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Transforming learning spaces has become a priority for many schools, not only for implementing emerging methodologies but also for sanitary reasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools struggle to find solutions for the lack of space in order to respect the required safety distance, especially public schools with a very tight budget and many administrative barriers to overcome. From participatory action research, findings confirmed that expanding and refurbishing indoor and outdoor space in many public high schools is urgent. Then, an opportunity emerged to develop a new learning space in one of the high schools in touch with the research team at Miguel Hernandez University working on educational spaces since 2017. This article describes the action research (AR) carried out, its main results regarding needs and deficiencies in public high schools in our surroundings, and a subsequent Service-Learning experience promoted by the research group as a solution for upgrading and extending educational spaces and simultaneously developing students’ soft skills, empowering youth, participation, local partnerships and other sustainable development goals meeting 2030 Agenda.
Isabel Montiel; Asunción Mayoral; Jose Navarro-Pedreño; Silvia Maiques. Transforming Learning Spaces on a Budget: Action Research and Service-Learning for Co-Creating Sustainable Spaces. Education Sciences 2021, 11, 418 .
AMA StyleIsabel Montiel, Asunción Mayoral, Jose Navarro-Pedreño, Silvia Maiques. Transforming Learning Spaces on a Budget: Action Research and Service-Learning for Co-Creating Sustainable Spaces. Education Sciences. 2021; 11 (8):418.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIsabel Montiel; Asunción Mayoral; Jose Navarro-Pedreño; Silvia Maiques. 2021. "Transforming Learning Spaces on a Budget: Action Research and Service-Learning for Co-Creating Sustainable Spaces." Education Sciences 11, no. 8: 418.
The environment is constantly exposed to a variety of chemical loads from natural and anthropogenic causes (xenobiotic substances). However, anthropogenic origin is the main source of xenobiotic substances, such as heavy metals in the environment. Moreover, the presence of these elements in water and soil has significant consequences because they are not easy to remove or deactivate. It is well known that irrigation and composted material can add heavy metals to the soil and deteriorate the quality of soil and plants, as well as the agricultural production with a high risk for food safety. Even more, when compost is been used, increases the metal content in the soils. This paper makes an overview regarding the presence of heavy metals and the methods to remove them and minimize the environmental risk based on the use of zeolites as a sustainable and successful example.
Antonis A. Zorpas; Jose Navarro Pedreño; María Belén Almendro Candel. Heavy metal treatment and removal using natural zeolites from sewage sludge, compost, and agricultural soils: a review. Arabian Journal of Geosciences 2021, 14, 1 -19.
AMA StyleAntonis A. Zorpas, Jose Navarro Pedreño, María Belén Almendro Candel. Heavy metal treatment and removal using natural zeolites from sewage sludge, compost, and agricultural soils: a review. Arabian Journal of Geosciences. 2021; 14 (12):1-19.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntonis A. Zorpas; Jose Navarro Pedreño; María Belén Almendro Candel. 2021. "Heavy metal treatment and removal using natural zeolites from sewage sludge, compost, and agricultural soils: a review." Arabian Journal of Geosciences 14, no. 12: 1-19.
Authors aim to carry out a bibliographic review as an initial approach to state of the art related to the quality of urban soils, as well as its possible link with human health. This concern arises from the need to highlight the consequences that soil could face, derived from the growth and aging of the population, as well as its predicted preference for urban settlement. Urban development may pose a challenge to the health of urban soils, due to degradative processes that it entails, such as land take, sealing, contamination or compaction. A healthy soil is the one which maintains the capacity to support ecosystem services, so it can provide numerous benefits to human health and well-being (carbon sequestration, protection against flooding, retention and immobilization of pollutants and a growth media for vegetation and food production). This article addresses threats facing urban soils, the strategies put forward by the European Union to deal with them, as well as the issues that require further attention. Greening cities could be a consensual solution, so authors analyze whether soils of cities are ready for that challenge and what resources need to maintain soil ecosystem functions. This review proposes to use made by waste Technosols for a sustainable green city. Although the use of Technosols as a type of soil is very recent, the interest of the scientific community in this field continues to grow.
T. Rodríguez-Espinosa; J. Navarro-Pedreño; I. Gómez-Lucas; M. M. Jordán-Vidal; J. Bech-Borras; A. A. Zorpas. Urban areas, human health and technosols for the green deal. Environmental Geochemistry and Health 2021, 1 -22.
AMA StyleT. Rodríguez-Espinosa, J. Navarro-Pedreño, I. Gómez-Lucas, M. M. Jordán-Vidal, J. Bech-Borras, A. A. Zorpas. Urban areas, human health and technosols for the green deal. Environmental Geochemistry and Health. 2021; ():1-22.
