The 23rd International Conference on Environmental Indicators at Technion (Israel Institute of Technology), Haifa, Israel

Book of Abstracts

SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

Technion [Israel Institute of Technology]

Haifa, Israel

ISEI (International Society of Environmental Indicators)

motto:

“An indicator is like a lighthouse, if we do not pay attention, we’ll end up crashing on cliffs”

Oral Presentations Sub-chronic toxicity evaluation of top-three commercial herbal anti-malarial preparations in the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana

Adusei-Mensah, F.1; Carina,Tikkanen-Kaukanen2; Jussi, Kauhanen1; Isaac Tabiri, Henneh3; Phyllis Elsie, Owusu Agyei3; Patrick Kafui, Akakpo4; Martins, Ekor3

1 Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio campus, P.O. Box 1627 FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland; 2 Ruralia Institute, University of Helsinki, Lönnrotinkatu 7, 50100 Mikkeli, Finland and Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki, Finland, 3 Department of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, PMB 233, Cape Coast, Ghana; 4 Department of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, PMB 233, Cape Coast, Ghana.

Purpose: Safety data on commonly used multiherbal products (MHP) and marketed in Ghana is scarce. We assessed sub-chronic toxicity of three most-patronized commercial antimalarial MHPs in Kumasi, Ghana. Method: Top-three MHPs (marked HPA, HPB and HPC) were selected after a mini-survey and sub-chronic toxicity evaluation conducted in accordance with OECD 407 guidelines. Control rats received clean water while test groups received daily adult human dose (DAHD), 5xDAHD or 10xDAHD of either HPA, HPB or HPC for 30 days. Rats were sacrificed on day 31 to obtain biochemical, haematology and histology samples for analysis. Data was analysed by one-way ANOVA and post hoc Turkey’s test. Results: All MHPs produced alterations in liver morphology predominantly characterized by prominent foci of fatty changes, scattered hepatocytes with intracytoplasmic fat globules and congestion of central veins and sinusoids. Delicate alveolar with evidence of inflammation and foci of sloughing within rat airway were observed. Alveolar spaces were obscured by debris and inflammatory cells. HPA and HPC produced mild toxicity with scattered intensely congested heart vessels. HPB(10) produced moderate cardiac toxicity with evidence of haemorrhage and amorphous exudates. Conclusion: We advise cautious use of these products and further safety evaluation in chronic toxicity models is recommended.

Biochar-assisted Iron-mediated Water Electrolysis Process for Hydrogen Production

Amikam, G and Gendel, Y.*Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Division of Environmental, Water and Agricultural Engineering, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel. *ygendel@tx.technion.ac.il

Hydrogen gas is highly attractive for energy conversion and storage applications because it is a “clean” fuel with very high gravimetric energy density. Today, over 90% of hydrogen gas is produced from fossil fuels, where the largest consumers of the product are artificial fertilizer and petroleum industries (47 and 37 %, respectively). Concerns with global CO2 emissions and increasing costs of fossil fuels motivate intensive research for the development of carbon-negative and carbon-neutral technologies for energy production and storage. Conversion of biomass into biochar and its application to soils is a promising strategy for carbon mitigation in the Earth atmosphere. On the other hand, carbon-assisted water electrolysis (CAWE) is a highly promising technology for energy-effective production of hydrogen gas. Consequently, the biochar can be utilized for CO2-neutral energy production and/or in carbon- assisted water electrolysis aimed at hydrogen production. Today the CAWE technology, which is still at the lab-scale investigations, is unfeasible for practical operations of H2 production. This is mainly due to the fast deactivation of carbon within the electrochemical oxidation. The mechanisms of CAWE (and carbon deactivation) are still unclear. Commercial charcoals and biochars produced from poultry litter and avocado wood chips using the pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization techniques are applied in this study.This research is dedicated to the development and investigation of biochar-assisted iron-mediated process for hydrogen production described by Eq. 1-4.

At the cathode: (1) At the anode: (2)

In the bulk: (3)

Figure 1. Experimental system for biochar-assisted water electrolysis (A) and first results (B). Keywords: CO2-sikns, hydrogen-gas, charcoals and biochars, carbon-assisted water electrolysis

(4)Overall CAWE reaction:

B

Freshwater quality monitoring and assessment: a review of the developments in monitoring and analytical techniques

Nnabuo-Eguzozie, E. C. a, Atagana, H. I. b and Adeleke, R. A. c

a Department of Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa.b The Institute for Science and Technology Education, University of South Africa. c North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.

Bacillariophyta (Diatoms) is an algal sub-group, which is divided into two main groups; centric diatoms, which have radial symmetry and are typically planktonic, and pennate diatoms, which are bilateral in symmetry and include many benthic species. Various organisms, both micro and macro are often used to determine the physicochemical conditions and overall quality of aquatic environments. This review looks at the role of diatoms in water quality monitoring. It aims at exploring the changes, improvements or contributions made by studies of freshwater diatoms to the developments in the use of bio-indicators in water quality monitoring research. Diatoms provides essential suite of diagnostic attributes and are being applied more in water quality monitoring studies compared to other organisms. Amongst the water quality challenges prevalent to freshwater bodies, diatoms and other groups of algae in general have shown uniqueness and sensitivity towards eutrophication. This display of significant relationship with eutrophication has made them to be considered as good water quality indicators, although there are information on alternative organisms for bio survey of nutrient enrichment/eutrophication in aquatic environments. Other benefits of the application of this group as bioindicators are that they are relatively easy to sample and analytical techniques are well developed. Apart from the relationship with eutrophication, they have been used as indicators of environmental parameters such as ionic content, pH, dissolved organic matter, and nutrients. The use of diatoms as bioindicators of freshwater quality helps in determining the impact of industrial and agricultural practices on the aquatic ecosystems. Such practices expose most hydrographical basins to heavy and increasing environmental impacts like pollution by organic enrichment, fertilizers, heavy metals and agrochemical residues.

Examining the toxicity of clorinated wastewater effluents: genetically modified bioluminescent bacteria vs. cyanobacteria Spirulina sp.

Manivannan, B.1, Eltzov, E. 2, Shapiro, O.2, Borisover, M.1

1Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, 2Institute of Postharvest and Food Science, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Israel,

Formation of toxic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) is common during chlorination of source waters due, at least, to chlorine interactions with organic matter (OM) precursors. This study deals with monitoring the toxicity of chlorinated effluents using genetically modified bioluminescent bacterial strains underwent plasmid fusion with different promotors responding to genotoxicity, cytotoxicity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated stress. A naturally isolated cyanobacteria Spirulina sp. was also used as a toxicity probing tool by measuring its photosynthetic pigment content. Three types of secondary wastewater effluents were collected from treatment plants and chlorinated using 1 and 10 mg L-1 of sodium hypochlorite at various contact times lasting from 0.5 to 72 hrs. Induction of bioluminescence of bacterial strains in response to the DBP production upon water chlorination was considered as the toxicity pattern. Disinfection time- and chlorine concentration-dependent development of geno- and cytotoxicity followed with decline at a more extended period of interaction signify the production and disappearance of DBPs. Induction in the bioluminescence of bacteria suggests cellular metabolism-altering and DNA-damaging properties of disinfected effluents. In the case of ROS mediated stress, there were no significant changes in the observed induction pattern between controls and chlorinated effluents. The mechanism-specific induction pattern varied depending on the wastewater effluent nature. Toxicity of chlorinated water tested with cyanobacteria was much more comparable to non-chlorinated effluents, which signifies that the production of DBPs was not strong enough to decline the pigment content of algae, except there was a considerable decrease at 24 h of growth time. Bioluminescent bacteria were more sensitive for toxicity monitoring of disinfected effluents as compared to cyanobacterial Spirulina sp. The chlorination did not degrade effectively OM in wastewater effluents, but still produced toxic DBPs, and toxicity patterns thus suggesting that tiny changes in OM composition are responsible for induced toxicity.Keywords: Chlorination, Cyanobacteria, bioluminescent bacteria, Toxicity, DBPs

Strengths of correlation between chlorinated disinfection byproducts (DBPs) formation with aquatic organic matter descriptors; the critical parameters

Manivannan, B and Borisover, M*Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Israel

Widely implemented disinfected (chlorinated) waters may contain toxic disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Natural organic matter (OM) may act as a precursor for the formation of chlorinated DBPs (CDBPs) in water. The concentrations of CDBPs are frequently correlated with aquatic organic matter descriptors such as absorbance measured at a certain wavelength (e.g., 254 nm; Abs254), specific UV absorbance (SUVA~Abs254/DOC), fluorescence-derived attributes obtained using parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), peak picking (PP) or regional integration (RI) methods, and finally organic C concentrations, all serving as DBP predictors. Those correlations are of importance for better understanding of formation of toxic CDBPs in water and whole OM reactivity. This study was aimed to examine how the strengths of correlations between DBP concentrations and their predictors are affected by type of source water used for treatment, disinfection agents, specific classes of DBPs formed, and by type of DBP predictors used. Totally, 70 research studies (1997-2019) reporting the Pearson's (r) coefficients describing the strengths of correlations between DBP predictors and DBP concentrations (p <0.05) were obtained. The extracted data were grouped according to the four categorical variables that included water source, chlorination agent, DBP types and DBP predictors. Set of 574 correlation coefficients (r) were converted to variance-stabilized Z-scores using Fisher transformation and considered as dependent variable. Then, the set of 574 Z-scores were analyzed by ANOVA and the results signify that the water source, the types of DBP predictors and of disinfection agents are important categorical variables. Among the water types, the expectedly OM-enriched wastewater showed the strongest correlations of DBP predictors with DBP formation. UV absorbance and OC concentrations served as better predictors as compared with SUVA and fluorescence-based (RI > PARAFAC >PP) DBP predictors. The results of analysis propose the significance of non-fluorescent OM in evaluating the formation of toxic DBPs upon chlorination. Keywords: chlorinated DBPs, correlaion strengths, ANOVA, organic matter

Newly emerging pharmaceutical and pesticide contaminants in Israeli dairy milk

Bommuraj1, V., Yaira Chena, Y.1, Gal, O.2, Julius Ben Ari, J.2, Roy, J.A. Sperling3, Shimshoni, J.A.1*

1Department of Food Quality & Safety, Institute for Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZiyyon, 7505101, Israel.2 Faculty of Agriculture, The Interdepartmental Equipment Facility, The Hebrew University, Israel.3Department of Instrumental Analytic, Bilacon GMbH, Berlin 13088, Germany.Email: jakobshimshoni@gmail.com; vijayakumar1669@gmail.com

Throughout the world, more than six billion people consume milk and milk products yearly. Consequently, the safety and quality of dairy milk is of uttermost importance to public health. Notwithstanding, dairy milk samples have been found occasionally to be contaminated with naturally occurring and/or anthropogenic toxins, such as aflatoxins and pyrrolizidines, veterinary drugs, pesticides, persistent organic pollutants and toxic trace elements. Recently, the application of highly sensitive analytical techniques, such as liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and gas-chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), allowed us to identify and determine trace levels of newly emerging contaminants’ in milk. Regulatory agencies, such the Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Environmental Health, responsible for safeguarding public and environmental health, carry out for decades outdated monitoring programs of only few selected food contaminants, ignoring the potential presence of newly emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and other non-monitored pesticides. In the global dynamic market of pharmaceuticals and pesticides, the usage of human pharmaceuticals as well as pesticides are prone to massive temporal and spatial changes, affecting thereby the profile and concentration of contaminants in almost every imaginable matrix. Therefore, it is the duty of the regulatory agencies to keep up the pace with the trends of newly occurring contaminations in our environment and execute up-dated monitoring and mitigation programs. In the present study, we analysed 30 commercial goat and milk samples by LC-MS/MS and report the emergence of newly pharmaceutical contaminants and pesticides in the range of 0.01 – 13 µg/L. All of the Israeli milk samples were contaminated with at least one pesticide and up to 5 pesticides simultaneously. A negative impact of life-long exposure to pharmaceutical and pesticide residues in milk on various sub-populations, especially children, pregnant women and the elderly, cannot be ruled out. Keywords: dairy milk, pesticide, pharmaceuticals, risk assessment.

