Browse

The purpose of this research is to identify the existing environmental problems at the level of the analyzed region and to propose possible solutions to reduce these problems. The main methods used in the creation of the article are the documentary research carried out with the help of the secondary analysis of quantitative data within the Research Center "Business management and entrepreneurial development" within the University, as well as a questionnaire on the perception of residents on environmental pollution...

We are interested in mushrooms mainly for two reasons: for the substances they contain and for their natural abilities. Therefore, they are used as food, as sources of health-promoting and medicinal substances, and as agents for restoring, strengthening, and revitalizing the environment. These are the main reasons why we must continually deepen our knowledge of mushrooms and use them wisely. Among the mushrooms used in remediation processes is Ganoderma lingzhi, originally from China. The physiological activity of...

Since July 2023, the research institute VUHU has been the investigator of the European reclamation project REECOL. The first part of the paper summarizes the results of the successful completion of the working package WP3, which was led by VUHU and finished in 2024. Within four sub-tasks, the current reclamation situation in the individual project countries was mapped. The main part of the paper evaluates the research within the framework of another working package WP5 focused on short-term and long-term monitorin...

In these article, we discusses the analysis of the profitability of investments in energy storage batteries, in the context of injection policies in the grid in Romania. The study compares the compensation and energy sale regimes for prosumers and producers depending on the installed capacity, thus showing the impact of market prices and tax regulations on the return of investment (ROI). The case study has three scenarios, each with specific formulas for calculating ROI depending on the price of the stored energy ...

With rapid urbanization and growing populations, cities around the world are facing multiple challenges related to the environment, public health and quality of life of citizens. In this context, green infrastructure appears not only as a solution but also as a way to revitalize urban spaces by restoring natural ecosystems and improving the vitality of urban areas. Green infrastructure encompasses a network of natural and semi-natural elements that are integrated into urban planning and management. It includes a v...

Investing in ensuring the quality and safety of movement on highways is not a one-time process. Institutions charged with ensuring quality crossing surfaces must constantly monitor and repair the highway network so that it remains in the best possible condition. Because the funds available to maintain the highway network are limited, it is essential that decisions taken to maintain and rehabilitate the highway network are spent justifying each intervention. Layer management systems at the network and project level...

The most effective way to ensure drinking water quality and protect public health is the implementation of a preventive, risk-based approach to water supply management. This approach encompasses all stages, from the water source to the consumer, and can be applied across all water supply systems, regardless of their size. The EU Drinking Water Directive (Directive (EU) 2020/2184) emphasizes the importance of this concept. This study assesses and analyzes the risk of groundwater contamination at the water supply so...

The article discusses possible ways to increase the potential of small-scale mining of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Currently, their share in the structure of the country-s mining sector does not exceed 1-2 percent, compared with 15-30 percent in a number of foreign countries. The article shows that for the development of small-scale mining in the region, having a large number of different potential small-scale deposits, there is a need to develop a scientifically based concept of their use, with changes in a ...

The sludge layer formed during the first stage of French vertical flow constructed wetlands is a crucial component in achieving high removal efficiencies of water pollution, including suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, nitrogen, and phosphorus. In the Czech Republic, persistent challenges with insufficient sludge layer development on the first stage have limited treatment performance due to the combined sewerage system. To address this, a pilot-scale experiment was conducted focusing exclusively on the form...

Agroecology, which merges ecological principles with agricultural practices, offers a pathway to food security while ensuring environmental sustainability. However, its implementation faces challenges stemming from ineffective ecological resource monitoring, predetermined climate conditions, and insufficient real-time data for precision farming and well-informed decision-making. The aimed first, to develop models that monitor soil health and predict crop yields under different agroecological conditions powered by ...

Practicing rural tourism in mountain areas represents an essential element in their sustainable development, offering economic, social and environmental opportunities that contribute to the revitalization of these regions, the reduction of economic gaps and the value of natural and cultural heritage. This study aims to identify the impact that the development and promotion of rural tourism has on rural mountain communities. The article makes an innovative contribution to understanding how responsible tourism activ...

All nuclear power plants in Slovakia can effectively prevent emergencies caused by technical or human error. Before commissioning, they must demonstrate to the Nuclear Supervisory Authority that the plant can respond to even extremely unlikely events. The design of the plant has safety systems that will prevent damage to nuclear fuel and the release of radioactive substances so as not to endanger human health and the environment. The maximum design accident for a WWER-440 reactor is a rupture of the main circulati...

In the presented scientific work, a scenario forecast for the long-term perspective of water level changes in Lake Balkhash, one of the largest drainless lakes in Central Asia, is carried out. The study takes into account the impact of projected climatic changes based on CMIP6 data and the impact of socio-economic factors, including water management activities. A water balance model was used as the main tool to quantify the role of surface inflow, precipitation and evaporation in shaping the hydrological regime of...