Chicago/Turabian StyleT. Rodríguez-Espinosa; J. Navarro-Pedreño; I. Gómez-Lucas; M. M. Jordán-Vidal; J. Bech-Borras; A. A. Zorpas. 2021. "Urban areas, human health and technosols for the green deal." Environmental Geochemistry and Health , no. : 1-22.
The soil has lost organic matter in the past centuries. Adding organic matter to soils is one of the management practices applied to recover the levels of soil carbon of the past and to improve soil properties. Is it a good practice to reduce global warming? In fact, one of the practices promoted to combat climate change is increasing soil organic matter. However, the addition of organic residues to the soil could facilitate the liberation of CO2 and wastes could also have no positive effects on soil properties (i.e., pollution). In this sense, what it is important is: (a) to know which is the expected effect of the organic matter added to the soil; (b) how this application alters the soil processes; (c) which are the management practices that should be applied; (d) how much is the real amount of carbon sequester by the soil and; (e) the balance at short and long period after the application of the organic matter. The adequate strategy should be to favour the increment of biologically stabilized soil organic matter considering medium and long time. However, it is necessary to adapt the strategies to the local environmental conditions.
Jose Navarro-Pedreño; María Almendro-Candel; Antonis Zorpas. The Increase of Soil Organic Matter Reduces Global Warming, Myth or Reality? Sci 2021, 3, 18 .
AMA StyleJose Navarro-Pedreño, María Almendro-Candel, Antonis Zorpas. The Increase of Soil Organic Matter Reduces Global Warming, Myth or Reality? Sci. 2021; 3 (1):18.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJose Navarro-Pedreño; María Almendro-Candel; Antonis Zorpas. 2021. "The Increase of Soil Organic Matter Reduces Global Warming, Myth or Reality?" Sci 3, no. 1: 18.
There are a lot of materials, i.e. organic and inorganic wastes that can be use to improve soil properties, and also can be part of Anthrosols and Technosols, both defined in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (2015) as soils with strong human influence. The first one, associated to intensive agriculture and comprise soils that have been modified profoundly through human activities, such as addition of organic or mineral material. The second one combine soils whose properties and pedogenesis are dominated by their technical origin. Technosols contain a significant amount of artefacts (something in the soil recognizably made or strongly altered by humans or extracted from greater depths) or are sealed by technic hard material (hard material created by humans, having properties unlike natural rock) or contain a geomembrane. The use of organic wastes to improve their properties or being part of the components forming a Technosol can increment the presence of trace elements which an alteration of their composition. These trace elements could suppose an environmental risk as a source of pollution affecting soil, water and biodiversity. The objective of this work was to determine the trace element composition of five organic wastes (pine bark, palm leaf, hay straw, almond pruning, pomegranate fruit skin) in order to know their composition and possible effects when they will be used for Technosol making or to improve soil properties. The composition of them varied. Five samples from each waste were digested by using H2O2+HNO3 in microwave furnace and after that, elemental composition was measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy. As, Cd, Co, Ni, Pb and V were under the limit of detection (we consider for all the elements a general limit of detection to compare all of them of 2 micrograms per litter; for this technique the limit varies from 0.03 to 1.5 micrograms per litter depending on the element). The elemental composition of the wastes showed that Ba, Cr, Cu, Li, Mn, Mo, Se and Zn were below 20 mg/kg dw in all of them. The rest of the elements presented concentrations over 20 mg/kg dw. In general, major differences were found in some trace and major elements: B and Ca in pine bark, K in pomegranate skin, Mg and Na in palm leaf and Sr in almond pruning. As a conclusion, the elemental composition of these wastes would be considered when a Technosol will be prepared including these materials or when they will be used as soil amendments.
Jose Navarro Pedreño; Teresa Rodríguez Espinosa; Ignacio Gómez Lucas; Manuel M. Jordán Vidal; María Belén Almendro Candel. Trace elements of organic wastes with a potential use for improving soils. 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleJose Navarro Pedreño, Teresa Rodríguez Espinosa, Ignacio Gómez Lucas, Manuel M. Jordán Vidal, María Belén Almendro Candel. Trace elements of organic wastes with a potential use for improving soils. . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJose Navarro Pedreño; Teresa Rodríguez Espinosa; Ignacio Gómez Lucas; Manuel M. Jordán Vidal; María Belén Almendro Candel. 2021. "Trace elements of organic wastes with a potential use for improving soils." , no. : 1.
