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A miniaturized on-board platform for optic sensors stabilization is the proposed concept developed and tested by a multidisciplinary team of engineers under a UEFISCDI (the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding in Romania) research funding. The need for a UAV to capture images and give in-depth information of ground objects is fulfilled by the developed three-axial stabilized optical system. Modern techniques, technologies and state-of-the-art electronics are employed ...

Organic waste has been discharged into the environment by various industries in a global society. Anaerobic digestion has proven its potential as a waste-to-energy (WTE) technology to produce biogas, which can also replace fossil fuels while accommodating these unwanted wastes. However, there are limitations to anaerobic digestion, such as poor biomethane yield due to limited supply and fluctuations in the composition of the substrates, and an inadequate C/N ratio in the feedstocks. This paper aims to discuss poss...

Mining wastes represent a specific type of waste and, like sites after mining, represent sites where a comprehensive assessment of pollution at these sites needs to be approached, taking into account various specific conditions. Subsequently, the design of the remediation technologies used at a specific location must also be adapted to this fact. Until now, mining waste facilities (heaps and sludge ponds) have been treated as environmental burdens. However, it should be borne in mind that abandoned extractive wast...

This study investigated changes in carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) concentrations in the three components of the forest ecosystem (leaves, bark and soil) along an altitudinal gradient in the temperate forests of Romania. The properties and processes within the forest ecosystem are influenced by altitude. The leaves, litter and soil are important in the good development of the ecosystem and in the cycle of the elements. Plants extract the nutrients necessary for life and growth from the soil in which they carry out the...

Many processes involving dusts, suspended or accumulated, have the potential to lead to fire, explosion or decomposition in the presence of oxygen and an ignition source. The risk of dust explosions increases as more and more products take the form of dusts or require the use of dusts during manufacture. In spite of extensive research and development to prevent and mitigate dust explosions in the process industries, this phenomenon continues to represent a constant hazard to industries including manufacturing, usi...

Residues of pesticides and HM, used in bees care or in crop fields, have negative effects on the health of bees and humans and of the antimicrobial properties of the honey. Investigation of HM and pesticides is vital, since the use of chemical solutions has -rise up- significantly. Our aim was to investigate whether the level of contaminants in honey (Fe, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, As, using GC/ECD and GF-AAS) and pesticides: ?-HCH, ?-HCH, ? -HCH, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, DDE, DDD, and DDT, alpha -Endosulfan, carbofuran, pi...

It is well known that at a European level, a large building fund must be retrofitted by 2050 to meet the climate and energy targets defined by a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions up to 80 - 95% compared to 1990 levels. In this regard, the proposed recast of the energy performance directive defines a new path: going from nearly Zero Energy Buildings to Zero Emission Buildings for residential and non-residential buildings. Thus, practitioners need more adequate instruments to perform reliable field measurements ...

Drought indicator systems help decision-makers to understand how and where the drought occurred and to take measures from the Drought Management Plans. The main goal in the Water Framework Directive (WFD) is the achievement -good ecological status-, but the Article 4.6 allows temporary deterioration of the status, occurred as a result of so called -prolonged drought-. Reduction of natural water resources such as rivers, lakes, aquifers, is associated with the reduction in available water resources for water supply...

The processing, transport and storage of flammable materials in the form of dust generates an explosion risk due to the possibility of initiating potentially explosive atmospheres created by dust suspended in air with various ignition sources, some of which may be their own installations. As explosions can cause human casualties and severe property damage, the explosion risk assessment and the application of appropriate measures by manufacturers and users of installations to prevent the ignition of explosive atmos...

The use, production, processing and storage of petroleum products and gases generate hazardous atmospheres that can be ignited and generate explosions, causing serious damage both to materials and the environment, and especially to human health and integrity. The use of equipment in this environment requires compliance with certain well-defined parameters, which must be chosen in correlation with the potentially explosive atmosphere in which it is to be installed and the type of protection, temperature class and c...

