Metavirome in Sewage and Fecally-Tainted River Waters in the Philippines: Highlighting the Role of Environmental Surveillance in the Covid-19 Pandemic

Intro: The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered global collaborative efforts on response and research to detect SARS-CoV-2 particles not just in the human population but also in wastewater. While the examination of clinical samples from COVID-19 patients links SARS-CoV-2 to specific individuals, the analysis of an amalgam of human feces through environmental surveillance (ES) links SARSCoV-2 to populations and communities served by the wastewater system. Studies on SARS-CoV-2 in the environment were already done in high-resource countries. However, its epidemiology in wastewater bodies in the Philippines is limited. In this study, we used the National ES for Polio and Other Pathogens Network to investigate the molecular epidemiology and transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 at the outset of the pandemic. Method(s): This is a retrospective study of 250 wastewater samples collected from May 2020 to July 2021. Samples were processed using the two-phase concentration technique. Pepper mild mottle virus RNAs were quantified as the internal control. Real-time PCR was used to detect the N-gene of the SARS-CoV-2. Whole genomes were sequenced using the COVID-19 ARTIC v4.0. Phylogenetic and mutation analysis were done and lineage assignments were established using the PANGOLIN software. Finding(s): Forty-two percent (107/250) of the environmental samples detected SARS-CoV-2 particles. Fifty-nine samples with Ct values <=38 were sequenced and the whole genome analysis revealed B.1.1 and B.6. lineages of SARS-CoV-2. When viral load were plotted with the weekly cases in the respective site, we observed that SARS-CoV2 can be detected in wastewater weeks before the spike of cases in the community. Conclusion(s): This is the first report on the detection of B.1.1 and B.6 SARS-CoV-2 particles in waste/surface waters in the Philippines. With the declining incidence of COVID-19 cases, this study provided data regarding the feasibility of establishing environmental surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 as a supplemental tool for human or case monitoring especially in resource-limited settings.Copyright © 2023

Sustainability assessment of crops' production in India: empirical evidence from ARDL-ECM approach

PurposeThe study aims to evaluate the long- vs short-run relationships between crops' production (output) and crops' significant inputs such as land use, agricultural water use (AWU) and gross irrigated area in India during the period 1981–2018.Design/methodology/approachThe study applied the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach to estimate the co-integration among the variables. The study uses the error correction model (ECM), which integrates the short-run dynamics with the long-run equilibrium.FindingsThe ARDL bounds test of co-integration confirms the strong evidence of the long-run relationship among the variables. Empirical results show the positive and significant relationship of crops' production with land use and gross irrigated area. The statistically significant error correction term (ECT) validates the speed of adjustment of the empirical models in the long-run.Research limitations/implicationsThe study suggests that the decision-makers must understand potential trade-offs between human needs and environmental impacts to ensure food for the growing population in India.Originality/valueFor a clear insight into the impact of climate change on crops' production, the current study incorporates the climate variables such as annual rainfall, maximum temperature and minimum temperature. Further, the study considered agro-chemicals, i.e. fertilizers and pesticides, concerning their negative impacts on increased agricultural production and the environment.

Monitoring of the Surfactants in Surface Waters in Slovakia and the Possible Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Their Presence

In order to keep the home and occupational environment clean and non-infectious, the consumption of cleaners and disinfectants, including cosmetics, is increasing. Excessive use of these products results in their accumulation in the aquatic environment. Conventional wastewater treatment plants are unable to effectively remove the emergent pollutants, including personal care products. This article is focused on the monitoring of the presence of personal care products in surface waters in two river basins in the Slovak Republic, in terms of the surfactant content. Ecotoxicological evaluation of the selected samples from the monitored river basins was performed by an acute toxicity test using the test organism Daphnia magna. The monitoring results indicate the presence of personal care products in the aquatic environment which poses an ecological and environmental risk. Monitoring in the Hron and Nitra river basins confirmed contamination with the surfactants, to which the measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic contributed. The content of the surfactants in personal care products is significant, and their impact on the aquatic environment is not sufficiently monitored.

Occurrence and Treatment of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Present in Surface Water.