Tourism activities are considered, among others, the backbone of the local economies. However, tourism activities lead to adverse environmental impacts, especially in coastal zones. Coastal areas are considered and recognized as of strategic importance due to the fact that several activities take place, from leisure to business. At the same time, coastal areas are under pressure from tourist activities, and the waste generated is a very serious issue. Therefore, there are limited studies related to the environmental dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic in the coastal environment. This paper provides answers to the hypothesis that the pandemic lockdown scenario would improve environmental performance due to reduced usage and, therefore, waste, taking into account specific key performance indicators (KPIs) as these KPIs are used to evaluate the performance of an area. The results showed that the study area improved, as did the selected KPIs, i.e., clean coast index (CCI), waste accumulation rate (WAR), and waste accumulation index (WAI). Additionally, according to the final results, the concentration of micro-, meso- and macroplastics on the beach reduced, and the main issues remained the solutions on cigarette butts, straws, and other plastic containers. Furthermore, the final results are considered very useful to local authorities, stakeholders, consultants, policymakers, and any other competent authorities, to reschedule their waste management strategies, to improve waste infrastructures and their level of services (LOS), as well as, to suggest frequent awareness-raising activities to their visitors on how to protect the coastal environment, taking into account a pandemic scenario, as well as, the policy alternative impacts on EU coastal zones 2000–2050.
Pantelitsa Loizia; Irene Voukkali; Georgia Chatziparaskeva; Jose Navarro-Pedreño; Antonis Zorpas. Measuring the Level of Environmental Performance on Coastal Environment before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study from Cyprus. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2485 .
AMA StylePantelitsa Loizia, Irene Voukkali, Georgia Chatziparaskeva, Jose Navarro-Pedreño, Antonis Zorpas. Measuring the Level of Environmental Performance on Coastal Environment before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study from Cyprus. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (5):2485.
Chicago/Turabian StylePantelitsa Loizia; Irene Voukkali; Georgia Chatziparaskeva; Jose Navarro-Pedreño; Antonis Zorpas. 2021. "Measuring the Level of Environmental Performance on Coastal Environment before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study from Cyprus." Sustainability 13, no. 5: 2485.
The study evaluates pollution by Pb, Zn, and Cr, and a possible sustainable solution through phytoremediation technologies, in the surroundings of Haina, a very polluted area of the Dominican Republic. Soils and plants were analyzed at 11 sampling points. After sample processing, the elemental composition was analyzed by ICP-OES. Soil metal concentrations, contaminating factors, pollution load indexes, and the Nemerow pollution index were assessed. Soil metal concentrations showed Pb > Zn > Cr, resulting in very strong Pb pollution and medium-impact Zn pollution, with an anthropogenic origin in some sites. This means that some agricultural and residential restrictions must be applied. Accumulation levels in plant tissues, bioaccumulation factors in roots and shoots, and translocation factors were determined for Acalypha alopecuroidea, Achyranthes aspera, Amaranthus dubius, Bidens pilosa, Heliotropium angiospermum, Parthenium hysterophorus, and Sida rhombifolia. The vast majority of the plants showed very low levels of the potentially toxic elements studied, although it may be advisable to take precautions before consumption as they are all considered edible, fodder, and/or medicinal plants. Despite their low rate of bioaccumulation, most of the plants studied could be suitable for the application of phytoremediation of Zn in the field, although further studies are needed to assess their potential for this.
Agripina Ramírez; Gregorio García; Olaf Werner; José Navarro-Pedreño; Rosa Ros. Implications of the Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contamination of Soils and Wild Plants in the Industrial Area of Haina, Dominican Republic. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1403 .
AMA StyleAgripina Ramírez, Gregorio García, Olaf Werner, José Navarro-Pedreño, Rosa Ros. Implications of the Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contamination of Soils and Wild Plants in the Industrial Area of Haina, Dominican Republic. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (3):1403.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAgripina Ramírez; Gregorio García; Olaf Werner; José Navarro-Pedreño; Rosa Ros. 2021. "Implications of the Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contamination of Soils and Wild Plants in the Industrial Area of Haina, Dominican Republic." Sustainability 13, no. 3: 1403.
The soil has lost organic matter in the past centuries. Adding organic matter to soils is one of the management practices applied to recover the levels of soil carbon of the past. Is it a good practice to reduce global warming? In fact, one of the practices promoted to combat climate change is increasing soil organic matter. However, the addition of organic residues to the soil could facilitate the liberation of CO2 and wastes could also have no positive effects on soil properties. In this sense, what it is important is: a) to know which is the expected effect of the organic matter added to the soil; b) how this application alters the soil processes; c) which are the management practices that should be applied; d) how much is the real amount of carbon sequester by the soil and; e) the balance at short and long period after the application of the organic matter. The adequate strategy should be to favour the increment of biologically stabilized soil organic matter considering medium and long time. However, it is necessary to adapt the strategies to the local environmental conditions.
Jose Navarro-Pedreño; María Belén Almendro-Candel; Antonis A. Zorpas. The Increase of Soil Organic Matter Reduces Global Warming, Myth or Reality? 2020, 1 .
