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• Safety of weed biocontrol has further improved; success not at the same rate. • We review eight tools and procedures to enhance pre-release weed biocontrol studies. • They are context specific and applicable to different stages of a project. • Traditional host specificity testing will remain of paramount importance. Thorough pre-release studies to determine the environmental safety of biocontrol agents and to predict their effectiveness in controlling the target weed are crucial parts of any weed biocontrol project. Over the last five to six decades, the scientific rigor of pre-release investigations has constantly improved, reflected in a continuous decrease of nontarget attack incidences. Success rates have also increased, but are more variable, and the proportion of biocontrol agent releases leading to heavy impact has remained stagnant since the 1950 s at an approximate maximum of 25 %. In this paper, we review four methodological approaches that can further enhance environmental safety testing of weed biocontrol agents prior to release. These methodological approaches are (i) chemical ecology, (ii) predictability of field host use through relative performance analysis, (iii) quantification of field host range data, and (iv) experimental evolutionary studies. These approaches are not meant to substitute traditional host specificity testing, which remains the foundation of environmental safety assessments of weed biocontrol agents. Instead, they are meant to provide additional quantitative, behavioral, physiological and evolutionary insights to more accurately predict the realized host range of agents, and to further improve interpretation of host specificity data. We also review four methodological approaches that can facilitate increasing the effectiveness of weed biocontrol agents. These are (i) biocontrol agent and target weed trait analysis, (ii) experimental and field-based impact assessments, (iii) climate suitability studies, and (iv) target weed demography. The caveat of some of the tools and procedures is that they are context specific and not universally suitable for every weed biocontrol project. In addition, some of the approaches require substantial post-release data to corroborate their predictions. We are convinced that the tools and procedures reviewed here along with continued technological advances will refine predictions about the environmental safety and effectiveness of weed biocontrol agents. We also hope that this paper will motivate biocontrol scientists to not only adopt some of the tools more routinely, but ideally to improve them or to develop other novel methods outright. The more that analytical and explanatory research is conducted during weed biocontrol pre-release studies, the more credible the discipline will become. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ciprofloxacin (CIP) toxicity and salinity stress in agricultural soils cause risk to environmental and food safety. Consequently, it is essential to devise or use more effective techniques for mitigating salinity and ciprofloxacin-induced stress in soil. This study includes the nZVI-loaded biochar synthesis, integrating the unique characteristics of raw biochar with nZVI. The present study examined the impact of raw and nZVI-loaded biochar on soil quality and the mitigation of salinity stress and Ciprofloxacin toxicity in wheat plants. The results showed that the application of nZVI-loaded biochar treatments led to substantial enhancement in shoot biomass, root biomass, grain biomass, and spike biomass by 152.1, 54.3 %, 59.8 %, and 151 %, respectively compared to control treatment. The treatment with nZVI-loaded biochar significantly increased the rates of photosynthesis and transpiration, as well as the conductance of stomata. It also resulted in higher levels of intercellular CO 2 , photosynthetic pigments, and water use efficiency with increases of 49 %, 59 %, 57 %, 37 %, 40 %, and 95 %, respectively. The nZVI-loaded biochar significantly decreased electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde (MDA), and hydrogen peroxide levels compared to the NaCl treatment alone. It also enhanced the activities of enzymatic antioxidants such as peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). The non-enzymatic antioxidants including total soluble sugars (TSS), flavonoids, total soluble proteins (TSP), phenolics, ascorbic acid, anthocyanin, proline, and glycine betaine significantly influenced by the nZVI-loaded biochar. The nZVI-loaded biochar effectively alleviates the stress of soils that are contaminated with hazardous amounts of Ciprofloxacin while improving the soil and plant health. [Display omitted] • nZVI-loaded biochar proved highly efficient in mitigating ciprofloxacin contamination and salinity stress in wheat. • nZVI-loaded biochar reduced oxidative stress with subsequent increase in enzymatic and non-Enzymatic antioxidants in wheat. • nZVI-loaded biochar also enhanced the gas exchange attributes, WUE performance and wheat yield under stress. • nZVI-loaded biochar provides an eco-friendly option to improve soil fertility and mitigate soil pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitroquinolines are an important toxic element in ecosystems and have great significance for monitoring the environmental system with appropriate tools for safety assessments. In this work, we developed a sensitive method