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The purpose of this study is to provide information about technical and fertility characteristics of soils for orchards conversion. Based on satellite images, there were calculate a series of normalized differential indexes resulting from some operations with the spectral bands, meaning they are obtained based on multispectral images (with several spectral bands). Through specific operations, it is aimed to amplify spectral signatures in the band where one particular object has the highest reflectance and diminish...

Sustainable architecture has always been associated with solar and low-energy objects using natural energy at various stages of their life cycle. The developmental morphology of the buildings influences the urban spatial structure of different scales (city, district, housing estate, quarter, building). Its analysis, which is generally extended to the nearest surroundings and the interior space of buildings, draws attention to the relationship between the energy intensity of buildings and the urban context, which a...

Heavy-metal pollution of forest soils around closed mines represents an important environmental concern and we measured the contamination level in the forest plants. The waste material generated by the now-abandoned ore-processing plant of Tarni?a-Suceava, Romania, situated in the Eastern Carpathians, contain large amount of heavy metals, aluminum, and arsenic. The high risk of environmental contamination of sterile dumps is amplified by their susceptibility to airborne, hydromechanical and hydrochemical transport...

The objective of the article was to identify eco-innovations and logistical processes to which eco-innovations are implemented. The article presents the quantitative methods of assessing the impact of logistic processes on the environment, which are also used for eco-design of processes in ecology. In the article the following methods were described: process assessment in supply chain GreenSCOR, LCA, MIPS, OPM. The research objective of the article was to evaluate the impact of the selected logistic process on the...

The global environmental challenges solution, such as climate change and natural resources scarcity, they are part of innovation policy, where the eco-innovation plays an important role. The OECD Green Growth Strategy recommends that green growth policies should encourage innovation, as this can enhance efficiency in the use of natural capital and foster new economic opportunities from the emergence of new green activities. The European Union has begun to track the eco-innovation performance of Member States in 20...

Eco-system services, particularly agricultural eco-system services as landscape functions are defined as goods and services provided that contribute to human well-being. The aim of the study is to evaluate the capability of sustainable providing agricultural eco-services - landscapes as base of innovative activities in the rural areas. The following aspects as the tasks have been covered in the study: to evaluate sustainability aspects of Latvian agricultural landscapes, as agricultural eco-system services; to inv...

This paper presents studies on the development of ecocomposites based on natural rubber and plasticized starch. Natural rubber is the most commonly used elastomer worldwide due to its low cost; it is renewable, non-toxic and shows excellent physical properties. Natural rubber is not used as such but in the form of mixtures which generally contain: fillers, plasticizers, crosslinking agents and other ingredients that provide various features to the final product. Replacement of active fillers in rubber mixtures suc...

Ecolabel is an environmental policy tool introduced at European level in 2000 by Ecolabel Regulation. Ecolabel is a tool to promote products with reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle. These products contribute to an efficient use of resources and a level of environmental protection, offering consumers accurate information about the eco-labeled products. Touristic enterprises that have Ecolabel care for environment and consumer health. If we take the examples of agritourism structures, we will h...

The aim of this paper is to draw attention to the relatively simple way how to both increase fire safety of paper technology processing and to remove one environmentally unfriendly and unhealthy chemical substance from the production process. Practical examination of flammability based on standardized testing method STN ISO 871:2010-07 of selected cellulosic material focusing on harvesting specimens and tissue paper bring new insights into the issues of flammability and combustion of the materials and finished pro...

Background: With the development of ecological awareness, the demand for financial and non-financial information is growing with regard to an entity's relationship with the environment. The literature presents various opinions on the solutions applied and their effects. Environmental reporting is only partially mandatory in Poland. Environmental information of business entity is generally non-financial and has various forms and scopes. This article aims to analyze and evaluate the state of environmental reporting ...

The work is devoted to the search for approaches to reducing the ecological risks of the urban population with the goal of preserving human health. It is assumed that a well-formed urban ecological framework will most compensate for negative environmental factors affecting human health. A methodology is proposed for constructing an urban ecological framework based on predicting the level of environmental risks in an industrial city. At the same time, the link between the quality of the urban environment and human ...

Economic development in recent decades has made environmental protection not only a local but also global problem. This approach is currently the basis of operation in this aspect in European Union. The eco-friendly business attitude should not, however, result from the fulfillment of statutory obligations, but from the activities that go after the accepted standards. Creating an environment-friendly, modern company image becomes a current times challenge and build a positive climate for its development. One of th...

Mosses are one of the least studied groups of plants in Kazakhstan. The article presents the results of many years (2008-2016gg) studies of bryophytes in the territory of Semey ecoregion of the East Kazakhstan region. The region of the survey covers various parts of the territory, which are different in their ecology and geographic location. It includes sections of plains, lowlands and lowlands with different humidity, vegetation cover and the percentage of projective cover. The studies were conducted by the route...

