Soil contamination by Ancylostoma spp. and Toxocara spp. eggs in elementary school playgrounds in the extreme south of Brazil

Millions of people worldwide, and especially schoolchildren, may be infected by geohelminths due to their exposure to a contaminated environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate soil contamination by Ancylostoma spp. and Toxocara spp. eggs in recreation areas at elementary schools in Pelotas, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Sand samples were collected from 22 schools and were processed using the centrifugal flotation method. Helminth eggs with zoonotic potential were found in 12 out of the 22 schools (54.5%). Contamination by Ancylostoma spp. and Toxocara spp. was observed in 36.4% (8/22) and 27.3% (6/22) of the soil samples collected at these schools, respectively. These findings of eggs show that the school communities are exposed to risks of zoonotic transmission.

Ambient dose equivalent rate and soil contamination density with 137Cs in kitchen gardens in settlements of the Bryansk region, Russia in 2020–2021

The article provides results of application of the field (in situ) gamma spectrometry method for carrying out mass monitoring measurements of ambient dose equivalent rate and soil contamination density with 137Cs in kitchen garden plots located in the zone of radioactive contamination after the Chernobyl accident. In 2020 and 2021, 115 private farmsteads in 46 settlements of the Bryansk region were surveyed. At the time of the survey, the officially established average density of soil contamination with 137Cs in the settlements ranged from 27 to 533 kBq/m2 . The field spectra were measured using a portable scintillation gamma-spectrometer-dosimeter. Results of the field measurements and subsequent calculations of soil contamination density with 137Cs in the kitchen gardens were in good agreement with official data on the average soil contamination density with 137Cs in the surveyed settlements. The mean value of the ratio of the experimental data to the official data was 1.04. Individual values of experimental data deviated from corresponding official values by no more than two times. The use of the gamma spectrometry method in situ made it possible: 1) to determine separately values of the ambient dose equivalent rate from 137Cs and from natural radionuclides in the soil, and 2) to estimate the effective external doses to a person who worked in the kitchen gardens. The measured values of ambient dose equivalent rate varied from 17 to 53 nSv/h (mean ± standard deviation = 35 ± 9 nSv/h) for natural radionuclides and from 8 to 432 nSv/h (mean ± standard deviation = 125 ± 91 nSv/h) for 137Cs. The ambient dose equivalent rate from 137Cs normalized to the soil contamination density with 137Cs in the same kitchen garden was in the range of 0.41–0.84 (nSv/h)/(kBq/m2 ) with a mean value of 0.55 (nSv/h)/(kBq/m2 ). If a person stayed in kitchen garden for 840 hours per year, the estimated effective external doses from natural radionuclides and 137Cs were respectively in the range of 0.008–0.025 mSv/year and 0.004–0.20 mSv/year.

To the issue of prospects and problems of organic production of agricultural products in Ukraine

Organizational production of agricultural products is used to preserve the natural environment and to preserve the quality of the products. The development of organic wines in the light of 100 years and over the course of the period has become insane, as for the correct organization of it, you can preserve ecological, social, and commercial transfers. The organizational structure has become a warehouse part of the bio-economy and circular economy, which is a priority for the economic development of the European Union, the USA, Great Britain, the Great Britain, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the United States of America. For determining the prospects and problems of organic production of agricultural products, general scientific methods were used such as publicity, systematization, analysis, and synthesis, of the scientific literature and normative documents. For an additional analysis of regulatory documents, a procedure for certifying the authorities of the United States, the European Union and Ukraine has been established. Ukraine, in turn, began to take the first steps towards organic production in the late 1990s. It was at this time that she began to grow organic grain and opened export lines for its transportation to other countries, mainly Europe. Ukraine remains a leader in the production and export of organic cereals. Export competitive advantages of national agar products are lower production costs and logistics support. Ukraine continues to increase its organic production capacity - an increasing number of operators are appearing in this sector of agricultural production. As of 2019, the share of organic production of crop products in Ukraine is 1.4% (5th place in the world in terms of growth rate of organic agriculture), which is 467.9 thousand hectares of the total area of agricultural land in 32, 7 million hectares, as well as 470 operators of organic production. The dynamics of changes in organic agricultural production in Ukraine indicates a general trend of increasing their number, but in some periods, there is a decrease due to the economic and political situation in the country and changes in legislation in this area. Ukraine has significant advantages of organic production, which include a high level of soil fertility, favorable climatic conditions, traditional orientation as an agrarian state. Also, the price of Ukrainian products is lower than the minimum price of organic products of European countries. In the organic production of crops use methods that optimize the biological activity of soils, provide a balanced supply of nutrients to plants. At the same time, there are problems in Ukraine that hinder the development of organic production. In particular, the diversity of the territory in terms of the level of pollution of environmental components, lack of practical application of innovations and modern technologies of agricultural production. The lack of state support for organic producers and state certification system (including qualified specialists for its implementation). Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of October 21, 2020, № 1032 "On approval of the Procedure for certification of organic production and / or circulation of organic products and amendments to the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of October 23, 2019, № 970" approved the stages of certification. Was made the comparison of approaches to the certification of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine shows that they meet European and American standards. However, the absence of a state certification body that certifies organic producers and accredits private certification bodies makes it impossible for state control over organic market operators and the functioning of state certification. The current certification system in Ukraine does not cover the issue of soil contamination or other components of environment, which may affect the quality and safety of organic products. In Ukraine, enterprises in various sectors of the economy use outdated technologies, which can cause soil contamination of agricultural lands, and, accordingly, affect the quality of organic products. Currently, the Laws of Ukraine and the Cabinet of Ministers do not require: the location of the organic agricultural enterprise; content of harmful substances in the soil (including the content of radionuclides and pesticide residues); content in the soil of nutrients that can ensure the production of quality agricultural products and confirm the activities of the farm aimed at maintaining soil fertility. To guarantee the quality of organic products, it is advisable in the certification procedure to consider the level of fertility and soil contamination of agricultural lands, as well as the availability of sources of environmental pollution in the location of the organic producer. Given the above, it is advisable to introduce criteria for assessing the compliance of soils with the requirements of organic production. This approach can guarantee the safety and quality of organic products. During the organization of organic production of agricultural products in Ukraine, the issues of criteria for assessing compliance with regulatory requirements, documentation to be kept by the operator of organic production, etc.

