Surface Pollution Research Articles

Estimating daily air temperature and pollution in Catalonia: A comprehensive spatiotemporal modelling of multiple exposures

Environmental epidemiology studies require models of multiple exposures to adjust for co-exposure and explore interactions. We estimated spatiotemporal exposure to surface air temperature and pollution (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, O3) at high spatiotemporal resolution (daily, 250 m) for 2018–2020 in Catalonia. Innovations include the use of TROPOMI products, a data split for remote sensing gap-filling evaluation, estimation of prediction uncertainty, and use of explainable machine learning.We compiled meteorological and air quality station measurements, climate and atmospheric composition reanalyses, remote sensing products, and other spatiotemporal data. We performed gap-filling of remotely-sensed products using Random Forest (RF) models and validated them using Out-Of-Bag (OOB) samples and a structured data split. The exposure modelling workflow consisted of: 1) PM2.5 station imputation with PM10 data; 2) quantile RF (QRF) model fitting; and 3) geostatistical residual spatial interpolation. Prediction uncertainty was estimated using QRF. SHAP values were used to examine variable importance and the fitted relationships. Model performance was assessed via nested CV at the station level.Evaluation of the gap-filling models using the structured split showed error underestimation when using OOB. Temperature models had the best performance (R2 =0.98) followed by the gaseous air pollutants (R2 =0.81 for NO2 and 0.86 for O3), while the performance of the PM2.5 and PM10 models was lower (R2 =0.57 and 0.63 respectively). Predicted exposure patterns captured urban heat island effects, dust advection events, and NO2 hotspots. SHAP values estimated a high importance of TROPOMI tropospheric NO2 columns in PM and NO2 models, and confirmed that the fitted associations conformed to prior knowledge.Our work highlights the importance of correctly validating gap-filling models and the potential of TROPOMI measurements. Moderate performance in PM models can be partly explained by the poor station coverage. Our exposure estimates can be used in epidemiological studies potentially accounting for exposure uncertainty.

Occurrence and risk assessment of pesticides and pharmaceuticals in viticulture impacted watersheds from Northwest Spain

An automated analytical methodology was developed, validated and applied to monitor 73 organic pollutants (pesticides and pharmaceuticals) in surface and groundwater samples obtained in watersheds from an intensive viticulture, rural region, in the Northwest of Spain. Filtered samples were concentrated using a reusable solid-phase extraction sorbent, on-line combined with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The analytical procedure achieved limits of quantification between 1 ng L−1 and 10 ng L−1, with a throughput of 2 samples hour−1, providing accurate recoveries for more than 90% of the 73 selected compounds, using calibration solutions prepared in ultrapure water (in presence of methanol and formic acid) as neat solvent. The distribution and the concentrations of pesticides in small streams impacted by discharges of treated municipal wastewaters were different in rural and residential areas. On the other hand, pharmaceuticals showed a similar distribution in both streams. In surface waters from viticulture impacted watersheds, with a limited influence of municipal wastewaters, pulses of pesticides were noticed, with values above 100 ng L−1 for several fungicides. Cardiovascular pharmaceuticals, psychiatric drugs and/or their transformation products were also ubiquitous in these samples, with low, but relatively stable concentrations among sampling campaigns. Within the suite of investigated compounds, maximum pesticide residues remained below their predicted-non effect concentration (PNEC) in all samples. On the other hand, the environmental concentrations of the cardiovascular drug olmesartan stayed systematically above its PNEC in fresh water samples.

Study on N application and N reduction potential of farmland in China.