As a result of rapid climate change, forest ecosystems are transforming, leading to insect outbreaks, such as the large pine weevil (Hylobius abietis L.). In Europe, the pine weevil is considered one of the most significant pests of coniferous trees, causing substantial financial losses estimated at around - 120 million annually. To limit or reduce the impact of this pest, it is essential to take preventive measures; otherwise, in unprotected stands, the extent of damage can reach 60-80%. Damage caused by the weev...

The modern lifestyle exerts a range of negative effects on human health, while the growing prevalence of chronic diseases and the state of contemporary therapies highlight the critical need for healthy nutrition. A significant portion of both food products and pharmaceutical preparations currently in use contain synthetic ingredients, many of which are associated with adverse side effects. Consequently, global demand for natural, ecologically clean food products and therapeutic agents has increased substantially, ...

In this study, the extraction efficiency of rhenium ions in the form of perrhenate (ReO4?) from model aqueous solutions was investigated using a binary ion-exchange system based on KU-2-8 (strongly acidic cation-exchange resin) and AV-17-8 (strongly basic anion-exchange resin). The ion exchangers were separately weighed and combined in varying molar ratios (6:0, 5:1, 4:2, 3:3, 2:4, 1:5, and 0:6), and were immobilized within a chemically resistant polypropylene mesh bag to maintain phase separation while allowing s...

This study examines the morphological characteristics and shoreline dynamics of sandy beaches along the Burgas coast, one of the most diverse and human-impacted regions of the Bulgarian Black Sea. By integrating high-resolution Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) photogrammetry, GIS-based morphometric analysis, and historical shoreline data spanning the 1980s to 2025, the research provides a comprehensive assessment of coastal evolution over the past century. Five representative beaches, Sarafovo, Atanasovska Kosa, Burga...

Achieving efficient energy systems has become a challenge for researchers, as many engineering applications combine convective heat transfer in fluid saturated porous media, such as nuclear reactors, hydrogen production and storage, underground disposal of waste, food processing and storage, solar power collectors or geothermal systems. For this purpose, it is essential to calculate energy losses and identify methods that involve minimal costs. The paper presents a problem of free convection for a fluid flow throu...

Hybrid energy systems are a fundamental component of the future of energy resources. They are applicable across various sectors of industry and daily life. This study examines the integration of a photovoltaic system within a smart grid of charging stations for electric vehicles. The hybrid system consists of solar panels, inverters and an injection point. By simulating solar panels in simulator and analysis, the generated power over time is assessed based on solar irradiation data for a specific geographical loca...

The significant growth of the global population that has happened in the last years strains even more the present fragile balance between the produced and consumed resources, if the current rate of development is to be maintained without change the harmful and the negative effects caused by the global warming will only amplify.The increase of the water level, the desertification of fertile lands and the greenhouse gas effects are only a few of the problems we already need to resolve, because of this the transition...

The European Union (EU) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) plays a crucial role in agricultural and economic development in the Member States. In the future, CAP support instruments must foster sustainable agriculture, with economic, social and environmental goals achieved through synergy. It would be increasingly important to assess the effectiveness of support payments in terms of their economic, social, and environmental dimensions. Accordingly, the present research aims to evaluate CAP support payments' soc...

The objective of the paper is to develop a methodology for arable land planning, taking into account the modern trends in agricultural machinery technologies and the contemporary environmental requirements for soil cultivation. It was found that design standards for arable land can be developed in the direction of: plot area up to 150 ha; working stroke over 1200 m; and aspect ratio up to 11. The study was based on two groups of spatial planning projects: two projects according to the existing design standards for...

The growing demand for refractory rare metals, such as niobium, necessitates the development of efficient extraction methods from alternative sources, including industrial waste from metallurgical plants enriched with niobium and zirconium. This study investigates the solvent extraction of niobium from a fluoride-sulfuric acid solution obtained by leaching rare-metal-containing waste from titanium-magnesium production. The efficiency of niobium recovery using a trialkyl phosphine oxide-based extractant (Cyanex 923...

The article considers the systematic errors of estimation of reserves and average contents of useful component in exploration of alluvial deposits of nesting, tape, etc. structures. The article identifies and evaluates the main components of systematic errors in the assessment of mineral content, useful and harmful components in alluvial deposits based on theoretical, experimental and generalized published works: insufficient density of the exploration network; error due to unrepresentative sample size. These erro...

Connected to the vision of bringing space closer to human beings, space tourism starts to become a new exciting free-time spending possibility allowing experiencing new unknown courageous activities linked to the possibility of viewing Earth from space. There are various types of space tourism such as orbital, suborbital and lunar ones. At the same time a big provocation for space tourists is to feel weightlessness and floating in space as the unique chance to contribute in a personal manner to advance science. As...

