No abstract

The adoption of sustainable waste management strategies is a challenge faced by most European countries, mainly due to the need to generate less waste and replace landfills with new methods of waste treatment, associated with increases in the separate collection of waste and recycling rates. This paper highlights the significance of environmental legislation regarding waste removal to protect ecosystems. The aim was to predict ecological responses to heavy metals in soil exposed to hazardous waste and to identify environmental hazards in landfills, small illegal waste dumps, and litter, in addition to identifying if heavy metal accumulation in the investigated soil samples showed a single or cumulative risk. This is an innovative method to predict the ecological risk generated by hazardous waste landfills. The assessment of ecological risks was based on the evaluation of a heavy metal soil contamination factor, pollution index of soil loadings, a geo-accumulation index for heavy metals, and potential ecological risk. The current study is also the first to attempt to identify the dimension of risk based on the type of waste deposit (landfill, small illegal waste dump, and litter) and to identify potential patterns. The geological index corresponding to cadmium Igeo(Cd) showed heavy contamination in the soil samples from the landfill and moderate contamination for those from the illegal waste dumps. These findings indicate that soil contamination is influenced by contamination time, anthropogenic processes, and a history of industrial activity, and not only by waste composition and storage. The present study shows that cadmium might be considered a latent fingerprint for waste disposal, which is correlated to the industrialization level and rehabilitation procedures.

Diet has a major influence on both, human health and their behavior. Raw veganism is a diet that brings together two concepts: the one of veganism and the one of raw foodism, a diet that excludes all ASF (Animal Source Foods), all food cooked at a temperature above 48 °C (118 °F), and any food that is changed from its ordinary condition, and/or processed. The aim of the study was to bring more information about raw vegan diet and the controversy raw vegan versus cooked food. Scientific data taken into account recommend the use of the raw vegan diet mostly for a short period.

The paper presents an analysis of investments as the safest prospect for economic growth. In Romania, investments are needed to recover the economic gaps as compared to the European Union countries, but also to reduce the differences between regions. Sustainable development of the country must solve the challenges of the transition from the industrial to the digital economy, of adapting and confronting climate change, of demographic change, to which the corrections of economic imbalances due to the consumption-based growth model must be added. Investments can be made by the business environment (large companies, consortia, multinationals) operating in Romania. Investments can also be made through projects that are funded from the European Union budget. Investment stimulates job-creating economic sectors that will generate economic growth. First of all, the investments must be financed by allocating funds through domestic possibilities, to which the attraction of foreign direct investments is added. An important role in this regard belongs to the legislative framework, which determines the removal of barriers for investment, but also to the attraction of Romania's economy which is different from one economic sector to another. In the article, the authors presented the main aspects of investments and aimed to highlight the effect of investments on the business environment.

A total of 18 vegetables: bell pepper (red and green); pepper (red and green), sallow thorn (Hyppophae rhammnoides) celery (leaves and root), cabbage (white, red, curly and Bruxelles), broccoli, cauliflower, radish, dill (leaves), parsley (leaves and roots); carrots were analyzed for antioxidant activities using FRAP method, DPPH method, total polyphenols content by Folin Ciocalteu method and ascorbic acid content using 2,6-dichlorophenol indophenols. The highest TAC values was identified for sallow thorn (Hyppophae rhammnoides), red cabbage, red bell pepper and pepper.