The frequent occurrence of extreme weather in recent years poses a significant threat to food production. Ensuring food production and rationalizing the use of agricultural resources require addressing the problem of the improper application of chemical fertilizers. Several effective measures have been implemented in China to reduce agricultural non-point source pollution. Among them, the reduction of excessive nitrogen fertilizer application proves to be the most effective approach in controlling surface pollution from cultivation. Currently, it is crucial to clarify and quantify crop nutrient fertilizer requirements while evaluating the potential for reducing nitrogen fertilizer usage in China. Nitrogen requirements for major crops grown in China were assessed based on the theory of crop nutrient balance, assuming constant grain production as a guarantee. In this paper, we analyze the potential for nitrogen reduction through short-term, medium-term, and long-term scenario predictions. The results show that in the next 3 years, China has a reduction potential of 34.98%, but this potential is not sustainable. Over the next 10 years, there is a reduction potential of 15.04%, with most provinces experiencing a balanced state of soil nitrogen cycling. Hainan, Beijing, Shaanxi, and Fujian have higher reduction potential, with possible reductions of 69.95%, 64.14%, 60.72%, and 54.10%, respectively. However, there are still provinces in China where nitrogen fertilizer is insufficient, leading to soil nitrogen consumption. Specifically, Heilongjiang, Jiangxi, and Shandong Provinces need to increase their nitrogen fertilizer applications by 87.00%, 35.97%, and 8.31%, respectively. The long-term scenario analysis over the next 30 years shows a reduction potential of 40.96%. Among the regions analyzed, Hainan, Beijing, Shaanxi, Fujian, and Ningxia have higher nitrogen fertilizer reduction potentials, with values of 78.97%, 78.48%, 74.25%, 67.87%, and 67.72%, respectively. However, Heilongjiang Province still needs to increase nitrogen fertilizer application by 44.20% to address soil nitrogen depletion. Conversely, Tibet and Qinghai, with high organic fertilizer yields, lower chemical fertilizer usage, and low nitrogen loss coefficients, are well-suited for organic agriculture development. For areas with high organic fertilizers usage and a risk of fertilizer loss, we recommend implementing the organic-inorganic mixed fertilization planting mode.

Can Digital Rural Construction Improve China’s Agricultural Surface Pollution? Autoregressive Modeling Based on Spatial Quartiles

The problem of agricultural surface pollution is becoming increasingly prominent, directly impeding the realization of the goals of “industrial prosperity and ecological livability” in the strategy of rural revitalization. To thoroughly analyze the impact of Digital Rural Construction on agricultural surface pollution and to effectively strengthen the prevention and control measures, the Moran index was used to assess the influence of agricultural surface pollution in 31 provinces and cities across China. The Moran index was employed to conduct global and local spatial autocorrelation analysis of agricultural surface source pollution, and a panel quantile autoregressive model was constructed to explore the effects of Digital Rural Construction on such pollution. The results show the following: (1) agricultural surface pollution in each province and city exhibits spatial spillover effects that are growing stronger; (2) the spatial impact of agricultural surface pollution on neighboring provinces and cities follows an inverted U-shaped pattern at different levels of pollution; (3) the relationship between the degree of agricultural surface pollution and the impact of Digital Rural Construction on it also follows an inverted U-shaped pattern, wherein improvements are observed as the pollution levels deepen. When the level of agricultural surface pollution is located in the quartile point 0.1, the improvement effect of Digital Rural Construction on agricultural surface pollution is small (0.0484), as the quartile point increases, the improvement effect is gradually increased, and it reaches the maximum value at the quartile point 0.5 (0.523), and the coefficient of agricultural surface pollution decreases to the minimum value at the quartile point 0.9 (0.423).

(Digital Presentation) Application of Plasma Cleaning in the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage

The chemical reactivity of metals at inappropriate climate conditions can be a threat to metallic cultural heritage. It is known that oxygen plays an important role in the corrosion and decay of metallic objects. Oxide formation is among the most prevalent destructive phenomena in this field. The metallic archaeological objects lose their original shape due to the oxide layer that develops on their surface. Among physical-mechanical and chemical techniques used in the past to remove the oxide layer from these antiques, Cold plasma technology has been proposed as a novel safe method to successfully achieve this goal. In a plasma medium, which can be formed by an electrical discharge, chemically reactive species exhibit a unique behavior in response to the injected gas type, electrical and chemical parameters, etc. This special behavior aids in achieving the user's goal through physicochemical phenomena. In this study, Hydrogen gas, with its reductive character, in the plasma phase provides free radicals of Hydrogen reacting to the copper oxide layer on ancient coins. As a result of this plasma reduction reaction, separation of the oxide layer from the copper surface is achievable. This phenomenon which is called Plasma cleaning, is a type of etching. Plasma cleaning does not destroy surface structure and information contained within metallic heritage artifacts. The feasibility of this non-destructive cleaning method has been investigated for the preservation and restoration of ancient copper coins dating back roughly 300 years ago. These ancient copper coins were exposed to a cold hydrogen plasma for 120 minutes. Results show that Tenorite and Spertiniite formed on the surface of coins have been successfully removed. The black color of Tenorite, a type of copper oxide, gives a dark appearance to copper coins' surface, and Spertitnite, as a copper hydroxide, exhibits a blue-green color on copper coins. According to the results, after 2 hours of hydrogen plasma treatment, not only these green spots have been removed, but also the dark appearance of the entire surface of the coin has been reduced. This amount of clearance is a good result considering the untreated area. Moreover, Figure 1 illustrates the coin's surface using SEM (A) before and (B) after Hydrogen plasma treatment. These images were obtained at a 200x magnification from the surface. In contrast to Figure 1(A), which had heavily polluted surfaces, case B's dark pollution has been removed, reducing the amount of darkness on the coin's surface. This study shows the efficacy of Plasma cleaning for the preservation and restoration of ancient copper coins. Figure 1

