It seems obvious that the noise levels in local communities surrounding airports influences the level of acceptance of an airport. What is not so evident is the effect of non-acoustic factors that increase the societal rejection, like the lack of sensitivity and empathy from the authorities and airport managers, the lack of trust in them, the lack of information and transparency, the perception of being excluded from the decision making and so on. Complementary to the traditional strategies based on the reduction of noise exposure, a community engagement and involvement approach brings new possibilities to manage noise around airports, trying to exploit the non-acoustic factors that have negatively affected the community response. Building trust among the stakeholders is a key factor in this strategy, and it must be based on a long-term, honest, and transparent two-way communication. In the last decade, the huge growth of the information and communication technologies has opened new opportunities that the aviation organizations and stakeholders are starting to explore in depth trying to reduce the degree of rejection of the airport, which may compromise the utilization of existing and future infrastructure. In this review, we make a short introduction on aircraft noise health effects, to focus annoyance and the influence that non-acoustic factors on it. Then, we describe the basis of community engagement as a parallel approach to mitigate noise issues around airports, setting the focus on the noise metrics and the involvement techniques that must be implemented to engage the community.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Knowledge of the occurrence and effects of pollutants on terrestrial top predators will serve to better understand the issue and propose measurements to conserve biodiversity and ecosystems. We reviewed literature on the occurrence and effects of pollutants on terrestrial top predators, which was particularly scarce in comparison to the literature available on aquatic top predators. We have asked the following questions: Does chemical pollution affect terrestrial top predator population? What are the mechanisms (if known) behind chemical pollution effects on top predators? What types of chemical pollution most commonly affect top predator species? RECENT FINDINGS: Pollutants present in the terrestrial top predators are industrial derived (PCBs), pesticides (insecticides and rodenticides), and trace metals (lead and mercury). Recent investigations on the effect of second-generation rodenticides (SGRs) are an emerging topic since these are causing deleterious effects on terrestrial top predator populations. On the other hand, eggshell thinning effects due to the old and known compounds such as DDT are still being observed in avian top predators. Further, lead pollution from spent ammunition affects predators after the hunting season. This information demonstrates that the occurrence and effects of chemical pollutants on terrestrial top predators is a relevant issue for species and ecosystem conservation. Topics such as biomagnification of pollutants, the impact of SGRs on carnivore populations, and alternatives of lead ammunition for hunting are relevant topics that warrant further research.

Controlling phosphorus (P) loss from agricultural soils remains a priority pollution concern in much of the world. Dissolved forms of P loss are among the most difficult to manage. The concept of soil P sorption saturation, the extent to which a soil’s binding sites for P are occupied, emerged from the Netherlands in the 1990s and has broad appeal as both environmental indicator and management paradigm. For hydrologically active and connected soils, P sorption saturation is responsible for the stubborn problem of legacy P, resulting in long-term release of dissolved forms of P from soils. Short- and long-term mitigation options for elevated soil P sorption saturation do exist, all with trade-offs that require adoption of new mitigation and prevention strategies. Ultimately, better incorporation of soil P sorption saturation into both crop fertility and environmental management programs is needed to promote the sustainable management of P in agricultural production systems.

The economic development of a country is mainly dependent on important industrial activities such as mining. Because of mining operations, huge quantities of solid wastes especially, overburden and rejects, are generated. As these are not valuable to the owners of the mine, they may be inappropriately disposed of into the environment, posing severe threat to the environment, particularly affecting both surface and ground water quality. Most mine waste-related environmental degradation is associated with leaching of contaminants from overburden dumps and acid mine drainage. Leachates originating from mine waste overburden dumps may have the potential to contaminate the surrounding water resources, especially ground water. The present paper envisages the harmful effect of mine waste leachates on the environment and how it creates possible hazard to aquatic life. This paper also reviews the strategies for improvements in existing mine waste management along with the suitable measures to combat the overall problem.

Exposure to ambient (urban) air pollution consisting of fine particles is linked with the increased risk of respiratory as well as cardiovascular diseases and cancers. Recent studies have, however, suggested the adverse effects of PM₂.₅ and especially ultrafine particulate matter (UFPM or PM₀.₁: size <0.1 μm or 100 nm) in ambient air pollution in the brain and central nervous system (CNS). These particles can travel beyond the pulmonary systems to the CNS and, ultimately, reach the brain that may cause neurological diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other forms of dementia. The polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can also be linked to neurological disorders identically. An attempt has been made in this article to make an assessment on the roles of UFPM and PM₂.₅ as well as PCBs on the neurological disorders from exposure to ambient air pollution. Finally, several recommendations are made for future scope of research followed by regulatory enforcement strategies to reduce the occurrence of neurological disorders from exposures of ambient air pollution to humans.