Viruses as indicators for quality of different treatments of wastewater

Bar-Or ItayCentral Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Israelbbaarroorr@gmail.com

In the last decades, the general demand for high-quality water and reused wastewaters has increased public health policies to ensure the safety of them. Classic microbiological indicators such as fecal coliform and enterococcus are used to evaluate the removal of fecal contamination in water purification processes. However, there is no adequacy of these bacteria for indicating the occurrence and concentration of human viruses in those water sources. Therefore, there is grave important for analyzing human viruses in reused wastewater especially as new technologies arouse for different parts of the wastewater treatment processes. The virus removal and the wastewater quality are important to distinguish the uses of it in agriculture. Thus, here we show the use of molecular method (qPCR) for four different in vivo human viruses as indictors for showing their quality and yield of new technologies in different parts of wastewater treatment processes. Keywords: PCR, enteric viruses, wastewater

Excitation-emission matrices of fluorescence combined with PARAFAC as environmental indicators

Borisover, M. Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, The Volcani Center, ARO, Rishon LeZion, Israel. vwmichel@volcani.agri.gov.il

Natural organic matter (NOM) is ubiquitous in soil, water and air environments, and its composition and nature are sensitive to multiple biogeochemical processes, influenced also by anthropogenic activity. Multiple components of NOM, e.g., humic substances, proteinaceous matter, microorganisms and pigments, are fluorescent. Hence, measurements of fluorescence emission in wide ranges of excitation and emission wavelengths allow obtaining excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) characteristic for NOM in different environments. Contaminations caused by petroleum spill or extremal events involving flooding or fire may make their specific fingerprints in EEMs. Traditional fluorescence spectroscopy of EEMs has been used in association with various chemometrics techniques and foremost with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). As distinct of other chemometric methods, PARAFAC suggests physically meaningful models for representation of EEMs. By choosing determinable number of fluorescent components, it works as mathematical chromatography, i.e., allows deconvolution of EEMs into the contributions of chemically sounding families representing large groups of fluorescent substances. This deconvolution does not need assumptions on shapes of excitation and emission spectra. Finally, each "fluorescent" family is characterized by excitation and emission spectra used for component assigning and with the scores proportional to concentrations. These scores allow quantitative monitoring of changes in composition of fluorescent NOM. Therefore, this presentation demonstrates variability of fluorescent NOM composition in different types of water, obtained from lake, river, along wastewater treatment and from the soils variously irrigated and organically amended. It shows how the composition of fluorescent NOM becomes an environmental indicator reflecting processes occurring in the natural and engineered environments, e.g., river pollution by industrial effluents, photochemical degradation of lacustrian OM, role of water quality in land irrigation and efficacy of water treatment.

Keywords: organic matter, fluorescence, humic-like, tryptophan, effluent, compost

Evaluation of qPCR (quantitative polymerase reaction) for detection and enumeration of health-threatening pathogens in waste water and biosolids

Brenner, I.B., Brenner Scientific, 9 Hadishon Street, Malha, Jerusalem. Israel, 96956, Solomon, D. Igudan-Waste Water Processing Center, Department of Environment, Ibn Gavirol, Tel Aviv, 62038

Quantitative (Real Time) qPCR, a cutting-edge molecular biology technique, is

evaluated for detection and enumeration of health-threatening pathogens in waste

water and biosolids without the need for tedious culture-based procedures. Using

state-of-the-art thermocyclers and off-the-shelf kits, the technique offers powerful

real-time, rapid quantitative sample analysis with high sensitivity and selectivity. The

presentation will describe sate-of-the art instrumentation, main steps in the PCR

reaction (denaturation of DNA strings, annealing of specific fluorescent probes) and

approaches for real time detection, quantification and verification.

Fitness of purpose of the technology is based on efficiency of DNA extraction and

amplification, limits of detection and recovery of reference plasmid templates with

emphasis on Salmonella and E. Coli species.

In conclusion a major advantage of qPCR, is that it overcomes laborious and time-

consuming culture methods (e.g., the Rappaport-Vassiliadis (RV)), allowing rapid

monitoring, sensitive and specific detection and analysis of pathogenic targets

directly from environmental samples, without additional steps of cultivation and

recovery which are known to be inefficient in recovering pathogenic DNA.

Vegetable bioindicators or adaptation of plants to environmental conditions

Butnariu, M. Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine “King Michael I of Romania”, Timisoara, Romania, monicabutnariu@yahoo.com

A vegetable bioindicator is an herbaceous or woody plant that shows us an indication/ symptom of the health of an ecosystem, in conformity biochemical adaptation or unity in principles and variety in solutions. Theoretical advances, such as the identification of the contributions of small organic molecules and water in providing a ‘fit’ milieu for macromolecules, the key significance of symbioses and the regulatory function of distinct types of RNA, have led to major transformations in our thinking. Empirical advances–both for laboratory experimentation and for obtaining organisms from diverse environments–have also been a major contributor to the advancement of the study of biochemical adaptation. ‘Omics’ technics have helped us estimate the scope of the reactions in transcription and translation that accompany acclimation and acclimatization. Eco-mechanical studies have helped to define the physical and chemical conditions experienced on both fine and large temporal and spatial scales, thereby elucidating more fully the challenges posed to biochemical systems. Global ecological changes have also pushed the field to examine the result of multiple simultaneous stressors to help us improve our capability to appreciate modifications in multitudes and biogeographic distribution ranges that are going to occur. Some herbaceous or woody plants are highly impressionable to changes/pollution in their environment, so if pollutants or other stress factors are present, the organism may change its morphology, physiology behaviour or biochemical composition, or it could even die. Vegetable bioindicators adapt to the environment by diversifying/ modifying their leaves, stem and roots. Desert vegetable bioindicators such as the cactus modify their leaves into thorns to pre-empt (prevent) loss of moisture through transpiration. Vegetable bioindicators such as the lotus grow in water, have changed stems with pores and have short roots. Vegetable bioindicators growing in dry, arid regions have long tap roots that allow them to search deep underground for moisture. In highly cold territories, the leaves of vegetable bioindicators are needle-shaped. Vegetable bioindicators that grow in tropical rainforests have broad leaves to allow more transpiration to take place, as the humidity levels are highly high. Actually, these plants have tried to survive, by building some biochemical adaptation mechanisms to changes in the initial ecosystem.

Monitoring the colonization of a tailings deposits of an abandoned mine of sulfide minerals: Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steudel and Retama sphaerocarpa L. (Boiss.) collaboration.

Campos, J.A. 1; Peco, J.D.1; Villena, J.1; Castro, H.1; Díaz-García, A.2; Bernaola, R.2 and Moreno, M.M.1.1- E.T.S. Ingenieros Agrónomos-CR. UCLM. Ronda de Ctva, 7. Ciudad Real 13071. Spain. juanantonio.campos@uclm.es2- CICA Ingenieros Consultores. Javier Prado Este 492. Lima, Perú.

After the extraction of sulfide minerals such as galena, sphalerite and pyrite for decades, the abandoned minesites are a sort of mosaic of different substrates related with the different activities carried out in all kind of mineral management and processing. Accumulations of fine material (fine sand and silt) after the process of grinding the rocks containing the ore, are very common. This material is dumped, forming rafts that can reach half a kilometer across. After the exploitation time, a slow but steady natural colonization starts by a bunch of selected species resilient enough to the harsh conditions of these sites. The presence of high levels of heavy metals and a poor water retention are the key limiting factors. The natural colonization of a mine tailings raft has been monitored for several years. The list of the species and their specific role in the colonization strategies have been studied with the aim of determining the physiological or ecological mechanisms involved in overcoming the restrictions imposed by this harsh environment. Phragmites australis is the species that first colonizes the substrate. It could be considered as a nurse plant that creates a shallow network of rhizomes that allows the accumulation of resources (organic matter, finer mineral particles, etc.) that will ease the implantation of other species. When the conditions are good enough, the installation of Retama sphaerocarpa is crucial to increase both the biodiversity and the standing biomass. The presence of both species are also related with the increase of certain soil parameters such as organic matter percentage or biological activity, measured through some enzymatic activities. The objective of this study is to draw knowledge to understand the relationship between soil properties and species distribution.

Keywords: Tailings-mine colonization, nurse species, soil microbiological activity, soil enzymes.

Health adaptation gap: challenges with indicators for measuring vulnerabilities and protecting health from climate change.

Guéladio Cissé1,2

1 Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4002 Basel, Switzerland2 University of Basel, Basel, Switzerlandgueladio.cissei@swisstph.ch

Global warming is likely to reach 1.5 °C between 2030 and 2050. Consequently, the climate-related risks to health are projected to increase. Under climate change, by 2030 already, an additional 48,000 deaths due to diarrhoeal diseases could occur in children aged below 15 years. Globally, several more millions of deaths caused by environmental factors could be aggravated by climate change. These impacts will be higher in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs). The health sector, particularly in those countries, is far below the required level of action in health adaptation to protect health from both climate variability and climate change. Among the challenges of health sector there is a difficulty to measure and monitor relevant indicators for health risks and health adaptation gaps. There is a need of relevant metrics in order to understand whether and how impacts and health adaptation actions are happening and working. Indicators are needed at both population level and health systems level. Vulnerability indicators are particularly important to assist health officials and others to identify early enough populations and spaces that are at particular risk for adverse health outcomes. Vulnerabilities of water and sanitation systems are, in particular, among the more important ones to highlight for public health adaptation. For example, in West Africa, in contexts marked by traditional sanitation systems and still predominant access to drinking water through simple traditional water-wells, the increasing occurrence of flooding events in secondary cities illustrates important risks for public health. From case studies to relevant recent literature, it appears important to reinforce capacities for the monitoring of relevant indicators in at least three major domains: (1) vulnerability and exposure to climate-related hazards; (2) current impacts and projected risks; and (3) adaptation processes and health system resilience.

Keywords: climate change; health adaptation gaps; indicators; risks, impacts and

adaptation; vulnerabilities of water and sanitation systems.

Plant bioassay for soil pollution first alert-case study Middle Jiu Valley, Romania-

Corneanu, M. 1, Corneanu, G.2, Lăcătusu, A-R.3, Cojocaru,L.4, Butnariu, M.1

1 Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine “King Michael I of Romania”, Timisoara, Romania; e-mail: micorneanu@yahoo.com

2University of Craiova, Faculty of Horticulture, Craiova, Romania3National Research and Development Institute for Soil Science, Agrochemistry and

Environment Protection, Bucharest, Romania4Agency for the Environment Protection, Laboratory for Radiation Monitoring,

Craiova, Romania

Plants bioassay is very sensitive to any environment disturbance (soil, air or water). The meristematic tissues of the plants react in the same manner as the embryogenic tissues of the mammals. Toxic chemicals induce changes in cell cycle, as well as chromosomal or genomic mutations. It was analyzed for radionuclides and heavy metals content in gardens soil samples collected from the population of neighboring villages TEPP Turceni (Gorj County, Romania). As biological materials have been used bulbs of onion (Allium cepa) or garlic (Allium sativum) harvested from the same locations as soil. Soil analysis revealed the presence of heavy metals and radionuclides eminent from ash and coal dust, as well as of the Cs-137 radionuclide (Cernobil provenance). For Th-234, Pb-210, U-235, Ra-226 were found contents over the normal limits for Romania. The heavy metals content (Ni, Pb, Cd, Zn) over the alert limits was found in the North of TEPP (Baniu, Plopsoru). Significant correlations were observed between the mitotic cycle, chromosomal aberrations (determined in meristematic tissue of plants) and the content in heavy metals and radionuclides from the soil. The analysis of the cell cycle disturbances, in specific test plants, can be used for signaling a first alert environmental pollution.

Key words: soil pollution, plant bioassay, heavy metals, radionuclides

Nitrate hydrogenation from groundwater using catalytic microtubular CNT-made membrane contactor

Dagan, C. Noga Fridman-Bishop, N. and Gendel, Y.

Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Division of Environmental, Water and Agricultural Engineering, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel.

Groundwater contamination with nitrate has become a major problem in Israel and worldwide. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), about a quarter of the groundwater is in a poor chemical state, with the main cause being nitrate pollution (EEA, 2015). Electro-dialysis, reverse osmosis, and ion exchange are the main treatment methods currently used for the removal of nitrate contaminants from groundwater. These processes are forming a highly concentrated reject water that requires economic and environmental costs for disposal (Jensen, Darby, Seidel, & Gorman, 2014).Catalytic hydrogenation of nitrate is a preferred method as no concentrate stream is formed. The current research deals with nitrate catalytic hydrogenation to nitrogen gas in a simple, and inexpensive manner. The process takes place using self-maid catalytic membrane contactor, based on tubular micro-tube made of carbon nano- tubes (CNT).

The proposed process may provide an economical and practical solution to groundwater pollution problem and nitrate pollution in particular. Catalytic reactor made of carbon nanotubes facilitates an in-situ simultaneous reduction of contaminants from water in an economic and environmental manner. The treatment is done without creating a concentrate or sludge in a compact reactor, with minimal energy consumption and minimal hydrogen requirement.

The research focuses on the preparation and characterization of the reactor and the catalyst, as well as the nitrate hydrogenation process while examining various aspects such as pH, hydrogen pressures and the effect of the catalyst’s itself on nitrate reduction rate and process products.

The Use of Environmental Sustainability Indicators in Policy Contexts

de Sherbinin, A. (Columbia University, USA)

In 1995, the UN Commission on Sustainable Development identified the need to “develop commonly accepted indicators of sustainable development to provide solid bases for decision-making at all levels and to contribute to a self-regulating sustainability of integrated environmental and socio-economic systems.” The CSD further stated that “the growing need for sustainable development indicators has been widely expressed by policy and decision-makers in national governments, business and industry, and by NGOs”. By 1996, The CSD had developed a list of more than 100 indicators that it recommended member states to measure. Since those early beginnings, there has been a proliferation of indicator efforts by NGOs, academic institutions, and government agencies at different spatial and temporal scales, measuring all facets of sustainable development from broad environmental performance to sectoral aspects including air and water pollution, biodiversity conservation, water resource management, oceans, natural hazards, and just about any area that can be linked to sustainable development. Goals, targets and associated indicators are now officially enshrined as policy tools by the UN and its member states through the 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Given these developments, it is important to assess the track record of indicators as communication tools and aids to decision making. This presentation explores the history of environmental indicators in relation to public policy in terms of the framing of sustainable development and their influence on policy and programs. It identifies the main mechanisms through which indicators effect policy dialog and change, and identifies the strengths and weaknesses of indicators as an approach to bridging the science-policy divide. It will also briefly touch upon the impact of the “data revolution” on indicator development, and how new data sources offer promise for alerting policy makers to emerging environmental threats.

