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The paper is devoted to the results of the ecological and geochemical study of soil and ground conditions in the area of solid municipal waste (SMW) landfills in the central regions of the Republic of Crimea on the territory of the first mountain belt. In the work used as a model two sites with virtually identical composition of SMW, in similar natural and climatic conditions, but with different age of formation, which also allows to evaluate the long-term prospects of the ecological and geological state of the adjacent areas of such objects in the arid conditions of the Crimean mountains. In the work assessed the vertical and lateral migration of pollutants, the degree of influence on the adjacent territory, calculated the complex indicators of the state of individual components of the environment, carried out eluate phytotesting with cress (Lepidium sativum) and radish (Raphanus sativus), and determined the toxicity of soil and soil samples. Recommendations on the territory reclamation and applied technologies of disturbed land restoration are given.

From the geoecological point of view, a special place in the geological section of the Kirchhoff Hill is occupied by highly radioactive geological bodies – dictyonema oil shales. As a result of glacial tectonic dislocations and due to numerous local elevations and depressions in the relief, dictyonema oil shales can come into direct contact with the soil over relatively large areas here. Based on the results of the route survey of the gamma field over the soils of the Kirchhoff Hill in the zone of anomalously high exposure dose rate, we laid a pit. Seven samples were taken and analyzed from the depth of 0 to 85 cm. The first two samples (0– 25 cm) correspond to the gray-humus dark-profile soil on dictyonema oil shales type. Here, the average value of the specific effective activity (Aeff) makes 1,750 Bq/kg. The average Aeff of the next 5 samples of dictyonema oil shales (25–85 cm) makes 1,870 Bq/kg. Such radioactivity values belong to the environmental hazard class IV and impose significant restrictions on building and construction in the area of studies.

With the development of megalopolises, constant expansion of their borders and chaotic and – to a greater extent – unreasonable territorial division of lands, potential recreational areas are experiencing colossal anthropogenic load and can be found in the state of oppression, gradually moving into an industrial functional zone, from the environmental point of view. For the preservation of ecosystems and rational planning of urban development, it is necessary to pay special attention to the functional purpose and mode of use of the sites, which are the essence of zoning and governance in the field of urban development of land. This paper presents a geoecological assessment of the dynamics of changes in pollution halos among the functional areas of the Eastern Administrative Okrug of Moscow over the past 30 years. Geochemical series of pollutants were compiled with the help of methods of preliminary preparation and statistical data processing. A forecast of the spread of pollution in the surface horizon for the next 100 years is presented, taking into account the hydrogeological features of the territory of the Eastern Administrative Okrug of Moscow.

With the increasing number of megacities, the constant expansion of their borders, and the often chaotic, unreasonable land-use planning, even those sites with potential recreational use suffer from enormous anthropogenic pressure. Defining the limits of ecosystem stability is one of the most important scientific research, which allows setting permissible anthropogenic impact in the land cadastre zoning of megacities. This investigation presents the integral assessment of net anthropogenic load on the environment and boundaries of the natural soil geochemical background change.

In the present contribution, the geochemical relationships of territorial units (landscapes), namely sewage sludge disposal sites and historical municipal solid waste landfills, that can be considered as chemical elements migration models and as dynamic components of ecological-geological systems (landfill site adjacent area recreation area)., is described. Since the study of pollutants migration in multicomponent systems is extremely time-consuming, the development of theoretical methods, able to simulate these processes, is of particular relevance. Therefore, in the present study, a geochemical model for substance migration in anthropogenically modified geoecological bodies and their surrounding was conceived, making use of complex mathematical processes and data analysis methodologies (parallel use of factor, cluster, canonical and discriminant analysis tools), and considering both geochemical specialization/composition of parent rocks and land use (functional geoecological zoning).

Aims: Citizens' perceived values play a decisive role in shaping a responsive society, driving social and political attitudes and behaviors. Understanding these values, influenced by cultural, historical, and personal experiences, is essential for comprehending public perspectives on social, economic, and ecological aspects crucial for sustainable societies. This study investigates perceived values as indicators of citizens' potential civic engagement, mainly contributing to societal development. Materials and methods: For the purpose of this study, we analyzed 1012 cases from the European Value Survey/World Value Survey data set of the Republic of Macedonia. In addition to the exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis, we employed XGBoost regression, coupled with SHAP analysis, offering a transparent exploration of the significance of citizens' perceived values, while emphasizing their role in motivating social responsibility and duty. Results: We identified 12 factors and categorized Macedonian citizens into 4 clusters. Through the SHAP feature importance method, we determined that perceptions of gender stereotypes, trust in people, civil rights, and job equality strongly influence the idea of social responsibility. Conclusions: Our findings offer pathways to promote individual accountability and increased participation in societal actions, fostering greater advocacy and policy changes for a responsible, engaged, and sustainable society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work examines the influence of cathodic protection currents on the properties of clay soil under drained and undrained conditions. The study was carried out using an experimental setup simulating cathodic protection. At the end of the experiment, soils with an undisturbed structure near the cathode were studied, where changes in the physical properties, particle size distribution and pH of polarized clay soil samples were revealed.

The effect of In and Al on the properties of the As[sub Ga] defect complex (arsenic substituted for gallium at a crystal lattice site) in GaAs-based quantum dots (QDs) was investigated using the nonempirical quantum-chemical SCF–MO–LCAO technique. It is shown that an As[sub Ga] defect can exist in stable and metastable states. Raising the indium or aluminum content in QD enhances the probability of As[sub Ga] defect formation in the stable state; in case of In introduction, this effect is manifested more strongly. The activation energy of the transition between stable and metastable states varies between 0.886 and 2.049 eV, depending on the QD stoichiometry. The formation of an As[sub Ga] defect gives rise to two deep levels in the band gap. © 2004 MAIK “Nauka / Interperiodica”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]