Contamination of paddy soils with arsenic (As) can cause phytotoxicity in rice and increase the accumulation of arsenic in grains. The uptake and accumulation of As in rice depends on the different As species present in the soil. Plants detoxify As by conjugating and sequestering xenobiotic compounds into vacuoles using various enzymes. However, the severity of damage induced by arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)), as well as the roles of glutathione S-transferase in detoxifying these As species in rice, are not fully understood. In this study, we developed plant materials overexpressing a glutathione S-transferase gene OsGSTU40 under the control of the maize UBIL promoter. Through systematic investigations of both wild-type Nipponbare (Oryza sativa L., ssp. japonica) and OsGSTU40 overexpression lines under chronic or acute stress of As, we aimed to understand the toxic effects of both As(III) and As(V) on rice plants at the vegetative growth stage. We hypothesized that (i) As(III) and As(V) have different toxic effects on rice plants and (ii) OsGSTU40 played positive roles in As toxicity tolerance. Our results showed that As(III) was more detrimental to plant growth than As(V) in terms of plant growth, biomass, and lipid peroxidation in both chronic and acute exposure. Furthermore, overexpression of OsGSTU40 led to better plant growth even though uptake of As(V), but not As(III), into shoots was enhanced in transgenic plants. In acute As(III) stress, transgenic plants exhibited a lower level of lipid peroxidation than wild-type plants. The element composition of plants was dominated by the different As stress treatments rather than by the genotype, while the As concentration was negatively correlated with phosphorus and silicon. Overall, our findings suggest that As(III) is more toxic to plants than As(V) and that glutathione S-transferase OsGSTU40 differentially affects plant reactions and tolerance to different species of arsenic.

Accumulation of plastic litter in aquatic environments negatively impacts ecosystems and human livelihood. Urban areas are assumed to be the main source of plastic pollution in these environments because of high anthropogenic activity. Yet, the drivers of plastic emissions, abundance, and retention within these systems and subsequent transport to river systems are poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that urban water systems function as major contributors to river plastic pollution, and explore the potential driving factors contributing to the transport dynamics. Monthly visual counting of floating litter at six outlets of the Amsterdam water system results in an estimated 2.7 million items entering the closely connected IJ river annually, ranking it among the most polluting systems measured in the Netherlands and Europe. Subsequent analyses of environmental drivers (including rainfall, sunlight, wind speed, and tidal regimes) and litter flux showed very weak and insignificant correlations (r = - 0.19–0.16), implying additional investigation of potential drivers is required. High-frequency observations at various locations within the urban water system and advanced monitoring using novel technologies could be explored to harmonize and automate monitoring. Once litter type and abundance are well-defined with a clear origin, communication of the results with local communities and stakeholders could help co-develop solutions and stimulate behavioral change geared to reduce plastic pollution in urban environments.

Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly being studied because they have become ubiquitous in aquatic and terrestrial environments. However, little is known about the negative effects of co-contamination by polypropylene microplastic (PP MPs) and heavy metal mixtures on terrestrial environment and biota. This study assessed the adverse effects of co-exposure to PP MPs and heavy metal mixture (Cu2+, Cr6+, and Zn2+) on soil quality and the earthworm Eisenia fetida. Soil samples were collected in the Dong Cao catchment, near Hanoi, Vietnam, and analyzed for changes in extracellular enzyme activity and carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus availability in the soil. We determined the survival rate of earthworms Eisenia fetida that had ingested MPs and two doses of heavy metals (the environmental level — 1 × — and its double — 2 ×). Earthworm ingestion rates were not significantly impacted by the exposure conditions, but the mortality rate for the 2 × exposure conditions was 100%. Metal-associated PP MPs stimulated the activities of β-glucosidase, β-N-acetyl glucosaminidase, and phosphatase enzymes in soil. Principle component analysis showed that these enzymes were positively correlated with Cu2+ and Cr6+ concentrations, but negatively correlated with microbial activity. Zn2+ showed no correlation with soil extracellular enzyme activity or soil microbial activity. Our results showed that co-exposure of earthworms to MPs and heavy metals had no impact on soil nitrogen and phosphorus but caused a decrease in total soil carbon content, with a possible associated risk of increased CO2 emissions.

