Environmental and Earth Sciences

Abstract: Climate change is expanding the potential range of Pistacia vera cultivation, creating new opportunities for crop diversification across southern Europe. However, the agro-climatic suitability of the Western Balkans has not previously been evaluated. This study compared two representative environments, Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Split (Croatia), with established and emerging pistachio-growing regions using long-term climate data derived primarily from the NASA MERRA-2 reanalysis (WeatherSpark, 2026). Agro-climatic suitability was assessed through comparative analysis of thermal and hydrological indicators interpreted according to the eco-physiological requirements of commercial Pistacia vera cultivars. Both locations satisfied the principal agro-climatic requirements for commercial pistachio cultivation. Split combined high growing-season heat accumulation, comparable to Gaziantep and Ciudad Real, with relatively low winter chill, indicating greater suitability for cultivars with low to moderate chilling requirements. In contrast, Mostar combined substantially higher winter chill with adequate heat accumulation, indicating suitability for commercial cultivars requiring higher chilling and early fruit maturation. Although annual precipitation exceeded that of traditional pistachio-growing regions, the highly permeable karst landscapes and favourable atmospheric ventilation of the Western Balkans may partly offset humidity-related constraints by promoting rapid drainage and canopy drying. Cultivars with resistance to Alternaria spp. are therefore recommended for regional adaptation. Overall, these findings identify the Western Balkans as a promising agro-climatic region for commercial Pistacia vera cultivation and provide a robust framework for future field validation and cultivar selection.

Abstract: Pesticides represent a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems due to their persistence and widespread use in agricultural areas, altering environments and exerting adverse effects on non-target organisms. Tebuthiuron is a phenylurea herbicide extensively used as an agrochemical to control pests and weeds in various crops, which often lead to contamination of aquatic environments. Despite its high-water solubility with relatively long half-life in soil, studies on Tebuthiuron toxicity in fishes at environmental concentrations are limited. This study aimed to unravel the toxicity mechanisms of Tebuthiuron using the zebrafish model. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to Tebuthiuron (one concentration of either 0.1, 10, 1000 and 5000 µg/L) for 5 days and assessed for hatchability, heart rate, locomotor activity, oxygen reactive species, apoptosis and gene expression. There was no change in frequency of hatch, heart rate, nor apoptosis. However behavioral changes were noted with hyperactivity of zebrafish larvae during the first light (at 10 µg/L), second light (at 10 and 1000 µg/L) and third dark (10 µg/L) periods of the visual motor response assay. Biochemically, a significant depletion of basal ROS levels was observed specifically at 1000 µg/L. At the molecular level, downregulation of oxidative stress related genes (cat, sod1, and sod2) in larval fish were observed with exposure to 10 and 5000 µg/L Tebuthiuron, suggesting a depletion of antioxidant enzymes. In addition, some neurotoxicity-related genes were downregulated such as acetylcholinesterase (ache) while some genes were upregulated like microtubule-associated protein tau b (maptb) and synapsin 2 alpha (syn2a) with 5000 µg/L Tebuthiuron exposure. Thus, Tebuthiuron affected larval activity and transcripts related to oxidative stress and neurotoxicity. This study integrates molecular, biochemical, and behavioral data and contributes to the risk assessment of Tebuthiuron to aquatic species.

Abstract: Children are particularly vulnerable to indoor environmental exposures, yet evidence based on residential measurements remains limited. This study assessed associations between 22 indoor environmental indicators and respiratory allergic symptoms in children using 115 observations from Shenzhen during 2023–2024. Single-pollutant logistic regression, restricted cubic spline, and weighted quantile sum regression were applied, adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, family history of allergy, and indoor temperature, except when temperature was the exposure. Asthma-related and allergic rhinitis-related symptoms were reported in 35.7% and 47.8% of observations, respectively. Higher indoor temperature and illuminance were associated with increased risks of both outcomes. O₃, total volatile organic compounds, SO₂, toluene, and total bacterial count were inversely associated with allergic rhinitis-related symptoms. Relative humidity and total fungal count were positively associated with allergic rhinitis-related symptoms only in the basic adjusted model, while medium formaldehyde exposure was associated with increased asthma-related symptoms. Nonlinear associations were observed for air velocity with both outcomes and for relative humidity and total fungal count with allergic rhinitis-related symptoms. No significant overall mixture effect was identified. These findings indicate that physical, chemical, and biological indoor factors may contribute differently to childhood respiratory allergic symptoms and warrant confirmation in larger longitudinal studies.

