Inclusion of emerging contaminants into water quality monitoring programs can serve as an additional layer for protecting water resources against deterioration. Based on prior non-target screening using LC-QTOF, a direct injection liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry with multiple reaction monitoring method was developed for the determination of 23 micropollutants in natural waters. The combination of methodological simplicity, flexibility, environmental compatibility, and demonstrated performance under real-world monitoring conditions represents a significant advancement over existing chromatographic strategies for the determination of relevant and emerging pollutants. The method provides high sensitivity and reliability, enabling the simultaneous quantification of target analytes (pesticides, pharmaceuticals and products of their transformation) spanning a wide polarity range (XLogP3 0.3-6.1) and extending the applicability of multianalytes chromatographic analysis to complex environmental matrices. The limits of detection and quantification and linearity were evaluated in deionized water, groundwater, and surface water, while accuracy in terms of recovery and precision were determined in surface water. Pesticides provided satisfactory recoveries ranging from 83 to 120%, with quantification limits between 0.02 µg L-1 and 0.18 µg L-1, whereas pharmaceuticals displayed recoveries of 83-119%, with quantification limits of 0.03-0.20 µg L-1 in different types of water. Using the developed method, 599 water samples were analyzed between 2023 and 2025. The most frequently detected compounds at concentrations above the limit of quantification were terbumeton-desethyl, prometon and benzenesulfonamide in groundwater; fluconazole and sulfamethoxazole in surface water; and propazine-2‑hydroxy, terbuthylazine-2‑hydroxy and carbamazepine in both types of water samples.

In the paper, using the method of thin-layer chromatography the peculiarities of determining individual components of plant raw materials- flavonoids were investigated. The test samples were solutions of quartzetin, rutin, kaempferol, hyperoside, caffeic acid, luteolin and chlorogenic acid. Cetylpyridinium chloride, Tween 80 and their modifications with propionic acid were used as the mobile phase. The quantitative determination parameters were retention coefficients and retention factors. It was shown that the presence of a modifier in the mobile phase, cetylpyridinium chloride, increases the retention factor for caffeic and chlorogenic acids, and in the mobile phase, Tween 80 decreases it for these substances. It was found that the use of a mobile phase with Tween 80 ( C = 1.57 g/l) ensures the identification of the largest number of investigated substances for which the retention factor increases in a number of hyperosides, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, rutin (from 3 to 11). It is proposed to use this variant for the development of a method of rapid identification of these flavonoids in natural waters. It was noted that the use of the proposed eco-friendly methodology will contribute to increasing the level of environmental safety of both individual chemical-ecological studies and territories as a whole.

Розглянуто проблему актуалізації інформаційного стилю української літературної мови у різних видах масмедіа під час збройної агресії росії. Наголошується, що інформаційний стиль є джерелом наповнення масмедійного простору України, підґрунтям інформаційної боротьби з мегамасивами неправдивої інформації, що її величезними об’ємами продукує російська федерація у загальному медіа-просторі, площини антитерору, антизнецінення державотворчого значення стилістичної, граматичної, лексичної та інших систем української літературної мови як державної. Стверджується, що фактичне ігнорування з 2019 року дефракційної державної політичної позиції з приводу засудження сучасного апатичного ставлення до інформаційних прорахунків у нашому медійному просторі могли бути причиною дещо неефективної політики спротиву інформаційному тероризму з боку медіа-джерел і ресурсів росії. Констатуються факти створення спеціалізованих чат-ботів із боку державних органів відносно виявлення та фіксації фактів інформаційного тероризму окупантів (росії) і колаборантів (тимчасових окупаційних адміністрацій) і пересічних громадян-українофобів стосовно громадян України.

У статті розглянуто проблему лінгвоциду (мововбивства) на тимчасово окупованих територіях в Україні в 2021-2023 роках. Наголошується, що лінгвоцидна практика росії на тимчасово захоплених територіях в Україні пов’язана з історично зафіксованою практикою знищення, знецінення державотворчого значення української літературної мови як державної та політикою антилегітимізації суверенності держави Україна і відсутності потреби у державних символах.

