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The emission of fluorine compounds by industrial plants that process phosphorites and apatites and the spread of their wastes become one of the main sources of formation of a persistent technogenic anomaly nearby Taraz (Zhambyl) town in Kazakhstan. Ecological-geochemical monitoring of the content of this element in the environmental objects is an essential measure because of the severity of consequences caused by hyperfluorosis. The study aimed to evaluate the levels of fluorine in the water, soil, and plants. Loc...

In 2015-2020 the content of heavy metals and metalloids in the river bottom sediments in Kaliningrad region was studied. Definition of arsenic, lead, zinc, copper, and vanadium, iron, manganese, titanium, aluminum was carried out in water samples and in the samples of bottom and floodplain sediments in the watercourses, flowing into the Curonian Lagoon, in the Baltic Sea and in Kaliningradsky (Vistula) Lagoon, as well as in the watercourses of the southern part of the Kaliningrad region. The composition and patter...

The relevance of preserving the biosphere’s sustainable state determines the need to restore natural ecosystems. The Mining Institute KSC RAS has substantiated the methodology and developed a technology to restore natural ecosystems disturbed during the development of georesources, in accordance with the principle of their self-organization. The increase of the energy potential of the system-forming function of biota results in a much faster remediation of natural ecosystems, compare to self-growing. The permanent...

The field of Earth Sciences has always been at the border between fundamental and applied research. If the fundamental part remains the complexity and unpredictability of research on Earth and natural phenomena, development and applied innovation are anchored in society and give a norm of the impact of research for society. The SETTING project aims to coordinate a distributed infrastructure that owns and can provide data, products and services (DPS) relevant to the field of Earth Sciences, to a wide and diverse co...

The paper considers the methodology and algorithms for integrating geotechnical control methods in assessing the stability of natural and technical objects. In the process of creating data processing algorithms for control systems of natural and technical objects, it is necessary to be based on the purpose and system methodology of the control itself. The purpose of the control is to assess the current state of the object based on the measured geotechnical data and to forecast the development of possible destructi...

Today, a large number of investors base their forecasts, and subsequently make investment decisions, by combining financial and non-financial information. If, until recently, financial data and indicators calculated on their bases were not sufficient for justifying investment decisions, nowadays the situation is rather different. Non-financial information, as a totality of data about environmental, managerial, and social productivity, has a key significance in the assessment of investment projects. The role of thi...

Today, elimination of active pharmaceutical ingredients from environmental waters and wastewaters is becoming an increasingly topical issue. This paper describes a flow-though technology for wastewater treatment, with tetracycline used as an example of a contaminant. A standard scheme for wastewater treatment to eliminate the mentioned compound consisted in advanced oxygen processes based on ozone treatment, fenton process, sonochemical reactions and UV treatment. Currently, photocatalysis is considered the most p...

An important practical task in the study of any measuring devices and systems is to assess their sensitivity. Such systems include, in particular, hardware and software systems for geodynamic monitoring of geological environments for leaks of petroleum products (from areal storage and processing facilities), implemented on the basis of the phase-based method of geoelectric control. The idea of this method is based on the fact that various petroleum products have their own unique electrical characteristics, contras...

Records of the magnetic variations are different at every observatory. They depend mainly on the latitude of the observatory and the local time. To give a quantitative measure of the amount of magnetic disturbance at any time, we need to rely on magnetic indices. Usually, local K-index is preferred as indicator of the geomagnetic activity in a specific area. Each observatory assigns a digit ranging from 0 to 9 to both H and D, for every three-hour interval starting at midnight, universal time (UT). Recently, in De...

The study of the dynamic behavior of the Earth’s magnetic field and its interaction with the Solar wind is an important for better understanding of the processes in the magnetosphere and on the surface of the Earth’s ground. This dynamic system is created due to solar-terrestrial interactions. The effects on the variations of the magnetic field induced by geomagnetic storms are strongly dependent on the local time and the latitude. Our goal is to study of the spectral characteristics of the ULF geomagnetic field v...