High concentration of surface ozone (O3) will cause health risks to people. In order to analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics of O3 and assess O3 exposure and health risks for different age groups in China, we applied multiple methods including standard deviation ellipse, spatial autocorrelation, and exposure–response functions. Results show that O3 concentrations increased in 64.5% of areas in China from 2013 to 2018. The central plain urban agglomeration (CPU), Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH), and Yangtze River Delta (YRD) witnessed the greatest incremental rates of O3 by 16.7%, 14.3%, and 13.1%. Spatially, the trend of O3 shows a significant positive autocorrelation, and high trend values primarily in central and east China. The proportion of the total population exposed to high O3 (above 160 μg/m3) increased annually. Compared to 2013, the proportion of the young, adult, and old populations exposed to high O3 increased to different extents in 2018 by 26.8%, 29.6%, and 27.2%, respectively. The extent of population exposure risk areas in China expanded in size, particularly in north and east China. The total premature respiratory mortalities attributable to long-term O3 exposure in six urban agglomerations were about 177,000 in 2018 which has increased by 16.4% compared to that in 2013. Among different age groups, old people are more vulnerable to O3 pollution, so we need to strengthen their relevant health protection of them.

Surface water is the primary resource for raw water in drinking water treatment processes. Therefore, the presence of microorganisms, bacteria, and viruses should be the main focus in drinking water treatment, in addition to natural organic matter, which is composed of organic carbon groups derived from aquatic biota as well as organic material, organic matter from industrial and domestic waste. This study applied coagulation-flocculation followed by adsorption as the advanced treatment with activated carbon for removing organic matter and bacteria simultaneously to know each process’s performance. The results indicated that all treatment processes have a good performance for removing dissolved organic matter in water with efficient removal of 28.35%-70.75% of TOC concentration and 26.75%-55.95% of UV254 concentration. Further, the selected processes demonstrated a high percentage of removal of E. coli, about 65.35%-96.43%. However, the effect of chlorination impacted the increasing THMs concentration up to 36.32%, while the other processes could remove THMs concentration 17.25%-51.08%. Overall, this study conjectures that all treatment processes simultaneously perform well for removing dissolved organic matter, THMs, and E. coli. However, chlorination should be managed to control the formation of THMs due to the remaining organic matter in water.

The pellets of waste produced by Society Electric [Listrik Kerakyatan (LK) 2] at the STT-PLN have not been efficiently utilized in terms of energy. The STT-PLN canteen consists of 14 stalls with an installed electricity capacity of 1300 VA, each with 12h of use/day. This study aimed to convert LK 2 waste pellets into electrical energy to supply electricity to the STT-PLN canteen. This research method uses quantitative methods, i.e., by calculating the amount of energy produced adjusted to the needs of the canteen. Gasification technology was chosen due to its high efficiency and lower emission impacts in the waste combustion technique. Based on the analysis, the gasifier engine that complies with this requirement was TG30-1 with a maximum capacity of 25 kVA and requires a flow rate of 10 kg.h-1 of waste pellets. The amount of waste pellets used for this plan was 120 kg.day-1. The assessment results of this plan indicated a net present value of IDR 302,218,609.33, an internal rate of return of 25.7983%, and a PBP of 5.66 years. Based on the economic analysis, the establishment of plants for the conversion of waste to power was declared feasible to operate.