for accurate and low-level detection of 5-nitroquinoline (5-NQ) using 1T-molybdenum disulfide core shells unified with nitrogen-rich amorphous carbon nanotube (1T-MoS 2 /NCNT). The 1T-MoS 2 /NCNT core-shells composite is prepared using a hydrothermal method to fabricate a ratiometric low-level detection of a 5-NQ sensor. The screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) modified with 1T-MoS 2 /NCNT reveals superior electrochemical performance for the detection of 5-NQ with a wide dual linear range of 0.03–258.58 µM and 274.91–604.25 µM, low-level detection limit (LOD) of 0.0089 µM, and a higher sensitivity of 1.83 µA µM−1 cm−2 due to its higher electrochemical active surface area, superior conductivity, and excellent stability. The π-delocalized electrons in 5-NQ facilitate the rapid electron transfer at the electrode-electrolyte interface, allowing easy conjugation with 1T-MoS 2 /NCNT. The operational stability of the sensor retains 98.7 % after 40 consecutive cycles. In addition, the achieved recovery rates are 96.80–99.76 % and 97.93–99.75 % for 5-NQ detection in various soils and water samples, signifying its feasibility for real-time industrial waste monitoring. [Display omitted] • The core-shell 1 T-MoS 2 /NCNT is constructed for low-level and accurate detection of 5-NQ in environmental samples. • 1 T-MoS 2 /NCNT exhibits excellent conductivity, enlarged interlayer distance, and higher active surface area. • It displays a dual linear range of 0.03–258.58 µM and 274.91–604.25 µM and a lower detection limit of 0.0089 µM. • Real-time analysis of the sensor retains the high-level recovery in soil and water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The off-target loss of pesticide formulations caused by volatilization and leaching has reduced effective utilization and increased risks to the ecological environment and human health. Self-assembly of pesticides has been widely concerned due to the improved bioactivity and environmental compatibility. Herbicidal ionic liquids (HILs) could effectively decrease off-target loss and increase efficacy and environmental safety by improving the physicochemical properties of herbicides. Herein, HILs were prepared by pairing dicamba with quaternary ammonium salts containing different alkyl chain lengths and aromatic groups and subsequently self-assembled into spherical nanoparticles (HIL NPs) via electrostatic interaction and hydrophobic effect. Compared with dicamba, the obtained HIL NPs with an average particle size of 6–55 nm exhibited improved physicochemical properties, including high zeta potential values (+20.3 to +27.8 mV), low volatilization rate (2.4–3.9 %) and surface tension (22.83–33.07 mN m−1), decreased contact angle (32.25–41.55°) and leaching potential (76.2–86.5 %), and high soil adsorption (12.1–23.8 %), suggesting low risks to the environment. The control efficacy against Amaranthus retroflexus of HIL3 NPs pairing dicamba with octadecyl-trimethyl ammonium chloride was better than that of dicamba sodium salt at different concentrations. Therefore, the ionic liquid self-assembly developed by a facile and green preparation approach to reduce the volatility and leaching of pesticides would have enormous potential in sustainable agriculture. [Display omitted] • Five dicamba-based ionic liquids (HILs) were prepared through metathesis reaction. • HILs were self-assembled into nanoparticles (HIL NPs) via noncovalent interactions. • The obtained HIL NPs had desirable physicochemical properties. • The HIL NPs had an improved herbicidal activity. • The HIL NPs could reduce the off-target loss and risks to the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the world's ever-increasing population, portable water needs have significantly increased. This has put enormous pressure on the limited supply of freshwater around the globe and has necessitated the development of water treatment technologies that would convert saline waters into potable water for domestic and industrial uses. As saline water is treated for usage, so is wastewater generated from domestic and industrial processes. More prominently, another wastewater source is produced water consequent to oil production. Wastewater and produced water are similar in that they are both high in pollutants (heavy metals), which in discharge streams need to be kept within a threshold. The fact that heavy and rare earth metals linked to the produced water cannot be completely removed by state-of-the-art technologies is even more concerning. Thus, a complementary technology must be developed for this reason. This study investigates the mineralization of water-polluting heavy metals. The approach adopted involves the exposure of contaminated water to atmospheric or captured CO 2 and the use of additives to achieve the removal. To gain a deeper understanding of how these innovative efforts function, the study also looked into the mechanism used to eliminate the heavy metals. The findings show that heavy metals in produced water and industrial effluent can be precipitated and immobilized to remove them. More so, this is made possible by the infusion of heavy metals into the crystal structures of precipitates like aragonite, calcite, and halite. Furthermore, the mechanism of the heavy metal removal involves their dehydration, immobilization and precipitation. Additionally, DFT calculations were utilized to support the experimental results by shedding light on the heavy metal