Lelde Vistarte, Jelena Pubule, Lauma Balode, Daina Kaleja, Ketija Bumbiere
{"title":"An Assessment of the Impact of Latvian New Common Agriculture Policy: Transition to Climate Neutrality","authors":"Lelde Vistarte, Jelena Pubule, Lauma Balode, Daina Kaleja, Ketija Bumbiere","doi":"10.2478/rtuect-2023-0050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/rtuect-2023-0050","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Agriculture ranks among the key sectors responsible for substantially rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The increase in emissions contributes to the adverse effects of climate change, including threats to biodiversity, the potential for extreme weather events, elevated sea levels, and alterations to ocean currents. The European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a comprehensive framework that aims to achieve sustainability and advance the agricultural sector’s journey towards climate neutrality by addressing social, economic, and environmental goals. The study aims to evaluate Latvia’s Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan (CAP SP) and to evaluate the impact of the policy. The goal of the study is to determine which objectives are more likely to succeed based on the overall state of Latvia’s agricultural sector and by evaluating the provided information in Latvia’s CAP. The assessment of the CAP SP reveals that there are clear and specific metrics in place for the high-impact goals, particularly those related to addressing climate change and managing resources. According to the TOPSIS analysis, the climate change (SO4) and environmental care (SO5) objectives demonstrate the most significant impact. Objectives associated with European Union policies, such as the National Energy and Climate Plan, European Green Deal, and Farm to Fork strategy, are more likely to succeed than objectives not connected to these or similar policies.","PeriodicalId":46053,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Climate Technologies","volume":"37 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135447597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hydraulic Structures as Flow Measuring Devices","authors":"E. Bílková, J. Souček, K. Tskhakaia, Petr Nowak","doi":"10.2478/rtuect-2023-0002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/rtuect-2023-0002","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Discharge measurement is the base of proper water management. The effective design and operation of hydraulic structures under both normal and extreme flow conditions depend on the quality of hydrological data. Understanding the water system requires consistent and long-term measurement. Despite that, the gauging station network is sparse, and its numbers are declining worldwide. This article aims to draw attention to the possibility of accurate flow measurement using existing hydraulic structures. Flow over a hydraulic structure profile is a physically well-defined phenomenon as the construction shape is fixed and simple compared to river profiles. The discharge can be derived from rating curves, turbine characteristics, and several easily measured variables. That allows continuous discharge measurement. The accuracy is compared with the gauging station on the river. Suitable technical solutions for ensuring and monitoring ecological flow are discussed.","PeriodicalId":46053,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Climate Technologies","volume":"5 1","pages":"16 - 27"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87968791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marco Tubino, Marco Ragazzi, Luca Adami, Marco Schiavon
{"title":"Criteria for the Assessment of Health Risk from a Waste Gasification Plant","authors":"Marco Tubino, Marco Ragazzi, Luca Adami, Marco Schiavon","doi":"10.2478/rtuect-2023-0048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/rtuect-2023-0048","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In mountainous regions, the atmospheric dispersion of air pollutants is limited by complex terrain morphology. Trentino (a province located in the Italian Alps) is characterized by a high population density, highly developed agriculture and farming, and the presence of civil and industrial activities, whose emissions tend to be trapped inside the valleys. These conditions translate into exposure levels that are potentially higher than other geographical contexts (e.g., flat or coastal regions). The academic research carried out in Trentino since 2005 has produced a series of publications on topics related to the risk for health derived from waste management and other activities. These publications has focused on: 1) the evaluation of the emissions of organic pollutants from the waste sector; 2) the monitoring of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in various environmental matrices; 3) a methodology to carry out a comprehensive health risk assessment considering all the relevant exposure routes in an area; 4) the role of the local diet in the exposure of a population to POPs; 5) methodologies to define new regulatory limit values for dioxin and hexavalent chromium; and 6) the role of dispersion modeling in assessing the exposure to air pollutants. The present paper will review these publications and provide a reference document to evaluate new project proposals that require a health risk assessment and facilitate the work of proponents, clarifying the requirements of a health risk assessment. The paper will refer to waste gasification, but the considerations expressed in this paper may apply to other activities.","PeriodicalId":46053,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Climate Technologies","volume":"23 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135447598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Insights of Bioeconomy: Biopolymer Evaluation Based on Sustainability Criteria","authors":"Nidhiben Patel, Dagnija Blumberga","doi":"10.2478/rtuect-2023-0025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/rtuect-2023-0025","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Sustainable