The present paper is concerned with the assessment and comparison of ecological and socio-economic development in Duminichy district of Kaluga province (Russia) and Yotlik district of Vientiane province (Laos). This study focuses on the environmental conservation and efficient nature management and proposes a system of indicators for the assessment of sustainable development at the local level. This system includes 43 indicators which correspond to the international requirements and approaches. The assessments were based on the global principles of sustainable development and local characteristics of each area. They helped to determine significant problems in the development of those two districts in Russia and Laos as well as to find the way to resolve the problems.

Indoor air quality is one of the main factors affecting human health, well-being, and performance. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of bacteria in the air environment of school rooms and to assess their microbiological well-being. Air sampling was carried out by sedimentation and aspiration methods. The presence of cocci, which are usually found on human skin and mucous membranes, was detected in the air of school rooms and on desks. In addition to cocci, bacilli and mold fungi Cladosporium spp., Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. were present in the atmosphere. The highest number of microorganisms before and after classes was recorded in the gymnasium. Bacterial contamination of school desk surfaces in different classes before the beginning of classes reached 141.8±57.1 CFU/cm2 , and after classes, it increased to 372±81.1 CFU/cm2 . Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Micrococcus spp., Corynebacterium spp., and Lactobacillus spp. were most frequently found on the surfaces of school desks before and after classes

The accumulation of dog feces on city streets and recreation due to the habit of dog owners not to clean dog excrement can be a serious environmental problem and adversely affect public health. Dog feces contain intestinal nematodes and microorganisms that are pathogenic to humans and animals. In an urban environment, favorable conditions are created for the infection of people and animals in contact, with contaminated soil and sand in sandboxes. The purpose of this study was to assess the extent of parasitic and microbial contamination of soils and sandboxes located in residential areas of the city of Kaluga (Russia). Over the past 19 years, there has been an increase in the number of cats (by 15,060 individuals) and dogs (by 26,550 individuals) in the city of Kaluga, which are carriers of Toxocara. We have studied 180 soil and sand samples in various areas of the city. The pollution of soil and sand with Toxocara eggs has been reported in areas with high population density, including playgrounds and kindergarten areas. The percentage of soil pollution of the boulevards by Toxocara eggs is 4.9 times higher than the pollution of sandboxes and 1.9 times higher than the pollution of lawns. Most often, mold fungi of the gel tera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Mucor, .Fusarium, Cladosporium, Candida, Alternaria, and Rhizopus were sown from the soils of lawns and boulevards. Bacterial microflora is represented by Clostridium, Enterococcus, Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonella and Micrococcus. The average number of microorganisms isolated from soil and sand samples varied in the range from 1.5 to 3.0 million CFU per 1 g. The presence of micrococci and spores of the cladosporium fungi characteristic of canine feces microbiome was revealed in the atmosphere of various districts of the city. This may be due to contamination of the city territory with feces of dogs, which are one of the sources of bacterial pollution of the atmosphere.

The article deals with the geoecological problems of small rivers of the Volga and Dnieper basins in the Kaluga region. The analysis of water resources of the Kaluga region is given. It is shown that intensive use of river runoff, transformation of natural landscapes, agromelioration and urbanization, anthropogenic and technogenic load have led to a violation of the hydrological regime of small rivers. This led to a change in the intra-annual distribution of runoff on the territory of the Kaluga Region and neighboring regions, stimulated the progressive process of shallowing and disappearance of small rivers as a result of violation of natural flow-forming complexes. Heavy damage to small rivers, which are very sensitive to pollution, is caused by storm drains, which are often comparable to urban sewage

This study is devoted to the study of the processes of sorption of copper ions by living cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, immobilized on calcium alginate. It is shown that the biosorbent formulation used by us is capable of efficiently absorbing copper ions from the solutions under study in the concentration range from 0.1 mol/l to 0.001 mo l/l. We have identified the optimal amount of calcium alginate, at which the resulting bio sorbent in the form of spheres with a diameter of 2-5 mm absorbs the maximum possible amount of copper ions. The use of pore-forming additives (activated carbon or diatomaceous earth) doubles the sorption of copper ions and increases the completeness of sorption. The effect of exposure on the completeness of sorption of copper ions was studied.

The emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment is a serious medical and environmental problem worldwide. An important reservoir of such bacteria are aquatic ecosystems, which are polluted by human waste, agricultural and industrial wastewater. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are able to transfer their genes to other aquatic bacteria, which thus acquire new resistance genes. The aim of this study is to assess the antibiotic resistance of bacteria isolated from the rivers of the Kaluga region, which are most susceptible to the effects of urbanization and agriculture. Water samples were taken from the Oka, Yachenka, Kaluzhka, Ugra rivers. Most often, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterobacter aerogenes, Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium perfringens, Klebsiella spp., Alcaligenes faecalis, Aeromonas spp. Were sown from water samples. Studies have shown that all isolated microorganisms have multi-resistance to one degree or another. But Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, and Alcaligenes faecalis had the greatest resistance to various antibiotics.

В статье рассматриваются геоэкологические проблемы малых рек Волжского и Днепровского бассейна на территории Калужской области. Приведен анализ водных ресурсов Калужской области. Но интенсивное использование речного стока, преобразование природных ландшафтов, агромелиорация и урбанизация, антропогенная и техногенная нагрузка привели к нарушению гидрологического режима малых рек. Показано, что интенсивное использование речного стока, преобразование природных ландшафтов, агромелиорация и урбанизация, антропогенная и техногенная нагрузка привели к нарушению гидрологического режима малых рек.

The removal of solid household waste to landfills is the most commonly used method of solid waste disposal and an important source of environmental pollution. Physical, chemical and biochemical processes occur in the body of a solid waste dump, which overlap each other and form an artificial aquifer and biogas. This article provides a brief overview of the environmental problems associated with the practice of garbage disposal and the negative impact of the landfill on the environment. The data on the features of the functioning of the solid waste landfill in Kaluga, on the dynamics of waste generation and changes in their morphological composition are presented. The issues related to the economic problems of waste disposal are considered.

The aim of the study is to assess the scale of parasitic and microbial soil contamination in residential areas of the city of Kaluga (Russia), including playgrounds and kindergarten areas. The research method involved identifying Toxocara eggs and microorganisms in sandpits, lawns, and boulevards. Investigated 210 samples of soil and sand in different areas of the city. It was found that the soil pollution of boulevards with Toxocara eggs is 4.9 times higher than that of sandpits and 1.9 times higher than that of lawns. Molds of the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Mucor, Fusarium, Cladosporium, Candida, Alternaria, and Rhizopus were sown most often from the soils of lawns and boulevards. The bacterial microbiota is represented by Clostridium, Enterococcus, Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonella and Micrococcus. The average number of microorganisms isolated from soil and sand samples varied in the range from 1.5 to 3.0 million CFU in 1 g. To quantitatively estimate the population of domestic animals, a sociological survey was conducted annually for 20 years. A total of 4,700 people over the age of 16 were interviewed.

The purpose of the study is to assess the level of bacterial and fungal contamination of the split system elements and air in air-conditioned rooms. The research method included the quantitative accounting of microorganisms on the surfaces of split-system filters and in the air of university classrooms. It was found that after an hour operation of the air conditioner, the number of microorganisms in the air decreased by 41.4%. At the same time, the microbial landscape changed in the direction of increasing the percentage of molds and coccal microorganisms, which indicates a high risk of atmospheric pollution in the classrooms.

The global use of pharmaceuticals is constantly growing and leads to water contamination with xenobiotic compounds with a wide range of biological activity. Most pharmaceutical products that are widely used in medicine and veterinary medicine are constantly discharged into domestic wastewater in unchanged form or as active metabolites. These medications include hormones, antibiotics, analgesics, antidepressants, and antitumor medications. Treatment plants are not able to effectively remove these compounds from wastewater, which contributes to their migration to freshwater ecosystems. With a long half-life, pharmaceuticals can accumulate in the environment, reaching biologically active levels. The presence of pharmaceuticals in aquatic ecosystems can lead to unpredictable environmental consequences and reactions and can also have a negative impact on human health. In the Russian scientific literature, very little attention is paid to the problem of environmental pollution by pharmaceuticals. Therefore, this review article discusses the main sources of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites, the fate of these compounds in the aquatic environment, their impact on human health and aquatic biocenoses.