hydration's ground-state structures and how EDTA chelates the heavy metals and enhances the process kinetics. The study's findings show how this strategy complements the most advanced wastewater treatment method in terms of increasing its efficiency and water security and safety. More so, as this is a pioneering effort, the optimum concentration of chelating agent and route (atmospheric or captured CO 2) must be determined on a case-to-case basis for field implementation. Furthermore, the limitation of this study is that the efficiency of heavy metal removal may differ based on the starting brine composition, thus, optimization must be conducted beforehand. [Display omitted] • Heavy metal removal through its immobilization and precipitation. • Heavy metal removal by the infusion of metals into crystal structures of precipitates. • Ground state hydration of heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigates the problems of compliance with the legislative requirements in the use of agricultural land in Ukraine, depending on who directly extracts useful properties from such land plots: employees of agricultural enterprises, or the owners of these lands – farmers, members of agricultural cooperatives, citizens who engaging in agricultural production activities individually. The article provides examples of the impact of the activities of workers and the labour of agricultural landowners on the state of land use, compliance with environmental safety requirements, deterioration, and improvement of the quality of land plots. Research of legal issues of targeted, rational, and efficient use of land plots, ensuring the requirements for the preservation of the natural environment, biological diversity and ecosystems contained in the study, provide an opportunity to draw certain conclusions, the essence of which comes down to the fact that the current state of legal relations concerning the use of land plots by employees and landowners needs to be reformed. This is conditioned upon the fact that employees are not motivated to improve the quality of land and its soils, comply with environmental safety requirements, and preserve biological diversity in ecosystems that include the corresponding land plots. Since the main motivation is to obtain a certain benefit, and sanctions for non-compliance with the requirements of legislation in the field of land protection are inefficient, the use of hired labour in agriculture is often described as a negligent and mindless attitude towards land use and ensuring environmental safety. But the owner or user of a land plot that uses it as a farmer, cooperative member, entrepreneur, etc., is motivated not only to make a profit at a given time, but also to improve its quality characteristics, ensure environmental safety, and preserve ecosystem biological diversity, since this is a factor in the stability of obtaining profits from agricultural activities performed on a certain site and in the future

The ubiquitous trend of intensive exploitation of natural resources at the national and global level can cause a series of environmental, political and social disturbances. The need for a healthy environment, on the one hand, and the improvement of people's living standards in the 21st century, on the other, are often incompatible despite the constant formal emphasis on the term or dissonant interpretation of the importance of the concept of sustainable development. In the theoretical sense, changes (disturbances) in the environment are the result of complex natural and social cause-and-effect actions, which, viewed in a wider context, unites ecological security. It can also be said that the conditional degradation of space is an inevitable consequence of the initiation of development, provided that the impacts are reduced to a minimum level by rehabilitation and recultivation of the space and the living environment (which primarily refers to the construction of infrastructure and the arrangement of space for various purposes). This is solved during the preparation of planning documents, environmental impact analyzes and measures and policies for the implementation of planning solutions. Accordingly, for the purpose of researching changes in space and improving the solution to the scientific problem of the lack of adequate methodology for achieving ecological security on the territory of the Republic of Serbia, the most important natural resources were identified as basic indicators in this work: water, soil, air and biodiversity. In accordance with the projected goal (systematic description of the state of ecological security in the territory of the Republic of Serbia with a special reference to the state of natural resources), one of the main techniques will be the analysis of the content of documents created or generated within individual national institutions, as well as international and non-governmental organizations. According to the available data, it can be concluded that the current state of ecological security in the Republic of Serbia is violated or is potentially threatened, bearing in mind the fact that the main cause of the disturbance is the excessive or uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources, the trend of realizing short-term financial benefits, the absence of implementation of planned solutions, the creation of conflicts for the purpose of space and the application of measures against endangering the living environment.

