scholarly journals Investigation of petroleum hydrocarbon pollution along the coastline of South Attica, Greece, after the sinking of the Agia Zoni ΙΙ oil tanker

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Kapsalis ◽  
Maria Kavvalou ◽  
Ioanna Damikouka ◽  
Olga Cavoura
Keyword(s):  
Marine Environment ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Natural Weathering ◽  
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Hydrocarbon Pollution ◽  
Weathering Processes ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Oil Tanker

AbstractOil spills at sea pose risks to the marine environment and to the economy of many nations. Marine ecosystems are very vulnerable and precious as producers of oxygen and as regulators of climate. Therefore, their protection and preservation are necessary. In the event of an oil spill, anthropogenic clean-up activities and natural weathering processes can minimize the negative effects on marine organisms, and the marine environment in general. The target of this study was to investigate the status of the sea along the coastline of the Saronic Gulf, Greece, a year after the sinking of the Agia Zoni II oil tanker. Seawater samples from 15 sampling locations from Phlisvos coast to Anavissos, an area easily approached by bathers with recreational interest, were collected and analysed for total petroleum hydrocarbons. Concentrations up to a maximum of 56.6 μg/L were detected. Despite the large extent of the initial hydrocarbon pollution, the immediate clean-up operations and natural weathering and/or sorption processes have reduced the impact of the spill on surface waters.

scholarly journals Multi-domain probiotic consortium as an alternative to chemical remediation of oil spills at coral reefs and adjacent sites

Microbiome ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise P. Silva ◽  
Helena D. M. Villela ◽  
Henrique F. Santos ◽  
Gustavo A. S. Duarte ◽  
José Roberto Ribeiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Oil Contamination ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Corexit 9500 ◽  
Coral Health ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Beginning in the last century, coral reefs have suffered the consequences of anthropogenic activities, including oil contamination. Chemical remediation methods, such as dispersants, can cause substantial harm to corals and reduce their resilience to stressors. To evaluate the impacts of oil contamination and find potential alternative solutions to chemical dispersants, we conducted a mesocosm experiment with the fire coral Millepora alcicornis, which is sensitive to environmental changes. We exposed M. alcicornis to a realistic oil-spill scenario in which we applied an innovative multi-domain bioremediator consortium (bacteria, filamentous fungi, and yeast) and a chemical dispersant (Corexit® 9500, one of the most widely used dispersants), to assess the effects on host health and host-associated microbial communities. Results The selected multi-domain microbial consortium helped to mitigate the impacts of the oil, substantially degrading the polycyclic aromatic and n-alkane fractions and maintaining the physiological integrity of the corals. Exposure to Corexit 9500 negatively impacted the host physiology and altered the coral-associated microbial community. After exposure, the abundances of certain bacterial genera such as Rugeria and Roseovarius increased, as previously reported in stressed or diseased corals. We also identified several bioindicators of Corexit 9500 in the microbiome. The impact of Corexit 9500 on the coral health and microbial community was far greater than oil alone, killing corals after only 4 days of exposure in the flow-through system. In the treatments with Corexit 9500, the action of the bioremediator consortium could not be observed directly because of the extreme toxicity of the dispersant to M. alcicornis and its associated microbiome. Conclusions Our results emphasize the importance of investigating the host-associated microbiome in order to detect and mitigate the effects of oil contamination on corals and the potential role of microbial mitigation and bioindicators as conservation tools. Chemical dispersants were far more damaging to corals and their associated microbiome than oil, and should not be used close to coral reefs. This study can aid in decision-making to minimize the negative effects of oil and dispersants on coral reefs.

scholarly journals Installation of submarine cables and pipes in shallow waters and connecting them to the shore by the method of horizontal directional drilling

