Man-made Pollution Research Articles

A Deep Learning Lidar Denoising Approach for Improving Atmospheric Feature Detection

Space-based atmospheric backscatter lidars provide critical information about the vertical distribution of clouds and aerosols, thereby improving our understanding of the climate system. They are additionally useful for detecting hazards to aviation and human health, such as volcanic plumes and man-made pollution events. The Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP, 2006–2023), Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS, 2015–2017), and Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS 2018–present) are three such lidars that operated within the past 20 years. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for these lidars is significantly lower in daytime data compared with nighttime data due to the solar background signal increasing the detector response noise. Averaging horizontally across profiles has been the standard way to increase SNR, but this comes at the expense of resolution. Modern, deep learning-based denoising algorithms can be applied to improve the SNR without coarsening resolution. This paper describes how one such model architecture, Dense Dense U-Net (DDUNet), was trained to denoise CATS 1064 nm raw signal data (photon counts) using artificially noised nighttime data. Simulated CATS daytime 1064 nm data were then created to assess the model’s performance. The denoised simulated data increased the daytime SNR by a factor of 2.5 (on average) and decreased minimum detectable backscatter (MDB) to ~7.3×10−4 km−1sr−1, which is lower than the CALIOP 1064 nm night MDB value of 8.6×10−4 km−1sr−1. Layer detection was performed on simulated 2 km horizontal resolution denoised and 60 km averaged data. Despite the finer resolution input, the denoised layers had more true positives, fewer false positives, and an overall Jaccard Index of 0.54 versus 0.44 when compared to the layers detected on averaged data. Layer detection was also performed on a full month of denoised daytime CATS data (Aug. 2015) to detect layers for comparison with CATS standard Level 2 (L2) product layers. The detection on the denoised data yielded 2.33 times more, higher-quality bins within detected layers at 2.7–33 times finer resolution than the CATS L2 products.

Elemental analysis of the hair of local cattle of Mizoram, India: An evidence of man-made pollutions

Elemental analysis of the hair of local cattle of Mizoram, India: An evidence of man-made pollutions

Detection of microplastics in the human penis.

The proliferation of microplastics (MPs) represents a burgeoning environmental and health crisis. Measuring less than 5 mm in diameter, MPs have infiltrated atmospheric, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, penetrating commonplace consumables like seafood, sea salt, and bottled beverages. Their size and surface area render them susceptible to chemical interactions with physiological fluids and tissues, raising bioaccumulation and toxicity concerns. Human exposure to MPs occurs through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. To date, there is no direct evidence identifying MPs in penile tissue. The objective of this study was to assess for potential aggregation of MPs in penile tissue. Tissue samples were extracted from six individuals who underwent surgery for a multi-component inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP). Samples were obtained from the corpora using Adson forceps before corporotomy dilation and device implantation and placed into cleaned glassware. A control sample was collected and stored in a McKesson specimen plastic container. The tissue fractions were analyzed using the Agilent 8700 Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) Chemical Imaging System (Agilent Technologies. Moreover, the morphology of the particles was investigated by a Zeiss Merlin Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), complementing the detection range of LDIR to below 20 µm. MPs via LDIR were identified in 80% of the samples, ranging in size from 20-500 µm. Smaller particles down to 2 µm were detected via SEM. Seven types of MPs were found in the penile tissue, with polyethylene terephthalate (47.8%) and polypropylene (34.7%) being the most prevalent. The detection of MPs in penile tissue raises inquiries on the ramifications of environmental pollutants on sexual health. Our research adds a key dimension to the discussion on man-made pollutants, focusing on MPs in the male reproductive system.

SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF MONITORING THE BOTTOM SEDIMENTS STATE AS AN INDICATOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DANGER LEVEL OF HYDROECOSYSTEMS

The work proposes a method of monitoring the condition of surface water bodies that were subject to the influence of aviation industry enterprises, by studying the contamination of bottom sediments.Using the example of petroleum hydrocarbons - specific pollutants of aviation enterprises, the author proved that bottom sediments are an integral indicator of the level of manmade pollution, an indicator of the ecological safety level of hydroecosystems. The calculated coefficients of bottom accumulation indicate the progressive pollution of the reservoir and the accumulation of the main mass of pollutants in the bottom sediments. The results of studies of the small river, that flows along the airline, show that the bottom sediments belong to the category of “extremely polluted”. The structural and functional properties of bottom sediments enable us to state that, on the one hand, they contribute to the process of self-purification of the water environment by accumulating oil products, but on the other hand, bottom sediments represent a danger to the water column secondary pollution, since when physical and chemical conditions change, pollutants from the bottom sediments can pass into the water masses of the reservoir.

MONITORING OF THE SPECIES DIVERSITY OF LIVING ORGANISMS IN TEACHING AGROECOLOGY TO BIOLOGY STUDENTS

The article provides materials on mathematical processing of data obtained during monitoring of the species diversity of living organisms under the influence of anthropogenic or man-made press on biocenoses, as well as calculations of concentrations of man-made pollutants. The necessity and timeliness of their inclusion in the curriculum of biology students are substantiated.

Synthesis, characterization and analytical prospects of cellulose-derived nanoparticles of Ferric-oxide (Fe2O3/cellulose) and Copper-oxide (CuOx)

Our environment has been significantly impacted by man-made pollutants, primarily due to industries make substantial use of synthetic chemicals, resulting in significant environmental consequences. In this research investigation, the co-precipitation approach was employed for the synthesis of cellulose-based ferric oxide (Fe2O3/cellulose) and copper oxide nanoparticles (CuOx-NPs). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses were conducted to determine the properties of the newly synthesised nanoparticles. Furthermore, the synthesized nanoparticles were employed for eliminating chromium from aqueous media under various conditions, including temperature, contact time, adsorbent concentration, adsorbate concentration, and pH. Additionally, the synthesised materials were used to recover Cr(VI) ions from real samples, including tap water, seawater, and industrial water, and the adsorptive capacity of both materials evaluated under optimal conditions. The synthesis of Fe2O3/cellulose and CuOx-NPs proved to be effective, as indicated by the outcomes of the study.

High performance superabsorbent material based on biopolymers as a promising and sustainable framework for enhancing fresh water resources

The fact that current fresh bodies of water are suffering climate changes and man-made pollution resulting in negative effects leading to water scarcity has become a serious issue in several areas worldwide. Therefore, exploring new opportunities to exploit alternative freshwater resources is urgent. Harvesting atmospheric water by superabsorbent materials (SAWH) is standing out from the solutions to exploit an alternative water source. In this study, functional eco-friendly hydrogels based on carboxymethyl cellulose derived from rice husks and chitosan from shrimp shells were synthesized. The hydrogel was also reinforced with nanosilica from rice husk to improve the physicochemical characteristics and water uptake. The hydrogel samples with nanosilica (HS0) or without nanosilica (H0) were obtained by a simple process including a dehydration process with acetone and a vacuum dry process. All hydrogels were investigated for absorption-desorption in water and in relative humidity (RH, 45 % and 90 %) media. The results indicated that the excellent swelling ratio of HS0 and H0 in water was about 921.49 % and 709.76 %, respectively. The high water uptake ratio of HS0 and H0 was approximately 43 % and 63 % at 90 % RH, and was 8.3 % and 9 % at 45 % RH, respectively. The structure and morphology of hydrogels were also characterized by FTIR, TGA, SEM, and BET analysis. The reusability results of HS0 and H0 in water and in RH media demonstrated that their water uptake remained nearly stable. The bio-based hydrogels have the potential to replace traditional synthetic sorbent polymers for sustainable SAWH, showing promising industrial applicability.