Abstract: Coastplay is a route-based environmental communication prototype for short- term public climate learning in coastal protected-area settings.In coastal protected-area settings, there is a directness in it that makes short-term climate learning possible without reducing the landscape to poster explanation.Using the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park (PNSACV) as a reference landscape, it organizes local pressures, landform change, and multispecies relations into three optional learning paths: ocean, cliff, and sky. The fact that these paths can work as learning sequences is in part due simply to their low threshold. It also owes to the happy circumstance that dragging, clicking, sliders, and evidence cards can render warming, storms, drought, erosion, and habitat change as comparable and conditional readings. Then,too, there is always something other than content in Coastplay to grasp hold of, for those who want to analyze.For Coastplay, unlike a same-content linear page, possesses a vocabulary of forms: the explicit and discussable technology of route choice, interaction, and evidence sequence that supports comparison. What emerges is a Research through Design proof- of-concept, with a remote formative comparison (final `N = 110`; route-based prototype `n = 55`; linear control `n = 55`) suggesting higher short-term comprehension, fewer deterministic misreadings, and richer conditional retelling than a same-content linear page. What is needed, first, is a reusable route-based learning grammar. If public-facing climate interfaces are to avoid overclaiming, an explicitly bounded evaluation serves them better than inflated impact language.What Coastplay contributes is a reusable route- based learning grammar and a bounded account of how such an interface can prepare evidence-linked discussion.

Abstract: Despite decades of scientific advancement, international negotiations, and growing public awareness, climate governance continues to experience persistent delays between knowledge production and transformative action. The contemporary climate challenge is therefore not simply a deficit of scientific understanding or technological capability; it reflects deeper cognitive, institutional, and civilizational barriers that influence how societies perceive risks, organize priorities, and imagine possible futures. This article applies a Noesological approach to climate inaction, extending previous developments of Noesology as a framework concerned with cognitive architectures, mental systems, and collective intelligence. From this perspective, climate governance failures are interpreted as manifestations of a profound mismatch between human cognitive structures and the nonlinear dynamics of the Earth system.Drawing on insights from Earth system science, cognitive science, behavioral economics, complexity theory, and sustainability transitions research, this article argues that climate inaction emerges from multiple interacting cognitive mechanisms, including temporal discounting, complexity blindness, institutional lock-in, dominant development paradigms, fragmented knowledge systems, and collective forms of denial. These mechanisms prevent societies from translating scientific knowledge into adequate systemic responses. The article proposes that climate transformation requires not only technological innovation and institutional reform but also a reconfiguration of collective cognitive architectures capable of perceiving planetary interdependence and long-term consequences.A Noesological perspective contributes to environmental governance by shifting attention from the question of information transmission toward the deeper question of cognitive transformation. It suggests that planetary stewardship requires the emergence of new mental models, governance capacities, and forms of collective intelligence aligned with Earth system realities.

Abstract: This study evaluates the performance of the native Mediterranean species Pallenis maritima (L.) Greuter on an extensive green roof with the aim of introducing the cultivation of new sustainable species in the urban environment. Growth performance, physiological responses, and anatomical adaptations were assessed under reduced-input conditions, including deficit irrigation and shallow (10 cm) substrate with or without soil. Plants were cultivated under controlled rooftop conditions, and growth traits, flowering performance, stomatal resistance, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (maximum PSII photochemical efficiency; ΦP_SIIo), relative water content, and leaf anatomical characteristics were monitored over a 17-month period. P. maritima maintained satisfactory vegetative growth, ground cover, and flowering across all treatments, with only moderate reductions under sparse irrigation. As expected, plants exhibited increased stomatal resistance under water deficit but rapid recovery after irrigation, along with stable and reversible reductions in ΦP_SIIo. Anatomical analyses revealed xeromorphic traits, including increased leaf thickness, dense pubescence, trichomes, and crystalline inclusions, particularly under water deficit. Substrate composition influenced growth, with soil-containing substrate enhancing vegetative development, although the soilless, lightweight substrate also supported acceptable performance. Overall, the species demonstrated strong adaptation to cyclic drought–irrigation conditions through integrated physiological and structural mechanisms. These findings support the potential of P. maritima for low-input green roof systems and sustainable urban landscaping in Mediterranean and semi-arid environments.

