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This is a study conducted on agricultural soil collected from village of Dudescu, Zăvoaia Commune, Însurăței City, Brăila County. In this case soybeans, sunflowers, corn and wheat have been cultivated prior the soil sampling. The soil was analyzed using an ED-XRF and the results indicated, in general, elements concentrations within normal values, indicating a good soil quality. The exceptions in this study, which have exceeded the normal legal values, were: chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni) and arsenic (As). To assess the level of soil pollution, different types of indexes were calculated such as the migration index (MI) and the ecological risk potential (RI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of study of the Prut River heterotrophic bacterioplankton. The bi-disciplinary technique was used to assess its hydrocarbon-oxidizing activity, namely: microbiological research was carried out in parallel with hydrochemical investigation of the natural water samples and samples enriched with diesel fuel. The Moldovan-Romanian transboundary section of the Prut River includes various ecological zones, such as the Costești-Stanca Reservoir, the mouth of the Jijia River, the Prut floodplains with the relict Beleu Lake (where oil extraction is carried out despite the fact that it is a protected area of the scientific reserve "Prutul de Jos") and the Prut River mouth with the Giurgiulesti International Free Port. The microbial community of fluvial bacterioplankton corresponds to the specific conditions of each these biotopes, being the most reproducible and adaptable component of the biota. The results obtained in the study of the Prut River bacterioplankton demonstrate the presence of hydrocarbon-adapted microorganisms with a good potential to utilize petroleum products in their metabolic processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article paper, leather from book cover and metal lock from an 18th century church book were studied. The book was printed during the time of Mihai Constantin Șuțu, with the blessing of the Metropolitan of Moldova, Iacov Stamati. The analytical method used to study the components and the methods of obtaining all the important parts was the non-destructive technique SEM-EDX. The results regarding the used paper showed typical intermeshed cellulose fibers. In the case of leather, due to its advanced state of degradation, it was impossible to determine the type of animal from which the skin was used. The elemental analyses (EDX) of the metal lock indicated that it was made of brass. The results of the study of 18th century parts of the book, gave important information about the way of paper manufacture, the conservation state of the cover and the way that the metal lock was made and the safe way to clean it in the restoration and conservation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article are studied samples of soil collected from Public Garden of Galați, Romania. This location was chosen to observe the negative influence of road and railway traffic on the soil quality. The soil samples were collected from the surface (0 cm), 5 and 30 cm, from the all four principal and secondary garden entrances and one sample from the playground area. The analytical method used to study the soil samples was X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), a non-destructive technique and very popular in environmental studies, that provided qualitatively and quantitatively information of the elements contained in soil. The results presented a strongly negative influence on soil quality from the road traffic, but the railway traffic didn't have a strong impact on the soil quality because it was related to person transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, the total content of heavy metals and trace elements in soils is useful, but the speciation (bioavailability) is also in need for agricultural purpose, for example. The present paper studies the efficiency of some soil remediation treatments on soils polluted, especially with copper, by using sequential chemical extraction (SCE). Usually, SCE is fractioned, according to Tessier, in five fractions: exchangeable, carbonate bound, Fe and Mn oxide bound, organic matter bound and residual. Copper (Cu) is one of the contaminants found in many soils around the world. In small concentration, it is an essential microelement for plants and organisms, but in high concentrations, it is harmful for the entire ecosystem. Because the concentrations of Cu are associated with soil texture and several other parameters, many remediation soil treatments are based on organic mixture, by converting the element into a less exchangeable form, and thus less bioavailable. In this study, the efficiency of organic amendments such as organic matter (OM), zero-valent iron with organic matter (OMZ), dolomite (DL) and organic matter with dolomite (OMDL) are investigated. These treatments were applied on soils affected by Cu pollution. The results indicated that OMDL and OMZ treatments had the best efficiency on Cu pollution, by enhancing the stability of the element, decreasing the level of bioavailability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to highlight one of the highest environmental issues, caused by pollution with persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This form of environmental pollution with a negative impact on human health would not be possible without the use of high voltage industrial electrical equipment with dielectric fluids infested with various PCB isomers. In order to carry out the experimental program, samples of dielectric fluids both from Romania and Indonesia were investigated. The PCBs-containing samples were characterized using GC-ECD technique, employing an Agilent 7890 gas chromatograph equipped with a 15 mCi 63Ni μECD detector. PCBs concentrations were calculated using the standard calibration method based on the internal standard according to the corresponding normative documents. Ongoing work is carried out to adapt the technique for the analysis of PCBs in soils contaminated with oil products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results obtained from the analysis of some filter paper samples using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) technique. Based on the FTIR capabilities, using the infrared light to scan the samples and identify their chemical properties, organic, polymeric and inorganic materials can be characterized. The samples analysed were six filter papers with different mass additions of Ulva Rigida C. Agardh seaweed collected from the Black Sea, in Constanta area, SE Romania. The additions used consisted of 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 4% and 8% seaweed material, grounded