Pilot study to determine asthma-like symptoms in the Sverdlovsk region

Introduction. Bronchial asthma (BA) occupies one of the leading places in the structure of chronic nonspecific lung diseases in children. At an early age it develops in a relationship between genetic and environmental factors and often does not have a characteristic clinical picture. Allergic rhinitis (AR) increases the risk of developing and severity of asthma. Assessing the risk of developing BA and AR in children is necessary for timely diagnosis. Purpose of the study. To identify the prevalence of symptoms of bronchial asthma in children in the Sverdlovsk region using the example of Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Tagil using Russian versions of the Asthma Prediction Tool and ISAAC questionnaires and analyze the data obtained. Materials and methods. 64 children aged 6-8 years who did not have chronic lung diseases were studied: 30 people - in the Children's Hospital No. 8 of Yekaterinburg and 34 - in kindergarten No. 201 of Nizhny Tagil using Russified versions of the “Asthma Prediction Tool” and ISAAC questionnaires, filled out official representatives of children after informed consent to conduct the study. 64 correctly completed questionnaires were analyzed. Results. The proportion of children with an average and high risk of developing asthma: in Yekaterinburg 26.67%, in Nizhny Tagil - 35.29%. Symptoms of AR were detected in 60% of children from Yekaterinburg and in 82.35% from Nizhny Tagil, which is 2.5 and 1.6 times more common than the established diagnosis of AR, respectively. In Yekaterinburg, a high risk of asthma is associated with an allergic phenotype based on the frequency of concomitant atopic dermatitis (16.67% compared with 10% in the low-risk group, p = 0.0159) or its absence (63.33% and 10%, respectively, p= 0.0159), in Nizhny Tagil this relationship was not confirmed when tested by a two-sided Fisher test. The frequency of cases of hereditary predisposition to allergic pathology does not have significant differences between high (medium) and low risk groups in both cities. Conclusion. In Russia, 4.8 additional cases of asthma and status asthmaticus per 100 thousand children are associated with air quality. In 2021, the Sverdlovsk region is noted as one of the priority subjects of the Russian Federation in terms of the number of asthma diseases associated with the aerogenic factor in the environment of children. Although the observed trend in the predominance of cumulative symptoms of asthma and AR in children in Nizhny Tagil, in comparison with Yekaterinburg, is not statistically significant, it correlates with a higher level of aerogenic air pollution, this indirectly confirms the absence of a statistically significant relationship with a family history of allergic pathology. However, the connection with man-made pollutants is not taken into account in the ISAAC questionnaires. To confirm that the prevalence of asthma and AR symptoms is higher than those obtained in multicenter studies among children of a similar age, a survey of at least 350 people will be required. In any case, it is necessary to study the role of priority pollutants in the formation of airway hyperresponsiveness, asthma and AR, in order to find effective preventive measures.

Hydrochemical Characteristics and Its Origin of Surface Water and Groundwater in Dianbu River Basin

