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.

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.

A field-based experiment was conducted to know the relevance of potassium solubilizing bacteria (KSB), and Osmo-priming mediated morphological changes and yielded recovery in green gram (Vigna radiata L.) under water-limiting conditions. Hence, the experiment was carried out at the research farm of Lovely Professional University. The characters like plant height, number of leaves, leaf area plant-1, and LAI were considered to track the morphological changes, while the primary branches, nodules, pods plant-1, seeds pod-1, the average length of the pod, test weight, biological yield, grain yield, and harvest index (HI) were used to determine the recovery of yield as compared to control. Among the treatments, T8 was recorded as one of the best treatments for all the morphological parameters studied, i.e., plant height (51.80 cm), number of leaves (42 plant-1), leaf area (577.27 cm2.plant-1) and LAI (1.92) while most of the yield contributing characters were found better in T6 i.e. nodules (8.3 plant-1), seeds pod-1 (10) and length of the pod (7.65 cm) except for the primary branches and the number of pods plant-1 which was remain recorded maximum in T8 (6.0 and 22). The yield of green gram and its biological yield were recorded as highest in T6 and T2 (6.83 and 24.23 g.plant-1), while HI and test weight were also noted in T6 (32.0% and 5.90 g). This study has concluded that the KSB, combined with KNO3, showed a strong potential to modify the morphological structure while the yield of green gram was in KSB + Ca(NO3)2 under water scarcity.

Climate change crises and environmental imbalances have been a significant concern globally in recent times. The climatic changes give rise to various issues such as global warming, depletion of the ozone layer, deterioration of natural resources, soil erosion, deforestation, and more. Many international and national agreements and policies have been created to protect the environment, from the UNFCCC to the recent Paris Agreement, aiming to control rising environmental issues. However, developed and developing countries must achieve desirable results in combating climate change. Industrial and technological developments are critical reasons for environmental pollution and degradation. Progress is necessary for planned developing countries, but growth and expansions shall also consider ecological sustainability. Technology shall be novel in adapting to the changes, considering the effects it can produce on the environment. Green technology combines technology with the environment, also called environmental technology, clean technology, or sustainable technology. It is a combination of science and technology together to mitigate climatic changes and protect the environment. Green technology is the modern sustainable solution to pressing environmental concerns. India is one of the countries globally showing rapid green technology developments. The authors of this paper have tried to highlight the dire need to modify technological developments vis-a-vis environmental sustainability to protect the environment. The research paper delves into and understands the interface between clean technology’s importance and relevance for ecological sustainability and the role of patent law, particularly in dealing with issues of the environment. The paper shall also establish a harmonious relationship between patent law and its role in ensuring environmental sustainability.

In properly operated Cement Plants, SO2 emissions are mostly caused by pyritic sulfur (sulfides) in the used limestones, accounting for approximately 85% of the raw mill in the plant. However, the pyritic sulfur content in limestones of the Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya and their influence on the SO2 Emission from cement industries of Meghalaya have not been studied so far. The current study is conducted to perform an in-depth investigation of pyritic sulfur content in limestone reserves used by Meghalaya Cement Industries to assess the SO2 emission in the cement industries using high pyritic sulfur limestones and review the existing technology for the recommendation of the most suitable technology to minimize the SO2 Emissions. Random testing of collected limestone samples from various locations of Captive Mining sites in Cement Industries is performed to assess average pyritic sulfur concentration along different mining benches. Pyritic Sulfur Content (wt.%) in collected limestones varies from 0.15% to 3.5%. Polynomial Regression Analysis shows that Avg.SO2 Emission(Y) from Klin Stack can be represented as a function of pyritic sulfur content (X) (wt.%) of used limestones in the process: Y = 273.7X2 + 21.46X + 422.76. Based on the pyritic sulfur content in limestones, it is observed that “the more the Pyritic Sulfur content is, Darker the Limestone Samples are.” Hence, A Colour Scale has been prepared to visualize higher pyritic sulfur content in limestones. For longer-term sustainability, installing a Flue-Gas Desulfurization (FGD) unit at the kiln stack outlet may be included in the manufacturing process of cement plants to reduce the SO2 Emissions from Stack.

The emergence and uncontrolled development of environmental hazards in the processes of life in the absence of appropriate response measures in many cases leads to the emergence of man-made emergencies with dangerous consequences for public health and the environment. It is proposed to evaluate the results of complex monitoring and forecasting of these dangerous processes in a new format of creating a fuzzy scale of indicators of the level of environmental safety of life support of territories based on the theory of fuzzy sets. The study aims to develop a fuzzy scale of indicators for predicting the state of environmental protection. Protection of the population and territories from environmental threats and possible man-made emergencies. Within the framework of the purpose of the study, a fuzzy scale of threshold levels of environmental safety of territories and economic objects has been developed based on the theory of fuzzy sets and the mathematical apparatus of soft computing. The practical significance of the developments is confirmed by the successful application of the proposed scale of indicators and indicators in assessing the environmental hazard of life support systems of settlements and industrial enterprises affecting the environment.

