ABSTRACT The issue of plastic pollution is becoming hotter with every passing day. The widespread discharge of plastic waste into aquatic systems has led to increasing accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in freshwater environments, posing significant risks to aquatic organisms due to their high persistence. The present study was conducted to explore the occurrence and abundance of microplastics in various environmental compartments (water, sediment, and fish) of the Baloki headworks. This place holds great significance regarding freshwater sources to nearby areas and agricultural lands, tourism, and fishing activities. The grab sampling method was adopted, and samples were collected from five different points. The chemical characterization of MPs was carried out through Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, while for the morphological characterization, a stereomicroscope was used. Results indicated that the abundance of MPs in the water, sediment, and fish was 20 particles/L, 6–8 particles/kg, and 3–4 particles/fish. For the MPs' shape, film (54%) was the dominant type in water samples, followed by foam (22%), fragment (11%), fiber (8%), and filament (5%). In sediment samples, the dominant type was fragment (69%), followed by foam (19%), film (7%), and fiber (5%). Similarly, in fish samples, the dominant type was foam (62%), followed by film (21%) and fragment (17%). The detected polymers through FTIR were (PS, PP, ABS, PU, EVA, nitrile, and latex), (LDPE, HDPE, PS, EVA, PP, PC, PU, ABS, latex, nitrile, nylon, and CA), and (PE, PS, PP, PC, PU, PET, ABS, latex, nitrile, nylon, and PA) in water, sediment, and fish samples, respectively. The present study is the first comprehensive investigation of MPs pollution at Baloki headworks, to the best of our knowledge. Therefore, this study will serve as a baseline for further monitoring and help policymakers in developing mitigation measures for plastic pollution.
ABSTRACT Land use and land cover changes (LULC) are driven by anthropogenic activities and, in turn, affect the availability of products and ecosystem services for people and other living organisms. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the Pre‐ and Post‐Conflict Land Use Detection Matrix and Ecosystem Service Value (ESV) analysis in Hirmi State Forest, Northwestern Ethiopia. Remote sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) were used to determine the dynamism of land use and its land cover changes (2013–2023) by dividing it into three periods (2013, 2018, and 2023). Accuracy assessment and the Kappa coefficient were conducted using a confusion (error) matrix comparing the classified map with independent reference samples. ESV was also calculated by multiplying the area of each land‐use category by its respective value coefficient using the benefit‐transfer valuation method. Accuracy assessment, the Kappa coefficient was found strong agreement between classified land cover classes and observed land cover/use, with values greater than 80%. Forest cover remained relatively stable and constituted one of the dominant land cover types between 2013 (22.87%) and 2018 (23.41%), but experienced a pronounced decline by 2023 (15.27%). Overall, the LULC detection matrix for the 2013–2023 period indicates that cultivated land exhibited the greatest degree of persistence among all land use classes, with 5677.45 ha. However, forest land recorded the largest net loss over the full decade, declining from 11,099.36 ha in 2013 to 7422.44 ha in 2023, and a net loss of 3676.92 ha (33.13%). In 2018, forest land provided the highest ESV, estimated at 11.18 million USD per year. However, ESV change analysis for the 2013–2023 period showed a considerable decline in the ESV of forest land, with a net loss of nearly 3.63 million USD per year. Hence, all land use types were affected by the 2020–2022 armed conflict in Tigray, which disrupted forest land cover and resulted in accelerated deforestation and soil erosion. Hence, high emphasis is needed in rehabilitation of forest conservation and restoration, implementing sustainable management approaches, and post‐conflict ecological restoration is crucial.
ABSTRACT This study systematically evaluates how major pollution sources affect Dong Nai River water quality by integrating principal component analysis (PCA) with monitoring data from 128 discharge points representing industrial parks, healthcare facilities, livestock operations, residential‐urban areas, and other production sectors. Our statistical analysis demonstrates that discharge sources along the Dong Nai River differed markedly in regulatory compliance. Industrial parks achieved the highest compliance, with exceedance rates below 3%, reflecting effective centralized treatment. In contrast, medical facilities exhibited the most frequent violations, particularly for ammonium (45.7%), chemical oxygen demand (28.6%), biological oxygen demand (25.7%), and pH (31.4%). In addition, PCA results confirm strong sampling adequacy (KMO >0.7, p <0.05) and differentiated pollution groups associated with each discharge category. Organic and nutrient pollution are identified as the primary sources of variability, whereas dissolved minerals and physicochemical parameters contributed secondarily in a source‐specific manner. These findings highlight the effectiveness of integrating PCA with monitoring data to enhance pollution‐source discrimination and parameter prioritization, which can provide evidence‐based mitigation strategies and sustainable water resource management in the Dong Nai River Basin.
ABSTRACT Ag‐TiO 2 nanocomposites containing 1, 3, and 5 wt.% Ag was synthesized via a precipitation‐assisted sol‐gel process followed by chemical reduction and evaluated for visible‐light‐driven reduction of Cr(VI). Structural, morphological, surface chemical, and optical properties were characterized using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV‐visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV‐DRS), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The formation of anatase TiO 2 decorated with well‐dispersed metallic Ag nanoparticles was confirmed. Among all samples, 3 wt.% Ag‐TiO 2 (AT‐3) exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity, achieving 99.3% Cr(VI) reduction within 120 min under visible‐light irradiation at pH 4. The enhanced performance is attributed to localized surface plasmon resonance (SPR)‐induced visible‐light absorption, efficient interfacial charge separation, and reduced electron‐hole recombination. UV‐DRS analysis showed a decrease in the apparent band‐gap energy from 3.44 eV (TiO 2 ) to 3.12 eV (AT‐3), which is mainly attributed to SPR and interfacial charge transfer rather than to lattice modification. PL results confirmed suppressed recombination of charge carriers. The hierarchical macro‐mesoporous fibrous structure further enhanced mass transport and surface accessibility. These findings demonstrate the potential of plasmonic Ag‐TiO 2 photocatalysts for efficient solar‐driven remediation of Cr(VI) in wastewater treatment.
ABSTRACT Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is the core link in environmental decision‐making. However, traditional EIA often lacks structured methods for handling uncertainties and low‐probability high‐consequence risks. Risk assessment (RA) addresses this gap by enhancing the scientific basis of evaluation, supporting more defensible permitting and policy decisions, and improving transparency and public trust. A comparative study of India, Australia, Canada and China shows that due to institutional and methodological differences, there are significant differences in the degree of integration between RA and EIA. Overall, RA should evolve from a supplementary section to a core pillar of EIA, supported by standardized procedures, stronger data systems, and lifecycle monitoring to address increasingly complex environmental risks.