Bioavailability and toxicity of produced water from fracking operations

Nancy D. Denslow1*, Kevin J. Kroll1, Bryan Brooks2

1Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, ndenslow@ufl.edu2Baylor University, Waco, Texas

Fracking procedures to obtain gas and oil require the introduction of high volumes of fluid for efficient extraction. The composition of the fluid is complex, containing additives that are process-dependent. In addition, the fluid also is saturated with hydrocarbons and salts as it returns to the surface, but these vary with the geochemistry of the site. Produced water samples from two wells in the Eagle Ford Shale in Texas were characterized for their hydrocarbon and metal composition. One well (Well A) was in operation for only 6 months while the second one (Well B) was in operation for 3 years. Water from both wells was tested for toxicity using 10-day old Menidia beryllina, a saltwater tolerant fish. Water from Well B was more toxic to fish in survival assays than water from Well A. Produced waters were fractionated by solid phase extraction and each fraction was tested in toxicity assays. The methanol eluted fraction from Well B contained most of the toxicity. The fraction was further characterized by mass spectrometry. To determine bioavailability of contaminants to fish, exposures with 10-day old Menidia beryllina were carried out with sublethal concentrations of the waters to determine changes in gene expression using RNAseq. At a p value of < 0.05 and fold change >2, 208 genes were altered in fish exposed to Well A waters and 261 genes were altered for Well B. Among the genes that were most highly upregulated were Cyp1A (a biomarker for PAH exposure), Cyp1B, Cyp1C, StAR-related lipid transfer protein and long chain fatty acid transporters. Among the transcripts that were most down regulated were DNA repair protein RAD 51 and protein transport Sec 24C, involved in processing proteins through the endoplasmic reticulum. Pathway analysis suggested pathways related to cancer, ROS generation and inflammation were targeted by the exposures.

Keywords: fracking, gene expression, gas production, fish toxicity

The use of health-related red / green traffic-light icons as cues for influencing consumer preferences towards the healthy rather than energy-efficient light bulb

Gavish, I.ad*, Abraham, H. b*Kliger, Dc

a The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Faculty of Management, b The Israeli Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Chronobiology, University of HaifaC The Department of Economics, Faculty of Social sciences, University of Haifa.d Onu Academic College Email: bsy4@bezeqint.net Telephone number: 972- 50-7797684Email: kliger@econ.haifa.ac.il Telephone number: 972- 54-5927770Address: University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel

Recently, we have seen energy-efficient light-emitting-diodes (LEDs) light bulbs rapidly replace incandescent ones. However, results of new research indicate that there are adverse health-impacts to LED lighting, which is characterized by enriched blue light typical to daylight, and suppresses melatonin production. The risks to humans' health include problems related to sleep duration, eye damage, and even cancer. Our study aims to reveal whether using color priming by attaching health-related red / green Traffic-Light Icons (TLI) on light bulbs, will influence consumers' preferences towards choosing one bulb over another. We conducted a field study simulating the buying process, in which participants (N = 572) were presented with LED and Carbon incandescent bulbs. We alternately displayed two pairs of light-bulbs to participants 1) in their original packaging; 2) package marked with red / green TLI (red = LED). Our results confirm that TLI significantly (P < .01) increase the odds of choosing the healthier Carbon bulb. The study results highlight the benefits of using health-related information in the form of TLI on light-bulb packaging, as cues for helping consumers to make more health-conscientious purchasing decisions. Results may also incentivize policy-makers to enforce adding health-related TLI to light-bulb packaging.Keywords: Light-emitting diodes (LEDs); Blue light hazard; light pollution; Traffic Light labeling; Artificial Light at Night

Post Evaluation of Three Ecological Indicative Signals in the History of Lake Kinneret (Israel)

Gophen, M. MIGAL-Galilee Scientific research Institute, POB 831 Kiryat ShmioneIsrael (11016), Gophen@Migal.org.il, Phone: 0505-399-540

1: Climate change and consequent long-term drought caused river discharges reduction accompanied by lake Water Level (WL) Decline. Low WL is a predictive precaution signal for water supply management and enhancement of Salinity but not for epilimneticnutrient loads decline which improved water quality. Potential mitigation is shortening Retention Time which might cause WL lowering .2: Anthropogenic removal of external nutrient load inputs is known as factor of water quality improvement. The successful removal of external Nitrogen input loads into Lake Kinneret enhanced the replacement of Peridinium by Cyanobacteria Blooms in the Lake and water quality deterioration.3: Drastic decline of commercial landings of Galilee St. Peters` Fish was evaluated wrongly as precaution signal. The resulted outcome was the incorrect recommended decision of total fishing ban for three years. Scientific considered conclusion indicated potential damage outcome to the function of the well balanced Kinneret food-web structure and water quality deterioration. As a result this resolution was canceled and the fish population and commercial fishery were fully recovered without anthropogenic intervention.

Small Vector with Huge Impact: the Threat of Microplastic Pollution in Israel

Golov, Y.1,2, van der Hal, N.3, Ulanovsky, H.4 * 1 Faculty of Exact Sciences, Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel. 2 Agricultural Research Organization, Department of Entomology, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel. 3 Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, Department of Maritime Civilizations, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel. 4 SP Interface, Rehovot 7630804, Israel. *hagitu@sp-interface.com

Plastic offers many advantages, such as durability, flexibility, and low cost. Yet, this material is nowadays knows as one of the biggest anthropogenic threats to the environment. In the last decades, a new by-product of plastic pollution has been found, which is called microplastic. This environmental pollutant is very small (< 5 millimeters) and can be generated via two main sources: 1) natural degradation of bigger plastics due to physical force or UV light; 2) industrial production of pellets and small microbeads which are highly common in the cosmetic industry. The rise in the research effort of microplastic has generated much knowledge regarding its high prevalence across the globe and its negative environmental impact. First, microplastic has been found in different mediums of the ecosystem, including air, water and land. The leakage of microplastic to the environment consists of several anthropogenic sources, including rivers, wastewater treatment plants, sludge, and industrial agriculture. Second, microplastic was found as an environmental vector with high negative potential due to its chemical and physical features. Toxic influences of microplastic have been reported in many invertebrates and vertebrates, including humans. The recognition of microplastic as a major environmental pollutant has led many developed countries to act in various ways, such as legislation, banning, education, and monitoring. Despite the big environmental threat of microplastic and the increased global awareness, our knowledge about microplastic's pollution in Israel is relatively scant. Notwithstanding, two key studies provided strong evidence for high concentration of microplastic in the marine environment, and specifically its leakage into the biota via bioaccumulation. Consequently, these findings provide an alarming sign regarding the health of Israel's ecosystems. Such pollutant levels might damage different aspects of the ecosystem service, including tourism, health, food, and

biodiversity. Therefore, Israel has to acknowledge and react rapidly to this new major environmental threat.

Keywords: plastic, pollution, microplastic, environment, health.

Microbial metabolic networks in the environment, industry and clinical applicationsE. Elias Hakalehto1,2,3*

1Finnoflag Oy, Kuopio and Siilinjärvi, Finland; 2University of Helsinki, Finland; 3University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland*elias.hakalehto@gmail.com

In mixed microbial communities, the versatile flora strives for the energetically most feasible result from the network of metrabolic activities. We have seen this functional outcome in several processes of industrial side streams, in ecosystem engineering cases, and even in human alimentary tract. In Tampere, Finland, we have piloted with the forest industry waste deposits. The natural microflora was fortified with some industrial strains resulting in commercially feasible lactate production. Similar types of outcome have occured by mixed microflora composition in the production of propionic acid and valerate out of the slaughterthouse residues, or in the case of the production of 2,3-butanediol from potato industry side streams. These side streams utilizing industrial processes reveal one fundamental feature of microbial communities, the seek for internal and external balances. In the Tampere pilot sudy we obtained yields of different chemicals that could make the sustainable production also economically feasible. Equally, encouraging results were documented in the case of industrial side streams. The different and versatile functions of mixed human digestive microflora is resulting in a balanced condition which we call Bacteriological Intestinal Balance (BIB). Any changes in this kind of balance, whether it existed in the human system, industrial process or in the environment, would lead to the microbiome restructuring its functions. In fact, microbial ecosystems strive for the balance everywhere. The balanced reactions interconnect their metabolisms with each other, as well as with higher organisms. Consequently, the microbial metabolic networks are to be found as the basic element in all established ecological balances anywhere. Hence, the functional microbiological research offers profound means for the indication of the condition of any environment or ecosystem. This implies to the restoration of over-used or spoiled soils, too. Microbes and their metabolic products have turned out to provide us with

tools for modern bioindustries. Their large-scale use could lower the climate effects essentially, and help in cleaning up environmental deposits and in land restoration.Key words: mixed fermentation, ecosystem engineering, lake sediment, side streams, Bacteriological Intestinal Balance, land restoration, bio-based industries, Tampere, human digestion, biochemical.Community as an equal partner for region-based climate change vulnerability, risk, and resilience assessments

Henshel, D.S. and Cains, M.G.Indiana University O’Neill School of Public and Environmental AffairsBloomington, IN 47405

Understanding and planning for climate change is a complex systems problem that is interdisciplinary and requires place-based and impact-specific management practices for communities to become resilient to a changing environment. The greater Charleston Harbor region is highly susceptible to the projected impacts of climate change due to low lying geography, a strongly bimodal socioeconomic spectrum, and invaluable coastal ecosystem services. Using Charleston as an example community, we discuss a selection of increasingly holistic approaches used in developing a system-level, community-focused assessment for vulnerability, risk, and resilience that aim to enable community involvement in the assessment of and planning for climate change-induced severe weather events, more extreme temperatures, and sea level rise.

Micropollutants as quantitative wastewater tracers

Lev, O. The Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem,

Jerusalem, Israel

Organic micropollutants is an ill-defined group of organic contaminants that is abundant in the effluents of domestic wastewater treatment plants, but their toxicology and abundance information are still insufficient to establish enforceable maximal contaminant levels in drinking water. Common micropollutant groups include pharmaceutical and personal care products, fire retardants, plasticizers, complexation agents, steroidal hormones, antibiotic resistance genes, explosives and numerous other groups of compounds. The lecture will start with a brief introduction on the abundance of these compounds in wastewater plants in Israel. Later on, the fate of these compounds in a Soil Aquifer Treatment, SAT, a special wastewater treatment system that is widely used in Israel will be addressed. The unusual stability of some of these compounds in the SAT system will be demonstrated. How these compounds can be used for quantitative evaluation of wastewater leakage to nearby drinking water wells will be discussed. The use of these compounds to model a 3-D water recharge systems will be briefly illustrated. Israel relies heavily on water reuse for irrigation, a comparison, based on the wastewater indicators, between the contamination of water sources by wastewater leakage from the urban wastewater collection network to the impact of effluent reuse by irrigation will be presented based on the abundance of wastewater indicators

The influence of artificial light at night (ALAN) on the behavior of a nocturnal insect

Levy, K.1 *, Barnea, A.2, Ayali, A.1

1School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6977801, Israel.2Department of Natural and Life Sciences, The Open University of Israel, Raanana 43107, Israel. * lilkreni@gmail.com

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a growing global phenomenon that affects most of the population in the United States and Europe. Increasing awareness and concern have arisen regarding the harmful effects of ALAN. Exposure to ALAN disturbs the perception of the natural cycle of light and darkness that constitutes the basis of circadian regulation in all organisms. Such changes in light cycles were reported to negatively influence the behavior and activity patterns of various animals, including insects. We studied the effect of rearing a nocturnal insect, the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, under different lifelong light regimes. Specifically, we examined the effect of ALAN on the crickets' stridulation behavior. The experimental groups comprised LD12:12 (control, 40 lux daylight and complete dark nights), LL24:0 (constant 40 lux), and LA512:12 (40 lux daylight and 5 lux ALAN). The stridulation of adult crickets was individually monitored for five consecutive days and nights in a custom-made anechoic chamber equipped with a microphone. Time and length of stridulation activity were documented and the daily activity cycles were calculated. The median of the activity cycle period differed among all three groups. There were differences in the variance among individuals in each group between the control and the experimental groups. These findings reconfirm the role of light rhythms in synchronizing insect behavior. They suggest that even ALAN of 5 Lux affects the crickets’ activity patterns, as manifested in changes in their stridulation activity - a fundamental element of the insects’ social and sexual communication.

Bioaccumulation of Arsenic, Mercury, and Selenium in Fish Fillets: Elemental Interactions for Human Health

Tentis, K.1, Colombara, T.2 and Lin, Z-Q2,3* 1Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champion; 2Department of Environmental Sciences & 3Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Illinois 62026, USA. *zhlin@siue.edu

Excessive consumption of fish can result in potential exposure to toxic heavy metals such as arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg). Metal pollutants from fish diet have been linked to various adverse human health effects, ranging from kidney damage, neurological disorders to cellular oxidative stress. Previous studies demonstrated that higher concentrations of selenium (Se) in fish tissues, however, could mitigate negative effects of some metal and metalloid pollutants due to elemental interactions between Se and other metal elements. For instance, Hg’s tendency to have a higher affinity towards selenols can lead to considerable reduction of the bioavailability and bioaccessibility of Hg. Along with the formation of stable Hg selenide (HgSe), Se and As can also form specific Se-As complex, [(GS)2AsSe]−, potentially reducing the toxicity of As towards humans. Thus, the molar ratios of Se to As and to Hg have been used as good environmental indicators for their risk assessment in relation to human health. This study determined concentrations of As, Hg and Se in fish fillets of nine different species including Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) that were collected from the Lower Illinois River as well as other commercially sold fish fillets at local groceries in the US Midwest. Effects of fish size, feeding type, and production method on accumulation of As, Hg, and Se in fish fillets have been evaluated. In comparing with the fish consumption standards of US, EU, and WHO, the maximum concentrations of Hg in the Asian carps in the River and in commercially sold fish fillets fell below the current established consumption standards. However, among the commercially sold fish fillets collected, Orange Roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus) fillet might pose potential threat towards human health due to its relatively high As concentrations and relatively low molar ratios of Se-As.