The aim of the study is to increase the level of industrial safety of enterprises engaged in bunkering of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for shipment by sea. The objectives of the study are to conduct a comprehensive and structural analysis of the production and transportation of LNG, identify promising and economically significant projects for the sale of LNG for export and Russian market, prepare a matrix of regulatory legal regulation in the field of requirements for industrial facilities implementing LNG supplies. The main criteria are requirements, presented to the transport and unloading hub, ports, factories, education and training of staff, ensuring the performance of technological operations. The hypothesis of the study is to identify gaps in the existing legislation, which are proposed to be filled by developing a risk management concept that will not only ensure the identification of risks at individual production sites, but also allow to determine the structure of the occupational health and safety management system, requirements for personal protective equipment, development and the introduction of barriers to potential danger, as well as prevention of emergencies and emergency situations. The result of the research is a concept based on a risk-based approach to managing an organization.

The objective of this study was to develop a mathematical model to determine the tendency of the groundwater level changes under the influence of external factors to prevent environmentally hazardous impacts and emergency situations. Mathematical methods (analytical solution of differential filtration equations involved the computer program Maple) - for creation the groundwater level changes model, methods of ecological and economic assessment and comparative analysis - for the identification of groundwater level impact important factors and groundwater level impact on the environment, balance method - for assessing the groundwater level changes. The mathematical model in 2D formulation works from any value of the initial groundwater level. The value of groundwater level changing at constant evapotranspiration has been obtained, which has been visualized by calculations for limited areas of the Kharkiv territory. Three-dimensional modelling of groundwater level changing in contrast to two-dimensional allows to take into account the dependence of evapotranspiration on the presence of artificial coverings on the soil surface, which are located unevenly and have different filtration coefficients, which causes corresponding groundwater level changes of urban areas. The nature of groundwater level changes under the influence of external factors has been determined. The necessity to create three-dimensional mathematical models to describe groundwater level changes and improve forecasts of their changes have been identified. A three-dimensional mathematical model of urban groundwater level changes, such as atmospheric water infiltration, additional groundwater replenishment, transpiration, evaporation, evapotranspiration, and groundwater abstraction has been developed. The boundary conditions of the three-dimensional mathematical model have been formulated.

Освещается проблема оценки уровня сформированности компетентности экологической безопасности у курсантов факультета тыла. Задачи разработки методики и измерения компетентности как предмета контроля результатов обучения являются актуальными и в то же время вызывают трудность и в теоретическом, и в практическом плане, так как общепризнанные методы в системе образования отсутствуют. Исследование нацелено на изучение имеющихся в современной педагогике подходов, методов для оценки компетентности экологической безопасности, а также на разработку критериев в соответствии с дублинскими дескрипторами для ее компонентов и описание уровней. Особое внимание уделено интегративному и ассессмент-центр подходам как наиболее значимым для диагностики компетентности экологической безопасности. В соответствии с дублинскими дескрипторами предложены пять главных критериев оценки когнитивного, ценностно-мотивационного и деятельностно-практического компонентов компетентности экологической безопасности. В целях определения динамики развития компетентности выделены и описаны характерные особенности каждого из пяти компонентов на низком, среднем и высоком уровнях. Во-первых, для каждого уровня раскрывается объем и содержание знаний, умений и навыков, необходимых для выполнения мероприятия по сохранению окружающей среды и природных ресурсов. Во-вторых, охарактеризованы такие сущностные индикаторы, как совокупность интересов, целей, потребностей и мотивов, убеждений по обеспечению экологической безопасности. В целом можно сказать, что проблему контроля и оценки качества формирования компетентности экологической безопасности у курсантов возможно решить с применением дублинских дескрипторов.