2021 ◽  
Vol 286 ◽  
pp. 04007
Author(s):  
Valeriu-Florian Vasilescu ◽  
Dumitru Dinu
Keyword(s):  
Marine Environment ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Shallow Waters ◽  
Directional Drilling ◽  
Horizontal Directional Drilling ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Subsea Tunnel ◽  
Submarine Cables ◽  
Wind Energy Systems ◽  
The Impact

This article presents the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) as one of the most suitable technique used to reduce the impact on the environment during the submarine pipe and cable installation process, especially in the coastal area and shallow waters. HDD is a technique used to drill a subsea tunnel or under other designated area with the goal to pull a pipe or other facility through the drilled underground tunnel. With the development of the offshore natural gas and wind industry, the demand for the construction of transfer pipeline and cables has also increased. The installation of submarine pipelines and cables can have negative effects on the marine environment. This is one of the main reasons that construction and operation of offshore wind energy systems has been and continues to be regarded with scepticism by environmental activists, despite the undeniable benefits of this renewable energy source. The main objectives of this article are to emphasize the importance of using this technique but also to highlight the benefits, in particular by significantly reducing the impact on the marine environment.

The Impact of Terrestrial Oil Pollution on Parasitoid Wasps Associated With Vachellia (Fabales: Fabaceae) Trees in a Desert Ecosystem, Israel

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 1355-1362
Author(s):  
Daniella M Möller ◽  
Marco Ferrante ◽  
Gabriella M Möller ◽  
Tamir Rozenberg ◽  
Michal Segoli
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Oil Pollution ◽  
Sampling Site ◽  
Desert Ecosystem ◽  
Parasitoid Wasps ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Animal Diversity ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Oil is a major pollutant of the environment, and terrestrial oil spills frequently occur in desert areas. Although arthropods account for a large share of animal diversity, the effect of oil pollution on this group is rarely documented. We evaluated the effects of oil pollution on parasitoid wasps associated with Vachellia (formerly Acacia) tortilis (Forssk.) and Vachellia raddiana (Savi) trees in a hyper-arid desert that was affected by two major oil spills (in 1975 and 2014). We sampled the parasitoid populations between 2016 and 2018 in three sampling sites and compared their abundance, diversity, and community composition between oil-polluted and unpolluted trees. Parasitoid abundance in oil-polluted trees was lower in one of the sites affected by the recent oil spill, but not in the site affected by the 1975 oil spill. Oil-polluted trees supported lower parasitoid diversity than unpolluted trees in some sampling site/year combinations; however, such negative effects were inconsistent and pollution explained a small proportion of the variation in parasitoid community composition. Our results indicate that oil pollution may negatively affect parasitoid abundances and diversity, although the magnitude of the effect depends on the tree species, sampling site, and the time since the oil spill.

scholarly journals The efficiency assessment of food safety in China’s agriculture: a case study of the rice sector

2008 ◽  
Vol 54 (No. 11) ◽  
pp. 521-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhang Tao
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Environmental Efficiency ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Managerial Efficiency ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Impact

Rice is the main food in China’s home consumption and plays an important role in its food security. But, how is the status of food safety and environmental efficiency in China’s agriculture? Obviously, an incorrect manner of pesticide application will hold negative effects on human health and environment. In this article, we develop an analytical framework based on the Luenberger DEA method to calculate the output technical efficiency and input environmental efficiency simultaneously. In the second-stage analysis, the stochastic frontier model is used to estimate the impact of explanatory variables and managerial efficiency on efficiency. We apply the methodology in the empirical case study of China’s rice production for measuring the food safety performance of China’s rice sector.

scholarly journals The impact of environmental noise generated from ports: outcome of MESP project

Noise Mapping ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Corrado Schenone ◽  
Ilaria Pittaluga ◽  
Davide Borelli ◽  
Walid Kamali ◽  
Yara El Moghrabi
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
Natural Ecosystem ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Noise Mitigation ◽  
The Status ◽  
High Level ◽  
Validation Tests ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Auxiliary Services

