High Environmental Risk Research Articles

Adaptation of the TIMBRE methodology for brownfields gully erosion analysis in urban areas

Soil erosion is a concern in many parts of the world, causing environmental and social impacts. Aiming at obtaining indicators of the recovery of brownfields created by gullies in urban areas, this study adapts the Tailored Improvement of Brownfield Regeneration in Europe (TIMBRE) for the analysis and classification of areas affected by gullies in the city of Bauru, Brazil. The TIMBRE methodology assists in the decision-making of priority areas for remediation and their reinsertion in urban spaces. The inventory of areas affected by gullies was compiled based on the analysis of two image sets (2004 and 2020) available on Google Earth. For the classification of brownfields, three classes were considered: Class 1 - local potential for business development, Class 2 - attractiveness and marketing, and Class 3 – environmental risks. These results demonstrate a correlation between gullies and urban expansion. The inventory identified 175 gullies in the municipality's urban perimeter in 2004, which affected an area of over 64 ha. In 2020, the number of gullies increased to 189, but the affected area decreased to 62 ha due to the recovery of some large gullies. The proposed methodology identified the area of Quinta da Bela Olinda as the one with the highest scores in all three classifications. Quinta da Bela Olinda is the location that has a local potential for business development, as it is the most attractive brownfield, as well as the area with the highest environmental risk. This area should, thus, be prioritized by public management for remediation. In conclusion, the proposed method of analysis can be transferred to other areas with adaptations in the criteria used and, therefore, may facilitate the management of urban areas affected by gullies in other places around the world.

Soil–water contamination assessment due to dumpsite-impacted leachates in a metamorphic environment

Environmental contamination is a complex issue that significantly impacts human health and ecological systems, especially in developing countries like Nigeria. This study explores the interplay between surface-subsurface soil-rock resistivity and subsurface geotechnical properties, along with multiple soil-water pollution indices at and around the Old Owo-Ikare road (OOIR) dumpsite in southwestern Nigeria. Water samples from five wells and one stream were collected and analyzed, alongside twelve soil samples from four trial pits at varied depths for geoenvironmental assessment. Analyzed hydrogeochemical parameters include Na, Ca, Mg, K, Cr, Pb, Zn, Ni, Mn, Fe, and cations (NO, SO4, Cl) in the water samples. Nine dipole-dipole electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) profiles and six Schlumberger vertical electrical sounding (VES) points were used to determine surface–subsurface resistivity distribution. Water analysis results showed elevated levels of K, Ni, Cr, and Pb concentrations. Geotechnical tests indicated that most dumpsite soil meets good landfill material criteria with low permeability (5.92×10−6 to 1.49×10−4cm/s). ERT and VES inverted models revealed four lithologic layers with two main curve types (HA and QA). Elevated heavy metal levels in the dumpsite soil and inverted resistivity models suggested leachate contamination in the topsoil and weathered bedrock units. Despite relatively lower heavy metal concentrations compared to other Nigerian and Ghanaian dumpsites, multi-pollution indices indicated significant contamination in both water and soil samples, posing moderate to very high environmental risks based on World Health Organisation standards. Additionally, human health risk assessment suggested a risk of cancer and non-cancer-related diseases from prolonged well water consumption. Therefore, ongoing monitoring and remediation efforts are essential to forestall imminent pollution in uncovered areas.

Identifying ESG types of Chinese solid waste disposal companies based on machine learning methods

In the context of China's efforts to combat climate change and promote sustainable development, the solid waste treatment industry's environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) performance is receiving significant attention. To comprehensively assess the ESG performance of the solid waste treatment industry and identify company types, this study constructs a targeted ESG evaluation index system based on existing literature, SASB industry standards, and company reports and utilizes a random forest approach combined with K-means clustering to determine indicator weights. Based on this index system, the paper evaluates the ESG performance of 71 solid waste disposal companies (SWDCs) from 2013 to 2021 and identifies their ESG types from static and dynamic perspectives. In the static view, company types are determined based on annual ESG performance, while the dynamic view considers time-series changes to observe the evolution of company ESG types. The results show that the overall ESG performance of SWDCs falls within the 2-8-point range, indicating a noticeable high-low imbalance. Key initiatives to improve ESG performance in this industry include enhancing waste management measures, developing emergency plans, and reinforcing ESG disclosure. From a static perspective, this paper can identify companies into three categories: delayed development, single-wheel-driven, and coordinated development. Finally, from a dynamic perspective considering the time factor, companies are further subdivided into five types: continual leading, growth catch-up, slow progress, fluctuating change, and retrogressive inertia. This study not only provides targeted recommendations for different types of ESG companies but also helps various sectors of society better understand the ESG conditions of this high environmental risk industry, thereby enhancing the regulation and support for its sustainable development.

