Groundwater pollution is a very common problem worldwide, as it poses a serious threat to both the environment and the economic and social development and consequently generates several types of costs. The analysis of pollution control involves a permanent comparison between pollution costs and the costs associated with various methods of pollution reduction. An environmental policy based on economic instruments is more effective than an environmental policy focused on command and control tools. In this respect, the present paper provides a case study showing how anthropogenic factors such as wastewater, industrial, agricultural, and natural factors are able to change the physical and chemical parameters of groundwater in the study area, thus endangering their quality. In order to monitor the groundwater quality in the region of Dobrudja, an analysis of physico-chemical parameters was performed. The content of heavy metals was analyzed and the health risk index was taken into account and analyzed, in order to set a better correctness of the metal content from the underground waters. Studies on groundwater quality control have shown that, in many parts of the world, water has different degrees of quality depending on the natural and anthropogenic factors acting on the pertaining environment. This is why more attention should be paid to the prevention of groundwater pollution and the immediate remediation of accidents.

No abstract

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are adopting sustainable development (SD) in their strategies for the future. The roadmap by UNESCO is the path to follow to reach success. The approach is different for every HEI, thus the objective of this paper is to analyze the current state of education for sustainable development activities provided by HEIs through the eyes of the academic community (responders category: professors, researchers, associate professors). The method to conduct the study was an interview that had 40 enclosed questions and a free part at the end where the responders could bring additional information to the study if they considered it necessary. All the interviews were transcribed and given a code (e.g., RHEI1, RHEI 29) in order to perform the analysis using descriptive statistics with the help of the program MS Office EXCEL. The results showed some areas where the activities provided by HEIs need improvement and also revealed promising aspects through partnerships. Making the values of SD known to the academic and local community will help fulfill the true potential for change and future development. Moreover, the analysis showed the need to educate educators and improve their digital skills and teaching methods/techniques in order to achieve sustainable development. Another result revealed the need for improvements in HEI curricula that will contribute to gaining those skills/abilities that emerging jobs should have.

Fluoride has both beneficial and detrimental effects on human health. Concentrations of fluoride less than 1.0 mg/L in ingested water are beneficial for the rate of tooth decay, especially in children. The aims of the paper are as follows: (i) to monitor fluoride concentrations in drinking water samples (well water and tap water from the rural district of Valea Râmnicului, Romania); (ii) to study and select the optimal buffer solution and the optimal volume used in the analyses and (iii) to validate the potentiometric method for determining fluoride ions with a selective ion electrode. The values of fluoride ion concentrations in the groundwater samples and in tap water varied from 0.01 to 0.138 mg/L. The values for the hazard quotient for the studied samples varied from 0.01 to 0.13.

No abstract

No abstract

The paper aimed a complex audit of human resources effectiveness in the Romanian health care system. People inside the system and the whole Romanian society have realized the importance of providing sustainable services in order to improve the performance indicators in the long run, for the benefit of both employees and patients. As we acknowledge that in developing countries the lack of skilled human resource both in respect to quantity and quality is a major problem, the paper constructs an composite index of sustainability to audit the human resources in the health care system from the perspective of quantity and efficiency in order to improve the access to health services and to ameliorate the quality and safety of medical act. Within the paper, the authors perform an objective audit of human resources emphasizing that a sustainable medical system not only supports expenditures, but also improves quality in the long run. Besides, we consider that sustainable strategy for retaining medical staff, especially in deficient medical specializations, good collaboration between hospitals and higher education institutions regarding training and development of human resources in this field are important factors in achieving sustainability of the health care system.