This paper presents the findings of the mapping and evaluation of macrophyte vegetation from Tataru and Uzlina lakes, located within Danube Delta, Romania. Throughout time, the Danube Delta unique ecosystem has endured considerable ecological changes due to natural and anthropogenic stressors. Currently, the potential threats are those related to pollution, agriculture, land use, climate change and subsequently, the proliferation and/or the extinction of many macrophyte species. The excessive development of aquati...

The California Bearing Ratio (CBR) is a test designed to measure the bearing capacity of the subgrade during a construction of roads. It has also been used as a baring capacity test for unpaved aircraft runways and other transport areas. Nowadays, CBR is used as a proof and control test in evaluating the bearing capacity of subgrade and structural layers of roads. A distinction is made between the laboratory test and the in-situ test, which is nowadays no longer widely used. This is due to several reasons. It is p...

Certain studies have determined specific conifers, which can be found in urban and industrial areas can be used to monitor the degree of air pollution being used for passive biomonitoring processes. The needles and bark of conifers taken from the industrial and urban areas of the Jiu Valley, mercury, chromium) and arsenic, after acid mineralization of the samples of pine bark (Pinus sp.), spruce (Picea Abies) and thuja (Thuja Occidentalis) and those taken from these conifers in the urban area and in the vicinity o...

Accidental explosions and fires caused by combustible dusts dust are some of the most significant threats in many industries where layers of combustible dusts and clouds are formed as a result of technological processes. When there is a possibility of a combustible dust to occur during the process, as a residue or byproduct, safety measures need to be taken in order to protect the installations and personnel. In the process of manufacturing the aluminum packaging a combustible dust residue is formed. In the presen...

The climate changes represent an important problem in today-s society. Our study refers to the West Region of Romania, formed by the counties of Arad, Timis, Caras-Severin, Hunedoara, and it shows that there are significant differences regarding the climate changes between these counties. In our paper, we analyze the evolution of annual, respectively seasonal precipitations , and of the minimal, maximal and medium air temperatures in the considered region in the time frame 1991-2021. The statistical analysis of da...

Climate change is a global problem with serious social, economic and distributional effects on the environment. It is one of the main current challenges for humanity. Changing climate conditions in the long term, as well as short-term fluctuations and non-standard variation of temperature characteristics, have a significant impact on the behavior of pavement structure. Since the end of the 19th century, average temperatures have risen to 0.6 -C. The article describes the results of measurements and evaluations of ...

The main objectives of this study are: analysis of the associated spectrum of the geomagnetic field, time of occurrence of geomagnetic storms and comparisons between recordings made at various geomagnetic observatories in the INTERMAGNET network, in terms of frequency intensity identified and correlations during geomagnetic disturbances. A geomagnetic storm is a temporary disturbance of the Earth's magnetosphere caused by ejections of solar corona mass, coronal holes or solar flares. The data used in this paper ar...

This article compares daylighting in administrative building located in different climatic zones - Sweden, Czech Republic and Greece. Theese locations were chosen to best demonstrate the different lighting conditions across Europe. One room was selected and modelled, for which the daylighting in each country was then simulated and calculated. The values of the daylight factor were observed for simultaneous identical changes in window geometry and wall reflectance in all cases. Depending on the changes in window ge...

The theoretical model of perfect business competition is designed based on five assumptions: atomicity of demand and supply, homogeneity of the product, free entry/exit in/from a branch of activity or on/from the market, market transparency, (with the fundamental assumption of the individual's rationality) and perfect mobility of production factors [1], [2]. The factorial analysis carried out for an economic agent from an Eastern European country highlighted the fact that the production function is homogeneous. Fo...

The creation of public spaces is currently quite conditioned by the impact of the idea of sustainable mobility and efforts to improve the environment in urban spaces. On the one hand, there are ideas and thoughts for improving public spaces, on the other hand, outdated legislation prevents these ideas from being sufficiently implemented. One of the most important elements for changing the division of transport work in urban conditions and thus improving the perception and appearance of public spaces is to increase...

