bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Revision of the Scarcity State Indicator in the Spanish Drought Management Plans
Authors: Palop-Donat Carla , Paredes-Arquiola Javier , Andreu-Álvarez Joaquín
Published: November 2022

Droughts are one of the gravest natural threats currently existing in the world and their occurrence and intensity might be exacerbated due to Climate Change. Scarcity is defined as the period when demand does not accomplish the normal reliability levels due to poor water management. Water and drought management plans (DMP) prevent scarcity periods by anticipating to drought and adapting to limited water resources. DMP in Spain were updated in December 2018. Two types of indicators were included: The Prolonged Drought Indicator and the Scarcity State Indicator (SSI). This study presents a comparison of the SSI among seven river basins in Spain, with the aim of making a starting point for its optimization and computation. The scarcity indicator is based on the relationship between the availability of resources and demands, identifying situations of short-term deficit in each of the areas defined. Its computation consists of a seven-step iterative process. Results detect two different approaches when determining the threshold values for the SSI. One method bases the threshold estimation on the risk of supply of the demands while the other obtains the threshold values from direct statistics of historical variables. The authors thank the Spanish Research Agency (MINECO) for the financial support to ERAS project (CTM2016-77804-P, including EU-FEDER funds).
Meteorological Data Science: exploiting causality discovery in time-series for knowledge discovery and improved forecasting
Authors: Maragoudakis Manolis , Gkikas Alexios
Published: November 2022

Climate change and its impact on everyday life still remains one of the greatest challenge of our era. The complex nature of climate data addresses the use of data science techniques to provide predictive analytics to the task at hand. While most existing approaches exploit correlation between observations and features to improve forecasting, the present work deals with causality, a principle that enhances robustness and provides better insight to domain experts. More specifically, a novel framework for causality discovery is proposed, based on statistical (i.e. Granger causality tests) as well as on non-linear state space reconstruction algorithms (i.e. Convergent Cross Mapping, a very effective algorithm in dynamic systems, such as the task at hand) in order to find the causal relations between meteorological time series. Furthermore, the framework also supports methods for graph analysis, thus providing informative visualizations on the influential levels of causality. Experiment results on a dataset of real observations from different cities of Greece, obtained through crawling of Internet sites of Davis weather stations demonstrate the ability to model and visualize the relations of the meteorological parameters amongst the cities. Moreover, by utilizing such causal inference knowledge, the forecasting performance for each city is significantly improved, since only relevant and informative features were taken into consideration
Effects of Cr(VI)-contaminated irrigation water on growth and development of selected crop species
Authors: Christou Anastasis , Georgiadou Egli , Zissimos Andreas , Christoforou Irene , Christofi Christos , Fotopoulos Vasileios
Published: November 2022

Chromium (Cr) is a metal well-known to cause environmental pollution due to its association with a number of industrial processes involving leather, steel, electroplating, chemicals, dyes and paints. It is toxic to plants and microorganisms, and its study is attracting a lot of attention due to its increasing occurrence in groundwater under current changing climate scenaria. Of the several valence states of Cr, the trivalent [Cr(III)] and the hexavalent [Cr(VI)] species are the stable forms. Cr(VI) is considered as more toxic than the relatively innocuous and less mobile Cr(III), and is easily taken up by cells where it is subsequently reduced to Cr(III) and other intermediate oxidation states [Cr(V), (IV)] generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the process. A greenhouse experiment has been initiated at the Agricultural Research Institute aiming at evaluating the effects of various Cr(VI) concentrations in irrigation water on growth, development and yield of major cultivated crops, such as alfalfa, tomato, wheat and lettuce. Plants were irrigated with tap water spiked with Cr(VI) at concentrations of 0 (Control), 0.05, 0.5, 1, 5 and 10 mg L-1. Physiological processes and cellular damage levels were monitored in leaves by means of spectrophotometric determination of lipid peroxidation, chlorophyll loss and H2O2 content, further supported by stomatal conductance measurements, fresh/dry weight and SPAD units in leaves. Tomato, wheat and lettuce were not affected by Cr(VI) contaminated irrigation water, whereas phenotypic observations revealed that high Cr(VI) concentrations dramatically impacted growth and development of alfalfa plants. Alfalfa plants displayed increased damage levels and ROS content as concentrations of Cr(VI) in the contaminated irrigation water increase, while leaves showed lower stomatal conductance, fresh/dry weight, leaf area and SPAD units. ICP-OES method was performed for the quantification of Cr(VI) concentration, which yielded increasing rates for concentrations of 5 and 10 mg L-1 compared with control plants. Biochemical, enzymatic and molecular analysis is currently underway for alfalfa plants in order to elucidate the effect of Cr(VI) contamination in alfalfa plants.
The effect of intercrop on soil properties of an agroforestry system in Kea -Greece
Authors: Pantera Anastasia , Papadopoulos Anadreas , Fotiadis George , Kapsalis Dimitrios , Pinelopi Papaporfyriou , Papaspyropoulos Konstantinos
Published: November 2022

