Stratospheric Ozone Research Articles

Enhanced sun protection factor of octocrylene with green tea and bhringraj extracts

Objectives The aim of this study of sun protection factor boosting effect sunscreen compositions with herbal extract and combination with octocrylene. Materials and Methods The standardized herbal extracts procured and studied their sun protection Factors. Camellia Sinensis (Green tea) leaf Extract, Eclipta prostrata (bhringraj) leaf extract are selected for the development of the herbal sunscreen composition along with octocrylene as synthetic sunscreen. The developed sunscreen composition contains defined concentration of herbal extracts and octocrylene were evaluated for their different physicochemical properties and stability. Sun protection factor boosting effect of herbal extracts is studied combination with octocrylene. Results Invitro SPF studied for herbal extract individually and combination with octocrylene. The results of Invitro SPF study revealed the presence of green tea extract and, Eclipta prostrata (bhringraj) leaf extract shows excellent sun protection factor (SPF) boosting value of sunscreen composition containing 5% concentration of herbal extract and octocrylene. The sunscreen formulation containing 5% herbal extracts are stable for 12 weeks in an oven (45 °C). Conclusion The findings of this in-vitro SPF study revealed a sun protection boosting capacity of green tea extract and bhringraj extract confirmed. Summary The over exposure of human skin to Ultra-Violet Radiation (UVR) can trigger photodamage, UV burn, pigmentation, erythema, and enhance the chance of dermal carcinoma. UVR causes DNA damage, which leads to dermal cancer. Daily sunscreens protect the skin from the adverse effects of sun rays, especially UVB (290-320 nm) and UVA (320-400 nm). The ozone layer filters UVC (200-290 nm) radiation when it enters into atmosphere of the earth. UVB causes sunburn, photo damage and cause mutagenic changes in nucleic acids. UVA increases ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) accumulation. ROS is responsible for cell repair which leads to carcinogenesis, and the cause of photodamage. Herbal extracts contain polyphenols, and flavonoids act as a natural sunscreen that will filter Ultra-Violet (UVB) light and contain antioxidant characteristics to modulate the photo-oxidative damage that results from UV-induced Reactive Oxygen Species production. The UVR protection of most herbal extracts are required to attain the higher UV protection in the sun care products. The approaches for preparing sun care products with higher Sun Protection Factor (SPF) possible through Oil in water formulation with herbal extract combinations of octocrylene. The developed sunscreen composition containing different concentration of herbal extracts were evaluated for their other physicochemical properties and stability. Invitro SPF was studied for Camellia Sinensis (Green tea) Leaf Extract and Eclipta prostrata (bhringraj) leaf extract individually and in combination with octocrylene. The results of the Invitro SPF study revealed the Camellia Sinensis (Green tea) Leaf Extract with octocrylene shows better Sun protection factor than Eclipta prostrata (bhringraj) leaf extract with octocrylene. The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) enhancement value of sunscreen compositions was compared to both sunscreen macroemulsion and nanoemulsion.

Extended ozone depletion and reduced snow and ice cover-Consequences for Antarctic biota.

Stratospheric ozone, which has been depleted in recent decades by the release of anthropogenic gases, is critical for shielding the biosphere against ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. Although the ozone layer is expected to recover before the end of the 21st century, a hole over Antarctica continues to appear each year. Ozone depletion usually peaks between September and October, when fortunately, most Antarctic terrestrial vegetation and soil biota is frozen, dormant and protected under snow cover. Similarly, much marine life is protected by sea ice cover. The ozone hole used to close before the onset of Antarctic summer, meaning that most biota were not exposed to severe springtime UV-B fluxes. However, in recent years, ozone depletion has persisted into December, which marks the beginning of austral summer. Early summertime ozone depletion is concerning: high incident UV-B radiation coincident with snowmelt and emergence of vegetation will mean biota is more exposed. The start of summer is also peak breeding season for many animals, thus extreme UV-B exposure (UV index up to 14) may come at a vulnerable time in their life cycle. Climate change, including changing wind patterns and strength, and particularly declining sea ice, are likely to compound UV-B exposure of Antarctic organisms, through earlier ice and snowmelt, heatwaves and droughts. Antarctic field research conducted decades ago tended to study UV impacts in isolation and more research that considers multiple climate impacts, and the true magnitude and timing of current UV increases is needed.