Efficient low-concentration phosphate removal from sub-healthy surface water by adsorbent prepared based on functional complementary strategy

The remediation of low-concentration phosphorus polluted surface water (LP-SW) is one of most challenging environmental issues worldwide. Adsorption is more suitable for LP-SW remediation due to its low cost and operability. Based on the strategy of functional complementation among industrial solid wastes (ISWs), ISW-based phosphate absorbent material (PAM) was prepared from coal ash (CA, binder), rich‑calcium (Ca) carbide slag (CS, active component) and iron salt (functional reagent) by optimizing materials ratios and roasting conditions. PAM prepared under optimal conditions (Fe/CC-2opt) had good phosphate adsorption efficiency. Notably, Fe/CC-2opt not only ensured that the effluent met Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water (pH = 6.0–9.0), but also facilitated the formation of brushite instead of hydroxyapatite due to FeSO4 addition. Compared with hydroxyapatite, brushite had greater potential application value as fertilizer due to its solubility and high P/Ca ratio. The possible mechanisms of phosphate adsorption by PAM included surface precipitation, surface complexation, electrostatic adsorption and release of Ca2+/OH−. Preparation cost of PAM was 80 US$/ton, and treatment cost was 0.07 US$/g P. Regeneration efficiency of PAM was still above 80 % after five cycles. The design idea and result of this study provide theoretical basis and technical support for the preparation of PAM with low cost, commercial production and great adsorption capacity.

Global Climate Impacts of Land‐Surface and Atmospheric Processes Over the Tibetan Plateau

AbstractThe Tibetan Plateau (TP) impacts local and remote atmospheric circulations, wherein it mechanically and thermally affects air masses or airflows. Moreover, the TP provides a key channel for substance transport between the troposphere and the stratosphere. This study reviews recent advances in research regarding land–atmosphere coupling processes over the TP. The TP experiences climate warming and wetting. Climate warming has caused glacier retreat, permafrost degradation, and a general increase in vegetation density, while climate wetting has led to a significant increase in the number of major lakes, primarily through increased precipitation. Local and regional climates are affected by interactions between the land and the atmosphere. Namely, the TP drives surface pollutants to the upper troposphere in an Asian summer monsoon (ASM) anticyclone circulation, before spreading to the lower stratosphere. Further, the thermal forcing of the TP plays an essential role in the ASM. TP forcing can modulate hemispheric‐scale atmospheric circulations across all seasons. The TP interacts with remote oceans through a forced atmospheric response and is substantially affected by the evolution of the Earth's climate via promoting Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and eliminating Pacific meridional overturning circulation. The extensive influence of the TP is facilitated by its coupling with the ASM in the summer; whereas its winter influence on climate mainly occurs through Rossby waves. The observed increasing trends of temperature and precipitation over the TP are projected to continue throughout the 21st century.

