Little is known regarding the significance for local people of peri-urban national parks as recreational areas. The main goal of the present article is to evaluate the social impact and importance of peri-urban parks for visitors as a green space for outdoor recreation. For this investigation on-site, face-to-face interviews were conducted. The main reason for visiting NP are: “to be near to nature” (64.71%), “to practice sport” (58.09%) and “relaxing” (43.38%). Spending time in NP is considered by most interviewed people to be of crucial importance both for physical (96.32%) and for mental (83.82%) health. It should be noted that high frequency of park visits was reported only by young, employed and well-educated people. Data collected shows that park management plan should encourage low-income groups (unemployed and elderly) to use outdoor recreation as a part of preventive healthcare. The access for older adults, people with disabilities and children to the park should be facilitated. Services like access to clean water, toilets and seating places must be improved. The data from the authors' survey could be useful for the peri-urban national parks development as green spaces for promoting health among all demographic groups of local inhabitants.
A possible alternative to synthetic agricultural chemicals is through the use of allelopathy. Adonis species are rich sources of secondary metabolites. Such allelochemicals offer potential for the development of future pesticides. Allelochemicals influence plant growth and cause morphological alterations. This visible effect could be due to primary effects at cellular or molecular level. Changes in the mitotic activity and disturbances in different phases of mitotic division are accepted as indicators of cytotoxic influence. Mitotic abnormalities and induction of micronuclei in interphase cells are parameters used to determine genotoxicity. The purpose of the current study was to establish the possible allelopathic effect of Adonis vernalis L. water extracts through evaluation of root growth inhibition effect and cytogenetic alterations. Adonis vernalis L. growing wild in Bulgaria was used in the present study. Two types of water extracts were prepared: Hot and Cold Water Extract of A. vernalis (HWЕА and СWЕА). A 72-h root growth inhibition test was provided in order to determine the toxicity level of extracts. EC50 values were determined. For toxicity test, seeds of Triticum aestivum L. cv. GTW were used. Cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of water extracts (EC50) were evaluated using Allium cepa L.-test. The EC50 for HWEA and CWEA was determined 1.83 g/l and 0.78 g/l respectively. Significant influence on mitotic activity values and a marked decrease in percentage of telophase cells were observed after treatment with both extracts. Adonis extracts also induced different mitotic abnormalities in root-tip cells of Allium cepa L. The percent of interphase cells with micronuclei increased significantly only after treatment with HWEA. The results indicated growth inhibitory, cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of crude water extracts of A. vernalis L. These effects demonstrated the presence of water soluble allelochemicals in Adonis aerial parts.
Increasing attention has been paid recently to soil pollution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ecological risk of soils collected from Nature Park Shumen Plateau (Bulgaria) (NP) using physicochemical and cytogenetic approaches (pH analysis, analysis of the content of heavy metals included in Bulgarian soil pollution standards, and Allium cepa-test). Soil samples from NP were collected from seven sites. A sample from a heavily anthropogenic-influenced urban site was also collected. As signs for environmental risk used pH values, we found total concentration of heavy metals and mitotic abnormalities in Allium cepa root meristems included in Bulgarian legislation. Only two samples from NP were found to be slightly acidic. The other samples have slightly alkaline pH. The highest pH value was obtained in the urban sample. Heavy metal concentrations did not exceeded national standards for soil pollution. Several NP samples and urban samples exerted cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in Allium root meristems. Our data on soil pH and heavy metal concentrations did not indicate potential ecological risk, but cytogenetic endpoints showed the presence of harmful compounds in studied areas. In conclusion, the ecological risk for the investigated suburban area may be assessed as moderate.
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