Cement concrete pavements are very specific group of the road construction due to the different traffic loads and vary time difficulties in the course of maintenance and repairs. For the design of the planed repairs the increased requirements are imposed especially in the terms of repair life time cycle. The economical evaluation shall consider not only the value of the repair itself but also the cost connected with the diversion of air traffic during the execution of the maintenance and repairs. Therefore, is hig...

Considerable effort of scientific community was made in order to substitute traditional energy resources for green and renewable one. One of possible solution of this issue is wide hydrogen application for energy production. Hydrogen can be produced by different ways including water electrolysis, hydrocarbons and alcohols steam reforming, however, in last case hydrogen purification is needed. Membrane hydrogen separation can serve as good alternative compared to rectification or adsorption process. Beside combinat...

The cascade water system of the Azov Sea basin is a set of geochemical barriers. Here, water masses of different mineralization mix, and the hydrological and hydrodynamic conditions change. As a result, there is a sharp change in the physical, chemical, and biogeochemical characteristics of all components of the aquatic ecosystem, including bottom sediments. Bottom sediments are a more conservative component of the aquatic landscape in comparison with the water mass. The content of pollutants in the samples taken ...

Renewable and waste resources valorization can considerably improve the ecological issues of modern industry and transport sectors of economy. Methanol to hydrocarbon reaction process can be considered one of the possible ways for biomass valorization, resulting in hydrocarbons formation applicable to the chemical industry and transport applications. This way includes biomass gasification process to form a syn-gas, the next step typically includes syn-gas transformation into methanol and the last one includes meth...

The increased content of suspended fine mineral particles in technological and waste waters of mining enterprises and the need to reduce their content to prescriptive concentrations before recycling or discharging into natural water bodies make it necessary to develop new approaches to water conditioning. Despite a variety of existing technological solutions, it’s a problem to select a water conditioning method that simultaneously provides low cost and environmental acceptability. The solution to this task is the ...

Technology of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) is used to obtain ligature in Fe-B system. The SHS Technology can also be successfully used for obtaining ligatures from metallurgical waste, which is the subject of investigation in the presented paper. To separate melted alloy of Fe-B and slag of the process, synthesis is carried out in centrifugal machine. Separation degree between melted alloy of Fe-B and slag in the graphite cup inside the rotating reactor, and, therefore, output degree of final ...

Peltier thermoelectric modules (TEM) have a number of key advantages over compressor cooling systems (ease of use for both cooling and heating, high operational characteristics due to the absence of moving parts, etc.). Ensuring smooth and accurate regulation of the TEM temperature regime requires the development and application of effective automatic control systems. To create complex temperature change profiles, it is necessary to increase the order of the control system, which causes a stability problem. To ana...

The Article is dedicated to the analysis of alterations that occur in the structural land use in the territory of large cities and to formation of proposals on improvements of the city policy in the area of land use, infrastructure development and ecology. St. Petersburg, that is one of the largest Russian cities, is used as an example for the analysis. However, the tendencies and issues identified in the article may be considered generic for all large cities of Russia. The article is based on the analysis of the ...

By adopting the Multiannual Financial Framework (MMF), the European Union (EU) sets the priorities and objectives for the EU. The achievement of the objectives set out in the multi-annual budget is closely linked to the implementation of the Member States' national policies and strategies, as well as to the programming documents for the administration of the European Investment Funds. In order to track the progress of the EU Member States in the implementation of economic and social cohesion policy, the authors ha...

The article includes estimates to confirm that the energy of the water of the Oka and Volga rivers at their confluence has being sufficient to erode transfer the volume of surrounding sedimentary rocks, and forming a height difference of about 100 m between the right and left banks and creating a unique landscape of stunning beauty and attractiveness. This phenomenon is due to the work of the Coriolis force and therefore is ubiquitous. However, at the confluence of the Oka and Volga rivers the transfer of sediment...

