Valentina-Mariana Manoiu

The Russo–Ukrainian conflict (RUC) escalated on 24 February 2022 with Russia’s large-scale military operation in Ukraine. Our review aims to present the impact of the RUC on Ukrainian water resources and infrastructure. Its primary objective was to analyze 61 relevant papers, selected and screened according to the PRISMA methodology, concerning changes in inland and marine water quality, employing diverse scientific and analytical methods, and technical tools. Key recurring themes included “Ukraine”, “Russian-Ukrainian War”, and “Ecocide”. Beyond assessing the environmental consequences of destroyed treatment plants, supply systems, and sewerage units, as the secondary objective, the review introduces the concept of “aquacide”—the deliberate or incidental destruction and contamination of water infrastructures and resources during military operations. The most severe cases were documented in southern and eastern Ukraine, with the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam standing out as the most widely reported “aquacide”. Finally, the review highlights the critical role of satellite imagery and remote sensing as the most effective tools in monitoring water quality and infrastructures under wartime conditions, when in situ observations and measurements are often impossible.

In recent years, the share of cargo transport in Poland’s water has been marginal. Through comprehensively reviewing 61 relevant studies in the field, supplemented by the investigation of several important databases, this paper estimates the historical and current state of inland navigation in Poland, and at the same time, identifies the main threats to the future development of inland navigation. A detailed evaluation in regard to the degree of technical infrastructure use is presented for the Lower Vistula section in the years 1986–2020. In that period, there was a decrease in the number of cargo vessels passing through the only lock on the Lower Vistula, at Włocławek. This was due to a number of factors, including natural conditions resulting from climate change, which led to more frequent occurrences of low water levels. In recent years (2016–2020), there has been an increase in the number of tourist vessels passing through the lock in Włocławek and locks on Vistula branches. This boost is marked mainly in the summer (from June to August) at locks near city centers. Revitalizing inland navigation in Poland is possible through joint planning, implementation and financing of strategic infrastructure investments at the national, regional and local levels.

This review paper aims to analyze studies conducted over recent years (2011–2021) on hydrocarbon pollution in the Danube’s Romanian sector. This involves looking at three main issues: Space-related Romanian Danube hydrocarbon pollution; the nature of samples and the types of tests used for hydrocarbon authentication; hydrocarbon effects on bioindicators and fish cell lines. The papers extracted for this review were selected from three scientific article platforms: Web of Science, Science Direct, and Google Scholar, by using keywords, a specific search protocol and various selection filters. The main results of the present analysis are the following: the highest levels of hydrocarbon contamination in suspended particulate matter and sediments were found in the sector Iron Gates-Călărași (2013), and the main pollution sources were industry, navigation and wastewater discharges; sediment and biological samples accumulate higher concentrations of hydrocarbons than water samples, and are a good indicator for these pollutants’ presence; the most widely used bioindicators are aquatic worms, mollusks, crustaceans, the wild common bleak, and, in the laboratory, fish cells; various methods are used in order to confirm hydrocarbon presence and/or their effects on biota: fluorescence, comet assay technique, micronucleus test, complementary passive samplers, in vitro bioassays, fugacity-based calculation model, sensors, oil spill modeling.

This paper aims to present the main trends of an eco-study for a possibly challenging future inland waterway transportation project. The study will prove if Torun and its Vistula stretch represent a viable and profitable spot on this inland waterway, and its outcomes will constitute a sound baseline that can be used for the project itself but also for many scientific, educational and economic purposes. The eco-multilayer research will comprise the following elements: hydrology and biology of the Torunian Vistula (TV) stretch, and water quality; a public opinion survey; the urban functions of the TV segment (social, educational, urban planning, aesthetical, recreational, cultural, utilitarian and economical). The conclusion is that the eco-research and the project will improve Torun City’s image as a Green Urban Space, in terms of respect towards the environment, a sustainable form of transport, and attractive ways of relaxation and spending leisure time by Torun’s population and visitors. The eco-study and the project will contribute to promoting the Torun region by supporting the possibility of watching beautiful landscapes (sightseeing tours) spread along the Vistula River. The project itself will have a positive impact on the Torunian economy and on the lifestyle of Torun’s citizens.

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the new COVID-19 disease a pandemic. Most countries responded with a lockdown to reduce its effects, which brought beneficial consequences to the environment in many regions, but the pandemic also raised a series of challenges. This review proposes an assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic positive and negative impacts on water bodies on different continents. By applying a search protocol on the Web of Science platform, a scientific bank of 35 compatible studies was obtained out of the 62 open-access articles that were initially accessible. Regarding the positive impacts, the SARS-CoV-2 monitoring in sewage waters is a useful mechanism in the promptly exposure of community infections and, during the pandemic, many water bodies all over the world had lower pollution levels. The negative impacts are as follows: SARS-CoV-2 presence in untreated sewage water amplifies the risk to human health; there is a lack of adequate elimination processes of plastics, drugs, and biological pollution in wastewater treatment plants; the amount of municipal and medical waste that pollutes water bodies increased; and waste recycling decreased. Urgent preventive measures need to be taken to implement effective solutions for water protection.