to a certain grain size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the problem of soil pollution in the vicinity of a former chemical plant, given that production activity was stopped for more than thirty years ago. The old chemical plant was located in the southern part of Braila town, SE Romania, just a few kilometers from the left bank of the Danube River. Prior to 1990, there was a significant production of industrial chemical goods, such as sulfuric acid, carbon dioxide for synthetic fibers, chlorine gas and hydrochloric acid obtained by electrolysis processes with mercury electrodes and heavy metal catalysts (Cd, Ni, Zn), sodium sulfide and sulphate, etc. For the good development of the experimental program, a number of 10 soil samples were collected from the north, northwest, west, southwest and south of the former chemical plant. The multi-element analysis method used to determine the trace elements in the soil samples was energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF), using a Genius XRF portable spectrometer manufactured by Skyray Instruments Inc., equipped with a large surface Si with a Be window and a 40 kV/100 μA miniature X-ray tube excitation source with Ag target. The spectrometric system has an energy resolution up to 139 eV, and the detection limits of the order of ppm. A total of 21 chemical elements were identified in the target soil samples, such as: K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Hg, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Sn, Sb, Pb. The compositional analyses of contaminated industrial soils were completed by using the AAS and ICP-MS high performance and selectivity techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One way to reduce the heat loss of the steam boiler is to reduce the blowdown rate and recover the heat from the purged water. Purging the boiler, although necessary, represents a loss of treated water and a loss of heat because the purged water is water brought to saturation. Blowdown recovery must be done according to the available users/consumers. The paper analyses the recovery of blowdown of a steam boiler of 420 t/h capacity by using a flash separator and a makeup water preheater. The flash steam is used for the feed water deaeration. The heat recovered from the blowdown can reach 97%, and the recovered water can reach 43%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slag analysis is very important in maintaining the quality standards of metallurgical processes. The chemical structure and the physical features of slag play a very important role in the management of blast furnace (BF) processes, favouring the development of the decreasing reactions and acting as a thermoregulator of the furnace by the adjustment of heat transmission through the metallic bath. In this paper, the following ranges of oxides concentrations were obtained in BF slags by X-ray fluorescence with wavelength dispersion (WXRF): 32.29-35.56% SiO2; 42.41-44.1 % CaO; 12.20-15.63% Al2O3; 0.40-0.85% MnO; 5.38-6.17% MgO; 0.45-0.69% FeO. The calculated basicity index of slags varied between 1.031 and 1.103, denoting the acidic character of slags. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights an experimental model proposed for the management of nuclear materials containing natural uranium and thorium salts, based on technical and legislative methods. The investigated nuclear materials originate from laboratory chemicals with expired validity, having as manufacturers companies specialized in the manufacture of laboratory substances such as: Merck, Chemapol, Sigma Aldrich, Bucharest Reagent. The experimental program refers to several issues of great importance in the waste and environmental management, such as: a) the processing of radioactive substances containing nuclear materials and radioactive waste represented by solid objects contaminated with radionuclides from the radioactive series of U-238 and Th-232; b) gamma dose rate measurement during handling and processing of open sources of ionized radiation; c) measurement of suspicious contamination of the operating personnel which handles the equipment, including the materials used in the processing of open sources of ionizing radiation; and d) the inventory of nuclear materials according to the chemical formula, the mass of chemical substance, the mass of the nuclear element in each container and type of packaging. For the good development of processing these open sources of ionizing radiation containing nuclear materials, the ALARA principle (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) was applied, which is fundamental to the principles of radiation protection. All the measurements for determining the gamma dose rate and suspicious contamination were performed with the aid of a CoMo 170 radiometric device produced by Nuvia Instruments Gmbh Germany, equipped with a 170x100 mm2 PL detector with zinc sulfide calibrated with the aid of C-14, Co-60, Cs-137, U-238 and Am-241 radioactive isotopes and an external probe containing a scintillating crystal with sodium iodide enriched with thallium calibrated with Cs-137. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, it will be presented the results obtained from research conducted in order to reduce the concentrations of metals in industrial wastewater resulted from heavy metal polluting industries, especially the metallurgical industry. Most of the world's water sources are profoundly negatively affected by human activities, and the population faces critical water supply and drinking water quality problems. Millions of people develop various diseases from drinking water from unsafe or poor quality sources, creating a global public health problem. Due to massive industrialisation, current water treatment methods are outdated, which is why water treatment and purification laws, regulations, and controls need to be updated to minimise and stop contamination of the food chain. It is the responsibility of the researchers to make the public aware of the dangers to which they are exposed due to their own negligence and to offer possible solutions to these problems. New, reliable, viable, cheap, and sustainable technologies must be developed to improve drinking water quality. One such technology that can be developed and implemented is using the biological method of biosorption. Stranded seaweed on the Romanian Black Sea coast is currently treated as waste, but it could be exploited as biomass in the biosorption process. The research aimed to investigate the possibility of valorification of macrophyte seaweed species in this direction. Five different species of stranded macrophyte seaweed were collected and used to remove selected metallic ions (Cr, Fe, Zn, Cu) from a source of wastewater resulted from the metallurgical industry processes. The wastewater