities and regions. Among the main proposals to improve this situation are to increase the size of the environmental tax, change the distribution of revenues from the environmental tax by increasing revenues to local budgets, developing a mechanism for economic incentives for enterprises that implement measures to maintain environmental safety.

Review of the monograph “Law in the Context of Global Climate Change”

The article is a review of the monographic study “Law in the context of global climate change”, prepared by the author’s team under the scientific editorship of Professor V. V. Blazheev and Professor M. A. Egorova. In which the problems of legal regulation of environmental safety and environmental protection, the development of law and economics, constitutional and legal regulation of the protection of human and civil rights and freedoms, international legal regulation of climate change, risks and threats to public safety, the introduction of digital technologies and global climate policy and energy are considered.

Criminological characteristics of violation of environmental safety regulations in the industrial region of Ukraine

Criminological characteristics of violation of environmental safety regulations in the industrial region of Ukraine

Analysis of the Possibilities for Improving the Environmental Legislation of Kazakhstan

The study describes the results of a study of environmental problems that limit socio-economic development in Kazakhstan. Changes in legislation, management decisions, and strengthening of control over compliance with environmental standards are proposed. The article examines the gaps in the legislative regulation of environmental safety and the policy at the national level. The recommendations outlined in the research will create conditions for ensuring a higher level of environmental protection, introduce a more effective system for the prevention and control of pollution and waste management, which will inevitably lead to a significant step-by-step improvement in the quality of the environment in the medium and long term, and as a result - to reduce the levels of morbidity and mortality, loss and decrease in the working capacity of the population caused by environmental pollution. Such positive social consequences will help reduce the losses in GDP associated with the above factors.

State regulation of environmental safety

Purpose. To conduct a systematic analysis of the state environmental policy, to identify threats to ecologization and the necessary directions for improvement of the state environmental policy. Methodology. To perform scientific research there were used: the method of content analysis to assess the scientific achievements and identify unresolved aspects of the problem; method of comparative analysis for evaluation and processing of statistical information; method of analysis and synthesis to form the purpose of the study; methods of abstraction and generalization, formalization for detailed elaboration of various aspects of the problem; system-structural method and the method of convergence from the abstract to the concrete for the formation of conclusions and proposals. Findings. New risks and threats to the state environmental policy have been identified and their impact has been analyzed. The analysis revealed that the state environmental policy does not always extend into regional and sectoral environmental policy. It is established that departmental structures responsible for environmental monitoring do not have proper coordination of their actions, even in time, which complicates integrated information processing. In many areas there is no long-term state forecasting of environmental and economic factors. There is no adequate level of systematization in the formation of structured economic and tax incentives for the introduction of effective environmental technologies and compliance with norms and rules in environmental protection. Originality. A systematic analysis of the state environmental policy has been carried out, the formation of the emergent nature of ecological and economic factors has been indicated. Mechanisms of the state ecological policy have been formulated. Threats for ecologization policy and necessary directions of improvement of the state ecological policy have been detected. Practical value. The results of statistical analysis can be used by scientists and practitioners. To reform environmental and economic policy, the threat of imbalance in economic and tax incentives for greening has been pointed out, which may lead to delays in the development and slowdown of technological renewal of industrial sectors, in particular, the energy sector. It has been pointed out that the state ecological and economic policy should be a systemic tool of social policy, help stabilize the situation and overcome the crisis in all spheres of life. The importance of the role of the civil sector in the ecologization of the country and of the need to form a system for developing the environmental consciousness of society has been indicated.

Improving the economic regulation of environmental safety of water use in the context of decentralization of power

The analysis of economic regulation of environmental safety of water use in Ukraine is carried out at different administrative levels: national, regional, local. It shows significant disparities in the receipt of rents for special water use and environmental tax for discharges of pollutants into water bodies to the budgets of different levels, as well as extremely low shares of rent payments and environmental tax in the structure of revenues of the Consolidated Budget and local budgets, in particular. In the structure of rent payments, the rent for special water use is insignificant (2.6 - 5.1%), and in the structure of revenues of the Consolidated Budget of Ukraine it is lower - 0.1-0.3%. In the structure of revenues of the Consolidated Budget of Ukraine, the share of the environmental tax is insignificant and fluctuates within half a percent. The environmental tax for discharges of pollutants directly into water bodies in the structure of the environmental tax does not exceed 3%, and its environmental and fiscal roles are negligible. The main directions of strengthening the role of economic regulation in ensuring the environmental safety of water use are identified: increasing the resource-saving role of rent payments; strengthening the differentiation of standards for water fees and environmental tax; economic incentives for water users (tax, credit, and other benefits) in case of introduction of low-waste, waste-free, and resource-saving technologies, implementation of measures that reduce the negative impact on water bodies; partnership cooperation of communities and municipalities with business entities engaged in water use. The paper suggests the mechanisms for strengthening the role of economic regulation of environmental safety of water use in the context of decentralization of power, in particular, through the expansion of powers of local governments in the formation and implementation of rental, tax, and investment policies in the field of water use.