The seismicity of Romania is significantly affected by earthquakes produced by the Vrancea seismic source with intermediate depth events (3 shocks/century with magnitude Mw greater than 7.0). The seismic activity on the Romanian territory consists of both shallow and intermediate-depth earthquakes. The crustal seismicity is moderate and more scattered in comparison with the intermediate-depth one. The recent upgrade of the seismic network in Romania with high dynamic range velocity sensors (150 real time seismic s...

Hydrogen production plays an important role in the decarbonization of energy used in all sectors. It can be used as an environmentally friendly raw material, fuel or energy carrier. According to Hydrogen Roadmap Europe (2019), the total amount of hydrogen used in the EU is 339 TWh. The largest share falls on the refining processes (153 TWh) and the chemical industry (for the production of ammonia and methanol - a total of 156 TWh). The highest quota has the refining processes (153 TWh) and the chemical industry (f...

One of problems in terrain surveys in geology and archeology is sample obtaining. Among all possible complications are limits in sample volumes and masses, including possible toxicity or radioactivity and also the legal status of the samples. In his contribution, these problems are addressed by application of microsampling by surface exfoliation of geological objects and archaeologic artifacts using various tapes and subsequent analyses of the resulting samples. Among method used were both optical and electron mic...

RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel) is obtained from the highly combustible components of household and industrial waste. RDF is mainly used in European countries with a high standard for waste recycling, such as Austria, Germany and the Netherlands. A method for the synthesis of carbon materials and composites based on RDF, coal pitch, petroleum coke and others has been developed. Some of the used components of RDF are: cardboard, polyethylene and polypropylene. The first step in the synthesis process is oxidation, perform...

The purpose of the study is to find the optimal ratio of the equity and debt capital for one of the enterprises of the Russian coal industry using proposed optimization model of the capital structure. In the recent years Russian coal companies endured external and internal challenges connected with access restrictions to the international capital markets due to sanctions and tightening environmental regulations, as well as all time relevant problems of increasing returns and economic benefits from equity capital. ...

The authors were the first to study the main parameters of the mineral metabolism of plants that grow in the Plast Region of the Chelyabinsk Oblast in biogeocenosis with different technogenic impact. The study included the samples of plants taken from the surface of the Novotroitsk tailing dump of the gold-arsenic deposit and similar samples from the reference areas (>15 km from the technogenic formation). The samples of spring sedge (Carex praecox), feather grass (Stipa pennata), poison hemlock (Conium maculatum)...

Recently, there have been cases of lower durability related to concrete pavements in the transport infrastructure in the Czech Republic. One of the main causes seems to be the increased amount of alkalis in the concrete, which may not have come only from individual components or through winter maintenance. This paper describes a research activity which deals with possibilities of alkali attack from the surrounding environment. The pilot testing provides valuable information on alkalis concentrations in real condit...

The article discusses the possibility of using permanganate oxidizable carbon (POxC, active carbon) as a comprehensive indicator for assessing the state of oil contaminated soils and bottom sediments. POxC has recently emerged as a standardized indicator of active, labile carbon within soil quality frameworks. According to the study, the application of this indicator of the ecological wellbeing of water body is possible since bottom sediments and soils are complex natural biogeochemical barrier zones. Bottom sedim...

The Covid-19 pandemic has produced another era on the planet while we sort out the outcomes in various parts of our everyday life. The food sector and food supply chain do not incorporate an exception. In Latvia, the agricultural and food sector is important for the national economy; therefore, it is important that production, processing, logistics, supply and trade disruptions are successfully overcome during the pandemic and the food sector develops rapidly after the crisis and is more resilient in the future. T...

This article will present the main problems related to the reaction of the regional economy during the pandemic COVID-19 in the Republic of Bulgaria. The focus of the study is on the response of the regional economy, as it provides immediate protection against the direct risks to the lives of the local population, such as the spread of disease, the fight against rising unemployment or the deepening of poverty, especially in the smaller settlements, which are at the same time lagging regions. The development of a w...