samples were analyzed before and after the application of the biosorption technique using the spectrophotometric method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water is a fundamental and indispensable constituent of the human body. Small changes produce serious disorders and insufficient water intake is much less tolerated than in other deficiency. The aim of this work is the study of drinking water quality indicators in selected localities in SE Romania (Galati, Braila, Buzau, and Vrancea counties). Water samples were taken from drinking water sources (tap water, well water, spring water, filtered tap water with biological filter), frequently used by the population (15 places). They were subjected to chemical and physico-chemical analysis in order to determine the physical, chemical parameters of quality that can have an impact on the residents' health. In five water sources (Independenta (tap), Independenta (spring), Lunca/Buzau, Liesti fountain at 40 m depth, and Galati (biologically filtered tap water) the pH is below 6.5, a value that does not fit into STAS acquis in force - SR ISO 10523-2009. Oxidability index values in the majority of cases are below the maximum allowed, of 5 mg O2/L water, according to SR EN ISO 8467-2001; in some cases, the values exceed the limits as following: Independenta: 8 mg O2/L; Lunca/Buzau: 10 mg O2/L; Focsani spring: 9 mg O2/L; Focsani tap: 8 mg O2/L; Galati tap: 6 mg O2/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microbiological contamination of the water with faecal bacteria resulting from anthropogenic activity is an important issue for population health and the assessment of the presence of pathogenic bacteria in the water is a major concern for the protection of humans and animals. Coliform bacteria are indicators for the assessment of faecal pollution and a potential presence of pathogens, which is caused mainly by untreated wastewater. In this paper, a comparative study was carried out in 32 sampling sites of MONITOX network in two periods, June 2019 and June-July 2020, before and after COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, regarding the rate of the water microbiological contamination in Lower Danube (Calarasi/Silistra-Galati-Tulcea sectors, Danube Delta and the Black Sea coast, from the SE part of Romania, by counting of the bacteria indicators of the organic pollution (heterotrophic bacteria and total coliforms). The results demonstrate a decrease of microbiological contamination of surface water in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown in all the samples collected from the Black Sea coast, Danube branches, Danube-Black Sea confluence, and Danube river downwards the town of Galati. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known the role of nutrients in growing crops and obtaining cost-effective production, but also to ensure a nutritious contribution to humans and animals alike, in food safety conditions. This study aims to evaluate both the supply of nutrients and the main parameters of agricultural soils, in 0-30 cm layer, under intensive agricultural practices pressure, undertaken in an agricultural area influenced by steel industry activities. The soil samples were collected from three sites and different plots grown with wheat, corn, and sunflower, and subjected to analysis protocols within Galati County Soil Survey Office. Soil supply with the main macronutrients indicates imbalances in all studied sites, regardless of the cultivated plants. Overall, soils have a high nitrogen deficiency, correlated with the low level of soil organic matter supply. Total Kjeldahl nitrogen values are between 0.076-0.258 % for all surveyed plots. Mobile phosphorus is low to very high (8-276 ppm), while mobile potassium is low to very high (70-600 ppm). On the one hand, this is due to the natural process of soil degradation through water and wind erosion, and on the other to anthropogenic activities. Most of the time, out of the desire to obtain large harvests, farmers apply non-compliant amounts of fertilizers, which translates into the physical and chemical degradation of agricultural soils and poor management of crop nutrition. Other investigated soil parameters were pH, particle size fractions, as they are related to the dynamics of chemical elements in the soil. It could be concluded that the studied agricultural soils are characterized by imbalances in terms of providing chemical elements accessible to plants, in relation to the main investigated physico-chemical parameters and environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of chlorophyll a is dependent on a number of physico-chemical factors with high sensitivity to changes in water properties. Among the factors that influence the development of chlorophyll the most important are pH, temperature, solid suspensions, salinity, light, transparency, hydrology, and human activities. The sampling was carried out along the Danube from km 375, until the flow of the three arms into the Black Sea. A number of 25 points were selected along this length, which includes the eastern Pontic sector, the Predobrogean sector, and the Deltaic sector. The determinations were performed in June, in the years 2019 and 2020, a period in which the course of the Danube river usually has a tendency to reduce the flow. In the determinations performed along the Danube were identified low values of chlorophyll a varying between 2.77 µg / L and 7.23 µg / L in 2019 and between 1.98 µg / L and 9.91 µg / L in 2020, which correspond to quality class I according to the Order of the Minister of Waters and Environmental Protection 161 / 16.02.2006. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of sediments quality from the Romanian part of MONITOX Network was performed using both single indices - Single Ecological Risk Index (ErMe), Contamination Factor (CF Me), Enrichment Factor (EF Me), Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo Me) - and integrated indices - Ecological Risk Index (RI), Global Pollution Index (PLI), Nemerow Pollution Index (PI N), Degree of Contamination (mCd), Probability of Toxicity (MERMQ), Contamination Security Index (CSI) - considering the heavy metals concentrations. The sediments were collected in 2019 and 2020 from 32 sampling points in the system of Danube river - Danube Delta - Black Sea, as follows: Lower Danube RO-BG (1), Lower Danube RO (10), Lower Prut RO-MD border (2), Danube Delta RO-UA border (7), Danube Delta -RO (2), Black-Sea area-RO (10). The selected heavy metals investigated in this work by the ICP-MS technique are: Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn. For the evaluation of defined indices, the standard quality levels and background concentrations corresponding to the selected heavy metals were used. At the individual and integrated levels, it