Actuality. Studies of soil pollution assessment are based on scientific principles that define a complex system of environmental safety management in the context of increased exposure to sources of secondary dust pollution of the atmosphere. To ensure environmental safety under conditions of high levels of dust pollution, it is necessary to apply and improve the relevant models. Among the many types of environmental pollution, dust pollution of the atmospheric air and the deposition of harmful substances on the soil are particularly dangerous. This pollution can take two forms: direct emissions from industrial enterprises (primary) or the formation of secondary pollution through physical and chemical processes in places where dust-like waste is stored. Fine waste after air purification with dimensions of less than 100 microns is particularly hazardous. In modern environmental monitoring and assessment of soil pollution, special attention is paid to remote methods that allow for more effective monitoring of the impact of human activity and solving environmental problems. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles is one such method that has positive results. The purpose of the article is to solve the scientific problem of improving aerospace methods based on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for monitoring and assessing the quality of soil pollution. The object of the study is the use of aerospace tools for monitoring and assessing the condition of soil cover. To achieve this goal, the following tasks have been defined: to study the current state and ways to improve the efficiency of UAVs in the system of environmental monitoring of soils; to develop models of environmental assessment; to analyze existing approaches to the use of aerospace assets for monitoring and assessing the state of soil cover. Conclusions: a methodological approach based on a modified method of the comprehensive assessment of the level of technogenic hazard of industrial facilities is proposed to assess the state of environmental safety in conditions of intense dust pollution of the atmospheric air.

Informal settlements suffer sanitation challenges of inadequate toilet facilities and a high accumulation rate of faecal sludge due to land crises and dense populations. However, settlement people who struggle with informal living, either way, manage to keep their toilets running. This research explores faecal sludge management practices by people in informal settlements. It took Notun-Bazar Char Khulna as a case, purposefully sampled toilets, and populations, and conducted interviews and group discussions among settlement people, sweepers, key persons, and detailed observations of settlement premises. It also mapped excreta flows and discharge locations in drawings and diagrams. It illustrates how faecal sludge from all types of containment ending in the water is unsafe. This study analytically finds practices related to periodical containment management, Collective emptying mechanism, and faecal sludge’s conditional conveyance available in the informal settlement. It suggests developing environmentally safe faecal sludge management in informal settlements with an appreciation of the identified practices.

As microplastic pollution has become an emerging environmental issue of global concern, microplastics in aquaculture have become a research hotspot. For environmental safety, economic efficiency and food safety considerations, a comprehensive understanding of microplastic pollution in aquaculture is necessary. This review outlines an overview of sources and effects of microplastics in aquaculture. External environmental inputs and aquaculture processes are sources of microplastics in aquaculture. Microplastics may release harmful additives and adsorb pollutants in aquaculture environment, cause deterioration of aquaculture environment, as well as cause toxicological effects, affect the behavior, growth and reproduction of aquaculture products, ultimately reducing the economic benefits of aquaculture. Microplastics entering the human body through aquaculture products also pose potential health risks at multiple levels. Microplastic pollution removal strategies used in aquaculture in various countries are also reviewed. Ecological interception and purification are considered to be effective methods. In addition, strengthening aquaculture management and improving fishing gear and packaging are also currently feasible solutions. As proactive measures, new portable microplastic monitoring system and remote sensing technology are considered to have broad application prospects. And it was encouraged to comprehensively strengthen the supervision of microplastic pollution in aquaculture through talent exchange and strengthening the construction of laws and regulations.