development in the agriculture sector can be boosted by integrating a sustainable bioeconomy and transforming renewable resources into added-value products. There are various methods to determine, measure, and compare the extent of sustainability. We promote the bioeconomy concept by utilizing agricultural waste in biopolymers considering the sustainable development in the agriculture sector. This research aims to evaluate biopolymer alternatives based on sustainability criteria and indicators using the integrated multi-criteria decision analysis approach under the sustainability umbrella. We evaluated the PLA, PHA/PHB, starch, protein, and cellulose-based biopolymers. As a result, the cellulose-based biopolymer shows the best performance. The research findings provide valuable information to establish a sustainable pathway for biopolymer production for industries.","PeriodicalId":46053,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Climate Technologies","volume":"36 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135733712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fungal Hydrolysis of Food Waste: Review of Used Substrates, Conditions, and Microorganisms","authors":"Indra Berzina, Kriss Spalvins","doi":"10.2478/rtuect-2023-0047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/rtuect-2023-0047","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract During food production significant amounts of organic waste is generated annually that can have a negative effect on the environment due to lack of efficient utilisation solutions and insufficient disposal practices. Fungi and their remarkable abilities to produce enzymes can be applied for hydrolysing different types of food waste in simpler sugars. Under optimal conditions, fungal hydrolysis of food waste can be rapid and efficient. Currently, the capacity of this process has only been briefly demonstrated in previous studies. This review describes different practices demonstrating the potential of fungal hydrolysis use for efficient resource management. The focus was on what organisms, waste substrates and parameters as temperature, pH level, have been applied in previous studies as well as glucose recovery yields. It was concluded that food waste can be efficiently hydrolysed and used as a substrate for the downstream production of value-added products using sequential fermentation. The optimal temperature was concluded to be above 45 °C, but the optimal pH level may vary depending on used organism and substate. In future research the possibility of optimizing fungal strains, creating mutants with enhanced enzyme-producing abilities, and application of more GRAS fungal species should be investigated. To conduct valorisation tests on new residues for fungal hydrolysis researchers must collaborate with manufacturers, thus exploring the suitability of a wider range of waste residues for fungal hydrolysis.","PeriodicalId":46053,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Climate Technologies","volume":"136 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135319372","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Theoretical Foundations of Gas Hydrate Synthesis Intensification","authors":"Bogdan Kutnyi, Anatoliy Pavlenko, Oleksandra Cherednikova","doi":"10.2478/rtuect-2023-0049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/rtuect-2023-0049","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The methods of industrial production of gas hydrates are considered, their problems are identified, and a list of factors that are decisive for the intensification of mass exchange processes is outlined. The prospective use of mass transfer devices with a dynamic interfacial surface for the synthesis of gas hydrates is substantiated. A mathematical model of hydrate formation on the surface of a water droplet moving in a gas flow is proposed. Digital solutions for various droplet sizes, velocities, gas pressures, water temperature, gas permeability of gas hydrate, and dynamics of hydrate formation over time were obtained. It was established that the main ways of intensification of the synthesis of gas hydrates are: obtaining smaller water droplets, maintaining the gas temperature at the level of 0 °С, increasing the gas pressure, and increasing the residence time of the droplet in the gas medium. Approximation formulas for calculating quantitative indicators of the influence of various factors on the formation of methane gas hydrate have been obtained. The analysis of the obtained results made it possible to establish promising directions for the optimization of equipment for the synthesis of gas hydrates.","PeriodicalId":46053,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Climate Technologies","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135447613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evaluating Shading Effects of PV Systems: Discrepancies in Simulation Software and Energy Consumption","authors":"Aiman Albatayneh, Renad Albadaineh","doi":"10.2478/rtuect-2023-0030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/rtuect-2023-0030","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract A critical procedure in sustainable building design is that building energy consumption has significant implications for the global energy crisis and climate change. This study compares three simulation software programs for a photovoltaic system on a building’s roof. The low-rise residential buildings in three East Mediterranean cities (Amman, Mafraq, and Aqaba) represent moderate dry–warm, semi-arid, and humid subtropical climate zones were compared using three simulation software programs (IES-VE, Design-Builder, REVIT) for a typical building with PV on the roof and the second scenario without a PV system installed on the roof. This investigation aims to evaluate the shading effect of the PV system on a building’s roof structure by calculating the total heating and cooling loads required to maintain thermal comfort inside the building. The results showed significant discrepancies between the three software for the base building design and the PV system on the roof, with a range of around 50 %. This highlights the importance of evaluating and calibrating different simulation tools and using them with a great deal of caution.","PeriodicalId":46053,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Climate Technologies","volume":"4 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135498013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Agnese Smilga-Spalviņa, K. Spalvins, I. Veidenbergs
