The study aimed to develop alternative adsorbent materials based on pyritic ash, with high iron content, to retain phosphates from wastewater. Experimental studies of phosphate removal efficiency have shown that the phosphate removal from water using pyritic ash adsorbent materials is strongly influenced by some parameters such as contact time, stirring speed, amount of adsorbent material, or iron content. An increase of phosphate removal efficiency up to 53% could be observed for iron-rich adsorbent materials (PA1) by increasing the contact time to 6 hours and the stirring speed to 100 rpm. An increase in phosphate removal efficiency was also observed by increasing the amount of adsorbent material from 0.1 g to 0.5 g for all three adsorbent materials studied (PA1, PA2, PA3). The best efficiency was shown for PA1 (53.13%), while PA3 showed the lowest efficiency (19.74%).

The study focused on odours generated by hydrogen sulphide (H2S) immissions from a municipal wastewater treatment plant in a city of 2 million people. Odour awareness was vital to monitor environmental pollution and human safety. H2S was released from the decomposition of organic matter, sulfites (SO32-), and sulfates (SO42-) by anaerobic microorganisms used in the biological stage of wastewater treatment. H2S was responsible for odours coming from the treatment plant. Long exposure (8 hours) to 2-5 ppm causes headaches and watery eyes, and 50 ppm irritates the airways. Maximum permissible concentrations for H2S are 0.006 ppm (24 hours) and 0.011 ppm (30 minutes). In Romania, there are no limits on the concentration of odours. The sludge pumping station from the wastewater treatment plant registered the highest odour concentration at 36.000 OUE/m3, with significant levels of H2S primarily found there. Nevertheless, the activated sludge aeration system effectively eliminated around 99% of the H2S through degradation and absorption processes. The correlation between H2S and odour has been proved by a directly proportional relationship with a ratio of 25.000. Experimental determinations and mathematical modeling, using the Aermod View program, contributed to a deeper understanding of the impact of odours on the environment and sensitive receptors, showed maximum odour concentrations of 38.8 ouE/m3 at the site of the municipal wastewater treatment plant and 5 ÷7 ouE/m3 at receptors, but without affecting residential areas.

In this study, the area of a biofilter representing an active area source was sampled by taking 12 odour samples from the gaseous effluent and measuring the physical parameters of the source, so that we can obtain the odour emission rate (OER) specific to the source. The odour sampling process is a crucial step in the assessment and monitoring of odour pollution. Direct measurement of odour concentration in the ambient air is often not sufficient to determine whether an activity is responsible for producing olfactory discomfort to the receptors. To observe the contribution of the source to olfactory pollution and air quality by estimating the odour concentration in the ambient air, the odour emission rate (OER) was taken into account, which is expressed in odour units per second (ouE/s) and is obtained as the product of the odour concentration and the airflow rate associated with the source. The odour emission rate was entered into the dispersion program AERMOD for mathematical modeling. In order to estimate the odour concentration in the surrounding air in the adjacent areas to the sampled biofilter, 2 mathematical models were made to illustrate the odour concentration on the site and in its vicinity in the most unfavorable weather conditions „Highest values” and „98th Percentile” to illustrate the concentration in the surrounding air excluding the 2% unfavorable weather condition

The interaction of bridge piers and currents with each other is mutual. As a result of this interaction, it has been determined that one of the main causes of damage to bridges is the scouring of bridge piers. One of the factors on which the scouring procedure depends is the flow velocity. For this reason, in this study, the velocity distributions that occur before the bridge piers, which are positioned as single axis and double axis, were examined physically and numerically. In experimental studies, the reading values obtained by using ADV were compared with the results obtained from the ANSYS-Fluent package program used in numerical modeling. The performance of the model used and the effects of placing the piers as single axis and double axis were evaluated. As a result of the study, it was determined that the ANSYS used in determining the flow velocity area was very compatible with the experimental results and that the flow velocity acting in the system obtained by placing the bridge piers as a single axis is larger.

In the present study it was investigated the groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking purposes in several urban and rural areas from Timis, Arad and Bihor counties (West Region of Romania). We have established general and specific techniques for the analytical investigation of the inorganic and organic matrix in the environmental components of water from underground sources, for the identification and quantification of persistent pollutants with toxic potential, especially considering the presence of chlorobenzenes and organo-chlorinated pesticides, organophosphorus pesticides, plant treatment agents (triazine pesticides), benzene and benzene derivatives, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and toxic metals, specifically tracking the presence of arsenic in groundwater resources in the Western Region of Romania.