According to the World Health Organization, antibiotic resistance is one of the main threats to global health. The excessive use of several antibiotics has led to the widespread distribution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in various environment matrices, including surface water. In this study, total coliforms, Escherichia coli and enterococci, as well as total coliforms and Escherichia coli resistant to ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, ampicillin, streptomycin, and imipenem, were monitored in several surface water sampling events. A hybrid reactor was used to test the efficiency of membrane filtration, direct photolysis (using UV-C light emitting diodes that emit light at 265 nm and UV-C low pressure mercury lamps that emit light at 254 nm), and the combination of both processes to ensure the retention and inactivation of total coliforms and Escherichia coli as well as antibiotic-resistant bacteria (total coliforms and Escherichia coli) present in river water at occurrence levels. The membranes used (unmodified silicon carbide membranes and the same membrane modified with a photocatalytic layer) effectively retained the target bacteria. Direct photolysis using low-pressure mercury lamps and light-emitting diode panels (emitting at 265 nm) achieved extremely high levels of inactivation of the target bacteria. The combined treatment (unmodified and modified photocatalytic surfaces in combination with UV-C and UV-A light sources) successfully retained the bacteria and treated the feed after 1 h of treatment. The hybrid treatment proposed is a promising approach to use as point-of-use treatment by isolated populations or when conventional systems and electricity fail due to natural disasters or war. Furthermore, the effective treatment obtained when the combined system was used with UV-A light sources indicates that the process may be a promising approach to guarantee water disinfection using natural sunlight.

Study of the Process of Destruction of Harmful Microorganisms in Water

In this scientific work, the problem of studying the process of destruction of microorganisms in water by an Etro-03 device based on electric corona discharge is considered. In the research, a special Etro-03 ozonator device was developed for clearing water of biological pollutants. Testing of the installation was carried out in order to disinfect surface water in the Kapshagai reservoir. During the research, various harmful microorganisms were found in the composition of the primary water that did not meet the maximum permissible concentration (MPC). For example, coliphages, coli-indices, and the number of microbes in general came across in large numbers. During the technological process, various amounts of ozone (O3) were released into the water, the amount and effective economic indicators of which were determined. In the same way, the effective time of the decontamination process was determined. During the research process, an algorithm of theoretical calculations was developed, and a mathematical model was given to bring 1m3 of surface water as the indicator for which sanitary rules and norms are approved.

Impact of lockdown Covid-19 pandemic on himalayan environment

The COVID-19 Pandemic have caused severe impact on lives in various ways, but our environment has experienced a positive outcome due to the lockdown which was imposed all over world including Himalayan region of India. The worldwide spread of COVID 19 has reduced movement of vehicles, industries and all tourism activities. Due to shutdown of all the commercial activities and traffic has helped the environment to reclaim naturally. The Himalayas is one of the world's most fragile and sensitive hotspots to global climate change, with impacts manifesting at a particularly rapid rate. The Himalayan glaciers are the water towers of Asia, and the source of many of the world's great rivers. In this research paper, an attempt has been made to describe the improvement in physiochemical characteristics of surface water, all parameters were compared with BIS standard of drinking water quality during pre lockdown and lockdown period. The ambient air quality have also been significantly improved and noise level were also found under permissible limit of Ambient air quality Standard.

Ground water pollution effect on human health in Industrial areas and Urban areas: A case study of Paschim Medinipur District in West Bengal

Thirty locations in the rapidly expanding residential and commercial area of the Paschim Medinipur region in eastern India provided groundwater samples in January and May of 2020. These times of sampling occurred both before and after the region's industrial activity was shut down and agricultural activity was cut back as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see how much of an impact reduced human activity had on groundwater quality. Samples taken before the monsoons showed that fluoride levels in about 17 percent of the wells that had been impacted by high fluoride concentration levels after the monsoons had returned to safe levels for human consumption. Ion exchange processes, seasonal monsoon rainwater infiltration diluting ion concentrations including geogenic fluoride, and a decrease in anthropogenic sources during the lockdown are likely to have contributed to this. Groundwater samples taken after the monsoon season showed that 73%, 60%, and 50%, respectively, had fluoride concentrations above the allowable limit, as calculated using the total hazard index for fluoride in children, adult women, and adult men. Nitrate pollution was found to have decreased by 33.4% between the pre-and post-monsoon periods. Prior to the onset of the monsoon season, the chemical facies of the aquifers was found to have reverted from the Na-HCO3-Cl & Na-Cl to the Ca-HCO3 variety. The groundwater chemistry of this region is affected by a number of factors, including weathering of plagioclase minerals, carbonate dissolution, reverse ion exchange, & anthropogenic inputs, as shown by a number of geogenic indicators (such as molar ratios, inter-ionic relations, and graphical tools). Saturation index evaluations of post-monsoon and pre-monsoon samples corroborated these results. Groundwater pollution from Na+, K+, Cl-, NO3, and F-ions was greatly reduced during the COVID-19 lockdown as a result of the suspension of industrial and agricultural activities. Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 lockdown was accompanied by an increase in the concentration of HCO3 ions in the groundwater supply. Conclusions show that reducing human-caused pollution inputs has the potential to improve groundwater quality. Copyright © 2022, Anka Publishers. All rights reserved.