Valonia oak is the most widespread tree species found in the Aegean island of Kea - Cyclades. It forms traditional agroforestry systems since intensive agriculture is not easily practiced in the island due to the xerothermic climate and the rough terrain with steep slopes. This system has traditionally supported the local economy by its multiple products while respecting the environment. In almost all the cases, it is found in traditional terraces which were constructed since ancient times by local farmers. Even if these systems have been threatened by abandonment and change of land use (mainly for touristic purposes), there has been an increasing interest lately motivated by the higher price gained by valonia oak acorns trade and demand for agrotouristic activities. An experimental plot was established under the framework of the AGFORWARD (FP7) research project, where two commercial pasture mixes were tested for their productive capacity under shade. Soil properties were evaluated at the end of the experiment to evaluate the effect of intercropping on the economy of certain nutrients. The importance of the environmental and economic function of this system is highlighted and suggestions are made for its preservation.
Phase Diagram Modelling of a Multi-component Aqueous Solution of Katwe Salt Lake, Uganda
Authors: Lwanyaga Joseph , Kasedde Hillary , Kirabira Baptist
Published: November 2022

A methodology is developed to compute the phase diagram of a hexary system and to determine the mineral precipitation sequence upon removal of water. The methodology is applied to construct the phase diagram and precipitation sequence of the system (〖Na〗^+,K^+)(〖Cl〗^-,〖SO〗_4^(2-),〖CO〗_3^(2-) & 〖HCO〗_3^-) in water. The thermodynamic model chosen is the Extended UNIQUAC. A 3D grid is constructed in order to solve this model in MATLAB. On the basis of this grid, a 3D phase diagram is calculated and a Jänecke projection is obtained. The precipitation sequence due to evaporation is calculated thus obtaining the coordinates of the solution along this path as well as the order of precipitation. The numerical model is also able to calculate all these steps for temperatures 0-110°C. In addition, the number of ions and the composition of the system can be varied in order to model other elective systems. The obtained results are well suited to be used for designing salt extraction processes and understanding aqueous solutions in general.
The AGROF-MM ERASMUS+ Educational Project
Authors: PAPADOPOULOS Andreas , Pantera Anastasia , Burriel Charles , Nouallet Ghislaine , Herdon Miklos , Tamás Janos , Lamaison Melanie , Musquar Charlotte , Seeman Myrna , Atanassova Stefka , Grozeva Neli , Escural Jean Michel , Fico Fatos , Devernay Stephanie , Levasseur Elise , Lavoyer Severin , Balaguer Fabien , Papanastasis Vasileios , Mantzanas Konstantinos , Fotiadis George
Published: November 2022

Agroforestry is a traditional land use system that may represent the answer to many present and future environmental problems. However, many farmers who practice agroforestry do not identity it as agroforestry nor even accept such identification. So far, there is not an organized training method on agroforestry apart the Agrof MM method. The Agrof MM, "Agroforesterie – Formation - Mediterannee et Montagne", was a 3-year KA-2 ERASMUS+ educational project that aimed to i. Train between 130 and 150 agricultural professionals in Europe, ii. Improve and develop the education tools to enable agroforestry training to be sustainable, and, iii. Develop a unique agroforestry qualification program in each European country. It was coordinated by AgroSup Dijon, France. Thirteen partners from ten different countries participated in the program by contributing a wide range of knowledge, experiences and ideas. Within the framework of the Agrof MM project, European stakeholders were trained based on a general format (Core content) that differentiated based on the location. The training contained lectures, examples and a field trip.
Environmental and Economic Life Cycle Inventory of Brussels sprouts
Authors: San Miguel G. , Rubio-Sánchez M.
Published: November 2022

This investigation describes de material, energy and monetary inventories required to evaluate the environmental and economic performance of Brussel sprouts produced in Mexico and consumed in the USA. This data was supplied by a company operating in Mexico as a first step in the production of a LCA and LCC analysis according to ISO 14040-14044: 2006. The inventory covers the following stages in the life cycle of the product: seeding, soil preparation and conditioning, cultivation (fertilization, fumigation and irrigation), harvesting, processing, packaging, internal transport and distribution.
Microbiological treatment of water by cold plasma at atmospheric pressure
Authors: Anelise Cubas
Published: November 2022

Ensuring the world's population access to drinking water is one of the millennium's challenges, for although our planet is made up of 70% of water, poor distribution and water quality are problems that concern world leaders, being among the objectives of development 2030 agenda set by the ONU. The proposed work aimed at the microbiological treatment of water through cold plasma technology at atmospheric pressure, the control to confirm the efficiency of the treatment was through the analysis of thermotolerant coliforms. The reduction was 93.33% for thermotolerant coliforms and cold plasma technology reduces the time of microbiological treatment of water by 90% over traditional methods due to high energy density, ozone generation and ultraviolet radiation, thus reducing costs because the energy expenditure was low and there is no need to add chemicals.
Biosorption of Mn(II) ions from water solutions by natural sorbent: equilibrium study
Authors: Mustafa Erhan , Aliu Flakrim , Atkovska Katerina , Kuvendziev Stefan , Dimitrovski Dejan , Bozhinovski Zoran , Marinkovski Mirko , Lisichkov Kiril
Published: November 2022