Urbanization and increasing traffic intensity contribute significantly to heavy metal pollution in urban environments, posing potential risks to public health and ecosystems. This study investigates the spatiotemporal variations of zinc concentrations in snow water within Jelgava, Latvia, from 2020 to 2024. A total of 59 sampling sites in Jelgava and an additional site in Mezciems were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine zinc concentrations and identify potential pollu...

Specialization of production according to existing resources and the availability of sheep involves the use of new production systems, their readaptation to the demand for raw materials and the availability of feed resources. Depending on the existence of resources and the typology of sheep farms in the research area, production systems can be specialized for producing lamb, young sheep, and sheep reconditioned on pastures, and producing milk-meat in pastoral systems through the seasonal use of alpine pastures or ...

The aim of the study was to develop and validate analytical methods for the detection and quantification of arsenic species (As(III), DMA, MMA and As(V)) in different environmental matrices, including drinking water, surface water, groundwater, and sediments. The experimental tests were performed on a HPLC 1260 Infinity II coupled with an ICP-MS 7850 Agilent. For aqueous matrices, the method was validated within a working range of 10-50 microg/L using an Agilent G3154-65002 guard column and an Agilent G3154-65001 ...

The development, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and revision of the EU policies on agriculture, including environmental and the common agricultural policy, plant protection, sustainable use of fertilizers, pesticides and veterinary drugs, requires comprehensive and reliable statistical knowledge. The introduction of Regulation (EU) 2022/2379 on agricultural input and output statistics poses a challenge as it brings significant changes to the system in Latvia by not only broadening the range of inputs and i...

The transition to renewable energy sources is a key strategy for reducing carbon emissions and ensuring energy sustainability. This study explores the integration of photovoltaic (PV) systems for hydrogen production and storage in Constan?a County, Romania. The region benefits from high solar potential, making it an optimal location for implementing solar energy solutions. The proposed system converts solar energy into electricity through photovoltaic panels, which is then used to power an electrolyzer for hydroge...

In this paper, the authors analyze methods and technologies that contribute to the efficiency of an agricultural holding, in accordance with the principles of sustainable agriculture. The aim is to identify modern techniques (crop rotation, use of organic fertilizers, efficient irrigation, digitalization of agricultural processes, minimum sowing) that reduce the ecological footprint, as well as to compare traditional practices with modern methods of sustainable cultivation. The paper highlights solutions capable o...

A significant part of the built environment and historical architectural heritage in the EU consists of masonry structures. These old structures often undergo severe decay, reaching a critical state of deterioration and becoming highly susceptible to natural disasters, especially in earthquake-prone areas. Some of the structures hold architectural and historical value. Modernizing, repairing, and reusing the existing built environment, alongside efforts in extending its service lifespan, are among the most effecti...

This study focuses on the structural and material optimization of a composite airbox for a Formula Student vehicle from the perspective of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Three evolutionary airbox generations are analyzed, each differing in geometry, number of parts, and material configuration, while maintaining the same primary manufacturing technology, in which the core structural material is a carbon fiber prepreg cured in an autoclave. The design optimization includes shell geometry simplification, integration of...

This study examines the travel behaviour of university students and academic staff at four Slovak universities, focusing on differences in transport mode choice and perceptions of mobility factors within the broader context of sustainable mobility in Europe. An online survey was conducted among university participants, assessing their primary travel modes and the perceived importance of five key factors travel cost, travel time, parking availability, environmental impact, and sharing using a five-point Likert scal...

The impact of abandoned mines on the water environment is a significant concern due to the long-lasting ecological and health effects associated with mining activities. Numerous scientific studies highlight that abandoned mines pose substantial threats to local water quality through the release of toxic substances and heavy metals into adjacent ecosystems. The zones of the 2 mines have been subject to various environmental and hydrological assessments, particularly concerning the effects of mining activities on wa...

As the offshore oil and gas industry faces mounting pressure to reduce its carbon footprint, Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) units are emerging as critical platforms for implementing clean energy innovations. This paper explores the potential for integrating renewable energy sources such as offshore wind, solar photovoltaic, and wave energy with advanced energy storage technologies, including lithium-ion batteries and hydrogen-based systems, within FPSO operations. The hybridization of power gen...

The paper is devoted to the study of the combustion process in fibrous organic materials based on natural fibers. The paper presents the results of research focused on the study of the relationship between the microstructure of organic fibrous insulation materials, fiber properties and their resulting reaction to fire. This is a comprehensive approach to describing the reaction to fire beyond the scope of classification according to EN 13501-1. The basic test methods used to determine the reaction to fire are used...