Keywords: arsenic, mercury, selenium, accumulation, fish, molar ratio, risk assessment

Levels of manganese and radioactivity in soil and water associate with cancer prevalence in two sections of Ondo city, southwest Nigeria

Joshua Ojo*, Mary Adeola, and Yetunde Oluwasina Nutrition and Health-Related Environmental Research Laboratory, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. *jojo@oauife.edu.ng

As a preliminary check on possible contribution of environmental factors to cancer prevalence in Ondo state, south-west Nigeria, levels of some trace elements and radioactivity were measured in soil and water samples collected from the region. Five representative soil and five water samples were collected from each of five local government areas (LGAs) in the state. These included Ondo East and Ondo West LGAs, representing essentially the eastern and western sections respectively of the city of Ondo. These two contiguous sections have been reported to have cancer prevalence rates of 3.5:1. The natural radioactivity levels associated with 40K, 238U, and 232Th were determined in all the soil and water samples by gamma spectrometry; while levels of fifteen trace elements (K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, Ba, Pb, and Tb) were determined in the twenty-five soil samples using ED-XRF. Furthermore, the levels of three elements (K, Mn, and Pb) were also determined in the ten water samples from Ondo West and Ondo East LGAs, using Flame AAS. There was no statistically significant correlation between cancer prevalence and the different parameters measured across the five LGAs. However, comparing results only from Ondo East and Ondo West LGAs, (for which possible confounding socio-economic parameters were virtually absent), mean level of Mn was found to be significantly elevated while that of radioactivity (all three species) were significantly depressed in both soil and water samples from the Eastern section compared with similar samples from the Western section. Manganese is a strong anti-oxidant which could protect against cancer, while radioactivity could promote it. The results obtained therefore suggest that levels of manganese and radioactivity in the environment could be contributing to the disparate cancer prevalence in the western and

eastern sections of Ondo, Ondo state, Nigeria..

Keywords: radioactivity, trace elements, water, soil, cancer

Incidence of type 1 diabetes highest in Finland – potential links with microbiome and environment

Jouni Pesola1,2* and Elias Hakalehto2-4 1Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland; 2University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; 3University of Helsinki, Finland; 4Finnoflag Oy, Kuopio and Siilinjärvi, Finland *jouni.pesola@kuh.fi

During last decades the autoimmune or type 1 diabetes (T1D) has increased around the world, but the incidence is highest in Finland. In addition to predisposing genes, the environmental factors are very important in the pathogenesis of T1D. The environment with high microbial exposure is regarded protective against different immunological diseases, like allergies and autoimmunities, that are more common in highly hygienic conditions. In the intestines, the largest immunological organ, host-microbe interactions have an important role in the development and regulation of the immune system. The unique microbiome of each individual is a mixture of microbes originating from the environment during early life. The basic characteristics of the microbiome is normally reached at around the age of six years. PMEU (Portable Microbe Enrichment Unit; Finnoflag Oy, Finland) has been successfully used for the investigation of the characteristics and changes of the constitution of the alimentary microbiome. We have applied this method for characterization of the enterobacterial microbiome of infants with genetic predisposition to the T1D. The method was useful in the investigation of the microbiome between different feeding groups and after medications, e.g. antibiotics, etc. The PMEU method has opened new windows for understanding the interactions between host and the microbiome. According to our experience, this approach can be used for uncovering the environmental risk factors and their role in the pathophysiology of the T1D and other autoimmunities. Also, the potential contribution of Bacteriological Intestinal Balance (BIB) to the protection and pathophysiology of T1D is discussed.

Keywords: alimentary microbiome, autoimmune diabetes, Bacteriological Intestinal Balance, environment, host-microbe interaction, hygiene hypothesis, immunology, maturation, mixed microbial cultures, PMEU

The Effect of Gallic Acid Interactions with Iron-Coated Smectites On Heterogenous Fenton Oxidation

Levy, L. and Radian, A* Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Division of Environmental, Water and Agricultural Engineering, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel. *aradian@technion.ac.il

The occurrence of organic matter significantly effects pollutant fate in soils and aquifers and impacts efficiency of soil and water treatment processes. In that respect, a fundamental study was performed on the interactions between a prevalent quinone moiety in dissolved and solid organic matter, gallic acid (GA), and a smectite coated with amorphous iron oxides. Adsorption/desorption experiments revealed an increased affinity of GA to the Fe-MMT over the raw MMT. The adsorption was irreversible and only slightly affected by salinity indicating a strong inner-sphere complexation mechanism.

This Fe-MMT-GA complex was then characterized by UV-Vis, XRD, FTIR, LC-MS and XPS. The results showed further transformation reactions such as polymerization of the GA and reduction of the surface iron. The resulting complex also had increased adsorptive affinity towards pollutants prevalent in soils due to increased hydrophobicity. Lastly, increased catalytic and conductive properties were shown and quantified using cyclic voltammetry and peroxide titration experiments.

These interesting and complex interactions can occur in soils and sediments under ambient conditions and can in turn significantly effect pollutant sequestration and transformation. Consequently, the findings are relevant not only in terms of predicting the fate of pollutants in the environment, but also for the evaluation of in-situ soil and sediment treatment processes such as in-situ

chemical oxidation and reduction.

Keywords: Fenton oxidation, Adsorption, Degradation, Soil, Gallic Acid, SOM

Development of a multi-factor soil health index for Mediterranean agricultural systems

Rinot, O.*1, Levy, G.1, Svoray, T.2, Dorman, M.2, Borisover, M.1, Yermiyahu, U.3,

Tsror, L.4, Eizenberg, H.5, Mishael, Y.6, Furman, A.7, Steinberger, Y.8, Goldstein, E.8

and Eshel, G.9

1Inst. of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, The Volcani Center, ARO, Israel

2Dept. of Geography and Environmental Development, Ben-Gurion University, Israel 3Dept. of Soil and Water, Gilat Research Center, ARO, Israel. 4Dept. of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Gilat Research Center, ARO, Israel. 5Dept. of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Neve Yaar Research Center, ARO, Israel. 6Dept. Soil and Water Sci. The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agri. Food and Environ. Hebrew University, Israel7Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion, Israel. 8 The Mina & Erevard Goodman, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. 9Soil erosion research station, Ministry of agriculture and rural development, Israel *oshrinot@gmail.com

Soil health is affected by a wide range of soil properties that maintain complex interactions. A multi-factor index needs to be developed to enable classification of a wide spectrum of soils, as well as examination of the effectiveness of reclamation management regimes for degraded agricultural soils. However, evaluation of soil-health status in the Mediterranean region soils is insufficient. The first step for establishing soil health index is selection of the most relevant soil attributes. The selection should be based on the sensitivity of the measured attributes to clarify variations in soil functions caused by soil management, land use, climate change, etc. In addition, utilization of innovative measurement tools that provide available, accurate and cost-effective measurements of relevant attributes can be a great advantage. This research is aimed at providing an objective tool for soil health

assessment in the Mediterranean region and subsequently developing a multifactor soil health index. In the first stage of the current study, we tested the effects of long-term agricultural activities in three different land uses (orchards, field crops and uncultivated) on more than 60 physical, chemical and biological soil attributes that have been determined in the laboratory and in the field in soils from two important agricultural regions of Israel. Thereafter, statistical models such as ANOVA had been applied to examine the sensitivity of the measured soil attributes to different in land uses, sampling regions and their interaction. Correlation matrix had been utilized to minimize the dataset by identifying correlative attributes.

Consequently, twenty-four soil attributes were found, representing a complete and comprehensive assemblage of important properties and processes in the soil. These attributes can form the basis for a reliable and applicable soil health index in the Mediterranean region.Keywords: soil health, land use

Environmental and energy issues in water treatment processes

Semiat, R.

Rabin Desalination Laboratory, Grand Water Research InstitutePresident of the Israel Desalination SocietyWolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of TechnologyTechnion City, Haifa 3200002, Israelcesemiat@technion.ac.il

Desalination of seawater and brackish water as well as treatment of wastewater and removal of water contaminants are already viable solutions that save life in our thirsty world. However, when the word desalination in mentioned, the common wisdom immediately repeat a slogan of “high energy” and “pollution”. Water, energy and environmental issues are on the top list of the world problems. Energy is needed also for augmenting our water resources. Energy storage is still expensive. The modern desalination techniques in use consume different energy levels from different sources.

Thermodynamics sets the absolute minimum limit of the work energy required to separate water from a salt solution. Unavoidable irreversibilities augment the actual energy consumption. Modern desalination techniques have succeeded in narrowing considerably the gap between actual and minimum energy levels. The implication of this small gap is that only marginal energy reductions are possible. Energy consumption of different desalination processes are reviewed. Other environmental, geopolitical and cost of water and desalinated water are discussed. Solutions for the water problems will be mentioned. Israel made significant steps to provide affordable solutions, based on wide distribution system, desalination (80% of the urban water consumption), tertiary treatment of wastewater for irrigation, drip irrigation for reduction of water consumption and improved agriculture techniques. However, there is always place for improvements. It is essential to improve desalination steps in order to reduce the cost. New directions may include improved membranes, especially UF membranes, improve pretreatment processes, increased recoveries as apply effective

near zero liquid discharge in inland brackish water desalination. It is essential to improve wastewater treatment by better techniques like MBR and better treatment for removal of tracers of organic and inorganic contaminants. An important subject is the treatment of produced water from the gas and oil industry, treatment of polluted aquifers, develop small water treatment and recovery for remote communities, and more. Priority should be given in the near future to development of renewable energy sources and water supplies that meet sustainability and environmental requirements. This presentation summarizes the environmental impacts of most aspects of desalination processes, highlighting the recognized problems and their available industrial solutions. The aspects related to techniques, energy and environmental issues investigated in our water research program would also be discussed.

Pesticide and trace element residues in honey and beeswax combs from Israel in association with human risk assessment and honey adulteration

Shimshoni, J.A. and Bommuraj, V.Department of Food Quality & Safety, Institute for Postharvest and Food Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon Letzion, 7528809, Israel.

Beehive products such as honey, beeswax and recently pollen have been regarded for many years as appropriate sentinels for environmental pesticide pollutions. However, despite yearly application of hundreds of approved pesticides in agricultural fields, only a minor fraction of these organic compounds were actually detected in honey and beeswax samples. This observation has led us to question the general suitability of beehive products as a sentinel for synthetic organic pesticides applied in the field. The aim of the present study was to experimentally determine the distribution (logarithmic ratio of beeswax to honey pesticide concentration, LogD) and depletion kinetics (half-life) of selected pesticides in honey and beeswax as a measure of the latter matrixes to serve as a pesticide sentinel. The obtained parameters were used to extrapolate to pesticide burden in honey and beeswax samples collected from German and Israeli apiaries. In addition, we aimed to establish a mathematical model, enabling us to predict distribution of selected pesticides between honey to beeswax, by utilizing simple substance descriptors, namely, octanol/water partitioning coefficient, molar weight and Henry coefficient. Based on the present results, it appears that pesticides with LogD values > 1 and half-life in beeswax > 1 day, were likely to accumulate and detected in beeswax samples, and less likely to be found in honey. On the other hand, pesticides with negative LogD values were highly likely to be found in honey and less so in beeswax samples. Finally, pesticides with LogD values between 0-1 were expected to be found in both matrixes. The developed model was successfully applied to predict LogD values, thereby identifying

octanol/water partitioning and molar weight as the most prominent substance descriptors, which affect pesticide distribution between honey and beeswax.

Environmental pollution and sensitivity - higher levels of exposure to electromagnetic radiation, and symptoms reported by electrohypersensitive patients

Stein, Y.Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine / Electromagnetic Radiation Research Clinic, Hebrew University – Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel. *yael.stein1@mail.huji.ac.il

Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) is the fastest growing environmental pollutant. Environmental exposure to frequencies above 1GHz has risen by 1018 compared to natural background levels. The industrialized world's planned "upgrade" to 5G, higher frequencies of EMR used for mobile phone and wireless communications, requires 30-100% rise in the number of antennas in direct proximity to citizens' homes to assure communications cover, satellites transmitting from space and billions of wireless devices in homes and the public space. This poses two problems: (a) a continuing rise in environmental pollution; (b) health effects in susceptible members of the population.The public has been conditioned to expect full communications coverage everywhere. Antennas and transmitting devices must cover this demand. Each electric device requires a power source, adding to environmental pollution. Antennas themselves transmit microwaves, which affect water molecules in the environment and could contribute to climate change. While experts shrug this off as “unlikely”, potentially harmful effects are not being investigated.At the Electromagnetic Radiation Research Clinic, patients are thoroughly questioned about genetic and immunologic susceptibilities, their exposure to EMR, and their present and past medical symptoms, to see whether the patients’ condition matches previously published symptoms of electrohypersensitivity. Many of our patients

complain of physical symptoms, mostly neurologic, that worsen on exposure to EMR, such as headache, often with “brain fog”: concentration and short-term memory difficulties, forgetting words, absence-like blackouts; earache, tinnitus, sleep difficulties, tingling in the hand or other muscles, joint and tendon pain, and swelling of lymph nodes. Other symptoms include palpitations, rash, libido reduction, abdominal pain, and anxiety.