In the modern society, the problem of the treatment of natural and wastewater resources and their management, is becoming very important.
Of particular interest is the definition of adequate and sophisticated procedures for the treatment of natural and wastewater resources, regardless of whether the source of pollution is of geogenic or anthropogenic origin.
Sustainable development of separation processes has recently been increasingly imposed by the need to develop modern, non-conventional bioseparation processes for the elimination of toxic metals from wastewater, by applying low cost unconventional sorbents.
The purpose of this paper is to remove Mn (II) ions from aqueous solutions by applying a natural adsorbent (grape branches - agricultural waste). To accomplish the established goal, the experiments were carried out with model solutions with known initial concentrations of Mn(II) ions in a laboratory batch reactor, with the purpose of studying the effect of adsorption time on adsorbate concentration and on the adsorbed amount of Mn(II) ions.
The raw material was characterized in terms of its chemical composition and particle size distribution.
The obtained results were applied to model the adsorption equilibrium using several adsorption isotherms such as Langmuir, Freundlich, Langmuir-Freundlich and Redlich-Peterson, using the MATLAB/Curve fitting toolbox software package.
Enabling the Total Resource Utilization (TRU) Habitat
Authors: Curry Nathan , Tsantrizos Peter
Published: November 2022

Terragon Environmental Technologies Inc. has developed a suite of user-friendly technologies to treat solid and liquid byproducts of human consumption now considered “waste” and convert them into “resources” that can be re-used in the same place in which they are generated (in situ). These technologies, namely MAGSTM (combustible-waste-to-thermal-energy) and WETTTM (wastewater treatment and re-use), when integrated together in the same location, can enable a “Total Resource Utilization (TRU) Habitat”. A technological overview of MAGS and WETT are presented in this paper as well as Terragon’s vision of the TRU Habitat.
Mass and energy balances of sewage sludge pyrolysis in a lab rotary kiln
Authors: Mendoza Libardo , Gómez Alexánder , Rincón Sonia
Published: November 2022

The aim of this work is to study the influence of the main parameters of sewage pyrolysis in a rotary kiln on the product distriburion and energy balances. An indirectly heated rotary kiln at a laboratory scale was used (4 kg/h). An increase in the final temperature causes the reduction of the total condensable products and the non-condensable gas fraction increases. The residence time of the volatile phase has an important influence on the secondary reactions to increase the non-condensable gas with low tars content. These results contribute also a valuable input to perform LCA.
Agroforestry Innovations Networks in Europe
Authors: MOSQUERA-LOSADA M.R. , RODRÍGUEZ-RIGUEIRO F.J. , FERREIRO-DOMINQUEZ N. , PANTERA A , SANTIAGO-FREIJANES JJ
Published: November 2022

Abstract Agroforestry (AF) is a climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practice of deliberately integrating woody vegetation (trees or shrubs) with crop and/or animal systems to benefit from the resulting ecological and economic interactions. It is recognized as a proactive “negative emissions technologies” (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change (IPCC) 1.5SR) that can foster sustainability in the current changing climate conditions. However, there are knowledge gaps to be filled regarding agroforestry, as well as bottlenecks and challenges. These could be solved by providing greater access to research findings (either published or unpublished) and identifying and extending good practices that farmers are already implementing.
From Refuse to Resource: E-Plastic as Building Material
Authors: Medina Ruji , Latina Harry Neil
Published: November 2022

The pursuit of the sustainable development goal of responsible consumption and production requires innovative multi-disciplinary approaches. These goals are achieved in the present work with the use of granulated plastic made from waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) panels as a substitute for sand in the production of concrete mixtures. The optimal amount of plastic added, curing time, and water-cement ratio were determined experimentally. Data show that a theoretical compressive strength of 17.68 MPa was achieved using a water-cement ratio of 0.45, 6% sand replacement and 19 days curing time. While this strength is already suitable for general construction purposes, this represents a 13.54-percent deterioration compared with conventional concrete. Thus, enhancement was done with the addition of arrowroot powder as organic admixture which improved the compressive strength to a level comparable to conventional concrete. These results reveal that E-plastics are technically viable process inputs in the production of building materials and provide a sustainable strategy for responsible consumption and production.
Flame Retardants (polybrominated diphenyl ethers, PBDEs) and Organophoshates, OPFRs) In Dust from Canadian Fire Stations
Authors: Petreas Myrto , Brown Reber , Tarrant Darcy , Gill Ranjit , Dhaliwal Joginder , Sarala Roshni , Patton Sharyle , Park June Soo
Published: November 2022

Dust is a good medium to assess indoor exposures to many persistent organics, including flame retardants. With concerns regarding persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity of many flame retardants, a series of bans and regulations have created shifts in their usage. For firefighters, exposures to flame retardants on and off duty is a high concern. In 2018 we measured flame retardants in Canadian fire station dust and compared our findings with those of our 2015 US fire stations study. We used isotope dilution HRMS for PBDEs and GC-MS/MS for OPFRs. The same flame retardants were present in all stations with high within- and between-station variability. The most prominent among PBDEs was BDE-209, followed by BDE-99. TDCIPP and TPhP were the dominant OPFRs. Overall, data from 2015 (US) and 2018 (Canada) show that OPFRs have surpassed PBDEs in fire station dust, probably reflecting shifts in flame retardant use in consumer products and building materials.
The comparison of sediment quality in the rivers the Eastern Slovakia by Potential ecological risk index
Authors: Singovszka Eva , Balintova Magdalena
Published: November 2022