AbstractPorts are characterized by several complex operations. Accordingly, the analysis of noise results is complicated due to the presence in the same area of diverse sound from ships, trade and also from industrial and shipyards activities aswell as auxiliary services producing negative effects on natural ecosystem and the urban population. The ENPI CBC MED project Managing the Environmental Sustainability of Ports for a durable development (MESP) addressed the pollution reduction from port activities through the implementation of a multidisciplinary approach in air, noise andwater sectors, encompassing technological, regulatory and administrative solutions to ensure natural and urban sustainability and high level of life quality in surrounding territories. To prevent a heterogeneous development, the “status quo” of ports in Northern and Southern Shores of the Mediterranean Sea was analyzed and a guideline on methodologies, good practices and measurement assessment, adaptable and transferable in different port contexts was elaborated. To assess the procedures, validation tests have been carried out to different real cases. In noise sector pilot projects in the ports of Patras, Greece, and Tripoli, Lebanon, have been implemented. Due to the dissimilar scenarios, in terms of orography, facilities and activities, different noise mitigation actions and interventions were consequently accomplished.

scholarly journals Evidence of Microplastic Size Impact on Mobility and Transport in the Marine Environment: A Review and Synthesis of Recent Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arefeh Shamskhany ◽  
Zhuoran Li ◽  
Preet Patel ◽  
Shooka Karimpour
Keyword(s):  
Marine Environment ◽  
Natural Sediment ◽  
Weathering Processes ◽  
Hydrodynamic Parameters ◽  
Turbulent Entrainment ◽  
Quantitative Studies ◽  
Polymer Properties ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact

Marine Microplastics (MPs) exhibit a wide range of properties due to their variable origins and the weathering processes to which they are exposed. MP’s versatile properties are connected to their dispersal, accumulation, and deposition in the marine environment. MP transport and dispersion are often explained by analogy with sediments. For natural sediments, one of the key features linked to transport and marine morphology is particle size. There is, however, no size classification defined for MP particles and MPs constitute all plastic particles sized smaller than the threshold of 5 mm. In this study, based on existing knowledge in hydrodynamics and natural sediment transport, the impact of MP size on turbulent entrainment, particle settling, and resuspension is described. Moreover, by analyzing several quantitative studies that have provided size distribution, size-selective accumulation of MPs in various regions of the marine environment is reported on. The preferential presence of MPs based on their size in different marine compartments is discussed based on the governing hydrodynamic parameters. Furthermore, the linkage between polymer properties and MP shape and size is explored. Despite the evident connection between hydrodynamic transport and MP size presented, classification of MP size presents challenges. MP size, shape, and density appear simultaneously in the definition of many hydrodynamic parameters described in this study. Unlike mineral sediments that possess a narrow range of density and shape, plastics are manufactured in a wide variety of densities and marine MPs are versatile in shape. Classification for MP size should incorporate particle variability in terms of polymer density and shape.

scholarly journals Globalization and Its Impact on Women’s Empowerment in Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
pp. 137-153
Keyword(s):  
Time Series Data ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Women's Lives ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

This research aims to investigate the impact of globalization on women’s empowerment in Bangladesh. Like many other countries, Bangladesh also integrated with the rest of the world through globalization. Empirical studies on the impact of globalization on women’s empowerment in Bangladesh circumstances are rare. Many studies to date have adjudicated to review the positive and negative effects of globalization on women. The study highlights the impact of globalization on women’s empowerment in Bangladesh in three ways. Firstly, the study draws application to traverse the testimony of women's empowerment by examining the initiatives (National Women Development Policy) taken by the government to levitate the status of women in society through their participation in economic and social activities and discusses the limitations and pivotal suggestions for the policy. Secondly, the study explains the positive and negative effects of globalization on women’s lives in Bangladesh. And finally, for the quantitative analysis, the study shows different scatter plots to establish the relationship between globalization and women empowerment as the KOF Index and the GGG Index, and the SIGI Index using time series data for the period of (2007-2017).