In Russia, petroleum and petrochemical sectors are closely related: most leading hydrocarbon exploration companies own installations producing organic substances and polymers for the domestic and international markets. Recent transition of Russian economy to Best Available Techniques (BAT) in 2021 is followed by the regulation of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. Moreover, the sector experiences pressure due to the necessity to boost recycling of plastics and, in the near future, to reduce their production. Accord...

The Brown Coal Research Institute j. s. c. is realising the long term research and survey in the field of restoration problems and it is realising the long term research of climate changes in the Czech Republic including impacts to mining operations during research programme of the European Union TEXMIN solving too. The input of expected temperature increasing and precipitation decreasing is favourable for mining operation from point of view of overburden and mining cuts stability, safety of mining and mining cost...

This study aimed to reveal the dependence of the spatial distribution of heavy metals in soil on the morphography of the Lower Danube floodplain in the Ostrovska Lowland in Bulgaria. The field campaign was conducted in 2017, and the concentration of Zn, Ni, Pb and Cr were measured in the fine fraction (<0.063 mm) of 10 soil samples using X-ray fluorescence analysis. The average content of Cr in the topsoil (0-20 cm) was 127 mg/kg ranging between 98 – 171 mg/kg. It was followed by Zn – 81 mg/kg (60 – 128 mg/kg), Ni...

The development of industrialization worldwide also leads to pollution of ground waters, surface and drinking waters. In order to obtain high quality drinking water, the European Union proposes to develop appropriate methods for purifying water from priority pollutants and potentially hazardous substances. One appropriate method is adsorption, which is a relatively affordable and inexpensive technology for highly efficient water treatment. The aim of the present study is to investigate the adsorption capacity of c...

In this article, we analyze the variability of aboveground dry plant biomass and yield of aboveground phytomass in Trifolium pratense L. and Trifolium repens L. under different growing conditions. The studied species are valuable melliferous, fodder and medicinal plants, which accumulate ascorbic acid, carotenoids, higher fatty acids, glycosides, phenols, flavonoids and other substances. During the growing seasons 2018-2020, we studied 15 natural coenopopulations of T. pratense and T. repens, distributed in the so...

The Istria Basin, part of Western Black Sea (WBS) represents a major tectonic unit of the Romanian Black Sea shelf, with prolific hydrocarbon bearing structures. A significant amount of exploration and development wells were drilled on this basin’s northern edge. Core and cuttings data from 12 boreholes provide important details on this basin and the WBS stratigraphy, especially for the two of the main hydrocarbons bearing deposits Upper Cretaceous and, respectively, Eocene, on which we have achieved an age interp...

The separate layer of rhizoid limestone from Urzhumian red succession of Tetyushi Volga region was studied to clarify its depositional features. Field description, optical microscopy, bulk geochemistry, stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used. The limestone under study has a thickness of about 1 m, is penetrated by a network of thin root channels (rhizoid limestone), the upper part of the rhizoid limestone is overlain by thin-laminated leafy limestone (3-5 cm) (l...

The way people perceive risks determines their reactions to and engagement in public campaigns, new development projects or clean-up and remediation initiatives. Since local communities represent important stakeholders in the sustainable development of a region, their beliefs and social representations of risk are important indicators that need a careful analysis. Mining communities are of particular interest to social and environmental scientists given the long-term pollution resulting from such activities and th...

The earthquakes are among the most common natural events in Bulgaria. Earthquakes represent a societal challenge as well as globally necessitating practical and operational solution for mitigating risk and reducing losses. This is achievable though earthquake risk assessment. The assessment of seismic risk is based on procedures for integration of seismic hazard and seismic vulnerability of the bearing structures of the building stock. The building stock is divided into three main groups, taking into account the s...

An earthquake catalogue covering the seismicity on the territory of Bulgaria and adjacent lands for the period 2000-2020 is presented in the current study. In this catalogue are included events with magnitude equal to or larger than Mw ? 2.5. As a country, Bulgaria belongs to the Alpo-Hymalian seismic belt, it is also not absent of strong earthquakes. Bulgaria is an earthquake prone country taking in account that on its territory are recorded some of the strongest earthquakes from the beginning of the last century...