Chaohu lake is a key water body for water pollution prevention and treatment in our country. However， it has been at a higher eutrophication level recently. Here， the surface water and groundwater in the Dianbu River Basin， a secondary tributary of Chaohu Lake， were taken as the research object. In order to test the hydrochemical composition and hydrogen and oxygen isotope values of different water bodies， 30 groups of surface water samples， 36 groups of groundwater samples， 16 groups of hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope samples， and 18 groups of groundwater hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope samples were collected in August 2021 （wet season）， November 2021 （normal season）， and February 2022 （dry season）. The seasonal and spatial variation characteristics were analyzed to explore the hydrochemical characteristics and formation mechanism of water bodies by means of mathematical statistics， Piper triangular diagram， Gibbs figures， and ion ratios. The following results were obtained： ① precipitation was the main source of surface water and groundwater in Dianbu River Basin， and the evaporation fractionation effect of surface water was more significant than that of groundwater. At different periods， the surface water was more enriched with stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen than groundwater. The stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water showed seasonal variation， relative enrichment in the wet season， and depletion in the dry season. ② Both surface water and groundwater in the Dianbu River Basin were weakly alkaline， and the concentration of ions in surface water was significantly lower than that in groundwater. Ca2+ and Na+ were the main cations in surface water， Ca2+ was the main cation in groundwater， and the dominant anion in all water was HCO3-. The hydrochemical typology of surface water was mainly HCO3·Cl-Na·Ca， and that of groundwater was mainly HCO3-Na·Ca. ③ The concentrations of the main hydrochemical indexes of surface water and groundwater showed certain seasonal and spatial differences. From the wet season to the dry season， the concentrations of TDS， K+， Na+， Ca2+， Mg2+， Cl-， and SO42- in surface water showed an increasing trend on the whole. The concentrations of Na+， Ca2+， and Mg2+ in groundwater showed little change but increased slightly， whereas the concentrations of Cl-， SO42-， and NO3- showed an increasing trend on the whole. The concentrations of Cl-， SO42-， and NO3- in the water showed relatively large seasonal fluctuations. From upstream to downstream， the concentrations of the main hydrochemical indexes in surface water first decreased and then increased， among which the concentration of NO3- increased the most. The concentrations of the main hydrochemical indexes of groundwater in the direction of runoff changed little overall， but the concentration in the discharge area was higher than that in the recharge area. ④ The formation of hydrochemical characteristics of the water was mainly controlled by water-rock interaction but was also influenced by human factors. The water-rock action was mainly the weathering dissolution of silicate rock， salt rock， and carbonate rock. Man-made pollutants such as sewage from a sewage treatment plant， domestic sewage， and feces had obviously changed the hydrochemical characteristics of the local water. ⑤ Compared with that in 2016， the concentration of NO3- in surface water showed a certain degree of reduction. The nitrogen pollution control work carried out by the local government had achieved certain results， but it was still necessary to strengthen the pollution prevention and control of sewage and feces in the downstream of the Dianbu River， some tributaries （such as the Dingguang River and Maqiao River）， and some residential areas.

VETERINARY AND SANITARY ASSESSMENT OF THE CONTENT OF TECHNOLOGICALLY HARMFUL SUBSTANCES IN MILK AND THEIR REMOVAL FROM THE ANIMAL BODY

Тhe unfavorable ecological situation in the zones of man-made pollution is due to non-compliance with the requirements for the treatment of plants with toxic chemicals, the uncontrollable excess of emissions from industrial enterprises and motor vehicles, man-made disasters caused by the war of liberation, etc. As a result, particularly toxic substances, compounds of lead, cadmium, mercury, strontium and other heavy metals enter the atmosphere. Heavy metals, which are part of herbicides and fungicides, medicines, fertilizers, plant growth stimulants and poisons for their protection, accumulate in the environment, in particular in feed, enter the atmosphere with combustion products, respectively, have a negative impact on the well-being of animals, quality and safety of livestock products, in particular milk. Therefore, the priority direction, under conditions of increased man-made load on the environment and animals, was and is the monitoring of heavy metals in the trophic chain: soil-plant-feed-animal-product-human. According to a number of authors, a significant amount of toxic substances, including heavy metals that enter the animal's body with feed, water and by air are removed from it through the alimentary canal, kidneys, skin and mammary gland. According to Kovalchuk I.I., Fedoruka R.S. (Kovalchuk, Fedoruk, 2006), the content of heavy metals in the milk of cows under conditions of increased technogenic load on the environment depends on the intensity of harmful emissions, the content of heavy metals in them, the set of fodder in the diet and its balance, as well as the season of keeping, the period of lactation and the level of productivity. Therefore, an important task should be a scientific and practical in-depth study of man-made environmental pollution, which would include various studies of heavy metals, toxic chemicals in soil and feed, means of correcting their impact on the metabolism of productive animals.

