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In deltaic environments like the Danube Delta, sedimentary particles can range from clay and silt to sand and gravel. The proximity to the Black Sea introduces marine processes into the deltaic system that can be translated as a mixture of fine-grained sediments derived from the fluvial delta along with marine sediments from the Black Sea. This region is of particular importance for the ecology and hydrology of the Danube Delta due to the presence of sandy deposits that cause a major change in both natural and ant...

Electrical equipment that operates in a potentially explosive atmosphere, have characteristics specially designed for operation in this area. For security reasons, it is essential that the integrity of these special features be preserved in these areas throughout the life of the installation. Using electric equipment in potentially explosive atmospheres brings forward several particularities therefore the problems that appear during the design, construction and operation of electrical devices and installations bri...

The current dramatic pace of biodiversity loss requires immediate and decisive action. The Nature Positive Agenda implies recovery of lost natural ecosystems and gain of new ones that would overcompensate for biodiversity loss. Achievement of such an ambitious agenda is not trivial. It requires mobilization of resources and stakeholders across public and private sectors. Obviously, efforts of protected area establishment are not sufficient as it only implies protection of existing habitats, not gain of new ones. G...

One of the objectives of the research is to identify the factors influencing the implementation of environmental economics and green governance principles in Latvia. The study focuses on the strategic allocation, implementation and impact of investments, including EU structural funds, on environmental sustainability initiatives in Latvia. The research methodology includes theoretical concepts and research on the development of the environmental economics in the regions of Latvia. In order to achieve the objectives...

Search engine optimisation as a separate concept has not been researched extensively compared to other digital marketing tools in Latvia. The aim of this study is to analyse the decision-making process of custumers in the choice of services placed on the internet market for sustainable development. The study is planned to be carried out in five phases, analysing and structuring the offer of companies in different sectors and the choices made by consumers on websites. This article summarises data from the first pha...

In the goal of environmental sustainability, society's essential role in conducting environmental audits emerges as critical. This abstract investigates the multiple significance of society involvement while reading environmental audits. To begin, societal scrutiny serves as a powerful force for accountability, ensuring that stakeholders are held accountable for environmental deterioration. Concurrently, by looking into audit reports, society obtains essential insights into environmental concerns, cultivating a co...

Using data from the Eurostat datasets on employee computer and internet use (ISOC_CI_CM_PN2, measured as a percentage of total employment) and resource productivity (ENV_AC_RP, measured in Euro per kilogram) across the European Union between 2014 and 2022, this paper investigates the potential effects of these technologies on sustainability efforts within companies. Using the economic value produced per kilogram of material used as a proxy for resource utilization efficiency, the study seeks to establish a relatio...

Introduced in Europe for the first time as a medicinal plant (around the 1630) and later as an ornamental, Asclepias syriaca L. has escaped from culture and became subspontaneous. Today, this species raises serious threats of invasion in some European countries, such as Hungary, for example. In this paper, we discuss the spread of the species in the Romanian Banat, especially in the spontaneous vegetation. The first reports in the region are those from the Romanian Flora. We found this species in different habitat...

Pervasive environmental stressors, particularly water deficits, have a major impact on plant production, diverting necessary energy away from growth and development to mitigate stress effects. This study addresses the impact of several water regimes (irrigated and non-irrigated) on royal walnut individuals (Juglans regia L.) in an orchard in western Slovakia. Our analysis focused on sap flow measurements using the stem heat balancing method from July 13 to September 21, 2021. In the midday hours, the sap flow rate...

Construction using 3D printer technology seems to be not just a passing trend and a growing number construction companies are approaching this new construction methodology. Although construction processes with printers are becoming standardized, it is also true that many other aspects must be considered in the design phase. Better this construction methodology becomes known, more architects and engineers will have to learn how to design these constructions, in the methods of statics, systems, etc. A very important...