Social Environment, Lifestyle, and Genetic Predisposition With Dementia Risk: A Long-Term Longitudinal Study Among Older Adults.

The role of social environment, that is, the aggregate effect of social determinants of health (SDOHs), in determining dementia is unclear. We developed a novel polysocial risk score for dementia based on 19 SDOH among 5199 participants in the Health and Retirement Study, United States, to measure the social environmental risk. We used a survival analysis approach to assess the association between social environment and dementia risk in 2006-2020. We further studied the interaction between social environment and lifestyles, and explored racial disparities. The study participants (mean age = 73.4 years, SD = 8.3; 58.0% female; 11.6% African American) were followed up for an average of 6.2 years, and 1089 participants developed dementia. Every 1-point increase in the polysocial risk score (ranging from 0 to 10) was associated with a 21.6% higher risk (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.21, 95% confidence intervals [95% CI] = 1.15-1.26) of developing dementia, other things being equal. Among participants with high social environmental risk, regular exercise and moderate drinking were associated with a 43%-60% lower risk of developing dementia (p < .001). In addition, African Americans were 1.3 times (aHR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.96-2.66) more likely to develop dementia than European Americans, other things being equal. An adverse social environment is linked to higher dementia risk, but healthy lifestyles can partially offset the increased social environmental risk. The polysocial risk score can complement the existing risk tools to identify high-risk older populations, and guide the design of targeted social environmental interventions, particularly focusing on improving the companionship of the older people, to prevent dementia.

Application research of image classification algorithm based on deep learning in household garbage sorting

The classification of garbage types is an important issue in today's world, and its proper implementation can contribute to environmental conservation and improved efficiency of recycling processes. Unfortunately, the classification of garbage types is currently predominantly performed through human supervision, which leads to high errors and environmental risks. It is crucial to automate this procedure utilizing machine vision methods as a result. This research proposes a revolutionary deep learning-based strategy for classifying domestic waste. The suggested method uses deep learning methods to extract information from images. The Capuchin Search Algorithm (CapSA) is used to improve the hyperparameters of the convolutional neural network (CNN) used as the feature extraction model. Furthermore, for categorizing the retrieved features from the CNN model, a hybrid learning model based on Error-Correcting Output Codes (ECOC) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) is used. The classification accuracy may be successfully increased by using this hybrid model, and the benefit becomes more pronounced as the number of target categories rises. The TrashNet and HGCD databases were used to assess the suggested method's effectiveness, and its results in waste type detection were contrasted with those of earlier techniques. Based on the study findings, the suggested approach can identify trash types with an accuracy of 98.81 % and 99.01 % on the TrashNet and HGCD databases, respectively. This is at least a 1.46 % improvement over earlier approaches. The study's conclusions validate that the suggested strategy may be used in real-world scenarios and show how successful the approaches used in it are.

Electrochemical Reduction of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA): An Experimental and Theoretical Approach.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is an artificial chemical of global concern due to its high environmental persistence and potential human health risk. Electrochemical methods are promising technologies for water treatment because they are efficient, cheap, and scalable. The electrochemical reduction of PFOA is one of the current methodologies. This process leads to defluorination of the carbon chain to hydrogenated products. Here, we describe a mechanistic study of the electrochemical reduction of PFOA in gold electrodes. By using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), an E0' of -1.80 V vs Ag/AgCl was estimated. Using a scan rate diagnosis, we determined an electron-transfer coefficient (αexp) of 0.37, corresponding to a concerted mechanism. The strong adsorption of PFOA into the gold surface is confirmed by the Langmuir-like isotherm in the absence (KA = 1.89 × 1012 cm3 mol-1) and presence of a negative potential (KA = 3.94 × 107 cm3 mol-1, at -1.40 V vs Ag/AgCl). Based on Marcus-Hush's theory, calculations show a solvent reorganization energy (λ0) of 0.9 eV, suggesting a large electrostatic repulsion between the perfluorinated chain and water. The estimated free energy of the transition state of the electron transfer (ΔG‡ = 2.42 eV) suggests that it is thermodynamically the reaction-limiting step. 19F - 1H NMR, UV-vis, and mass spectrometry studies confirm the displacement of fluorine atoms by hydrogen. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations also support the concerted mechanism for the reductive defluorination of PFOA, in agreement with the experimental values.