Abstract: Indoor air quality (IAQ) is an important determinant of public health, especially for individuals with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). Fragrances emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can contribute to poor IAQ. Although scent-free policies are being widely implemented as an accommodation for those impacted by fragrances, their ability to improve IAQ has not been examined. This study assessed if scent-free policies can improve IAQ across Canadian offices. IAQ testing was conducted between December 2023 and June 2024 in 34 offices (17 with scent-free policies, 17 without). Sampling included total VOCs (TVOCs), top 35 VOCs, formaldehyde, CO, CO₂, PM₂.₅, temperature, and relative humidity. Analyses controlled for room size, occupancy, and ventilation rate using Mann-Whitney U tests and generalized linear models. Regression analysis revealed significantly higher VOC concentrations in spaces without scent-free policies, including acetaldehyde (OR = 2.2, p <.05), acetone (OR = 7.7, p <.001), toluene (OR = 3.4, p <0.05), m-/p-xylene (OR = 6.9, p <.001), o-Xylene (OR = 15.5, p <.001), and TVOCs (ORs = 3.9, p<.001). This study provides findings that support scent-free policies as a low-cost source control strategy to help lower VOC concentrations and improve IAQ accessibility.

Abstract: Accurate quantification of wildfire risk is essential for balancing wildfire mitigation and prescribed fire management in grassland ecosystems, yet existing fire danger indices do not explicitly distinguish seasonal fuel dynamics from daily weather variability. This study presents a hierarchical framework for quantifying wildland fire risk by explicitly separating seasonal wildfire potential from daily weather-driven fire activity. The framework introduces the Daily Burned Area Ratio (DBAR) as a quantitative measure of realized wildfire risk and decomposes it into the Seasonal Burned Area Ratio (SBAR) and the Daily Burn Activity Index (DBAI). Wildfire records from the U.S. Forest Service Fire Program Analysis Fire-Occurrence Database, Oklahoma Mesonet weather observations, and remotely sensed vegetation data collected between 1995 and 2020 were used to develop and evaluate the framework in the Flint Hills of Kansas and Oklahoma. SBAR was modeled using grass curing and air temperature to characterize the seasonal baseline of wildfire activity, whereas DBAI was modeled using dead fuel moisture content (DFMC) and wind speed to quantify day-to-day departures from that seasonal baseline. The SBAR model accurately reproduced the characteristic bimodal wildfire regime of the Great Plains, whereas the DBAI model identified DFMC as the dominant control on daily wildfire activity, with wind speed providing an important secondary influence. Compared with the Burning Index (BI) and the Grassland Fire Danger Index (GFDI), the hierarchical framework achieved superior performance in discriminating fire days from non-fire days. Global sensitivity analysis further demonstrated that the framework provides a more balanced representation of the influences of grass curing, relative humidity, air temperature, and wind speed than the conventional indices. By explicitly separating seasonal fuel dynamics from short-term weather variability, the proposed framework provides an ecologically interpretable, locally calibratable, and operationally practical approach to wildfire risk assessment. Because the seasonal and daily components can be calibrated independently, the framework is readily transferable to other grassland ecosystems and provides a flexible foundation for adaptive wildfire and prescribed fire management under changing climatic conditions.