Soil free living nematodes as organisms to measure environmental impacts – bioindicators

Steinberger, Ya* , Goldstein Shakartchy, E.a, Rinot, O.b and Gil Eshel, G.c

aThe Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel; bInstitute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Israel; cSoil Erosion Research Station, Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development, Rishon-Lezion; POB 30, Beit-Dagan 5020000, Israel;*Yosef .Steinberger@biu.ac.il Bioindicators in general are organisms that used to assess changes in the statues/health of ecosystems over time. In terrestrial ecosystems, the soil biological communities are known to play and important role as bioindicators of both antropogenic and natural stressors. Such response of soil biota became reflected in alterations of population size, diversity, trophic composition, etc. Soil free living nematodes are one of the most common and most abundant multicellular organisms in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in all climates, even in the most extreme environments, where water availability is very low. Such ecophysiological adaptation is achieved by their ability to shift between activity and “anhydrobiosis” stages in wet versus dry (extreme) seasons. Relating their affiliation to various trophic groups community (plant-parasites, bacteria-, fungi- and algae-feeders, or omnivores-predators) soil free-living nematode can be used as bioindicators by reflecting changes associated with ecological processes.

An interpolation of studies on the role of soil free-living nematodes, which will reflect their potential role as bioindicators, due to their flexible-adjustable response in their density, diversity andtrophic composition by presenting selected results from

relevant studies conducted on climatic gradient, invasion species of plant, organic amendments and soil health determination will be presented.

Keywords: soil free living nematodes, soil biota

In Situ Bioreactor: A new tool to help improve Biostimulation and Bioaugmentation

Sublette, K.*, Taggart, D. Clark, K. and Rosolina, S.Microbial Insights, Inc., Knoxville, TN, USA *kerry-sublette@utulsa.eduEric RaesEngineering and Land Planning, High Bridge, NJ, USA

The remedial amendments and bioaugmentation cultures commercially available today are the result of considerable research and development. However, there’s not a universal approach to enhanced biodegradation as each site presents its own unique challenges. For example, even after a successful amendment injection, elevated contaminant concentrations could inhibit contaminant-degrading microorganisms or low contaminant concentrations may not be able to sustain an active population of degraders. Bioaugmentation cultures enriched in the laboratory may have survivability issues in the field, and there are still many contaminants that are not addressed by commercial cultures. Three case studies will be presented where in situ bioreactors (ISBRs) built on existing Bio-Sep® bead technology have been shown to address these issues.The ISBRs are designed to fit within a 2-inch monitoring well and can be adapted for aerobic and anaerobic treatment applications. The ISBRs are filled with Bio-Sep®

beads, which provides a matrix of powdered activated carbon (PAC) and Nomex® that can be rapidly colonized by the active portion of a microbial community. The PAC adsorbs contaminants and nutrients present in the aquifer and serves to concentrate indigenous degraders for treatment purposes. Groundwater flow through the bioreactor induce by air lift allows for microorganisms from within the bioreactor to migrate into the formation beyond the wellbore area to further promote biodegradation in the aquifer. Amendments can be delivered into the unit via

topside equipment. ISBRs have been used to treat both petroleum hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents as well as other contaminants of concern. This presentation will provide data from ISBR applications at an industrial site with toluene concentrations exceeding 200 mg/L, a heating oil release with low, yet persistent BTEX concentrations (<100 µg/L), and a chlorinated solvent site where an ISBR was seeded with indigenous microorganisms from a well with a robust population of Dehalococcoides and deployed in another area of the site where reductive dechlorination was limited.

Confirming In Situ Benzene Biodegradation Under Anaerobic Conditions Using Stable Isotope Probing

Sublette, K.*, Taggart, D. and Clark, K.Microbial Insights, Inc., Knoxville, TN, USA *kerry-sublette@utulsa.edu

Biodegradation is an important mechanism for contaminant destruction at monitored natural attenuation sites. However, obtaining evidence of in situ biodegradation can be difficult for some contaminants if their metabolites are transient in the environment and/or little is known about the microorganisms and degradation pathways involved. Although many pathways for aerobic benzene biodegradation are well-documented, comparatively less is known about anaerobic benzene biodegradation. Early literature indicated that benzene was recalcitrant in anaerobic environments, but benzene biodegradation has since been demonstrated under iron- reducing, nitrate-reducing, sulfate-reducing, perchlorate-reducing, and methanogenic conditions. Hydroxylation, methylation, and carboxylation have been proposed as potential anaerobic pathways, but many of the genes involved have yet to be identified. Stable isotope probing (SIP) is a versatile molecular biological tool that can be used to provide conclusive proof of in situ biodegradation without requiring prior knowledge of the microorganisms or pathways involved. The current study includes statistical analysis of SIP results from 300 field samples collected from benzene sites around the world, including the United States, Australia, Canada, China, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. The samples included in the current analysis were Bio-Traps amended with a specially synthesized form of benzene containing carbon-13 (13C). Since 13C is rare, carbon originating from labeled contaminant can be readily distinguished from carbon from other sources (predominantly carbon-12). Following in-well deployment, the Bio-Traps were analyzed for 13C enrichment in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and microbial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA). 13C incorporation into DIC conclusively demonstrates benzene mineralization during the deployment period. PLFA are a

main component of cell membranes, and 13C-enriched PLFA indicate that benzene was metabolized and incorporated into microbial biomass under current field conditions. Furthermore, 13C incorporation into specific fatty acids associated with anaerobic microbial groups indicates that anaerobes were actively involved in the degradation of the 13C-labeled benzene or one of its metabolites.

PROBLEM OF STABILITY MICROBIOTIC INDICES FOR EVALUATING SOIL QUALITY

Terekhova, V.1.2,* Verkhovtseva, N.1, Korolev, P.1,2, Fedoseeva, E.3, A Ivanova, A.1, Uchanov, P.2, Pukalchik, M.4, Prudnikova, E.1, Yakimenko, O.1

1 Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia 2Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Moscow, Russia3Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia4 Center for Computational and Data-Intensive Science and Engineering, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia *vterekhova@gmail.com

Microbial characteristics of soils are usually considered as sensitive indicators of soil health. The abundance and diversity of microorganisms really determine the high metabolic potential of soils. Changes in the structural and functional parameters of microbial communities are used to normalize soil quality. However, experimental data for assessing the stability of biotic markers are often not enough for the ERA of different soils. The aim of this work is to study the stability characteristics of soil microbiota (fungi and bacteria) in soil samples with different humus status when contaminated with heavy metals in order to determine the significance of these biotic indicators. The analysis of changes in the structural and functional parameters of soil microbiota in response to polymetallic pollution under controlled conditions in a long-term dynamics is carried out. In samples of chernozem (Voronezh region, carbon 5.4%) and agrozem (rice fields of Kalmykia, carbon 1.5% ) the total biomass of fungi, bacteria, and structural diversity, substrate-induced respiration and enzymatic activity without and with the addition 650 mg/kg Pb + 1100 mg/kg Zn+660 mg/kg Cu were analyzed. The study of the dynamics of quantitative and qualitative characteristics of mycobiota was carried out both by traditional microbiological methods and by chromatographic and biochemical procedures, including analysis of lipid profiles (GC-MS method), PCR diagnostics of sterile colonies. An analysis of the stability of the bioindication criteria during a 120-day soil incubation under controlled laboratory conditions revealed features of dynamic changes in two different soils. It

was found that only a few biomarkers remain stable when assessing soil pollution of different level humus. It can be concluded the total microbial biomass is not a reliable bioindicator of soils under polymetallic pollution. The influence of high concentration of metals was a less significant factor than the humus content in soils. At the same time, structural changes in the microbiota, in particular, species diversity and melanin-containing forms of micromycetes were more effective and turned out to be with great stability as bioindicators of soil quality.

The work is supported by the Russian Foundation of Basic Research (project 18-04-01218-a)

Keywords: microbial community, stability, biomarkers, soil quality, heavy metall, pollution, humus content, risk assessment Forest Dieback in Sri Lanka as Affected by Soil Lead (Pb)

Yapa, P.I. Faculty of Agriculture, Sabaragamuwa University, Belihuloya 70140, Sri Lanka. piyapa@agri.sab.ac.lk

Forest dieback has become a key threat to Horton Plains (an upper montane forest) in Sri Lanka. Increasing vehicle emissions in nearby cities and the contaminated rain with Pb falling on forest soils has been suspected to be one of the key causes behind the forest dieback in Sri Lanka. Heavy metal immobilizing ability of a Natural Sorbent (NS) produced from goat excrement was the main focus of the study. In the experiment, twenty-four permanent plots were established within an area of 61-80% dieback severity. NS, montane mycorrhizae, NS with montane mycorrhizae, and a control were used as treatments. The indicator plant used to assess the status of the Pb toxicity in the soil was Syzygium rotundifolium. Treatments were applied to five randomly selected Syzygium rotundifolium saplings of approximately 1m height and 0.015m diameter at the cotyledon scar existing in each plot. Soluble soil Pb and soil organic matter (SOM) were compared using soil samples collected at 0.20m depth. Foliar samples from the saplings were tested for Pb. The health status of the saplings were correctly recorded throughout the experiment. The results from soil and foliar analysis revealed the status of Pb (p <0.001) contamination, which seems to have significantly linked with forest dieback. Positive correlations between soil Pb and leaf Pb were significant (p < 0.001). Soil amendment with NS and montane mycorrhizae was effective in reducing the Pb level significantly (p = <0.001) and the NS appears to be significantly effective (p <0.001) in protecting saplings from dieback.Keywords— Soil pollution, natural sorbent, forest dieback, lead (Pb).

Posters Post-market safety and efficacy surveillance of herbal medicinal products from users’ perspective: A qualitative semi-structured interview study in Kumasi, Ghana

Adusei-Mensah, Frank 1; Ari, Haaranen 2; Jussi, Kauhanen 1; Carina, Tikkanen-Kaukanen 3; Isaac Tabiri, Henneh 4; Daniel, Ganu 5; Ebenezer Seklu Edem, Ametsetor 6; Sunday Adewale, Olaleye 7; Martins, Ekor 4

1.Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Finland; 2.Department of Nursing Science, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; 3.Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science and Ruralia Institute, University of Helsinki, Finland; 4.Department of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana; 5.School of Postgraduate Program, Adventist University of Africa, Nairobi, Kenya; 6.Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana; 7.Department of Marketing, Management and International Business, University of Oulu, Finland.

Despite the increased patronage of herbal medicinal products (HMP), they remain poorly regulated in Ghana and their efficacy and safety data is seldom adequate. To provide insight into concerns regarding post-market HMP safety and efficacy from the perspectives of users in Kumasi, Ghana. Thirty-seven randomly selected HMP consumers in Kumasi, were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaire. Non-users of HMPs and users less than 18 years were excluded from the study. Mixed method sampling method was used for the study. HMPs were reported to be gentle and safer than orthodox medicines by informants. Only 19% of informants

voluntarily reported HMP use to their general practitioner. Informants (94.6%) experienced minimal effects, whiles (5.4%) experienced moderately severe adverse effects. It was observed from the study that some HMPs are however non-effective and harmful. We would suggest that HMP users should exercise caution with regards to where to buy and when using HM. “Shyness” and the “feeling of being condemned by the physician” were identified to be the possible causes of the communication barrier between the physicians and the HM users. We recommend physicians to initiate discussion on this topic during consultations and guide users on safe use of these HMPs.

Green entrepreneurial opportunities in waste management and recycling for sustainable development in nigeria

Benjamin Anabaraonye BENJY POETRY AND MUSIC GLOBAL CONCEPTS, NIGERIA. benjaminshines@gmail.com +2348115514097

James Hope Ahmadu Bello University,Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria, jamhope20@gmail.com, +2347032919466, NIGERIA

Climate change is one of the global issues which we must of necessity tackle with urgency to ensure economic growth and sustainable development in Nigeria. Climate change, global warming and other related environmental challenges presently pose as a threat to sustainable economic growth in Nigeria which is one of the developing countries of the world. However, these environmental challenges have also created opportunities for green entrepreneurship in Nigeria. Through literature and participant observation, It has been discovered that there is great need for individuals, institutions and communities in Nigeria to adopt the green entrepreneurship which is eco-friendly and has capacity to provide green skills, green technology and green jobs for our sustainable economic growth. This paper examines the green skills, jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities in waste management and recycling readily available for the unemployed and underemployed youths in Nigeria which in turn addresses the problems of poverty and hunger in the nation.This paper also identifies the great need for communities and institutions in Nigeria to engage in a more intensive research and disruptive innovation approach to devise the means of ensuring a cleaner and healthier environment by proper waste management and recycling strategies which will help to guarantee sustainable economic growth nationally. Proper waste management is also a climate change mitigation strategy to ensure a sustainable future where economies can thrive and good health is fostered

across every border. This paper also highlights the urgent need and innovative ways to educate communities and institutions in Nigeria about climate change mitigation for sustainable development which involves the reduce, reuse and recycling of waste products which is therefore very vital to ensure that our environment is a cleaner and greener place to live. This paper furthermore seeks to draw the attention of policymakers in government, non-governmental organizations and passionate individuals to the need to seek for innovative ways of educating communities and encouraging waste recycling for sustainable development in Nigeria. Waste recycling goes a long way in enhancing climate change mitigation among other environmental benefits which we shall be exploring in this paper. This paper vividly explores the green entrepreneurial opportunities in climate change mitigation which involves waste management and recycling businesses for sustainable development in Nigeria.