Nontargeted and suspect screening with liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) has become an indispensable tool for quality assessment in the aquatic environment – complementary to targeted analysis of organic (micro)contaminants. An LC-HRMS method is presented, suitable for the analysis of a wide variety of water related matrices: surface water, groundwater, wastewater, sediment and sludge, including extracts from passive samplers and on-site solid phase enrichment, while focusing on the data processing aspect of the method. A field study is included to demonstrate the practical application and versatility of the whole process. HRMS/MS data were recorded following LC separation in both (ESI) positive and negative ionization modes using data dependent as well as data independent acquisition. Two vendor (Agilent's Personal Compound Database and Library and from National Institute of Standards and Technology) and one open (MassBank/EU) tandem mass spectral libraries were utilized for the identification of compounds via mass spectral match. The development of a novel software tool for parsing, grouping and reduction of MS/MS features in data files converted to mascot generic format (MGF) helped to substantially decrease the amount of time and effort needed for MS library search. While applying the method, in the course of the entire field study, 18771 detections (from 870 individual compounds) in total were recorded in 275 samples, resulting in 68.3 identified compounds per sample, on average. Among the top ten most frequently detected contaminants across all samples and sample types were pharmaceutical compounds carbamazepine, 4-acetamidoantipyrine, 4-formylaminoantipyrine, tramadol, lamotrigine and phenazone and industrial contaminants toluene-2-sulfonamide, tolytriazole, tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate and benzotriazole. Exploratory data analysis methods and tools enabled us to discover organic pollutant occurrence patterns within the comprehensive sets of qualitative data collected from various projects between the years 2018–2023. The results may be used as valuable inputs for future water quality monitoring programs.

This article considers the ecological and geographical features of officinal plant distribution within the highlands of Northeastern Transbaikalia. The concept of ecosystem diversity is used as a methodological basis of the study. According to it, the orobiome presents a key regional unit for the inventory and assessment of mountain biodiversity. Comparative geographic and cartographic methods of analysis of original field data, papers, and maps are applied. We have identified 40 species of pharmacopoeial plants for the Northeastern Transbaikalia orobiome. The taxonomic, biomorphological, ecological, geographic, and altitudinal characteristics have been considered, and the analysis of composition of active substances and use in the treatment of diseases according to the ICD-10 international classification of diseases has been carried out. It has been revealed that the highest number of species are applied when treating diseases of the digestive system, diseases of the circulatory system, and diseases of the respiratory system. Five geographical groups of pharmacopoeial species have been identified, among which species with the Holarctic distributional type prevail. Boreal species predominate among nine ecological–coenotic groups. The coenotic value of pharmacopeial species in vegetation communities of the orobiome is considered. Some species of officinal plants are coenose formers, predominant in the background communities for the belts; they include Sctoch pine, Siberian fir, lingonberry, marsh rosemary, downy birch, and bearberry. The regional and altitudinal features of pharmacopeial species distribution have been revealed. The highest number of species grow on the North Baikal Highlands, while the smallest number are on the Patom Highlands. There are more than 20 species in the mountain–taiga belt and about 5–10 species in the high-mountain belt. A map of communities with the participation of typical species of pharmacopeial plants of resource importance has been compiled. It has been revealed that the greatest diversity of these resources is concentrated on the North Baikal Highlands due to climatic conditions and the geographical location at the junction of biogeographical boundaries. The map can be used to assess the ecosystem potential of the vegetation cover of a poorly explored region. The expediency of further study of the pharmacological properties of local flora species used in traditional medicine, as well as strengthening of measures for the protection of medical plant species, is noted.

In the work with the application of the atomic absorption method, the peculiarities of the influence of sample preparation on the degree of extraction of heavy metals in samples of bottom sediments were analyzed. Acid, acid-microwave sample preparation and their variations were used in the study. It was found that the greatest influence of the type of sample preparation on the degree of extraction is observed for iron and manganese. For zinc, the smallest dependence of the type of sample preparation on the completeness of its extraction from bottom sediments was noted. There is an ambiguous influence of the type of sample preparation on the degree of extraction for cobalt, copper and nickel, which may be related to the peculiarities of the chemical composition of the bottom sediments.

