Vol 30, No 3 (2022)

Runoff of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and toxic pollutants from urbanized areas is significant source of toxic contamination and anthropogenic eutrophication of water bodies. It is difficult to calculate the surface runoff value. Overview of the runoff modules from urban watersheds with various degrees of urbanization is presented. Some results of our evaluation of the values for the watersheds of the Volkovka and Okhta rivers of St. Petersburg are considered. The evaluation was carried out with usage of our own methodology. The results of our research are compared with ones of other researches. The comparison demonstrates that urbanization significantly influences at intakes of the nutrients and pollutants into water object. The surface runoff is the main source of the pollutants and nutrients intakes into water objects from urban areas.

Based on the results of experimental studies of sorption wastewater treatment, a regression-type mathematical model has been developed that adequately describes the effect of all parameters of the ongoing process on the sorption activity of zeolite: initial concentration, sorption time, process temperature, and medium pH. For the first time in research, a generalized criterion for the consistency of behavior and the width of the domain of definition of the model was used. The processes of involving large-tonnage wastes of chemical production to obtain adsorption materials effective for the extraction of heavy metal ions from industrial wastewater have been studied. Natural zeolites were used as the initial matrix, the main component of which is klinoptilolite. A sulfur polymer obtained from epichlorohydrin production wastes with the main component 1,2,3-trichloropropane is proposed as a modifier. Fixation of the modifier on the surface of the zeolite, as well as the effective adsorption of metal ions, have been proven by IR spectroscopy and energy dispersive analysis.

The article describes study of the hydrochemistry of Taldykol lake system, consisting of the Big and Small Taldykol lakes, in the city of Nur-Sultan. The aim of the work is to assess the anthropogenic impact on the ecosystem of steppe wetlands located in the center of the developing capital. Sampling was carried out from 8 sites of the lake system in autumn 2020. The results of hydrochemical analysis of water samples made it possible to assess the level of chemical pollution and anthropogenic impact on the ecosystem, which, due to rapid urbanization, the lakes have been exposed to for decades. Now, due to the artificial fragmentation of lakes, the surface communication between the sites is disrupted, as evidenced by the different composition of pollutants in water bodies. Nevertheless, to draw up a complete picture and assess the anthropogenic impact on the Taldykol lake ecosystem, it is necessary to consider the results of a comprehensive study of lakes, which includes a number of additional works.

The relevance of the work is due to the study of the issue of disposal and possible use of ash and slag waste in small towns, in particular in the Far East, where the predominant types of heating are low-power boilers or individual heating systems. The simplest and clearest methods for assessing the impact of generated waste on the environment are bioindicative methods, in particular, the assessment of phytotoxicity. The analysis of the phytotoxic effect of ash and slag wastes of various origins and different periods of storage, as well as coal samples in the conditions of urban settlements, was carried town Shakhtersk, Sakhalin region, in relation to herbaceous plants of various systematic groups in the framework of a number of laboratory experiments. The phytotoxic effect of the considered samples was determined by comparing the parameters of the test function of the control and experimental seeds. The dependence of the magnitude of the phytotoxic effect on the shelf life and the type of origin of ash and slag waste is shown. The data obtained are the basis for carrying out additional experiments and studies, as well as determining the chemical composition of the samples under consideration.

The climatic and orographic features of the Sevastopol region are the basis for the development of viticulture, winemaking and obtaining a wide range of high-quality wines. Viticulture is a specialization of agriculture in the Sevastopol region. Observed and predicted climate changes lead to a shift in favorable zones for growing grapes. The amount of precipitation is a key parameter, along with air temperature, for obtaining high quality grapes, and later wine. The water requirements of grapes vary with the season and phase of plant development. The article assesses the possible changes in the conditions of moisture conditions in the Sevastopol region for the grapes growing. The work uses data from numerical calculations of global climate models of the CMIP6 project under an unfavorable scenario of greenhouse gas concentrations SSP5-8.5. The assessment was carried out using two agroclimatic indices - the Selyaninov hydrothermal coefficient and the dryness index, by the middle and end of the 21st century. According to the predicted values of agroclimatic indices, by the middle and the end of the century, the Sevastopol region will remain in the zone where the cultivation of grapes will be possible without irrigation. The results obtained showed the likelihood of an increase in the aridity of the region in future periods, especially towards the end of the century, which will entail additional stress for the grapes. Adaptation measures such as selection of drought-tolerant grape varieties, changes in tillage systems, and placement of vineyards on northern slopes will be required to minimize unfavorable conditions.

Modern ecological problems are considered - pollution of the natural environment with antibiotics and resistance to antimicrobial drugs, when microorganisms mutate and lose susceptibility to antibiotics. The reasons for this dangerous phenomenon are the ever-growing and uncontrolled use of antibiotics in medicine, veterinary medicine and agriculture. Most antibiotics are not completely metabolized in humans and animals, a significant part of the injected drugs enters the water and soil through urban wastewater, animal manure and sewage sludge transported to agricultural fields as fertilizers and pose environmental risks to human health. Assessment of environmental risks from the accumulation of antibiotics in natural waters and food is extremely important for the Baikal natural territory. This is an area that includes Lake Baikal (a World Heritage site), a water protection zone adjacent to Lake Baikal, its catchment basin on the territory of the Russian Federation, natural zones of primary protection adjacent to Lake Baikal, as well as an area about 200 km wide adjacent to Lake Baikal to the west and northwest of it. It may be at potential risk both for endemic species of Lake Baikal and for the population in case of chronic exposure and accumulation of antibiotics in environmental objects. The purpose of this work was a predictive assessment of the environmental risk to public health with direct oral consumption of water, meat and other products grown in an area contaminated with antibiotics. The initial data were the results of monitoring the quality of food products entering the retail network of the Irkutsk region. It was found that on average, an adult resident of the region receives 0.5718 mg/kg of antibiotics daily with food. A child aged 6 to 12 years receives 1.3803 mg/kg of antibiotic daily with food, and a child aged 2 to 6 years receives 2.6686 mg/kg of the substance. Residents of the Baikal region, adults and children aged 2 to 12 years, have a potential environmental health risk as a result of exposure to antibiotics coming with food on the body an order of magnitude higher than the safe level and it is necessary to take actions aimed at minimizing such risks.