KEYWORDS: climate change, green entrepreneurship, mitigation, recycling

Ecotoxicological assessment of the long-term use of high doses of sewage sludge under crops.

Baranov, A.P. and Lunev, M.I. ARSRI for Institute of Agrochemistry named after D.N. Pryanishnikova, Russia Moscow, e-mail:milunev@yandex.ru

The norms for the use of sewage sludge (SS) composts on agricultural soils in the practices of many countries have similar meanings. They fluctuate in the dose range of 5–8 t / ha when applied once every several years, limited to the maximum allowable rates for heavy metals. The results of the ecotoxicological assessment of the soil of a multiyear (30 years) microfield experience in the application of high total levels of SS (maximum level of 1,440 tons) showed the absence of the negative effect of the soil of all the options on the Enchytraeus albidus test-culture. Assessment of toxicity SS composted in heaps before application, LD 50 was 260g (232,293) of compost per kg of OECD artificial soil. Bioassay on the survival of enchytraeids in soil of investigation, conducted two years after the next application of the SS did not reveal a tendency to reduce this toxicological compared with the control variant of the experiment. At the same time, the reproductive rate on the variants with the use of SS increased by 1.5 times compared with the control. Bioassay of soil samples of field experience (control and variant with SS) spiked cadmium at doses of 20 and 40 mg / kg revealed toxicity for enchytraeids only in the control variant of the experiment ( without SS). The results of bioassays, as well as an increasing (30-90%) in the yield of all agricultural crops (barley, lupine, winter rye, spring triticale) indicate that the use of SS favors biocenosis while the content of heavy metals and other pollutants increases. The presence of potential toxicity in soil not detected during bioassay necessitates an in-depth chemical analysis of parallel bioassay.

Key words: sewage sludge, heavy metals, enchytraeids, reproduction.

Differences in the effects of UVC light on prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic tissues

Hakalehto, E. 1,2, Heitto, A.1, Immonen, A.3, HIrvonen, I.4, Väätäinen, U.4

1Finnoflag Oy, POB 262, FI-70101 Kuopio, Finland, 2University of Helsinki, Finland, 4Led Future Ltd, Pirnankatu 4, lt3, Varkaus, Finland. In theory, the UVC (and partially the UVB) light emitted by sun do not reach Earth´s surface but get absorbed to the stratospheric ozone layer. Depleted ozone coverage in some areas has caused increased penetration of the various forms of UV onto the ground. In order to estimate the effects on the various bacterial cells and eukaryotic cell tissue (bovine liver), we developed device (Wound cleaning device, LF-WCD TM) and planned the experiment using also the PMEU cultivation (Portable MIcrobe Enrichment Unit). The vegetative bacterial cells were inactivated as a function of time in the UVC treatment, whereas the lowering proteolytic activities of the tissue cells were restricted to the minor initial effect on the surface only. This was deduced from the initial drop of the enzyme activity by clearly less than 20%, which did not increase by prolonged treatments. According to our preliminary results it seemed to be safe to treat even human wounds and skin or epithelial surfaces by short UVC exposure. Consequently, although UVC-light the most damaging type of UV-light, it is commonly utilized in industrial settings such as instrument maintenance and disinfection. Its proper use requires good protection of the eyes, as the eye is a sensitive organ and prone to radiation induced oxidative damage. However, cornea and anterior tissues of the eye absorb most of the UV-radiation and nearly all of UVC-light, and the layers beneath them are not prone to damage. In order to protect the outermost structures of our vision organs, lids and eyes should be protected with 100 % UV-absorbing filter glasses, whenever there is possible exposure of UVC light. In our experiments with the UVC light, most bacterial cells are destroyed effectively by a treatment with 60 or 120 sec. The effects on the underlying tissue is very limited, and it seems not to reach the DNA level, since the genetic material stays protected by outer layers in the nucleus. This finding is consistent with the fact that although some upper atmospheric layers are rather deprived from bacterial cells during daytime, the mold spores readily prevail and stay

viable under the UV exposure as a result of better cellular protection. The differences in the effects of the exposures to the UVC light of various microbial cells are discussed. They are dependent on the age of the cells, their pigmentation, morphology, culture thickness and other characteristics dependent on the circumstances. Interestingly, on the desert surfaces we detected mostly endospore-forming bacteria only, if the soil structure was destructed, whereas in case of undisturbed soil microbial ecosystems, the biodiversity had persisted. This could be partially explained by the perseverance of the biofilms toward the UV exposure. As a result, on the basis of the current results we find the usage of UVC radiation practical and safe in case of disinfecting the hospital premises, and for the protection of tissues against infections, water and food hygiene, and in other corresponding tasks. Also, due to being more sensitive to UVC light than the eukaryotic cells, microbial systems could be used for developing biological sensors for monitoring the effects of UV light in the outdoor environments.Key words: uvc light, microbes, effect, microbial growth, tissue, atmosphere, ozone layer, Portabla Microbe Enrichment Unit, proteolysis, enzymes

The distribution of hygiene indicating Escherichia coli and enterococci of forest industry waste water in recipient lake water and sediment

Heitto, L.1*, Anneli Heitto, A.2 and Hakalehto, E.2-4

1Savo-Karjalan Ympäristötutkimus Oy, Kuopio, Finland; 2Finnoflag Oy, Kuopio and Siilinjärvi, Finland; 3University of Helsinki, Finland; 4University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland *lauri.heitto@skvsy.fi

Hygienic risk caused by forest industry waste waters for recreational use of Lake Kallavesi, Finland, was tested in an intensive study during 2010-2011. This water area is important for tourism and recreational use for the inhabitants of the city of Kuopio and its surroundings. The waters eventually flow to the Baltic Sea via Lake Saimaa. Indicator bacteria in the carboard factory waste waters originated both from wood-derived materials and human sewage waters. Agricultural outlets are considered to have a minor role in this area. Samples were taken from the industrial waste waters, different depths in water column, sedimenting material and lake sediment. Results indicated low distribution of hygienic indicator bacteria both in water column and in lake bottom sediment. E. coli remained in the water column for 1-2 days during summer period and this indicator bacterium could be found within distance of four kilometers from the factory. E. coli was most abundant in the lake sediment within a distance of two kilometers. The reservoir of E. coli in the lake sediment was only as much as waste water load of 1-2 days. Enterococci were clearly less abundant than E. coli in all samples studied. In the surface of the lake bottom sediment enterococci of fecal origin seemed to remain viable longer than enterococci originating from wood industry process. The enhanced enrichment with the PMEU (Portable Microbe Enrichment Unit) essentially improved the verification results of the enterococcal indicator bacteria regardless of their origin. Various strains reacted somewhat

differently to different gas additions.

Keywords: indicator bacteria, E. coli, enterococci, waste water, lake, sediment, Lake Kallavesi, PMEU, recreational waters, cultivation gas

Preliminary validation of effects of pulsed CO2 addition on bacterial growth in PMEU Spectrion™ in water quality research

Heitto, M. 1,2, Heitto, A. 1, Pesola, J. 2,3, Veijalainen, A-M. 2, Hakalehto, E. 1,2,4*

1Finnoflag Oy, Kuopio and Siilinjärvi, Finland; 2 University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; 3 Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland; 4University of Helsinki, Finland*E-mail: elias.hakalehto@gmail.com Clean drinking water is a necessity for all decent human living. Continuous and fast monitoring of microbial growth in drinking water is needed in order to verify its purity. Many methods for enhancing microbial detection have been tested, and one of those is use of short addition of CO2 to boost bacterial growth into PMEU (Portable Microbe Enrichment Unit). Discussion has occurred whether this gas addition enhances or inhibits the bacterial growth. In this study the effects of short time addition were examined with water indicator bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa growing in the PMEU Spectrion™ -device. Two durations of CO2 bubble flow were tested (20 min and 60 min) and gas addition was begun either at the start of experiment or 90 minutes after its onset. The gas mixture was nitrogen-carbon dioxide (55%/45%). The time of beginning and ending of growth of the microbes was measured with the PMEU Spectrion™ sensors. The length of the exponential growth was calculated based on these measurements. Prolonged start of growth was measured with E. coli with the addition of the nitrogen-carbon dioxide gas, but the length of exponential growth phase was shortened when 60 minutes of gas was added. P. aeruginosa grew fastest when gas addition was 20 minutes long and slowest when gas addition was 60 minutes. The length of exponential growth was shortest with 60 minutes of gas addition. The delays in the onset of growth of facultative E. coli were probably caused by the anaerobic gas addition into aerobic cultures. However, short pulse of CO2 -containing gas mixture boosted the growth of aerobic P. aeruginosa. Different microbes can endure carbon dioxide in different

measures. External circumstances can also affect the endurance of microbes to carbon dioxide. For example, stirring or temperature can modify microbial responses. More research is needed in order to understand all the processes determining the relations of various hygienic indicators to the gas additions.

Keywords: drinking water, enhanced detection of microbes, Escherichia coli, hygienic indicators, monitoring water microbes, PMEU Spectrion™, Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Potential of biorefineries in the education of circulation economy and its implications

Jääskeläinen, A.1, Anneli Heitto2, Mikko Immonen3, Janne Jääskeläinen3, Matti Heitto3,4, Emilia Den Boer5, Reino Laatikainen4, Sebastian Schwede6, Eva Thorin6, Erik Dahlquist6, Risto Retkin7, Noora Lindroos7, Raini Kiukas8, Pirjo Niemelä 8, Jyri Pelkonen9, Juho Mansikkamäki9, Reijo Väliharju10, Jukka Kivelä11, Elias Hakalehto3,4,

11* 1 School of Engineering and Technology, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Kuopio, Finland2 Finnoflag Ltd, P.O. Box 262, FI-70101 Kuopio, Finland 3 Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, Finland4 Kuopio campus, University of Eastern Finland5 Wroclaw Technical University, Poland6 Mälardalen University of Technology, Västerås, Sweden7 Ramboll Finland Oyj, Finland8 DTS Systems Oy, Finland9 Pöyry Consulting Oyj, Finland10 City of Tampere, Finland11Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland*elias.hakalehto@gmail.com

ABOWE biorefinery project of six European Union Baltic Sea countries (Germany, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania and Estonia) in 2012-14 and the related educational links have paved way for further use of experimental biorefinery pilots in teaching sustainable development. In a biorefinery pilot plant solution, biodegradable side streams are valorised to platform chemicals, food ingredients, energy compounds and organic fertilizers. The process applies Nature´s principles of

circulation using microbes and their enzymes as the biocatalysts. The interdisciplinary ABOWE project was given public recognition for its multi-sector approach and for involving students and personnel from many educational organizations into the international cooperation. The various industrial pilot projects of Finnoflag Oy have given proofs of concepts for process solutions, which are both sustainable and economically feasible. In February 2019 Savonia University of Applied Sciences coordinated a novel educational program for the Eastern Finland area, named as “Side streams of bioeconomy”. The first training day took place in the laboratory of Finnoflag Oy in Siilinjärvi, and it was participated by seven representatives of environmental authorities and companies. The aim of the training was to teach the professionals to take initiatives in the implementation of sustainable economy by using microbes and their enzymes. These principles have served as means for implementing environmental engineering in such ground-breaking cases as the Finnish “Zero fiber from zero waste” project in Tampere in Western Finland conducted by the city of Tampere with an industrial and academic consortium and co-funded by the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The refinement of environmentally deposited fiber sludge into chemical commodities, energy gases and organic fertilizers was investigated. There the Finnoflag pilot plant biorefinery process was tested during 2018-2019 for the conversion of cellulosic biomass into valuable chemical products. The previous results obtained in Sweden during ABOWE about the improvement of food biorefinery residues as raw materials for biogas production were confirmed by the University of Tampere biogas pilot studies with zero fiber. City of Tampere intends the projected Hiedanranta suburb to become the first urban area, which confers more ecological production than it consumes. The recycling of bread and other residues by the biorefinery means is nowadays developed in the baking industries. During the ABOWE project also meat and potato industry side streams were studied with respect to the reuse of their biomass. It is possible to give further examples for the international academia of multidisciplinary biorefinery projects giving educational tools for teaching sustainable development in the food and environmental sectors.