Chemistry Contribution to Stratospheric Ozone Depletion After the Unprecedented Water‐Rich Hunga Tonga Eruption

AbstractFollowing the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai (HTHH) eruption in January 2022, stratospheric ozone depletion was observed at Southern Hemisphere mid‐latitudes and over Antarctica during the 2022 austral wintertime and springtime, respectively. The eruption injected sulfur dioxide and unprecedented amounts of water vapor into the stratosphere. This work examines the chemistry contribution of the volcanic materials to ozone depletion using chemistry‐climate model simulations with nudged meteorology. Simulated 2022 ozone and nitrogen oxide (NOx = NO + NO2) anomalies show good agreement with satellite observations. We find that chemistry yields up to 4% ozone destruction at mid‐latitudes near ∼70 hPa in August and up to 20% ozone destruction over Antarctica near ∼80 hPa in October. Most of the ozone depletion is attributed to internal variability and dynamical changes forced by the eruption. Both the modeling and observations show a significant NOx reduction associated with the HTHH aerosol plume, indicating enhanced dinitrogen pentoxide hydrolysis on sulfate aerosol.

Sustainability Approach of Recycled Denim Fabrics with a Life Cycle Assessment

Abstract In this study, denim fabrics were produced using weft yarns obtained from mechanically recycled fibers after consumer use, and the breaking strength, tearing strength, thermal resistance, water vapor permeability, air permeability, and fabric stiffness of these fabrics were determined according to the standards. A life cycle analysis of the recycled denim fabrics was made using the SimaPro software program, and the environmental effects of the production were also revealed. Within the scope of the study, it was observed that the structural properties of the fabrics produced and the composition of recycled cotton used affect the performance and comfort properties of the fabric. The effect of the cotton recycling rate on the recycled denim fabrics was evaluated by LCA (life cycle analysis). As a result of the LCA evaluation, with the use of cotton with a high percentage of recycling additives instead of the conventional cotton, as in the reference fabric, resource depletion (fossil fuels), global warming, depletion of the ozone layer, the toxic effect on human, freshwater and terrestrial life, the total water use, and other categories were observed to undergo a significant improvement.

Design of Air Blast Freezing System Using Cascade Refrigeration R290/R32 System with Capacity 5kg

Indonesia is a maritime country that has an abundance of marine catches. In 2022, the production of marine catches reached 24.85 millions tons, while the export amount was 1.221 millions tons. This is due to the limited technology that can extend the freshness of marine catches. Based on this problem, a cooling system was designed in the form of an ABF that can freeze marine catch products. The Air Blast Freezing (ABF) system is designed at an air temperature of -40oC using a cascade refrigeration system. The working fluid used is R290/R32 hydrocarbon, which has very low GWP and ODP so it is safe for the environment and the earth's ozone layer. The results obtained show that the cooling load is 444.037 Watts, the LTC compressor power and HTC compressor power are 116.19 Watts and 205.98 watts. The designed air blast freezing system has a surface area of LTC evaporator of 2.670 m2 and HTC condenser of 4.780 m2. The calculated capillary pipe length is 1.94 m for HTC and 1.51 m for LTC, the COP of the ABF system is 2.774.

Direct maximum power injection control of grid-connected PV micro-inverter systems connected to the grid