AMA StyleJose Navarro-Pedreño, María Belén Almendro-Candel, Antonis A. Zorpas. The Increase of Soil Organic Matter Reduces Global Warming, Myth or Reality? . 2020; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJose Navarro-Pedreño; María Belén Almendro-Candel; Antonis A. Zorpas. 2020. "The Increase of Soil Organic Matter Reduces Global Warming, Myth or Reality?" , no. : 1.
To measure “something that is not there”, is not easy and at the same time not fully understandable and perceived by the citizens. Several elements (such as, waste production, waste management cost, social attitude and behaviour, etc.) interrupt and disturb any strategy in the framework of waste management. Additionally, through the European Green Deal (EGD), Europe is trying to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, taking into account the Circular Economy Strategy (CES) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). A Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) breakdown was applied, to establish and organize key information's on the environmental performance (E.P) taking into consideration the existing pollution, reviewing the contemporary knowledge and existing implemented waste strategies on the driving forces, pressures, states and impacts. This paper includes several key performed indicators (KPIs), in order to evaluate the E.P of an area, through hybrid approach which cover among others, the waste compositional analysis, SWOT and PESTEL analysis, waste recycling and waste accumulation index, prevention activities, awareness activities etc. The results indicate that, the selected areas implement periodic measures, but they need to put more effort to boost their citizens to participate in any proposed waste strategy. Furthermore, the results are very valuable and helpful to policy makers, consultants, scientists, competent authorities, stakeholders etc., in order to design and promote synergies and activities (mainly in Local Authorities), to reach the proposed figures that EGD, proposed in relation with the CES as well as with the SDGs.
Pantelitsa Loizia; Irene Voukkali; Antonis A. Zorpas; Jose Navarro Pedreño; Georgia Chatziparaskeva; Vassilis J. Inglezakis; Ioannis Vardopoulos; Maria Doula. Measuring the level of environmental performance in insular areas, through key performed indicators, in the framework of waste strategy development. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 753, 141974 .
AMA StylePantelitsa Loizia, Irene Voukkali, Antonis A. Zorpas, Jose Navarro Pedreño, Georgia Chatziparaskeva, Vassilis J. Inglezakis, Ioannis Vardopoulos, Maria Doula. Measuring the level of environmental performance in insular areas, through key performed indicators, in the framework of waste strategy development. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 753 ():141974.
Chicago/Turabian StylePantelitsa Loizia; Irene Voukkali; Antonis A. Zorpas; Jose Navarro Pedreño; Georgia Chatziparaskeva; Vassilis J. Inglezakis; Ioannis Vardopoulos; Maria Doula. 2020. "Measuring the level of environmental performance in insular areas, through key performed indicators, in the framework of waste strategy development." Science of The Total Environment 753, no. : 141974.
Soil salinity is considered the most serious socio-economic and environmental problem in arid and semi-arid regions. This study was done to estimate the soil salinity and monitor the changes in an irrigated palm grove (42 ha) that produces dates of a high quality. Topsoil samples (45 points), were taken during two different periods (May and November), the electrical conductivity (EC) and Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) were determined to assess the salinity of the soil. The results of the soil analysis were interpolated using two geostatistical methods: inverse distance weighting (IDW) and ordinary Kriging (OK). The efficiency and best model of these two methods was evaluated by calculating the mean error (ME) and root mean square error (RMSE), showing that the ME of both interpolation methods was satisfactory for EC (−0.003, 0.145) and for SAR (−0.03, −0.18), but the RMSE value was lower using the IDW with both data and periods. This can explain the accuracy of the IDW interpolation method. This model showed a dominance of soil salinity distribution in the South and South-East of the study area during the first season, and for the second season, the salts were concentrated in the middle of the area. Several factors could interact in this variation such as the topographic direction of the water flow and the aridity of the climate (evaporation). From this study emerges the need to maintain a better management of agricultural water and soils, avoiding salt accumulation, to ensure a good yield and the sustainability of agriculture in arid environments.
Abderraouf Benslama; Kamel Khanchoul; Fouzi Benbrahim; Sana Boubehziz; Faredj Chikhi; Jose Navarro-Pedreño. Monitoring the Variations of Soil Salinity in a Palm Grove in Southern Algeria. Sustainability 2020, 12, 6117 .
AMA StyleAbderraouf Benslama, Kamel Khanchoul, Fouzi Benbrahim, Sana Boubehziz, Faredj Chikhi, Jose Navarro-Pedreño. Monitoring the Variations of Soil Salinity in a Palm Grove in Southern Algeria. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (15):6117.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAbderraouf Benslama; Kamel Khanchoul; Fouzi Benbrahim; Sana Boubehziz; Faredj Chikhi; Jose Navarro-Pedreño. 2020. "Monitoring the Variations of Soil Salinity in a Palm Grove in Southern Algeria." Sustainability 12, no. 15: 6117.