Multifunctional Tb-doped SnO2 based photocatalytic agent for water remediation: Study of defect-related properties

A new methodology to obtain Tb-doped SnO2 nanoparticles based on precipitation method followed by hydrothermal treatment was developed. Two series of nanoparticles with various Tb concentrations were fully characterized with large number of methods, including XRD method, FTIR, XPS, and Raman spectroscopy, TEM imaging, SSA estimation, optical transmittance study, luminescence spectroscopy and quantum-chemical calculations.The oriented attachment mechanism of nanoparticle growth is shown to occur under hydrothermal treatment. Computational study of interaction energies of mutually oriented nanoparticles and role of ions in the synthesis media was performed. Study of photoluminescence characteristics of the obtained nanoparticles is provided. The presence of blue and green luminescence is shown. The blue luminescence is related to SnO2 self-luminescence, while the green is related to Tb. Increase of Tb concentration suppress blue self-luminescence of SnO2, and promote green luminescence due to an increase of the energy transfer from crystal host to doping Tb ions.The nanoparticles are shown to possess photocatalytic activity of 97–100% under Vis light irradiation. Using a complex of modern physicochemical methods, a new factor affecting photocatalytic efficiency was revealed – the ratio of vacancies to defects (Vac/Def). A clear dependency of photocatalysis and normalized Vac/Def ratio to interaction energy between pollutant and catalysts surface is explained via quantum-chemical calculations for the first time, and demonstrated on examples of colored solution of organic dye methylene blue and colorless solution of oxytetracycline. Detailed study of the relation between morphological and structural properties of nanoparticles and their photocatalytic properties is provided. High degradations percent are achieved under simple LED light bulb. A concept of a chemical and computational experiments-based route for the development of effective photocatalysts is suggested.

OPTIMIZATION OF ONBOARD LASER-FLUORESCENT CONTROL OF ENVIRONMENT POLLUTION BY OIL AND OIL PRODUCTS

The article is devoted to the optimization of sea surface pollution control using the laser-fluorescence method. Two optimization variational problems for remote detection and assessment of sea surface pollution by oil and oil products have been compiled and solved using the fluorescence method. The solution of the first problem on the optimal choice of the wavelength of the emission signal was carried out according to the criterion of achieving maximum information content. The solution of this problem made it possible to determine the wavelength in multipoint laser sounding of sea waters. The solution of the second optimization problem made it possible to determine the optimal form of the dependence of the optical thickness of atmospheric aerosol in the used wavelength range of optical fluorescent emission.

Aerogenic route of metals entering lake Ladoga

Studies have shown that the entry of metals and other pollutants by aerogenic means into Lake Ladoga is associated with the presence of both remote and local sources of entry into the atmosphere. In this regard, Lake Ladoga is in a vulnerable state, as studies have shown – since often the metal content in precipitation is higher than in water. This is especially dangerous for the shallow littoral zone of the lake, where the dilution rate is low due to the volume of water. This showed their presence in water, sediments and fish, and most importantly – the impact on the biota and, above all, on the ichthyofauna, since fish are able to accumulate pathological information during their life cycle. Toxicosis has become a mass phenomenon in these waters, which has affected the natural reproduction of fish with a prolonged effect on populations and ichthyocinosis in general. The inflow of metals and other pollutants of organic nature (xenobiotics) in the form of dry and wet precipitation forms a polluting surface runoff, which is associated with difficulties in carrying out preventive measures.

Review of the surface treatment process for the adhesive matrix of composite materials

To deepen the research on the surface treatment technology of bonding matrix of composite materials, carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) was selected as the research object, and the research status at home and abroad were reviewed from three aspects: matrix characteristics, durability and bonding and stripping effect before and after surface treatment. Because of the effects of existing surface treatments on the surface roughness, surface wettability, surface morphology, fatigue characteristics, shear strength, and tensile section morphology of CFRP, the influence mechanism of surface treatments on the bonding properties of CFRP was summarized, and the future research focus and direction prospected. The results show that the bonding effect depends on the good mechanical interlocking and adsorption/chemical bonding between the adhesive and CFRP surface. The surface treatment can remove the surface pollutants of CFRP, optimize the surface topography characteristics, and enhance the spreading ability of the adhesive on the substrate surface, thereby enhancing the bonding ability between CFRP and the adhesive. The combination of different surface treatments can significantly improve the preparation quality of the CFRP surface, and avoid the defects of the single surface treatment itself to a certain extent. The surface treatment technology of the bonding matrix is developing in the direction of precision, refinement, and accuracy.

