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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Boron is a micronutrient of high importance, both for plant development and normal growth. The range between boron deficiency and toxicity is very narrow, which makes boron unique among the essential micronutrients. Boron adsorption is one of the most important factors determining the release and fixation of this micronutrient, though its adsorption has not been widely studied in semiarid Tunisian soils. This study aims to improve knowledge of B adsorption process in calcareous salt-affected soils in semiarid areas. It equally focuses on the type of cation (monovalent and divalent) in function of the soil texture and time of shaking. These three latter factors influence boron adsorption, which also influence the availability for plants. METHODS: A study was carried out on boron adsorption at different shaking time intervals (1, 3, 6 and 9 hours) in two soils of different textures in the absence and presence of different background electrolytes solutions (0.02 N CaCl2, 0.02 N MgCl2, 0.02 N sodium chloride and 0.02 N potassium chloride. FINDINGS: The soil-A (clay loam) adsorbed more boron than soil-B (sandy loam). Boron adsorption was the highest in Soil-A under the presence of potassium chloride, close to the mean values given when using calcium chloride. In Soil-B, it was found with calcium chloride background electrolyte. Minor boron adsorption was observed in both soils when boric acid solution was used without background electrolytes. Adsorbed boron showed significant differences with the shaking time in all treatments used with background electrolytes solutions, except for boron solution treatment without background electrolyte in both soils. As a comparison of divalent and monovalent cations, boron adsorbed content was higher with the solution containing calcium than in sodium chloride solution, due to the fact that calcium carbonate is an important boron adsorbing surface. CONCLUSION: This study reveals that the best conditions for maximum boron adsorption are defined by calcium chloride background electrolyte in this type of soil in a determined shaking time interval of 3 hours. This causes a low rate of boron assimilated by plants, which leads to the decrease of the crop yield and the agricultural production, and subsequently hurt the Tunisian national economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Open-pit mining is an important activity to obtain mineral resources that supply society with raw materials to improve people's quality of life. However, this extractive activity causes negative environmental impacts and, it is therefore necessary to identify and evaluate these impacts in order to design preventive and control measures to reduce them and thus safeguard the environment and natural resources. In the Region of Murcia, in Spain, as well as other Mediterranean areas with similar climatic conditions, there is a great deal of mining activity linked to the building sector, in which mainly ornamental rock (marble and marble limestone) and limestone aggregates are used. All of this has given rise to numerous active and abandoned mines, where no restoration process has been carried out, generating strong impacts on the environment. METHODS: In this study, 8 environmental impact assessments studies of ornamental rock and aggregate quarries in the Region of Murcia were analysed to identify the negative impacts on the abiotic and biotic environment, landscape, socio-economic and socio-cultural environment, and infrastructures and analysing preventive and control measures. FINDINGS: According to the environmental impact assessment studies analysed, the importance of the most significant environmental impacts has been calculated, indicating whether the impacts are critical, severe, moderate or compatible, and based on it, preventive and corrective measures are proposed together in an impact mitigation management system based in flow charts that will serve to more easily apply and control these measures, in order to prevent them from causing significant or irreversible damage to the environment. Analysing these measures, it has been observed that 90% of the measures applied to control the different negative environmental factors in this type of quarry are the same. CONCLUSION: Open-pit mining extraction systems have a series of similar characteristics that allow a systematic approach to be established when analysing the impacts. With the use of flowcharts, it becomes easier to apply measures to reduce environmental impacts and in addition, these diagrams, allow at the same time the easy incorporation of updates due to changing regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to identify an optimal sewage sludge compost (SSC) application rate to cultivateCynara cardunculusL. (cynara) in a Mediterranean soil. Five SSC treatments corresponding to 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 kg compost/m2(T0, T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively) were applied to an agricultural plot (South-Eastern Spain). Twelve cynara plants per treatment were grown (January–June). SSC treatments enhanced Cox, Nk, Pburriel, Zn, and Fe. The optimal rates