In the framework of this paper, Latvian jewelry, which is made in the past twelve years, is studied by the field research method. The materials used and technologies applied in the making of jewelry were the subject of the research. Besides the specific examples of jewelry, also their authors, which have furthered use of advanced and favorable for environmental methods in the making of jewelry. Research data are obtained based on database developed by the author, which can be used in the Internet, where 804 photos...

The set complex of methods for effectuation of the ecological monitoring of the anthropogenic impact areas as well as undisturbed was worked out by the authors. This method has been tested from 1997 to 2016 in Kostomukshsky State Nature Reserve. The typical part of northern forests of the European part of Russia and Rangifer tarandus fennicus is being protected. The reserve is part of the Finnish-Russian Friendship nature reserve. The Kostomuksha Mining and Processing Plant, the city of Kostomuksha, transboundary ...

The study responds to the need for restoring the natural function of small streams and recovery thereof in terms of European Parliament and Council Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC within brown coal mining areas damaged by anthropogenic impacts. The study observed: which environmental factors are the most relevant to the current state of these sites (the positive and negative effects), what types of recovery are typical of natural parts of the streams and significantly changed/affected ones, and the effect of ...

Providing the environmentally healthy conditions in rivers is main prerequisite to guarantee the sustainable river ecosystems development. This is connected to implementation of various measures accounting the increasing anthropogenic and climate change impacts. For the purpose on local, national and international level various tools and practices are implemented following the adopted legislation. For the countries of European Union Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) stipulates main framework for community action in the a...

The geographic origin of pollution is disconnected from its scale or place of occurrence, and some environmental problems could have impact easily on the entire planet. Currently it is noticeable a continuous agravation of pollution and a change in the basics of ecological problems. Local pollution is replaced by global issues such as climate change or biodiversity loss. The paper attempted to reveal the direction of policy measures that target sustainability within a global context. The paper makes an incursion i...

Currently, 50% of the world's population lives in cities. It is expected that by 2030 the share of urban residents will increase to 60%, and in 2070 the total area of the urbanized area will reach 19 million km2. Relations between the urban environment and the resident of the city are multifaceted and complex. Requirements for the organization of life in the city, its comfort and convenience are constantly rising. Modern architecture should take into account all the parameters of a comfortable life of a person: en...

The question whether the philosophy of the development of metropolises that is based on the premise that the most important factors in their planning is the provision of technically advanced forms of use of a metropolis, efficient, effective and economic systems of urban engineering, as well as efficient public transport in particular, without taking into account the sum total of the irreparable damage that has been caused to ecosystems, is morally justified - remains viable. The taking up of green areas by dynami...

The aim of the work is to evaluate the advantages of the application of renewable energy sources in an office buildings in the Czech Republic. Given the demands on the application of renewable energy sources and the issue of lack of free spaces in cities, this work will address the evaluation of the advantages and applications of solar energy and geotermal energy as the resources with easy applicability in the construction of new office buildings. Data for comparison are obtained from national statistics and alrea...

In Polish mines several belt replacement strategies are applied. They have been discussed in the context of strategies for machinery maintenance. The common practice is to base belt replacement on its condition established through visual inspections. Two main policies have been recognized: replacements in order to prevent costly downtimes of conveyor systems (in underground mines) and replacements in order to assure profitable refurbishment of worn out belts (in surface lignite mines). In order to choose the most ...

The article presents practical problems related to mines liquidation. This process is the last stage of mining activity. As a result the reduce of negative environmental impact should be obtained. The aim of the study was to demonstrate the complexity of this investment process. The last mentioned is not limited to environmental problems and also applies to the economic and legal issues. There is no doubt that the activity of extracting minerals from deposits is a source of a whole series of adverse environmental ...

The change in the composition and structure of the formation of demand for factors of production depends on the growth or decline in the economic efficiency of the sale of goods, work, services or from the successful achievement of socio-economic goals. In the first case, replacing some of the resources employed in the production cycles allows the economic entity to get an extra financial effect in the form of profit, and to the state in the form of tax payments. In the second case, the economic effect cannot occu...

The concept of energy efficiency is applied in the context of efficient use of energy materials and media in various stages of production, transmission, distribution and energy consumption. Implementation of the principles of energy efficiency in practice is taking action, whether producers or consumers of energy, resulting in the reduction of energy consumption per unit of output without reducing the level or quality of services consumed. Buildings form a basic pillar of smart cities concept where all life proces...

The modern society is focused on the main recommendations of the TEEB - The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity. One of the document directions is "Business can save biodiversity and improve the exploitation of ecosystems". The task is to strengthen those economic development strategies that are environmentally sound, socially just and profitable for business. Such measures are an integral part of the resources rational use policy in modern industrial enterprise. The object of this study was the process of pr...