Due to its ubiquitous presence in the environment and the lack of a scientific consensus regarding the environmental safety of the widely used anionic surfactant Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (CAS No: 151-21-3), a systematic literature review and thematic analysis was conducted. All studies about sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in the environment in key databases were reviewed, with coding methods used to identify impact categories from SLS exposure without potential narration bias.Based on the limited number of studies on SLS, there is empirical evidence of this surfactant contributing to environmental toxicity at various concentrations (0.004–3509 mg L-1), with aquatic organisms at a higher risk from exposure. Furthermore, exposure to SLS can elicit changes to various organismic processes and environmental equilibrium. Hence, further study on SLS in various environmental compartments is recommended to monitor the level of SLS pollution, understand its behavior upon contact with various environmental media, and understand its impacts on flora and fauna. Lastly, SLS quantification should be done on commonly used consumer products to potentially regulate its use and to consequently curb SLS pollution from its source.

This review was undertaken to identify the specific market requirements of major international buyers of Nigerian ginger (Zingiber officinale) and how adoption of good agricultural practices (GAP) could help to attain these standards. The paper carefully discussed the standards and compliance requirements for Nigerian ginger meant for export, review the activities of the agencies responsible for monitoring and ensuring compliance with the standards and concluded by evaluating how good agricultural practices (GAPS) could help to attain environmental sustainability in ginger production. Given that the GAPs certification is the precondition for admission of produce’s sale in the international markets, adoption of GAPs such as soil and water resources management, improved land use management, restoration of degraded land, biodiversity conservation, integrated pest and fertilizer management amongst other agronomic practices would be necessary to attain these standards. However, current challenges in the adoption and application of GAP in ginger value chain in Nigeria include poor farming and marketing practices, lack of knowledge of the principles, practices and protocols of GAPs, lack of awareness on the availability of premium prices for organically - produced ginger, inadequacy of organic farm inputs, availability of diverse country specific standards, make it difficult for farmers to meet the GAP standards. These challenges notwithstanding, organization of Nigerian ginger farmers into easily accessible and manageable clusters/cooperatives is one of the major ways of addressing the challenges of adoption of GAPs in the ginger value chain.

The effluents of industrial wastes contain a number of dyes and pigments that have been found to be extremely harmful to the environment and pose a threat to human existence. The fabrication of palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) employing aqueous extract of the seasonal flower Butea Monosperma (BM) to work as reducing, capping, and stabilizing agents in a convenient, one-step method by autoclaving method is presented in the current study. UV–Visible spectroscopy, FT-IR, XRD, DLS, and TEM analyses were used to evaluate the phytoconstituents fabricated PdNPs. The synthesis of PdNPs and the catalytic discoloration of toxic chemical dyes are both detectable using optical absorption spectroscopy. The functional groups responsible for reducing and anchoring the PdNPs contained in the extract were detected using FTIR. The powder XRD pattern reveals that the particles in the FCC structure are crystalline and spherical, and that they are stable according to Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). According to TEM analysis, PdNPs have crystallite sizes that vary from 3 to 8 nm on average. In excess sodium borohydride (SBH), the PdNPs showed excellent catalytic activity in the degradation of organic dyes like Methylene Blue (MB), Methyl Orange (MO), Crystal Violet (CV), and Methyl Red (MR), with apparent reduction rates of 0.56 min−1, 0.45 min−1, 0.40 min−1, and 0.39 min−1, respectively. The kinetic studies show that the degradation rate appears to follow pseudo-first order kinetics. The current study offers a successful strategy for the widespread green biosynthesis of PdNPs for possible catalytic applications.

