Click here for the full text.

Authors: Ivan Notardonato, Luigi Pierno, Claudia Cafaro, Paolo Ceci, Pasquale Avino

Abstract: Environmental pollution and its impact on human health has become a topic of great concern. In recent years, the scientific community has significantly increased its attention towards the protection of human health and an increasing number of analytical determinations are being carried out on food and environmental matrices to guarantee their quality. Within these determinations, the monitoring of air quality, both in indoor and outdoor environments, is of particular scientific interest. In particular, the presence of micrometric particles, atmospheric particulate matter (PM) and ultrafine particulate matter (UFP) has become a marker of air quality in recent years. The study of these substances is particularly important since the diameter of the particles is inversely proportional to their ability to penetrate the respiratory system. In places of greatest attendance and areas with high vehicular traffic, units are installed for continuously monitoring the air quality. This paper aims to bring a snapshot of the concentrations of these particles in Molise, a small region in Italy. The results obtained present rather limited PM10, PM4, PM2.5, PM1 and UFP ranges, especially as regards Campobasso, the regional capital.

Keywords: particulate matter, ultrafine particles, pollution, traffic, heating systems

DOI: 10.5937/gp28-49008

Article info:
Received: January 31, 2024 | Revised: June 27, 2024 | Accepted: August 19, 2024

Click here for the full text.

Authors: Alexandra Pusztai-Eredics, Gábor Kovács, Gábor Tóth, Tibor Lenner, Tímea Kiss

Abstract: Engineering works greatly influence the lateral channel migration (LCM) of meandering rivers. We aimed to characterise the spatiotemporal characteristics of LCM during the last 174 years of the almost freely meandering Upper Rába (Hungary) and to identify units with distinctive LCM histories. The studied Rába’s reach has been regulated just at some points. Due to the free meandering, its length varied between 119 and 133 km. The most intensive length increase (+291 m/y) took place between 2005 and 2008, and by the end of the process, the sinuosity had reached its historical maximum (SI2018= 1.93). The mean LCM was 3.3 m/y (1844–2018). The periods with intensive channel migration (max: 24–27 m/y) were followed by periods with low migration rates. Based on local channel morphology and LCM rates, 14 units were identified. The highest LCM rate was measured in the freely migrating units (R5: 5.8 m/y; R3: 4.4 m/y and R6 4.0 m/y).

Keywords: meandering, lateral channel migration, human impact, QGIS, topographic maps

DOI: 10.5937/gp28-49989

Article info:
Received: March 22, 2024 | Revised: June 26, 2024 | Accepted: August 29, 2024

Click here for the full text.

Authors: G. R. Madhavan, Dr D. Kannamma

Abstract: Developing countries with complex urban spatial configurations strive to control urbanization and its impact on energy consumption. The current study has used Tiruchirappalli city in India as a study area to demonstrate the impact on cooling energy consumption by complex urban spatial configurations. To comprehend the complexity, sixty-five urban prototypes were generated through permutation and combination using local climatic zones scheme. The image-based binary classification model was used to categorize the morphologies in the city. The study aims to investigate the cooling energy consumption of a heterogeneous urban spatial configuration through prototype models. The urban prototypes were grouped using the unsupervised machine learning approach. The validation for the prototypes was conducted through the RMSE method, and the errors lie between 0.45 and 0.68. The results indicated that increasing the green cover ratio on the combination of high and mid-rise spatial configurations is ineffective in reducing the cooling energy. In contrast, the combination of low-rise and mid-rise spatial configurations consumed less energy for air-conditioning when the green cover ratio was increased. The results conclude that the combination of high-rise with open low-rise spatial configuration is unsuitable for warm and humid climate. The high frequency of the cooling energy was between 120Gjs to 250Gjs which explains that the complexity of the spatial configuration in the city helps to reduce the energy utilized for air conditioning. This research aids planners and energy policymakers in the decision-making process of city spatial planning.

Keywords: local climatic zones, image classification, urban morphology, cooling load consumption, machine learning, climate change

DOI: 10.5937/gp28-50781

Article info:
Received: May 01, 2024 | Revised: August 31, 2024 | Accepted: September 06, 2024

Click here for the full text.

Authors: Ivana Mihalj, Stamenko Šušak, Tamara Palanački Malešević, Tamara Važić, Tamara Jurca, Dragoslav Pavić, Jelica Simeunović, Aleksandra Vulin, Jussi Meriluoto, Zorica Svirčev

Abstract: Mining causes soil degradation, particle emission, and air and water quality deterioration. This study estimates some health risks in districts of Central Serbia affected by surface mining activities, and proposes measures for land restoration. The epidemiological risk assessment was based on data for seven cancers and three cardiovascular diseases during 2010 – 2020. Results showed a statistically significant increase in the incidence of lung and bronchial cancer in critical districts. Borski district stood out with the highest incidence rates for cardiovascular diseases. The suspected role of particulate air pollution from the mining industry in health deterioration calls for intensified air quality monitoring and development of mitigation technologies. A restoration strategy called the Pan-Life-Carpet technology is proposed for the restoration of mining areas and for air and water pollution control.

Keywords: mining regions, environmental pollution, particulate matter, recultivation, biocrusts, cyanobacteria

DOI: 10.5937/gp28-50537

Article info:
Received: April 19, 2024 | Revised: September 18, 2024 | Accepted: September 19, 2024

Click here for the full text.

Authors: Aveek Ghosh

Abstract: Cities stand at the focal point of vulnerability to heat waves (HWs) as they threaten urban livability and sustainability. National, regional, and local heat-health action plans (HHAPs) are vital for combating HWs and are increasingly crucial as adaptation measures to extreme heat. The present article highlights the most recent development on the working mechanism of HHAPs, its contemporary challenges, barriers to it and a range of operational heat management and planning strategies. It introduces the concept of 'smartness' to the existing mechanism of HHAPs which holds a significant potential to be intelligent, explicit and dynamic to address the growing and multifaceted impacts of extreme heat. It emphasizes urgent priorities including long-term heat planning, multisectoral heat-early warning systems, building urban heat resilience and recommends the application of eight core elements endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) for effective implementation of HHAPs. Collaboration among meteorological, epidemiological, public health, and urban planning experts is essential for addressing the multidimensional challenges of extreme heat.

Keywords: extreme heat, urban overheating, smart heat-health, action plan, long-term planning, collaborative approach, urban sustainability

DOI: 10.5937/gp28-51694

Article info:
Received: June 18, 2024 | Revised: September 20, 2024 | Accepted: September 21, 2024