Manganese (Mn) in drinking water can cause aesthetic and operational problems. Mn removal is necessary and often has major implications for treatment train design. This review provides an introduction to Mn occurrence and summarizes historic and recent research on removal mechanisms practiced in drinking water treatment. Manganese is removed by physical, chemical, and biological processes or by a combination of these methods. Although physical and chemical removal processes have been studied for decades, knowledge gaps still exist. The discovery of undesirable by-products when certain oxidants are used in treatment has impacted physical–chemical Mn removal methods. Understanding of the microorganisms present in systems that practice biological Mn removal has increased in the last decade as molecular methods have become more sophisticated, resulting in increasing use of biofiltration for Mn removal. The choice of Mn removal method is very much impacted by overall water chemistry and co-contaminants and must be integrated into the overall water treatment facility design and operation.

The elevated concentration of arsenic (As) in the groundwaters of many countries worldwide has received much attention during recent decades. This article presents an overview of the natural geochemical processes that mobilize As from aquifer sediments into groundwater and provides a concise description of the distribution of As in different global groundwater systems, with an emphasis on the highly vulnerable regions of Southeast Asia, the USA, Latin America, and Europe. Natural biogeochemical processes and anthropogenic activities may lead to the contamination of groundwaters by increased As concentrations. The primary source of As in groundwater is predominantly natural (geogenic) and mobilized through complex biogeochemical interactions within various aquifer solids and water. Sulfide minerals such as arsenopyrite and As-substituted pyrite, as well as other sulfide minerals, are susceptible to oxidation in the near-surface environment and quantitatively release significant quantities of As in the sediments. The geochemistry of As generally is a function of its multiple oxidation states, speciation, and redox transformation. The reductive dissolution of As-bearing Fe(III) oxides and sulfide oxidation are the most common and significant geochemical triggers that release As from aquifer sediments into groundwaters. The mobilization of As in groundwater is controlled by adsorption onto metal oxyhydroxides and clay minerals. According to recent estimates, more than 130 million people worldwide potentially are exposed to As in drinking water at levels above the World Health Organization’s (WHO's) guideline value of 10 μg/L. Hence, community education to strengthen public awareness, the involvement and capacity building of local stakeholders in targeting As-safe aquifers, and direct action and implementation of best practices in identifying safe groundwater sources for the installation of safe drinking water wells through action and enforcement by local governments and international water sector professionals are urgent necessities for sustainable As mitigation on a global scale.

This study reviews recent research on volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from motorized vehicle sources by means of online mass spectrometry. Chemical ionization is a powerful tool that usually permits soft ionization of chemical species and it allows the time-resolved measurement of multiple VOCs, even in complex samples where many kinds of VOCs coexist. The vehicular exhaust gasses are investigated using H₃O⁺, NO⁺, Hg⁺, and CH₃C(O)O⁻ as a reagent ion in online chemical ionization mass spectrometry. The proton transfer using H₃O⁺ as a reagent ion was used for the detection of nitro-organic compounds such as nitromethane and nitrophenol. The time-resolved measurement of the nitro-organic compounds in the laboratory experiments with a chassis dynamometer system revealed their emission properties, such as the dependence of the emissions as a function of vehicular velocity and acceleration/deceleration, as well as the effect of various types of exhaust gas treatment. The data regarding the nitromethane and nitrophenol emissions obtained in the field measurements were consistent with the results of the laboratory experiments done with a chassis dynamometer system. In the experiments involving evaporative emissions from gasoline-powered cars, NO⁺ was used as a reagent ion. Online measurements showed that the adsorption of hydrocarbons in a sealed housing evaporative determination unit could result in emissions being underestimated, if the concentrations are monitored only before and after a diurnal breathing loss test. The composition analysis gave an estimated ozone formation potential (OFP) approximately 20 % higher for breakthrough emissions and refueling emissions than for the gasoline that was tested, but the OFP for the permeation emissions was almost the same as the OFP for the test fuel.

As in situ use of amendments for restoration of metal-contaminated mining sites becomes increasingly accepted, the expected level of ecosystem function at these sites will increase. Use of appropriate tools to measure both the level and value of that function is critical to expand use of this approach. For these sites, amendment mixtures must reduce metal availability in situ and restore ecosystem function. Combinations of mixtures, typically consisting of a material with high metal binding capacity (cyclonic ashes, municipal biosolids, or other materials rich in Fe, Al, or Mn oxides), material to adjust soil pH (sugar beet lime, cement kiln dust, dolomitic limestone), and an organic residual to provide soil structure and nutrients (composts, animal manures, municipal biosolids) have been tested in multiple lab and field trials on metal-contaminated sites. This review focuses on field tests of this approach with the goal of providing methods to quantify reduction of hazard and restoration of functional systems. Methods to evaluate success of amendments including extractions to measure changes in metal availability, microbial function and diversity, phytoavailability of metals, and earthworm and small mammal assays are discussed. In most cases, measures of metal availability and ecosystem function are related. For example, surveys of small mammals on restored sites provide information on metal availability as well as suitability of restored habitat. Additional measures of ecosystem function including soil fertility, physical properties, and diversity of habitat are described. Finally, measures of the value of this approach for restoring ecosystems are detailed.