The present paper deals with a wide range of issues related to the environmental quality in learning spaces, such as thermal and visual comfort, as well as energy efficiency. All of these issues fall under the umbrella of the UN Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Upon reviewing publications of past studies, interviews were conducted and questionnaires were distributed in public high schools in the province of Alicante, located in the Southeast of Spain. Sixteen high schools were selected for the interviews. Fifteen in the city of Elche, which is the total amount of the high schools in the city. One additional high school that was considered important for this research was included in the study due to the characteristics of the building design, excessively exposed to weather conditions. Significant differences were observed between schools built before 2000 and those built after that date. The latter, surprisingly, not more thermally and visually comfortable or energy efficient. The knowledge gained from our investigation will be of great benefit for architects, designers, engineers, school planners and principals in order to establish stronger connections between infrastructures and SDGs. A chart linking recommendations with specific SDGs is also included in this study.
Isabel Montiel; Asunción M. Mayoral; José Navarro Pedreño; Silvia Maiques; Gema Marco Dos Santos. Linking Sustainable Development Goals with Thermal Comfort and Lighting Conditions in Educational Environments. Education Sciences 2020, 10, 65 .
AMA StyleIsabel Montiel, Asunción M. Mayoral, José Navarro Pedreño, Silvia Maiques, Gema Marco Dos Santos. Linking Sustainable Development Goals with Thermal Comfort and Lighting Conditions in Educational Environments. Education Sciences. 2020; 10 (3):65.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIsabel Montiel; Asunción M. Mayoral; José Navarro Pedreño; Silvia Maiques; Gema Marco Dos Santos. 2020. "Linking Sustainable Development Goals with Thermal Comfort and Lighting Conditions in Educational Environments." Education Sciences 10, no. 3: 65.
The European Union (EU) is one of the major producers of municipal solid wastes and has a common policy based on circular economy to reuse the wastes. However, there are differences between countries and the methods for disposal and treatments. Municipal solid waste (MSW) can be composted and recycled as a source of plant nutrients and improves soil properties. This chapter analyzed the production in the EU and the effects on plant nutrients and environmental pollutants when MSW is added to the soil. The origin of the waste and the compost-like output (CLO) derived is important to determine the expectative of nutrient availability and other possible risks. MSW is so heterogeneous, but after a good pretreatment, an organic-rich matter mix can be composted giving a stabilized organic matter. The addition of the CLO to the soils can improve the nutrient status and favor the bioavailability of nutrients (macronutrients and micronutrients). In general, an increment of N and P was found in the soils. Moreover, important micronutrient availability (Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn) has been described. However, the presence of pollutants and their mobility should be considered as an environmental risk.
María Belén Almendro-Candel; Jose Navarro-Pedreño; Ignacio Gómez Lucas; Antonis A. Zorpas; Irene Voukkali; Pantelitsa Loizia. The Use of Composted Municipal Solid Waste under the Concept of Circular Economy and as a Source of Plant Nutrients and Pollutants. Municipal Solid Waste Management 2019, 1 .
AMA StyleMaría Belén Almendro-Candel, Jose Navarro-Pedreño, Ignacio Gómez Lucas, Antonis A. Zorpas, Irene Voukkali, Pantelitsa Loizia. The Use of Composted Municipal Solid Waste under the Concept of Circular Economy and as a Source of Plant Nutrients and Pollutants. Municipal Solid Waste Management. 2019; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaría Belén Almendro-Candel; Jose Navarro-Pedreño; Ignacio Gómez Lucas; Antonis A. Zorpas; Irene Voukkali; Pantelitsa Loizia. 2019. "The Use of Composted Municipal Solid Waste under the Concept of Circular Economy and as a Source of Plant Nutrients and Pollutants." Municipal Solid Waste Management , no. : 1.
The association between learning spaces and new pedagogical approaches is a current issue. Research shows that the classical, more silent, master class is being bypassed by student centered methods with participative classes and active methodologies. Major efforts in teacher training are taken to help teachers implement these new approaches in their lessons. The conditions of the learning space are also influential. The following question is raised: Can acoustic comfort facilitate innovation and consequently help in the progress towards SDG? We have focused on public high schools in Spain (IES), in the Valencian Community. Data has been gathered from the visit to thirty high schools. International scientific studies and valid guidelines referring to noise have been reviewed. Findings on the research conclude that acoustic comfort is essential in education and is directly related with the implementation of emerging pedagogies. Likewise, the outcomes of the investigation hope to raise awareness among authorities and civil society that improvement of sound quality in learning spaces facilitates the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDG), particularly those concerning goal 3 (health and wellbeing), goal 4 (quality education) and goal 9 (sustainable infrastructures).