The global issue of Food Loss and Waste (FLW) is gaining increased attention from both academic and policy circles. This challenge is progressively spreading, particularly in less developed and developing nations. This article aims to address the FLW concern within grape cultivation, proposing solutions for repurposing leftover materials from the crop. The paper will depict the current understanding of FLW, outline the supply and value chain of grape crops, and conduct an intricate analysis of production quantities, imports, exports, and processing. The study draws from the IPSUS project's research, which explores techniques for reclaiming plant and seaweed proteins through recycling raw materials. Additionally, it will explore the potential for upcycling and assess the quantity and quality of FLW at various points along the value chain. To evaluate FLW in viticulture, an IoT system will measure environmental parameters like air temperature, humidity, soil moisture, and precipitation. These measurements will help estimate harvest quality and quantity, pivotal aspects within the context of food loss and waste. The outcomes of this research will underscore the significance of repurposing grape crops, opening novel avenues for agricultural advancement in Romania.

Microplastic pollution represents a stringent global issue. Their accumulation in the aquatic environment remains complicated due to the abundance, distribution, and resulting environmental effects they induce. Recently, assessing the toxicity level of aquatic organisms has gained scientific interest. Due to the diverse types and sizes of polymers present in the environment, the detection and evaluation of their effects are still a challenging issue. Polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) are the most commonly used polymers and are therefore predominantly detected in both marine and freshwater aquatic environments. This paper aims to evaluate the effects of Red Nile-stained PE and PS, tested in different particle sizes (PE 40-48, 125, >125 µm, and PS 20, 200, 430 µm) on Daphnia magna, and highlight them through microscopic analysis. Acute toxicity tests conducted over a 48-hour exposure did not reveal significant toxicity effects in terms of mortalities compared to the controls. Red Nile staining allowed the visualization of the shapes and sizes of the tested microplastics and their entry pathways into the Daphnia bodies. PS of 20 µm size was detected in the digestive tract of Daphnia, indicating a primary pathway of entry into the body of aquatic organisms. No acute toxic effects were recorded as a result of direct exposure to PE and PS particles. However, sub-lethal effects such as feeding and growth disturbances, which could affect organisms in the long term, are suspected.

The current context of the increasing manifestation of climate change in the form of extreme weather phenomena prioritizes efforts to find solutions as quickly as possible to ensure adaptation to these new conditions and to achieve climate resilience. The phenomena are problematic, they usually cause much material damage, and therefore knowing the particularities of each urban or peri-urban environment where they occur can ensure the finding of viable and sustainable solutions in the long term. The current knowledge of the phenomena related to pollution and the variation of some climatic parameters, such as temperature and humidity, can bring valuable information for understanding the phenomena that appear against the background of the manifestation of climatic changes in urban environments and those adjacent to them. The analysis presented in this article refers to three cities in Romania, analyzed as case studies, for understanding climatic vulnerabilities in parallel with a quantification of the quality of environmental factors, in an integrated air, water, and soil approach. In these areas, the manifestation of natural factors, together with the anthropic footprint, particularly more evident in the urban environment, offers the possibility of an objective, quantifiable evaluation of the studied areas. The proposed comparisons will allow highlighting the vulnerabilities together with the zonal variability that is the basis of the influencing factors, as well as how the quality of the monitored parameters will evolve in space and time.

The paper summarizes the research results on the development country country-specific emissions factors for the Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GHGI) for Source Category “5A Solid Waste Disposal on Land”, namely the degradable organic carbon (DOC), fraction of degradable organic carbon which decomposes (DOCf) and fraction of methane. The factors are determined based on the results of the survey on the composition of municipal solid waste, which was investigated during one year in the Republic of Moldova: from spring 2023 to 2024. The obtained morphological composition and results refer to three seasons: spring, summer, and autumn, and offer the opportunity to observe the variations among the seasons. After finalizing the survey on morphological composition, the final results will be used for the estimation of country-specific emission factors, which will allow to estimate accurately the emissions of methane from the landfilling of waste in the Republic of Moldova, necessary for the development of a policy framework and tracking the progress in achievement of NDC. It will also improve the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) methodologies and Emission Factors for assessing the GHG emissions originating from the waste sector.

One of the main challenges regarding the transition to a circular economy at the European level is waste management and achieving specific objectives. By 2025, the recycling and reuse rate of municipal waste should reach 55% and the total volume of recycled packaging 65%, according to European Directives (Waste Directive 05/07/2018). Statistical data and EEA reports are not encouraging: most European countries will not be able to reach these targets until 2025. The current work aims to analyze European legislation regarding waste management but also the national transposition measures communicated by the Member States. The reference statistical data regarding the efficiency of waste management, are also analyzed, at the member state level and at the national level, to determine to what extent Romania has reached the targets set by the European Commission regarding waste management, depending on the specific time horizon set by the reference legislative policies.