In the fight against global warming, various options for reducing CO2 emissions are being implemented on campus. Furthermore, the management of campus sustainability at the Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), Central Java, Indonesia, should be supported by accurate forecasts of electrical energy consumption. Therefore, this research aims to develop a predictive model to forecast the consumption of electrical energy in reducing CO2 emissions and to determine the factors triggering the increase. The prediction model is developed using Back Propagation Neural Network Artificial (BP-ANN) architecture. Furthermore, the data on the occupancy of lecturers and education staff as well as on students was obtained from the University's staffing and student affairs bureau. Climatic data such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, the duration of irradiation, and the average intensity of solar radiation were obtained per month from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency of Semarang, Central Java for the 2013-2019 period as input data. The results of the empirical analysis showed an increase in electrical energy consumption from 2020 to 2025. In March, the consumption decreased but increased from April to June and decreased in July. It then increased until November and December, and it decreased every year. The results of CO2 emissions calculated by considering the emission factors from Indonesia's RUPTL-PLN in 2020-2025 showed an increase in electrical energy consumption and the ecological consequences affecting the campus area. Furthermore, the main factors causing the high consumption of electrical energy are the occupancy rate, lecturers, students, and campus employees, as well as local climate influences such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, duration of solar radiation, and intensity of solar radiation. Therefore, developing guidelines to reduce power consumption on campus should be a priority

Plankton and other microscopic colloids are tiny particles that are suspended in water and cause turbidity, which causes the water to seem murky or opaque. These particles are too unstable and light to settle or be naturally eliminated. These details contribute to water turbidity and pose some stability. During the process of purifying raw water, all water treatment Plants (WTPs) produce waste/residue known as water treatment sludge (WTS). The majority of the sludge’s chemical components include silica, alumina, ferric oxide, lime, and many heavy metals. The surface water treatment technique included coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration to remove colloidal and suspended particles from raw water. The sludge obtained from the WTP located at Kekri (Rajasthan), India is being investigated for its physical and chemical properties. About 60% of the sand contained in the sludge is found in the 155-60 grain size range. Additionally, nutrient reduction of soil due to contamination and runoff can be minimized or rounded out by wastewater treatment or the removal of heavy metals from water solutions. To develop water-safe and appealing sludge management solutions, the efficiency of aluminum sulfate and poly aluminum chloride was assessed at different coagulant doses in the study. To make water safe and appealing for human consumption, numerous purification procedures are employed from a variety of sources. Sludge bricks are acceptable to high temperatures in the furnace and have better compressive strength than clay bricks.

Engaged for many years in a strategy to control climate change, Morocco is committed to leverage on sustainable development as a new development model and as a true project for society. This commitment resulted in implementing several reforms targeting the consolidation of a developed economy, improving social conditions, and accelerating positive environmental changes. The public administration developed the Administration Exemplarity Pact (AEP) as a concrete action to lead by example in implementing the National Strategy for Sustainable Development. Developed in accordance with the main stake of the National Strategy of Sustainable Development, its goal is to promote sustainable development governance in our country through several strategic focus areas. This document presents the experience of a Moroccan administration that has implemented the guidelines described in the AEP. The approach and results are detailed and could be used as an example for other Moroccan companies. The first step of the methodology consists of a diagnostic phase to establish the current situation. The second step is related to the strategy to define the approach’s main orientations and the action plan. These key steps allow us to identify areas of improvement and build a roadmap adapted to the current context and constraints. One of the best practices for this approach is to define the main orientations to act by positive contagion on the ecosystem. In conclusion, the AEP axes deployed in a dynamic improvement logic give convincing results. By acting with partners (subcontractors and suppliers), the Moroccan administration can act on the whole value chain and induce an essential change in the Moroccan economic fabric.

The review paper comprised the impact of geographical and environmental factors on polyploidy and vice versa. The review covers different effects of geographical factors, like spatial isolation, altitude, and local climate on polyploidy, and the behavior of polyploid(s) in abiotic factors, such as temperature and light with a few examples of northwest Himalayas. The paper concludes that polyploid plants behave differently in environmental conditions, as polyploids are more prominent in higher altitudes, colder environments, and nutrient-rich soil than diploid progenitors, but have a mixed distribution in different geographical conditions. Further, polyploidy is more common among perennials than annuals, while niche differentiation depends more on the local environment. The virtual case study results from North and North Western India have been shown with the help of ArcGIS online software. The scrutiny of spatial distribution on maps highlights the fact that polyploidy is still a complex research puzzle with interesting perspectives.