Isabel Montiel; Asunción M. Mayoral; Jose Navarro Pedreño; Silvia Maiques. Acoustic Comfort in Learning Spaces: Moving Towards Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainability 2019, 11, 3573 .
AMA StyleIsabel Montiel, Asunción M. Mayoral, Jose Navarro Pedreño, Silvia Maiques. Acoustic Comfort in Learning Spaces: Moving Towards Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (13):3573.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIsabel Montiel; Asunción M. Mayoral; Jose Navarro Pedreño; Silvia Maiques. 2019. "Acoustic Comfort in Learning Spaces: Moving Towards Sustainable Development Goals." Sustainability 11, no. 13: 3573.
Water scarcity is a widespread problem in arid and semi-arid regions such as the western Mediterranean coastal areas. The irregularity of the precipitation generates frequent droughts that exacerbate the conflicts among agriculture, water supply and water demands for ecosystems maintenance. Besides, global climate models predict that climate change will cause Mediterranean arid and semi-arid regions to shift towards lower rainfall scenarios that may exacerbate water conflicts. The purpose of this study is to find a feasible methodology to assess current and monitor future water demands in order to better allocate limited water resources. The interdependency between a vegetation index (NDVI), land surface temperature (LST), precipitation (current and future), and surface water resources availability in two watersheds in southeastern Spain with serious difficulties in meeting water demands was investigated. MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) NDVI and LST products (as proxy of drought), precipitation maps (generated from climate station records) and reservoir storage gauging information were used to compute times series anomalies from 2001 to 2014 and generate regression images and spatial regression models. The temporal relationship between reservoir storage and time series of satellite images allowed the detection of different and contrasting water management practices in the two watersheds. In addition, a comparison of current precipitation rates and future precipitation conditions obtained from global climate models suggests high precipitation reductions, especially in areas that have the potential to contribute significantly to groundwater storage and surface runoff, and are thus critical to reservoir storage. Finally, spatial regression models minimized spatial autocorrelation effects, and their results suggested the great potential of our methodology combining NDVI and LST time series to predict future scenarios of water scarcity.
Gema Marco Dos Santos; Ignacio Melendez-Pastor; Jose Navarro-Pedreño; Magaly Koch. Assessing Water Availability in Mediterranean Regions Affected by Water Conflicts through MODIS Data Time Series Analysis. Remote Sensing 2019, 11, 1355 .
AMA StyleGema Marco Dos Santos, Ignacio Melendez-Pastor, Jose Navarro-Pedreño, Magaly Koch. Assessing Water Availability in Mediterranean Regions Affected by Water Conflicts through MODIS Data Time Series Analysis. Remote Sensing. 2019; 11 (11):1355.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGema Marco Dos Santos; Ignacio Melendez-Pastor; Jose Navarro-Pedreño; Magaly Koch. 2019. "Assessing Water Availability in Mediterranean Regions Affected by Water Conflicts through MODIS Data Time Series Analysis." Remote Sensing 11, no. 11: 1355.
Changes in agriculture are associated to the availability of resources and the economic and social demands. One of the more important transformations is to change rainfed into irrigated crops to increase the yield. In most of the cases, water resource and irrigation reservoirs are needed to maintain the yield. However, evaporation from ponds can be an important economic loss and an unsustainable strategy for water management, especially in arid and semiarid regions. Efficient methods for water storage should be established. In this study, a selected area located close to the city of Cartagena (Murcia) and the south of Alicante (Spain) has been studied, where there was an important transformation from rainfed to irrigated crops. Because of the high temperatures and insolation, the increment of the number of reservoirs detected by using remote sensing data and GIS tools may be inefficient for water management. The characterization of these reservoirs, to quantify the potential loss of water due to evaporation, has been done. The use of these tools for analysis could be interesting to find more efficient storage solutions (i.e., better spatial distribution of reservoirs, an increment of depth, and reduction of surface exposure) for improving the water storage and management.
Gema Marco Dos Santos; Ignacio Meléndez Pastor; Jose Navarro-Pedreño; Ignacio Gómez Lucas. Water Management in Irrigation Systems by Using Satellite Information. Satellite Information Classification and Interpretation 2019, 1 .
AMA StyleGema Marco Dos Santos, Ignacio Meléndez Pastor, Jose Navarro-Pedreño, Ignacio Gómez Lucas. Water Management in Irrigation Systems by Using Satellite Information. Satellite Information Classification and Interpretation. 2019; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGema Marco Dos Santos; Ignacio Meléndez Pastor; Jose Navarro-Pedreño; Ignacio Gómez Lucas. 2019. "Water Management in Irrigation Systems by Using Satellite Information." Satellite Information Classification and Interpretation , no. : 1.
