In the context of international efforts to reduce the impacts of atmospheric NH3 and NH4+ (collectively, NHx). it is important to establish the link between NH3 emissions and monitoring of NHx concentrations and deposition. This is equally relevant to situations where NH3 emissions changes are certain (e.g. due to changed source sector activity), as to cases where NH3 abatement technologies have been implemented. Correct interpretation of adequate atmospheric measurements is essential, since monitoring data provide the only means to evaluate trends in regional NH3 emissions. These issues have been reviewed using available measurements and modelling from nine countries. In addition to historic datasets, the analysis here considers countries where NH3 source sector activity changed (both increases and decreases) and countries where NH3 abatement policies have been implemented. In The Netherlands an 'ammonia gap' was identified between the expected reduction and results of monitoring, and was attributed initially to ineffectiveness of the abatement measures. The analysis here for a range of countries shows that atmospheric interactions complicate the expected changes, particularly since SO2 emissions have decreased at the same time, while at many sites the few years of available data show substantial inter-annual variation. It is concluded that networks need to be established that speciate between NH3 and aerosol NH4+, in addition to providing wet deposition, and sample at sufficient sites for robust regional estimates to be established. Such measurements will be essential to monitor compliance of the international agreements on NH3 emission abatement.

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Topical issues of medical waste compliance with Federal Law 89-ФЗ On Production and Consumption Wastes and aspects of conducting medical waste management activities in order to comply with this regulatory legal act are considered. It has been established that when medical waste falls under the federal law FZ-89, additional requirements for conducting waste management activities are not taken into account, the entry of medical waste into the Federal Classification Catalog of Waste (FCCW) as a separate unit and optimization of the certification of medical waste. In our opinion, there are currently gaps in the medical waste management activities in the environmental legislation of the Russian Federation and, as a consequence, in law enforcement practice. An algorithm of scientifically based approaches to solving the main problems of the existing problems that can be applied during the preparation and development of the Information and Technical Guide on the best available technologies (BAT) for medical waste management is proposed.

The network of the Integrated background monitoring (IBMon) stations have operated in Russia for 40 years more. Many years ago the IBMon stations were the hallmark of the biosphere reserves (BR) in the USSR. Nowadays they are sometimes perceived as a rudiment of the USSR era, something antique, out of modern realities. This article describes the chronology of the development and functioning of the IBMon system in Russia, and also presents the scientific achievements obtained owing to the creation of this system. There were 16 IBMon stations created in 13 biosphere reserves of the USSR and Russia in total for 1978-1998, and after 1998 there are stations in 5 biosphere reserves only in Russia at present time: at Altaisky BR, Astrakhanskiy BR, Voronezhskiy BR, Kavkazskiy BR and Prioksko-Terrasnyi BR. The paper provides monitoring data on pollutant concentrations in the air, atmospheric precipitation, surface waters, soils and plants in the biosphere reserves, where the IBMon stations operate. The discussion is devoted to topics on reasons and goals of the IBMon station network creation in the USSR, what kind of scientific role they had played and why this activity direction is relevant today and should be developed in modern Russia.

Review of environmental risks associated with the use of tetracycline. Micro-contamination with tetracycline has both medical risks associated with the manifestation of antibiotic resistance in bacterial communities, and environmental risks associated with changes in the transformation of substances in ecosystems and the impact on biodiversity by inhibiting certain species of plants, animals and microorganisms.Micro-contamination with tetracycline antibiotics entails a number of environmental risks. Due to the widespread use, the spread of tetracycline antibiotics in the environment has a global scale. The effect of tetracycline is observed in many objects. The spread of tetracycline is promoted by veterinary use, both directly and as a result of the use of animal waste as fertilizers for agricultural crops and pastures. As a result of the study, the following possible environmental consequences of micro-contamination of the environment with tetracycline were identified:1. Disruption of the work of bacteria included in the bacterial complex of activated sludge at sewage treatment plants using this technology, as well as during composting and affecting the processes of denitrification;2. Impacts on soil microbial communities by suppressing a number of processes of substance biodegradation and changing the biodiversity of microorganisms;3. The risks of micro-contamination of plant communities with tetracycline coming from organic fertilizers are associated with the inhibition of a number of root nutrition processes, species-specific for different crops;4. Microcontamination of marine communities with tetracycline is primarily associated with the impact on producers - algae and cyanobacteria, inhibiting their growth. And secondly, to the subsequent food chains by bioaccumulation in the tissues of vertebrates;5. The toxic effect of small doses of tetracycline from the soil on certain invertebrate species has been shown.