On the territory of the Kazakh small hills, boreal plant species have been preserved, growing far beyond the boundaries of their typical taiga ecosystems since the widespread expansion of coniferous forests during the Pleistocene period. These species are an important component of the region’s phytodiversity and require comprehensive study. In the course of this study, based on field observation data and analyses of literary sources, information was obtained on the taxonomic composition of this group of species, their coenotic occurrence, and the ecological and geographical characteristics. In the composition of the plant communities of the Kazakh small hills, 30 species of vascular plants were identified that belong to the boreal ecological–coenotic group of plants, differing in ecology and coenotic affiliation from plants of zonal steppe vegetation. In conditions of a sharply continental arid climate, the studied boreal species grow in special habitats—in mountain forest–steppe landscapes and moist habitats along rivers and along the shores of lakes. The largest number grows on the slopes of hills with granite outcrops as part of island pine forests. In places of increased moisture at the foot of the slopes and in depressions, which are associated with azonal forest communities, mainly small-leaved plants of this group are also found. In addition, finds of boreal plants were noted in the intrazonal meadow and swamp cenoses and on rocky slopes. As an analysis of the distribution across the territory of the small hills has shown, the maximum diversity of boreal species is concentrated in the Kokshetau and Karkaraly floristic regions, where 23 and 29 species of these plants grow, respectively. Three species of boreal plants are included in the Red Book of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2006) due to the small number and vulnerability of their populations; however, as the study showed, a number of other boreal species also require protection. The main threats to the conservation of populations of boreal plant species are excessive recreation and fires. Thoughtful measures are needed to preserve rare and vulnerable plant communities, including plant species growing at the border of the range.

The possibilities of expanding a groundwater quality monitoring scheme by passive sampling using polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) comprising HLB sorbent as the receiving phase were explored. Passive sampling and grab sampling were carried out simultaneously in the regions with vulnerable groundwater resources in Slovakia, between 2013 and 2021. For 27 pesticides and degradation products detected both in POCIS and the grab samples, in situ sampling rates were calculated and statistically evaluated. The limited effectiveness of the receiving phase in POCIS for sampling polar or ionized compounds was confirmed through a comparison of the medians of compound-specific sampling rates. For the majority of the monitored compounds the median sampling rates varied between 0.01 and 0.035 L/day. In some cases, the actual in situ values could be confirmed by parallel exposure of POCIS and silicone rubber sheet employed to obtain a benchmark for maximum attainable sampling rate. Sampling site and sampling period appear to have also some influence on the sampling rates, which was attributed in part to the groundwater velocity varying in both space and time. The influence of physico-chemical parameters (temperature, pH, electrolytic conductivity) remains mostly questionable due to the naturally limited ranges of recorded values over the entire duration of the study. Concentrations of pollutants in POCIS could be used for predicting time weighed average concentrations in water, provided the sampling rates were known and relatively constant. Generally, the compound-specific sampling rate cannot be considered constant due to a combination of naturally varying environmental factors that influence the actual in situ sampling rate. The relative standard deviation of concentration data from POCIS exposed in triplicates varied between approx. 5 %-50 %. Utilizing exploratory data analysis approach and tools enabled us to obtain a relatively complex picture of the situation and progress regarding pesticide pollution of groundwater in the monitored areas.

На основе долговременных исследований биоразнообразия в средней тайге южной части Архангельской области сопоставлены данные для двух контрастных ландшафтов: 1) сильно расчлененной структурной моренно-эрозионной равнины, сложенной пермскими мергелями, перекрытыми маломощным чехлом озерно-ледниковых и моренных отложений; 2) речных долин Кокшеньги и Устьи, сложенных мощными аллювиальными и озерно-ледниковыми отложениями. Оценено флористическое, фаунистическое и ценотическое разнообразие территории, показаны особенности распространения редких и находящихся у границы ареала видов растений и животных в пределах двух ландшафтов. Более высокие показатели биотического (флористического, фаунистического, фито - и зооценотического) разнообразия характерны для ландшафта моренно-эрозионной равнины. Выявлено, что при антропогенной трансформации лесного покрова происходит уменьшение числа типов лесов, близких к коренным, что компенсируется повышением разнообразия вторичных лесов. Для территории исследований установлено обитание 45 видов млекопитающих с преобладанием бореальных и широколесных видов. Показано, что более высокий уровень видового разнообразия млекопитающих моренно-эрозионной равнины по сравнению с ландшафтом долин крупных рек обусловлен преимущественно значительным антропогенным преобразованием этой территории, вызвавшим появление не свойственных ненарушенной средней тайге местообитаний и обеспечившим тем самым проникновение элементов фауны южного распространения.