Renewable energy technologies are becoming increasingly important with the world's growing energy needs and environmental deterioration. In this context, thermoelectric materials capable of converting waste heat directly into electric power are at the forefront of extensive studies. The layered cobaltites have great potential for use in thermoelectric generators due to their environmental friendliness, good thermal and chemical stability, and relatively low cost of raw materials. Improving the thermoelectric prope...

In the present, regional policy faces the demanding task of developing suitable decision-making tools for regional development that will effectively take into account the need to mitigate climate impacts. Blue-green infrastructure (BGI) emerges as one of the most promising tools in this field. BGI represents an integrated approach that harnesses the synergistic effect of natural and civic systems to manage water, regulate climate, and protect biodiversity. This comprehensive approach not only helps reduce the risk...

In the area of the city of Piatra-Neamt (North-East of Romania), the activities related to the tourism sector may register malfunctions due to the manifestation of some natural risk phenomena. The touristic potential of the city (recreational, sports, balneary, cultural-historical) represents a central component of the national tourist structure with many exploitation possibilities. Risk situations of tourist activities can be induced by the natural hazards attributes (probability and intensity) and vulnerability ...

Education is an ongoing process that enables individuals and society as a whole to reach their full potential by developing their abilities. It serves as a crucial prerequisite for sustainable development and the formation of public awareness. Environmental education, which begins in early childhood and continues throughout life, plays a vital role in fostering environmental literacy. Thus, assessing the state of environmental education among school-age students is of great importance. Our research aimed to evalua...

Most modern heat pump installations can only generate a maximum temperature of 50-55-C. This temperature potential is not sufficient to integrate them with existing convective and radiator-based space heating systems in severe climates. This paper discusses the findings from an experimental study evaluating the efficiency of a fan coil-based air heating system. Using a peaking boiler fueled by natural gas from the main supply has been shown to be the most cost-effective method for generating thermal energy with pe...

This study addresses the significant challenge of hole cleaning in drilling operations, which is essential for preventing stuck pipe incidents-a major cause of non-productive time and additional costs in drilling. This research aims to develop and validate machine learning models that enhance the prediction and optimization of cuttings removal during drilling. Utilizing a dataset derived from historical drilling operations, we employed regression analysis and neural network models to forecast the presence and heig...

In this paper, the applications of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in plant histology and anatomy research are highlighted. Traditionally, SEM is used in plant biology to analyze the surfaces of various vegetative and reproductive organs in order to investigate micromorphological aspects. Vegetative and reproductive organs from 12 species of angiosperms from various habitats in Romania were analyzed (Adonis vernalis L., Primula halleri J.F.Gmel., Oxytropis halleri Bunge et. Koch, Oxytropis campestris (L.) DC, P...

The difficult environmental situation in the world is largely a consequence of the huge volume of production and consumption waste and its constant growth. In this regard, the problem of waste placement, neutralization and utilization comes to the fore. One of the most controversial methods that contribute to a significant reduction in the amount of garbage and the production of energy is waste incineration plants. The main argument of opponents of this method of disposal is the assertion about the pollution of th...

Reference genes are essential for normalising data in RT-qPCR experiments and are critical in reducing technical variability. This study aimed to identify and validate stable reference genes for accurate gene expression analysis in porcine oocytes matured in culture media supplemented with antioxidants. Five commonly used reference genes were assessed: PPIA, RPL4, GAPDH, YWHAZ, and TBP, [2, 3] in oocytes cultured under oxidative stress conditions induced by Vitamin C. The experiment involved four experimental grou...

Following the vehicle painting process, residual gases containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released into the atmosphere through exhaust pipes. Entrepreneurs are legally obliged to report to the Environmental Protection Agency, which, in turn, reports to the European Union to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The current paper investigates the temporal variation of VOC concentrations correlated with technological processes carried out in vehicle painting shops. Thr...