Keywords: biorefining, recycling, urban planning, city food, microbiological pilot plant, food waste, side stream, zero fiber, ecosystem engineering, hands on training, technology transfer

Hierarchical Zeolites: Characterization of Texture and Acidity Using Adsorption and Temperature Programmed Surface Reactions

Jeffrey Kenvin, Simon YunesMicromeritics Instrument Corporation4356 Communications Drive, Norcross, GA, USAjeff.kenvin@micromeritics.com

The development of materials with controlled porosity on multiple scales is critical to the advancement of many key technologies including catalysts, fuel cells, batteries, sorbents, sensors, and biomaterials. In particular, hierarchically-organized pore networks, integrating two or more pore systems with distinct roles, can combine the desired chemical, electrochemical, or physiological function with efficient mass transfer. Thanks to tremendous synthetic efforts, numerous approaches are now available to prepare nanostructured materials of diverse composition (e.g., metal oxides, zeolites, carbons, silicas) and with an equally broad spectrum of pore architectures, which are often highly intricate. Understanding how the latter affects the performance is critical to guide the design. Advancing the knowledge of complex pore networks and the impact on transport processes is critical to understand and optimize their architecture in innovative, porous functional solids. In this work, we have developed a robust and versatile approach to quantitatively map pore constrictions within hierarchical ZSM-5, Y, and USY zeolites; important industrial catalysts, which integrate interconnected pores on multiple length scales to couple efficient molecular transport with enhanced performance. The improved description of the pore geometry was enabled by extending the routine technique of argon adsorption to study the partial filling and emptying of pores and applying an advanced modeling framework. Bottlenecks in the pore

network were directly correlated with transport efficiency by monitoring the diffusion of ortho-positronium, a metastable probe atom that preferentially localizes in pores of increasing size. These powerful tools are applicable to any complex porous material integrating micro- and/or mesopores. The Brønsted acidity of zeolites and other catalysts is of keen interest, as this affects the kinetics of reactions. Characterization of these sites is consequently very important and is often utilizes ammonia chemisorption method. An alternative, but comparable, characterization method may be used to isolate the Brønsted sites is the temperature programmed surface reaction (TPSR) of propylamines. In this work we compare ammonia temperature programmed desorption to the TPSR of i-propylamine and n-propylamine.

NANOCOMPOSITES BASED ON MAGNETITE AND ACTIVATED CARBON: SYNTHESIS, SORPTION PROPERTIES, BIOAVAILABILITY

Кydralieva, K.1, 2*, Bondarenko, L.1, Uchanov, P.3, Terekhova, V.2, 3, Rabinskiy, L.1

1Moscow Aviation Institute, Moscow, Russia2Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia3Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, RAS, Moscow, Russia*k_kamila@mail.ru

Hybrid organo-inorganic sorbents based on activated carbon (AC) filled with magnetically active nanoparticles provide the efficiency of purification of technogenic environment by combining the sorption properties of AC and magnetic properties of nanoparticles in order to further use the magnetic separation technique. Thanks to the unique structure of AC consisting of non-polar carbon and polar mineral parts, AC can enter into almost any kind of interaction: ionic, donor-acceptor, hydrophobic, etc. As a result, AC extracts metal ions from the aqueous phase by the ion exchange mechanism, and due to the action of the van der Waals forces, organic compounds (dyes, oil products, surfactants) are effectively adsorbed from the aqueous phase. This study was aimed to search for an effective method for the synthesis of magnetic nanocomposites based on AC and magnetite nanoparticles by chemical coprecipitation using two approaches: by preliminary synthesis of magnetite nanoparticles by chemical coprecipitation from solutions of ferrous and ferrous salts and the subsequent introduction of nanoparticles into AC matrix (Fe3O4-АC-ex situ) and by synthesis of magnetite nanoparticles into AC matrix (Fe3O4-АC-in situ). It was found that the in situ method is the optimal method for nanocomposites formulation

in terms of yield and high functional characteristics of the target product. The sorption capacity for samples: AC, Fe3O4, Fe3O4-AC-in situ and Fe3O4-AC-ex situ towards methylene blue indicator was 181, 105, 160 and 152 mg/g respectively. The lower sorption capacity for Fe3O4-AC-in situ and Fe3O4-AC-ex situ samples compared to native AC is explained by a decrease in its specific surface area due to nanoparticles. The highest sorption capacity upon binding of Pb2+ to Fe3O4

nanoparticles was 320 mg/g. The areas of greatest sorption activity of the preparation of the initial AC (pH 7.5) and Fe3O4/AC (pH 7) were close, while the maximum sorption capacities were 230 and 192 mg/g, respectively. The results of biotesting of preparations towards Scenedesmus quadricauda indicate the absence of a high toxic effect on microalgae cells compared to Paramecium caudatum (IC50 is in the range 0.44-0.10%). Based on IC50, the toxicity of preparations for microalgae decreases in the order Fe3O4/AC-in situ> Fe3O4> AC.

This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Grant No. 18-33-01270).Keywords: magnetite, activated coal, hybrid sorbents, methylene blue, lead ions, biotesting

Hydrogenation of nitrate using polypropylene-made hollow fiber contactor loaded with Pd-Cu bimetallic catalyst

Kollmann, M. and Gendel, Y.* Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Division of Environmental, Water and Agricultural Engineering, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel. * ygendel@technion.ac.il

Intensive usage of fertilizers in modern agriculture leads to contamination of aquifers by nitrate ions. Due its adverse health effects, nitrate concentration in drinking water is strictly regulated, unfortunately commercial solutions are still limited [1]. Current research for nitrate removal is focused on the development of advanced reactor configurations to achieve higher conversion rates and selectivity to N2 in catalytic nitrate reduction processes [2]. It is proposed to implement commercially available polypropylene-made hollow fibers (PP HFs) to manufacture catalytic membrane contactors (CMCs). CMCs are beneficial for nitrate hydrogenation, due to high mass transport of hydrogen into the three-phase interface (Pd-Cu catalyst, aqueous nitrate and hydrogen gas) where the reaction takes place, with high selectivity towards N2

and high utilization rate of the hydrogen gas [3]. Research goal is to develop a module made of catalytic PP HFs for efficient nitrate hydrogenation of polluted ground water. Initial work was given for establishing a baseline for membrane’s surface activation, catalyst deposition, nitrate hydrogenation and module development, preliminary results are given in figures 1 and 2. Current activity is focused on membrane modification with PVA, for increased surface area, higher water bubble point and better catalyst deposition and distribution. Future investigation is aimed at optimizing catalyst preparation parameters and nitrate removal experiments.

0 60 120 180 240 30040%

60%

80%

100%tot NO3 remaining [%]

mNH3/mNO3 removed [%]

t [min]

%

Figure 1: Nitrate hydrogenation with pH control, H2 flow through lumen, solution circulation on the outer wall. C0=25mgN/l, V=90ml, Q_H2=20SCCM, Q_solut.~ 190ml/min, pH=6.5-7, titrant=0.02N H2SO

=24cm, OD~1mm, Id~0.6mm, dp=0.2µm, Pd-Cu (3:1) 8µg catal./cm fiber, #fiber=31, Activity =0.5 mgN/min,g catal

Figure 2: SEM image of catalytic polypropylene hollow fiber membrane (Accurel® Q3/2); 2min CO2 50w plasma; 6 h impregnation under vac. in 15 g metal/l, PdCl2, Cu(NO3)2H25%wt. Cu/Pd, 6M HCl; 30min hydrogenation in 0.05M NaBH4; Zeiss Ultra-Plus 55, @ 0.8 keV, Mag=81K, ET detector; Blue – polymer, orange – catalysts

Keywords: Nitrate, hydrogenation, water, pollution, catalytic membrane contactor

1 µm

Acid-tolerant plant species strategies in an area affected by acid drainage water

Campos, J.A. Villena, J. Peco, J., González-Mora, S., Moreno, C. and Moreno, M.M.E.T.S. Ingenieros Agrónomos. Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha. Ronda de Ctva., 7. Ciudad Real 13071. Spain. Corresponding author: juanantonio.campos@uclm.es

Highly disturbed zones, such as abandoned minesites, provide a great challenge for a natural colonization by spontaneous flora. Metal sulphide waste, in contact with rainwater, causes acidic drainage that flows through small rills. During storms, or heavy rainfall, the rills overflow and the acidic water affects a wide surface. A pH gradient is created from the center to the edge where the water overflow reaches. This pH gradient varies between very acidic (pH = 2) to slightly acidic (pH = 6.5). The natural flora that colonizes these landscapes is mainly conditioned by the pH. Normally, the poor vegetation of these habitats is disseminated with monospecific patches of terophyte species, resilient enough to those conditions. As we move away to areas with less acidity, the number of different species increases and the presence of perennial plants becomes more frequent. In our work we have monitored the natural surface colonization affected by acid drainage from mining waste deposits, rich in galena and sphalerite. The vegetation is influenced by the conditions of acidity of the substrate, observing a specific distribution along the affected area (strong or moderate acidity). The core area of acid drainage is bare of vegetation or with scattered patches of Spergularia purpurea and Molineriella laevis. As we move away from the central zone, these same species associated with Rumex bucephalophorus appear. These three species are those that most resist acidity. In the patches formed with S. purpurea and M. laevis, a very peculiar distribution has

been observed related to the location within the patch of both species. In small patches (20-40 cm across) the two species are practically mixed randomly but as the patches become larger, S. purpurea is placed on the edge, in contact with the water flow, forming a defensive line and leaving M. laevis in a more protected interior. This same arrangement is observed at the edges of the rills. The special strategy of this species to overcome the acidity could be useful in revegetation purposes.Keywords: Acid drainage, terophyte pioneers species, Molineriella laevis, Spergularia purpurea

Effect of the elephant dung on reproduction and development of earth warm Eisenia fetidaby vermicomposting.

Nawarathna S L* and Vidanapathirana N P

Department of Agro-technology, Institute for Agro-technology and Rural Sciences, University of Colombo, Weligatta 82004, Sri Lanka. *supipi@uciars.cmb.ac.lk

Elephants are poor digester of food and semi digested dung is very fibrous. Its decomposition rate is so slow with compare to other animal waste that it assumed to be in a steady state for three four months. Micro-organism activity became progressively more limited due to quick drying of dung with time.Various attempts were made time to time to recycling this dung due to occurring environmental negative issues by collecting huge amount day by day. Therefore, the present study is expected to produce elephant dung based vermicompost after decomposing process in three stages (keeping for 30days, keeping for 7days and within 24hrs) by using earth warm Eisenia fetidaand compare the reproduction and development of earth warm Eisenia fetidawith cow dung based vermicompost and nutrient content of different vermicompost. Experiment was arranged as Complete Randomize Design with three replicates per treatment and data were collected and analysed using the Mini Tab 17 statistical package. Result revealed that, the vermicompost of elephant dung sample within 24 hours was significantly increased the nitrogen content. The vermicompost of elephant dung sample within 24 hours and vermicompost of 7 days after deposition elephant dung sample were recorded statistically highest earth worm count. According to the findings of the study, it can be concluded that elephant dung was significantly effect on the vermicomposting

process by inducing reproduction and development of earth warm Eisenia fetida.

Key Words: Elephant dung, cow dung, vermicomposting, Eisenia fetida

Automated microbiological safety monitoring of waters – experiences from Polaris project in Finland

Pesola, J. 1,2; Hokajärvi, A-M. 3; Heitto, A. 4; Miettinen, I. T. 3; Pitkänen, T. 3; Hakalehto, E. 2,4,5 *

1Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland; 2University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; 3National Institute for Health and Welfare; 4University of Helsinki, Finland; 5Finnoflag Oy, Kuopio and Siilinjärvi, Finland *elias.hakalehto@gmail.com

Automated microbiological safety monitoring of the waters was investigated as part of Polaris project that was carried out in 2009 – 2012 to develop and test technologies aiming to improve the overall monitoring system of drinking water quality. The project was joined by Finnish authorities, research institutes and universities in collaboration with ministries, water associations, municipal water plants and several companies. PMEU Spectrion® (Finnoflag Oy, Finland) and Coliline PMEU (Samplion Oy, Finland) were used for the automated microbiological monitoring of Escherichia coli and other coliform bacteria. Colilert® (IDEXX Corporation) was used as a culture medium. In the detection of the coliform bacteria and E. coli, the absorbances of blue light and UV light were used, respectively. The in-line samples were taken automatically or manually loaded bulk samples were used. Incubation in the Coliline PMEU started immediately after sample injection in 100 ml plastic sample bottles. In the Polaris project, the detection of coliform bacteria and E. coli was followed remotely real-time from samples taken from ground water pipelines and wells as well as from surface

waters. The colour change was detected in 8/46 of ground water samples. In 6/8 cases, the change was due to increased turbidity of the sample without yellow colour formation. The reason for non-coliform growth in the Colilert medium was caused by some heterotrophic organisms that are also important with respect to water hygiene. Coliform bacteria were detected from all surface water samples within 9-15 hours. The Coliline PMEU has been developed for automated remote monitoring of the microbiological quality of water supplies, networks and pipelines to reduce costs of the quality monitoring and to increase the microbiological safety of waters. In the Polaris project, the Coliline PMEU was used also in an experimental setting where different problems of the treatment process of the raw water and drinking water were simulated. The growth curves of the Coliline PMEU were comparable with growth results of a colony counting method. The original bacterial numbers were inversely correlated with the response time of the Coliline PMEU. When the original count of microbes was 1-10 cfu/ml and 1000 cfu/ml, the response time of the Coliline PMEU was 15-18 hours and less than 10 hours, respectively. By placing these portable devices into critical locations of the drinking water production chain, large portions of distributed drinking water can be efficiently monitored, and the contaminations detected quickly enough to avoid the infections of the customers using the water. Keywords: automated microbiology, Coliline PMEU, drinking water, environment, Escherichia coli, hygiene indicators, microbiological quality monitoring, PMEU Spectrion®, Polaris project, water hygiene, water microbiology

