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This research is intended to study the possible transfer of the residual chemical contamination from treated wastewaters reused for irrigation purposes of Fragaria x ananassa strawberry (cv. Camarosa). Different sewages from urban, and mixed urban-textile origins treated according to different treatment trainswere used for the irrigation of strawberry in pots. Organic and inorganic chemical contamination indicators, i.e.: PCBs, including dioxin-like congeners, PAHs, and Cr(VI), were monitored along the whole agricultural production chain (wastewater treatment effluents, soil and crop). Robust analytical procedures were specifically developed for the determination of contaminants in the above-mentioned matrices with quantitation limits (MQLs) ranging from 1.3 (Phe) to 11.0 ng/L (PCB169) for wastewaters; from 3 (PCB180) to 10 μg/kg (BbFl) for soils; from 1.0 (Phe) to 10.9 μg/Kg (PCB169) for strawberries. For Cr(VI), limits were 0.15 μg/L (waters) and 0.018mg/kg (soils). These performances fully satisfy limits fixed by Italian or European regulations on maximum admitted concentration of pollutants in treated water intended for irrigation, in soils and crops. Even if selected PAHs and PCBs were detected in wastewaters (highest concentrations observed for phenanthrene, 429 μg/L, and PCB52, 110 μg/L) their presence was not observed in soils and in strawberries above the MQLs. On the contrary, chromium content in strawberries and soils irrigated with TWs suggested a possible transfer of the metal during irrigation, which however does not represent a hazardous situation for consumers since calculated daily intake does not exceed the Tolerable Daily Intake of 300 μg/kg b.w. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many factors are aggravating desertification and degradation of forests such as urbanization, droughts, exploitation of natural resources and climate change. The study aims at estimating and assessing the degradation of forests in arid and semi-arid regions. This task however is complicated since the impact of the degradation will be in different forms such as loss of wood, soil erosion and lost recreational areas. Nevertheless the dynamic impact of the degradation is increasing the complexity of analysis since forest once lost is a reduction of value for all subsequent years. This study is considering the value of damages over time and it is using the concept of three environmental valuation methods to estimate the whole impact of the degradation: the habitat equivalency analysis (HEA), the productivity method and the benefit transfer method. The methods were applied to specific values of forests, depending on the best applicability, and the results combined to an overall value loss. The costs are calculated based on the year 2014 with two time horizons: 30 and 100 years. To apply the valuation approach, Jordan as an arid and semi-arid country is chosen. The result shows that the annual costs of environmental degradation of Jordanian forest areas equal about 0.14% of GDP in 2013, proving the enormous value lost to forest degradation or deforestation. The valuation approach can be transferred to other arid or semi-arid areas and stimulate forest conservation activities to prevent further degradation and to save the forest ecosystem services for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the deficit in the irrigation demand in the Jordan Valley for several scenarios of water scarcity and looks into possible adaptation options. For this purpose, the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) system is implemented to the Jordan Valley basin. Three scenarios were analyzed by the developed WEAP model which are the Business As Usual (BAU) scenario, the climate change scenario, and the Red Dead Canal scenario. The results showed that for the BAU scenario, the deficit in the irrigation demand will grow until the end of the planning period despite the measures implemented which are: improving irrigation efficiency, reducing non revenue water and implementing the Disi project. Under the climate change scenario, the deficit in the Irrigation demand is projected to be the most severe due to demand increase and resources reduction. The results showed that by implementing the Red Dead Canal project, the deficit in the irrigation demand in the Jordan Valley for the year 2050 will drop from about 177 MCM for the climate change scenario to zero for the Red Dead Canal scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]