The increasing use of fossil fuels such as gas and oil has caused many environmental problems, including air pollution, depletion of underground resources, the destructive phenomenon of global warming, destruction of the ozone layer, and many other problems for the environment. Photovoltaic systems are one of the most promising solutions to overcome these problems. Due to the low voltage of solar panels and the higher controllability of photovoltaic systems against changes in sunlight intensity during the day, DC-DC power converters are required. In this project, the aim is to design and build a DC-DC converter with the ability to provide high voltage gain at a suitable efficiency for a 1-string photovoltaic system with the ability to track the maximum power point 2. The designed converter is designed and analyzed with the ability to provide a voltage gain of 5/6 at the critical operating point, a minimum efficiency of 94%, and a power of 500 watts. This converter uses classical soft switching, so the switching losses are reduced, which in turn increases the efficiency of the converter. This converter has a lower voltage stress on the switch (4/0) than the existing techniques. On the other hand, while new converters use a large number of switches and magnetic cores in the cell to provide high gain, this converter uses the least number of switches and magnetic cores to achieve high gain. Also, the passive elements of this converter, such as inductor and capacitor, are in the order of a few microhenries and farads, and therefore the size of these components is also reduced. In addition, due to the high gain provided in lower duty cycles, the efficiency of the switch is increased, and therefore cheaper switches can be used. Also, due to the reduction in the size of passive elements, the size of the magnetic core is also reduced, which in turn optimizes the converter economically.

The Influence of Ozone Depletion Potential Weighted Anthropogenic Emissions of Nitrous Oxide

The effects of anthropogenic emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and halocarbons on stratospheric ozone (O3) over the twentieth and twenty-first centuries are divided using a chemical model of the stratosphere. As halocarbon levels revert to pre-industrial levels, N2O and CO2 will likely play the primary roles in the evolution of ozone in the future. It is unable to distinguish clearly between these gases’ effects on ozone due to nonlinear interactions between them. The work was conducted using the monthly and annual data of the gases in the stratospheric layer to determine the overlap between N2O and O3 for the Iraq station and for the period (2003-2016). The strength of the association between gases was determined using the Spearman rho test (rs). It was found that there is a very high positive relationship between the N2O and O3 in Nasriyah station, which is 0.807 which indicates a strong association. This is because meteorological conditions, climatic fluctuations, and atmospheric location all affect correlation. The ozone layer is destroyed by nitrous oxide at high concentrations through the stratosphere layer and the tropospheric layer, the concentration of ozone increases with an increase in the concentration of nitrogen dioxide.

Climate factors associated with cancer incidence: An ecological study covering 33 cancers from population-based registries in 37 countries

Cancer etiology is multifactorial, with climate change and environmental factors such as extreme weather events and ozone layer destruction potentially increasing cancer risk. Investigating climate factors with cancer incidence can provide valuable insights for prevention and future disease burden prediction. We conducted a population-based ecological study using data from the World Health Organization’s Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5plus, 89 cancer registries from 1998 to 2012) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER, 607 US counties from 2000 to 2018) Program. We tracked climate factors through satellite-based remote sensing, including green space, stratospheric ozone concentration, solar radiation, precipitation, and temperature. We performed linear panel regression models to estimate the effects of both long-term exposure, lag effect, and change rate of climate factors on cancer incidences. We adjusted for smoking prevalence, air pollution, and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita to account for potential confounding factors. Our study included more than 430 million underlying populations across 37 countries. Higher green space exposure (per 0.1-unit normalized difference vegetation index, NDVI) was associated with decreased incidence of lung cancer (up to 6.66 cases [95%CI 4.38–8.93] per 100,000) and prostate cancer (up to 10.84 cases [95% CI 7.73–13.95] per 100,000). Increased solar radiation was associated with a higher incidence of melanoma, but a lower incidence of prostate cancer. No evidence was found to suggest associations between temperature or precipitation and cancer incidence. However, a rapid increase in temperature was linked to higher incidences of corpus uteri cancer and melanoma. Long-term exposure and rapid changes in climate factors may influence changes in cancer incidence, particularly lung and prostate cancers. While some associations were supported by existing evidence (such as solar radiation and melanoma), further research is necessary to investigate the etiology of novel cancer risk factors.