Socio-hygienic aspects of mortality of the working-age population of an industrial city in Eastern Siberia (on the example of Usolye-Sibirskoye, Irkutsk region)

Introduction. For more than 80 years of its operation, JSC Usolekhimprom (Usolye-Sibirskoye, Irkutsk region) has released a significant amount of pollutants into the environment, such as mercury, lead, manganese, nickel, formaldehyde, phenols, etc. Despite the measures taken to rehabilitate the territory affected by the plant's activities, environmental pollution in Usolye-Sibirskoye remains a large-scale environmental problem and poses a threat to the city's population. Earlier it was found that the mortality rate of the population in the city exceeds similar indicators in comparison with the Irkutsk region and Russia in all age groups (child population, working age, older than working age). Scientists have established the maximum excess of the mortality rate among the working-age population.
 The study aims to assess the hygienic and socio–economic situation in the territory of Usolye-Sibirskoye and determine its impact on the causes and mortality rates of the working-age population.
 Materials and methods. Based on the official yearbooks of Roshydromet and reports of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Irkutsk region, the authors studied the state of the environment in Usolye-Sibirsky for 2010–2019. The scientists analyzed information on the main indicators of socio-economic development according to analytical reports on the socio-economic situation in the municipality "Usolye-Sibirskoye" for 2010–2019, as well as based on information from the database of indicators of municipalities of the Irkutsk region (Irkutskstat).The authors studied the mortality rate of the working-age population according to forms C-51 "Number of deaths by sex, age and individual causes of death" and 2RN "Population by sex and age" for 2010–2019. Based on the data obtained, they calculated age-standardized mortality rates from the main classes of causes in accordance with the indicators averaged over 10 years. As a standard, the researchers adopted the age structure of the Russian population for 2010 in accordance with the census data. Standardization was carried out by the direct method.
 Results. There is a severe environmental situation in Usolye-Sibirskoye is experiencing associated with man-made pollution of all components of the biosphere, including carcinogenic substances. When comparing mortality rates in Usolye-Sibirsky with regional and average Russian values, experts revealed an excess of mortality rates from all studied classes of causes among both men and women. There is an extremely unfavorable situation in terms of mortality from infectious diseases (5 times and 7.3 times higher compared to Russia for men and women, respectively), including from HIV infection and tuberculosis, as well as causes of death related to alcohol, the prevalence of which is associated with the socio-economic instability of the city. It is possible to note high mortality rates from causes that have an etiological connection with the consequences of the production activities of the Usolekhimprom enterprise (from diseases of the nervous system, malignant neoplasms, liver diseases).
 Conclusion. Sanitary and hygienic living conditions of the population of Usolye-Sibirskoye can be characterized by an extremely high level of contamination of all components of the biosphere with substances of hazard classes 1–2 and carcinogens. The unfavorable socio-economic situation due to the closure of the largest enterprise exacerbates the existing risks of premature mortality and leads to an increase in mortality from socially significant diseases. The working-age population is most vulnerable to these factors, since it is on it that the entire demographic burden falls.

PROSPECTS FOR THE EXTRACTION OF CHROMIUM FROM SLAG FERROCHROME PRODUCTION BY ACID METHOD

In the Republic of Kazakhstan, there is a noticeable upward trend in the volume of industrial waste, including from the production of ferrochrome. The problems of man-made pollution of the natural environment are becoming more acute every year, and are beginning to take on a global dimension. Technogenic ferrochrome production waste contains chromium, which is highly toxic and carcinogenic, which poisons water, soil, negatively affects the activity of all living organisms. Slags contain a significant number of valuable components used in various industries, and above all, chromium, which is irrevocably lost during storage. The main task still remains the development of industrial waste disposal processes that reduce the anthropogenic load on the biosphere and ensure the rational use of natural resources. The purpose of the work is to justify the choice of the method of processing the slags of the ferrochrome production. Conclusions: The analysis of the modern scientific and patent literature on acid processing and utilization of chromium-containing slags from the production of refined and high-carbon ferrochrome has been conducted. It should be noted that the described methods of various methods of processing ferrochrome production slags, despite their availability, are characterized by a multi-stage nature and do not allow complete processing of ferrochrome production slags in Kazakhstan. Currently, there is an excess of sulfuric acid production in Kazakhstan, so it becomes advisable to use sulfuric acid as a reagent for leaching chromium from slag from the production of ferrochromium. It can be expected that in sulfuric acid under certain conditions, such as heating, a sufficiently high degree of extraction of chromium (III) will be achieved in slags from the production of high-carbon chromium and in refined ferrochem slags.