Factors affecting the performance of a pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plant: Characterization of effluent and environmental risk

Pharmaceutical industries produce a huge volume of emerging pollutants (EPs) that pose a threat to the aqueous environment. Biological processes have shown their inefficacy in treating many pharmaceutical products. The study assessed physicochemical parameters, EPs, heavy metals in pharmaceutical industrial wastewater, and the removal efficiency (RE) of an aerobic biological treatment plant. The study also assessed the contamination levels and risk using several indices, such as the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME-WQI), heavy metal pollution index (HPI), heavy metal evaluation index (HEI), and risk quotients index (RQs). The study found that the treated water quality was poor, having antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and others, along with several transformation products (TPs) and heavy metals, which were unsafe for consumption with high environmental risk. The analysis results showed that the RE for TSS, BOD5, COD, TDS, and EC were found to be 91.80%, 86.81%, 72.29%, 72.20%, and 65.60%, respectively, where the values of BOD5, COD, NO3−, and PO43− in the effluent were still higher than the permissible limits of the ECR (2023). However, the RE for heavy metals was in the order of Cu (84.62%) > Fe (65.04%) > Mn (63.3%) > Zn (60.58%) > Cd (53.85%) > Ni (54.12%) > Pb (42.42%) > Cr (38%), where Cr and Cd concentrations were still higher than the permissible limit of DoE (2019). The Pearson correlation and PCA suggested that EC, TDS, TSS, DO, BOD5, and COD were the most correlating and contributing variables. This study argued that metal-ligand behaviors mainly affect the removal efficiency of the treatment plant by lowering the removal rate of heavy metals and pharmaceutical products.

Подводные резервуары для хранения нефти: массогабаритные параметры и конструктивные особенности

The extensive exploration and development of shallow water oil fields on the continental shelf require the search for new sources of hydrocarbon reserves and movement towards the deep-water or Arctic areas. Today, the development of technologies enables oil production in complex conditions of the Arctic and deep-water shelf. Such production, however, is associated with high technological and environmental risks, which necessitates the development of innovative technologies and means to mitigate environmental risks. One of the solutions is the application of underwater oil storage facilities that have gained popularity abroad. The article provides an analysis of the existing designs of underwater tanks. The main factors affecting the selection of appropriate mass and dimensional parameters for underwater storage facilities are listed, including operational conditions, stability and strength, the technology of tank and membrane manufacturing, transportation and installation on the seabed, safety and environmental requirements, and economic factors. The calculations of mass and overall dimensions of the considered structures help to determine preferable capacities and evaluate the impact of flexible membranes on the mass and dimensional characteristics of oil storage tanks. Studies have shown that using membranes reduces the wall thickness, overall dimensions, and mass of the structure. The main factors contributing to accidents during the operation of subsea oil storage facilities have been identified, along with safety barriers aimed to mitigate the negative impact on the flora and fauna of the surrounding water area. Further investigation of the issue of wax deposition in underwater tanks that occurs when the temperature of crude oil drops due to heat loss in the surrounding seawater is planned. The deposited wax can either remain in the crude oil or settle as a layer adhering to the internal walls of the tank.

Ground Fault in Medium-Voltage Power Networks with an Isolated Neutral Point: Spectral and Wavelet Analysis of Selected Cases in an Example Industrial Network Modeled in the ATP-EMTP Package

The paper presents some case spectral analysis of zero-sequence voltages and currents in an example industrial power distribution network. The network layout is based on typical power delivery networks in underground coal mines. Ground fault simulations have been made using an ATP/EMTP program. Due to the high environmental risks, the reliability of the protection relay operation related to their selectivity plays an important role. This paper tries to find the reasons for nonselective operation and unnecessary tripping in extensive mine cable networks, particularly with large power sources of higher-order harmonics. It was found that in transient states—due to the decaying oscillations occurring in complex RLC circuits—the results of short time measurements of the criterion values for ground fault protective relays can be overestimated (particularly for small values of ground resistance) and lead to nonselective tripping of a healthy cable line. Therefore, it might be advisable to increase the integration time used for measuring rms values. Also, if there is a significant level of higher harmonics in the industrial network generated by high-power converters, it should be noted that the higher harmonics of the ground fault current and currents measured by ground fault protection relays assume much higher values, which may also cause nonselective tripping. In this case, it may be advisable to use higher harmonic filters in the measuring circuits and to select a sufficiently high sampling frequency in the digital protective relays.