ANALYSIS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC IMPACT ON THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE BLACK SEA

Rudneva, I.1*, Podrezova, P.1, Paramonova, A.2,3, Fedoseeva, E.4, Poromov, A.2, Uchanov, P.3, Karpuchin, M.2, Shaida, V.1, Kydralieva, K.5, Terekhova, V..2,3

11A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of the Biology of the Southern Seas, of RAS, Sevastopol, Russia2Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia 3Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Moscow, Russia4Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia5Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University), Moscow, Russia *svg-41@mail.ru

This work is part of the research project devoted to the analysis of the environmental and anthropogenic impact on the coastal waters the Black Sea ecosystems and carried out with the support by the Russian Foundation of Basic Research. Ichthyoplankton status as well as ecological water quality were characterised in 6 tested sites in the Sevastopol bay by the chemical analysis, bioindication and bioassay. The obtained results have shown that the concentrations of heavy metals in the water samples Bay were differed insignificantly, and the level of these components according the data of chemical assays did not demonstrated the critical values. However, according the results of the bioassay methods the differences among the tested sites were observed, which were associated with the differences of the crustacea nauplii survival, incubated in

the water of the examined Sevastopol coastal water samples. The differences in the physiological responses of microalgae and fish eggs developmental stages were also observed. We conclude that the optimal ecological conditions were in the mouth part of the Sevastopol Bay, where according the obtained expedition results, provide at the examined period, the highest quantity and biodiversity of ichthyoplankton were demonstrated. Preliminary bioassay of the oil fractions on the fish eggs and larvae of the Black Sea goby was shown that the response depended on fish eggs and larvae developmental stages, toxicant concentrations and the kinds of oil fractions. The obtained results suggest the effectiveness of the used methods of bioassay of marine water quality, which would improve and development with the aim of their possible application for the evaluation of negative effects of “new pollutants” such as pharmaceuticals and microplastics, on the most sensitive link of marine communities namely ichthyoplankton. The further studies of this research area were helpful for the aquaculture development, optimization of fishery and management of the coastal waters. The work is supported by the Russian Foundation of Basic Research (project 18-44-920007).

Keywords: water quality, biodiversity, ichthyoplankton, ecotoxicity, pollution, heavy metal

BIOFUEL FROM MICROALGAE: CURRENT TRENDS

Isah, S.Centre for Occupational Health, Safety and Environment, Institute of Petroleum studies, University of Port Harcourt–Nigeria.Correspondence: isahsaidisa@gmail.com+2348035448008

Current trends in the research of Microalgae for biofuels are mainly geared towards using wastewater to enhance algal growth, improving production technologies, finding productive and adaptive species, recovery of value from algal residue, coupling algae with bacteria for better growth and production of ethanol and biodiesel, maximizing profits in algal energy delivery and finding the sustainable means of maintain algal fuel technologies. However, recent researches were also geared towards exploring microalgae potentials as functional food ingredients aimed at enhancing the nutritional value of food and pharmaceutical products. This is because, Microalgae are good source of numerous nutritional constituents which include proteins, minerals, antioxidants and omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The Microalgae’s nutritional components are found within the microalgal cell, consequently, the cell wall at some point acts as an obstruction thereby leading to low bioavailability of intracellular components or limiting the extraction important products from the cell.Keywords: Algae, Wastewater, nutrients, biofuel.

Alternative fuels and technologies for the trafficking of humans and goods in future societies

Sauramäki, J.1*, Sauramäki, E.2*, Auraniemi, P.3, Heimonen, M.4,, Sauramäki, N.5, Hakalehto, J.-P.6,, Jääskeläinen, J.7,, Jääskeläinen, A.8,, Hakalehto, E.9,10,11

1 Posti Ltd, P.O. Box 11, 00011 Posti, Finland*jukka .sauramaki@posti.com 2 Helsinki City Transport, Traffic Operations Unit, P.O. Box 1400, City Of Helsinki, Finland *eero.sauramaki@hel.fi3 Traffica Oy, Kuopio, Finland4 Ajovarma Oy, Kuopio, Finland5 Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, Helsinki, Finland 6 California State University, San Marcos, CA, USA7 University of Helsinki, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Helsinki, Finland8 Savonia University of Applied Sciences, School of Engineering and Technology, Kuopio, Finland9 Finnoflag Ltd, P.O. Box 262, FI-70101 Kuopio, Finland10 Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland11 Kuopio campus, University of Eastern Finland

The digital revolution in retail trade has moved a big part of all commerce from brick and mortar to online. This transformation changes dramatically also the

transportation and logistics needs of retail. Instead of truckloads from warehouses and wholesales to stores, transportation means increasing the direct and fast deliveries to consumers from the manufacturers. Consequently, more and more and fuel consumption is required, don't meet with our target to decrease emissions. Trading of the emissions doesn't genuinely solve the problem. The growing awareness about the needs for extremely low greenhouse gas emission or zero emission fuels forces logistics industry and all transportation to search for new solutions. Non-motorized vehicles offer solution in small scale but not in a big picture. Also the need for temperature controlled food, clinical specimens and other special transport will increase considerably. Distribution of food portions and medicines directly to the elderly and other special groups is giving means for lowering the expenses. Another remarkable transformation is going on in moving people. New waves of urbanization have made cities bigger and bigger and more densely populated. Already in 2013 there were globally 29 so called megacities with more than 10M inhabitants. Therefore authorities have been forced to limit the use of private vehicles inside many cities. To enable mobility and business life there is urgent need for quick, safe, smooth and environmentally sustainable public transportation solutions. In order to transport people inside the cities smoothly by existing methods is to do it on rails because separated rail area prevents distractions effectively. Energy generation in rail traffic hasn’t change much in 100 years and also in general, most of the public transportation solutions are far from ecologically sustainable (building infrastructure and operating vehicles). However, hydrogen-powered trains and trams are in operation in some locations. We wish to initiate open discussion about the pros and cons of different forms of transportation with respect to climate effects. We compare the actual effects of biogas, LNG, hydrogen, electricity, gasoline vs. diesel fuel, kerosene, sea oil and other potential fuels for the transportation of humans and goods. Airborne traffic would lower the need for building up bridges, tunnels and other expensive structures. it is not only the ecological effect of the fuel but all the costs of the form of traffic that contribute to its climate contribution. Modern technologies could help in changing the patterns of traffic by robot steering, navigation, drone or space technologies, hybrid fuel systems and other inventions. We discuss about the combinations of these technological options. The progress is fast, and thus the planning has to look ahead far enough in order to keep up the pace of development. Consequently, there are several projects of flying vehicles established by major players. The applications of natural powers of solar, wind or tide

energies need to be developed, as well as the efficient storage of electricity into the batteries of the cars, for instance. Hydrogen in the Fuel Cell Vehicles also represents emerging fuel alternatives. Its outlets are consisting only of water. The revolution in the transport systems is here to come, and it will help in changing the trafficking of humans and goods more feasible and ecologically sustainable. Many alternatives could be presented by the biotechnological solutions, microbiology and ecosystem services, which also will change the urban planning, energy policies and traffic schemes in the future. In Tampere, Finland, the Hiedanranta suburb is intended to be an urban area with less environmental burden than ecological production from the area. Traffic decisions will play an important part in this projected zero emission future. In this poster we compare some aspects and ecological impacts of various solutions.Key words: climate, transportation, fuels, energy gases, electricity, hybrid fuel, urban development, Tampere, flying vehicles, biofuels

Soil Free Living Nematodes Community as Indicators For Soil Health Assessment

Shakartchy, E. 1‚ Eshel, G. 2 , Rinot, O. 3 , Steinberger, Y.1

1The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, 2 Soil Erosion Research Station, Ministry Of Agriculture & Rural Development, Rishon-Lezion. P.O.B. 30, Beit-Dagan, 50250; 3Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Israel

Soil bioindicators are organisms that have the capacity to detect changes in a natural environment and to monitor soil health by being sensitive to changes in abiotic components, correlated with soil use. The nematode community is among the groups that help detect the smallest footprint changes in the environment as they are abundant in soil, easy to sample, well classified into functional feeding groups, and have the ability to readily respond to changes in soil physical and chemical properties. In the present study, soil free-living nematode community composition, density, and diversity were used as tools to evaluate alterations between different long-term agricultural practices as part of soil health evaluation. Soil samples were collected during autumn 2016 from two climate zones, one in the mediterranean climate (Jezreel Valley) and one in the semi-arid climate (northwestern Negev) of Israel. The soil samples were collected under three long-term soil management practices as

follows: uncultivated (control) (UC), field crops (FC), and orchards (OR), from three soil layers: 0-10 cm, 10-30 cm, and 30-60 cm (n=9). Chemical analysis (soil moisture, organic matter) and biological analysis were performed as follows: nematode communities were extracted using the Bermann funnel procedure, counted using a compound microscope, and kept in cold storage at -20°C for trophic-group determination. Molecular analysis was performed using the 18S sRNA gene for species determination.Soil free living nematode community composition, density and diversity into trophic groups, were found to be a proper tool that enable to determine the difference in soil health status as affected by long-term agricultural management. The results obtained elucidated the importance of the use of nematodes as bioindicators of soil health.

Keywords: land use, long-term, agricultural practices

Respirometric indicators of the state of microbial communities in urban soils under the influence of deicing materials

Tribis L.I.1, Pozdnyakov L.A.2, Voronina L.P.1

1. Laboratory of Environmental and Hygienic Assessment of Waste and Soil, Centre for Strategic Planning, Russian Ministry of Health, Moscow, Russia. luydmila.voronina@gmail.com tribislev@hotmail.com 2. Faculty of Soil Science, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia. apl-223@mail.ru

The use of deicing materials (DM), the main component of which are salts of Na, K, Ca, etc., in city is accompanied by their entry into the soil, after spring melting of snow. The determination of the salt concentration in snow reflects the degree of potential danger of soil contamination. Since the state of the soil microflora makes it possible to identify the initial stages of soil degradation, the study of respirometric indicators of the state of the microbial communities in urban soils was the goal of research. Substrate-induced respiration (SIR) and basal respiration (BR) of soil microorganisms are integral indicators characterizing the state of the microbial community in a particular area of soil. Stability of the soil microbial community is estimated by the microbial metabolic coefficient (QR). In many studies, the threshold

value is QR=0.1. Its excess indicates an unstable state of the soil microbial community. SIR was used to calculate microbial biomass carbon (Cmic). In Moscow, near the stops of urban transport, the chemical characteristics of snow and soil were monitored in spring and summer. After studying and statistical analysis, values of electrical conductivity, salinity, Na+ and Cl- concentrations in snow samples were grouped into several clusters. QR in the range of 0.47-1.02 and Cmic 12.4-24.7 µg/g of soil fall into a cluster of samples with the highest rates of mineralization. A wide range of samples related to intermediate concentrations of salts, have QR 0.10-0.16 and Cmic 242.9-373.4 µg/g of soil. The largest QR and the smallest Cmic were found in the areas that are exposed to the regular, intensive influence of the DM in winter. At a small distance from the sources of DM, stability of the microbial communities increases. For urban soils, a regularity was established to reduce Cmic and a tendency to increase QR.

Keywords: deicing materials, substrate-induced respiration, microbial biomass carbon, urban soils, soil microbial communities

Features and problems of oil drilling waste’s bioassay1,2 Vorinina, L. *, 1 Morachevskaya, E. 2Pozdniakov, S. 1,2 Kesler, K

1Lomonosov Moscow State University. MSU, Faculty of Soil Science, GSP-1,1-12 Leninskie Gory, Moscow, 119991, Russia, Luydmila.voronina@gmail.com2Center for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks, Moscow, 119121, Russia

Pollution, associated with the oil industry, causes soil degradation, pollution of water bodies and atmospheric air, death of living organisms, poisoning, diseases, etc. Soils contaminated with oil must be disposed of neutralization even if they belong to low hazard classes (3 and 4 hazard classes). The objects of our research were the average samples of drilling sludges from the barns of three sites with a high content of petroleum products. The surveyed sites had 3 or 4 barns with a size of 100 to 150 m2. The elemental and organic composition of the samples was determined, bioassay was performed with the determination of the hazard class of waste, the residual content of oil in the oil drilling sludge was established. According to Russian Sanitary rules and regulations 2.1.7.1386-03 the hazard class of waste of the solid phase, which contains many mobile forms, of elements was classified as 2 hazard classes. While a series of

bioassay methods didn’t show the toxicity. The testing of the oil drilling sludge samples didn’t have a toxic effect on Daphnia (Daphnia bioassay). The chemotactic reaction of the infusoria (bioassay tests using ciliates) showed that the samples are not toxic too. Analyzing the influence of water extracts of waste on seeds of oats (phytoassay), suppression of the growth of seeds was identified only in one sample. This toxicity was eliminated with a hundred times dilution of the original extract. According to Sanitary rules and regulations 2.1.7.1386-03 waste should be attributed to the 4 hazard class (low hazard). The study showed a strong discrepancy in the criteria and results in determining the hazard class of samples. Thus, it is necessary to choose a set of tests cultures for contact methods of bioassay, which will more accurately determine the hazard class for this type of wastes.

Keywords: waste, oil drilling sludge, hazard classes, bioassay.

On the way to Eilat (the Southern city of Israel!)