Studies on physico-chemical parameters in different soil samples from Erode District, Tamil Nadu, India

Soil physicochemical properties can be regarded as an important tool to assess soil health, which further form a base for biological activity in soil. These soil physicochemical properties are comparable in identical land-uses. However, the changes in land-use types and their effects on soil physicochemical properties are largely debates and rather unclear. Soil serves as an important thing in agriculture because this determines the plant growth and health. The present circumstance of industrialization and urbanization has taken a toll on environment, polluting the soil, air and water. Pollution as well as global warming has exhibited detrimental effects on our natural resources of soil becomes the inexplicable. Failing monsoon rains due to climatic changes, population explosion, and depletion of natural water and soil resources such as ground soil, agricultural soil as well as intentional man-made pollution of agriculture pesticide to soil scarcity. Even the scarcely available water is located by contaminants and pollutants which include mutagens, carcinogens, and pathogenic microbes affecting all the file forms affecting the ecological balance. Considering the above mentioned problem criteria, a part of the present work has been designed to analyze the quality of ground soil around the industrial premises. For this objective, we have collected different types of soil samples from various locations in and around sathyamangalam area in Erode District focusing on quite far away from industrial premises considering the concepts of leaching. Basic physio-chemical properties of soil colour, pH, chloride, sulphate, phosphate, silicate, nitrate, moisture, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium using specific techniques used in laboratory for the samples have been analyzed by APHA standards. These analysis help in the addition of the nutrients of the soil and provide a nutritive indicator value of the sampling sites. Highest possibility of soil quality issues which affects the day to day consumption of soil samples for the domestic needs of the people has been emphasized.

Planktonic microbial community and biological metabolism in a subtropical drinking water river-reservoir system

To understand the dynamics of planktonic microbial community and its metabolism processes in subtropical drinking water river-reservoir system with lower man-made pollution loading, this study selected Dongzhen river-reservoir system in Mulan Creek as object to investigate spatial-temporal characteristics of community profile and functional genes involved in biological metabolism, and to analyze the influence of environmental factors. The results indicated that Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were the most diverse phyla with proportion ranges of 9%–80% in target system, and carbohydrate metabolism (5.76-7.12 × 10−2), amino acid metabolism (5.78-7.21 × 10−2) and energy metabolism (4.07-5.17 × 10−2) were found to be the dominant pathways of biological metabolism. Although there were variations in biological properties both spatially and temporally, seasonal variation had a greater influence on microbial community and biological metabolism, than locational differences. Regarding the role of environmental factors, this study revealed that microbial diversity could be affected by multiple abiotic factors, with total organic carbon, total phosphorus and temperature being more influential (absolute value of standardized regression weights >2.13). Stochastic processes dominated the microbial community assembly (R2 of neutral community model = 0.645), while niche-based processes differences represented by nutrients, temperature and pH level played secondary roles (R > 0.388, P < 0.01). Notably, the synergistic influences among the environmental factors accounted for the higher percentages of community variation (maximum proportion up to 17.6%). Additionally, pH level, temperature, and concentrations of dissolved oxygen, carbon and nitrogen were found to be the significant factors affecting carbon metabolism pathways (P < 0.05), yet only total organic carbon significantly affected on nitrogen transformation (P < 0.05). In summary, the microbial profile in reservoir is not completely dominated by that in feeding river, and planktonic microbial community and its metabolism in subtropical drinking water river-reservoir system are shaped by multiple abiotic and biotic factors with underlying interactions.