Novel Defluorination Pathways of Perfluoroether Compounds (GenX): α-Fe2O3 Nanoparticle Layer Retains Higher Concentrations of Effective Hydrated Electrons.

The development of efficient defluorination technology is an important issue because the kind of emerging pollutant of hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (GenX) as an alternative to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has the higher environmental risks. In the UV/bisulfite system, we first developed a hydrophobic confined α-Fe2O3 nanoparticle layer rich in oxygen vacancies, which accelerated the enrichment of HSO3- and GenX on the surface and pores through electrostatic attraction and hydrophobic interaction, retaining more hydrated electrons (eaq-) and rapidly destroying GenX under UV excitation. Especially, under anaerobic and aerobic conditions, the degradation percentage of GenX obtain nearly 100%, defluorination of GenX to 88 and 57% respectively. It was amazed to find that the three parallel H/F exchange pathways triggered by the rapid reactions of eaq- and GenX, which were unique to anaerobic conditions, improved the efficiency of fluoride removal and weaken the interference of dissolved oxygen and H+. Therefore, this study provided an available material and mechanism for sustainable fluoride removal from wastewater in aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

Occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in a wastewater treatment plant with Bacillus bio-reactor treatment

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have attracted wide attention due to their environmental impacts and health risks. PPCPs released through wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are estimated to be 80 %. Nevertheless, the occurrence of PPCPs in the WWTPs equipped with Bacillus spec.-based bioreactors (BBR) treatment system remains unclear. In this study, sludge and waste water samples were collected during separate winter and summer sampling campaigns from a typical BBR treatment system. The results indicate that out of 58 target PPCPs, 27 compounds were detected in the waste water (0.06–1900 ng/L), and 23 were found in the sludge (0.6–7755 ng/g dw). Paraxanthine was the chemical of the highest abundance in the influent due to the high consumption of the parent compounds caffeine and theobromine. The profile for PPCPs in the wastewater and sludge exhibited no seasonal variation. Overall, the removal of target PPCPs in summer is more effective than the winter. In the BBR bio-reactor, it was found that selected PPCPs (at ng/L level) can be completely removed. The efficiency for individual PPCP removal was increased from 1.0 % to 50 % in this unit, after target specific adjustments of the process. The effective removal of selected PPCPs by the BBR treatment system is explained by combined sorption and biodegradation processing. The re-occurrence of PPCPs in the wastewater was monitored. Negative removal efficiency was explained by the cleavage of Phase II metabolites after the biotransformation process, and the lack of equilibrium for PPCPs in the sludge of the second clarifier. A compound specific risk quotient (RQ) was calculated and applied for studying the potential environmental risks. Diphenhydramine is found with the highest environmental risk in wastewater, and 15 other PPCPs show negligible risks in sewage sludge.

Study on the recovery of graphite from spent carbon cathode via ultrasound-assisted foam flotation

Spent carbon cathode is a kind of solid waste produced by the electrolytic aluminum industry, and it poses a high environmental risk. However, it also contains valuable graphite resources that can be recycled and used as raw materials in industry. In this work, we aimed to enhance the efficient recovery of graphite by introducing ultrasonic waves into the flotation process. Particle size test, inductively coupled plasma (ICP), BET surface area, and other analytical techniques confirmed that ultrasound could promote particle dispersion, clean the surface of minerals, increase the porosity of the graphite surface, and thus strengthen the flotation performance. The results showed that after ultrasonic treatment for 30 min, the recovery rate of graphite increased from 86.22% to 96.24%, the fixed carbon content of tailings decreased from 26.99% to 9.68%, and the fixed carbon content (84.95%) was close to that of conventional flotation (85.32%). Compared with the traditional purification method, this strategy reduces the follow-up cleaning steps of tailings, simplifies the process, reduces the use of chemicals, and features strong market competitiveness and green environmental protection advantages. Additionally, the process is simple and low-cost and can be applied to the recycling of other waste graphite, with potential industrial application prospects.