The Bolnisi Ore District (Georgia), situated within the Tethyan-Eurasian metallogenic belt, embodies a multifaceted geological milieu marked by the intricate interplay of volcanic and tectonic processes, predominantly delineated by Late Cretaceous volcanic and sedimentary sequences entrenched between the Khrami and Loki Variscan crystalline massifs. Noteworthy for its rich mineral endowment, the Bolnisi Ore District harbors a plethora of ore deposits, with several operational mining sites situated within its bound...

Currently, the most advanced countries in terms of green thinking and production are Scandinavia, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand. The Baltic States also have adopted a joint Climate Declaration with a commitment to climate neutrality. The global production and consumption of plastics have doubled over the last two decades, yet only approximately 30% of plastic waste is recycled and reused, while the rest ends up in the environment. We all must play a role in protecting the environment at h...

The effect of pressurized hydrogen on pipeline walls is an important phenomenon that can cause damage to the integrity of the pipeline structure during transport and storage of gases. Hydrogen can penetrate the wall of metallic pipelines (alloy steel or carbon steel) and cause cracking or rupture of the material, which can lead to pressure loss or even serious effects (explosions, fires). The embrittlement of the metal by hydrogen is a phenomenon of degradation of the mechanical properties of the metal, as a resul...

The wealth of the bowels of Kazakhstan has not yet been exhausted, there are promising areas that are currently insufficiently studied, especially at depth. The reason for the insufficient knowledge of geological structures in depth is the lack of a theoretical basis for geological research and justification for the forecast of prospect for minerals. In this regard, geology faces the question of creating a scientific approach for predicting new prospect areas, especially at depth. Our analysis shows that the princ...

A type of protection represents specific measures applied to equipment to avoid ignition of a surrounding explosive atmosphere. Flameproof enclosure -d- consists in placing the parts that could ignite an explosive atmosphere inside of an enclosure that can withstand the pressure developed during an internal explosion of an explosive mixture and which prevents the explosion transmission to the explosive atmosphere surrounding the enclosure. Increased safety -e- represents a type of protection that consists in apply...

The Mediterranean Sea can be taken as a good example of the advantage of people transportation by water, in order to reduce pollution. This is mainly due to historical reasons, in fact the ashore private transportation along coasts of Italy, France, Spain, Slovenia, Croazia etc, has been developed during centuries on the basis of Roman Empire roads, and furtherly with development of railways, offering basically 2 different ways of transport. But recent solutions and studies shows the possibility to give a signific...

A common practice under modern conditions in urban planning is the tendency of urban areas to grow, which is usually at the expense of agricultural areas. This, both in a global aspect and specifically for Bulgaria, is a particularly relevant problem due to the extremely important ecosystem functions of soil resources and the fact that they are an extremely slowly renewable natural resource. The assessment of ecosystems condition and their services is a suitable approach as an additional study on the effects of ch...

With the increasing interest of people to be informed at every step, to progress and overcome their limits, rapid developments have occurred in the field of IoT (Internet of Things) and miniaturized electronics. Thus, wearable power sources with high reliability and long duty cycles are required to power wearable electronic devices to meet people's needs and smart miniaturized electronics requirements. In addition, to make them truly wearable, these must be light, flexible, silent, low power consumption and adapta...

Environmental problems in shipping belong to the most important research topics in the marine sector, where a number of technical and operational measures to improve environmental friendliness of ships can be found in the literature. Most of the fishing vessels are powered by diesel engines and alternative fuels or full electrification of the ship power system as the ultimate game changer are regularly considered in the literature as technical measures that offer both environmental and economic benefits. It is cle...

Sustainability reporting landscape is evolving rapidly due to the expanding legislation worldwide. The new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive is challenging European companies to restructure their business models and processes and to enhance their corporate reporting. Considering the increasing number of reporting requirements, this paper aims at providing critical analysis of the current employers- demand on sustainability competences needed for setting up the relevant reporting processes. The empirical...