was observed an annual decreasing trend. The sediments from the Black Sea area are much less contaminated with heavy metals than those from the Lower Danube (Romania), attributed to the historical pollution resulting from anthropogenic activities. CSI - an index that includes the biological effects - shows values indicating that in 2019 and 2020 the sediments were unpolluted with heavy metals; however, the CSI value for both years (0.402 for 2019 and 0.398 for 2020) is very close to 0.5, the limit which separates the two quality classes/risk levels for heavy metals in sediments - uncontaminated and very low contaminated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil has an important influence on human health, especially for children, due to more frequent dermal contact, ingestion, and inhalation. Urban playgrounds are of particular concern, because of the presence of a multitude of dust particles of natural or anthropogenic origin, which could enter or interact with the toddlers' body. In this work, the soil samples were collected from important playgrounds from the city of Galati, Romania, being subjected to a mineralogical investigation by Total Attenuated Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (ATR-FTIR) technique using a BRUKER TENSOR 27 FTIR spectrometer coupled with a diamond ATR device. Preliminary results of ATR-FTIR analyses of the soil samples highlighted the presence of montmorillonite, kaolinite, quartz, and calcite as soil mineralogical constituents. The main aim of this paper was to observe if the characteristic peak of Chrysotile, a component of asbestos, can be identified in the spectra of the investigated target urban soils from playgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the methodology of analysis of industrial and environmental materials using Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) technique. The application of thick target PIXE technique using a 3 MeV proton beam at 3 MV Tandetron at Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), Romania, in industrial and environmental complex studies proved to be very useful for the identification of a large series of trace elements, some of them being toxic for living organisms and humans and others contributing to the elemental cycling in natural environments. The main elements determined by PIXE are K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Sr and Pb, using High Purity Germanium (HPGe) GDP-05145 (BSI) type detector of 20 mm2 surface, 8 mm thickness. In addition, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, and Cl could be determined using external beam PIXE with X-123 SDD Fast Amptek silicon detector of 25 mm2 surface, 500 µm thickness. PIXE technique successfully complements other atomic and nuclear techniques, such as: energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF), instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS), atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and ion beam technique particle-induced gamma-ray emission (PIGE). A discussion is made regarding the suitability of PIXE technique to be further used in studies related to soil-crop toxic metal transfer in an agroecosystem, as well as heavy metals biosorbtion from industrial wastewater, for the investigation of level of contamination with metals and toxicants occurrence in environmental factors and human health risk assessment. The paper was presented at the Scientific Conference of the Doctoral School of "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati (SCDS-UDJG), 7th edition, Galati, Romania, 13-14 June, 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cooperation between scientists and numismatics is needed because there is a practical requirement to extract all the information from materials in order to accomplish a complete research. In this paper several Romanian coins from early 20th century are analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive Xray spectroscopy (EDX) in order to determine the micro-chemical nature and structure in order to establish the conservation state and manufacturing method. The results indicated that the coins were authentic and for some cases mechanical evidences were presented, suggesting pre-heating before minting. Generally, the metallic samples were relatively well protect against the aggressive external factors but, due to the natural corrosion process, many corrosion products were formed on the metallic surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there is an urgent need to strengthen the scientific knowledge and to adopt the most appropriate means to monitor the emerging pollutants in different water and wastewater sources and at the same time to evaluate their actions and risks on human health. Emerging contaminants (ECs) or pollutants (EPs) are, in the widest sense, any synthetic or natural compound or any microorganism that is not ussualy found or monitored in the environment, with potentially known or suspected ecotoxicological and negative effects on human health. Among the EPs, pharmaceuticals and personal care products are well-known for their adverse reactions. Among pharmaceutical compounds, antibiotics such as amoxicillin, cefuroxime, ciprofloxacin etc. are recognized as a class of emerging contaminants due to the fact that these compounds have been massively administered to humans and animals and usually persist in the environment through a complex vicious cycle of biotransformation and bioaccumulation. Two other classes of emerging pollutants - endocrine disruptors and contraceptives - are compounds that can mimic or interfere with the normal function of hormones in the body. These substances can turn on, stop or alter the signals that hormones carry, which can in turn affect the normal functions of the body. As regards of pharmaceuticals, a set of programs has been launched in EU Member States to reduce the risks that they pose to human health and the environment, here including several comprehensive monitoring programs. In the light of the new regulations and the concerns regarding the presence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment, the experimental design is a very important step in achieving the detection of selected compounds, such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, endocrine disruptors and contraceptives, in the Romanian aquatic natural ecosystems. In this paper we highlighted the ecotoxicological effects of selected ECs and EPs, as well as the proposed methodology for their analysis. Part of this review was presented at the MONITOX International Symposium „Deltas and Wetlands", Tulcea, Romania, 15-17 September, 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat (Triticum vulgare L.) is one of the most cultivated plants in the Galati-Braila region, where after the latest statistical