The performance of biomass char production and application systems depends strongly on feedstock characteristics, conversion techniques, and methods of char handling, transport, and utilization. Although several combinations of biomass resources, conversion processes, and applications have been reported in the literature, few studies are focused on their environmental and economic benefits. This chapter provides a sustainability assessment for biomass utilization in char production and utilization in various applications, including soil amendment, energy production, and the synthesis of green adsorbents, catalysis, and supercapacitors.
Mejdi Jeguirim; Antonis A. Zorpas; Jose Navarro Pedreno; Lionel Limousy; Pantelitsa Loizia; Marinos Stylianou; Agapios Agapiou. Sustainability assessment for biomass-derived char production and applications. Char and Carbon Materials Derived from Biomass 2019, 447 -479.
AMA StyleMejdi Jeguirim, Antonis A. Zorpas, Jose Navarro Pedreno, Lionel Limousy, Pantelitsa Loizia, Marinos Stylianou, Agapios Agapiou. Sustainability assessment for biomass-derived char production and applications. Char and Carbon Materials Derived from Biomass. 2019; ():447-479.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMejdi Jeguirim; Antonis A. Zorpas; Jose Navarro Pedreno; Lionel Limousy; Pantelitsa Loizia; Marinos Stylianou; Agapios Agapiou. 2019. "Sustainability assessment for biomass-derived char production and applications." Char and Carbon Materials Derived from Biomass , no. : 447-479.
The great extent of degraded soils in southeast Spain makes it necessary to carry out restoration and rehabilitation strategies. In addition, the great amount of wastes produced need to be properly managed. Several types of wastes and amendments (organic and inorganic) can be applied for soil rehabilitation and land restoration. When large areas must be restored several aspects should be considered, such as availability of the waste, its characteristics, and transport. This research focuses on the characterization and the cost of 12 waste types and amendments (such as sewage sludge compost, brown peat, black peat, fertilized peat, earthworm humus, straw hay, palm tree leaves, pine bark, exfoliated vermiculite, expanded perlite, limestone outcrops, and volcanic crushed stones) obtained from four different sources. All of them were characterized following the UNE standards for soil amendments and the cost was obtained as a mean value of four different sources. The results indicate a great variability of properties between organic and inorganic materials, as was expected. Depending on the type of restoration, the characteristics, and the cost, the materials can be selected for an adequate purpose. Sewage sludge compost is a good alternative for application in large areas related to its characteristics (organic matter content and nutrient availability) and low cost. For inorganic amendments, natural limestone outcrops were the low-cost alternative. The use of both wastes (composted sewage sludge and limestone raw materials) for soil rehabilitation can facilitate the reduction of landfill disposal and add value for these wastes. Moreover, the results are very useful for scientists and engineers who deal with the development of rehabilitation and restoration strategies.
Ana Pérez-Gimeno; Jose Navarro-Pedreño; María Belén Almendro-Candel; Ignacio Gómez; Antonis Zorpas. The use of wastes (organic and inorganic) in land restoration in relation to their characteristics and cost. Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy 2019, 37, 502 -507.
AMA StyleAna Pérez-Gimeno, Jose Navarro-Pedreño, María Belén Almendro-Candel, Ignacio Gómez, Antonis Zorpas. The use of wastes (organic and inorganic) in land restoration in relation to their characteristics and cost. Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy. 2019; 37 (5):502-507.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAna Pérez-Gimeno; Jose Navarro-Pedreño; María Belén Almendro-Candel; Ignacio Gómez; Antonis Zorpas. 2019. "The use of wastes (organic and inorganic) in land restoration in relation to their characteristics and cost." Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy 37, no. 5: 502-507.
The use of composted sewage sludge (SW) and limestone outcrop residue (LR) as water filter systems has been tested. An experimental design based on the use of columns (0–30 cm) was used with both wastes under a heavy irrigation regime (2000 mL/week) for 12 weeks. Half of them were irrigated with nonsaline water (NS) and the others with saline water (S). Four treatments combining the quality of the irrigation water and wastes were obtained: SW-NS, SW-S, LR-NS, and LR-S. The chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), and suspended solids were measured. The results indicated that COD and BOD5 were higher in the treatments with SW than LR, whereas saline irrigation did not modify BOD5 compared with nonsaline irrigation, but COD increased in both wastes. The environmental concern due to organic matter displacement in waters should be taken into account when using these wastes, especially SW. Moreover, the use of S may increase the COD with the consequent risk for natural water. When designing a filter system considering inert and organic matter, SW and LR can be effective materials and should be taken into consideration.
Ana Pérez Gimeno; Jose Navarro Pedreño; María Belén Almendro Candel; Ignacio Gómez Lucas; Antonis A. Zorpas. Oxygen demand of waters associated with the use of sewage sludge compost and limestone outcrop as a filtration system. Comptes Rendus. Chimie 2019, 22, 269 -275.