Mangrove Restoration and Conservation as a Carbon Offset Option: A Case Study in the Niger Delta Region

Despite their limited global distribution, mangroves have gained attention as a potential carbon offset option due to their high carbon storage capacity and diverse social and environmental co-benefits. Carbon stock in mangroves (global average=2,790tCO2eq/ha) is about four times higher than in terrestrial forests and contributes to almost 10% (37GtCO2eq) of global terrestrial carbon pool. Mangrove carbon sequestration averages 6.9tCO2eq/ha/yr but may reach more than 20tCO2eq/ha/yr. Literature suggests that over 812,000ha of mangrove areas, spread over 106 countries/territories, show potential for restoration. Furthermore, globally, mangroves have been lost at a rate of 1-2%/yr, which may account for an annual emission of about 0.09-0.45 GtCO2eq/yr that can be potentially avoided through conservation actions. Mangroves within the Niger Delta Region (NDR) cover 800,000ha (6% of world extent), and contain an estimated carbon stock of 2.2GtCO2eq. In 2017, Eni's subsidiary Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) launched a voluntary initiative to restore mangroves to promote social and biodiversity benefits while also contributing to offsetting its GHG emissions. A 30-ha pilot restoration area was identified in Okoroma, Bayelsa, where mangroves had failed to naturally recover from oil spills caused by third party interference in 2014. Site assessments were carried out in 2018 and indicated residual soil contamination (hydrocarbons/metals) and low fertility, a typical characteristic of soils in the NDR. A restoration trial (n=90 seedlings) using nursery-reared seedlings resulted in 100% survivorship and high growth rates, confirming the feasibility of active restoration across the entire site. Although soil contamination was lower than when the spills occurred, we concluded that the combination of residual contamination, low soil fertility and site topography had restricted the natural regeneration process. This in turn risked further soil degradation and ultimately erosion and permanent habitat loss. To prevent this from happening, a long-term restoration program based on the transplantation of fertilized seedlings in partnership with local communities is proposed. In addition to the benefits to the local communities and the environmental restoration, this project is expected to allow for the sequestration of 2,970tCO2eq in 20 years and avoid the emission of an estimated 60,000tCO2eq from soil carbon, numbers that could be scaled up in the future to a much larger area. The results of this case study further confirm the possibility of using mangroves as a Natural Climate Solution to offset GHG emissions from O&G operations.

Using Spatial Analysis Methods to Evaluate the Soil Contamination of Baghdad City, Iraq

The current study aims to identify soil pollutants from heavy metals The study utilized 40 topsoil (5 cm) samples, which adapted and divided into seven regions lies in Baghdad governorate, included (Al-Husainya,(Hs) Al-Doura (Do), Sharie Al-Matar (SM), Al-Waziria (Wz), Nharawan (Nh), Abu Ghraib (Abu) and Al-Mahmoodyia (Mh)). Spatial distribution maps of Nickel (Ni), Manganese (Mn), Lead (Pb) and Zinc (Zn) were created for Baghdad city using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The concentrations of four heavy metals in the soil of different area of Baghdad were measured and observed using XRF instrument. The result found highest values of Pb and Zn at the middle of the Baghdad in (Wz) area and it reached to 35110 and 720 ppm respectively which exceeded allowed limits values. . While the measurements of the Mn and Ni recorded highest values in (Do) area and reached to 1020 and 170ppm respectively and was within the allowed limits of standard values of soil contamination. The prediction maps of Zn, Pb showed high accumulations in the center and western part of Baghdad city. While the maps of the elements of Mn, Ni showed low accumulations in the eastern and southern part of Baghdad. By using prediction models through which pollution levels can be determination in areas unsampled, which contributes in economic benefits, such as decrease of the required amount of samples in any project, decrease cost of analyzing and using friendly tools. The methodologies incorporated with GIS helps to give a clear picture for decision-makers to take the necessary treatments for polluted areas.