Performance appraisal of microbial inoculants treating polluted surface water through bench‐scale investigation

AbstractBACKGROUNDThis study investigates the performance of microbial inoculants by exploring pollutant removal efficiency, microbial viability and substrate removal kinetics for treating polluted surface water. The morphological, elemental composition and biochemical characterization of inoculants were analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (FESEM‐EDX) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques. The identification of bacterial strains in polluted feed water also was performed using 16S rRNA partial sequencing. Bench‐scale efficacy of selected microbial inoculants (MI) along with control for each study was performed at variable retention times ranging from 6 to 72 h, under optimum operating conditions.RESULTSThe maximum removal (86% and 90%) of the organic load (chemical and biological oxygen demand, COD and BOD) was achieved by inoculants containing Bacillus subtilis along with other microbial species after 72 h of treatment. The microbial inoculant MI‐2 containing Paracoccus pantotrophus and Pseudomonas Putida exhibited the highest TN removal (66%) after 72 h of contact time. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) analysis revealed that the active biomass ratio is a more precise indicator of healthy biomass instead of the conventionally used parameter MLVSS (mix liquor volatile suspended solids) in a biological treatment system, which apparently provides a significant addition to the existing knowledge base for the operational wastewater treatment plants (WTPs).CONCLUSIONIn this study, microbial inoculants were found to be frugal and viable treatment tools for the remediation of polluted surface water. Exploiting such inoculants also can overcome the inefficiencies of existing sewage treatment plants by serving as potential tools for bio‐augmenting the indigenous microbial fingerprint of aeration tank/secondary treatment systems. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

Visible Light Photodegradation of Glyphosate and Methylene Blue using Defect-Modified Graphitic Carbon Nitride Decorated with Ag/TiO2

The presence of various organic pollutants in surface and ground waters has raised serious environmental threats across the world. In the present work, the solvothermal process was applied to prepare a ternary composite of barium defect-modified graphitic carbon nitride (DM g. C3N4) decorated with silver and titanium oxide for the photocatalytic removal of dyes and pesticides in visible light. Methylene blue (MB) and glyphosate were targeted pollutants. Enhanced structural defects in the carbon nitride framework were reported and characterized by using FTIR, SEM, EDS, XRD, and UV/Visible spectroscopy. Various analytical techniques confirmed the proficient coating of titanium oxide and silver on the surface of DM g. C3N4. The photocatalytic efficiency of synthesized materials for the degradation of persistent organic pollutants and various parameters such as the effect of pH, catalytic dosage, the concentration of pollutant, reusability of the catalyst, etc., were estimated by using UV/Visible spectroscopy. Batch experiments were performed to estimate the degradation efficiency and other parameters by using an absorption study. A scavenger analysis confirmed hydroxyl radicals as the main reactive species for the degradation of various pollutants. The results confirm that the ternary composite of barium DM g. C3N4 showed an increased response in the visible region, greater stability, and excellent photocatalytic efficiency toward the degradation of the organic compounds. The results confirm that the maximum degradation of the said organic pollutants occurs in 105 min.

Fixed-bed biofilter for polluted surface water treatment using chitosan impregnated-coconut husk biochar

Pelletizing biochar enables its use as a biofilter medium for polluted canal water treatment. Coconut husk biochar pellets and their modification with chitosan (CHC) were compared with conventional activated carbon pellets and gravel. The biofilter columns with these media were operated with a hydraulic loading rate of 0.1 m3/m2∙h. CHC showed the highest potential to reduce phosphate and nitrogen, via the adsorption process in the first week of filtration and later enhanced by biodegradation, to achieve removal efficiencies of 61.70 and 54.37% for these two key nutrients, respectively, over five weeks of biofilter operation. The predominant bacteria in the biofilter communities were characterized at the end of the experiments by next generation sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. The biofilter communities included ammonium oxidizing, nitrite oxidizing, denitrifying, polyphosphate accumulating and denitrifying phosphate-accumulating bacteria that benefit nutrient removal. The CHC biofilter also effectively removed micropollutants, including pharmaceuticals.

