Soil stabilization is a very important method of science and engineering for improving the properties of soil. This paper aims to stabilize expansive black cotton soil through a biological approach involving plant extracts, plant waste materials, and microorganisms. While chemical methods exist, i.e., lime stabilization, geotextiles, etc., they are not economically feasible for large-scale applications. The primary issue with black cotton soil is due to the presence of montmorillonite clay mineral, which makes it unsuitable for the construction of roads and airfields. The cation exchange capacity (CEC) can be defined as the ability of soil to absorb and exchange positively charged ions; thus, if free positively charged ions are not available, the soil will not exchange them with others. The CEC of the soil is diminished, and ultimately, the soil is stabilized to some extent. This paper explores the preparation of plant extract, which contains a high number of anions, and directly inoculates it with soil, which nullifies the positive charge of the soil and diminishes the CEC. The use of cellulose and lignin-degrading microorganisms as an energy source and other minerals that are needed for their growth will be utilized from the soil to reduce CEC, i.e., Mg required for DNA replication and Ca required for their growth and maintenance. Another approach to diminishing the CEC is to use the microorganisms that produce EPS, which require Ca and Mg as adhesions for the formation of biofilm, i.e., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli. The use of microorganisms that have specific enzymes is also used in the diminishing soil CEC, i.e., by using ureolytic enzyme-producing bacteria like Sporosarcina pasteurii, Bacillus paramycoides, Citrobacter sedlakii, and Enterobacter bugadensis.

Groundwater, an invaluable resource crucial for irrigation and drinking purposes, significantly impacts human health and societal advancement. This study aims to evaluate the groundwater quality in the Mnasra region of the Gharb Plain, employing a comprehensive analysis of thirty samples collected from various locations, based on thirty-three physicochemical parameters. Utilizing tools like the Pollution Index of Groundwater (PIG), Nitrate Pollution Index (NPI), Water Quality Index (WQI), Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI), as well as Multivariate Statistical Approaches (MSA), and the Geographic Information System (GIS), this research identifies the sources of groundwater pollution. The results revealed Ca2+ dominance among cations and Cl− as the primary anion. The Piper and Gibbs diagrams illustrated the prevalent Ca2+-Cl− water type and the significance of water–rock interactions, respectively. The PIG values indicated that 86.66% of samples exhibited “Insignificant pollution”. NPI showed notable nitrate pollution (1.48 to 7.06), with 83.33% of samples rated “Good” for drinking based on the WQI. The IWQI revealed that 80% of samples were classified as “Excellent” and 16.66% as “Good”. Spatial analysis identified the eastern and southern sections as highly contaminated due to agricultural activities. These findings provide valuable insights for decision-makers to manage groundwater resources and promote sustainable water management in the Gharb region.

Global population growth and increasing pollution levels are directly related. The effect does not just apply to outdoor spaces. Likewise, the low indoor air quality is also having a negative impact on the health of the building residents. According to the World Health Organization, indoor air pollution is a leading cause of 1.6 million premature deaths annually. Tackling this public health issue, due to the direct relationship between air pollution levels and mortality and morbidity rates as well as overall comfort, is mandatory. Many companies have begun to build inexpensive sensors for use in Internet of Things (IoT)-based applications to pollution monitoring. The research highlights design aspects for sustainable monitoring systems including sensor types, the selected parameters, range of sensors used, cost, microcontrollers, connectivity, communication technologies, and environments. The main contribution of this systematic paper is the synthesis of existing research, knowledge gaps, associated challenges, and future recommendations. Firstly, the IEEE database had the highest contribution to this research (48.51%). The results showed that 87.1%, 66.3%, and 36.8% of studies focused on harmful gas monitoring, thermal comfort parameters, and particulate matter levels pollution, respectively. The most studied harmful gases were CO2, CO, NO2, O3, SO2, SnO2, and volatile organic compounds. The cost of the sensors was suitable for people with limited incomes and mostly under USD 5, rising to USD 30 for specific types. Additionally, 40.35% of systems were based on ESP series (ESP8266 and ESP32) microcontrollers, with ESP8266 being preferred in 34 studies. Likewise, IoT cloud and web services were the preferred interfaces (53.28%), while the most frequent communication technology was Wi-Fi (67.37%). Indoor environments (39.60%) were the most studied ones, while the share for outdoor environments reached 20.79% of studies. This is an indication that pollution in closed environments has a direct impact on living quality. As a general conclusion, IoT-based applications may be considered as reliable and cheap alternatives for indoor and outdoor pollution monitoring.

