Prospects and directions of using forest crops phytocenoses to harmonize the natural environment of industrial regions

The main purpose of this work was to consider artificial tree plantations in terms of ecosystem approach, as a significant factor in improving the ecological environment for the introduction of the sustainable development paradigm in the conditions of industrial pollution Kryvyi Rih region. During 2015–2020, natural forest ecosystems and artificial forest plantations were studied by classical methods. These woody plantations are located in contrasting ecological conditions. The relevance of our research is determined by the need to find practical measures aimed at the formation and maintenance of woody plantations to increase resistance to areas under industrial pollution. The solution to this problem was carried out by assessing their living conditions and biometric indicators.

Assessment of the woody plant species vital condition distributed on the devastated lands of the iron ore dump

The actuality of the research is caused by the importance of understanding the laws of natural distribution of woody and shrub plant species on devastated lands of iron ore dumps of Kryviy Rih as a theoretical prerequisite for harmonizing the ecological environment of industrial regions. The aim of the research is to assess the current vital condition of woody and shrub plant species that naturally grow on devastated lands of the iron ore dump from the standpoint of the ecosystem approach. The materials of the work were the results of our own research, which were carried out according to generally accepted methods during 2020–2021 on the territory of Petrovsky waste rock dump of Kryviy Rih iron ore basin. The assessment of the current vital condition was carried out according to the method of V. A. Alekseyev. Presently, the vegetation on Petrovsky waste rock dump, which is a model for the region, is represented by natural groups, has a fragmented character and is a sparse forest. It has been established that 32 species of woody and shrub plant species (25 genera and 15 families) naturally grow within Petrovsky waste rock dump. The current vital condition of woody and shrub plant species in the dump was assessed as «weakened» (65–71 conventional points by V. A. Alekseyev’s scale). Such numerical values of the vitality of the forest stand are 21–28% lower than the control indicators (natural groupings of Gurivka forest). Our results indicate that the ecological conditions of the devastated lands of Petrovsky waste rock dump are relatively favourable for the growth and development of woody and shrub plant species. It was found that European birch (Betula pendula Roth.), ash-leaved maple (Acer negundo L.) and acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) are quite adapted to the habitat conditions of the dump. The vital condition of these species was assessed as «healthy»: 90–95 conventional points by V. A. Alekseyev’s scale.

Spatial Variation of Trace Metals between Industrial and Rural Dwelling Birds of India

A large quantity of trace metals has been continuously polluting the environment as a result of increasing urbanization and industrial processes. In 2016-2017, the metal (Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn) levels were determined in fecal pellets of Blue Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) at Bais Godam (industrial location) in Jaipur and Chittora (rural location) in Rajasthan, India. Fecal pellets in industrial regions which are under higher anthropogenic influence exhibited higher metal concentrations when compared with the fecal pellets of the same species in rural area which have minimal anthropogenic input, with statistically significant industrial-rural differences in the metal concentrations except for Ni. Results obtained in this study, as well as the comparison with literature data, indicated that concentrations of Cr and Cu were high in fecal pellets of Blue Rock Pigeon in the industrial region of the present study. Furthermore, many significant correlations were also observed between metal levels in the industrial region which could be attributed to a similar source. Moreover, contamination levels of pigeon excrement serve as one of the most compelling indicators in terrestrial systems for the monitoring of metal pollution levels.

METHODOLOGY FOR RANKING OLD INDUSTRIAL REGIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SECURITY

The problem of monitoring the current state of security of sustainable development of old industrial regions of Ukraine lies in the need for structural modernisation of the industrial sector, i.e. the transition from extensive exploitation of the resource potential of industrially developed areas in the past to intensive production based on technological progress. The term “old industrial region” should be understood to mean a territory that was once industrially developed but is now in decline or in decline due to a lack of capacity or the unwillingness of industry owners to invest in the modernisation of production facilities, a significant lag in the applied production technology from the modern news, a lack of adaptability to the sustainable changes in industrial markets, etc.

Lifetime Carcinogenic Risk Proportions from Inhalation Exposures in Industrial and Non-Industrial Regions

The aim of this work was to estimate the share of selected significant risk factors for respiratory cancer in the overall incidence of this disease and their comparison in two environmentally different burdened regions. A combination of a longitudinal cross-sectional population study with a US EPA health risk assessment methodology was used. The result of this procedure is the expression of lifelong carcinogenic risks and their contribution in the overall incidence of the disease. Compared to exposures to benzo[a]pyrene in the air and fibrogenic dust in the working air, several orders of magnitude higher share of the total incidence of respiratory cancer was found in radon exposures, for women 60% in the industrial area, respectively 100% in the non-industrial area, for men 24%, respectively 15%. The share of risks in workers exposed to fibrogenic dust was found to be 0.35% in the industrial area. For benzo[a]pyrene, the share of risks was below 1% and the share of other risk factors was in the monitored areas was up to 85%. The most significant share in the development of respiratory cancer in both monitored areas is represented by radon for women and other risk factors for men.

Analysis of Brownfields Sites in the Villages and Towns in the Czech Republic

The issue associated with the situation of brownfields around the world is a very current topic today. This article focuses on the situation of the existence of brownfields in the Czech Republic. The aim of this article is to assess the current situation of brownfields from the perspective of municipalities and cities in the Czech Republic. The data in the paper were collected by means of a questionnaire applied to towns and villages in the Czech Republic. The existence of brownfields in regions can have a negative impact on the development of the relevant area, such as villages, towns or higher-level administrative units. The research took place from 9 July 2018 to 31 January 2019. The rate of return on the primary research was 43.2% of the respondents. The results showed that brownfields mainly occur in former industrial regions. The predominant form of ownership of abandoned buildings and grounds was private ownership. It can be stated that agricultural, industrial activity and former civic amenities dominated in the previous use. Last but not least, the study points to regional differences that are noticeable between municipalities and cities in individual NUTS 3 regions in connection to the issue of brownfields.