Expressed Willingness and Awareness of Students towards Climate Change in Lahore, Pakistan

Global climate change is one of the most significant threats to our generation, the fundamentals of the issue lie in the fact that the anthropogenic contribution of greenhouse gases is changing the global climate at a rapid rate causing immense warming trends and displaced cold weather. This study examined the awareness levels of college/university students on climate change and their willingness to mitigate the effects of climate change. 69 students from Lahore’s different public and private sector universities were asked to fill out a survey questionnaire form online and were questioned on their attitudes about climate change and their willingness to take action to mitigate its effects.

Assessment of the Temporal and Spatial Variation of the Mercury Content of Lake Nokoué in Southern Benin Republic (West Africa)

Anthropogenic input of mercury into watersheds is becoming increasingly noticeable and is the cause of fishery products contamination. This had led to the Convention of Minamata signed and ratified by the vast majority of the countries in the world. Lake Nokoué in Benin Republic, the most fishery products provider in West Africa, is subject to mercury pollution. The health threat to both the benthic and the consumers of the fishery products from this lake has to be anticipated by precisely determining the dynamics of mercury contamination of the waters and sediments of Lake Nokoué, taking into account the anthropogenic contribution. Water and sediment samples were collected on 23 sites twice a month for four sampling campaigns. Parameters such as pH, salinity, COD, and SS are evaluated in the water. The assessment of total mercury is conducted by cold vapor atomic absorption according to the US EPA 7473 method, using a direct mercury analyzer (DMA-80). On average, the mercury content in Lake Nokoué water is 0.43 ± 0.57 μg/kg. Its variation is linked not only to the seasonal variation but also to that of the suspended matter. South of the lake, the sediments are extremely polluted (5 ≤ Igeo) and present a risk of frequent effects for the benthic species present.

Studying a Subsiding Urbanized Area from a Multidisciplinary Perspective: The Inner Sector of the Sarno Plain (Southern Apennines, Italy)

Defining the origin of ground deformation, which can be a very challenging task, may be approached through several investigative techniques. Ground deformation can originate in response to both natural (e.g., tectonics) and anthropic (e.g., groundwater pumping) contributions. These may either act simultaneously or be somewhat correlated in space and time. For example, the location of structurally controlled basins may be the locus of enhanced human-induced subsidence. In this paper, we investigate the natural and anthropic contributions to ground deformation in the urbanized area of the inner Sarno plain, in the Southern Apennines. We used a multidisciplinary approach based on the collection and analysis of a combination of geomorphological, stratigraphical, structural, hydrogeological, GPS, and DInSAR datasets. Geomorphological, stratigraphical, and structural data suggested the occurrence of a graben-like depocenter, the Sarno basin, bounded by faults with evidence of activity in the last 39 ka. Geodetic data indicated that the Sarno basin also experienced ground deformation (mostly subsidence) in the last 30 years, with a possible anthropogenic contribution due to groundwater pumping. Hydrogeological data suggested that a significant portion of the subsidence detected by geodetic data can be ascribed to groundwater pumping from the alluvial plain aquifer, rather than to a re-activation of faults in the last 30 years. Our interpretation suggested that a positive feedback exists between fault activity and the location of area affected by human-induced subsidence. In fact, fault activity caused the accumulation of poorly consolidated deposits within the Sarno basin, which enhanced groundwater-induced subsidence. The multidisciplinary approach used here was proven to be successful within the study area and could therefore be an effective tool for investigating ground deformation in other urbanized areas worldwide.

Influence of Heavy Metals on the Nitrogen Metabolism in Plants

As an essential element, Nitrogen is needed in large quantities for being an important component of cellular constituents and for plant metabolism, and its deficiency is one of the most common limitations for plant development. The study of the toxic effects of metal in plants involves a complex system of reactions that can be better determined once having a large attention of the different backgrounds of occurence to determinate how to proceed. The objective of this review is to add scientific knowledge, addressing the main functionalities and characteristics of this relation heavy metals – nitrogen metabolism in plant. Increasing industrialization and urbanization had anthropogenic contribution of heavy metals in biosphere and had largest availability in ecosystems. This toxicity in plants varies with plant species, specific metal, concentration, soil composition, as many heavy metals are considered to be essential for plant growth. Were provided data and reviews regarding the effect of heavy metals on nitrogen metabolism of plants and the responses of plants and the cross-talk of heavy metals and various stressors factors. Is clear to understand the relation between metals amount and the benefit or harm caused on plants, determining then, which mechanism should be activated to protect your physiological system.