Effects of COVID-19 era on a subtropical river basin in Bangladesh: Heavy metal(loid)s distribution, sources and probable human health risks.

The COVID-19 era has profoundly affected everyday human life, the environment, and freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Despite the numerous influences, a strict COVID-19 lockdown might improve the surface water quality and thus provide an unprecedented opportunity to restore the degraded freshwater resource. Therefore, we intend to investigate the spatiotemporal water quality, sources, and preliminary health risks of heavy metal(loid)s in the Karatoya River basin (KRB), a tropical urban river in Bangladesh. Seventy water samples were collected from 35 stations in KRB in 2019 and 2022 during the dry season. The results showed that the concentrations of Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and Cr were significantly reduced by 89.3-99.7 % during the post-lockdown period (p < 0.05). However, pH, Fe, Mn, and As concentrations increased due to the rise of urban waste and the usage of disinfectants during the post-lockdown phase. In the post-lockdown phase, the heavy metal pollution index, heavy metal evaluation index, and Nemerow's pollution index values lessened by 8.58 %, 42.86 %, and 22.86 %, respectively. Besides, the irrigation water quality indices also improved by 59 %-62 %. The total hazard index values increased by 24 % (children) and 22 % (adults) due to the rise in Mn and As concentrations during the lockdown. In comparison, total carcinogenic risk values were reduced by 54 % (children) and 53 % (adults) in the post-lockdown. We found no significant changes in river flow, rainfall, or land cover near the river from the pre to post-lockdown phase. The results of semivariogram models have demonstrated that most attributes have weak spatial dependence, indicating restricted industrial and agricultural effluents during the lockdown, significantly improving river water quality. Our study confirms that the lockdown provides a unique opportunity for the remarkable improvement of degraded freshwater resources. Long-term management policies and regular monitoring should reduce river pollution and clean surface water.

The distribution and ecological risks of antibiotics in surface water in key cities along the lower reaches of the Yellow River: A case study of Kaifeng City, China

A large number of antibiotics have been discharged into rivers by human activities, posing a threat to aquatic ecosystems. The surface water of the Yellow River Basin also suffers antibiotic pollution, which hinders the improvement in the aquatic ecological environment. This study investigated and analyzed the characteristics and assessed the ecological risks of antibiotic pollution in surface water bodies such as canals, rivers and fish ponds in Kaifeng, Henan Province, which is a key city along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. The test results are as follows. A total of 15 types of antibiotics were detected in the surface water. They had a total antibiotic concentration of 12.2–249.9 μg/L, of which tetracyclines (TCs) and quinolones accounted for the highest percentages. Six types of quinolones had detection rates of up to 100%, and doxycycline (DC) and oxytetracycline (OTC) had average concentrations of 29.52 μg/L1 and 13.71 μg/L, respectively. The major canals with water diverted from the Yellow River had total concentrations of quinolones and TCs of 22. 0 μg/L and 14.9 μg/L, respectively, which were higher than those in previous studies. This phenomenon may be related to the decrease in the water flow of the Yellow River during the dry season and the increase in the antibiotic consumption of residents in the context of the Covid-19 outbreak. The upper reaches of the Huiji River in the Xiangfu District had higher antibiotic content than other districts in Kaifeng. Specifically, TCs accounted for 72.38%–91.84% of all antibiotics, and the DC and OTC concentrations were significantly higher than other antibiotics in the upper reaches. As indicated by the ecological risk assessment results, TCs had the highest ecological risks to green algae. Among them, DC had medium-high risks;TC, OTC, and chlortetracycline (CTC) had medium-high risks;trimethoprim (TMP) and lomefloxacin (LOM) had low risks;other TC antibiotics had no risk. Compared with green algae, most antibiotics showed higher ecological risks to daphnia and lower ecological risks to fish. DC and OTC dominate antibiotic pollutants in the surface water in Kaifeng City, and especially in Xiangfu District, where DC and OTC have medium-high risks. The TCs in the major Yellow River showed medium risks to both green algae and daphnia. It can be speculated that the antibiotic pollution in the Yellow River might pose a certain threat to the ecological security of water in Kaifeng City. ©2022 China Geology Editorial Office. © 2022 Editorial Office of China Geology. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co. Ltd