The current pollution of sedimentary environment is very serious and exceeds load capacity limit and it is influenced by other external factors such as climate, hydrodynamic conditions, pH, salinity, Eh, temperature and other. This influences can cause the heavy metals are re-released from the sediments which were long-term accumulated what can lead to the deterioration of ecological environment and even pose a threat to the organisms through the food chain.
Distribution, enrichment characteristics of heavy metals (such as lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, mercury and arsenic) in the sediments in the rivers of Eastern of Slovakia, were measured and analyzed in 2017 and 2018. River sediment quality in the territory of East of Slovakia, representing the water basins of the rivers Hornad, Laborec and Torysa, was investigated. Sampling points were selected based on the current surface water quality monitoring network.
The aim of the study is compare sediment quality of monitored rivers between 2017 and 2018 by method Potential Ecological Risk Index Method (PERI).
Determining a Probability of the uncontrolled landfills emergence in Georgia's Rural Areas Using Integrated Methodology
Authors: Buachidze Nugzari , Dvalishvili Natela
Published: November 2022

In this work, with the support of the local municipality, we’ve collected for each highland region the data showing: the number of population, existence of the main sources causing waste, the quantity of the dumpster, the frequency of the waste removal with the relevant technic etc. Based on all these data by applying our methodology, we count a probability of existence of the uncontrolled landfills that can exist in the particular region. We also use the pictures from a drone.
In the present research we also made a comparative analysis of our theoretical conclusion concerning the particular rural areas and the results of the real data received after the expedition on the same place.
Negative role of uncontrolled landfills in Georgia in environmental pollution processes
Authors: Kuchava Gulchina , Buachidze Nugzari , Chikviladze Khatuna , Shubladze Ekaterine
Published: November 2022

In the laboratories the special research were carried to determine the pollution level in the samples collected, which due to the direct impact of these types of landfill sites on the surrounding areas, are often the main polluters of environment. The pollution conditions were studied based on modern methodology and techniques (ISO methods).
The received results allow concluding:
• The pollution is different for the West and East Georgia. The analysis of the water and soil samples showed that the territories and water bodies adjacent to the landfills located in western Georgia are relatively less polluted than similar areas in the East Georgia;
• In the analysed samples concentrations of various polluting ingredients (heavy metals- Pb,Cu,Zn,Cd and biogenic elements- total coli forms, Fecal streptococci, and Е. coli) determined from the soil and water samples exceeded the maximum permissible concentrations.
Electrochemical properties of SnO2/rGO nanocomposites
Authors: Todorova Nadia , Trapalis Christos , Giannakopoulou Tatiana , Lekakou Constantina , Arabatzis Ioannis
Published: November 2022

SnO2 nanoparticles were deposited on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to obtain SnO2/rGO composites with high energy storage capacitance. For this purpose, graphite oxide (GtO) was synthesized and hydrothermally treated in presence of Sn precursor. The quantity of GtO was varied to tune the heterostructures’ composition and the particles size of the SnO2.
The XRD and SEM analyses revealed that the GtO was exfoliated, reduced and decorated with SnO2 nano-particles during the hydrothermal treatment. With the increase of GtO quantity the SnO2 particle size decreased from ~30 nm to ~14 nm. The Cyclic Voltammetry analysis showed that the pure rGO exhibited typical supercapacitor behavior. All the SnO2/rGO composites exhibited significantly increased specific capacitance in comparison to the pure SnO2. The SnO2/rGO with the highest GtO content showed capacitance ~ 200 F.g-1 that was comparable to that of the pure rGO. The result was related to the small particles size of SnO2 and their distribution between the rGO sheets.
Monitoring of bio-aerosols, gaseous and Particulate Matter (PM) pollution of Wawel Royal Castle in Krakow, Poland.
Authors: Dyda Magdalena , Pyzik Adam , Drabik Paulina , Istel Lukasz , Wiłkojć Ewa , Buchwald-Zięcina Oliwia , Bogdanowicz-Prus Angelika , Skłodowska Aleksandra
Published: November 2022

Krakow is now firmly established as one of the Europe’s top tourist destinations and, at the same time, it is one of the cities with the worst air quality in Europe. The Wawel Royal Castle is of the most important museum and predominatingly visited attraction of the city of Krakow (in 2017, the Castle was visited by over 1.4 million tourists).
Taking this into account, and in accordance with the guidelines of European Standards, the Wawel Royal Castle has been implemented the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for protection of cultural heritage (CSN EN 16790:2016). As a part of the preventive conservation strategy, the monitoring of Indoor Air Pollution (IAP) has been carried out in addition to the standard control of climate parameters. Air samples were collected in rooms with various intensity of tourist traffic including: State Rooms, Royal Private Apartments, as well as warehouses and conservation workrooms.
The highest concentrations of PM, selected chemical compounds and microorganisms in the air were observed in the first halls at the entrance to Castle and in some conservation workshops.
Impact of reuse of the purified wastewater on some properties of soil. Case study of Ain Defla station (Northwestern Algeria)
Authors: TOUIL S. , RICHA A.
Published: November 2022