Statistical Modeling of the Ecological Risks as a Factor of the Ecological Safety

In modern conditions, the priority of Ukraine’s national interests is to ensure environmentally safe living conditions of society, as well as the preservation and restoration of the natural environment, increasing requirements for environmental safety. The purpose of this article is the statistical modelling of environmental risks to determine the direction of justification of management decisions on environmental safety. This necessitates the implementation of the effective methods of environmental safety regulation, assessment and monitoring of environmental risk. The author clarifies the definition of environmental safety as a set of conditions and processes that provide all vital human needs and do not provide for the deterioration of the future generations living conditions in terms of economic and environmental balance to achieve sustainable economic development. As an object of statistical research, environmental safety is a component of national security, which reflects the quantitative parameters of the environmental pollution risks.
 The environmental risks’ modelling is performed by using trend models in the article. The difference between the real levels of air and water resources pollution, as well as the generation of hazardous waste of I-III classes and their theoretical values calculated by the model, assesses the pollution risk of the corresponding environmental resource. The specific cost of air pollution, water bodies, and hazardous waste is defined as the ratio of the amount of environmental payments of the last year to the amount of actual pollution of the same year, that is environmental payments per 1 unit of pollution. Further assessment of the risk cost is proposed to be defined as the product of the calculated deviations excess proportion and the specific cost of pollution by types. For Ukraine today the most acute problems are pollution of water resources, as well as the formation of hazardous waste, much lower than air pollution. The obtained results allow drawing a conclusion about the inefficiency of the current payment system for environmental pollution and compensation for damage, which requires an increase in capital investment in environmental equipment, increasing fines for non-compliance with pollution standards.

Improving Environmental Legislation in Central Asia: Current Trends and Features of Cooperation with the European Union

The article describes the results of a study of environmental problems that intensely limit socioeconomic development in Central Asia. The authors analyse the current environmental problems as follows. The loss of biodiversity and the complexity of the network of protected natural areas. Insufficient level of municipal solid waste processing, energy efficiency problems, in particular, the deterioration of the energy system. There are as well the imbalance between hydropower, irrigated agriculture and the environment, problems of the Aral Sea. The article proposes solution methods, including amendments to the legislation, i.e. the adoption of managerial decisions, as well as strengthening judicial control over compliance with the law. Gaps in the legislative regulation of environmental safety are examined. Along with policies at the national, regional and international levels. As well as future trends in the distribution of global resources that will be effective in protecting the environment, including the activities of The Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (hereinafter – CAREC). The article analyses the basic environmental rights of citizens as well as cases and consequences of violation of such rights.

Mechanisms of state regulation of environmental safety in emergency situations

Ensuring environmental security in emergencies in Ukraine continues to be one of the main tasks of modern public policy at all levels of government. Due to the constant increase in the frequency and magnitude of emergencies (Emergency Situations), as well as human and material losses, measures to neutralize and prevent natural and man-made threats are of particular relevance.
 The purpose of the article is theoretical and methodological substantiation of mechanisms of state regulation of ecological safety in emergencies and determination of the main ways to improve their formation and functioning.
 The modern level of natural-technogenic danger has been investigated and it has been established that 140 – 150 technogenic accidents and catastrophes of regional and national importance occur annually in the territory of Ukraine. According to the UN, in most countries, natural and man-made disasters cause losses of 2 – 4 % in the structure of gross national product.
 Environmental risk is related to the following groups of factors: 1) technogenic; 2) natural; 3) socio-economic; 4) military; 5) political; 6) terrorism. In Ukraine there are territories with different levels of environmental safety, namely: ordinary (background), crisis, critical, catastrophic and after catastrophic (rehabilitation). The Chernobyl accident from emergency turned into catastrophic, as it caused a significant increase in cancer of the population, led to the depletion of a 30-kilometer zone for decades and led to radioactive contamination of the territory on 4.6 million hectares.
 In order to prevent and respond to emergencies in Ukraine, a Unified State System of Prevention and Response to Emergencies (EMU) has been established, and a number of laws and programs for the prevention and response to emergencies of anthropogenic and natural nature have been adopted.
 It is established that the mechanism of functional provision of ecological safety includes such types of state-legal measures as organizational, regulatory, regulatory, executive and enforcement measures.
 The main reasons for the deterioration of the environmental situation in Ukraine are identified: insufficient state control over the implementation of nature protection laws and economic incentives for resource and energy conservation, lack of effective laws on environmental protection and by-laws for their effective implementation, acceleration of negative economic, social and political environmental processes and more.
 Improvement of the mechanism of state regulation of environmental safety should cover its main four components, namely: economic, production, technical, organizational and state-legal. The most important activities need to be coordinated in terms of both components and time limits. It is necessary to create an effective mechanism for financing measures for the prevention and elimination of the consequences of emergencies, stimulating managers and business owners to reduce the level of natural and man-made hazard at the sites
 Today, there is a lag of our country from the developed countries of the world in the level of natural-technogenic security and the lack of a mechanism of state regulation of its provision. Improvement of the mechanism of state regulation of environmental safety should cover its main four components, namely: economic, production, technical, organizational and state-legal.