Determinaton of Surface Water Quality in the Lumbardh Stream, Prizren, Kosovo: COVID-19 Lockdown Effects on Stream Water Quality

The COVID-19 pandemic has had enormous effects on human life and the environment globally. Despite the negative effects of the epidemic on human health, the pandemic has improved the quality of the environment, thus creating an opportunity to restore degraded ecosystems. This study presents the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the water quality and chemical properties of the Lumbardh Stream, which is a very important stream for the city of Prizren, Kosovo. Lumbardh Stream, where industrialization is high in Prizren and industrial wastes are dumped, flows into the White Drin river, which is important for river fishing and agricultural irrigation for both Kosovo and Albania. Therefore, water samples were taken every month in 2020–2021 from the riverbed in the Vlashnje region of Prizren. EC, pH, TDS and Tur were measured in situ in the water samples taken. Major ions, heavy metals, DO, BOD, COD, TSS and TOC amounts were analyzed in the laboratory. The results are evaluated according to “Quality criteria according to the classes of intracontinental surface water resources in terms of general chemical and physicochemical parameters”;It has been determined that the water source has Class I in terms of DO, EC and NO3--N, Class II in terms of COD, Class III in terms of BOD, total P, PO4 3-and NH4+-N. When comparing the pre-lockdown and lockdown period, DO and TOC level increased 1.1 and 1.1 times, BOD, COD and NH4+-N decreased 1.2, 1.9 and 1.5 times at lockdown period, respectively. Comparing lockdown and no-lockdown period, DO and TOC increased 1.16 and 3.68 times, BOD, COD and NH4+-N decreased 1.1, 3.5 and 1.6 times at lockdown period, respectively. The results obtained showed quality water improvement during the lockdown period. This study confirms that significant recovery of degraded aquatic ecosystems is possible by limiting human activities. © 2022, Polskie Towarzystwo Inzynierii Ekologicznej (PTIE). All rights reserved.

Pollutants distribution using environmetric technique in surface water sited at Gebeng, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia

The quick response of contaminants from various sources and the extensive deterioration of rivers' water quality may harm our biodiversity, aquatic creatures, and environment. The depletion of this river water quality can be caused by both natural and manmade factors and this condition will jeopardize its use for many human uses and may harm the residents' health. Our concerning phenomenon prompted this investigation to study the primary pollutant source in two rivers near Gebeng. A total of ten sampling stations from both Balok and Tunggak Rivers were selected and physicochemical parameters reading were measured monthly afore and in COVID-19 Pandemic spread in Malaysia from March 2019 to October 2020. Later, the Cluster and Principal Component Analysis (CA and PCA) were applied. CA grouped the ten sampling stations into three clusters which are upstream areas that were considered as most polluted. PCA yields only four significant components that represented 90.68% of the total variability. The findings of this study can provide useful information regarding the current state of river water quality in the Gebeng area, and the proposed method can be used as a strategy for sustaining the use of water resources in support of long-term development goals.

Pilot Study of Pollution Characteristics and Ecological Risk of Disinfection Byproducts in Natural Waters in Hong Kong.