Abstract. Purified wastewater (PWW) is a major source of water and nutrients for many farmers in arid and semi-arid climates. The aim objective of this study is to follow the change of soil characteristics i.e permeability porosity, total calcium, electrical conductivity (extract diluted) and pH before and after an irrigation event. Two plots were selected near wastewater treatment plant of Ain Defla, the first one irrigated by fresh well water and the second one by PWW. Geostatistical analysis and soil mapping of the two plots showed that the risk of soil salinity is present with a rate of increase may be up to 0.5 ds / m after each watering. The spatiotemporal variability of soil Stalinization and total calcium levels can lead to a possible accumulation of persistent contaminants in the soil after prolonged irrigation (over 10 years) in this region.
Seasonal variations of water quality and aquatic macrophytes survey based on side scan sonar, in a shallow coastal lagoon (Gialova, SW Peloponnesus, Greece)
Authors: PAPATHEODOROU G. , PAPAKONSTANTINOU M. , CHRISTODOULOU D. , PAPASTERGIADOU E.
Published: November 2022

Gialova lagoon is located in the north-west of Pylos city (Prefecture of Messinia, SW Peloponnesus) and is part of the Ecological Network “Natura 2000”. The aim of the current research is the assessment of the ecological quality of the lagoon using hydroacoustic technique and the monitoring of abiotic and biotic parameters on seasonal basis. Side scan sonar imagery resulted in 6 different lagoon floor acoustic types which correspond to different percentage of vegetation cover. Samplings of aquatic vegetation were carried out from 9 different sampling stations oriented by the results of the hydroacoustic survey. Macrophytes Ruppia cirrhosa and Cymodocea nodosa but also chlorophyte Cladophora glomerata were recorded in the lagoon floor. Key water quality parameters and primary production (Chlorophyll-a) were monitored seasonally at nine stations. Chl-a and TP seems to be the main responsible parameters for the eutrophic ecological status of the lagoon.
Bio-Based Phosphate Functionalized Activated Carbon From Indian Gooseberry Seed Shells For The Efficient Copper (II) Adsorption
Authors: Mondal Somen , Majumder Subrata
Published: November 2022

Preparation of an efficient activated carbon for the removal of metal pollutants is a challenging research today. The characteristic features of an efficient phosphate functionalized activated carbon, synthesized by following chemical activation process followed by subsequent functionalization from Indian gooseberry seed shells for the copper (II) adsorption are reported. Indian gooseberry seed shells based activated carbon showed the BET surface area of 1359 m2/g, the adsorption capacity of 44.84 mg/g at 30 °C and at a pH value of 9.52. The adsorption process was satisfied by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model along with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. This AC could be used as a favorable and cost-effective copper (II) adsorbent in wastewater treatment to remove the metal contaminants.
Sewage sludge agricultural use
Authors: Mosquera-Losada Maria Rosa , Jose Javier Santiago-Freijanes , Ferreiro Domínguez Nuria , Dario Arias Martínez , Francisco Javier Rodriguez-Rigueiro , Rigueiro-Rodriguez Antonio
Published: November 2022

Sewage sludge use in agriculture is promoted by the European union since the normative of cleaning waters related to the compulsory use of depuration plants in all cities over 2000 inhabitants was finally implemented in 2005. The USC has been conducted long-term experiment research of application of different sewage sludge doses in silvopastoral systems. Main results shown that sewage sludge can be successfully used as fertilizer for both tree and pasture development, with reduced toxicity for animals when plant production is considered in both very acidic and acidic soils. However, the recycling of nutrients has to be considered as heavy metals uptaken by the trees appears in the soils when the leaves fall down. This paper provides an overview of the main findings in acidic soils of the long-term results after application of sewage sludge in soils.
European and IMO framework on the disposal of ship waste - Greek legal interventions
Authors: Dede Panagiota , Manologlou Sotirios , Tselentis Vasileios
Published: November 2022

For almost every type of ship-generated waste, there is a variety of waste flows and on-board treatment methods. Studies show that ships use different treatment methods and often only treat part of a waste stream. This results in a difference between the amounts of waste generated and the amounts landed, indicating that measures, such as for example IMO’s obligatory Garbage Management Plans, fall short of sustainable and operational efficiency. The fact that IMO is encouraging voluntary cooperation between ports and shipping sectors to solve such problems indicates the urgency in developing the legislator framework of waste management, amongst other issues plaguing the shipping industry. This paper is part of a broader insight into ship generated waste, and addresses the existing legislation pertinent to waste management on ships and the role of ports. In this respect the European institutional framework is presented in addition to IMO Conventions and regulations. The Greek legislative framework is also studied, in an attempt to highlight possible novel contributions to the ongoing debate.
Photocatalytic Degradation of Tebuconazole Fungicide using Palygorskite-TiO2 nanocomposites.
Authors: GIANNAKIS IOANNIS
Published: November 2022

