Assessment of water quality of Lake Viroi after the reconstruction of the park

Albania is a reach country in water natural resource and one of them is "Mëma e Viroit" in the region of Gjirokastra. This is a karstic water source and it is approved as natural monument. The Lake Viroi is an important water ecosystem, with ecological, economic and environmental values. The anthropogenic and natural impacts are very significant indicators for eutrophication process of this lake. There is a good database for the environmental indicators and eutrophication of this ecosystem, which were assessed during the years 2011-2015. The park was under restoration during the year 2016 and it was a demand to assess water quality of lake after its restoration. The main objective of this study was to compare water quality of the lake before and after lake restoration and to propose the measures for water quality improvement. Water samples were collected during the year 2018, in accordance with the standard methods and were analyzed for chemical parameters by using ISO standard methods. The analyzed parameters were estimated according to the Water Framework Directive (WFD 2000/60 /EC) on the quality of surface waters. The values of trophic index (TSI) for Lake Viroi was calculated based on the total Phosphorus and total Nitrogen. The results showed that the amount of main nutrients as Nitrogen and Phosphorus continues to be at "High" and "Good" level. The trophic status of the lake varies from "oligotrophic" based on total Phosphorus values, to oligo-mesotrophic based on total Nitrogen values

Land cover data assessment in Albania

Land cover refers to the observed physical cover of the Earth's surface which describes the distribution of vegetation types, water bodies and human-made infrastructure. It also reflects the use of land resources for agriculture, forestry, human settlements and other purposes. In this context our current study was focused on the evaluation of land cover changes in Albania during the year period 2000-2018, using CORINE land cover program. Albania has a total area of 28,748 km2, from which 24% is agricultural land, 36% forest, 16% pastures and meadows and 24% is classified as other, which includes urban areas, lakes and waterways and unused rocky. Land cover in Albania during the year period 2000-2018, was excessively affected by natural phenomena and human activity. Land cover changes in Albania were mainly affected by urban residential sprawl over agricultural land. Thus, the urban residential land increased with about 1% (or about 28,000 Ha) and the agricultural land increased with 3.46% (or about 98,000 Ha), whereas forest area and mix agricultural area decreased with 2.1% (or about 60,000 Ha) and 5.35% (about 150,000 Ha), respectively

Land cover data assessment in Albania

Land cover refers to the observed physical cover of the Earth's surface which describes the distribution of vegetation types, water bodies and human-made infrastructure. It also reflects the use of land resources for agriculture, forestry, human settlements and other purposes. In this context our current study was focused on the evaluation of land cover changes in Albania during the year period 2000-2018, using CORINE land cover program. Albania has a total area of 28,748 km2, from which 24% is agricultural land, 36% forest, 16% pastures and meadows and 24% is classified as other, which includes urban areas, lakes and waterways and unused rocky. Land cover in Albania during the year period 2000-2018, was excessively affected by natural phenomena and human activity. Land cover changes in Albania were mainly affected by urban residential sprawl over agricultural land. Thus, the urban residential land increased with about 1% (or about 28,000 Ha) and the agricultural land increased with 3.46% (or about 98,000 Ha), whereas forest area and mix agricultural area decreased with 2.1% (or about 60,000 Ha) and 5.35% (about 150,000 Ha), respectively

Heavy metals contamination of the sediments in the Viroi lake in Gjirokastra district Albania