Hybrid Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of prefabrication: A comparison of conventional and mixed reality-based solutions

Conventional prefabrication in construction is causing distinct challenges, including environmental pollution and high energy usage. However, integrating emerging technologies such as Mixed Reality (MR) in prefabrication is expected to mitigate the environmental impacts and improve overall sustainability. This study evaluates and analyses the environmental benefits and burdens associated with implementing MR technologies in prefabrication compared to conventional prefabrication. The production stages in prefabrication, including reinforcement, side formworks, concreting, and human labor, have been identified as primary unit processes, and their respective contributions to the overall environmental impact have been assessed. A comprehensive assessment using a hybrid Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment (IO-LCA) model, while incorporating human labor hours is necessary for a thorough environmental assessment. The cradle-to-gate LCA results of a declared unit of 1 m3 volume of conventional prefabrication are compared with MR-enabled prefabrication. The results show that using MR technology in prefabrication significantly decreases the environmental burdens of the prefabrication in impact categories of Global warming (8%), Terrestrial acidification (8%), Marine eutrophication (10%), and Stratospheric ozone depletion (17%). Furthermore, with the higher levels of MR implementation, there is a significant reduction (around 60%) in the environmental impact associated with prefabrication. Accordingly, the contribution of MR technology in designing, planning, monitoring, assembling, and collaborating in prefabrication leads to effective resource management, minimization of waste, and enhancement of overall efficiency. The reinforcement process has notably elevated environmental impact in prefabrication while recognizing the improvement opportunities through MR implementation. MR-enabled quality inspection is of great importance in significantly reducing environmental burdens.

MoOx-Based Colorimetric Sensor for Ultraviolet Visualization.

Due to the depletion of the global ozone layer and the presence of ozone holes, humans are increasingly exposed to threats from solar ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, researching and developing a highly selective, sensitive, simple, and fast ultraviolet sensor is of significant importance for personal protection. In recent years, new nanomaterials have shown good application prospects in the research of ultraviolet sensors. MoOx nanostructures were prepared by a hydrothermal method. The experimental results show that, compared to traditional photochromic compounds, the new MoOx nanostructures exhibit high uniqueness, high selectivity, and excellent stability, and can perform rapid and accurate detection under full-band light. The beam sensor can not only detect through traditional electrical signal output, but also amplify, display, and analyze the beam through visualization and visual analysis, further improving the reliability and practicality of its application.

Solar FTIR measurements of NOx vertical distributions – Part 1: First observational evidence of a seasonal variation in the diurnal increasing rates of stratospheric NO2 and NO

Abstract. Observations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and nitrogen oxide (NO) in the stratosphere are relevant to understand long-term changes and variabilities in stratospheric nitrogen oxide (NOx) and ozone (O3) concentrations. Due to the versatile role of NO2 and NO in stratospheric O3 photochemistry, they are important for recovery and build-up of O3 holes in the stratosphere and therefore can indirectly affect human life. Thus, we present in this work the evaluation of NO2 and NO stratospheric partial columns (> 16 km altitude) retrieved from ground-based Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) measurements of over 25 years at Zugspitze (47.42° N, 10.98° E; 2964 m a.s.l.) and 18 years at Garmisch (47.47° N, 11.06° E; 745 m a.s.l.), Germany. The obtained stratospheric columns are only weakly influenced by tropospheric pollution and show only a very small bias of 2.5 ± 0.2 % when comparing NO2 above Zugspitze and Garmisch. Stratospheric columns of both NO2 and NO show a diurnal increase that depends on local solar time (LST). We quantified this behavior by calculating diurnal increasing rates. Here, we find mean values for the NO2 diurnal increasing rate of (0.89 ± 0.14) × 1014 and (0.94 ± 0.14) × 1014 cm−2 h−1 at Zugspitze and Garmisch, respectively. The mean NO morning diurnal increasing rate above Zugspitze is found to be (1.42 ± 0.12) × 1014 cm−2 h−1. Regarding the seasonal dependency of these increasing rates, for the first time, we were able to experimentally detect a significant seasonal variation in both NO2 diurnal increasing rates and NO morning diurnal increasing rates with a maximum of (1.13 ± 0.04) × 1014 cm−1 h−1 for NO2 and (1.76 ± 0.25) × 1014 cm−1 h−1 for NO in September and a minimum of (0.71 ± 0.18) × 1014 cm−1 h−1 in December for NO2 and a minimum of (1.18 ± 0.41) × 1014 cm−1 h−1 in November for NO. This similar behavior may be explained by the interconnection of both species in stratospheric photochemistry. The outcome of this work is a retrieval and analysis strategy of FTIR data for NOx stratospheric columns, which can help to further validate photochemical models or improve satellite validations. The first use of this data set is shown in the companion paper (Nürnberg et al., 2023) wherein experiment-based NOx scaling factors describing the diurnal increase in the retrieved partial columns are extracted and recently published model-based scaling factors are validated.