Environmental communication in community-based conservation movement: Lesson from the Masigit Kareumbi Hunting Park, Indonesia

Environmental communication plays an important role in articulating environmental and disaster issues such as global warming, rising sea surface temperatures, pollution, and nature conservation. Not only delivering information and dialogues on environment, but it also manifests through actions such as protest, posters, movies, and concrete participation. Inevitably, the nexus of environmental communication in Indonesia should lie in its action involving community participation in the conservation movement. Therefore, this study seeks to explain the symbolic action in The Masigit Kareumbi Conservation Movement. This research used a qualitative method with a single instrumental case study strategy approach by taking a case of The Masigit Kareumbi Conservation Cadre School and benefitted from environmental communication functions and participatory communication. Data were collected through in-depth and semi-structured interviews, direct observation, and literature study. The result is the symbolic action in this conservation movement has served two functions in environmental communication: pragmatic and constitutive. The pragmatic function is discovered through educational sessions and discussions on conservation in the hunting park for protecting wilderness area. The constitutive action is laid out by fostering relationship and worldview with nature through hiking, flora, and fauna lessons, and seeking the meaning of nature for students involved.

Poultry waste management in Nigeria: a neglected sector

The recent surge in poultry production has led to an increase in poultry waste production. Waste from poultry production often includes hatchery waste, dead birds, condemned carcasses, and manure. Manure is normally applied to agricultural soils as a source of fertilizer. Excessive production of waste from poultry farms and its improper disposal has led to air pollution and contamination of agricultural farmlands and eventually surface and water groundwater pollution and this has become a major public health concern to the society. Improper disposal of poultry waste affects poultry farmers, individuals residing close to the farms, and the environment. Published articles on poultry production and poultry waste management were retrieved from the search engine Google Scholar and were used to summarize the impact of poultry waste as a source of contamination and/or pollution to the environment with associated public health implications on animals and humans. Options for proper disposal and utilization of waste from poultry production are further discussed.

Palm kernel oil mucilage as a source of bio-based cationic surfactants for effective control of water surface pollution: Synthesis, surface activity and petroleum capacities

Water contamination is a serious environmental issue with great negative impacts on the health of living organisms. Petroleum films from oil slicks represent one of the major water pollutants. The utilization of bio-based surfactants derived from natural sources/wastes can be an eco-friendly solution to address this problem. In such direction, a new series of palm kernel oil mucilage (PKOM)-based cationic surfactants (4a–e) has been synthesized through an efficient procedure and the structures were characterized spectroscopically. Firstly, the free fatty acids mixture was extracted from PKOM, reduced with LiAlH4 to the corresponding alcohols mixture and esterified with chloroacetic acid to afford fatty chlorides mixture. Parallelly, tertiary amine-tethering various aryl sulfonamides (3a–e) were prepared from the reaction of sulfonyl chlorides with a primary amine-tertiary amine hybrid compound. Finally, the target cationic surfactants were obtained via quaternization of the tertiary-N in 3a–e with the fatty chlorides. The surface activity and thermodynamic parameters of the synthesized bio-based surfactants have been determined. Moreover, the ability of these compounds to collect or disperse petroleum thin films in different water types was evaluated. Interestingly, almost all compounds exhibited strong abilities to collect or disperse these films from water even at high salinity percent (9 % NaCl).

Analysis of the indicators of the environmental state of the Southern Buh River basin in Vinnytsia

An analysis of modern ecological problems of the Southern Buh River basin was carried out, which allows to identify the most painful ecological threats. Ways to solve these problems and to optimize management of ecological safety of water resources of Vinnytsia region are proposed. Surface water is a special natural resource of strategic importance for any state. It determines the development trends of all branches of the economy. Scientifically unfounded anthropogenic load, intensified by climate change, leads to quantitative and qualitative degradation of rivers. The problem of water quality is considered as the most important social, scientific and technical problem of our time, the solution of which largely depends on the correct management of water systems. Therefore, it is relevant to study the quality of surface water in order to predict changes in the state of the hydroecosystem and reduce the risks of unstable exploitation of water by water users. After analyzing the ecological condition of the Southern Buh River, according to the data of open sources of ecological monitoring, it was confirmed that the main pollutant within the city of Vinnytsia is the discharge of storm water. Surface pollution is formed due to the extremely unsatisfactory condition of the territories of coastal protection strips, enterprises, and the adjacent territories of individual home ownership. According to the data of the regional sanitary-epidemiological service, the specific weight of drinking water samples that do not meet the sanitary standards for microbiological contamination was 5.9%. Control of the water condition of the Southern Buh River in the territory of the city of Vinnytsia is carried out by accredited laboratories of various institutions, but the main problem is that the coastal strips remain unexamined for significant distances. Therefore, constant monitoring of the state of surface waters is an important measure to prevent uncontrolled pollution and deterioration of the quality of water resources.