Increased disinfection efforts in various parts of China, including Hong Kong, to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus may lead to elevated concentrations of disinfectants in domestic sewage and surface runoff in Hong Kong, generating large quantities of toxic disinfection byproducts. Our study investigated the presence and distribution of four trihalomethanes (THMs), six haloacetic acids (HAAs), and eight nitrosamines (NAMs) in rivers and seawater in Hong Kong. The concentrations of THMs (mean concentration: 1.6 µg/L [seawater], 3.0 µg/L [river water]), HAAs (mean concentration: 1.4 µg/L [seawater], 1.9 µg/L [river water]), and NAMs (mean concentration: 4.4 ng/L [seawater], 5.6 ng/L [river water]) did not significantly differ between river water and seawater. The total disinfection byproduct content in river water in Hong Kong was similar to that in Wuhan and Beijing (People's Republic of China), and the total THM concentration in seawater was significantly higher than that before the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the regulated disinfection byproducts, none of the surface water samples exceeded the maximum index values for THM4 (80 µg/L), HAA5 (60 µg/L), and nitrosodimethylamine (100 ng/L) in drinking water. Among the disinfection byproducts detected, bromoform in rivers and seawater poses the highest risk to aquatic organisms, which warrants attention and mitigation efforts. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2613-2621. © 2022 SETAC.

Study of the Water Environment Risk Assessment of the Upper Reaches of the Baiyangdian Lake, China

The risk assessment of water environments provides important references for water environment risk management. In this paper, the water environment risk of the upper rivers of the Baiyangdian Lake is assessed, considering both cumulative and sudden environmental risk. For the cumulative environmental risk assessment of the rivers, the characteristics of pollution transmissibility and accumulation in rivers was considered firstly. Furthermore, suggestions for the control of water environment pollution in the Baiyangdian Basin are given. The results indicate that the cumulative water environment risks of the Xiaoyi River—Dingzhou County, Xiaoyi River—Anguo County, Xiaoyi River—Boye County, and Xiaoyi River—Li County are high. The amount of fertilizer applied per unit of cultivated area, water quality, rate of water quality above the standard in water function zoning, and the ratio of environmental investment to gross domestic product (GDP) are important factors influencing the cumulative water environment risk. For sudden water environment assessments, the Xiaoyi River—Boye County is high. In the future, reducing the intensity of fertilizer application, strengthening the water quality control of the rivers, as well as upgrading the industry, should be carried out to protect the water environment in the Baiyangdian Basin.

Assessing Barriers in Adaptation of Water Management Innovations under Rotational Canal Water Distribution System

This study assessed problems associated with irrigation water provisions and the potential barriers to the adaptation of the interventions (soil moisture sensors, on-farm water storage facilities and the drip method) under rotational canal water distribution in Punjab, Pakistan. Three groups of stakeholders were individually surveyed during September–December 2020: (i) 72 farmers, (ii) 15 officials, and (iii) 14 academicians. We used descriptive statistical analysis, cross-tabulation and the Fisher test to explore the pattern of responses across the groups. The main problems in the canal water distribution system were expressed by the farmers as limited water allocation, while academicians were concerned mostly with inflexibility and officials indicated discussion among neighbors. According to the farmers’ responses, the conventional depth/interval of irrigation is flooding the field with water and observing the plants, indicating over-irrigation behavior. Moreover, the most important barriers in the adaptation of the interventions that were highly rated by the three groups were low awareness, lack of training and financial resources. Additionally, farmers’ education revealed a statistically significant influence on awareness of soil moisture sensors and water storage facilities, while large farm holders showed a positive relationship to conducting a joint experiment with scientists and farmers’ associations on part of their land to improve water use efficiency.

Optimization of methods for sanitary-microbiological and sanitary-parasitological control of wastewater