Ionizing radiation can reduce survival, reproduction and affect development, and lead to the extinction of populations if their evolutionary response is insufficient. However, demographic and evolutionary studies on the effects of ionizing radiation are still scarce. Using an experimental evolution approach, we analyzed population growth rate and associated change in life history traits across generations in Caenorhabditis elegans populations exposed to 0, 1.4, and 50.0 mGy.h−1 of ionizing radiation (gamma external irradiation). We found a higher population growth rate in the 1.4 mGy.h−1 treatment and a lower in the 50.0 mGy.h−1 treatment compared to the control. Realized fecundity was lower in both 1.4 and 50.0 mGy.h−1 than control treatment. High irradiation levels decreased brood size from self-fertilized hermaphrodites, specifically early brood size. Finally, high irradiation levels decreased hatching success compared to the control condition. In reciprocal-transplant experiments, we found that life in low irradiation conditions led to the evolution of higher hatching success and late brood size. These changes could provide better tolerance against ionizing radiation, investing more in self-maintenance than in reproduction. These evolutionary changes were with some costs of adaptation. This study shows that ionizing radiation has both demographic and evolutionary consequences on populations.

The article presents the study's results of the problem of developing theoretical foundations for assessing the impact of tin ore processing wastes stored in the Vysokogorskoye tailing dump (Primorsky Territory). The object of the study was the natural mining industrial systems of the Kavalerovsky tin ore region of the Primorsky Territory of the Far Eastern Federal District (FEFD). Based on comprehensive studies of the surface of the tailing dump, an assessment of the scale of environmental damage accumulated in the last century by the closed Khrustalnensky MPP is presented. The peculiarities of the migration of pollutants in environmental objects are studied, and the regularities of their anthropogenic pollution are revealed. A new method of rehabilitating the surface of a tailing dump containing toxic waste using the potential of biological systems has been proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature data on the preparation, physicochemical characteristics, and structure of pentaene macrolide antibiotic lienomycin with various biological activities were systematized. Prospects for obtaining and using polyfunctional (multi-target) drugs were considered. The results of the search for hybrid drugs with improved medical and biological properties were generalized. The published data on chemical modification of antibiotics, which affords low-toxic, highly effective semi-synthetic derivatives with an extended spectrum of biological action, were discussed. The prospects for use of genetic engineering techniques for obtaining antibiotic derivatives were noted. The directions for the search of polyfunctional drugs with the view of improving the ecological situation associated with their development and application in medical practice were considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tourism industry is concentrated within the boundaries of the Subcarpathia Forestry District of Ukraine. These are mostly resort complexes with recreation houses, hotels and restaurants. Since the issue of solid household waste processing has not been resolved in Ukraine, landfills are emerging near recreation facilities. Undoubtedly, such a situation contradicts the improvement processes, because landfills are objects of detonation of dangerous substances and compounds infiltrating into all components of the environment due to geochemical flows. The object of the conducted research was determination of chemical elements in the newly formed substrates on the surface of the following landfills, i.e. Bronytskyi, Stryiskyi, Boryslavskyi, which are located not far from the border with Poland within the tourist and recreational complex of the Lviv region of Ukraine, geographically belonging to the Subcarpathia Forestry District of Ukraine. It was established that the chemical elements of the toxic group and biogenic elements accumulate. The traces of individual elements were also determined. The Bronytskyi landfill is the most polluted with the following chemical elements: Pb (3.56-4.06 mg/kg), Zn (2.84-3.67 mg/kg), Gd (0.021-0.033 mg/kg), P (457.3-609.7 mg/kg), K (9.7-14.6 mg/kg), Ca (174.7-237.7 mg/kg), Ga (3.58-5,98 mg/kg), La (1.09-1.24 mg/kg), Y (0.013-0.014 mg/kg), Cd (0.15-0.176 mg/kg), Sn (0.013-0.018 mg/kg), Nd (0.029-0.046 mg/kg), Eu (0.022-0.036 mg/kg) and Th (0.05-0.078 mg/kg). The site of the Boryslav landfill is most polluted in the western side - Fe (16.06-19.72 mg/kg), Cu (0.37-0.43 mg/kg), Gd (0.003 mg/kg), Si (43-58.2 mg/kg), P (782.4-995.5 mg/kg), Ca (88.6-104.7 mg/kg), Mn (1.7-2.7 mg/kg), Sc (0.009 mg/kg), Cr (1.069-1.255 mg/kg), Y (0.015-0.016 mg/kg), Nd (0.016-0.018 mg/kg). In the eastern side