SELECTION OF ANTAGONISTIC RHIZOBACTERIA POTENTIAL FOR BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF Fusarium oxysporum

Fusarium oxysporum is a pathogen that causes wilt disease in many plants and can couse losses of up to fifty percent. Standard control is to use synthetic fungicides. However, continuous use of fungicides has a high environmental risk, so environmentally friendly and safe control efforts are needed. One way is by using rhizosphere bacteria or rhizobacteria. This research aims to obtain rhizobacteria isolates that can control the pathogen F. oxysporum, which causes fusarium wilt in vitro. This research was conducted from June to July 2023. The methods in this research included isolating rhizobacteria, observing the morphology of bacterial colonies, gram staining, gram reaction test, catalyst test, and in vitro antagonist test. Research data shows that of the thirty rhizobacteria isolates observed, all isolates had the potential to inhibit the growth of F. oxysporum. The KMTK2 showed the highest inhibitory ability isolate with an inhibitory ability of 73,99%, and the lowest inhibitory ability was shown by the TBA1 isolate with an inhibitory ability of 51,56%. Potential rhizobacteria isolates can suppress the growth of the pathogen F. oxysporum and can be used as a biological agent to reduce the use of pesticides in treating plant diseases.

Compensatory Interactions between Corneal and Internal Astigmatism despite Lifestyle Changes.

This study explores whether children's refractive errors and visual behaviors reverted to pre-COVID-19 levels a year after normal schooling resumed in Hong Kong as well as the impact of corneal and internal astigmatism on refractive astigmatism development. Vision survey data and questionnaire results collected in 2022 (n = 119) and 2020 (n = 173) were compared. Cross-sectional data showed similar proportions of astigmatism (cylindrical power ≥ 0.75 D) in the 2020 (49.1%) and 2022 cohorts (55.5%). Despite a 0.28 D increase in corneal astigmatism, a compensatory 0.24 D increase in internal astigmatism of opposite direction kept refractive astigmatism relatively stable. The questionnaire data showed that children spent an additional 0.5 h/day outdoors on weekends post-resumption of normal schooling but engaged in more near-work activities, especially non-screen near-work, by approximately 1 h/day on both weekdays and weekends. These findings were supported by longitudinal data from 72 children who participated in both surveys. This study highlights the significant role of corneal and internal astigmatism in refractive astigmatism changes. Despite the return to in-person classes, children's total near-work time increased and astigmatism remained high. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive strategies to reduce the high environmental risks for refractive error development in children.

Pesticide water variability and prioritization: The first steps towards improving water management strategies in irrigation hydro-agriculture areas

The presence of pesticides in aquatic ecosystems poses significant risks to non-target organisms, necessitating monitoring and environmental risk assessment. This study aimed to evaluate the dynamics and environmental risk of pesticides in a hydro-agricultural area with intensive agricultural practices, in the Mediterranean region (South of Portugal). Seasonality and location influenced pesticide numbers and concentrations, with the highest levels observed during the dry season. Triazines, phenylureas, and organophosphates were the predominant pesticide classes, with terbuthylazine, bentazone, terbutryn, diazinon, and metolachlor exhibiting the highest detection frequencies (68 % to 72 %). Notably, 44 % of the quantified pesticides are no longer authorized in Portugal, with 33 % posing a high environmental risk. Some insecticides, including imidacloprid, methiocarb, and malathion, were occasionally detected at concentrations that posed high risks to the aquatic ecosystem (RQ ≥ 1). Irgarol, an algicide used in irrigation canals, presented a high risk in 91 % of the analysed samples.The study's distribution profile of pesticides revealed a significant transportation of these compounds from reservoirs to irrigation hydrants, establishing them as a secondary source of crop and environmental contamination. Additionally, the assessment of spatial distribution and environmental risk allowed for the identification of specific pollutants in different locations, prioritizing them based on their ecotoxicological risk to aquatic ecosystems. These findings reinforce the importance of implementing management measures at the level of hydro-agricultural areas, helping to stop the cycle of pesticide contamination. Only this type of strategy will make it possible to protect water quality, biodiversity and the health of citizens, contributing to the European Union's objectives of improving the condition of freshwater bodies and promoting the sustainable use of pesticides.

