This study aims to determine the safety of consumption of plant products grown in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Kharkiv, as well as many other post-Soviet cities, is environmentally characterized by the widespread growing of edible plants—from industrial areas to school gardens—as well as the presence of a significant number of nature management conflicts, the location of heavy industry, the prevalence of obsolete environmentally unfriendly transport, etc. The article presents the results of the study of apple samples taken in different functional zones of Kharkiv city, Ukraine. The results of the study showed that the maximum levels of heavy metals were exceeded in apple samples from all sampling sites: Pb—from 11.47 to 38.86 times; Cd—from 1.76 to 5.68 times (of the norms of the FAO and EU). The most polluted were samples from the residential areas, which is partly due to significant land pollution from various types of waste. Levels of hazard index (HI) differ by age groups: from 24.37 to 70.11 HI (children group, 1–6 years); from 10.28 to 29.59 HI (children group, 7–16 years); from 0.88 to 2.53 HI (adult group, 18–65 years). Non-carcinogenic risks can be related to disorders of the immune system, blood, urinoexcretory, and nervous systems as well as problems in the functioning of liver and kidneys. The total carcinogenic risk of eating apples exceeds the permissible level.
Currently, atmospheric pollution is one of the main causes of premature mortality in the world. The problem is especially relevant for economically underdeveloped countries, in particular Ukraine, the economy of which has been developing for a long time in an extensive way. The complicated socio-ecological situation in the territory of the country is due, first of all, to insufficient financing of the medical industry and environmental protection, outdated technologies in industries, etc. The purpose of the study is to assess the environmental risks of atmospheric air pollution in industrialized regions of Ukraine. Kharkiv and Dnipro regions, which are part of the Donetsk-Prydnistrovsky economic macro-district, a powerful center of metallurgy and machine-building of the national level, were selected for the study. As part of the study, the ambient air condition was assessed from the point of view of sanitary-hygienic norms in compliance with state environmental standards as well as the risks of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects from atmospheric pollution.Regional monitoring data on average annual concentrations of common pollutants and heavy metals in the atmospheric air of the cities of Kharkiv and Dnipro regions were used in calculations, averaged over the period from 2014 to 2016. The results of calculations have shown that the total non-carcinogenic risk from atmospheric air pollution in all studied cities exceeds the permissible level: Dnipro – 19.8 HQ; Kamianske– 23.3 HQ; Kryviy Rig – 19.3 HQ; Kharkiv – 11.9 HQ. The pollutants: PM2.5, copper, formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, manganese and phenol mostly contribute to the greatest non-carcinogenic risk. The dominance of these chemicals and elements in the structure of pollution in the studied cities leads to high probability of development of harmful effects in the respiratory organs – 11.1 to 22.3 HQ; cardiovascular system – 2.9 to 12.3 HQ; immune system – 1.7 to 4.7 HQ; eyes – 0.8 to 4 HQ; central nervous system – 1,4 to 4,6 HQ. The risk of carcinogenic effects is calculated for substances with proven carcinogenic effects: formaldehyde, nickel, cadmium, lead and chromium. The obtained carcinogenic risk from atmospheric air pollution within the studied cities falls into two categories: conventionally acceptable level of risk and acceptable level of risk. The greatest carcinogenic danger is from pollution of atmospheric air by chromium. Contribution of chromium to total carcinogenic risk ranges from 53.6 to 90.6%. Taking into account the obtained results, it is expedient to include the assessment of the risks to the population’s health in the system of monitoring and control of the environment in Ukraine.
The purpose of the article is to analyze dynamics of the temperature regime of the surface layer of the atmosphere in the coastal zone of the North Atlantic as an indicator of changes in the thermohaline circulation system. In carrying out the research, comparative-geographical and historical statistical methods of the analysis of meteorological series were used. For research, 20 control points of the eastern part of the United States and Western Europe, which are located along the flow course of the Gulf Stream, are selected. In the selected points, by means of the linear trend method, the regularities of the dynamics of the mean annual, average maximum and average minimum temperatures of the atmospheric surface layer for the period from 1973 to 2013 have been established. The results of the study showed that, contrary to the hypothesis of fall in temperature in Europe, an increase in average annual and average maximum temperatures is observed in all control points of the region - the range means the linear trend is from 0.9 to 4.4 o F and from 0.3 to 3.8 o F respectively. In most US control points, the average annual temperature rises from 0.1 to 3 o F and the average maximum temperature rises from 0.2 to 2.1 oF. For four points of the United States the decrease in the values of the linear trend of average annual temperatures is from -0.4 to -1.2 o F; for three points - a decrease in average maximum temperatures is from -1.3 to -1.9 o F. At 9 control points in the USA and 8 control points in Europe, the average values of the minimum temperatures in the research period increased - in the USA, from 0.1 to 3.1 o F; in Europe from 0.3 to 4.6 o F. The opposite dynamics in the regions is observed for the values of the temperature amplitude. In most control points in Europe, the difference between the average maximum and the average minimum annual temperatures ranged from 0.4 to 6.6 o F; in most US destinations, on the contrary, a decrease in the amplitude value from -1.6 to -3 oF is observed. The analysis of the temperature dynamics of the surface layer of the atmosphere indicates the prevailing warming processes in the coastalzone of the North Atlantic, more intense for control points in Western Europe. The obtained data give grounds for refuting hypotheses of the presence of critical deviations in the thermohaline circulation system of the Atlantic Ocean, which could lead to a cooling in the Northern Hemisphere. The change in the amplitude values is a manifestation of increasing instability of the climate, which is likely to remain in the future with a general increase in the mean annual temperature in the region.
The article has analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of test control of knowledge in ecology with implementation of modern computer technologies; work features in the scope of Moodle Learning Management System have been investigated; vulnerable elements in the creation of tests have been found. According to the results of the research, it has been determined that the system of test tasks should include open questions and creative tasks and have an easy-to-use interface, be unified internationally and economically accessible for educational institutions of the country. The training platform Moodle corresponds to the following requirements. The advantages of Moodle are the ability to create tasks of various types and levels of difficulty, optimize the working hours of teachers, adapt Ukrainian students to international educational systems and optimize the educational process for children with special needs. The main drawbacks of knowledge control in the Moodle environment are the sensitivity of the response to a register, case, numeric or verbal indication; failure to take account of synonymous options of answer.
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