Abstract Invasive insect pests present escalating threats to agricultural productivity and environmental stability, often necessitating the intensive use of broad-spectrum insecticides that jeopardize non-target organisms and ecosystem services. Endotherapy (i.e. trunk injection) is increasingly proposed as a sustainable alternative to conventional sprays to minimize environmental dispersion and reduce off-target impact. In the present study, we used the highly polyphagous Japanese beetle Popillia japonica, a quarantine priority pest in EU due to its significant economic and environmental risks, as a model to evaluate the ecological trade-offs of systemic pest management. We assessed the efficacy of three active ingredients, acetamiprid, abamectin, and emamectin benzoate, in controlling the invasive pest. The compounds were injected into linden trees, Tilia spp., at the resumption of vegetative growth, and their translocation to floral tissues was quantified to determine potential risks to the non-target honey bee, Apis mellifera. Results indicate that while acetamiprid provided effective control of adult beetles, its residues detected in flowers significantly reduced honey bee survival and altered feeding behavior in a dose-dependent manner. Crucially, sublethal concentrations of both acetamiprid and abamectin impaired bee cognitive performance, highlighting hidden costs often overlooked in standard ecotoxicity assessments. These findings underscore that the perceived safety of endotherapy is contingent upon active ingredient selection and application timing relative to blooming. Our work demonstrates the necessity of evaluating systemic treatments within a sustainability-oriented framework that balances immediate pest suppression with the long-term safeguarding of pollination services. Such integrated approaches are essential for aligning agricultural practices with global mandates for pesticide reduction and biodiversity conservation.
Abstract Legacy waste sites may exhibit substantial spatial heterogeneity and incomplete information on waste composition and distribution, which can constrain statistically representative assessment. This study applied a scenario-based framework for semi-quantitative hazard assessment of the Manushkino legacy waste site in the Baltic Sea drainage basin using limited state environmental inspection data. The framework integrated six lines of evidence within a Multiple Lines of Evidence/Weight of Evidence approach, including state inspection records, chemical analysis, bioassays, spatial and remote-sensing data, sensitivity analysis of potential sampling bias, and scenario-based calculations. Arsenic, a persistent and carcinogenic contaminant, exceeded the applicable soil maximum permissible concentration in all four investigated waste samples, and all four waste piles met the criterion for a technological emergency situation based on arsenic concentrations alone. Bioassays indicated biological effects across all investigated samples. Scenario-based calculations indicated a potential arsenic mass of up to 72,490 kg under the highest assumed proportion of criterion-positive material (10%), corresponding to a theoretical dilution-equivalent water volume of 7.249 × 10⁹ m³ under assumptions of complete solubility and instantaneous mixing. Under unbiased sampling (b = 1), the calculated probability of observing four criterion-positive waste piles ranged from 1.0 × 10⁻¹² to 1.0 × 10⁻⁴ across the assumed proportions of 0.1–10%. Increasing the preferential sampling coefficient increased the calculated probability of observing the 4/4 pattern. These results demonstrate the sensitivity of interpretation to assumptions regarding the spatial proportion of criterion-positive material and potential sampling bias. The calculated values represent conditional scenario-based estimates rather than statistically representative estimates of contamination across the entire waste body and do not predict actual contaminant concentrations or migration. Given the site's location within the Baltic Sea drainage basin, the findings are relevant to the precautionary approach established under the Helsinki Convention and support further site investigation and long-term monitoring under conditions of substantial uncertainty.
