The global COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 triggered disruption in almost all areas of the Food Supply Chain (FSC). During this year many confounding factors contributed to the disruption of the normal FSC and impacted the system adversely. This includes the agricultural food production system, the first phase of the FSC, to the final delivery of food to consumers. Food was lost or wasted as farmers were unable to transfer and distribute the food to retailers. Food shortages became problematic and consumers were not able to obtain necessary staples. Then consumers started to purchase too much (hoarding), as they feared shortages, which resulted in both rises in food prices and in higher food waste by consumers. Several reports indicated that food waste during this period was remarkably more than in pre-pandemic times. These situations were worsened as the pandemic continued. In this paper we define food loss as occurring mostly during the agricultural food production and food waste that mostly happening during distribution of food at the retailer and consumer levels. The food loss and waste (FLW) both have been shown to add to the diminution of the natural resources and the rise in greenhouse gas emissions. The high level of greenhouse gas in turn can harm the environment. In the United States (U.S.), similar to other countries, natural resources such as land (about 50%) and water (67%) are used for agriculture and food production. The main objective of this paper is therefore, to emphasize some of the current findings on the potential impact of the pandemic on the FSC which resulted in more FLW. Many reports suggest every stage of the FSC can be a significant contributor of FLW and environmental resource depletion. Long-term strategies must be implemented to keep the FSC robust, stable and sustainable during unfavorable circumstances and crises.

This article is an independent study of Moscow residents’ extent of awareness of the urban environmental programs. The aim of the study is to develop measures to support the urban ecology by schools of architecture. In 2019, the authors carried out a sociological survey with participation of several socially active groups: students of Moscow schools of architecture, participants of the Moscow Longevity Project and schoolchildren. The survey results showed that respondents are nearly unaware of the Environmental Doctrine of the Russian Federation, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and urban development programs. And, this is an impediment to implementation of environmental projects. Since the success and speed of implementation of environmental projects today to a greater extent depends on the combined actions of professionals: engineers, architects, economists, transport specialists, administrative workers and other persons who are ‘line of duty’ responsible for the quality of the urban life. And, support of residents who live, work and rest in the city space. The influence of residents on the final decision is really great, and they can be called ‘non-professional players’ of architectural and urban planning activities. Due to mismatching local and global interests, the desire to preserve the prevailing everyday habits and poor understanding of the long-term benefits from implementation of large-scale projects, residents’ opinion concerning the prospects for urban development may not coincide with the opinion of professionals. And then conflicts arise. Environmental upbringing and education, covering all social groups of the urban population and including various types of activities, are today recognized as the most effective way to promote environmental projects. The survey proves that the respondents are well informed about the environmental problems of the city and unanimously believe that the responsibility for the implementation of the Projects lies with the city administration. They are ready to embrace an ‘ecological lifestyle’ if it brings economic benefits and does not disturb the customary lifestyle. It is concluded that in order to attract Moscow residents to implementation of environmental programs, it is necessary to be increasingly cognizant of the differences in the interests of social groups, replace economic pressure with economic benefits, and upscale an ecological lifestyle via media and public additional education.

This paper is focused on assessing the effects of floods on selected components of the environment. The components include the impact of floods on the population, water conditions, soil, fauna, flora and their habitats, the structure and use of the landscape, protected areas and their protection zones, for the territorial system of ecological stability, for the urban complex and land use, for cultural and historical monuments, cultural values of an intangible nature and for archaeological and paleontological sites and important geological localities. The basic principle of the methodology is the calculation of the risk index – an estimate of the level of risk that the proposed activity represents for the environment. The risk analysis is based on the principle that stressors are associated with the proposed activity, which poses a certain risk to the components of the environment. This can be quantified by calculating the individual risk for each identified environmental impact of the stressor. In summary, the total risk can be calculated, which represents what risk the proposed activity poses to the environment and human health. The calculated value of total risk represents very low level of risk in the addressed river basin. As a proposal for measures in the event of floods, a Draft Protocol providing health and social care in case of floods is created. The Draft Protocol may be used as a supplement to the Flood Management Plan from the point of view of providing health and social care.

Stream, streambed sediment and suspended sediment sampling for the herbicide Glyphosate was conducted in a small, 4.05-square kilometer suburban watershed on the island of Oahu, Hawaii between December 2017 and April 2020. Over this 2.5-year study period, a total of 188 stream samples (142 runoff conditions, 46 baseflow conditions), 81 streambed sediment samples, and 9 suspended sediment samples were collected and analysed for glyphosate and a subset of sediment samples were analysed for its degradation product aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA).

The glyphosate concentration levels measured during stormwater runoff conditions within Kawa stream were significantly higher than levels measured under groundwater dominant baseflow conditions. The mean and median glyphosate concentrations (µg/l) and the frequency of glyphosate detection (reporting limit 0.075 µg/l) measured in Kawa stream under runoff and baseflow conditions were 0.98/0.51/92% and 0.10/0.035/28%, respectively. the glyphosate concentrations measured in this small suburban tropical stream were significantly higher than mean levels measured by the USGS between 2014 and 2020 in streams that drain small urban watersheds throughout the continental United States. The glyphosate concentration levels measured in riverbed and suspended sediments in Kawa stream were generally two to three orders of magnitude higher than levels measured in stream-water.