Microbiological Detection of Pathogenic Bacteria in Diabetic Foot Ulcers of Type 1 and 2 Diabetic Mellitus Patients

Globally, diabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious health issue. Diabetic neuropathy, the most prevalent micro-vascular consequence of diabetes, raises the chance of developing foot ulcers. Different aerobic bacteria, including Gram positive cocci, Staphylococcus aureus, and (beta-haemolytic) Streptococcus are some of the pathogens that can colonize DFUs. Coagulation-negative Staphylococcus (CNS), Corynebacterium, Enterococcus, and Cutibacteria are frequently found in ulcer cultures in clinical practice; however they are typically regarded as colonizing rather than harmful bacteria. Anaerobes are detected in a smaller minority of DFIs and have been associated to altered innate and adaptive immune responses in the hyperglycemic milieu. Gram-negative bacteria account for about one third of DFIs. About 70 participants in all, including 29 individuals with type 1 diabetes and 41 patients with type 2 diabetes who have diabetic foot ulcers. Scarping of ulcers takes place after regular saline wound cleansing to eliminate surface pollutants, and then exudate is sampled. Pus, or discharges from the base of the ulcer, are then submitted to the laboratory as quickly as possible using an aseptic approach. Then, the bacteria were inoculated onto various culture media, such as MacConkey and Blood agar as enrichment media, and incubated aerobically at 37°C for 24 hours to isolate aerobic bacteria. The following day, the bacteria were checked for growth, and a pure colony was then prepared. According to morphological, microscopic, and particular cards of the automated VITEK2 system, isolated bacteria were identified.

Interacting Effects of Land Use Type, Soil Attributes, and Environmental Factors on Aggregate Stability

Soil erosion and surface pollution near reservoirs can adversely affect water quality and safety. Soil aggregate stability is an important predictor of soil water loss and erosion resistance that is strongly influenced by land use. This study therefore aimed to identify factors affecting soil aggregate stability near reservoirs to provide empirical and theoretical insights that could guide the development of management measures to increase land quality, optimize land use, and maximize sustainability. This study focuses on the land around the Shitoukoumen Reservoir in China and examines the effects of six land use types, eleven soil physicochemical properties, and five environmental factors. Ninety-four sets of soil samples were collected in 2021 for analysis of soil aggregates and properties. Particle size classification of soil aggregates was carried out using the wet sieve method and four indicators were calculated to evaluate the effects of land use, soil physicochemical properties, and environmental factors on soil aggregate stability: water stable aggregates (WSA), mean weight diameter (MWD), geometric mean diameter (GMD), and fractal dimension (D). Descriptive statistics and geostatistics were used to explore the spatial distributions of soil aggregate stability around the reservoir and the influence of soil properties was studied using correlation analysis and path analysis. The conclusion indicates that land use type significantly affects aggregate stability. The most stable aggregates were found in paddy fields (WSA = 0.77, MWD = 0.76, GMD = 0.57) and forests (WSA = 0.75, MWD = 0.76, GMD = 0.55), followed by an orchard, irrigated land, and grassland. Aggregate stability was worst in upland sites (WSA = 0.61, D = 2.28), where soil aggregates were highly fragmented. There were clear spatial correlations between all four stability indicators. The environmental factors and soil physicochemical characteristics with the strongest influence on aggregate stability were soil organic matter, pH, soil clay content, total nitrogen, and temperature changes. Path analysis revealed that some soil properties affect aggregate stability indirectly, with particularly complex relationships between clay, soil organic matter, and pH. In conclusion, land use type, soil organic matter, pH, soil clay content, total nitrogen, these soil physicochemical properties, and environmental factors, especially temperature, significantly affect soil aggregate stability around reservoirs. In the future, it is necessary to appropriately change upland into paddy land, increase forest land, and appropriately add organic fertilizer to improve soil quality.