ITLa valutazione dei metalli pesanti presenti nei sedimenti degli ecosistemi idrici ha un ruolo importante nel determinare lo stato dell’inquinamento e la qualità di questi ecosistemi. Abbiamo preso 21 mostre da 7 posti di studio diversi e cinque metalli pesanti Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb e Cd sono stati analizzati nei sedimenti del lago di Virua, nella regione di Argirocastro, nel Sud d’Albania. Il contenuto totale dei metalli pesanti si è definito nelle frazioni Cr>Cu>Pb. Questi valori erano superiori ai valori raccomandati dal Consensus - basato negli orientamenti della qualità dei sedimenti di Wisconsin. Il livello dell’inquinamento dai metalli pesanti è stato calcolato basandosi sul fattore dell’arricchimento (Ef) e l’indice del geoaccumulazione. Il fattore di arricchimento (Ef) dei metalli nei sedimenti variava da 1.016 a 4.51. Questi valori dimostrano un arricchimento da minimo a moderato dei sedimenti in presenza di questi metalli. L’indice del geo-accumulazione (Igeo) variava da -0.56 a 1.59, il chè testimonia che questi sedimenti sono praticamente da non inquinati a mediamente inquinati . Nonostante ciò sono necessari degli studi ulteriori per specificare i metalli pesanti, la loro mobilità nella catena alimentare dell’ecosistema idricoENThe assessment of heavy metals in the sediments of water ecosystems has an important role in determination of pollution status and in the quality of these ecosystems. Twenty one sediment samples were taken in seven sampling points and five heavy metals Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb and Cd were analyzed in the sediments of the Viroi lake in Gjirokastra district in the south of Albania. Total content of heavy metals was determined in fractions Cr>Cu>Pb. These values were higher than the values recommended in Consensus-Based Sediment Quality Guidelines of Wisconsin. Level of sediment pollution with heavy metals is evaluated based on calculation of enrichment factor (Ef) and geo-accumulation Index (Igeo). Enrichment Factor (Ef) of heavy metals in sediments ranged from 1.016 to 4.51. These values showed that the sediments have minimal enrichment to moderate enrichment with these heavy metals. Geo-accumulation index (Igeo), ranged from -0.56 to 1.59, showed that these sediments are unpolluted to moderately pollute. Therefore, further studies on the speciation of heavy metals in order to evaluate their mobility in the food chains of water ecosystem are neede

Physical - Chemical and Bacteriological Analysis of the River „Drini i Bardhë‟ („White Drin‟)

White Drin River and the environment around it, are very important to human kind, thus we, as a society, need to take good care of White Drin River and keep it is as clean as possible. Water quality in the basin of theWhite Drin River comes from anthropogenic activities, mainly from urban leaks and discharges from sewage, agriculture, as well as discharges from industry and the various factors that carry out their activities in White Drin river basin. In this study is presented the current situation of the White Drin basin, especially in thirteen locations where other tributaries flow into it, as the river Klina, Mirusha, river Ereniku and river Lumëbardhi Prizren, in order to assess the quality of the Drin river basin. This study analyzed thephysical and chemical parameters, such as air temperature, water temperature, pH value, turbidity, total hardness, specific conductivity, dissolved oxygen, consumption of potassium permanganate, nitrates, nitrites, iron, manganese, ammonia, phosphates, etc. Water samples were analyzed in physical - chemical laboratory, with methods such as volumetric methods, atomic absorption method (AAS), spectrophotometric methods, photometric methods, etc. The objective of this study is related to the determination of the physical - chemical parameters that are presented in tables and diagrams, which show the level of pollution of the river, mainly from the tributaries that flow into it, the anthropogenic factor, the effects of pollution from sewerage, waste discharge, etc.Keywords: White Drin, water quality, parameters, physical – chemical methods

Chemical Composition and Amino Acid Content in Different Genotypes of Wheat Flour

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the chemical parameters and amino acid content in 10 genotypes of soft Albanian wheat organically grown and collected during the summer seasons of 2014. The thin layer chromatography method was used for the identification the content of amino acids and spectrophotometry was used to determine the concentration of indentified amino acids. The results exhibited high protein content (13.73 % - 17.32 %) and relative high content of total amino acid content (6.3 % - 10.9 %). The most abundant of all amino acids was glutamic acid (in all genotypes) and cysteine (PZA 1, PZA 2, PZA 3, PZA 4, PZA 5, PZA 6, PZA 7, and PZA 10)