The majority of glyphosate ( > 90%) was transported to Kaneohe Bay in the dissolved phase and originated from residential areas within the contributory watershed. The mean mass flux of glyphosate measured entering the near coastal environment under baseflow conditions was around 0.16 mg/min, while the mean mass flux during runoff conditions was 106 mg/min. The estimated median half-lives of glyphosate and AMPA measured in streambed sediments during this study were 4.7 and 6.2 days, respectively. This short half-life (4.7 days) along with the high-frequency (92%) of glyphosate detection in Hawaiian streams under runoff conditions illustrates the steady, unceasing input of glyphosate to Hawaiian streams.

This paper describes a hydrochemical study held at Lambari river, a tributary of Paraíba do Sul river that is located at São José dos Campos city, São Paulo State, Brazil. Such drainage crosses the installations of the Henrique Lage Oil Refinery (REVAP), allowing identify possible pollutants inputs on the water resources due to the development of the industrial activities taking place there. Two sampling campaigns were realized in the wet seasons of 2019 and 2020 aiming to collect rainwater and surface water samples in 32 monitoring points. physicochemical parameters (temperature, pH, redox potential (Eh), electrical conductivity (EC), turbidity and dissolved oxygen), as well hydrochemical parameters (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, alkalinity, Cl^-, No₃^-, SO₄^2-, surfactants, tannin–lignin, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) and other organic compounds) and dissolved radon (²²²Rn) provided a robust dataset for understanding the major processes related to modifications in the water quality. Direct relationship was found between EC and total dissolved solids (TDS) in the waters of Lambari river as often described elsewhere. Sodium and chloride were the two dominant ions that justified the EC–TDS relationship. Additionally, both EC and TDS as well correlated significantly with alkalinity (bicarbonate). The rainwater is impoverished in the dissolved constituents relatively to the surface waters, which acquire them during the rainfall interactions with the soil covers/rock surfaces or anthropogenic inputs into the Lambari river channel. The piper diagram highlighted that the hydrochemical facies of rainwater and surface waters are the same, i.e. sodium bicarbonate. The Gibbs boomerang diagrams suggested dominant influence of the dilution effects by rainwater in the hydrochemical composition of the surface waters of Lambari river. Dissolved oxygen and radon correlated significantly, while the analytical data did not indicate changes in the concentration of BTEX and other organic compounds in the waters of Lambari river due to the industrial activities developed by REVAP.

Triage, typically, is an approach to rapid assessment of a natural disaster or crisis and delivery of emergency aid when resources are limited. The same philosophy is also used in environmental conservation and can be applied to managing waterway health by recognizing the unique needs of each section of the waterway and matching it with the most appropriate treatment strategy. This strategic approach can improve the net gains when compared to the current approach in Queensland, Australia. In Queensland, all new development is required by legislation to reduce stormwater pollutant loads discharging to the creek (in Brisbane, for example, total suspended solids needs to be reduced by 80%, total phosphorus by 60% and total nitrogen by 45%). Whilst these simple targets have driven millions of dollars of investment throughout the state and are a much-needed step to limiting our ecological impact, recent research by Healthy Land and Water (HLW) suggests that there is room for improving the way we deal with risk and distribute resources to protect our waterway assets. The current approach places no incentive to avoid or minimize pollution and other waterway threats, it does not adjust pollution controls to match the downstream waterway condition and it provides no opportunity to invest in waterway restoration or conservation efforts. To address these issues HLW have created Strategic Waterways, a tool for categorizing and prioritizing waterway investments based on triage principles. The tool uses a risk-benefit model to assess, diagnose and then plan the treatment of various waterway ailments. It allows for nine unique strategies to managing waterway value where previously there has been only one or two. This paper discusses three applications of the Strategic Waterways tool to support decision-makers including: how GIS can be used to rapidly assess very large areas of catchment; a methodology (triage) for prioritizing project sites and setting initial project budgets and a methodology for monitoring the state of the waterway and catchment. This tool can empower waterway managers to build a balanced portfolio of waterway investments to create the biggest possible ecological return on investment.

The public in the Pacific Northwest considers the quality of their drinking water the most important aspect of water resources. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to examine public perceptions of drinking water quality over a 32-year period between 1988 and 2019 in the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Mail-based surveys were used to collect data in 1988, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2019. In each survey year, the minimum sample size was 400 adult residents. Residents were asked about their perceptions of: (1) drinking water safety and satisfaction, (2) use of in-home water filters, (3) use of bottled water, (4) water testing, and (5) water pollutants. Over 10,400 residents completed surveys over this 32-year period. Over 80% of the residents obtained their tap water from a city or community water system that was nationally regulated. Over this 32-year period, more than 78% of residents considered their drinking water safe; however, trends show that the perceived safety of drinking water has declined from 92.8% in 1998 to less than 79% in 2019. The use of secondary in-home water filters has increased from 18.2% in 1998 to 35.4% in 2019. The use of bottled water peaked at 34.9% in 2007 but has declined since and dropped to less than 17% of the public by 2019. In the last 32 years only about 15% of residents have had their drinking water tested at least once every 5 years. As far as contaminants in drinking water quality is concerned the major complaint over the last 32 years was hard water. Survey respondents over the age of 50 were more likely than residents younger than 35 to consider their drinking water safe and pollution-free, while younger residents were more likely to use bottled water and a secondary in-home water filter. Respondents that were male, older than 70, college educated, from Idaho or Alaska and from communities of more than 7,000 residents were most likely to consider drinking water safe. From a trend standpoint, more residents have thought that their drinking water has become less safe and fewer people are using bottled water compared to 32 years go. Conversely, the use of secondary in-home filters has substantially increased in the last 32 years.