The Hadley circulation in a changing climate.

The Hadley circulation (HC) is a global-scale atmospheric feature with air descending in the subtropics and ascending in the tropics, which plays a fundamental role in Earth's climate because it transports energy polewards and moisture equatorwards. Theoretically, as a consequence of anthropogenic climate change, the HC is expected to expand polewards, while indications on the HC strength are equivocal, as weakening and strengthening are expected in response to different mechanisms. In fact, there is a general agreement among reanalyses and climate simulations that the HC has significantly widened in the last four decades and it will continue widening in the future, but there is no consensus on past and future changes of the HC strength. Substantial uncertainties are produced by the effects of natural variability, structural deficiencies in climate models and reanalyses, and the influence of other forcing factors, such as anthropogenic aerosols, black carbon, and stratospheric and tropospheric ozone. The global HC can be decomposed into three regional HCs, associated with ascending motion above Equatorial Africa, the Maritime Continent, and Equatorial America, which have evolved differently during the last decades. Climate projections suggest a generalized expansion in the Southern Hemisphere, but a complex regional expansion/contraction pattern in the NorthernHemisphere.

Comment on “Transport of substantial stratospheric ozone to the surface by a dying typhoon and shallow convection” by Chen et al. (2022)

Abstract. Chen et al. (2022) analyzed the event of rapid nocturnal O3 enhancement (NOE) observed on 31 July 2021 at the surface level in the North China Plain and proposed transport of substantial stratosphere ozone to the surface by Typhoon In-fa followed by downdraft of shallow convection as the mechanism of the NOE event. The analysis seems to be valid from the viewpoint of atmospheric physics. This comment revisits the NOE phenomenon on the basis of the China National Environmental Monitoring Center (CNEMC) network data used in Chen et al. (2022), together with the CNEMC data from Zibo (ZB) and O3, NOx, PAN (peroxyacetic nitric anhydride), and VOC (volatile organic compound) data from the Zibo supersite operated by the China Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES). We found (a) Ox (O3 + NO2) levels during the NOE period approaching those of O3 during 14:00–17:00 LT, (b) levels of PAN and the relationship between O3 and PAN consistent with dominance of chemical and physical processes within the boundary layer, and (c) estimated photochemical ages of air mass shorter than 1 d and showing no drastic increases during the NOE. We argue that the NOE was not caused by typhoon-induced stratospheric intrusion but originated from fresh photochemical production in the lower troposphere. Our argument is well supported by the analysis of atmospheric transport as well as ground-based remote sensing data.

ЭКОЛОГИЯЛЫҚ БІЛІМ БЕРУДІ ДАМЫТУДЫҢ АЛҒЫ ШАРТТАРЫ

An important feature of our time is acute global regional and local environmentalcrisis . The destruction of the ozone layer in the Earth’s atmosphere, the Earth’s planetary climate change, progressive erosion and soil desertification, the decline of humid tropical forests, widespread pollution of the World Ocean and surface waters, the continuous increase in the population in the universe, the constant growth of poverty and hunger, many other global environmental manifestations are a reflection of the crisis of our time. And this is a clear proof that today’s people are in poor contact with nature. In order to avoid this environmental crisis, the prerequisites for the development of environmental education have been developed.