Protecting the environment is a top priority today. The aim of the paper is to present the possible environmental risks arising from the rail transport of hazardous substances. During transport, new risks of leakage of hazardous substances and environmental contamination from railway tanks arise during their decommissioning at railway stations. These risks can be a significant source of environmental contaminants and there is no methodology to prevent possible impacts. The current situation in Europe has seen some...

The article assesses the size of the shadow economy of the Russian oil and gas industry. The article addresses factors in the shadow economy emergence and development in the oil and gas sector. The article justifies methods fighting the phenomenon. The article proposes a system of measures reducing the size of the shadow economy in the oil and gas sector and its impact on the economy of Russia. It has been proven that amid the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and political and economic sanction pressure of E...

Humanity vision about steadily increasing its quality of life has had as a consequence the maintained search for available odds in order to design various energy supply systems based on different energy resources. The innovative thinking way of human beings has always been also driving the field of shaping more efficient energy supply systems with less unwanted environmental impacts. Conventional energy supply systems, especially based on fossil fuels, have been since long applied, their impacts being especially p...

In this paper, a class of multi-extremal stochastic programming problems is considered. Direct and dual problems are also included in this problem, respectively, in this paper the question of the existence of solutions to such problems is studied, the necessary theorems and proofs are given. Decision making under uncertainty is based on the fact that the probabilities of various scenarios are unknown. Decision-making under risk conditions is based on the fact that each situation of the development of events can be...

The Vrancea zone, located in Romania, at the sharp bend of the Southeastern Carpathians, is a well-defined seismic region in a continental convergence area with unique properties and generating the most destructive subcrustal earthquakes in Europe. The seismicity is concentrated in a confined, high-velocity, focal volume at 60–200 km depth range. The increasing number and quality of waveforms digitally recorded in the last time by the National Institute for Earth Physics (NIEP) provide the opportunity to better co...

The determination of residual oil reserves is a complex task that involves high qualified specialists and resource-intensive calculations. Classical oil reservoir simulation methods cannot provide proper level of reliability due to increasing of complexity caused by oil reservoir depleting. Stagnant oil zones arising from heterogeneity of shear modulus of medium cannot be determinate by oil reservoir simulation due to use of effective values of porosity and absolute and phase permeability. The problem of determina...

The efficient use and recycling of industrial water is a major challenge to the sustainability of the planet. Blast furnace slag is a by-product of metallurgical operations during the production of cast iron. The granulated slag is obtained by cooling in water. In this research we studied the cooling water of granulated slag generated from the process of making cast iron through the blast furnace route. The elemental analysis of granulated slag and of granulated slag stored in water was determined by X-Ray Fluores...

Waste steel slag is a major source of environmental pollution within the metallurgical industries. Metallurgical slags like blast furnace slag, ferroalloy slag, converter slag and copper slag are produced as by-products in metallurgical processes. During the production of steel, one ton of slag waste is generated per every three tons of stainless steel produced. In order to reuse waste steel slag, discharged at high temperature range (1250-1650 °C) and cooled in water, which is named as granulated slag, three diff...

Oil is produced in the form of an oil emulsion due to the high depletion of deposits and significant water cut in wells. The formation of emulsions can lead to a number of complications in the operation of various field equipment, and sometimes even to emergency shutdowns or failures. Therefore, the study of the properties of demulsifiers and their effectiveness is an important task. The work investigates the surface-active properties of seven industrial demulsifiers produced in Russia, such as: interfacial and su...

Environmental problems of mining industry are largely related to the need to store mining and processing waste, occupying large areas and being a source of the natural environment pollution. The Mining Institute KSC RAS has substantiated the methodology and developed the technology for the ecological restoration of lands disturbed during development of georesources in the framework of the rock – biota system evolution by creating a sown cereal phytocenosis without the application of a topsoil layer, which provides...