of the Stryi landfill the presence of the following elements is most evident - Fe (18.98-27.97 mg/kg), Ni (0.09-0.21 mg/kg), Zn (0.14-0.19 mg/kg), Pb (0.05-0.1 mg/kg), Al (1.6-2.0 mg/kg), P (718.1-652.5 mg/kg), Mn (2.5-3.5 mg/kg), Ga (0.01 mg/kg), La (0.02-0.04 mg/kg), Cr (0.009-0.013 mg/kg), Ge (0.214-0.551 mg/ kg), Cd (0.014-0.02 mg/kg), Nd (0.017-0.037 mg/kg), Th (0.009-0.016 mg/kg). Such a detailed chemical analysis for the presented research objects was carried out for the first time. Determining of the chemical content of the newly formed substrate is important from the point of view of environmental protection solutions implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The simultaneous determination of atrazine residue and its metabolites was developed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in Liaoning Province, China. To ensure agricultural production and environmental safety, their contamination level was assessed. A total of 2142 samples were collected between 2014 and 2020, including 1213 soil samples, 190 surface water samples, and 739 groundwater samples. The overall pollution level and detectable level of the herbicides in Liaoning Province was found to be the highest in soil followed by surface water and groundwater. The residual level of the analytes in the collected samples decreased in the following order: atrazine > hydroxyatrazine > desethylatrazine > desisopropylatrazine. From 2014 to 2020, atrazine was detected in soil and surface water, whereas hydroxyatrazine was found in soil without the selected analytes detected in groundwater. The pollution of atrazine in soil was higher than that of hydroxyatrazine, desethylatrazine, and desisopropylatrazine. To maintain sustainable agricultural development, it is critical to pay attention to the residual determination of atrazine in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic digestion is a system that can have a high environmental impact through the use of different wastes to obtain biogas and its consequent use for the generation of renewable energy. The objective of this study was to implement a polyethylene biodigester, using polystyrene for thermal insulation in a dog kennel, using canine feces collected in the same place during a period of 5 months to obtain biogas and energy. The results indicated that biogas production started on day 30 and stopped during the winter period with low temperatures; therefore, from day 54 onwards, equine manure was added to continue producing biogas. Although biogas was obtained, the biodigester did not function optimally, due to the fact that the materials used in its construction did not provide efficient insulation from the low external temperatures; the low C/N ratio of the canine feces, which led to a reduction in the processing of the methanogenic bacteria; and the low amount of feces collected for use. In general, the use of a biodigester can provide a tool for the biological processing and management of organic waste, yielding a cumulative source of renewable energy and ensuring environmental safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Przegląd Elektrotechniczny is the property of Przeglad Elektrotechniczny and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Higher parameters of centrifugal machines are constantly required, such as the pressure of the medium to be sealed and the speed of rotation of the shaft. However, as the parameters increase, it becomes more and more difficult to ensure the effectiveness of sealing. In addition, sealing systems affect the overall safety of equipment operation, especially vibration. In order to harmonize the sealing functions and increase the dynamic rigidity of the rotors of centrifugal machines, a method for modeling complex sealing systems has been developed. Non-contact seals are considered as hydrostatic–dynamic bearings that can effectively dampen rotor oscillations. A general approach to the analysis of non-contact seals as automatic control systems and an algorithm for constructing their dynamic characteristics at the design stage were proposed for the first time. Models of "rotor-gap seal", impulse seal and "rotor–hydraulic face" systems, and seal-supports of a shaftless pump have been studied to assess the effect of these seal systems on the oscillatory characteristics of the rotor. Analytical dependencies are obtained for calculating the dynamic characteristics and stability limits of seals as hydromechanical systems. The directions for improving the safety of operation of critical pumping equipment due to a targeted increase in the rigidity of non-contact seals are determined, which leads to an increase in the vibration resistance of the rotor and the environ-mental safety of centrifugal machines. The paper proposes a method for designing sealing systems based on the configuration of sealing components in order to achieve harmonization between sealing and vibration reliability, taking into account oscillatory processes due to hydrodynamic sealing characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]