Laboratory evaluation of heavy metal removal from stormwater runoff by pervious concrete pavement containing seashell and oil palm kernel shell

One of the major issues related with impermeable surfaces such as impervious concrete pavement in urban area is the collecting of rain as stormwater runoff, which then moves harmful natural and man-made pollutant into the natural water bodies such as lakes, streams, rivers, etc. This study investigated the effect of pervious concrete containing palm oil kernel shell and seashell on removing dissolved heavy metals contaminants from stormwater runoff. Therefore, mixtures were made, which replaced 6.3–9.5 mm limestone with 25 and 50% of 6.3–9.5 mm and 4.75–6.3 mm of both shells. The specimens were cured in a fog room and void content were tested. Specimens with same void content (23%) are selected to reduce experimental variability from differing void content. Pervious concrete cylinders were loaded in the laboratory with collected stormwater runoff, and concentrations, volumes of influent and effluent evaluated. Ten consecutive storm events of 200 mL in 20 min of rain are simulated to test heavy metal removal performance. The range of heavy metal removal for pervious concrete mixture containing seashell was 37 and 93% which was higher than that of control mixture (39–73%). However, the rate of heavy metal removal for specimens incorporating kernel shell was between 14 and 63% which was lower than that of control mixture. The results showed that the waste materials can be considered as one of the sustainable runoff purification methods, respecting their effective heavy metal removal rate in runoff, as well as the reasonably low cost and consumption when used on the pervious concrete pavement.

Methods for improving accounting and analytical support of enterprises in order to protect the environment

Purpose. Analysis and identification of peculiarities of man-made pollution (MMP) that are not reflected in the reporting. Development of mathematical methods for their calculation. Classification of environmental costs (EC) in accounting. Development of proposals for improvement of tax reporting tools and norms, enhancement of the impact of tax instruments on the introduction of environmental protection technologies and stimulating enterprise management to use the “environmental obligations” tools. Methodology. Special and general methods of scientific knowledge were used: induction and deduction – to identify the peculiarities of technogenic pollution which are not taken into consideration in the accounting reporting; analytical method – for proposals to improve accounting and analytical support; method of analysis and synthesis – for the development of EC classification; mathematical analysis – to develop the method for calculating the peculiarities of pollution that are not taken into account in the reporting. Findings. It is proposed to strengthen the motivational value of environmental obligations. The need to take into account the synergistic and vector nature of the polluting effects on the environment is pointed out. It is proposed to introduce an information center for accounting of natural capital for analysis and consideration of environmental damage in real time. A classification of costs aimed at achieving environmental goals has been developed and purpose of each of their types is specified. This allows increasing the effectiveness of management accounting. The need to publish management reporting is substantiated to ensure public audit as well as to increase the effectiveness of the management of environmental tasks. Originality. The peculiarities of MMP, which are not reflected in the accounting reports, are established, mathematical methods for their calculation and evaluation are developed. Improvement of tax reporting tools and norms, strengthening of the impact of tax instruments, effective stimulation of enterprise management to use “environmental obligations” tools are proposed. Practical value. Methods for calculating the peculiarities of MMP and proposals for improving accounting and analytical support to increase the efficiency of management and tax activities are introduced.

An overview of the status of Lake Edku environment: Status, challenges, and next steps

Lake Edku is the third largest northern Egyptian coastal lake in the Nile Delta and one of Egypt’s most threatened aquatic wetlands due to anthropogenic activity and pollution. Lake Edku is among the Egyptian lakes that are seriously influenced by anthropogenic wastes and other man-made pollutants. Lake Edku is geographically surrounded by urban areas (Behaira Governorate), fish farms, and agricultural lands. The surrounding drains transport huge amounts of agricultural and fishing wastes (particularly the El-Khairy Drain and Barsik Drain) into the lake water. Such various surrounding activities resulted in the discharge of huge quantities of different wastes into the lake, which caused several problems. The present review was conducted to provide a comprehensive picture of increasing pollution in Lake Edku during the last two decades. The results of this study will act as a warning for the decision-makers to take the necessary actions and policies to reduce the environmental risk and maintain the healthy environment of the lake.