It is well known that atmospheric aerosols have both a direct and an indirect impact on the Earth's systems and have natural or anthropogenic origins. In this paper we present the results of the 2022 spring-time lidar measurements conducted within the European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (EARLINET) using a multi-wavelength Raman and depolarization LIDAR system operated in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The Cluj-Napoca lidar system (CLOP) emission is based on a Nd-YAG laser Continuum INLITE II-30, which has a repetition ...

Wildfires are a problem all over the world. Plant and animal life are under threat of destruction. But this issue is especially relevant for Ukraine, where fires appear en masse throughout the country not only from weather factors but also from enemy shelling by the Russian army. In addition, there is the uncontrolled spread of fire to large areas of Ukraine due to limited access to emergency services. Because of hostilities, landmines, and the occupation of Ukrainian territory, Ukrainian rescuers and foresters ar...

In the era of rapid urbanization which has a great implication in converting the natural landscape into artificial surfaces, Land Surface Temperature (LST) is an important parameter which plays an important role in the studies of urban thermal environment, meteorological, hydrological and climatological applications and Global climate change. Data and images acquired from satellites offer information that can facilitate public and private decision - making. This study investigates the Land Surface Temperature (LST...

The new network of permanent GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) stations should be established by the end of this year. At the moment, 18 permanent stations are already established. All stations coordinates must be determined following the conditions dictated by the Republic Geodetic Authority of Serbia, i.e., the Rule Book for establishing the GNSS permanent stations network. The coordinates of stations, the final solution, must be calculated from three consecutive uninterrupted daily sessions as a combine...

Economic growth in Europe is causing environmental problems thus highlighting the need to minimize waste. Sustainable Development Goal 12 -Sustainable Production and Consumption- focuses on three aspects: waste management, energy saving and resource usage minimization. The aim of this study is to analyse the current needs for professional food waste management knowledge in European food production companies and develop waste minimization skills for food sector-s vocational education students. The study is based on...

Water pollution with oil residues is a particularly important and difficult problem to prevent and solve. The ecological consequences of black tides have proven to be particularly serious and even catastrophic for marine ecosystems. In this sense, the limitation and concentration represent the optimal response action to hydrocarbon pollution. The aim of the work was to digitally design a woven textile reinforcement used as a matrix of the composite material from which the freeboard and skirt of the floating surfac...

The carrying out of human activities of an industrial nature involves the use, handling or accidental presence of substances of a toxic nature such as carbon oxide. The presence of this gas in closed or semi-closed spaces can seriously affect the human body and when concentrations are high it can lead to death. Knowing how carbon oxide affects the human body and how it disperses into the air is very important for establishing preventive measures. Also, in order to establish the escape routes and the refuge areas, ...

Following the increased use of sealing structures built in order to isolate historically polluted sites or to repair infiltrations inflicted to the levee of dams, it emerged the need to choose the right materials for constructing barriers using cutoff wall technique. The objective of this paper is to assess the range of suitable material combinations (water, cement and bentonite) in order to attain proper compressive strength, permeability and ductility requirements of such a structure. This paper proposes the rep...

The design of a suitable ventilation method for buildings aims primarily to improve the quality of the indoor environment of buildings and thus to influence individual parameters of the indoor environment such asCO2concentration, air purity, the required amount of fresh air according to the proposed operation of the building, temperature and humidity. Proper design and installation of a forced ventilation system with heat recovery can significantly reduce the energy required for heating or cooling. The paper focus...

Climate change and global environmental challenges pose an existential threat to the world, including Europe. Dealing with the current climate and environmental challenges requires an urgent and ambitious response. The global challenges are also an opportunity for companies, especially those engaged in environmental protection, to innovate, as they both increase their competitiveness and export potential. The relevance of the research problem is additionally supported by the fact that the European Union is committ...