Abstract This critical review analyzes the current state of scientific research on biochar in Europe and examines its potential use for post-war restoration and improvement of soil fertility in Ukraine. A bibliometric analysis of scientific publications in the Scopus and Web of Science databases for the period 2014-2023 was conducted using VOSviewer visualization and data processing methods. The analysis identified the main areas of research and gaps in knowledge that are relevant to the future application of this technology in Ukraine. Moreover, remote sensing methodologies were employed to identify potential remediation requirements in the Ukrainian territory. This involved the analysis of changes in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the normalized difference moisture index (NDMI) of a part of Ukraine's agricultural territory situated along the frontline, prior to and following a period of three years during a full-scale war. The results revealed changes in vegetation and moisture levels, indicating land degradation in the border area under study. However, these observations do not constitute direct evidence of soil contamination or the effectiveness of biochar; rather, they indicate areas where further field studies and an assessment of restoration measures are needed. A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis was used as a strategic discussion tool to identify the opportunities and challenges associated with the implementation of biochar in Ukraine. This review also identifies the main scientific uncertainties, barriers, economic aspects, and research priorities that should be considered before the large-scale implementation of biochar-based technologies in Ukraine.
Abstract The rapid deployment of smart gas meters has increased reliance on lithium-thionyl chloride (LTC) batteries, which serve as the dominant power source due to their long service life and operational reliability. Despite their widespread use, their life cycle environmental burdens have received less attention. This study addresses this research gap by providing a life cycle assessment (LCA) of LTC batteries used in smart gas meters, based on 500,000 D-size cells over a 30-year service life. The results demonstrated a total carbon footprint of 1,434,654 kg CO2-eq (28.7 kg CO2-eq kg−1 battery) using the ReCiPe method, with electricity consumption and heavy fuel oil contributing 48.56% and 22.68% of the total global warming potential (GWP), respectively. The midpoint impacts identified marine ecotoxicity (45.3%) and freshwater ecotoxicity (25.8%) as the dominant impact categories, mostly driven by nickel (up to 59% contribution). Endpoint results illustrated damages of 5.37 disability-adjusted life years (DALY) to human health, 0.00876 species·yr to ecosystems, and 178,326 USD in resource scarcity. The energy demand of LTC battery manufacturing was strongly fossil-based, with 92.6% supplied from nonrenewable energy sources. Scenario analysis highlighted that switching to wind or solar energy can decrease GWP by ∼46%, while considering the transportation of 10 t.km, increased GWP by 31.3% and endpoint damages by >29.6%. Monte Carlo analysis based on 10,000 runs confirmed data robustness, with a coefficient of variation of less than 15% for most impact categories. The findings provide a transparent and application-specific LCA framework for LTC batteries and highlight key intervention points to decrease the environmental burdens associated with large-scale smart gas meter deployment.
Abstract To improve wastewater treatment, technologies such as mycofiltration, i.e., the treatment of contaminated water by passing it through a network of fungal mycelia, can be employed. This study sought to evaluate the performance of a local wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in the removal of selected metals, perform mycofiltration on the wastewater, and assess metal removal in the filtrate. Wastewater influent and effluent samples were collected and analysed for Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Aluminium (Al), Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Cobalt (Co), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Lead (Pb), Manganese (Mn), Mercury (Hg), Molybdenum (Mo), Nickel (Ni), Phosphorus (P), Selenium (Se), Titanium (Ti) and Zinc (Zn). A Pleurotus ostreatus mycofilter was cultured and packed into Pyrex columns (3.3 x 15 cm). Wastewater samples were mycofiltered at a constant flow rate, and metal removal efficiency was assessed. The wastewater quality index (WWQI) was also calculated. The WWTP performed poorly, as only Na, Fe, and P had lower levels in the effluent compared to the influent. There were no changes between influent and effluent metal concentrations for most metals. After mycofiltration of the wastewater influent, P, Hg, Na, Fe, K and Cu were removed with an efficiency of 99%, 50%, 48%, 31%, 30%, and 23%, respectively. Mycofiltration of the wastewater effluent removed P, K, Pb, Hg and Fe with an efficiency of 99%, 52%, 51%, 51% and 10%, respectively. Mycofiltration could not remove metals such as Ca, Cr and Cd. The WWQI for the WWTP effluent, the mycofiltered influent and the mycofiltered effluent were 604.6, 582.2, and 548.0, respectively. Mycofiltration thus slightly improved wastewater quality as denoted by the lower indices. The findings demonstrate the potential use of mycofiltration as a science-informed bioaugmentation strategy for WWTPs to enhance regulatory compliance.