scholarly journals Analysis of public debt of Ukraine

2020 ◽  
pp. 187-195
Author(s):  
Vitalina Malyshko ◽  
Natalia Yevtushenko ◽  
Yuliia Horodnichenko
Keyword(s):  
Public Debt ◽  
Synthesis Method ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
State Budget ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis ◽  
The Status ◽  
Zero Values ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Subject of research is public debt. The purpose of this article is to analyze the status of public debt of Ukraine, its dynamics and structure. Methods which were used in course of research: the method of systemic structural analysis and synthesis, method of comparative analysis, generalization, statistical, General, special methods of scientific knowledge and other research methods. Study results.The article described the views of scientists on the essence of economic category «public debt». Analyzed the periods of the formation of government debt, the dynamics of the budget deficit of Ukraine over the past 10 years, public and publicly guaranteed debt of Ukraine from 2012 to 2019 Indicated the negative effects of the impact of public debt on the economy and forward-looking indicators of public debt in the years 2020-2024. Application of results.Тhe results of the study can be used in the activities of the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, as well as in institutions of higher education in teaching economic disciplines. Conclusions.The state budget of Ukraine is performed by increasing the volume of its deficiency and the use of borrowing to Finance it. The result is an increase in government direct and guaranteed debt, and this is what causes the increased pressure on the public finances, on the development of our country, which negatively affects economic growth. During the years of independence, there were fluctuations in government and government-guaranteed debt, but never reached zero values. The main objective of the government is to stabilize the economy, and hence in the medium term, he needs to resolve the question of reducing public debt because it poses a threat to financial and economic security of the country.

The More Control, the Better?

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeeyun Oh ◽  
Mun-Young Chung ◽  
Sangyong Han
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Design ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Story Structure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High User ◽  
User Control ◽  
Rigorous Research ◽  
Control Versus ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Impact

Despite of the popularity of interactive movie trailers, rigorous research on one of the most apparent features of these interfaces – the level of user control – has been scarce. This study explored the effects of user control on users’ immersion and enjoyment of the movie trailers, moderated by the content type. We conducted a 2 (high user control versus low user control) × 2 (drama film trailer versus documentary film trailer) mixed-design factorial experiment. The results showed that the level of user control over movie trailer interfaces decreased users’ immersion when the trailer had an element of traditional story structure, such as a drama film trailer. Participants in the high user control condition answered that they were less fascinated with, absorbed in, focused on, mentally involved with, and emotionally affected by the movie trailer than participants in the low user control condition only with the drama movie trailer. The negative effects of user control on the level of immersion for the drama trailer translated into users’ enjoyment. The impact of user control over interfaces on immersion and enjoyment varies depending on the nature of the media content, which suggests a possible trade-off between the level of user control and entertainment outcomes.

Monetary policy and the effect of the transfer of oil prices to inflation

2020 ◽  
pp. 41-50
Author(s):  
Ph. S. Kartaev ◽  
I. D. Medvedev
Keyword(s):  
Monetary Policy ◽  
Inflation Targeting ◽  
Dynamic Models ◽  
Oil Prices ◽  
Oil Price ◽  
Oil Price Shocks ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Price Shocks ◽  
Policy Regime ◽  
The Impact

The paper examines the impact of oil price shocks on inflation, as well as the impact of the choice of the monetary policy regime on the strength of this influence. We used dynamic models on panel data for the countries of the world for the period from 2000 to 2017. It is shown that mainly the impact of changes in oil prices on inflation is carried out through the channel of exchange rate. The paper demonstrates the influence of the transition to inflation targeting on the nature of the relationship between oil price shocks and inflation. This effect is asymmetrical: during periods of rising oil prices, inflation targeting reduces the effect of the transfer of oil prices, limiting negative effects of shock. During periods of decline in oil prices, this monetary policy regime, in contrast, contributes to a stronger transfer, helping to reduce inflation.

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