The paper examines the impact of protective equipment used during the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment. The impact of protective face masks on the aquatic environment was analyzed in more detailed way. The amount of protective face masks penetrated into the environment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and their role in the increase of plastic and microplastic things in the environment was noted. The aim of the work was to study the migration of a number of metals from disposable protective masks into the aquatic environment in the short term. Using the method of atomic absorption spectroscopy, the value of Cu, Pb, Mn, Zn, Fe in the investigated model systems containing protective disposable face masks was obtained by varying the pH of the aqueous medium. It was found that for manganese, lead and iron there is a permanent (Mn) or temporary (Pb, Fe) excess of these metals in the quatic environment according to national and European standards. The probable possibility of sorption effects and the need for further research in this direction were noted.

The analysis of anthropogenic factors influencing the state of natural water is carried out in the work.The need for a detailed study of the impact of urban areas on river water quality is noted.The study of the state of one of the main rivers of Poltava region in the area of about 100 km during the winter-spring period on the parameter of mineralization.The influence of individual settlements on the water status of the Vorskla River is considered.There was a gradual increase in river water pollution in the studied area and an increase in mineralization from 660 to 820 mg/l (February) and from 500 to 580 mg/l (April) (S r = 2%).It was found that the greatest anthropogenic impact on the state of the Vorskla River is in the area of Poltava -Novi Sanzhary.The influence of surface runoff on changes in surface and groundwater quality of Poltava region is shown.

The paper analyzes the impact of personal protective equipment used by the population as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment. The scale of the additional amount of waste generated as a result of the use of protective face masks, etc. is noted. The globality of the existing problem and its multiparametric impact on the components of the environment are indicated. The short-term effect of a number of disposable protective face masks on the condition of soil by chemical component has been studied. The dependence of leaching of heavy metals from masks on soil acidity was experimentally analyzed, the dynamics of mobile phosphorus and potassium in soil samples was studied. It is shown that the presence of masks in the soil leads to exceeding the standard for zinc content, while for copper content and manganese content exceeding the standard is not observed in the study period, for lead there are fluctuations in content beyond standard value. The need for long-term research on the impact of face masks on the environment, and in particular soils, was noted.

The paper considers the impact of urbanized areas on the state of water bodies. The impact of various types of anthropogenic activities on water bodies located in cities was shown. In towns, there is worse water resource management than in large cities and the necessity of conducting more detailed research. Using the method of direct conductometry, a spatio-temporal study of the ecological state of water bodies located within the detached objects of the urbanized territory of the Ukraine was carried out using the example of Popasna town. It was shown that fluctuations in the electrical conductivity of these bodies are mainly due to the influence of surface runoff. It was found that in all studied ponds there was a significant drop in the electrical conductivity of water in March 2021, followed by an increase and stabilization in April and May 2021, the characteristic values of electrical conductivity range from 200 to 2900 μS, the relative standard deviation did not exceed 1.5%. The necessity of conducting further, more detailed study of the features of the influence of surface runoff on the water condition in the studied ponds was shown for the purpose of rational management of these water bodies.

The negative impact of the anthropogenic factor on water bodies, including those ones located within urban ecosystems is analyzed in this paper. The legislative support of the specific requirements for water quality in different countries is considered. The purpose of the work is to investigate the qualitative and quantitative state of water from individual sources located in an urban ecosystem and determine its suitability for the consumption. The Shatylovskу spring, the Karpovsky spring, the spring near the Nemyshlya river, located within the Kharkіv city (Ukraine), were researched. Heavy metal identification was carried out using X-ray fluorescence analysis. It was found that all samples contained basically the same set of basic elements - strontium, copper, iron and chromium. Individual differences were associated with the presence of different amounts of tungsten, zinc, gallium, selenium, bromine, etc. in all samples. It was found that in the samples, the lead content reached 0.015 mg/dm3 (Karpovsky spring), nickel 0.007 mg/dm3 (Shatylovskу spring), and manganese 0.205 mg/dm3 (the spring near the Nemyshlya river). The copper content ranged from 0.029 to 0.154 mg/dm3, iron from 0.041 to 0.456 mg/dm3, and chromium from 0.015 to 0.065 mg/dm3. The obtained results make it possible to more efficiently manage water resources within the urban systems studied and indicate the need for additional water purification of all natural sources studied before using the water from those sources for drinking purposes.