By elaborating this article, the authors wanted to present the situation of expenses incurred performed for the protection of the environment from Romania. The authors try to underline the fact that they have improved in recent years, against the background of the increase of the available funds, due to the economic growth and implicitly the revenues from state budget. A priority under all aspects must be the protection of the environment and those ways of protecting the Earth's resources for the following generat...

In the current energetical context, there is a need to diversify energetically independent applications. The presence of energetically independent vending systems is necessary in the smart cities of the future and beyond. Energetically independent vending equipment must ensure the delivery of cold or hot products with low energy consumption. Reduced energy consumption and the use of environmentally friendly sources lead to reduced greenhouse gas emissions and at the same time to higher energy autonomy. The paper p...

Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) belong to the so-called -critical infrastructure-, which are so essential that their continued operation is required to ensure the security of a people. Energy is the most important operating utilities of WWTP. The specific electric energy consumption of WWTP depending on many factors including the inflow quality, WWTP-s scale, the technology used and climate. High energy consumption indirectly produces ecological damage, accelerates the energy crisis, and increases carbon emissi...

Risks are present in all economic and industrial activities that manifest themselves both through economic losses, malfunctions of installations and equipment, as well as the occurrence of minor or major accidents with particularly serious consequences resulting in deaths and injuries, pollution of the environment. The assessment of risk levels stimulates the co-interest of economic operators to improve their working and environmental conditions, respectively to take measures to move from high risk levels to lower...

The result of determining the quantitative relationship between the temperature and humidity of enrichment waste materials based on the analysis of digital photographs of laboratory experiments using RGB and Lab methods is presented. Using standard equipment, a laboratory experiment was performed to determine the temperature and humidity of samples of the tailing dam surface layer. Digital photographs of the samples were taken in natural light. The images were processed on a computer to obtain the components value...

The removal and collection of dust particles from the air discharged into the atmosphere by industrial plants processing, transporting and storing dusty materials is an important objective for employers to prevent air pollution according to environmental legislation and employee safety regulations. Where the dust in question is flammable and may generate an explosive atmosphere, measures must be taken to prevent explosion and/or limit the effects of explosion. To this end, proper assessment of the risk of explosio...

Biochar is a highly porous pyrolysis product with a high specific surface area and adsorption properties, capable of adsorbing various compounds and formations, including ARG-containing MGEs. To assess the ability of biochar to adsorb MGE, a model experiment was carried out: in sterill flasks, the microbial community isolated from composts was cultivated on LB-medium, oxytetracycline and a mixture of heavy metals were added as factors potentially stimulating the production of MGE. Neither heavy metals nor oxytetra...

Dematerialization of local governments and environmental economics go hand in hand in pursuing sustainable development and environmental protection. Dematerialization, a concept in environmental economics, refers to reducing material consumption enabling economic growth without a commensurate increase in content consumption and associated environmental impacts [2]. This tendency to do more with less is essential to the municipalities' environmental economy. Advances in technology and the digital skills of municipa...

Albania is part of one of the most active seismic regions in Europe with dozens of devastating earthquakes throughout history. In this study, we will present an investigation of the earthquakes of the Elbasani region, in terms of the location accuracy and analysis of the features of the seismoactive layers. The distribution of focal depth shows the activation of a lithospheric zone, which extends in depth between 0 and 40 km. Accurate assessment of seismoactive layers of the Elbasani zone is of great interest in t...

In this study, a rapid compression machine (RCM) was used to study the traditional JP- 5 fuel and the JP-5 surrogate. In the experiment, the ignition delay characteristics with low-to-intermediate temperature compression temperatures ranging from 675-800K, compression pressures of 10, 15 and 20bar, and equivalence ratios of 0.25 and 0.37 are discussed. Among them, the auto-ignition delay time of JP-5 and the surrogate all shorten the ignition delay time as the compression pressure and equivalence ratio increases, ...