Introduction. The main reason for the problems of surface reservoirs in many regions of Russia is the non-compliance with sanitary protection zones and the discharge of insufficiently treated wastewater into reservoirs. SanPiN 1.2.3685-21 introduced a list of the new controlled sanitary-microbiological and parasitological safety indicators for disinfected wastewater and surface water bodies. For some indicators, there are no methods of determination in the current methodological documents. In this work, studies were carried out using various methods, including accelerated ones, which make it possible to determine the normalized indicators in wastewater and surface waters. Goals and objectives – optimization of methods for the study of surface and wastewater in the implementation of sanitary-microbiological and sanitary-parasitological control. Materials and methods. Bacteriological, parasitological indicators, as well as coliphages were determined in samples of surface and wastewater. To detect and identify generalized coliform bacteria, E. coli, enterococci, P. aeruginosa and legionella, in addition to membrane filtration and direct seeding methods, test systems (IDEXX) were used: Colilert-18 and Colilert-24, Pseudolert, Enterolert, Legionelert. Obligate anaerobes of C. perfringens were cultured in an anaerobic box (Anaerobic Station A55, Don Whitley Scientific) in an atmosphere of a three-component gas mixture. Species identification of microorganisms was carried out by time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF MS) using a Microflex mass spectrometer with MALDI BioTyper software (Bruker, Germany). Isolation of RNA/DNA of viruses and bacteria was carried out using a set of reagents “AmpliSens. RIBOT-prep”. Results. As a result of the conducted studies, P. aeruginosa;E. coli, R. ornithinolytica, A. hydrophila, A. caviae, A. molluscorum;E. hirae, E. faecium, E.faecalis;C. perfringens;S. lutetiensis, S. suis were isolated and identified from wastewater at all stages of treatment, high fungal contamination was found, and also Group F adenovirus DNA (both in wastewater and surface water samples) and additionally rotovirus and norovirus RNA, Campylobacter DNA. SarsCov-2 virus RNA was not detected in any sample. Lamblia spp., Blastocystis spp. and Cryptosporidium parvum were identified;opportunistic Entamoeba spp.;helminth eggs – Toxocara spp., Hymenolepis diminuta, Hymenolepis nana, Asagis lumbricoides, egg oncospheres Tenia spp.;Nematodes spp. larvae. Limitations. Since clinically significant strains of bacteria, fungi, and parasitic protozoa were found in the studied water samples, it is important to expand knowledge about water sources as reservoirs and spreaders of these pathogens. Conclusion. Monitoring is now urgently needed to quantify pathogens circulating in surface water and wastewater. © 2022 Izdatel'stvo Meditsina. All rights reserved.

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Viruses in Wastewater: Optimization and Automation of an Aluminum Hydroxide Adsorption-Precipitation Method for Virus Concentration

This study aimed to provide a low-cost technique for virus detection in wastewater by improving an aluminum hydroxide adsorption-precipitation method. The releasing efficiency of viruses trapped by the aluminum hydroxide precipitates was improved by adding ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA-2Na) to dissolve the precipitates at a Na(2)EDTA center dot 2H(2)O:AlCl3 molar ratio of 1.8-3.6. The recovery rates of the improved method for seven viruses, including SARS-CoV-2-abEN pseudovirus and six animal viruses, were 5.9-22.3% in tap water and 4.9-35.1% in wastewater. Rotavirus A (9.0-4.5 X 10(3) copies/mL), porcine circovirus type 2 (5.8-6.4 X 10(5) copies/mL), and porcine parvovirus (5.6-2.7 X 10(4) copies/mL) were detected in China's pig farm wastewater, while rotavirus A (2.0 X 10(3) copies/mL) was detected in hospital wastewater. SARS-CoV-2 was detected in hospital wastewater (8.4 X 10(2) to 1.4 X 10(4) copies/mL), sewage (6.4 X 10 to 2.3 X 10(3) copies/mL), and river water (6.6 X 10 to 9.3 X 10 copies/mL) in Nepal. The method was automized, with a rate of recovery of 4.8 +/- 1.4% at a virus concentration of 10(2) copies/mL. Thus, the established method could be used for wastewater-based epidemiology with sufficient sensitivity in coping with the COVID-19 epidemic and other virus epidemics.