This study investigates the flotation-based enrichment of black shale raw materials to selectively separate uranium and rare earth metals (REMs). The efficiency of various reagent systems-xanthogenate, kerosine, and paraffin with trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA)-was examined under different grinding fineness conditions. The initial material showed significant concentrations of uranium (0.188%) and REMs, with carbon content reaching up to 15%. The highest uranium removal (up to 98%) into mineral tailings was achiev...

Urtica dioica is a species of the Urticaceae family and the curative properties of this plant have been known since antiquity. Our study aimed to determine whether, in various concentrations and at different action times, the natural extract of Urtica dioica has positive, negative or neutral effects on mitotic cell division. For the proposed study, we used the standard Allium test and tested concentrations of 25%, 50% and 100% of the extract obtained, at action times of 6 and 24 hours. From the results obtained fo...

In order to predict water erosion processes on mountain slopes in the mountainous and foothill landscapes of Georgia, in May and September of 2024 a field scientific study was conducted in the ecosystems of Chiatura Municipality. As a result, five erosion-sensitive sites were selected, for which GPS coordinates and absolute heights above sea level were recorded and plotted on a digital map. Longitudinal and transverse profiles were made at the selected sites, and soil samples weighing up to 3 kg were collected. Te...

The processing of titanium-zirconium concentrates with high chromium content presents a significant challenge due to the inhibitory effect of chromium on industrial applications. This study investigates the composition of titanium-containing concentrate from the Obukhovskoye deposit using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and thermogravimetric analysis. The findings indicate that chromium is uniformly distributed in both magnetic and non-magnetic fractions, complicating its selective removal by co...

This paper demonstrates the importance of integrating modern technologies in the management of municipal infrastructures and highlights the significant advantages of using a municipal cadastral information system and an external database. With the help of GNSS technology and the total station, this precision requirement is met. The data from the measurements formed the basis for creating municipal cadastral plans that provide a detailed and accurate representation of the municipal networks. The methodology used in...

The maritime industry represents a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, primarily through the combustion of fossil fuels used by ship engines. As international regulations tighten and environmental awareness grows, reducing global greenhouse gas emissions from ships has become an important objective. This study explores the potential for emission reduction on passenger ships through the implementation of a hybrid propulsion system. The study methodology involves solving the following aspects...

During the process of adapting renewable energy and ensuring national energy security in the current geopolitical context, technological progress in the field of green energy has received increased attention. This has led to the development of updated policies on investment in onshore renewable energy (which uses wind and solar energy through wind turbines and photovoltaic parks) and offshore renewable energy (which uses tidal, wave, solar, and wind energy through floating photovoltaic parks and wind turbines that...

Green tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide. It is consumed on its own or in various combinations. Green tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant which originated in Asia. Green tea drinks have many health benefits for consumers due to the compounds present in the raw material - green tea. In order to benefit from all the properties of green tea - antioxidant activity, a wide range of vitamins, provitamins and polyphenolic compounds - the raw materials used are organically gr...

Tea made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis tea plant is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, thanks to its sensory qualities and its content of active ingredients beneficial to health. Black tea contains antioxidants that neutralize oxygen free radicals. In these types of foods, the activity of enzymes such as oxidoreductases, which have NAD- (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) or FMN- (Flavin mononucleotide) dependent coenzymes is very important in this biodynamics. [4], [5] Heme protein...

In recent years, several definitions of the bioeconomy have been developed, due to the fact that researchers have not been able to reach a common consensus. Through this study, we aim to develop this field and highlight the link between the bioeconomy and the four main resources that ensure the continuity of life on earth: air, water, soil and biodiversity. The main goal of the bioeconomy is to protect nature and biodiversity, by using resources that generate environmentally friendly products, but which also impro...

Cross-border Energy Communities are an essential tool for achieving the European energy transition, as they represent widespread, inter-territorial participation in energy production and sharing. European directives recognise and promote these configurations, both in the form of Renewable Energy Communities and Energy Communities of Citizens. However, actual implementation at national level remains non-homogeneous, creating obstacles to the full operation of the model. The Italian scenario is, in this sense, parad...

This paper focuses on densely clustered housing units located in residential complexes. A specific typology which is not present in European or Western architecture but has a place in Japan. Based on a qualitative research method with a descriptive approach, the current study presents the following hypothesis. This type of development brings the aspects of sustainability with an emphasis on high health and environmental standards, social inclusion, thrifty and efficient use of initial and operational resources whi...

Due to limited resources, development is associated with a process of transformation, including the performance of the transformation. In 2015, following the adoption of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the political agenda has shifted towards sustainable development for society, which includes environmental criteria. European Union Member States have strengthened the political agenda on sustainable development with the EU Green Deal initiative. Various development indexes could be emp...