The spread of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) levied on the Moroccan authorities to increase their mask production capacity, which reached up to 12 million facemask units produced per day. This increase in personal protective equipment (PPE) production and consumption is an efficient tool to address the spread of COVID-19. However, this results in more plastic and microplastic debris being added into the land and marine environments, which will harm the ecosystem, wildlife, and public health. Such a situation needs deep individual behavior observation and tracking, as well as an assessment of the potential environmental impact of this new type of waste. For this reason, we assessed the Moroccan population’s behavior regarding the use and disposal of facemasks and gloves. An exploratory survey was prepared and shared via social media and email with the population of Rabat-Salé-Kénitra and Casablanca-Settat regions. Additionally, we calculated the estimated number and weight of daily and weekly PPE used and generated by the studied regions. The survey showed that 70% of the respondents threw their discarded masks and gloves in house trash or trash bins after their first use, whereas nearly 30% of respondents admitted that they did not wear masks because they did not leave their homes during the lockdown, while from the 70% of facemask users, more than five million (equivalent to 40,000 kg) of facemasks would be generated and disposed of daily by the community of these regions, which presents 35% of the total engendered facemask waste in Morocco. Accordingly, the environment impact of facemasks showed that the greenhouse gas footprint is about 640 kT CO₂ eq./year for the whole of Morocco, while the energy footprint is around 60,000 GWh/year. Furthermore, an urgent multidisciplinary environmental assessment of the potential impact of PPE must be conducted among the 12 Moroccan regions. This study demonstrated the real impact of the COVID-19 PPE on human behavior and the environment and suggests a need for providing new didactic management of facemasks and gloves.

The chemical characterization of the Ghis-Nekor groundwater has become a concern of many researchers in Morocco. It is a crucial indicator for the environment situation and the socioeconomic development of this Moroccan region. Indeed, it helps decisionmakers carry out conscious and sustainable management. For this reason, 20 samples of the Ghis-Nekor aquifer were examined in terms of physicochemical parameters such as pH, temperature, electrical conductivity (EC), and total alkalinity (Alk), major cations–anions (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, HCO₃⁻, Cl⁻, ${\mathrm{SO}}_4^{2-}$, ${\mathrm{NO}}_3^{-}$, and TDS), isotopic elements (δ¹⁸O, δ²H, and δ¹³C), and concentrations of Br and Sr anions in 2020. Furthermore, spatial data analysis with a geographic information system (GIS) using the ArcGis software (Redlands, California, USA). Indeed, static maps show significant water quality information that helps characterize the groundwater of the study area. The spatial analysis by the GIS indicates that except the EC (from 2630 to 6950 mS/cm), all the physical parameters showed standard concentration values in most of the samples. A significant concentration above the Moroccan norm of groundwater quality for sodium (Na⁺) from 264.3 to 1500 mg/L, chlorides (Cl⁻) concentrations from 408.3 to 1510 mg/L, ${\mathrm{SO}}_4^{2-}$ from 313.1 to 999.2 mg/L, and bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻) from 283.7 to 679.8 mg/L was observed, while all the points exceeded the recommended standards norm for ${\mathrm{SO}}_4^{2-}$. Most of the points met the potability standards for potassium (K⁺). In terms of the isotopic elements, the concentration values of δ¹⁸O were from −3.92‰ to –5.60‰, while the δ²H concentration values varied between −28.67‰ and −39.99‰. The analysis revealed values of carbon isotope δ¹³C ranging between −3.15‰ and −8.61‰, thus suggesting that the origin of the carbon is mineral, mainly deriving from calcite dissolution. The analysis of the bromide and strontium contents made it possible to discriminate the origin of the salinity anomalies. The Cl/Br, Br/Cl, and Sr/Ca molar ratios distinguished the areas of influence of geological setting (saliferous facies outcrops) or anthropogenic effect (wastewater). The results of the analysis shed light on factors of contamination, which are as follows: urban zones (Imzourene, Ait Youssef, and Souani) and agricultural activities. Therefore, the use of these waters could pose a risk to the health of humans and animals. Similarly, the GIS is a practical and effective tool for the Ghis-Nekor groundwater quality diagnostics and could help decisionmakers establish solutions.

The pursuit of climate neutrality requires global systemic actions involving the use of solutions aimed at reducing emissions. Changes must be introduced in all sectors affecting climate change, namely power engineering and district heating, construction, transport, and industry, as well as agriculture and forestry. Analyzing the structure of final energy consumption in the EU by sector, it can be stated that households account for 27% of the total energy consumption. Comprehensive actions are needed to increase the energy efficiency of buildings. The aim of this paper was to indicate aspects of improving energy efficiency in buildings and their equipment, taking into account the striving for climate neutrality. Analyzed possibilities and conditions of using various solutions of energy-efficient systems aimed at increasing energy resilience and security and preventing environmental degradation. Particular attention was paid to construction and material solutions, as well as installation solutions, which increased the accumulation and energy efficiency of the building. These activities are closely related to the conditions and dynamics of the heat exchange process in the applied solutions and are also related to the factors influencing thermal comfort and energy consumption in buildings. Due to the growing popularity of modern information technologies and artificial intelligence in energy management in recent years, this article reviews the latest research in this area. One of the directions of future research indicated by scientists is autonomous building control in real time, adapting to the momentary needs of users. The analysis of the possibilities of using modern energy efficiency solutions in buildings conducted in this work may be useful for optimizing heat and energy management models and models of society’s consumption as an element of energy transformation towards climate neutrality and counteracting the deepening of energy poverty.

Energy consumption for heating in the residential sector is a significant share in an overall energy balance. The maximum level of energy usage in new buildings is forced by national regulations. In existing buildings, reduction of energy consumption could be achieved by modernization of the buildings or the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system. In this paper, a single family house located in Poland was chosen. The theoretical heat energy consumption was compared with the actual usage of natural gas recorded over a course of three years. The possible improvements like windows or boiler replacement, were proposed and the economic and environmental effects of modernization stages were estimated. To meet actual Polish law, the primary energy consumption factor EP was decreased from 132 kWh/m2year to 120 kWh/m2year which results in a 4% reduction of natural gas used in the boiler room for the house's heating