In this paper, we intended to analyze non-native plant species that spread uncontrollably and have a visible and quantifiable impact in the analyzed area. The analyzed plant species demonstrate a strong invasive character, overwhelming the native plant species. This fact leads to a loss of biodiversity at the local level, but especially to production loss of the useful biomass on the invaded land surfaces. The aim of this paper is to show a practical method of analysis and evaluation of economic losses at the loca...

In the current society, the topic of global environmental problems that people face in their everyday lives is becoming more frequent. The consumption lifestyle of people has a negative impact on the environment, which causes reduced quality of life on Earth. One of the most important tasks of education is leading children toward sustainable living. The study is focused on a specific pedagogical-didactical approach - Forest pedagogy as one of the options for environmental education as well as building a relationsh...

Biochar application to agriculture soil has been recommended as a strategy to reduce increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and mitigate climate change. Significant suppression of soil CO2 emissions following biochar amendments has been demonstrated in short-term laboratory incubations by several authors, yet evidence from long-term field trials has been contradictory. This study investigates whether biochar addition to the soil could suppress soil CO2 emission under field conditions after 6-th...

Because of the electric propulsion, electric scooters could be a potential way how to decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in urban transportation sector; however, recent research has cast doubt on that. This article focuses on the effect the electric scooter use has on CO2 emissions by examining the electric scooter trip data obtained during 2021 scooter season in Riga city. As shared scooters routinely replace already existing modes of transportation, the article analyses the effect which this replacement has...

Risk communication facilitates the understanding of risks by the local communities and results in a higher acceptance degree of the people regarding the management of risks. Constant communication between all stakeholders on topics like community sustainable development (including environmental risk management) leads to a better local governance and a higher public engagement in the problems of the community, leading to improved behavior patterns. Moreover, broader and more effective community engagement is greatl...

This study presents a fertilization plan in Zadareni, Arad County, Romania, on an area of 113 ha cultivated with soybean and maize. The identified soils were mostly chernozem (108 ha) and eutricambosol (5 ha). Twenty-three soil samples were collected and, based on the soil analyses performed in the laboratory and on the specific consumption by the plants as kg/ha active substance, a series of calculations were made regarding the need for fertilizers for the two crops. A fertilisation plan was then elaborated takin...

In 2004, a digital terrain model (DTM) was created in Serbia. It was obtained by vectorizing isohypses on topographic maps with a scale of 1: 25000. The resolution of the digital model of Serbia is 30 m, and the vertical accuracy, as the authors claim, is 10 m. From December 2021, the global model FABDEM (Forest And Buildings removed Copernicus DEM) is available to the public. It was created based on the data of the Copernicus GLO30 model so that data on forests and buildings were removed from it. Important featur...

The paper presents an exergy analysis of a heat pump with a steam injection. Different refrigerants as R290, R152A and R1234yf are considered. Constructive schemes such as two-stage heat pumps or cascade couplings are known and used to reduce the temperature at the compressor discharge level, but the presence of two or more compressors increases the cost of the initial investment of the equipment. This paper presents the design of a steam injection heat pump that has the advantage of a simple construction and can ...

In recent years, natural wastewater treatment wetland plants have been gaining more attention from researchers and the public due to their low operating costs and efficient way of treating wastewater. Treatment wetland plants with pulse-fed vertical flow filters are one of the most efficient treatment technologies. For optimum operation, intermittent loading of wastewater onto the filter surface is necessary, for which various types of automatic siphons can be used in addition to pumps. This kind of automatic siph...

The global development of society requires constant updating of the objectives that education pursues and how they are achieved. Science education is an area undergoing advanced transformation, both at the level of objectives and methodologies, with a strong social, economic, and knowledge impact. Research-based education is a well-established term, especially in the higher education system. More studies and key policy documents argue that education must be based on cutting-edge research. Essential in this equatio...