AMA StyleAna Pérez Gimeno, Jose Navarro Pedreño, María Belén Almendro Candel, Ignacio Gómez Lucas, Antonis A. Zorpas. Oxygen demand of waters associated with the use of sewage sludge compost and limestone outcrop as a filtration system. Comptes Rendus. Chimie. 2019; 22 (2-3):269-275.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAna Pérez Gimeno; Jose Navarro Pedreño; María Belén Almendro Candel; Ignacio Gómez Lucas; Antonis A. Zorpas. 2019. "Oxygen demand of waters associated with the use of sewage sludge compost and limestone outcrop as a filtration system." Comptes Rendus. Chimie 22, no. 2-3: 269-275.
Cyanobacteria bloom events have been associated with eutrophication processes, along with hydrologic and climate factors. Missisquoi Bay is a portion of Lake Champlain (USA–Canada) that is highly eutrophic and prone to cyanobacteria blooms and cyanotoxins. This study assessed the spatial–temporal influence of nutrients, turbidity and temperature in cyanobacteria distributions during a bloom event in the summer of 2006. Correlations, generalized linear models (GLMs), geostatistics and local indications of spatial association (LISA) autocorrelation analysis tested the influence of nutrient and non-nutrient explanatory variables in cyanobacteria biovolume. Total phosphorus exhibited a high direct correlation with cyanobacteria biovolume. The best performing GLMs included total phosphorus, total nitrogen, Secchi depth (as turbidity) and temperature as explanatory variables of cyanobacteria biovolume. Variogram analysis of those variables resulted in a better understanding of the underlying spatial variation process of the cyanobacteria bloom event. The LISA test revealed a moderate but stable autocorrelation between cyanobacteria biovolume and total phosphorus from 180 to 1,000 m of weight distance, suggesting the possibility of up-scaling the current results to coarse-resolution satellite imagery for more frequent monitoring of bloom events. The LISA test also revealed the spatial–temporal dynamic (movement of cyanobacteria scums) of high cyanobacteria blooms with high total phosphorus concentration.
I. Melendez-Pastor; E. M. Isenstein; J. Navarro-Pedreño; M-H. Park. Spatial variability and temporal dynamics of cyanobacteria blooms and water quality parameters in Missisquoi Bay (Lake Champlain). Water Supply 2019, 19, 1500 -1506.
AMA StyleI. Melendez-Pastor, E. M. Isenstein, J. Navarro-Pedreño, M-H. Park. Spatial variability and temporal dynamics of cyanobacteria blooms and water quality parameters in Missisquoi Bay (Lake Champlain). Water Supply. 2019; 19 (5):1500-1506.
Chicago/Turabian StyleI. Melendez-Pastor; E. M. Isenstein; J. Navarro-Pedreño; M-H. Park. 2019. "Spatial variability and temporal dynamics of cyanobacteria blooms and water quality parameters in Missisquoi Bay (Lake Champlain)." Water Supply 19, no. 5: 1500-1506.
This article analysed the presence of trace metals (essential elements and pollutants) and soil properties in rural abandoned soils of a Mediterranean region. The soil properties determined were texture, pH, equivalent calcium carbonate, soil organic matter, availability of micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn), and acid microwave digestion extraction to measure the trace metals considered as main pollutants (Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb). Descriptive statistics and correlations were used to determine the relations among these parameters. pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), and clay were the main properties that controlled the availability of essential metals. pH was the main factor related to these metals in these calcareous soils. However, SOC, which can be incremented by adding organic fertilizers for soil rehabilitation as a sustainable practice, played an important role. Mean values of the metal composition in soils (Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb) obtained in this study were similar to values reported for other areas in the Mediterranean basin.
Jose Navarro-Pedreño; María Belén Almendro-Candel; Ignacio Gómez Lucas; Manuel M. Jordán Vidal; Jaume Bech Borras; Antonis A. Zorpas. Trace Metal Content and Availability of Essential Metals in Agricultural Soils of Alicante (Spain). Sustainability 2018, 10, 4534 .
AMA StyleJose Navarro-Pedreño, María Belén Almendro-Candel, Ignacio Gómez Lucas, Manuel M. Jordán Vidal, Jaume Bech Borras, Antonis A. Zorpas. Trace Metal Content and Availability of Essential Metals in Agricultural Soils of Alicante (Spain). Sustainability. 2018; 10 (12):4534.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJose Navarro-Pedreño; María Belén Almendro-Candel; Ignacio Gómez Lucas; Manuel M. Jordán Vidal; Jaume Bech Borras; Antonis A. Zorpas. 2018. "Trace Metal Content and Availability of Essential Metals in Agricultural Soils of Alicante (Spain)." Sustainability 10, no. 12: 4534.