Measuring the level of environmental performance in insular areas, through key performed indicators, in the framework of waste strategy development

To measure “something that is not there”, is not easy and at the same time not fully understandable and perceived by the citizens. Several elements (such as, waste production, waste management cost, social attitude and behaviour, etc.) interrupt and disturb any strategy in the framework of waste management. Additionally, through the European Green Deal (EGD), Europe is trying to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, taking into account the Circular Economy Strategy (CES) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). A Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) breakdown was applied, to establish and organize key information's on the environmental performance (E.P) taking into consideration the existing pollution, reviewing the contemporary knowledge and existing implemented waste strategies on the driving forces, pressures, states and impacts. This paper includes several key performed indicators (KPIs), in order to evaluate the E.P of an area, through hybrid approach which cover among others, the waste compositional analysis, SWOT and PESTEL analysis, waste recycling and waste accumulation index, prevention activities, awareness activities etc. The results indicate that, the selected areas implement periodic measures, but they need to put more effort to boost their citizens to participate in any proposed waste strategy. Furthermore, the results are very valuable and helpful to policy makers, consultants, scientists, competent authorities, stakeholders etc., in order to design and promote synergies and activities (mainly in Local Authorities), to reach the proposed figures that EGD, proposed in relation with the CES as well as with the SDGs

re-habitar El Carmen : Un proyecto sobre patrimonio contemporáneo

El proyecto _re-HABITAR suponía para el propio proceder de la institución un avance más allá del reconocimiento, registro, inventario o protección patrimonial de la arquitectura del siglo XX y del Movimiento Moderno para posicionarse en la acción preventiva y conservativa de ese legado contemporáneo. Para ello, la praxis patrimonial se aferraba a un modelo: el de la vivienda social en España en la segunda mitad del siglo XX; a un caso concreto: el de la barriada de Nuestra Señora del Carmen (Recasens Méndez-Queipo de Llano, 1958); y a un requisito fundamental: analizar un objeto vivo y en uso, aún con la presencia de quienes lo vivieron y usaron desde su origen

The influence of soil properties on the water pollution (nitrate, phosphate and COD) following a single application of sewage sludge to 70 contrasting agricultural soils

The aim was to study the influence of soil properties on the leaching of nitrate, phosphate and organic matter (OM) following the application of sewage sludge to contrasting soils. Seventy agricultural soils from different parts of Spain were amended with sewage sludge (50 t dry weight ha−1), and a controlled column study was developed. After 2, 4 and 6 months of incubation, distilled water, equivalent to an autumn rainfall event of 25 l m−2 in Mediterranean environments, was applied and leachates collected and analysed: pH, electrical conductivity (EC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), phosphate and nitrate. The mean values of pH in the leachates after 2, 4 and 6 months were similar and close to the neutrality. The highest concentrations for the rest of the parameters analysed were found after 2 months of incubation and diminished for 4 and 6 months, especially COD. Soil pH and texture were the most relevant soil properties controlling the leaching of the analysed parameters. The OM mineralization seemed to be enhanced at high values of soil pH, thus increasing the nitrate and reducing the COD leaching. However, phosphate levels were reduced at high values of soil pH. In addition, leaching was promoted in sandy soils. Other soil properties influenced phosphate leaching being the equivalent calcium carbonate soil content as the most relevant. Soil organic carbon was negatively related to the EC and nitrate concentration in the leachates but resulting in a weak contribution compared with soil pH and texture. Concerns about nitrate pollution have been confirmed.J. M. Soriano-Disla, I. Gómez, J. Navarro-Pedreñ

Use of a rhizosphere-based method for the assessment of heavy-metal bioavailability in soils amended with polluted sewage sludge

A rhizosphere-based method (a low-molecular-weight organic acid solution) was evaluated for the assessment of cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) bioavailability to barley (Hordeum vulgare) roots from rhizosphere soils (n = 36) following a 15.71 g dry weight kg−1 application of a metal-spiked sewage sludge under greenhouse conditions. Statistically significant correlation coefficients were found: r = 0.758, P 0.05 for Cd, r = 0.002, P > 0.05 for Cr, and r = 0.037, P > 0.05 for Pb). The overall predictability was greatly improved when soil properties were considered (n = 36; r2 = 0.730, P < 0.001 for Cd, r2 = 0.800, P < 0.001 for Cr, and r2 = 0.719, P < 0.001 for Pb), and texture was observed in all the prediction models.J. M. Soriano-Disla, I. Gómez, & J. Navarro-Pedreñ

Sewage sludge use in bioenergy production. A case study of its effects on soil properties under Cynara cardunculus L. cultivation

Energy crops cultivation is expected to further increase, which represents an opportunity to establish synergies able to enhance key environmental components (i.e. soil). To reach this benefits crop management is crucial and should be properly assessed. The aim of this work is to provide an insight on the effects of sewage sludge compost (SSC) on soil properties, when this material is applied as basal dressing for the cultivation of a Mediterranean energy crop (Cynara cardunculus L.). A 3-years trial (2008/2011) was conducted in Alicante (Southeastern Spain), testing four SSC application rates (0, 30, 50 and 70 t/ha) on a heavy textured Anthrosol. The addition of SSC enhanced soil fertility, primarily increasing organic carbon (Cox), Kjeldahl nitrogen (Nk), available P (PBurriel), CuDTPA and ZnDTPA levels. Comparatively with the control (0 t/ha), 30, 50 and 70 t/ha treatments induced a rise of 11%, 19% and 25% in Nk (Control=1.11 g/kg) and PBurriel (Control=79 mg/kg), while for Cox (Control=11.8 g/kg) was 14%, 21% and 30%. However, these variables apparently did not significantly decrease throughout the experiment, which suggests that the organic matter added was under a stabilization process, favoured by the poor physical properties of the soil. Other elements (NaNH4Ac, KNH4Ac, MnDTPA) were accumulated within the soil as time passed by, as a result of soil status, Mediterranean environmental conditions and crop management. The use of SSC as organic fertilizer represents an effective option to optimize cynara cultivation systems while improving soil quality through enhanced long-lasting organic matter pools