The mechanism for the selective adsorption of zirconium ions in a highly acidic medium by sodium-modified titanium dioxide was proposed. The mechanism of adsorption of zirconium ions in an acidic medium by this adsorbent is similar to the mechanism of adsorption of strontium ions in a neutral medium. The selectivity of Na-TiO2 is due to the positively charged surface of the adsorbent in the highly acidic medium.

According to ANSYS - developer of the Multiphysics platform for computer simulations - the FSI (Fluid-Structure Interaction) model can be used in all cases where a fluid encounters a solid structure, for example, wind gusts rotating a turbine, air washing the surface of a moving car etc. This method finds applications especially in the aeronautical and automotive industries, but also in medical research, such computer simulations track the influences of blood pressure and blood flow velocity in the veins. This pap...

Forests rank at the top of the natural assets of Romania, both because of their rich biodiversity, and their livelihood-sustaining role. In the ex-socialist countries that entered the tumultuous early-democratic era and faced many socio-economic adjustments, the monitoring of this valuable biome becomes critical for its sustainable management. This study aims to examine 20 years (2001-2020) of forest canopy loss in the Moldavian counties in Romania, using the spatial dataset provided by the GLAD laboratory and the...

The current information age has led, globally, to an exponential increase regarding the availability and the use of the information, both structured and unstructured, a phenomenon known as Big Data. The term Big Data refers not only to the massive volume and variety of data itself, but also to the set of technologies that surround it, in order to collect, store, retrieve, manage, process and analyze data in order to solve complex problems in society, respectively for increasing the quality of life in all its aspec...

Several geochemical analyses (bulk parameters, particle size, loss on ignition, major, minor and trace elements) were performed on 51 recent sediment samples collected in May 2022 from Rosulet, Rosu and Puiu lakes which are located in the fluvio-marine delta plain of the Danube Delta, Romania. The aim of this study was to decipher the potential origin of anthropogenic and/or natural sources, weathering, sedimentary processes and the local geochemical fingerprint on the distribution of specific chemical elements in...

The Alto do Sobrido and Ribeiro da Serra Mines, are two antimony-gold mines located in Gondomar, Portugal, and are part of the Durico-Beirao Mining District (DBMD). In this work, we use four geophysical methods, such as gravity, radiometry, magnetic and electromagnetic, to improve the knowledge about these mineralizations and the lithologies and structures associated with them. These four methods allowed us to study these mineralizations through different physical properties. The gravimetric method allowed us to a...

The current research aims to apply cluster analysis using the software ArcGIS in the study of the food industry in Bulgaria for the period 2010 to 2020. The use of clustering methods is necessary to differentiate homogeneous groups of administrative-territorial units of NUTS 3 level on certain indicators to reveal several features and implement specific economic policies and measures for areas of a cluster and others. The grouping of the areas according to the considered indicators was done with the tool Grouping ...

Magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) is a non-hydraulic binder produced in a more eco-efficient way than Portland cement and due to its favorable properties represents its promising alternative in the production of construction materials for specific applications. The specific advantage of MOC is the fact that it can accommodate organic as well as inorganic substances in the form of fillers, aggregates, additives, reinforcement, etc. which enables enriching properties and performance of the final composite material....

As the world adopts the technological era, the adverse effects of climate change have been experienced by the increasing population, which has led to a rise in energy demand. Heavy industries depend on dirty fossil fuels that release GHG emissions into the atmosphere. This paper aims to review the integration of a nuclear-renewable hybrid energy system (NRHES) to produce green hydrogen in decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries in the ASEAN region. In this study, the two main hydrogen production methods were identi...

The paper deals with the possibility of obtaining zinc and iron from waste galvanic sludge, which arises during galvanic plating. Galvanic sludges, which contain more significant amounts of heavy metals, form wastes that are suitable for recycling. These arise during the treatment of wastewater from the operation of the electroplating plant. It is a mixture of metal hydroxides, mainly iron, zinc, chromium, and others. The sludge is sedimented in the reaction wells and, after sedimentation, is pumped into the sludg...