Ground-based measurements of HF and HCl total columns in atmosphere near Saint Petersburg (2009–2023)

ABSTRACT Monitoring of the ozonosphere requires observing the concentration of gases involved in the formation and depletion processes of stratospheric ozone. This study focuses on optimization the ground-based Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) method of retrieving total columns of halogen-containing gases hydrogen chloride (HCl) and hydrogen fluoride (HF). The work describes generally the procedure for selecting parameters to update the technique for deriving their atmospheric contents. Using parameters of the optimized methods, we obtained temporal variability of daily mean values of HCl and HF total columns above St. Petersburg from March 2009 to March 2023 by ground-based measurements of direct solar radiation spectra with a Bruker IFS 125 HR (IR Fourier spectrometer). The linear trends amount to (0.59 ± 0.27) %/year and (−0.26 ± 0.21) %/year for HF and HCl, respectively. The seasonal variability of both gases content was also calculated. The peak of HF total column occurred in March, while the low was observed in November. April showed the maximum of HCl content annually, and the lowest HCl total column appeared in the mid-winter. The results were compared with datasets from the nearest NDACC sites Harestua and Kiruna. Trends and seasonal cycles at the sites are consistent. The analysis of the variability of HCl to HF contents ratio demonstrated the time periods of decrease in HCl content caused by the chemical activity in the stratosphere. Finally, we analysed the ozone layer state over St. Petersburg at the beginning of 2023 using ground-based FTIR-measurements of HCl and HF total columns and satellite measurements of ozone total columns.

Theoretical comparison analysis of R134a, R1234yf, R452A and R454C refrigerants used in automobile, trailer and commercial and industrial cooling systems

The increasing environmental disasters in recent years are caused by the release of artificial substances into the environment. The majority of artificial-containing emissions originate from petrochemical products. It also contributes to artificially containing refrigerants used in cooling systems. Artificial refrigerants have contributed greatly to the depletion of the ozone layer and subsequently to global warming. Research on new refrigerants as an alternative to refrigerants that contribute to every environmental disaster is of great importance. In this study, theoretical performance comparisons were made between R1234yf, which is an alternative to R134a refrigerant used in automobile air conditioning systems, and R452A, R454C refrigerants, which are used as alternative refrigerants in industrial, commercial and trailer cooling systems. Performance analyses were carried out according to different condenser and evaporator temperatures. Analysis results are given depending on condenser/evaporator pressure ratio, mass flow rate, compressor power, cooling effect coefficient (COP) and compressor outlet temperature. According to the study results, it was observed that the COP value increased with the increase in evaporator temperature, while the compressor inlet-outlet pressure ratio, refrigerant flow rate, compressor power and refrigerant compressor outlet temperature decreased. It was observed that the refrigerant with the highest compressor power and mass flow rate was R452A, followed by R1234yf, R454C and R134a, respectively. R134a was found to have an average of approximately 5.4%, 8.6% and 0.6% higher COP than R1234yf, R452A and R454C, respectively.

Environmental assessment of construction waste prevention: A case study in a social housing project in Southeast Brazil

This study analyzed construction waste prevention measures applied to a social housing project, with life cycle assessment (LCA), by three scenarios: base case scenario (BCS) – a single family house built with masonry blocks; prevention scenario 1 (PS1) – BCS assuming a theoretical optimization in materials consumption; prevention scenario 2 (PS2) – a house built with cast-in-situ concrete walls. The prevention scenarios showed waste reductions of 4% (PS1) and 36% (PS2). The environmental impacts have been evaluated by using CML baseline v.3.05; the impact categories were selected according to the EN 15.978:2011: global warming potential (GWP), acidification (AP), eutrophication (EP), ozone layer depletion (ODP), photochemical ozone formation (POF), abiotic depletion (AD), and abiotic depletion – fossil fuels (ADF). The PS1 reduced environmental impacts by 5% whereas PS2 increased by 15%, compared with BCS. The most critical construction steps for BCS and PS1 were coating and superstructure, whereas for PS2 were superstructure and painting. The materials extraction and production stage represent about 90% of the total impacts. The most critical materials for BCS and PS1 were concrete, cement, and steel, whereas for PS2 those were concrete, steel, and paint. The most relevant categories for the three scenarios analyzed were GWP, ADF, and AP. The waste management stage was irrelevant in generating impacts, contributing for less than 1% of the total impacts. These results highlight that despite reducing waste generation, prevention does not necessarily reduce the overall impacts of the edification, and therefore, the materials and construction methods used are especially relevant.