Impact of Depuration Plants on Nutrient Levels in the North Adriatic Sea

Macronutrients (nitrogen—N;phosphorus—P;silicon—Si) play a crucial role in ocean surface waters stimulating the planktonic primary production;in fact, their concentrations are fundamental for the evaluation of the trophic status of the water body and eutrophication phenomena. Loads of nutrients into the sea are mainly represented by river runoff and depuration plant outflows. For this purpose, in the framework of the AdSWiM project, “Managed use of treated urban wastewater for the quality of the Adriatic Sea” levels of N-NO3, N-NO2, N-NH4, Si-Si(OH)4, P-PO4 (dissolved inorganic phosphorus—DIP) and total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) were determined colorimetrically at two sites in the Gulf of Trieste: Lignano Sabbiadoro and San Giorgio di Nogaro. For each site, during the bathing seasons of 2019 and 2020, a sample from the depuration plant (DP) outflow and another one in the bottom seawater near the discharging pipelines were collected. Results showed a strong dilution effect on nutrient levels passing from DPs to the sea, from one to three orders of magnitude and a low and not harmful concentration in seawater. The outflow composition of the two DPs showed that the main fraction of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) was represented by N-NO3 for Lignano, while in San Giorgio the major contribution came from N-NH4. Concerning phosphorus, Lignano showed a higher content (about 3 times) of P levels than San Giorgio, but a similar percentage composition, DIP:DOP (77:23), compared to the seawater site one DIP:DOP (2:98). Despite the difference between the DPs, no substantial differences were found in the sea sites, demonstrating the negligible effect of the DP outflows in the nutrient levels in the study area.

Occurrence and Transport of Isothiazolinone-Type Biocides from Commercial Products to Aquatic Environment and Environmental Risk Assessment.

This study investigated the occurrence and transport of four isothiazolinone-type biocides from commercial products to wastewater treatment plants (influents, sludges, and effluents) and to natural emissaries (upstream and downstream the wastewater treatment plants) in Romania. All four biocides were determined in personal care and household products, with the highest concentration of 76.4 µg/L OIT (2-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one). For environmental samples, three of the four isothiazolinones were determined, CMI (5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one) being the prominent compound for water samples. The maximum concentration of 84.0 µg/L in influent, 122 µg/L upstream, and 144 µg/L downstream the wastewater treatment plants were obtained for CMI. Unlike water samples, in the sewage sludge samples, OIT proved to be the dominant compound, with concentration up to 5.80 µg/g d.w. The extremely high levels of isothiazolinone determined in different WWTPs from Romania may be due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, during which a much larger amount of cleaning, hygiene, and personal care products was used. The isothiazolinone-type biocides were readily removed from the influents of the five WWTPs, with the mean removal rate up to 67.5%. The mean mass loading value for the targeted biocides based on influent was 20.4 µg/day/1000 people, while the average environmental emissions were 6.93 µg/day/1000 people for effluents. The results obtained for riverine water combine with statistical analysis showed that the anthropogenic activities are the major contamination sources of the surface waters. Preliminary ecological risk evaluation showed that BIT (1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one), OIT, and CMI could pose a very high risks to different aquatic species living in the receiving aquatic environments.

Assessment of the global environmental impacts of COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic period, measures taken to control the spread of the virus worldwide;caused a decrease in social, economic and commercial activities. This situation inevitably affected the environmental components directly or indirectly. With the implementation of COVID-19 restrictions, it has been observed that air quality has improved significantly, greenhouse gas emissions have decreased, water pollution and noise levels have slowdown, surface and ground water quality has enhanced and traffic density has reduced in different cities of the world. However, despite these positive effects on the environment, the new corona virus epidemic also caused negative effects such as low indoor air quality, increased use of disposable plastics and medical waste such as masks and gloves, and decreased amount of recycling waste. In this study, it is aimed to reveal the positive and negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on environment by reviewing the scientific literatures.

Pollutants distribution using environmetric technique in surface water sited at Gebeng, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia

The quick response of contaminants from various sources and the extensive deterioration of rivers’ water quality may harm our biodiversity, aquatic creatures, and environment. The depletion of this river water quality can be caused by both natural and manmade factors and this condition will jeopardize its use for many human uses and may harm the residents’ health. Our concerning phenomenon prompted this investigation to study the primary pollutant source in two rivers near Gebeng. A total of ten sampling stations from both Balok and Tunggak Rivers were selected and physicochemical parameters reading were measured monthly afore and in COVID-19 Pandemic spread in Malaysia from March 2019 to October 2020. Later, the Cluster and Principal Component Analysis (CA and PCA) were applied. CA grouped the ten sampling stations into three clusters which are upstream areas that were considered as most polluted. PCA yields only four significant components that represented 90.68% of the total variability. The findings of this study can provide useful information regarding the current state of river water quality in the Gebeng area, and the proposed method can be used as a strategy for sustaining the use of water resources in support of long-term development goals.