Short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) have significant effects on climate, human health, and the environment. In Morocco, steps are being taken to reduce SLCP emissions, but effective policymaking requires a thorough understanding of emission sources and trends. In this paper, we present a study on the production of a database on SLCP emissions in Morocco, as well as the development of scenarios to project these emissions using LEAP software. The results of this analysis allow us to better understand the emissions sources and evaluate the impact of different emission reduction policies.

This study is conducted to determine the extent to which transfer stations in the Karkh neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq, contribute to physicochemical and heavy-metal contamination of the soils in the immediate area. The concentrations of physicochemical primary indicators (pH, OC, OM, Ca+2, Mg+2, Na+1, NO3-1, Cl-1, SO4-2) and heavy metals (Pb, Cd, and Cu) were measured during July 2022 at four investigation sites that were located at distances of 5 m (Site 1), 10 m (Site 2), 15 m (Site 3), and 20 m (Site 4) from the edges of the mentioned transfer stations (Al-Rasheed, Al-Mansour, Al-Shula, and Al-Dora). The concentrations of the physico-chemicals and heavy metals were compared to the standards of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Consensus-Based Sediment Quality Guidelines (CBSQG). Based on the data collected, it was determined that Site 1 had the greatest physico-chemical and heavy metal concentrations, whereas Site 4 had the lowest. The metals tested were found to accumulate in the following order: Cu > Pb > Cd. Additionally, it was noticed that all the measured concentrations of metals were higher than the limitations of the CBSQG. The presence of Ca+2, Mg+2, Na+1, Pb, Cd, and Cu in soil suggests that leachate percolation is having a major impact on the soil.

This study assessed the hazard indicators of common chemical and organic fertilizers widely available in the markets of Najaf Governorate, Iraq. The concentrations of natural radionuclides were measured in thirteen types of fertilizers by Gamma spectrum using NaI(Tl) (3*3) detector. The average radioactivity of the nuclides 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K was (48.91, 37.04, and 702.4675) Bq.kg-1, respectively, for (Di-Aluminum Phosphate) the chemical fertilizers of the type (DAP) and the (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) chemical fertilizers of the type (NPK) the average radioactivity of the nuclides 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K were (35.78, 42.356 and 1519.653) Bq.kg-1, respectively, while the average radioactivity of the organic fertilizers (Orga.) were 55.153, 23.148 and 1451.258 for the three studied nuclei. As for the average values for radium equivalent were 155.967, 213.363, and 200.0023 (Bq.kg-1) for (DAP), (NPK) and organic fertilizers, respectively. The values of the external severity index (Hex), gamma radiation hazard index (Iγ), and representative alpha index (Iα) were within the permissible limits determined by the UNCEAR 2000. The highest value of total annual effective dose equivalent(TAED) was 1.468 mSv.y-1, the lowest value was 0.302 mSv.y-1, and the mean values were 0.722 mSv.y-1. In contrast, the highest value for annual gonadal dose equivalent(AGED) was 1392.527 μSv.y-1, the lowest value was 275.361 μSv.y-1, and the average values for all models were 672.135 μSv.y-1. The Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR), the highest value was 4.039 × 10-3, the lowest value was 0.833× 10-3, and the average value was 1.988× 10-3 for all fertilizers. The Pearson correlation between radioactive variables and cluster analysis was recognized for the three types of fertilizer samples despite it not being widely accepted. The study can be considered preliminary data for subsequent studies.

Safe water and food are essential for good human health. The contamination of water with infected fecal bacteria is common in areas with poor standards of hygiene and sanitation. This study investigated total coliform bacteria, fecal coliform bacteria, and E.coli in drinking water and food stalls using water from a rural community, where the rural living conditions increase the risk of water-related diseases. In total, 40 samples of bottled drinking water, 50 water samples from vending machines, 30 samples of household drinking water, 30 food samples were collected from household food, and 60 food samples were collected from food stalls, and coliform bacteria contamination was determined using the most probable number (MPN) technique. The results revealed that all the water and food samples contained coliform bacteria contamination, while all the water samples and 50% of the food samples contained fecal coliform bacteria. The numbers of household food samples contaminated with coliform bacteria and E.coli were 29 (97%) and 12 (40%), respectively. Entrepreneurs should be regularly maintaining clean drinking water vending machines. The government sector should be urgently solving the problem of drinking water standards to ensure suitable consumer safety.