Abstract: Green buildings (GB) have proven to be an important way to respond to environmental degradation, depletion of resources, climate change caused by rapid urbanization. Due to the increasing rate of urban growth in Nigeria, and the demands for increased infrastructure, there is a growing need to include GB principles in the development of sustainable urban planning. In this study, Nigerian GB Policy Frameworks (GBPFs) are reviewed and analysed concerning their degree of integration within sustainable urban planning. A Narrative Literature Review with systematic elements was using secondary data, including policy documents and international GB standards from 2000 to 2025. The review focused on four primary Nigerian policy documents (the National Building Code (NBC), National Housing Policy (NHP), Energy Efficiency Building Code (EEBC) and the Green Building Council of Nigeria (GBCN)) and provided a comparative analysis between the Nigerian GBPFs and the international frameworks - LEED, BREEAM, EDGE, Green Star and Green Mark. The findings indicate there has been progress in GB construction practices in Nigeria; however, the existing GB policies (GBPs) in Nigeria are largely fragmented, poorly enforced, and poorly integrated into urban planning processes. Institutional overlaps, lack of adequate financial resources, lack of technical capacity, lack of stakeholder engagement and the absence of a nationally sanctioned GB rating system present ongoing barriers to implementation. The comparative analysis indicates that countries which have implemented stronger regulatory frameworks, greater financial incentives, and introduced compulsory certification systems achieve greater success in the integration of GB principles into urban development. The study advocates a legally binding national GB framework that would provide for improved institutional coordination, the provision of financial incentives, the establishment of climate-responsive standards, and robust monitoring mechanisms to support sustainable urban development in Nigeria.

Abstract: The Moroccan littoral stretches on 3,500 km, including 500 km on the Mediterranean side; this explains the considerable extent of the country’s coastal wetlands. The great variability in the geology and morphology of these littorals has led to a wide diversity of coastal landscapes, including more than 1,500 km of beaches and 1,000 km of rocky coastlines, interrupted by about 300 estuaries, and five large lagoons. This study aims to develop a primary classification of Morocco’s non-estuarine beaches, which number about 163 units. Referring to their descriptive inventory, based on four categories of physiographic criteria (morphology, geology, hydrodynamic, and sediments), we built a binary matrix 'beaches x criteria' that was treated using two statistical tools, k-means hierarchical clustering algorithm (HCA) and factorial correspondence analysis (CA). The main result of these treatments lies in a classification of the Moroccan non-estuarine beaches in fourteen clusters that can be explained by five determinant parameters: beach dimensions (width and length), slope, sediment grain size and spring tidal height. This classification could serve as a reference scheme for a more advanced classification of North African beaches, based on both satellite imagery and field measurements. With this in mind, the data collected in Morocco could serve as the basis for a larger database covering all North African coasts and built using the methodology presented in this article. In addition, this database would contribute significantly to the national inventory of wetlands, which is a fundamental step in their conservation.

Abstract: Coastal dune ecosystems play an essential role in shoreline stabilization, biodiversity conservation, and carbon storage, but they are increasingly threatened by human activities and climate-related disturbances. This study assessed long-term forest vegetation dynamics in restored coastal dune ecosystems in northwestern Tunisia, integrating a 30-year Landsat dataset (1994–2024) with Random Forest classification. We quantified changes in forest and shrubland cover, evaluated the effectiveness of dune stabilization reforestation (Pinus pinea and Acacia spp.), and assessed the impact of the 2023 wildfire on forest biomass and carbon stocks. The findings demonstrate that reforestation efforts reduced mobile sand areas by 42.9% over three decades, with 78% of the sand loss attributable to vegetation stabilization. When infrastructure-affected areas were excluded, sand decreased by 64.7%, confirming genuine forest restoration success. The 2023 wildfire caused substantial forest biomass losses in the reforested pine stands (264.19 t·ha⁻¹) and carbon reductions (124.17 t·ha⁻¹). These losses reflect the high vulnerability of Mediterranean coastal forests to wildfire disturbances under recurrent summer drought and increasing temperatures. The study emphasizes the importance of long-term remote sensing time-series for coastal forest management and restoration planning in Mediterranean ecosystems.