data, quantities of 4000-5000 kg/ ha/year have been obtained. The present study aims to investigate the contamination level of the wheat edible parts due to industrial activity. This aspect is of great interest for human nutrition, especially as the studied area is located in the air mass circulating zone that trains the toxic particles emitted by the Galati steel plant. An impact on the quality of agricultural production, regarding the contamination with toxic elements, may also have the defective application of chemical fertilizers, which in quantities not complying with plant needs and soil properties may lead to the loading of agricultural products with harmful elements. In order to determine the transfer level of contaminants (heavy metals) in grains, the concentrations of Cr and Zn both in soil and wheat were determined by specific techniques, such as High- Resolution Continuum Source Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (HR-CS AAS) applied at INPOLDE research center, ReForm multidisciplinary platform, "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati. Analytical results showed very high concentrations in soil for total Cr (117.10-383.10 mg/kg), exceeding approximately 13 times the maximum admissible limit (30 mg/kg), and for total Zn (63.31-136.59 mg/kg), exceeding sensitively the reference limit (100 mg/kg). Zn is known for its important role in the normal course of physiological processes in plants, but which in high concentrations can cause significant crop decline. Chromium is one of the most toxic elements which, if released in the soil solution, mostly under particular pH conditions, can be translocated into the plant tissues. The investigated grains show low concentrations of Cr and Zn. The bioaccumulation factor recorded values lower than 1, which means that the wheat grains do not accumulate these elements in excess, under this region climate and the given soil condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some resources such as soil, air and water are considered inexhaustible and renewable. But in reality, due to massive pollution, the quality of these resources is affected. Increasing quantities, together with the increasing complexity of pollutants, slow the natural processes of self-purification and self-purge. Current technologies used to clean and purify fail to restore the original resource quality. In this regard, algae have been introduced into various methods of treating polluted resources to improve current technologies or to replace them. Marine algae are photosynthetic aquatic plants, which become waste if they are not valorized. In the developed countries they are used as raw or secondary material in different industries. The most important issues of marine algae usage in various industrial applications (pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food, biofuel and sewage treatment industries) are reviewed in this paper, with a focus on their biosorption properties and valorification for accumulation of heavy metals from industrial wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper presents the results obtained by the application of energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (ED-XRF) for the determination of the elemental composition of various waste industrial materials. The technique was optimized for the analysis of several industrial hazardous wastes with a high content of heavy metals and sludge samples resulted from galvanizing processes, produced by a company which manufactures electrical and home appliances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the massive deforestation carried out since the 18th century, in order to use the land for agricultural purposes in conjunction with a number of ecopedological factors (friable geological substrate, intensification of the torrential nature of precipitation, etc.) and the anthropic factors (the unreasonable use of the slopes, erroneous application of agro-technical methods, etc.), the agricultural areas overlap with soil units with various physico-chemical properties depending on the intensity of pressure exerted by the mentioned factors. Under these conditions, the present paper aims to evaluate the edaphic resources of the chernozems in terms of agricultural potential in the Şendreni commune, Galati County, Romania. The studied area is pedoclimatically located in the micro-zone characterized by a warm-dry climate and a slightly rugged relief, where chernozems with typical, limestone and cambic subtypes have been identified, having medium textures (loam, sandy loam) and medium-fine (clay loam), with various structures ranging from grain to small and medium subangular polyhedrons, or even devoid of structure, in relation to the granulometric composition and the agrotechnical works performed. The cartographed chernozems show imbalances in the concentrations of the main macroelements. Research has shown that, in conjunction with local ecopedological factors, for each category of land use, these soils have very low to severe limitations on their use for agricultural purposes, with the observation that, by applying ameliorative measures such as works to prevent and combat accelerated soil erosion, ameliorative fertilization works, irrigation works, there is the prospect of obtaining high yields and satisfying from a nutritional point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a set of preliminary results obtained by the application of energy dispersive Xray fluorescence method, using portable instrumentation, to study the contamination with mercury of selected industrial soils, collected during decommissioning of a chlor-alkali plant. Mercury cell chlor-alkali plants use liquid mercury as a cathode in electrolytic cells to produce chlorine, sodium hydroxide and hydrogen by electrolysis of brine solution. The Hg emissions from these plants and contamination of surrounding soils, vegetation and aquatic ecosystems have been widely investigated in the last two decades, besides the human health impact, but information about the contamination of soils located under the electrolysis cell is very scarce. The Hg concentrations in the targeted soils are very high, ranging in the interval 10,624 – 12,627 mg/kg (average 11654.4 ± 712.1 mg/kg), values which are comparable with the results reported in similar studies in other countries, but extremely high compared with the legislated levels for soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main propose of this study was to assess the levels of some toxic substances in expressing the pollution degree of the aquatic ecosystems. A ten-yearinvestigation of 4heavy metals(such as As, Pb, Ni, Cr) in surface water and sediments samples from a representative aquatic complex in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (Matita-Merhei) was accomplished. The results (expressed in μg heavy metal/L for water samples and mg heavy metal/kg dry sediment samples) were annual mean concentrations (2006-2015) of heavy metals and were assessed according tothe European Water Framework Directive 2000/60/CE. The research conducted over the past decade has shown that the accumulation of the heavy metals in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve is, generally, determined by natural factors (natural frame, climate, drainage system), but also by the varied activities occurred in the border area. The analysis of the obtained results revealed that the quality standard was exceeded in the case of bottom sediment samples for Pb, Ni and Cr, with a general ascending trend as follows: As

Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) can provide important information regarding the molecular structure of organic and inorganic components and for this reason, it has been extensively used for the chemical characterization of geological samples in the last years. In this paper, we are presenting a spectroscopic analysis of several sedimentary rocks and fossil leaves deposited on these rocks, collected from "Răzvan Givulescu" fossil-bed Reservation of Chiuzbaia, Romania. The assignments of vibrational modes are performed using the current literature. The organic carbon originateing from vegetation is identified in ATR-FTIR spectra by the presence of two aliphatic methylene absorption bands. The mineralogical composition of sediment samples are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantity of produced sewage sludge (SS) from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is growing daily and the proper disposal of biosludge became a serious environmental issue worldwide. The socio-economic and legislative criteria have to be taken into consideration in order to proper manage and control the storage of these bio-wastes. One of the proposed solutions in European countries for the management of huge amounts of SS is land application in agriculture and for this purpose, the potentially toxic metal composition of SS should be assessed by employing accurate analytical techniques. In this work a strategy of environmental assessment is presented and a comparison is made for SS originated from WWTPs in Northern Greece serving two large municipalities (Kavala and Drama) as regards the occurrence of potentially toxic elements (PTE), the coefficients of variation of their concentrations during various periods of time and the appropriateness for their use as soil amendment. A comparison is made regarding the toxic metal levels from similar reports for various WWTPs in Greece and other countries in the world with the synthetic results obtained by us (expressed in mg kg-1 dry matter in the form: mean±SD, median and range, respectively): Kavala-Cd 1.46±0.60, 1.24, 0.8-2.5; Cr 40.6±27.7, 32, 14-85; Cu 119.7±37.8, 108, 69-198; Ni 17.9±8.7, 16.1, 8.8-34; Pb 61.0±16.1, 58, 37-96; Zn 978.2±91.8, 994, 810-1095 & Drama-Cd 2.28±1.90, 1.7, 1.3-7.3; Cr 108.9±89.2, 42, 24-239; Cu 126.8±39.5, 122, 53-191; Ni 33.9±18.2, 33, 14-64; Pb 48.1±15.1, 43, 33-74; Zn 1057.6±203.9, 1080, 798-1340. Although the sludge PTE concentration results demonstrate a large variability, the Kavala/Drama coefficients of variations (%) (Cd: 41.3/83.3; Cr: 68.1/81.9; Cu: 31.6/31.2; Ni: 48.3/53.6; Pb:26.3/31.4; Zn:9.4/19.3), are lower than those obtained in other wastewater works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a synthesis of the results obtained by the application of selected nuclear and Xray methods to study the microstructure and micro-composition of various environmental samples and solid materials, as well as radiometric techniques used for the assessment of environmental radioactivity. The employed methods were: energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) coupled with gamma-ray spectrometry. A discussion is made on the recent results obtained by the teams of Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics (FLNP), Joint Institute of Nuclear Research (JINR) at Dubna, Russia, and Physics Division at Department of Chemistry, Physics and Environment, Faculty of Sciences and Environment, "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati (UDJG) within the Romanian-Russian joint research projects and grants. The paper also highlights the involvement of young researchers and students from various study programs (doctoral, master, undergraduate) from UDJG in the research activities, sampling of environmental materials, samples' processing, measurements of environmental radioactivity, nuclear data interpretation and comparison with results obtained in the frame of MIS ETC 1676 Europeanfunded project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurements for gross alpha and gross beta activity represent the first step in the radiological characterization of drinking water. In this study it was determined the level of gross alpha and gross beta activity for the drinking water in Galati, Romania. 318 samples were collected during 2013 and 2014 from all the waterworks in Galati. In 2013 the gross alpha activity and gross beta activity ranged from 6.0 to 75.8 mBq L-1, and from 25.0 to 386.2 mBq L-1, respectively, while in 2014 the gross alpha activity and gross beta activity ranged from 6.0 to 85.2 mBq L-1, and 25.0 to 434.8 mBq L-1, respectively. Associating the gross alpha activity and gross beta activity with 210Po and 228Ra radionuclides, which are the most radiotoxic alpha and beta emitters, the annual effective dose due to water ingestion was calculated. The annual effective dose for adults ranged from 0.005 to 0.074 mSv y-1, and from 0.055 to 0.218 mSv y-1, associated with 210Po and 228Ra, respectively. These values were compared to the recommended value by the World Health Organization for annual effective dose (0.1 mSv y-1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an investigation was carried out on some organochlorine pesticides in water samples collected from the Prut River on the segment Costesti-Stinca - Giurgiulesti during March 2016. The studies were conducted at the Institute of Zoology, Laboratory of Hydrobiology and Ecotoxicology, Academy of Sciences of Moldova. The quantitative analysis of sample extractions was carried out in conformity with the EPA 8081A method at gas chromatograph Clarus 500 with a capillary column Elite CLP (30m×0.32mm ID, 0.50 μm film) and ECD detector. Among 17 studied pollutants, three compounds (γ-BHC, 4.4'-DDE, 4.4-DDD) were detected. The concentration of γ-BHC ranged from 0.116 to 0.144 μg/1; of4.4-DDE ranged from 0.129 to 0.187 and 4.4-DDE was detected in only one sample site - Costesti-Stinca - in concentration of 0.362 μg/1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 20 scientific expeditions were carried out during 2014 - 2015 in the frame of the project MIS ETC 1676 with the aim of studying the current state of hydrobiont communities and their habitats in the Lower Danube Basin within the boundaries of Moldova, Ukraine and Romania. One of the specific research objectives was to study the taxonomic structure of zooplankton communities in lentic and lotic type of ecosystems. Two sampling sites were detected where habitat conditions are reasonably favorable for zooplankton communities: Giurgiulesti in the Lower Prut and Isaccea in the Lower Danube. The sector Gotesti upstream - Gotesti downstream of the Prut River was determined as the least favorable habitat for the hydrobionts of zooplankton. The results will be corroborated with those obtained for the physico-chemical parameters of water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an investigation was carried out on some organochlorine pesticides in water samples collected from the Prut River on the segment Costesti-Stinca - Giurgiulesti during March 2016. The studies were conducted at the Institute of Zoology, Laboratory of Hydrobiology and Ecotoxicology, Academy of Sciences of Moldova. The quantitative analysis of sample extractions was carried out in conformity with the EPA 8081A method at gas chromatograph Clarus 500 with a capillary column Elite CLP (30m×0.32mm ID, 0.50 μm film) and ECD detector. Among 17 studied pollutants, three compounds (γ-BHC, 4.4'-DDE, 4.4'-DDD) were detected. The concentration of γ-BHC ranged from 0.116 to 0.144 μg/l; of 4.4'-DDE ranged from 0.129 to 0.187 and 4.4'-DDE was detected in only one sample site - Costesti-Stinca - in concentration of 0.362 μg/l. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increase of "greenhouse gases" level, rise caused by human activities, have artificially accentuated the greenhouse effect, resulting in increasing of global temperatures and disturbing climate. This paper analyzed the concentrations of three greenhouse gases recorded for Romania in 2011. The data come from European Environment Agency, Airbase. In the database of European Environment Agency, 2011 is the last year where there are data on greenhouse gas emissions. Annual average concentrations of analyzed greenhouse gases exceeded the thresholds in many cities around Romania especially in highly industrialized centers and large population cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environment and pollution are some of the key topics today, since they are directly related to our life quality. The need for energy is continuously growing and even though more and more countries try to apply on larger scale ecological technologies for energy production, their cost-efficiency rate is not yet good enough and the production capacity is not yet high enough as to eliminate the other, so-called classical energy production methods. Thus, nuclear technology remains one very important energy production means worldwide, especially for those countries which do not possess enough rivers or conventional fuels for hydro and thermal energy production. This paper deals with the study of the evolution of nuclear capacity of some of the most developed countries as related to the risk of nuclear accidents and with their consequences, as compared to the risks involved by the other energy production technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we have evaluated the toxicological activity of some insecticide using the computational molecular modeling. In the last decades, the frequently and constant using of insecticides in agriculture generated serious environmental and health problems. The molecular modeling methods offer one of several complementary approaches to evaluate the potential risk to the human health and the environment as a result of exposure to environmental chemicals. We have chosen for study a powerful and persistent insecticide i.e. the dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) compound, which is prohibited in all over the world under the Stockholm Convention (2004). Also, we have selected for research some insecticides i.e. 4 compounds belonging to the organochlorine class, 5 organophosphate compounds, 7 carbamate compounds and 3 neonicotinoids, that are currently used in agriculture. In order to compute a set of molecular descriptors such as Verhaar Fish base-line toxicity (BLTF96), Verhaar Daphnia base-line toxicity (BLTD48), Verhaar Algae base-line toxicity (BLTA96), which characterize the toxicological activity, the 3D molecular structures of insecticides included in the database were fully optimized using the AM1 semi-empirical method with Polak-Ribiere algorithm. A comparative analysis from point of view of toxicity between DDT and the rest of compounds has been performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Danube is the second largest river in Europe, having 2857 km long, with a drainage area of almost 801,500 square kilometers. The urbanization, industrialization and agriculture mechanization development have led to the deterioration of Danube water quality due to various contaminants. The aim of this research was to evaluate the main physico-chemical indicators of Danube water, Chilia branch, mainly in Isaccea, Chilia, Izmail and Vilkovo areas, located in the Romania- Ukraine border region. The samples were collected during year 2014, in spring and autumn seasons, and were analyzed in the laboratory for Ecology and Exploitation of Aquatic Resources, at the Department of Aquaculture, Environmental Sciences and Cadastre, Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, "Dunărea de Jos" University of Galati. Sampling and analysis of physical and chemical indicators were performed in accordance with the current standards, available for each indicator separately. The investigated physico-chemical parameters were: pH, dissolved oxygen (DO) and nutrients (N-NH4+, N-NO3-, P-PO43+). The results of this research showed that in the Isaccea, Chilia, Izmail and Vilkovo areas, the physico-chemical indicators are slightly above the admissible values mentioned in surface water quality standard classification (No.161/2006). This is most probably a direct result of human and industrial activities from the previous mentioned areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between humans and the environment is complex and difficult to be managed, since all the components interact and influence one another on different spatial and time scales. Air quality represents, along with water and soil properties, a key part of the environmental status. In order to protect human health, the concentration and the evolution of atmospheric pollutants must be thoroughly monitored as related to the anthropogenic activities which are their main sources. Particulate matter, either PM10 or PM2.5, along with tropospheric ozone play an important negative