The article discusses the features of waste generation at the municipal landfill of municipal solid waste.The data on the morphological composition of municipal solid waste and seasonal features of their accumulation are presented.The results of studies of the landfill filtrate, as well as soil samples are presented.

Presented are the results of studying bacterial methane generation and oxidation in the body of solid domestic wastes dump and intensity of gas release into atmosphere. The investigation revealed active microbial degradation of organic wastes with a distinct biogeochemical zoning. Quantitative and qualitative composition of micro-organisms depends on the depth of horizon. Disintegration of organic components of warehoused foods by various microorganisms occurs with production of volatile and gaseous compounds (carbonic acid, methane and others). Anaerobic conditions set the scene for active production of biogas, major components of which are methane and CO2. The final process in the sequence of organics transformations within the body of solid domestic wastes dump is predominant production of CH4 and CO2 in the ratio of approximately 60 and 40%, respectively, and trace quantities of other volatile compounds. Active bacterial methane oxidation is evidenced by the 13C isotope increase in methane and decrease in carbonic acid. The developed model of animal and plant wastes management demonstrated efficiency of the system using frozen-dried preparations of microbial associations and its practicability in municipal economy.

The results of the geochemical study of density of distribution of heavy metals in soil formations in the city of Kaluga have been given. It has been determined that at the background of dangerous level of soil pollution with heavy metals, an increase in the number of adolescents with disharmonious physical development and low health level has been observed.

The waste management strategy for the future should meet the benefits of humanity safety, respect principals of planet ecology, and compatibility with other habitability systems. For these purpose the waste management technologies, relevant to application of the biodegradation properties of bacteria are of great value. The biological treatment method is based upon the biodegradation of organic substances by various microorganisms. The advantage of the biodegradation waste management in general: it allows to diminish the volume of organic wastes, the biological hazard of the wastes is controlled, and this system may be compatible with the other systems. The objectives of our study were: to evaluate effectiveness of microbial biodegradation of non-pretreated substrate, to construct phneumoautomatic digester for organic wastes biodegradation, and to study microbial characteristics of active sludge samples used as inoculi in biodegradation experiment. The technology of vegetable wastes treatment was elaborated in IBMP and BMSTU. For this purpose the special unit was created where the degradation process is activated by enforced reinvention of portions of elaborated biogas into digester. This technology allows to save energy normally used for electromechanical agitation and to create optimal environment for anaerobic bacteria growth. The investigations were performed on waste simulator, which imitates physical and chemical content of food wastes calculated basing on the data on food wastes of moderate Russian city. The volume of created experimental sample of digester is 40 l. The basic system elements of device are digesters, gas receiver, remover of drops and valve monitoring and thermal control system. In our testing we used natural food wastes to measure basic parameters and time of biodegradation process. The diminution rate of organic gained 76% from initial mass taking part within 9 days of fermentation. The biogas production achieved 46 l per 1 kg of substrate. The microbial studies of biodegradation process revealed following peculiarities: (i) gradual quantitative increasing of Lactobacillus sp. (from 10(3) to 10(5) colony forming units (CFU) per ml), (ii) activation of Clostridia sp. (from 10(2) to 10(4)CFU/ml), (iii) elimination of aerobic conventional pathogens (Enterobacteriaceae sp., Protea sp., staphylococci). The obtained results allow to evaluate effectiveness of proposed technology and to determine the leading role of lactobacilli and clostridia in process of natural wastes biodegradation. Our further investigations shall further be concentrated on creation of artificial inoculi for launching of food wastes biodegradation. These inoculi will include active and adapted strains of clostridia and lactobacilli.