Wastewater and wastewater treatment plants serve as urban reservoirs of pathogenic microorganisms. Wastewaters frequently contain bacteria, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and developmental stages of parasites with significant zoonotic potential. Five wastewater treatment plants in the central part of Slovakia were investigated to determine the effect of treatment on bacterial community, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and the occurrence of helminth eggs. Although all monitored chemical factors (chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, N-NH4, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus) in the effluent were in line with the legislative standards for discharge into public waterways, the results of minimal inhibitory concentrations show that reclaimed water harbors E. coli resistant to several commonly used antibiotics (ampicillin, piperacillin, and tazobactam, combine ampicillin and sulbactam, cefotaxime, tetracycline). The presence of endoparasite developmental stages in wastewater and sludge (Ascaris spp., Hymenolepis nana, eggs from the Ancylostomatidae family, Giardia duodenalis) indicates potential health risks for humans and workers at these sites. Treatment such as composting before applying sludge to land is necessary to reduce human pathogens.

The Roma population is one of Europe’s largest ethnic minorities, often living in inadequate living conditions, worse than those of the majority population. They frequently lack access to essential services, even in high-income countries. This lack of basic services—particularly in combination with proximity to (stray) animals and human and solid waste—significantly increases environmental health risks, and leads to a higher rate of endoparasitic infections. Our study sheds light on the living conditions and health situation in Roma communities in Slovakia, focusing on the prevalence of intestinal endoparasitic infections across various settlement localisations. It highlights disparities and challenges in access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and other potentially disease-exposing factors among these marginalised populations. This study combines a comprehensive review of living conditions as per national data provided through the Atlas of Roma communities with an analysis of empirical data on parasitological infection rates in humans, animals, and the environment in settlements, applying descriptive statistical methods. It is the first study in Europe to provide detailed insights into how living conditions vary and cause health risks across Roma settlements, ranging from those integrated within villages (inside, urban), to those isolated on the outskirts (edge, sub-urban) or outside villages (natural/rural). Our study shows clear disparities in access to services, and in health outcomes, based on where people live. Our findings underscore the fact that (i) place—geographical centrality in particular—in an already challenged population group plays a major role in health inequalities and disease exposure, as well as (ii) the urgent need for more current and comprehensive data. Our study highlights persistent disparities in living conditions within high-income countries and stresses the need for greater attention and more sensitive targeted health-promoting approaches with marginalised communities in Europe that take into consideration any and all of the humans, ecology, and animals affected (=One Health).

Helminthiases remain a significant global health concern, affecting both the Global South and increasingly the Global North. In Slovakia, intestinal parasitic infections impact marginalised populations, particularly the population of Roma inhabitants, who often face inadequate housing, poor sanitation, and limited access to clean water. This study examines the prevalence of intestinal parasites in the “Hungry Valleys”, an economically challenged region of eastern Slovakia, with a higher number of Roma inhabitants. A total of 3816 stool samples were analysed using sedimentation methods, revealing an overall positivity rate of 5.06%. The highest prevalence was found among Roma inhabitants, with 23 times higher chance for infection than non-Roma inhabitants, rural residents, and children under 18. The most common parasites were Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura. Statistical analyses revealed strong associations between infection rates and factors such as density of the population of Roma inhabitants and inadequate access to water. Risk maps created in QGIS identified areas of high transmission. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted public health interventions, especially in vulnerable Roma communities. Integrating spatial analysis with epidemiological data can guide more effective prevention efforts. Addressing structural inequalities is key to reducing the burden of parasitic diseases in marginalised populations.

Insect declines are among the most pressing biodiversity issues of our time, with consequences for ecosystem functioning and human well-being. Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) are emblematic insects, whose populations are declining worldwide due to habitat alteration, light pollution, and hydrological disturbance. In Europe, ecological factors shaping firefly abundance in riparian ecosystems are poorly known. The Eurasian beaver Castor fiber , a key ecosystem engineer, profoundly alters stream morphology, vegetation, and hydrology, potentially generating habitat conditions favorable to moisture-dependent insects such as fireflies. In our work, we tested whether beaver activity influences firefly abundances in two European river systems: the Merse river in central Italy and the Danube River in Slovakia. We conducted standardised nocturnal transect surveys comparing sites with active beaver presence to nearby control sites lacking recent beaver activity. The Italian surveys focused on adult Luciola pedemontana , an Italian endemic species, whereas the Slovakian surveys targeted larvae and adult Lampyris noctiluca . We detected a marked effect of beaver presence on fireflies, with significantly higher numbers found at active beaver sites in comparison to controls. This difference was mainly driven by male abundances, since females and larvae were found in very low numbers, or were not directly targeted by our methodological approach in the case of Luciola . Among environmental variables such as temperature, canopy cover, and local humidity, only the occurrence of beavers proved as a significant driver of firefly abundances at the local scale. These findings provide the first empirical evidence linking beaver ecosystem engineering to firefly occurrence in Europe. By promoting wetland heterogeneity, moisture retention, and vegetative structure, beavers may indirectly facilitate firefly populations. Our results, albeit limited to a small spatial scale, pave the way to further research tackling the ecological relationships between fireflies and ecosystem engineers in Europe and worldwide.

This study assesses the capabilities of UAV-based Earth observation for analyzing marginalized communities, using Roma settlements in southeastern Slovakia as a case study. Marginalized populations are often underrepresented in official spatial datasets, resulting in a limited understanding of their living conditions, infrastructure needs, and environmental risks. To address this gap, we propose a multi-scalar, UAV-based observational approach that bridges the limitations of coarse satellite imagery and logistically constrained ground surveys. High-resolution RGB and thermal imagery were acquired across three settlements with varying spatial characteristics and processed using photogrammetric workflows to generate detailed orthophotos and spatial products. The results demonstrate that UAV data with centimeter-level spatial resolution enable precise mapping of settlement morphology, infrastructure, waste distribution, and thermal inequalities. Furthermore, UAV observations enable change detection and environmental risk assessment at scales that are not achievable with conventional remote sensing. However, the study also highlights critical operational and ethical challenges, including regulatory constraints, privacy concerns, and the need for community engagement. By integrating technical evaluation with socially sensitive research practices, this work proposes a methodological framework for responsible UAV deployment in marginalized contexts. The findings underscore the potential of UAV-based observation to improve spatial visibility and support evidence-based planning while emphasizing the importance of ethical implementation.