Wastewater after biological wastewater treatment very often exceeds the natural ability of reservoirs and watercourses to self-purify. Increasing requirements for the environmental safety of wastewater discharge into natural water bodies determines the particular relevance of improving technological methods and wastewater treatment facilities. In the world practice of post-treatment, preliminary filtration and filtration are rightfully considered one of the most effective methods. At the same time, one of the most common devices used in post-treatment of wastewater are sand filters with granular filter material, the effectiveness of which is often overestimated. The problems of post-treatment of wastewater by filtration using sand filters with a granular filter load are considered, the main problems that arise when using such devices are considered without taking into account the features of post-treatment processes in the presence of organic matter in highly dispersed colloidal forms. Substantiated are additional requirements for reducing the concentration of toxic substances when discharging wastewater into natural water bodies and minimizing changes in the conditions for the development of the biocenosis of these objects. The reasons for the insufficient efficiency of wastewater post-treatment on sand filters, including the reasons for the increase in the content of organic substances in the filtrate after post-treatment, are determined. The main criteria for the effective use of filtering devices in wastewater treatment systems are formulated.

The problem of drinking water quality affects many aspects of our lives. The use of water that does not comply with the established safety standards can provoke various adverse consequences for humans. This article reviews the quality of drinking water in water intake wells, public wells, springs, and centralized water supply points in apartment buildings in the Taldom and Dmitrov town districts of the Moscow region. As a result of the analysis of the indicators of 76 sources in these areas, it was found that drinking water that fully complies with the Sanitary Regulations and Norms 2.1.4.1074-01 is observed only in 3 sources. Which advises 3.9% of the total. In 96.1% of the sources, the water is not suitable for drinking and requires additional cleaning measures (up to sanitary and hygienic regulatory requirements for disinfection).

A risk-based approach in food safety monitoring suggests that the number analysis of contaminants and (or) products depends on the risk caused by product contamination, first of all for consumer health and economic (prevention of unsafe products realization). Risk-oriented sampling, planning and assignment of studies can be opposed with representative, aimed at obtaining reliable information about the contamination of the main types of products and conducted taking into account the requirements of mathematical statistics. The core of the various risk-based approaches as a rule is the ranking of contaminants/groups of contaminants and combinations of «contaminant-product» according to the risk degree. Ranking algorithms may be subdivided into qualitative (verbal characteristics) and quantitative (scores estimation). Algorithms for food chemical contaminants ranking proposed by authority agencies of the most successful in food safety countries are reviewed in this paper. The proposed approaches have a certain (sometimes limited) scope of application and provide scientifically based data for enhance compound control, unite toxicological characteristics, consumption, identification, and other information about xenobiotics. A serious limitation of the ranking effectiveness may be missing data of veterinary drugs (antibiotics) residues below maximum permissible level. There are additional but important criteria for health risk, the ability of drugs to cause pathogenic microorganisms’ resistance for the example.

Fluctuating asymmetry of the hanging birch ( Betula pendula Roth), black poplar ( Populus nigra L . ), common ash ( Fraxinus excelsior L . ), common maple ( Acer platanoides L . ), common lilac ( Syringa vulgaris ) was evaluated as an integral measure based on five morphometric features of the plate. Samples of the leaf apparatus were taken at each point of technogenic load from the lower part of the crown of several close-growing trees of Betula pendula Roth, Populus nigra, Fraxinus, Acer platanoides and Syringa randomly select 30 intact leaves from each tree. In the future, calculations of the coefficient of fluctuating asymmetry were carried out in order to obtain an average value that determines the quality of the air environment corresponding to a certain score. An attempt was also made to find the correlation relationship of each bilateral feature with the average coefficient of fluctuating asymmetry. As a result, the correlation coefficient was equal to one, which corresponds to a high correlation. Considering this circumstance, it was decided to find a connection between the correlation dependence of the fluctuating asymmetry of the hanging birch with the fluctuating asymmetry of the leaf apparatus of poplar, maple, ash and lilac. The correlation coefficients were close to one, which made it possible to compile regression equations, with the help of which air quality assessment scales were compiled.

The article covers the problem of ecological reflection and the ways of its linguistic realization in the Russian and foreign media discourse space at the present epoch of digitalization and sustainable development. The main goal of this research is to characterize the key linguistic ways of expressing ecological reflection at its individual and collective levels of information perception by human consciousness in Russian, English and French media discourses. The study contains a comparative approach towards the analysis of the language units that express ecological reflection in the media discourses of different language domains. This method helps define the relevance of the study, which is primarily explained by the increasing number of interactive media materials focused on the environmental issues of the third millennium. The results of the study demonstrate a different degree of the language expression of ecological reflection (evolutionary, mediative and radical) by means of a particular choice of linguistic instruments specific for a certain language media space. In the end, one common principle is identified in the expression of ecological reflection in the Russian, French and English media discourse space. Despite almost opposite linguistic approaches towards the implementation of ecological reflection in the Russian, English and French media, there is one common challenge that unites them all, and this is the survival of the planet as well as its further sustainable development. Thus, at this stage the language choice for the promotion of eco-reflective ideas becomes convergent for three media discourse space of Russia, France and the English-speaking world.