Studying Submarine Groundwater Discharge at the Cape Ayia: a Multi-Tracer Approach

Purpose. The study of submarine groundwater discharge is one of the most pressing issues of modern hydrogeology and oceanography. The purpose of the paper is to provide a comprehensive study of the submarine groundwater discharge at Cape Ayia using the hydrological, hydrochemical and radiochemical methods, and to determine the flux of submarine groundwater including the nutrients. Methods and Results. The research werecarried out during the coastal expeditions nearby Cape Ayia on March 24, 2019, and on April 22–24, 2019 during the 106th RV “Professor Vodyanitsky” cruise (April 18 – May 13, 2019). The isotopes 226Ra, 228Ra were extracted using the proprietary MnO2-based fibers. After concentration, the sorbent was squeezed to remove excess water, dried and ashed. Then the ash was placed in the Petri dishes and poured with epoxy resin. Activity of the radionuclides was measured on a low-background semiconductor γ-spectrometer with a detector of high-purity germanium (GC3020) 3 weeks after the resin casting. The activity of 226Ra was determined by the daughter radionuclide 214Pb with the energy 351.9 keV (qγ = 37.2 %), and that of 228Ra – by the daughter 228Ac (T1/2 = 6.1 h, qγ = 27.7 %) with the energy 911.6 keV. The basic elements of the main nutrient cycle were determined photocolorimetrically: mineral phosphorus – by molybdenum blue, silicon – by silicon-molybdenum complex. Nitrates (reduced to nitrites) and nitrites were determined by azo dye; ammonium – by indophenol blue also by the photocolorimetric method. Conclusions. Distribution of hydrophysical, hydrochemical and radiochemical parameters in the water area connected with the known submarine groundwater discharges was studied. The distribution of the 226Ra, 228Ra isotopes was studied for the first time. The data on salinity, specific activity of 226Ra, 228Ra and the nutrients concentration permitted to determine the flows of submarine groundwaters in the Cape Ayia area, which amounted to 8220 ± 1200 m3/day. The anthropogenic contribution to pollution of the groundwater forming the submarine sources is shown.

Assessing CeO2 and TiO2 Nanoparticle Concentrations in the Seine River and Its Tributaries Near Paris

Motivation for detecting engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in the environment comes from a need to understand fate and behavior of these materials in natural matrices. The difficulty lies in the low expected ENP particle number concentration (PNC) and the presence of a large and variable background concentration of natural NPs. We report the PNCs and characteristics of cerium-bearing nanoparticles (Ce-NPs) and titanium-bearing nanoparticles (Ti-NPs) in an aquatic matrix (the Seine River and three of its tributaries) with the use of single particle ICP-MS (spICPMS) and electron microscopy (FEG-SEM). Ce-bearing and Ti-bearing particles were observed in suspended particulate matter collected onto 0.2 μm and 1 kDa filters, using FEG-SEM imaging. At Marnay-sur-Seine, the upstream point, PNCs for Ce-NPs and Ti-NPs were 0.47 ± 0.07 × 106 and 1.35 ± 0.17 × 106 particles as measured by spICPMS. The maximum PNC for both Ce-NPs and Ti-NPs, 1.59 ± 0.10 × 106 particles mL−1 and 5.89 ± 0.10 × 106 particles mL−1, respectively, were found in the Marne River, a major tributary to the Seine. It was shown that downstream of each confluence, an increase in the PNC of the Seine is observed, suggesting a significant contribution of the different tributaries. Mass balance of particles flows and elemental ratios of Ce/La showed that in the Marne and the Oise River, a contribution of natural CeO2 NPs exists. The anthropogenic contribution in TiO2 ENPs for the Marne River was further assessed with Ti/Al, Ti/V, and Ti/Y elemental ratios. Near constant element ratios in the Seine below the Orge River and Paris city suggest neither contribute significantly to Ce or Ti NP concentrations. The study provides further investigation of the strengths and limitations of the application of spICPMS to natural samples and contributes data to the currently highly-limited dataset on natural NP backgrounds in rivers, information that is key to assessing the potential for quantifying the input of ENPs to surface waters. Of the total mass of Ce and Ti, 83 and 90%, respectively, could be detected as particles by spICPMS.