Assessment of metal pollution and effects of physicochemical factors on soil microbial communities around a landfill

The physicochemical properties, chemical fractions of six metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Mn), and microbial communities of soil around a typical sanitary landfill were analyzed. The results indicate that soils around the landfill were from neutral to weak alkalinity. The contents of organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorous (TP), and activities of catalase, cellulase, and urease were significantly higher in landfill soils than those in background soils. Negative correlations were found between pH and metals. Cr was the dominant metal. Cu, Pb, Cr, and Mn were accumulated in the nearby farmland soils. Cd had the highest percentage of exchangeable fraction (33.7%−51.8%) in landfill and farmland soils, suggesting a high bioavailability to the soil environment affected by the landfill. Pb, Cr, and Mn existed mostly in oxidable fraction, and Cu and Zn were dominant in residual fraction. There was a low risk of soil metals around the landfill based on the RI values, while according to RAC classification, Cd had high to very high environmental risk. The MisSeq sequencing results showed that Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Acidobacteria were the dominant phyla of bacteria, and the most abundant phylum of fungi was Ascomycota. The NMDS analysis revealed that the landfill could influence soil fungal communities more intensely than bacterial communities. TN, cellulase, and bioavailable metals (Pb-Bio and Cr-Bio) were identified to have main influences on microbial communities. Pb-Bio was the most dominant driving factor for bacterial community structures. For fungi, Pb-Bio was significantly negatively related to Olpidiomycota and Cr-Bio had a significantly negative correlation with Ascomycota. It manifests that bioavailable metals play important roles in assessing environmental risks and microbial community structures of soil around landfill.

Biological Characteristics and Thermal Requirements of Telenomus podisi and Trissolcus basalis (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) in Fresh and Cryopreserved Eggs of Euschistus heros and Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Brazil is one of the largest producers of pulses globally, and soybean ranks highly in terms of production. However, pests increase crop production costs and affect oilseed production and quality. Pests are primarily controlled by chemicals, leading to changes in insect pest populations. For example, secondary pests can become primary pests because of the selection of resistant insects and the elimination of natural enemies. Farmers have widely accepted biological control because of its high control efficacy and low environmental contamination risk. Two successful biological control programs in soybean used Telenomus podisi Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) to manage the Neotropical brown stink bug, Euschistus heros (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), and Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston, 1858) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) to manage the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (Linnaeus) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), when these pests were the most abundant in soybean-producing regions. To release parasitoids, rearing protocols must be developed in order to optimize production. This study evaluated the effect of temperature on the biological characteristics of T. podisi and T. basalis when fresh or frozen E. heros eggs were provided. Fifty fresh or previously frozen eggs were placed with parasitoids for 24 h in a climate chamber (25 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 10% RH, and 14-h photophase). At the end of this period, the eggs were transferred to other chambers and maintained at different temperatures (19, 22, 25, 28, 31, and 34 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 10% RH, with a 14-h photoperiod). The number of emerging adults from eggs parasitized by T. basalis was lower than that from eggs parasitized by T. podisi. Differences in T. basalis and T. podisi parasitism were observed depending on whether the E. heros eggs were frozen or fresh, but neither development nor emergence were affected. The duration of egg–adult development and the longevity of the two parasitoids were inversely proportional to the temperature increase. The sex ratio of T. basalis and T. podisi progeny was not affected by different temperatures or by the use of frozen or fresh eggs. The estimated number of both parasitoids’ generations corresponded with temperature, reaching 14–15 generations/cycle of soybean for Rio Verde, GO, and 12–14 generations/cycle for Barreiras, BA. Given these characteristics, we conclude that a biological control program using T. podisi can benefit large areas of soybean production by controlling the eggs of phytophagous bugs in soybean crops.