Peculiarities of the manifestation of risks in the activity of agricultural enterprises in modern of conditions

The article examines the peculiarities of the manifestation of risks in the activities of agricultural en terprises under modern economic conditions. The strengthening of risks in the activities of agricultural enterprises and the need to form an appropriate risk management system are argued. The foreign experience of using risk management tools, which allows to minimize and neutralize the negative impact of risks on the resulting indicators of business structures, is highlighted. The author emphasizes that the risk category is complex and may consist of many elements, the number and value of which directly or indirectly depend on numerous factors. The factors of the external and internal environment that affect the formation of the risk of the economic activity of the agricultural enterprise are revealed, on the basis of which a conclusion is drawn about the need to establish monitoring of the economic risks. It is substantiated that the classification of factors of economic risks of agricultural enterprises should combine the positive aspects of the existing classifications, as well as take into account the specifics of their activities. It was concluded that there are numerous classifications and grouping of risks, which requires their reasonable systematization. Scientific approaches to the classification of the economic risks are summarized, which are supplemented with features characterizing the peculiarities of agricultural production. Specific factors in the activity of agricultural enterprises that determine the riskiness of economic activity are identified, namely: global climate changes, territorial extent of placement, duration of the production process, seasonality of production, loss of soil fertility, removal from circulation of agricultural land, man-made pollution of agro-ecosystems, innovative technology and resources digitization, imbalance of the material and technical resources, state support, etc. The author proposed to classify the economic risks of agricultural enterprises according to the causes of their occurrence, which will contribute to the selection of various features of the classification depending on their significance of influence on the financial and economic results of the enterprise. In addition, it has been proven that the basis of the systematization of economic risks of agricultural enterprises should be the specific features of the industry, namely the division into two complementary sub-sectors - crop production and livestock production, which will allow to fully reveal the specifics of industry risks. Key words: risk, economic risk, risk classification, uncertainty, agricultural enterprise.

The By-Product of Ozone from Electrostatic Air Cleaners

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) contributes to the health and comfort of people living and working indoors. Poor IAQ can be linked to indoor and outdoor sources of contaminants. One recent solution for improving IAQ is the use of Electrostatic (ES) Air Cleaning technology. An ES air cleaner can be installed in an heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system where it pre-filters large dust particles and shocks smaller particles into a collection tray. However, ES air cleaners have been known to give off ozone as a by-product, which is, itself, an air contaminant. Ozone is found outdoors as product of sunlight combining nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds generated from man-made pollution. Indoor ozone concentration will depend on the introduction of outdoor ozone indoors through natural ventilation, mechanical ventilation, and infiltration through the building’s envelope (in order of importance). Two different ES air cleaners, A and B, were installed in the air conditioning system of research House #2 of the TRANE Residential Heating and Cooling Research Lab at the University of Texas at Tyler. A series of ozone experiments were conducted, which included measuring the baseline ozone levels at the research houses with different levels of insulation, observing the increase in ozone due to the powering on of mechanical ventilation, and observing the increase in ozone due to the powering on of the installed ES air cleaners. The baseline ozone levels observed in research house #2, whose envelope is more tightly insulated, was found to be lower than in research house #1 whose envelope is less tightly insulated. With regards to mechanical ventilation, an increase in ozone levels were seen in addition to an even higher increase in ozone levels when the ES air cleaners were powered on in tandem. In terms of the single contribution of the ES air cleaners in raising indoor ozone levels, the data shows that although the ES air cleaners increased the ozone concentration in the house, the levels are not of concern as they were less than the FDA limit on indoor ozone generation. KEYWORDS: Indoor Air Quality; Ozone; Electrostatic Air Cleaner; Infiltration; Mechanical Ventilation; HVAC; Pollutant; Indoor Contaminant

Концентрация меди и цинка в органах березы повислой (Betula pendula roth.) и пырея ползучего (Elytrigia repens L.) в условиях их естественного произрастания

The influence of man-made pollution on the accumulation of copper and zinc in the soil and plants of the forest park zones of Yelets is studied on the example of the woody and plant objects of the natural environment prevailing in them-hanging birch (Betula pendula Roth) and creeping wheatgrass (Elytrigia repens). As a result of the conducted studies, the features of the deposition of copper and zinc in plant organs were revealed, and the total accumulation of the studied elements in the soil under green plantations was estimated. Keywords: PARK, HANGING BIRCH, CREEPING WHEATGRASS, COPPER, ZINC, LEAVES, ROOTS, SOIL