In our study a combination of Palygorskite clay mineral with TiO2 nanoparticles used for the decomposition of the common tebuconazole (TEB), C16H22ClN3O, [(RS)-1-p-chlorophenyl-4,4-dimethyl-3-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmethyl)-pentan-3-ol], fungicide in water. For this purpose, Palygorskite-TiO2 nanocomposites fabricated using the sol-gel process combined with hydrothermal treatment of the samples under mild conditions. The Palygorskite-TiO2 nanocomposites were characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and N2 specific surface area (SSA) analysis by BET. The total pore volume and SBET was 0.49 cm3/g and 258 m2/g for the Palygorskite 40% - TiO2 60% sample. The Palygorskite 10% - TiO2 90% sample has 0.33 cm3/g and 220 m2/g pore volume and SBET respectively. The highest degradation efficiency 88.4% was achieved for Palygorskite 40% - TiO2 60% sample while commercial TiO2 nanopowder Degussa P25 sample exhibited 33.0% degradation efficiency which is much lower.
The Palygorskite-TiO2 nanocomposites show that they are effective and promising new class of materials for the photocatalytic degradation of TEB fungicide in water.
Problems related to Ship Recycling IMO Regulations
Authors: Boviatsis Michael , Alexopoulos Aristotelis , Polemis Dionisios
Published: November 2022

Scrapping market is unique in many respects. The value of its products is more affected by ınternational trade than by shipping economic circles. There are many regulations for the environmentally friendly dismantling of ships. Ship recycling is the eco-friendly method of ship dismantling, it is governed by a set of rules, namely: a) Hong Kong Convention on Ship Recycling - SRC - (implemented by IMO), b) UN Basel Convention and c) E.U. Waste Shipment Regulation. Despite this polyphony in legislation, no clear set of rules has been uniformly applied yet, resulting in institutional discontinuities which are often exploited by shipowners.
Participatory Street-Level Noise Monitoring in the City of Chios
Authors: Kotrikla A.M. , Androutsopoulos A. , Aravanis I. , Argyraki F. , Balothimas C. , Biniakou C. , Bourazana S. , Chouli K. , Dervos S. , Drosakis I. , Galenteridis C. K. , Gotsopoulou S. , Karaviti M.M. , Katsiakou C. , Kouchta I. , Koutropoulos I. , Maroudas S. , Mastrosavvas G. , Metaxas Mariatos D. , Mylona E. , Papadopoulou K. , Papageorgiou A. , Papazacharia M. , Platara M. , Rousaki A.A. , Spyropoulou A. , Stefanoglou S. , Tasiou E. , Thomaidou M. , Tsagdi I. , Tsirigoti A. , Tsironis D.N. , Tsivelekidou Z. , Tzivelou P. , Vagianos E. , Vathis C. , Vraka G. , Zerva I. , Zouganelis S.
Published: November 2022

The noise at the streets of Chios was measured in November 2018 using low cost instrumentation and a student participatory experimental design.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of the open Aegean Sea: Contribution of Maritime traffic
Authors: Hatzianestis Ioannis , Parinos Constantine , Gogou Alexandra
Published: November 2022

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in surficial sediments collected from 39 stations in the open Aegean Sea, in order to assess their occurrence, distribution and major sources. Total PAH concentrations were generally low, comparable to those reported in relatively unpolluted marine areas. The highest values were recorded in the northern part Aegean Sea, which apparently receives more anthropogenic inputs both from continental runoff and atmospheric deposition. Several diagnostic criteria were used to investigate PAHs’ origin. Their molecular profile reveals contributions from both pyrolytic and petrogenic sources, with their relative importance displaying significant regional variability. Phenanthrenes, which are known to mostly originate from unburned fossil fuels were found in percentages higher than 50% in the Central part of Aegean Sea and their occurence was correlated with the marine traffic in the area. The PAH concentrations are significantly correlated with the total organic carbon (TOC) content of sediments, which indicates that the latter exerts an important control on their transport and ultimate accumulation in sediments
Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) in Greece: lessons learnt from the case of the Inner Ionian Sea – Corinthian Gulf
Authors: PAPAGEORGIOU Marilena , BERIATOS Elias
Published: November 2022

The marine area of the Inner Ionian Sea and the Corinthian Gulf was studied in terms of MSP in the framework of the SUPREME EU project, which was undertaken by the Ministry for the Environment and Energy, with the collaboration of NTUA, UTh and NKUA.
Key task of the project was all countries participating in the project (Italy, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia) to perform analysis and maritime spatial planning at the national level.
The lessons learnt from this project, and especially from the study of the Inner Ionian Sea-Corinthian Gulf, showed that, in order to perform efficient MSP, Greece should advance: the engagement of the maritime regime and stakeholders in governance schemes, the wise managment of the geo-spatial data, the consideration of the transboundary nature of the sea and of the land-sea interactions.
Moss-specific accumulation of atmospheric element deposition?
Authors: Dr. Schröder Winfried , Dr. Nickel Stefan
Published: November 2022