The construction industry is one of the most material and energy-intensive manufacturing industries in the world, with about 50% of energy consumption and 60% of material resources. Obviously, the rational resource consumption, and as a consequence, the environmental future of humanity, to a large extent depends on the current state of this issue in the construction industry, and mainly emerging prospects for its modernization. For the construction, as the production sphere of national and global economies, findin...

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the viability of investment into a waste water treatment plant using electrochemical clean-up technique which could replace the existing waste water treatment plant operating on reverse osmosis principle. The evaluation was performed from the technological and economical point of view. First, a pilot waste water treatment plant was built within the existing facility and operation parameters were optimized. Next, the efficiency of waste water purification was assessed ba...

TodayпїЅs economy, referred to as пїЅknowledge-based economyпїЅ, relies on advances in science and education of society as a basic factor of social and economic development. The article presents the implementation of two-way cross-border co-operation in the exchange of experiences in innovative applications of production engineering using mathematical methods in various kinds of activities between technical universities and other participants. This type of activity means transfer of knowledge resulting from practi...

In recent years, the focus is more, more often put on environmental protection and energy saving, therefore, a variety of alternative materials, and alternative procedures in the field of road construction are search. One potential option is to reduce the temperature in the production, laying and compaction of asphalt mixtures that favourable affects a carbon footprint. This is achieved by the use of organic additives and waxes, chemical agents or water (foamed bitumen). Depending on the additives, it is possible ...

The purpose of this paper was to study the effect of carbon content on the dimensional characteristics of some powder metallurgy (PM) materials. The powders used in this study are atomized pure iron and prealloyed iron-based powders with Cu, Ni and Mo. Some elements as copper, nickel, molybdenum, manganese and phosphorus are the most common alloying element added in powders form because of its low cost, availability and capability to improve the properties of alloys. The particle size of the analyzed powders is ra...

Abnormal numbers of specific types of leukocytes may indicate immuno-suppression or immunocompetence in response to an immunomodulator. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of feeding broilers on diet containing flaxseed on splenocyte Tand B- cells. Upon hatching, all chicks were given the same basal diet for 13 d. Dietary supplementation of flaxseed started at 14 d of ages until the end of the cycle at 35 d of age. At slaughter, samples of spleen were collected. Spleen cells were harvested in ...

One of the important factors affecting nutrient uptake by the root system of the plants includes soil reaction. Increased soil acidity may adversely affect the use of biogenic nutrients, such as phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphur and molybdenum. In soil, nutrients are immobilized to insoluble forms. Although their amount in soil may be sufficient, the plants cannot obtain the optimal quantities, causing a decrease in the yield or production quality. On the other hand, in the metabolism of plants, a...

Novel trends in the market of fermented dairy products are leading to obtain various products with high functional and nutritive but less energy value. The development of new fermented dairy products could be divided into two groups in order to: 1. obtain products with improved physicochemical characteristics, rheology, texture, microstructure and sensory properties; 2. obtain products with pronounced nutritive characteristics and functionality. Yogurt is a very popular dairy product in most countries, it is consi...

Pesticides alter the biological properties of the soil, leading to a complete loss of their fertility. Chestnut soils (meadow brown, light brown) are resistant to contamination by pesticides and by fertilizers in particular. We have carried out studies on the effect of the examined soil pollution with high doses of fertilizers and pesticides on the soil mesofauna representatives. The work is based on studying influence of anthropogenic impacts on soil biological activity in comparison with its main indicators, whi...

Substrate, organic matter content, land use and cover may strongly affect soil properties having effect on soil water regulation services in ecosystems. Soil water holding capacity is function of specific physical, chemical, and biological soil parameters. The aim of this research was to understand the risks posed to soils and their water-holding capacities, in the face of changes in land use, land management and vegetation cover. This study was conducted in 2015, at two study sites, Tajov (TA on Haplic Cambisol) ...

Up to 50% of arable land is threatened by water erosion in the Czech Republic. Annually, water erosion causes billions of dollars of damage. It is especially reflected in the reduction in value of agricultural land and yield of the erosion damaged soil. In erosion affected areas, the soil is washed off and depleted of the finest particles binding nutrients and contributing to the formation of humus. In our study, we include five effects of water erosion on the content and quality of humus in chernozem, in topsoil,...

Assessment of economic efficiency of transport infrastructure projects also includes impact of these projects on the environment. This paper focuses on the effects of exogenous costs associated with removing/reducing negative externalities such as traffic noise or exhaust fumes from cars. These effects are evaluated by using Cost Benefit Analysis according to their influence on the beneficiaries. The presented analysis has been performed on the sample of 47 Czech large-scale transport infrastructure projects proce...

