No abstract

Plastic waste pollution in marine environments is considered a major environmental problem in coastal areas. Relative environmental problems are also recorded in protected wetlands. The National Park of Amvrakikos Wetlands, one of the largest wetlands of Greece, is studied in order to evaluate the influence of plastic waste in the protected area and its surroundings, according to the stakeholders’ views. The survey applied using the method of census addressing the key stakeholders in the area of interest and the use of a questionnaire; the data analyzed with the Statistical Package SSPS. The main findings reveal that waste management is not considered satisfactory in the broader area. Marine litter, pollution, overfishing, ecosystem degradation, agriculture and livestock activities, as well as the insufficiency of the municipal solid waste management and recycling system are listed as the most important environmental problems of the coastal area. The stakeholders’ participation is regarded as crucial for effective decision making. Therefore, special strategies should be designed involving Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to widely address the local communities and increase their awareness on the problem in order to reduce plastic waste pollution. It should be noted that environmental conditions are closely affiliated with the citizens’ quality of life.

No abstract

One of the challenges in the teaching of chemistry to students in higher education is their introduction to the visualization and molecular depiction software, deepening thus their understanding and creating new conceptions in the physical and biological sciences. This paper describes the implementation of a learning unit for 1st and 2nd semester undergraduate students (that were not previously exposed to molecular visualizations) in agricultural technology for chemistry and biochemistry courses respectively. A series of educational activities are presented beginning with the use of simple molecular models as plastic and wooden balls for atoms and sticks for bonds, to enhance the previous knowledge of the 2-D structural conformations. The students are introduced in depth to the theory of chemical bonding, molecular shapes, and polarity. This represents a continuum of increased complexity in inquiry-based learning, starting from simple molecules and ending with the exploration of the shape and function of a protein molecule, such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 protease; Thus easily leads to the study of the interactions between this protease and inhibitory drugs, via freely-available software tools. The gains in the students’ understanding and help for future courses and their career are analyzed.

Application of urban treated wastewater (TWW) has been practiced globally as an alternative irrigation water source in areas where access to safe and abundant freshwater is limited. Water footprint (WF) has been employed over the last decades as a tool for the assessment of the sustainable management of water resources. In the present study, the suitability of TWW for the irrigation of nursery young olive trees (Olea europaea L. ‘Konservolea’), one of the main table olive cultivars in Greece, the second global table olive exporter, was tested and compared to tap water irrigation and application of zeolite on soil. Plant growth and physiological parameters and stress indicators were measured. Additionally, a WF assessment was performed, distinguishing TWW from freshwater (blue water) resources in order to examine the possibility of minimizing the environmental impact through the limitation of freshwater use. Plants irrigated with TWW performed better in most of the growth and physiological parameters measured compared to the other treatments. Stress indicators revealed that TWW did not induce any additional stress. TWW could be used as an irrigation water source for young olive trees for at least a short period during their growth as a safe and sustainable alternate of blue water resources. Additionally, the WF assessment showed that the application of TWW could be a significant blue water saving measure.