{"title":"Review of Sustainable Cryopreservation and Above-Freezing Storage Solutions of European Honey Bee Apis mellifera Drone Semen","authors":"Agnese Smilga-Spalviņa, K. Spalvins, I. Veidenbergs","doi":"10.2478/rtuect-2023-0014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/rtuect-2023-0014","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The European honey bee Apis mellifera is the main pollinator for most crops used for human consumption. However, a number of diseases, parasites, pesticides and other factors that generally result in the widely described colony collapse disorder weakens honey bee colonies. In order to maintain the existing honey bee germ lines and facilitate the creation of new disease-resistant lines, it is necessary to ensure consistent breeding work, which would also allow the long-term preservation of the unique germplasm lines. One of the most promising solutions for the preservation of honey bee germplasm is the storage of honey bee drone semen. In recent decades, there has been a renewed interest in the preservation of honey bee drone semen using both cryopreservation and above-freezing storage methods. This review summarizes the latest developments in novel sperm storage technologies and their assessment by sperm quality and queen fertility indicators. Additionally, this article analyses the advantages and disadvantages of the reviewed solutions and outlines directions in which additional research would be needed to develop effective, available and affordable drone semen storage solutions. To the best of the authors' knowledge this is the first review of cryopreservation and above-freezing storage solutions of European honey bee Apis mellifera drone semen in the scientific literature.","PeriodicalId":46053,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Climate Technologies","volume":"33 1","pages":"177 - 194"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86825681","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Use of Solar Collectors in Domestic Hot Water Systems in Central and Eastern European Countries: Simulation in TRNSYS","authors":"A. Ołtarzewska, D. Krawczyk","doi":"10.2478/rtuect-2023-0019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/rtuect-2023-0019","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Solar collectors are devices that enable the use of solar radiation, e.g., for hot water preparation or space heating. They are playing an increasingly important role in Europe and around the world, mainly due to the easy availability of the sun, as an energy source. The advisability of their use depends on a number of factors, of which climatic conditions are an extremely important one. This paper presents the results of energy simulations of a solar collector-based domestic hot water system for the capitals of five selected Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC): Riga, Warsaw, Prague, Bratislava, and Zagreb. Using TRNSYS software, a theoretical model of the system was developed and dynamic simulations were carried out for the entire year. The amount of useful energy generated by the flat-plate collectors, their efficiency, as well as the auxiliary energy requirements and the amount of energy needed to meet the load were estimated and compared. The extent to which changing the area of solar collector affects the operation and efficiency of the system for different locations was also analysed. The results showed that in terms of efficiency, the use of solar collectors is most favourable in placed southernmost Croatia and in Slovakia, where it was also achieved the lowest annual auxiliary energy demand. The least favourable location turned out to be Riga. It is also worth noting that regardless of location, the area of solar collector has a significant impact on the efficiency of the entire system.","PeriodicalId":46053,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Climate Technologies","volume":"7 1","pages":"243 - 253"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87351949","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Insights of Bioeconomy: Biopolymer Evaluation Based on Sustainability Criteria","authors":"Nidhiben Patel, D. Blumberga","doi":"10.7250/conect.2023.091","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7250/conect.2023.091","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Sustainable development in the agriculture sector can be boosted by integrating a sustainable bioeconomy and transforming renewable resources into added-value products. There are various methods to determine, measure, and compare the extent of sustainability. We promote the bioeconomy concept by utilizing agricultural waste in biopolymers considering the sustainable development in the agriculture sector. This research aims to evaluate biopolymer alternatives based on sustainability criteria and indicators using the integrated multi-criteria decision analysis approach under the sustainability umbrella. We evaluated the PLA, PHA/PHB, starch, protein, and cellulose-based biopolymers. As a result, the cellulose-based biopolymer shows the best performance. The research findings provide valuable information to establish a sustainable pathway for biopolymer production for industries.","PeriodicalId":46053,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Climate Technologies","volume":"104 1","pages":"323 - 338"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75970923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}