Evaluating the environmental and economic performance of biological and advanced biological wastewater treatment plants by life cycle assessment and life cycle costing.

The primary objective of this study is to assess and establish benchmarks for environmental and economic sustainability of biological and advanced biological wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with different treatment technologies and characteristics. Furthermore, the study aims to determine the beneficial role of WWTPs to reduction of eutrophication potential. Environmental and economic sustainability of ten municipal WWTPs was assessed using life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC). In the first section of the study, LCA was performed to determine the environmental performance of the WWTPs. Furthermore, net environmental benefit (NEB) approach was implemented to reveal the beneficial role of WWTPs to eutrophication potential. In the subsequent section, LCA-based LCC was conducted by integrating the results of LCA. The most significant environmental impact was determined as marine aquatic ecotoxicity, which is highly affected from the generation and transmission of electricity consumed in the WWTPs. Wastewater recovery and co-incineration of sewage sludge in cement kiln ensure significant environmental savings on ozone layer depletion, human toxicity, acidification, photochemical oxidation, and abiotic depletion (fossil fuel) potential. Considering NEB approach, the highest NEB values were found for the WWTPs with the higher organic load and nutrient concentration in the influent. The results of LCC in WWTPs varied between 0.21 and 0.53 €/m3. External (environmental) costs were evaluated higher than internal (operational) costs for all selected WWTPs. While eutrophication was the highest among environmental costs, electricity cost was the highest among operational costs for almost all WWTPs.

Springtime evolution of stratospheric ozone and circulation patterns over Svalbard archipelago in 2019 and 2020

The polar vortex was exceptionally intense and persistent in late winter and spring 2020. The unusually cold lower stratosphere subsequently enabled ozone depletion over the Arctic. The behaviour of ozone layer and stratospheric parameters at the Ny-Ålesund station in the late winter and spring 2019 and 2020 were compared to each other by using reanalysed data, ground- and satellite-based observations and radiosonde measurement. The analyses based on the above-mentioned approaches confirmed a close relationship between ozone depletion and stratospheric circulation in 2020, when a strong polar vortex was observed, while in the case of the much weaker 2019 polar vortex such a relationship was insignificant. The deepest ozone decrease was found to occur at the end of March and in the first half of April 2020 at the 100–40 hPa pressure levels.

Limited contribution of photoenzymatic DNA repair in mitigating carry-over effects from larval UVB exposure: Implications for frog recruitment

Solar ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation has increased due to stratospheric ozone depletion, climate and ecosystem changes and is a driver of amphibian population declines. Photoenzymatic repair (PER) is a critical mechanism for limiting UVB lethality in amphibian larvae. However, the link between PER and the UVB-induced effects remains understudied through long-term investigations in vivo. Here, we assessed how larval PER determines the lethal and sublethal effects induced by environmentally relevant acute UVB exposure until the juvenile phase in the Neotropical frog Odontophrynus americanus. We conducted laboratory-based controlled experiments in which tadpoles were or were not exposed to UVB and subsequently were exposed to light (for PER activation) or dark treatments. Results showed that the rates of mortality and apoptosis observed in post-UVB dark treatment are effectively limited in post-UVB light treatment, indicating PER (and not dark repair, i.e. nucleotide excision repair) is critical to limit the immediate genotoxic impact of UVB-induced pyrimidine dimers. Nonetheless, even tadpoles that survived UVB exposure using PER showed sublethal complications that extended to the juvenile phase. Tadpole responses included alterations in morphology, chromosomal instability, increased skin susceptibility to fungal proliferation, as well as increased generation of reactive oxygen species. The short-term effects were carried over to later stages of life because metamorphosis time increased and juveniles were smaller. No body abnormalities were visualized in tadpoles, metamorphs, and juveniles, suggesting that O. americanus is UVB-resistant concerning these responses. This study reveals that even frog species equipped with an effective PER are not immune to carry-over effects from early UVB exposure, which are of great ecological relevance as late metamorphosis and smaller juveniles may impact individual performance and adult recruitment to breeding. Future ecological risk assessments and conservation and management efforts for amphibian species should exercise caution when linking PER effectiveness to UVB resistance.