role within air quality, since they are some of the most common pollutants present in urban agglomerations, spreading on large areas and affecting significantly our health on short timescale. This paper deals with the study of both the evolution of the concentration of tropospheric ozone and particulate matter over Europe, but also with the overall air quality index distribution and status on our continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water quality assessment can be defined as the evaluation of the physical, chemical and biological parameters of water in relation to natural quality, human effects and intended uses. The present paper's aim was to determine the water quality collected from different areas of Lower Danube Euroregion, Romania, in Galati and Tulcea regions. The chemical and microbiological quality of the investigated groundwater and surface water indicates a low level of organic contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents some results obtained for complex matrices with different uses in industry, environment and health (steels, metallurgical slag, lithium nitride) after irradiation with radioisotope X-ray primary beams and electron beams and recording of corresponding energy dispersive X-ray spectra. Characteristic X-ray spectra highlight the presence of major and trace elements in the multi-elemental samples, such as As, Ga, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Fe, Co, Pb and Zn in energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF ) and C, O, S, P, Si, Ca, Na, K, La, Ce, Nd, Ga, Mo, Pr, Rh, Sm, Sn, Mg, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Ni, Cu, Mn, Fe, Co, As and Zn in scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX). Extension of the work will be done employing SEM-EDX for impurity analysis in selected samples of Li-N and B-N systems synthesized at different pressures, within the Romanian-Russian joint project JINR Dubna between Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics (FLNP) of Joint Institute of Nuclear Research (JINR) at Dubna, Russia, and Physics Division within the Department of Chemistry, Physics and Environment, Faculty of Sciences and Environment, "Dunărea de Jos" University of Galati. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand the environment at macroscopic level, it is necessary to begin the study from the microscopic level. If the problem is studied at molecular level the results will give a better view of the mobility and bioavailability of the contaminants that can be present in the soil. With Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) it can be achieved a study of observation of the soil grains, the bound between particles, the shape of the clays, giving general information about the morphological properties of the soil. EDX technique (Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy) gives qualitative information of the sample. SEM, in conjunction with EDX, represents an important first step in the study of soil pollution. Future investigations are needed in order to have a complete view of the pollution problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the mechanisms that drive spatial pattern changes over space and time is a central goal of landscape ecology, but these patterns are often complex. Multifractals, an extension of the concept of fractal geometry, is especially suited to the description of complex patterns. In our paper, we examine the scaling properties of forest spatial patterns over some decades of forest expansion and deforestation in a few regions, using multifractal analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electron microscopy images of powder materials of Li-N system obtained at pressures of 1-10 atm in the frame of a Romanian-Russian joint project (JINR Dubna no. 51/2012) are interpreted in terms of multifractal geometry. Fractal geometry is a theory describing the distribution of inhomogeneous or irregular objects, and fractal dimension is an important parameter for measuring the extent of irregularity. The presence of particles of irregular shape indicates a high reaction rate of formation. In addition, multifractal geometry will allow us to see if there is an amount of fine particles with increasing pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lower Prut Meadow represents a natural park where it is expected that CE 92/43/EEC and CE 79/409/EEC directives should be respected, according to the conservation of the natural habitats such as species of flora and fauna, and the conservation of the bird species. Two types of factors, the geoaccumulation index and enrichment factor, were calculated and used to identify the level of soil pollution. Both factors indicated that the level of pollution in the Lower Prut River Meadow is found between unpolluted to slightly polluted class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diagnosis of most important portal and vascular problems of the liver (portal vein thrombosis, hepatoportal sclerosis and nodular regenerative hyperplatia) is very difficult. Our paper presents a way for automatisation of diagnosis of these three problems using multifractal geometry on images obtained by biopsy. Analyzing the multifractal spectrum we can make a clear distinction between these three problems of the liver. We consider this separation as a first step to automatisation of the diagnosis of these problems of the liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image segmentation divides an image into regions or categories, which correspond to different objects or parts of objects presented into image. In image processing, edges represent and mark boundaries and, moreover, edge detection allows the identification and localization of sharp discontinuities in an image. As matter of fact, the intensity inhomogeneity is the main drawback of segmentation an image into homogeneous objects and various edge detection operators are available, dedicated and sensitive to certain types of edges. This paper presents a study of image edge detection technique and investigates the performance of Canny, Sobel and Prewitt operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the analytical techniques of X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Gas Chromatography with Electron Capture Detection (GC-ECD) and coupled with Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) are used in order to assess the level of industrial and agricultural pollution of soils. The soil samples were collected from Galati County, near an industrial plant and near cultivated areas. In this study, it is investigated the way in which the anthropic activities influence the quality of the environment, due to the contribution of inorganic and organic elements enrichments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]