Assessment of Microelements Content in Organic Soft Albanian Wheat Genotypes

The increase of micro-element content in wheat seed to reduce human malnutrition is a challenge for all agronomists during plant breeding. The objective of the current study was to assess the micro-element content as Cu, Fe, Mn, Cd, Zn and Cr in 20 accessions and 10 lines of soft wheat grown under organic farming system in Albanian region. The Cu, Fe and Zn contents were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) and the Mn, Cd and Cr contents were determined by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). The obtained results showed significant variations in micro-element contents in different wheat grains genotypes. Higher levels of Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn (6.79%253B 46.42%253B 66.78 and 34.87 mg%252Fkg, respectively in wheat lines) were observed in the present study. These values were higher compared to data reported in previous studies which are performed in the conventional farming system. The concentrations of Cd as a potential toxic element were below the EU limits in all the analyzed samples. The present study showed that the analyzed wheat samples could be considered as a valuable source of micro-elements in human diet

Climate change : strategies for mitigation and adaptation

The sustainability of life on Earth is under increasing threat due to humaninduced climate change. This perilous change in the Earth's climate is caused by increases in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, primarily due to emissions associated with burning fossil fuels. Over the next two to three decades, the effects of climate change, such as heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, storms, and floods, are expected to worsen, posing greater risks to human health and global stability. These trends call for the implementation of mitigation and adaptation strategies. Pollution and environmental degradation exacerbate existing problems and make people and nature more susceptible to the effects of climate change. In this review, we examine the current state of global climate change from different perspectives. We summarize evidence of climate change in Earth’s spheres, discuss emission pathways and drivers of climate change, and analyze the impact of climate change on environmental and human health. We also explore strategies for climate change mitigation and adaptation and highlight key challenges for reversing and adapting to global climate change

Effect of organic amendments on nitrate leaching mitigation in a sandy loam soil of Shkodra district, Albania

European lacustrine systems are frequently exposed to nitrate (NO3–) pollution causing eutrophication processes. An example of these lakes is Shkodra Lake, a large, shallow lake shared by Albania and Montenegro, in the Balkans Peninsula. Shkodra Lake is a natural sink that collects NO3– from agricultural activities, widely diffused in the surrounding area. The additions of wheat straw and biochar have been suggested to increase soil NO3– retention of agricultural lands. To better understand the role of these two organic soil amendments in mitigating NO3– leaching from arable lands, a pot experiment using a representative sandy loam soil of the Skodra Lake basin was performed. More specifically, a greenhouse experiment with Lolium multiflorum L. and Zea mays L., was carried out for three months, to evaluate the concentrations of NO3–-N in leachate and the cumulative leaching losses of NO3– -N, after wheat straw (10 Mg ha–1) and biochar (10 Mg ha–1) soil addition, under the same rate of NPK fertiliser (300 kg ha–1). The effect of the two organic amendments on nitrate retention, was evaluated according to two methods: i) Soil NO3 –-N leaching with distilled water; and ii) Soil NO3–-N extraction with 2M KCl. The leached NO3–-N and the «Potentially Leachable» NO3–-N (2M KCl extraction) were respectively determined. N uptake by plants, as well as the Nitrogen Use Efficiency were also calculated. A retention effect on nitrate was found in Lolium multiflorum L. and wheat straw treatments compared to control, by reducing leached NO3–-N almost to 35%. In SBFL (soil+biochar+fertiliser+Lolium) treatment, biochar effectively reduced the total amount of nitrate in leachate of 27% and 26% compared to SFL (soil+fertiliser+Lolium) and SSFL (soil+straw+fertiliser+Lolium) treatments, respectively. The potentially leachable NO3–-N was two to four times higher than the leached NO3–-N. The amount of potentially leachable NO3–-N per hectare ranged from 220 in SL (soil+Lolium) treatment, to 500 kg ha–1 in SFL. N plant uptake values ranged from 18.16 mg kg–1 in the non- fertilised treatment to 58.06 mg kg–1 soil in SSFM (soil+straw+fertiliser+maize) treatment. The NUE showed a similar trend (from 0 in the non-fertilised treatment to 47.9 % in SSFM). Results indicated a mitigating action of biochar on leaching of NO3–-N (leached up to 100 kg ha–1), despite the retention effect of the two different amendments applied