The significance of analog studies using lava tubes on Earth to inform on the design of future lunar and Martian missions is aimed at exploring and utilising those structures as potential habitats on those planetary bodies. Lava tubes, natural subsurface cavities formed by volcanic activity, have several characteristics that make them appealing for human habitation on the Moon and Mars. Researchers conducting analog studies on Earth can gain valuable insights into the geological, environmental, engineering, crew a...

The effect of climate change on current life is becoming more visible daily. Our capacity to be resilient to these changes is an act of responsibility for the future. Several directions could serve this purpose. The present study aims to determine the current state of the art in unconventional energy sources. Mainly, the focus will be on biomass. Biopower sources are an element of renewable energy alternatives, along with solar, wind, tide, wave, ocean, and geothermal. The statistics underline an increasing trend ...

The Black Sea exhibits significant potential for the development of substantial gas hydrate reserves, primarily due to its low salinity, extensive sedimentary complexity, and the presence of vast deep-sea buried paleodeltas. Recent geophysical and geochemical studies carried out as part of European and national projects have yielded valuable data and outcomes, serving as the basis for a reassessment of gas hydrates in the Black Sea. This research aims to provide an updated estimation of the Black Sea gas hydrate r...

For most soils, genetic inheritance is the determining factor of heavy metal abundance. The anthropogenic impact on the soil produced by fertilizers, pesticides, zootechnical residues, wastewater or particles brought to the soil by gaseous emissions, brings important quantities of heavy metals into the soil. Among these, the most toxic are Cd and Pb. The aim of the study was to establish the levels of Cd and Pb in soil and Beta vulgaris roots, sampled from eight locations from Tarnaveni area, an industrial center ...

The use of hydrogen as a fuel requires as much research as possible on the construction and functional parameters for the development of appropriate burners. The researches undertaken are addressed to diffuse flame burners with concentric jets of fuel and air. These burners cannot lead to flame return, the combustion being much safer, than for the case of burners with fuel-air mixture. The researches were carried out by numerical modeling through the ANSYS-FLUENT V.14.0 software. An important stage of the research...

A comparative analysis has been carried out on a set of indicators of two ways of recycling glass containers - collecting in retail stores and fast washing of containers at beverage bottling plants and processing into cullet, taking into consideration the whole life cycle of glassware production, use, recycling and utilization. Methods of systematization and statistical generalization were applied for comparative analysis. The specified work was based on data, that were received from various glass manufacturing en...

Soil contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is a widespread concern due to the high potential for human exposure through inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact. In this study, we compared the efficiency of three different methods for PAHs extraction from model samples, including ultrasonic (US), mechanical shaking and purification with commercial QuEChERS kit (Shq), and ultrasonic extraction coupled with QuEChERS (USq) by gas chromatography coupled to a triple quadrupole tandem mass-spectromet...

This paper presents the starting phase of a research project that aims to develop the technological demonstrator of a wind power generator system using a wind sail to capture the high altitude wind energy. The sail will capture the wind energy and will be raised to an altitude of minimum 100-200 meters to capture the stronger and more constant winds at this altitude. Flight attitude control will be done via an active control hub named WCU (Wing Control Unit) attached to the cable at about 10m from the sail. The gr...

In the energy field hydrogen will be more obvious to use by certain technologies than by direct combustion. The paper presents a conceptual analysis on the use of hydrogen by hydrogen by hydrogenation of carbon dioxide with final product methane, by hydrogenation of carbon dioxide, with the final product of methanol and by injection in certain proportions into the natural gas network. A new application of carbon dioxide hydrogenation is the decarbonisation of flue gases. To this end, conceptual analyses have been ...

The purpose of this study is to shed light on the question of what the possible consequences will be on people and the building stock of a strong earthquake for the city of Varna. A seismic risk assessment methodology is used, which was approved by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works of the Republic of Bulgaria. The seismic impact is determined based on a detailed deterministic study of the seismic hazard. Initially, an assessment of the seismic vulnerability of the building stock is made based o...