Abstract: Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) growing in mountain forests is a sensitive indicator of environmental variability, but its growth response may be strongly modified by local site conditions, which is important for sustainable forest management under climate change. This study examined two spruce populations in the upper montane zone of the Śnieżnik Massif, Eastern Sudetes, southwestern Poland: one growing on a raised bog (Sadzonki—TS) and the other on mineral soil (Owczarnia—OW). Tree-ring width (TRW) chronologies were developed from 59 sampled trees and discs, covering 1781–2023 for TS and 1800–2023 for OW. Annual δ¹³C analysis was performed for a selected TS tree, and decadal wood geochemistry was analyzed for a selected disc. Spruces growing on the raised bog showed TRW less half in comparison to trees on mineral soil. TRW was mainly controlled by summer or spring–summer temperature, while precipitation had a stronger positive effect at the mineral-soil site. δ¹³C showed weak relationships with TRW but negative correlations with mean annual and summer temperature. Elevated concentrations of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Pb occurred mainly in 1941–1950 and 1971–1980, indicating the influence of historical air pollution. The contrasting growth trends and health status of the two populations demonstrate that local habitat conditions strongly shape spruce responses to environmental change and should be considered in sustainable mountain forest conservation and adaptation strategies.

Abstract: We report a freeze-dried ready-to-use yeast thyroid screen (YTS), displaying detection sensitivity and performance comparable to that of the freshly prepared counterpart. This field-deployable method reduces the duration of the worktime from several days to 5 hours with no requirement for sterile conditions, fulfilling key requirements for implementation in a biosensor array with on-site application. The effects of cell density and concentration of the cryoprotectant trehalose on median effective concentrations (EC₅₀), limit of detection (LOD) and biosensor induction (IF) were determined and monitored over a storage period of 5 months. In addition, the impact of these parameters was monitored on the biosensor survival rate during freeze-drying and the subsequent storage process. Throughout the 5-month study, the freeze-dried recombinant yeast-assay retained comparable dose-response characteristics to those of the freshly prepared counterpart, displaying median values of EC₅₀ in the range of 350 nM to 550 nM and LODs in the range of 20 nM to 45 nM of the reference compound thyroxine (T4). A proof of principle of the long-term stabilization is demonstrated using spiked (T4, 2 µM) river water and extracted wastewater effluent. After 5 months of storage, the T4 recoveries were 96 ± 38% and 112 ± 15% for river water and wastewater, respectively.

Abstract: Climate change, altered ecosystems and expanding development in fire-prone landscapes are increasing fire risk in the wildland–urban interface (WUI). This study uses Noosa, southeast Queensland, Australia, as a proof-of-concept case study to test irrigated Green Firebreaks (iGFBs). Using the AMICUS Vesta Mk2 fire-behaviour model, fire spread and fireline intensity were compared across dry eucalypt control scenarios, non-irrigated green firebreak scenarios, and irrigated green firebreak scenarios, receiving 1 and 2 mm m⁻2 day-1 of water. In line with future climate predictions, these scenarios were all compared under progressively worsening fire-weather conditions. The drought-affected dry eucalypt control produced the highest predicted fire spread and fireline intensity, while non-irrigated green firebreak scenarios reduced fire behaviour, but they may still exceed typical suppression thresholds under catastrophic conditions. In contrast, iGFB scenarios consistently reduced both fire spread and fireline intensity across all fire-weather classes. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the model outputs were most responsive to drought- and moisture-related assumptions, supporting the importance of fuel moisture in the performance of the iGFB concept. Although iGFBs are not a stand-alone solution suitable for all settings, the findings provide a region-specific proof of concept for iGFBs and support the need for further applied research.