International audience | Pas un mois ne passe sans que la pollution plastique ne fasse l’actualité d’une façon ou d’une autre. Il faut dire que nul écosystème n’échappe à la pollution plastique. En moins d’un siècle, nous avons produit deux fois plus de plastique en masse qu’il n’existe d’animaux sur terre.La majeure partie de ces plastiques deviennent finalement des déchets et contribuent à la saturation d’un système de gestion déjà à bout de souffle. Mais la problématique de la pollution plastique va bien au-delà de la question des déchets mal gérés : les plastiques polluent à toutes les étapes de leur cycle de vie. C’est ainsi qu’ils affectent tous les écosystèmes, du fond des océans jusqu’à l’air que nous respirons, en passant par les sols qui nous nourrissent.Les scientifiques ne cessent d’alerter sur cette pollution qui a conduit à la plastification de notre planète en nuisant profondément à la santé humaine. Ces derniers ont un rôle à jouer dans les négociations internationales, comme à Ottawa (Canada) en avril 2024. Il s’agissait de la quatrième et avant-dernière session de négociation du traité mondial contre la pollution plastique (CIN-4). Depuis, le travail continue jusqu’à la dernière étape pour la finalisation du Traité, en novembre 2024 à Busan, en Corée du Sud.

Birds can be impacted by pollution but are seldom used as bioindicators. One exception involves the Dippers Cinclus spp., a genus of five passerines adapted uniquely to swim and dive in rivers on five continents to feed on aquatic invertebrates and small fishes. Here, we review the effectiveness of Dippers as pollution indicators while identifying further opportunities, caveats and uncertainties that are transferable to other indicator organisms. Dippers have been used as biodindicators i) through relationships linking their distribution, breeding performance and behaviour to river pollution through effects on prey quality and quantity; ii) where contaminants occur in their eggs, tissues, faeces or regurgitates, notably metals (Hg, Se), persistent pollutants (e.g. PCBs, PBDEs, DDE, HEOD) and microplastics. Most data are from C. cinclus in Europe and C. mexicanus in North America. While some pollution effects on Dipper distribution or fitness are well-evidenced, particularly acidification, the resulting impairments are not sufficient to diagnose the source of impact without additional data on water quality or prey abundance. Dippers in these cases provide a general rather than definitive indication of pollution. For contaminants, Dippers have revealed the distribution of specific pollutants at scales ranging from point-sources and regions to different continents. Influences of land use, trophic pathways, diet-shifts, contaminant transport, intergenerational transfer and trends through time have all been identified and supported by detailed knowledge of prey use, territoriality, dispersal, migration, life history, isotopic signatures and energetics. We suggest opportunities to expand the role of Dippers as bioindicators into other locations (Asia and South America), other influences on water quality (e.g. agriculture, wastewater), other contaminants (e.g. PFAs, pharmaceuticals) and through developments in modern biology such as 'omics. Initial data also show that Dippers could integrate the effects on rivers of habitat modification, flow modification and climate change by indicating effects both directly and through interactions with other multiple stressors. This group of birds illustrates how fundamental ecological information aids the development of bioindicators but reveals the importance of using complementary environmental data when diagnosing bioindicator response. We suggest these are important lessons for ecological indicators more generally.

Study region A reach of the Nile River located between Naga Hammadi barrage and Asyut barrage, Egypt Study focus An accurate representation of hydrodynamics of an important water source helps cope with expected future climate changes, pollution incidents and water quality problems. Here, a comparison between HEC-RAS 1D and TELEMAC-2D model was conducted by identifying different Manning coefficients. Moreover, an automatic calibration using Dual-Annealing optimization method was applied for first time to calibrate the model with non-uniform Manning coefficients. The transport of tracer (pollution) was simulated by computing tracer residence times. Pollution transport scenarios were discussed to draw a picture of pollution incidents which will continue to happen in the future. An equation indicating the relation between flow discharge and residence time was derived to hurriedly help decision makers in water management during sudden pollution incidents. New hydrological insights for the region A model with spatially variable Manning coefficients using TELEMAC-2D was set up and calibrated achieving good accuracyies with average errors of approximately 4 cm and 7 cm between field and simulated water levels for two different discharge scenarios. Moreover, an equation for relation between flow discharge and residence time was derived producing a strong correlation coefficient of 0.95. This study, integrating advanced hydrodynamic models and automatic calibration techniques, provides a robust framework for assessing and managing water resource challenges under varying flow conditions.

Air pollution is arguably the most pressing human health concern today, accounting for approximately 7–9 million premature deaths worldwide. In the United States, more than 40% of early deaths caused by air pollution are assessed to be caused by emissions produced by neighboring states. This article examines one of the governance mechanisms used by the U.S. to address this issue: section 126 of the Clean Air Act. Critical factors including case length, evidence used, and case outcome are compiled for the population of section 126 petitions submitted from 2000–2022. This evidence is assessed using comparative case analysis. The findings reinforce two issues with the petition process already identified in the literature–the use of cost as a proxy for significance and the excessive and unclear burden of proof placed on downwind states–adding texture to the latter issue by examining the modeling techniques used by downwind states. This analysis identifies lengthy response timelines as an additional issue and calls to attention the infrequency with which the EPA has formally accepted petitions. Collectively, these issues increase the cost, complexity, and unpredictability of filing a section 126 petition.