The transfer of heavy metals to barley plants from soils amended with sewage sludge with different heavy metal burdens

Purpose Our main aim objective was to evaluate the transfer of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn to barley ( Hordeum vulgare ) grown in various soils previously amended with two sewage sludges containing different concentrations of heavy metals. This allowed us to examine the transfer of heavv metals to barley roots and shoots and the occurrence of restriction mechanisms as function of soil type and for different heavy metal concentration scenarios. Material and methods A greenhouse experiment was performed to evaluate the transfer of heavy metals to barley grown in 36 agricultural soils from different parts of Spain previously amended with a single dose (equivalent to 50 t dry weight ha − 1 ) of two sewage sludges with contrasting levels of heavy metals (common and spiked sludge: CS and SS). Results and discussion In soils amended with CS, heavy metals were transferred to roots in the order (mean values of the bio-concentration ratio in roots, BCF Roots ,inbrackets):Cu (2.4)~Ni (2.3)>Cd (2.1)>Zn (1.8)>Cr (0.7)~Pb (0.6); simi- lar values were found for the soils amended with SS. The mean values of the soil-to-shoot ratio were: Cd (0.44)~Zn (0.39)~Cu (0.39)>Cr (0.20)>Ni (0.09)>Pb (0.01) for CS- amended soils; Zn (0.24)>Cu (0.15)~Cd (0.14)>Ni (0.05)~ Cr (0.03)>Pb (0.006) for SS-amended soils. Heavy metals were transferred from roots to shoots in the following order (mean values of the ratio concentration of heavy metals in shoots to roots in brackets): Cr (0.33)>Zn (0.24)~Cd (0.22)> Cu (0.19)>Ni (0.04)>Pb (0.02) for CS-amended soils; Zn (0.14)>Cd (0.09)~Cu (0.08)>Cr (0.05)>Ni (0.02)~Pb (0.010) for SS-amended soils. Conclusions Soils weakly restricted the mobility of heavy metals to roots, plant physiology restricted the transfer of heavy metals from roots to shoots, observing further restriction at high heavy metal loadings, and the transfer of Cd, Cu and Zn from soils to shoots was greater than for Cr, Ni and Pb. Stepwise multiple linear regressions revealed that soils with high sand content allowed greater soil-plant transfer of Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn. For Cd and Ni, soils with low pH and soil organic C, respectively, posed the highest risk.José Martín Soriano-Disla, Ignacio Gómez, José Navarro-Pedreño, Manuel M. Jordá

Erosión y desertificación.-Análisis de series temporales de vegetación obtenidas mediante teledetección como herramienta para el seguimiento de procesos de desertificación

ABSTRACT The risk of desertification in the Mediterranean Basin, is evident in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, where land degradation reaches unsustainable levels. This study aims to analyse the temporal evolution of land covers as an indicator of soil desertification. Time series of vegetation indices derived from satellite remote sensing images were analysed. Various climatic variables as possible causes of land covers behaviour were considered. The existence of a large inter-annual and intra-annual variability for all land covers and precipitation was observed. It is showed an association between temporal patterns of vegetation series of different land uses and rainfall

Mineral Nutrition and Chlorophylls of Cucumis melo L. Grown under Different Saline Conditions in a Protected Wetland Area

A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the responses of melon plants (Cucumis melo&nbsp;L.) under soil salinity (S1: 0.5 dS m-1, S2: 1.0 dS m-1&nbsp;and S3: 2.5 dS m-1). The irrigation water was from a drainage water channel system following the traditional and sustainable irrigation system. Mineral nutrition, water content and chlorophyll in leaves were studied at flowering and harvesting periods. Nutrient and water content parameters were measured in leaf blades and petioles. Results evidenced significant differences in N, K and Na content. N significantly decreased in response to soil salinity in leaf blades. However, salinity significantly increased K and Na uptake. Macronutrients and micronutrients showed higher concentrations in leaf blades than petioles, except for Kand Na. K/Na ratio was higher in response to soil salinity. Higher K/Na ratio in leaf blades might indicate selectivity for K instead of Na as a strategy to combat salt stress. Significant differences were observed for the chlorophyll content with salinity, decreasing values at higher soil salinity

Erosión y desertificación.-Estimación de la susceptibilidad a la erosión y desertificación en zonas húmedas mediante radiometría VNIR.

ABSTRACT A multispectral technology as tool for assessing the susceptibility to erosion and desertification in humid zones from the European Mediterranean was applied by means of the use of spectral reflectance data to determine the contents of different attributes of the soils. A collection of field electromagnetic spectrums were obtained from 25 covers of soil, a derivative analysis was applied to electromagnetic spectrums and finally a PCA was made. The results showed good correlations (R2>0,5) between properties of soil and electromagnetic spectrums, therefore it is possible to determine the content of these soil attributes with spectral analysis, which minimizes cost and time