The paper analyzes the impact of urban areas on the state of water objects which are under the influence of these areas.Furthermore, the temporal regularities of the oscillations in electrical conductivity in a number of water objects in Lozova Town and Lozova District (Ukraine) were obtained using the method of conductometry.It was discovered that there was no significant anthropogenic impact on the studied water objects in Lozova Town and Lozova District of Kharkiv Region.The fluctuations in conductivity are mainly related to surface runoff.It was shown that the water in Lozova Town and Lozova District is characterized by electrical conductivity values in the range from 2000 μS to 3000 μS.

The study of natural resources of officinal plants of Ciscaucasia has been implemented with usage of the database developed by the authors for the Medico-Geographical Atlas of Russia "Healing Springs and Plants". Officinal plants are permitted for medical use by the Ministry of Healthcare of Russia. Ciscaucasia flora of wild and cultivated officinal plants consists of 153 species from 126 genera and 54 families with predominating Asteraceae, Orchidaceae, Rosaceae. Most of officinal plants grow in forest and shrub communities, others are cultivated in plantations. By natural features Ciscaucasia may be divided into three parts: Western and Central with favorable conditions for plants growing, and Eastern part with less suitable conditions. Officinal plants have various pharmacological properties: antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, cardiotonic, hemostatic and others. Officinal plants are used for treatment of 14 principal classes of diseases (according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases ICD-10). The most frequent use is for curing diseases of the digestive system (more than 80 species), circulatory system (more than 40 species) and the respiratory system (40 species). Favorable nature conditions allow to cultivate in fields as aboriginal species and introduced officinal plants. In total, 62 plants species are cultivated in the Western and Central parts, including 20 aboriginal and 42 introduced. Large-scale stocking of healing plants results in reducing wild-growing plants populations. There are 13 officinal species included into the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation and another 11 species included into the Regional Red Data books.

Impact on the aquatic medium of the number of inorganic additives that are part of the foaming agents for firefighting is considered in paper. The influence of the most widespread inorganic components on aquatic organisms is analyzed. Significant variability of data is noted. It is proved that the magnesium and sodium chlorides are the safest for the environment and the most dangerous ones are aluminum compounds and sulfamic acid. Inorganic additives based on aluminum, sulfamic acid and sodium bicarbonate are the most dangerous for aquatic living organisms, in the short and long term, and the safest compounds are magnesium and sodium chlorides.

The insular pine forests of the Trans-Volga–Kazakh province of the Black Sea–Kazakh steppe region have high biodiversity and are relict in nature. The problems of their study and conservation are relevant in the context of increasing anthropogenic impact and climatic changes. A comprehensive analysis was performed for the floristic composition of communities of pine forests from the Burabai, Karkaraly, and Buzuluk national parks, the Naurzum Reserve, the Kanonersky forestry enterprise (south of the Priishimsky altitudinal zone pine forests), the pine forests of the Ilmensky Reserve and the Burlinsky altitudinal zone located in forest–steppe regions near the northern border of the province based on our own field materials and published data. For the first time, the data on the floristic diversity of all large pine forests in the province (the geographical aspect) are summarized in a unified manner. The similarity in the taxonomic, geographical, ecological, morphological, and coenotic structure of the floristic composition of all isolated insular pine forests indicate the presence of historical links and their relic character. The results of the correlation and cluster analysis of floristic lists showed a different degree of similarity between pine forests in different parts of the province in connection with the specific physical and geographical conditions. Three groups of pine forests have been identified: (a) pine forests of the sandy massifs of the Naurzum Reserve and the Kanonersky forestry enterprise, which have the most xerophilic appearance and are poor in composition, with a predominance of steppe species and turf grasses; (b) pine forests of granite massifs of the Kazakh Uplands (Burabay and Karkaraly national parks) with an average species richness; (c) the Buzuluk and Burlinsky pine forests, which occupy the most northern, borderline position in the province, with high floristic diversity and increased participation of forest species.