Valuable elements in sludge from eight municipal wastewater treatment plants in relation to their recovery potential

BackgroundThe management of sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is a global issue, but also an opportunity for circular reuse. Recent data show that sludge reuse in agriculture has the highest share of all utilization routes in the EU. Council Directive 86/278/EEC on the spreading of sludge in agriculture, adopted more than 35 years ago, is still relevant, notwithstanding the discussion on the need to update it. Extracting critical, strategic, and precious metals and metalloids from sludge is an alternative for sludge reuse, which offers several benefits, such as avoiding the high environmental and health risks associated with using sludge directly in agriculture. Additionally, it allows for the recovery of metals, including those listed as Critical Raw Materials by the European Commission. To implement this alternative, it is necessary to first assess the metal content in the sludge and then develop economically and technically viable technologies. In this study, the content of chemical elements in the sludge of eight full-scale WWTPs in Bulgaria is analysed with focus on: (1) assessing the suitability for agricultural application by evaluating the content of macro- and micronutrients and hazardous metals; (2) assessing the possibility of using the sludge as a source of critical and precious metals.ResultsFor the main nutrients, the following contents as a percentage of the sludge dry weight (DW) were recorded—2.06% to 6% for N, 1.52% to 2.67% for P and 0.47% to 0.81% for K, which are in line with case studies of successful sludge application in agriculture. Only sludge samples from two WWTPs exceeded the permitted limit for hazardous metals and metalloids. On the other hand, of the 21 metal and metalloid constituents listed in the EU Critical and Strategic Material (CRM) list, at least one of the examined samples has a content above 10 mg/kg for 15 elements. The average contents in mg/kgDW of Au (1.1), Al (19,272.9), Mg (6677.6), Ti (1730.9), Ga (20.9) and As (16.6) measured in the investigated WWTPs are among the highest or second highest reported in other countries.ConclusionsThe results of the study show prospects for optimising and improving the reuse of sewage sludge in Bulgaria. Sewage sludge from most WWTPs has potential for agricultural application due to its high nutrient content. Large amounts of accumulated critical and strategic metals, gold and silver are trapped in Bulgarian sewage sludge, indicating that sewage sludge could be considered an alternative source with high potential for these valuable elements.

Assessment of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories in River Waters of Northeastern of Brazil: Occurrence and Environmental Risk

The environmental impact of pharmaceuticals is a significant concern, as understanding their presence, spread, and harm in coastal regions remains limited. The occurrence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), namely, mefenamic acid (MFN), diclofenac (DCF) and naproxen (NPX) were studied in river waters. Four sample collections were carried out in five points in the dry and rainy seasons. Solidified floating organic drop microextraction (SFODME) coupled with high performance liquid chromatography using diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) were applied to quantify the presence of MFN, DCF and NPX in river water samples. DCF had the highest concentration (640 ng L-1), followed by NPX (410 ng L-1). MFN was not detected in any point within the used working range (limit of detection (LOD) of 0.07 µg L-1). Additionally, an assessment was conducted to evaluate the environmental risk associated with the pharmaceuticals detected in freshwater, specifically in various organisms including algae, mollusks, amphibians, fish, and cnidarians, spanning different trophic levels. The ecotoxicological assessment showed risks ranging from low to high, indicating deleterious effects on several exposed species. No high environmental risk was detected in the sampling areas. Although no immediate negative effects were detected, the potential impact on non-target species should not be disregarded.

Heavy Metal Contamination in Omo River, Ethiopia: Environmental and Human Health Risks.

The Omo River flows through the town of Omorate, where domestic, municipal, and industrial wastes from the town and its surroundings, including agrochemicals, are discharged into the river. The present study was conducted to determine the levels of heavy metals and associated environmental and human health impacts from the Lower Omo River freshwater ecosystem (water and sediment) of the Lower Omo River. The mean concentrations of heavy metals detected in the river water were 0.439 mg/l for (Mn), 0.1 (Zn), 0.168 (Cu), 0.393 (Cr), 0.318 (Pb), 0.007 (Ni), 8.926 (Fe), and 0.06 (Co).The order for the mean concentrations of the heavy metals in the water was Fe > Mn > Cr > Pb > Cu > Zn > Cu > Co > Ni. The HPI value indicates that all water sampling sites were highly contaminated. Oral and dermal HQs for both children and adults were in the order of Cr > Pb > Mn > Fe > Cu > Co > Ni > Zn. The HQ value greater than 1 was investigated for Cr, Pb, and Mn in both children and adults by ingestion and dermal routes from the river water. The CRs for both children and adults by ingestion of the river water followed the order Cr > Pb. According to the CRI value, the river water could be classified as a very high environmental risk. The EI results for the heavy metals detected in the sediments also followed the order: Fe > Cr > Cu > Pb > Mn > Co > Zn > Ni.