Abstract: Wildfire risks are increasing due to climate change, which poses a challenge to conventional firefighting strategies. In the wildland–urban interface (WUI), people and their infrastructure are increasingly vulnerable to fire. Strategic planting of low-flammable vegetation as green firebreaks has emerged to support wildfire management in the WUI. However, under extreme heat and drought, even low-flammability plants become fuel, contributing to fire spread and intensity. This paper presents a conceptual design framework for irrigated green firebreaks (iGFBs), which integrate vegetation design with supplemental irrigation to maintain fuel moisture and enhance fire-regulating ecosystem services. The framework is structured around landscape contexts, priority ecosystem services, integrated design solutions, and implementation considerations. A case study in Noosa Shire, Queensland, Australia, demonstrates how urban water reuse, including greywater and rainwater, can provide the needed irrigation in a WUI landscape. The iGFB concept highlights the potential to reduce fire intensity and slow fire spread while delivering co-benefits such as localised cooling and enhanced biodiversity. While the framework is site-responsive, its underlying principles are transferable to other WUI settings. Further research is required to evaluate the effectiveness of iGFBs under different fire and climate scenarios.

Abstract: The root development strategies of individual varieties are key factors in adaptability. In our experiment, the root morphological characteristics of three winter wheat varieties were examined at soil depths of 30, 60, and 90 cm throughout the growing season using the CI-600 in situ root scanner. Plants were grown under optimal water supply and simulated drought conditions. After maturity, a complete biomass and yield analysis was conducted, and the connection between the root structure and production biology parameters was evaluated. There were significant differences in the root structure among the varieties. The root length of the Mv-Kolompos remained stable in the upper and middle soil layers even under water shortage. Mv-Verbunkos had an extensive root system, but the roots were concentrated in the upper soil layers and showed growth in this layer under drought conditions. The root length and surface of the Aura variety were lower than those of the other two varieties; however, the lateral roots of this genotype rapidly reached the deeper soil layers. However, even with regulated root development, this variety was unable to offset the negative effects of drought, and both biomass production and yield decreased significantly as a result of water shortage.

Abstract:

The ecology and maritime traffic safety would be at risk if a CO₂ reservoir or transmission pipeline were to leak. To address this need, multiphase Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models were developed using ANSYS Fluent to predict these coupled processes. The 3D Eulerian-Eulerian CFD model has been developed for validation and the 2D model for predicting the 50m case. The physical and chemical processes involved, such as buoyancy, turbulence, and gas dissolution kinetics, are all considered. The mass transfer coefficient is estimated using the Hughmark correlation. Seawater temperature and salinity are used for estimating dissociation and Henry’s Law constant. The 3D model is validated with the QICS and Hauser Tank Experiments. Hypothetical CO₂ release from High Island 10L was simulated and compared to prior work. Findings indicate that the water column can fully mitigate a CO₂ release of 35 kg/s in 50 m of water due to CO₂ absorption in seawater during ascent. The CFD simulations offer understanding of environmental impact including bubble plume behavior, dissolution into the water column, and consequent changes in seawater pH and pCO₂ and a framework for evaluating CO₂ leak impacts on marine environments in the Gulf of Mexico.

Abstract: Urban heat islands (UHI) represent one of the most consequential manifestations of anthropogenic land-surface modification, yet their behavior in arid and semi-arid environments remains insufficiently characterized over long temporal horizons. This study presents a comprehensive, multi-decadal (1995–2024) analysis of surface UHI dynamics across five Moroccan cities—Laayoune, Béni Mellal, Taza, Tangier, and Ifrane—selected to span the country’s pronounced climatic gradient from hyper-arid to humid mountainous settings. Using a reproducible Google Earth Engine workflow, monthly land surface temperature (LST) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were derived from multi-mission Landsat Collection 2 Level-2 products, complemented by ERA5-Land air temperature and humidity reanalysis data and Copernicus C3S annual land cover classifications. A standardized eight-direction radial transect sampling design (0–7 km at 1 km intervals) was employed to compute UHI intensity as the thermal contrast between urban cores and peripheral zones. The analytical framework encompasses six successive phases: exploratory spatial-temporal characterization, seasonal decomposition, environmental driver assessment, robust trend detection using Mann–Kendall and Sen’s slope estimators, predictive modeling through SARIMA, Random Forest, XGBoost, and LSTM architectures, and urbanization-impact evaluation through land-cover stratification. Results reveal strongly city-specific thermal regimes: Tangier exhibits a persistent classical UHI pattern, while Ifrane, Béni Mellal, Laayoune, and Taza display recurrent Urban Heat Sink (UHS) episodes. No statistically significant long-term monotonic trend in UHI intensity was detected in any city. Predictive model comparison demonstrates that SARIMA excels in cities with regular seasonal LST structures (R² up to 0.94 in Ifrane), while machine-learning approaches outperform in contexts with irregular thermal signals (R² = 0.90 for Random Forest in Taza). Urbanization amplifies UHI selectively: a clear positive relationship between urban land-cover fraction and UHI intensity emerges in Tangier and Laayoune, whereas local cooling factors dominate in Ifrane, Béni Mellal, and Taza. These findings underscore the primacy of local climatic context and surrounding land-cover characteristics over urbanization level per se in governing UHI behavior, and they support the deployment of multi-model forecasting frameworks for anticipating urban thermal stress under diverse environmental conditions.