The influence of seven years of using the direct seeding technology on the eco-biological properties of black soils in the Rostov region has been comparatively studied. These soils are found in vast areas of the South of Russia, and are the most productive arable soils. Seasonal comprehensive studies have shown that, if compared to the traditional ways of tillage, direct seeding results in changes in the soils' physical and biological properties. The studied parameters of soils considerably depend on the cultivate...

Heavily loaded production lines for metal surface treatment gradually lose reliability and are subject to both physical and moral ageing. For this reason their replacement by a more advanced equipment is necessary and it is the most effective action. In addition to the production process efficiency improvement, this action provides also better parameters as to the environmental protection. The modernization undertaken also meets the requirements for BAT techniques. The paper handles also potential effect of the pr...

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of processing parameters such as pressing and sintering time on microstructural characteristics including porosity and microstructure of some iron-based powder metallurgy (PM) materials. The powders used in this study are prealloyed iron-based powders. The particle size of the powders is ranging from 45 to 150 ?m. Following mixing the powders with zinc stearate 1% for 30 minutes, the studied powders were single pressed in a die at a pressure of 600 MPa. Zn-stea...

Heavy and radioactive metal poisoning has become a problem of current interest as a result of environmental pollution on a global scale. Studies to test the noxious effect of radioactive metal ions on wheat germination and seedling growth showed that germination rate, shoot length, and fresh weights varied as a function of their concentration in the treatment solutions. We report here the effect of some radioactive and non-radioactive (stable) elements on the wheat seeds and seedlings (Triticum aestivum L.) in the...

This paper presents the dependence between particles of various sizes present in the sediments collected from the Klusov (Slovakia) water reservoir, such as sand, silt and clay and their nutrient content. The results of physical characteristics of sediments indicate that the clay/silt fraction dominated in the reservoir sediments. Chemical analysis showed that the total nitrogen content in sediments was recorded from 0.07 % in sediment collected at the inlet to the reservoir to 0.26 % in sediment taken near to the...

Temperature is a primary factor affecting the rate of plant development. Extreme temperature events have become more intense, more frequent, and longer in recent years. Extremely high and low temperatures may have a detrimental impact on the productivity of trees in critical phases of their development. The work presents the results of phenological observations of two broadleaved tree species: European hazel (Corylus avellana L.) and sessile oak (Quercus petraea Matt.) with the main emphasis on the impact of the t...

This paper deals with the possibilities of concentration of electromagnetic radiation through Fresnel lenses. The article points out errors in the optical system and their possible solutions, which are based on the latest scientific knowledge. At present, there is a development of Concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) and high-concentration photovoltaics (HCPV) systems that make the possibility of more efficient transformation of solar energy into electrical energy. Manufacturing of photovoltaic cells differs in the co...

During combustion of natural fuels together with oxides of main fuel elements (carbon and hydrogen) fly ash with unburnt fuel particles, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, some amount of fluorine-containing compounds and gaseous products of incomplete combustion of fuel are released into the atmosphere. The technology and technological parameters of equipment for purification of exhaust gases of TPP, which allows to remove up to 95% of sulfur and carbon oxides by low-temperature liquid-phase catalytic oxidation at at...

In the paper modern tendencies in the WorldпїЅs industrial mining sector development are overviewed, which manifest themselves in management streamlining of the sectorпїЅs economic, technological, and informational processes. Emergence and advancement of scientific-and-applied research directions, aimed at these processes systemic scrutinizing and appropriate rearrangement, are traced from the first third of the XX century, when the so-called Economics of Exhaustible Resources abstract research branch has been ini...

The process of Underground Coal Gasification involves risks of uncontrolled/unpredictable course of the gasification process. To minimize the risks of contaminants leaking outside the georeactor zone in the event of emergency is of a significant importance when aiming to maintain safe course of the process. The article presents methods and measures aimed at reducing the risk. These methods are based on reduction of the impact of released gaseous contaminants generated during the process. In order to achieve it, a ...

Air injection techniques (high pressure air injection and in-situ combustion) for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) have attracted extensive attention due to its low cost. Air injection can be applied in many candidate reservoirs including carbonate reservoirs that account for a great proportion of total oil reserves all over the world. Dolomite and calcite are the main minerals of carbonate reservoirs. Therefore, it is necessary to study their effect on the oxidation of crude oil as the oxidation reaction exactly occur...

The reactive oxygen species are usually generated by normal cellular activities of the aerobic metabolism and play the role of a signal molecule and beneficial growth regulator. When plants are exposed to stress conditions the concentration of reactive oxygen species increases. Therefore, to neutralize these free radicals and to protect cells from oxidative damage enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems are activated. In this paper it was investigated the effect of drought on the activities of antioxidant ...