Nowadays, all productive sectors, including the construction industry, are facing the challenge of reducing their environmental impact. To achieve this objective, numerous actions are being carried out to access greater levels of environmental and economic sustainability. Techniques as Life Cycle Assessment contribute to quantifying environmental impacts, promoting a circular economy in a sector that consumes a high volume of resources, materials, and energy while generating large amounts of gaseous, liquid, or solid emissions. The present study aims to deepen our understanding of aspects that demonstrate the benefits of using RA instead of natural aggregates. This study not only quantifies the environmental impact but also explores the effects of potential improvements in the productive system and their impact on reducing environmental harm. The Life Cycle Assessment methodology is applied to quantify and compare the environmental impacts generated in the production of a ton of mixed recycled aggregates (MRA) from construction and demolition wastes, based on the data provided by plant managers. This is compared to the environmental impacts generated in the production of one ton of natural aggregates extracted from a quarry. The results revealed that the production of mixed recycled aggregate is more environmentally beneficial, confirming a reduction of 70.66% in environmental impacts during the production of recycled aggregates, in comparison to the natural aggregates extraction. Furthermore, the economic analysis demonstrates the economic advantage since the cost of producing recycled aggregates is over 30% cheaper than natural aggregates, being more competitive even when the transportation distances from the plant to the work sites exceed those of natural aggregates.

Biopesticides, having as active ingredients viruses, bacteria, or fungi, are developed to substitute or reduce the use of chemical plant protection products in different agrosystems. Though the application of mixtures containing several products is a common practice, interactions between microbial biopesticides and related effects on bees as non-target organisms have not been studied yet. In the current study, we exposed winter bees to five different microbial-based products and their combinations at the maximum recommended application rate to assess their responses. Laboratory oral exposure tests (acute/chronic) to single or binary products were conducted. Survival and food consumption of the tested bees were evaluated over the experimental duration. Our results show that some product combinations have potential additive or synergistic effects on bees, whereas others did not affect the bee’s survival compared to the control. Exposure of tested bees to the most critical combination of products containing Bacillus thuringiensis aizawai ABTS-1857 and B. amyloliquefaciens QST 713 strongly resulted in a median lifespan of 4.5 days compared to 8.0 and 8.5 days after exposure to the solo products, respectively. The exposure to inactivated microorganisms by autoclaving them did not differ from their respective uncontaminated negative controls, indicating effects on bee mortality might originate in the treatment with the different microorganisms or their metabolites. Further investigations should be conducted under field conditions to prove the magnitude of observed effects on bee colonies and other bee species.

The African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) Secretariat committed to design and implement an African Water Quality Program (AWaQ) in its Strategic Operational Plan (2020-2024) considering the guiding frameworks it uses such as the Africa Water Vision 2025, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the African Union Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. AMCOW reached out to the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) to support the development of such a program. AWaQ builds on the rich experiences and lessons learned from past and ongoing regional and subregional water quality initiatives across Africa by different players, including African Union institutions, and the wider members of the World Water Quality Alliance (WWQA), as well as the AMCOW African Water and Sanitation Sector Monitoring and Reporting System (WASSMO). The five phases of developing an African Water Quality Program (AWaQ) are explained in the following papers: 1. State of Water Quality Monitoring and Pollution Control in Africa (phase 1-2) 2. Innovations in Water Quality Monitoring and Management in Africa (phase 3-4) 3. A Framework for an African Water Quality Program (AWaQ) (phase 5) 4. Country Water Quality Profiles This paper is the first from the above list and is a baseline assessment of the status of water quality monitoring and pollution control in Africa, including the capacities available across countries in the region. This assessment considers various past and ongoing initiatives related to water quality monitoring and management, capacity development, and water pollution control and impact mitigation. Key findings of this paper highlight the following: 1. There is an encouraging availability of national water testing laboratory facilities across African countries. Nonetheless, there are weaknesses that require attention to ensure effectiveness and sustainability. 2. Regular and ongoing training is needed to keep up with laboratory testing methodologies. However, we observed a low trend in regular training, which does not augur well for keeping abreast of the best practices in water quality monitoring. In the context of emerging pollutants, training needs to be more regular than is currently experienced. 3. Water quality monitoring and management capacities are patchy. Capacities related to staff training, laboratory infrastructure and monitoring program activities need strengthening. 4. Pollution control mechanisms are facing challenges. Regulatory mechanisms and wastewater treatment technologies—the most widely deployed pollution control solutions—may benefit from more concerted investment, and the political will and financing to boost their effectiveness.