Abstract: In this paper 31 sediment samples collected from the Danube River, Delta and Black Sea in Romania were investigated by INAA, ICP-MS and CV-AAS techniques for the quantification of 42 elements (Al, Mg, Cl, Ti, Ca, V, Mn, Na, Si, K, Sc, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Sr, Sb, Zr, Mo, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Sm, Ta, Nd, Eu, Tb, Yb, Lu, Hf, W, Th, U, Cd, Cu, Pb and Hg) and highlighting geochemical peculiarities. Contamination and ecotoxicological risks were evaluated based on single (CF, Er) and complex (PLI, RPLI, RI) indices computed for 26 presumably contaminant elements, suggesting a pollution load in the maritime sector of the Danube and Chilia branch. Significant contribution to the RI had the elements with high toxic response factor, e.g. Hg, rare earth elements (REEs) (Lu having the highest percentage), As, Cd, U, Pb and Sb. Assessment of radiological hazard due to 238U, 232Th and 40K through the absorbed dose rate (ADR), radium equivalent activity index (Raeq), external hazard index (Hex), representative level index (IG), annual effective dose (AED) and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) suggested an elevated radiation exposure of people in the Danube region compared to Black Sea littoral.

Abstract: The Kumaon Himalaya in Uttarakhand is highly prone to rainfall-triggered landslides, causing recurrent socioeconomic losses and infrastructure damage. This study presents a sub-district-level landslide susceptibility assessment for 53 sub-districts (tehsils) of the Kumaon region using two multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches, namely, the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP), to examine the effect of incorporating expert uncertainty into weight assignment. Nine thematic layers representing key hydro-meteorological, geophysical, and anthropogenic drivers were considered: slope, geology, monsoon rainfall, distance to roads, distance to streams, topographic wetness index (TWI), land use/land cover (LULC), soil erosion susceptibility, and distance to fault lines. Spatial datasets were prepared at a 30 m resolution, reclassified to a 1–5 susceptibility scale, and integrated using AHP and FAHP-derived weights. Model outputs were validated against a curated landslide inventory using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) statistics. FAHP demonstrated marginally but statistically significantly superior predictive accuracy over AHP (AUC: 0.887 vs. 0.878; ΔAUC = +0.0095; p < 0.0001, bootstrapped over 10,000 iterations), confirming that the incorporation of triangular fuzzy numbers to capture the inherent vagueness in pairwise weight assignment yields more robust susceptibility estimates than crisp numerical judgments alone. The FAHP-derived susceptibility surface, aggregated to the sub-district scale using an inventory-validated Zonal Mean statistic and classified by the Natural Breaks (Jenks) method, identified 19 sub-districts (35.85%) as having very high or high susceptibility, accounting for 54.5% of all recorded landslide events. A systematic multi-metric comparison of three zonal aggregation approaches further demonstrated that mean-based aggregation, while statistically optimal for regional classification, systematically under classifies localized high-susceptibility zones in 24 of 53 sub-districts (45.3%), a finding with direct implications for sub-district disaster governance. The results offer a practical and spatially explicit tool to guide hazard-sensitive infrastructure planning and disaster risk reduction strategies in the Himalayan context.