This article presents statistical analyses of elements concentrations in mosses which were collected in 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2015 throughout Germany at 592, 1026, 1028, 726 and 400 sites, respectively, and chemically analysed according to harmonised methods throughout Europe. The evaluations intended to examine whether the element concentrations are specific to moss species and whether conversion factors should be used. Such observations and recommendations have so far been limited to spatially confined areas with relatively few moss samples and were derived from studies without methodological harmonisation.
The data collected 1990-2015 across Germany was analysed by percentile statistics. The samplings from 2015 were additionally evaluated by bivariate correlation analyses and multivariate techniques to identify and rank the statistical relevance of site-specific and regional characteristics for the concentrations of 12 heavy metals and nitrogen in mosses. The strongest predictor for Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and N concentrations was the sampled moss species. In 2015, the atmospheric deposition showed a lower predictive power compared to earlier campaigns. However, the present study does not refute the hypothesis of moss species-specific element concentrations which are in the range of local and metrological variance. It is therefore advisable to continue dispensing with conversion factors.
Spatial explicit evaluation of potential future developments of forests due to climatic change and nitrogen deposition
Authors: Dr. Schröder Winfried , Dr. Jenssen Martin , Dr. Nickel Stefan
Published: November 2022

Climate change and atmospheric nitrogen deposition can impact the integrity of ecosystems. Therefore, the EU Biodiversity Strategy foresees that Member States map and assess the state of ecosystems and their services in their national territory. By example of Germany, this article presents a quantitative, spatially explicit as well as nationally, regionally and site-specifically applicable methodology for classifying and mapping forest ecosystems and identifying changes of their integrity comparing their reference states (1961-1990) with measured (1991-2010) und potential future conditions (2011-2017). To this end, measured environmental data were complemented by dynamic modelling of future climate and soil conditions. A fuzzy rule-based model for estimating spatial patterns and temporal trends of soil moisture was developed and tested at the federal and regional level. Forest ecosystem conditions were evaluated and ordinated at three levels (indicators, functions and ecosystem type) with regard to functionality, chemical and biological characteristics, stress tolerance against climate change and nitrogen deposition scenarios for the years 1961-1990, 1991-2011 and 2011-2070.
Necessity of Full Implementation of Type Approval for Non Road Mobile Machinery in the Republic of Croatia
Authors: Lulic Zoran , Sraga Vjekoslav , Šagi Goran , Ilincic Petar
Published: November 2022

Along with continuous progress in the reduction of emissions from road vehicles, the Non-Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM) becomes a more and more important source of emissions.
Namely, although the EU Regulation 2016/1628 for NRMM introduces the latest limit emission values known as Stage V, their values are still considerably higher than those of road vehicles. Also, the average age of the NRMMs is always significantly higher than the average age of road vehicles. Additionally, a significant share of NRMM is used in highly urbanised areas.
To enable the emission inventories of higher quality, it is necessary to enable a better data collection on usage and working conditions of NRMM required for the development of emission inventories.
With that goal in mind, an organisational scheme for implementation of rules on type approval for Non-Road Mobile Machinery in the Republic of Croatia is proposed. Besides, an organisational scheme for market surveillance is proposed. An additional benefit of proposed market surveillance is the collection of data and development of corresponding emission factors for NRMMs.
Adsorption isotherm study of copper removal from aqueous solutions onto agricultural by-product
Authors: PSYCHOGIOU M. , KAPSALAKI K , SGOUBOPOULOU A , MITROGIANNIS D
Published: November 2022

Abstract. Pollution by heavy metals is a serious global problem, both for the environment and for any form of life. There is a growing interest to find low cost agricultural by-products with high adsorption capacity for the removal of heavy metals. In the present study the adsorptive capacity of chemically modified rice husk was evaluated for the removal of copper ions from aqueous solutions. Equilibrium isothermal experiments were conducted and five mathematical models were used to investigate the adsorption isotherm. The three parameters models Sips and Redlich-Peterson fitted better the experimental data. The maximum adsorption capacity of modified rice husk for copper ions was 34.38 mg/g and the maximum adsorption removal was 92.76%. Modified rice husk could be one of the low costs and effective adsorbent for copper removal from aqueous solutions.
Effect of heavy metals accumulation on the growth and essential oils content of Rose Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L.)
Authors: Lydakis-Simantiris N. , Patrolea E. , Nikoli Th. , Loupasaki S. , Grigorakis S.
Published: November 2022

The objective of this study was to investigate the accumulation of Cd, Ni and Pb and their distribution in the aboveground and underground biomass of Rose Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L.), as well as the effect on the plant’s content and quality of essential oils. For this purpose, a pot experiment was conducted using a neutral to alkaline, sandy-loam soil, treated and equilibrated with four different levels of either Cd, Ni or Pb, in five replications, whereas control pots received no application. Five-weeks old plantlets of Rose Geranium were transplanted to the pots containing the different soil mixtures and plant analysis of the aboveground tissue was conducted eight weeks later. At the end of the experiment, aboveground and underground biomass of the plants was collected and air dried until constant mass. Parts of dry samples were used for ICP analyses and quantification of the heavy metal content. Hydrodistillation was also used to extract essential oils from the dry tissues and GC-MS analyses was carried out. Results show metal- and pollution level- dependent accumulation of the three metals under investigation in the roots and the aerial parts of the plants. Essential oil profiles from all treatments will also be presented showing the effects of the heavy metal pollution on their quality and content.
Quantitative and qualitative assessment of food waste of the hospitality sector in Greece
Authors: Abeliotis Konstadinos , Lasaridi Katia , Manios Thrasyvoulos , Terzis Evangelos , Chroni Christina , Galliou Fenia , Panteli V
Published: November 2022