were found between T2and T3. Cynara leaves’ elemental composition was scarcely affected by SSC. Only Fe increased, differing T2, T3, T4plants (over 1000 mg Fe/kg) from T0plants (701 mg Fe/kg). Cynara morphological traits were not affected by SSC treatments. Cynara results did not indicate a clear optimal SSC dose. However, applications between 4 and 6 kg of SSC/m2are recommended in order to enhance soil organic matter and fertility, factors of special importance in Mediterranean environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two main advantages are achieved with the application of sewage sludge as soil amendment: the right management of an unwanted waste product and the improvement of soil properties. On the other hand, the presence of heavy metals in the wastes may lead to risk for humans and the environment The current legislation in Europe and Spain limits the application to the soil as a function of the total heavy metal content in sewage sludge and soil depending on soil pH. However, it would be necessary to use the bio-available fraction and to include more soil properties. Thus, the objective of the present work was to study the influence of soil properties in the uptake of heavy metals by plants and the suitability of DTPA extraction as a method to pre-diet this bioavailability. With these objectives, 36 agricultural soils were mixed with two types of sewage sludges having different levels of heavy metals and a bioassay with barley was carried out under greenhouse conditions. DTPA extraction was capable to predict the accumulation of heavy metals in roots but failed for the case of Cr. All the predictions were improved when some soil properties (texture, pH, organic matter and electrical conductivity) were taken into account using multiple regression. The regression coefficients for each metal were: Cd (r=0.922; p<0.001), Zn (r=0.894; p<0.001), Pb (r=0.846; p<0.001), Ni (r=0.828; p<0.001), Cu (r=0.798; p<0.001), Cr (r=0.515; p<0.001). These results suggest the important role of other soil properties apart from pH on the availability of heavy metals. Moreover, the use of DTPA data together with soil properties could be an effective way to asses the availability of heavy metals to plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of Microplastic Pollution (MPs) on human health, the environment, economy, and society has been previously investigated. However, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding specific areas that require urgent measures to address marine pollution. The accumulation of MPs in Mediterranean coastal environments is particularly noteworthy. This is attributed to the region's economic reliance on tourism and the decline of popular tourist destinations caused by the presence of coastal and marine waste. The objective of the present research was to conduct a strategic analysis and mapping of MPs from soil samples taken from rural areas of Cyprus. Within the framework of the present research, a general picture of the status of MP pollution in areas covering significant percentages in the domestic supply of fruits and vegetables was obtained. The survey indicated the presence of more than 70% of MPs in crops at a concentration of up to 1.5 %. As a result of this research, the need to highlight the importance of the rational use of plastics and proper management to mitigate pollution is a primary concern. The rational separation of materials for recycling, information, reuse of materials, processing, and an increase in the number of recycling bins in public places are considered urgent. Cooperation between the state, institutions and industry must be based on the protection of people and the environment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Food waste (FW) has become a global concern, with an estimated 1.3 billion tonnes lost annually, costing about $1 trillion. Environmental and social consequences of FW are significant, contributing to 6% of European Unions' greenhouse gasemissions and affecting global food security. FW occurs is a complex issue occurring at various stages of the food supply chain (FSC) and is influenced by multiple factors such as infrastructure, available knowledge and socio-economic conditions. Developed countries FW is more prevalent at the consumption stage, whereas in the developing countries losses occur in agricultural production, post-harvest and distribution stage. Accurate quantification of FW across the supply chain is crucial and monitoring key performance indicators helps identify areas for improvement. The European Union mandates FW measurement, aligning with sustainable development goals, emphasizing the need for effective waste prevention measures. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses approach was utilized to conduct a systematic literature review on FW key performance indicators (KPIs) and monitoring tools. The research identified 22 KPIs, categorized into three levels of the FSC: primary, secondary and tertiary. The most common KPIs included FW per capita, FW per portion and FW percentage. The study further discusses FW prevention measures and essential monitoring tools for addressing FW throughout the supply chain., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.