In Greece, approximately 1.8 million tonnes of food waste are generated each year, mostly disposed of in landfill. Food waste is of concern for businesses in the hospitality and food service sectors, which in Greece dispose of an estimated 100,000 tonnes of food waste annually, almost 6% of the total food waste generated in Greece.
The food waste composition analysis and generation rate were determined through Waste Analysis Campaigns (WACs). It is in the scope of the present work to illustrate the results of food waste compositional analysis on samples from the study area of the targeted hotels of Heraklion and Hersonissos in the Region of Crete. The increased need for food waste diversion from landfill and the existing policy which promotes its separate collection and treatment necessitates the comprehensive characterisation of food waste in order to fill information gaps and uncertainties towards food waste management improvements.
The ‘Fresh Fruits’ and ‘Fresh Vegetable and Salads’ represented the greatest proportions (56.5%) in each WAC for the hotels. A certain degree of variability is observed though due to seasonal variation.
The recorded low impurities content (~0.6%) demonstrate that the participating hotels practice effectively the source separation of the generated food waste.
Adsorptive Removal of Marbofloxacin from Milk using Activated Carbons.
Authors: Giancarlo Carvotto , GE XINYU , WU ZHILIN , KUNZ WERNER , Barge Alessandro
Published: November 2022

The present study aims to remove the residual marbofloxacin (MBX) from milk with activated carbons (ACs) in batch and flow systems to meet the maximum residue limits (MRLs, 0.075 µg mL-1). Different types (granular and powder) and amounts of ACs were studied. In batch mode, 50 mg of commercial granular AC (CGAC) with 1083 m2 g-1 of BET specific surface area exhibited the superior adsorption performance for 20 mL of 1 µg mL-1 MBX-spiked milk. 93.7% of removal efficiency (RE) and 0.063 µg mL-1 of MBX residue were achieved. In flow mode, 325 mL of 1 µg mL-1 MBX-spiked milk was efficiently purified through 500 mg CGAC in a glass column (1 cm ID) and 93.4% of RE and 0.066 µg mL-1 of MBX residue were attained at the end. The flow process can handle 1.6 times higher in volume than that in batch mode. In conclusion, antibiotics can be efficiently, economically and conveniently removed using ACs adsorption from milk, despite the presence of competition adsorption of impurities. The adsorption with flow mode paves the way for the removal of antibiotics in milk.
DESIGN OPTIMIZATION OF A POLYMERIC NANOFILTRATION MEMBRANE FOR OLIVE MILL WASTEWATER VALORIZATION PLUS PURIFICATION
Authors: Pulido Javier Miguel
Published: November 2022

The core of the present work was to model and optimize an environmentally friendly nanofiltration (NF) treatment process for two-phase olive mill wastewater (OMW) valorization throughout concentration and recovery of its phenolic fraction and the obtention of a purified permeate stream. A factorial design was used for the optimization of the process. Results were interpreted by the response surface methodology. A statistical multifactorial analysis was performed in order to quantify all the potential complex conjugated effects of the input parameters in the NF process. The process was subsequently modelled by means of a second-grade quadratic fitting model equation. Finally, the parametric quality standards that permit to reuse the purified stream for irrigation or discharge in-site reuse purposes were checked. To the author’s knowledge, no previous work on the optimization and statistical modelling of membrane processes for OMW purification and valorization can be found up to the present. The optimized data are very relevant for the feasible scale-up of the proposed process, since the NF membrane was highly efficient at ambient temperature conditions and raw effluent pH. The optimized conditions provided a permeate stream that could be reused for irrigation purposes and a retantate stream concentrated in total phenolic content of minimum 1315.7 mg/L.
Development of a novel GC-APCI-QTOFMS methodology for the determination of more than 300 organic compounds in Asopos river water samples
Authors: Thomaidis Nikolaos , Panagopoulou Eleni , Nika Maria-Christina , Damalas Dimitrios , Koulis Georgios
Published: November 2022

The site of interest of this study is Asopos river which is located in Sterea Ellada, north of Athens, and passes through areas where 20% of total Greece industrial production takes place. The extensive installation of industries in the area near the river, and the uncontrolled disposal of industrial and agricultural wastes into the river, make the water quality of Asopos questionable. The environmental problem of Asopos river basin is known since 1969, due to the detection of high Cr (VI) concentrations in ground and river water samples with potential carcinogenic effects to human health. However, the probable occurrence of industrial and agricultural organic chemicals with unknown toxic effects has not been studied so far. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first environmental monitoring study in Greece including not only the determination of legislated compounds, but also the wide-scope screening of organic chemicals for which no occurrence data exist.
A Small Overview of the current, Natural & Affected Environments by Microplastics
Authors: Mafina Krystelle , Robertson Ian
Published: November 2022

There is a growing concern and increasing evidence that microplastics in the World’s rivers and oceans are having an affect on marine environments; and ultimately into the food chain. Infrared Spectroscopy and Microscopy are well- established analytical techniques for defining, identifying and categorising of plastic materials. However, it is also good to remember that microplatics is a term that consists of diverse chemicals of all shapes, sizes, coulour etc. Increasingly collating research and information on these materials has become of great importance as they are been added as priority contaminants to monitor by various governments. This presentation reviews the recent scientific findings in the microplastics applications in order to sharpen our understanding of their affects in our marine environments.