Levente Kardos

Under changing environmental conditions, soil buffering capacity is a key soil-related component of terroir functional stability and vineyard resilience. We assessed the effects of sheep wool and alfalfa hay under-vine mulches during the first two years after treatment establishment in four vineyards with contrasting volcanic and loess-derived soil in the Tokaj Wine Region. Soil responses were evaluated using soil organic carbon (SOC), permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolytic activity, easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein (EE-GRSP), and the relationships of EE-GRSP with SOC and clay fraction. Mulch effects were site-specific rather than uniform. SOC values remained close to or above baseline levels in several vineyard–treatment combinations. POXC relative variability decreased in mulch-treated plots, with the proportion of highly variable units declining from 75% to 25% in both mulch treatments by autumn 2025, while this category remained dominant in the control. FDA activity was mainly associated with soil depth and vineyard-specific conditions. EE-GRSP showed positive relationships with both SOC and clay fraction. Neither mulch material showed consistent superiority across all indicators during the first two years. These findings suggest that soil buffering capacity was best interpreted as the outcome of multiple biological, organic matter-related, and mineral-associated processes operating at different temporal scales. Natural under-vine mulches may support soil stability, although longer-term monitoring is needed to assess the persistence of these responses.

The removal of micropollutants during wastewater treatment is an essential element of pollution control due to the last amendment of the Directive 91/271/EEC. Reducing and control at the source is usually the most cost-effective measure for a given substance or group of substances, but wastewater treatment plants with load above 150.000 PE (and between 10.000 and 150.000 PE based on the recieving watercourse or environmental risk assessment) have to reduce and remove the micropollutant in the future. The treatment plants have to install technologies which are optimal to eliminate the micropollutant (fourth stage or quaternary treatment technologies). The main quaternary treatment technologies are the different form of activated carbon filtration, membrane technologies (e.g. nanofiltration or reverse osmosis) and Advanced Oxidation Processes, AOP (e.g. ozone treatment). Among the options available for the removal of micropollutants, the most cost-effective solutions are activated carbon processes, ozone treatment, and their combination in different process configurations. At present, the combination of ozone treatment and activated carbon filtration is an effective technology to degrade the micropollutants, also the antibiotic resistant genes, and also remove the harmful by-products from the AOP treatment. For each wastewater treatment plant, it is necessary to individually examine which technology will be the most optimal to accomplish the new requirements.

Ambient particulate matter pollution is the primary concern as it has a significant impact on human health and the majority of the world's population lives in urban areas. Heavy metals are the most concerning component of particulate matter, and Cu is a highly traffic-related emission element whose overabundance results in toxic effects. Woody plants, on the other hand, contribute to the removal of airborne pollution in urban areas. Our aims are (1) to compare urban woody plants abilities to capture ambient fine particulate matter on leaf surface; and (2) to access the Cu concentration loads on their leaf surfaces. Consequently, our results will provide scientific knowledge for future urban planning concerning air pollution remediation. We investigated the relationship between woody plants and heavy metal pollution in Budapest. Four woody plant species were sampled at different traffic densities. Their Cu contents in the leaf and branch were measured, our results show that Tilia tomentosa and Acer platanoides are better options for ambient Cu accumulation than Fraxinus excelsior and Aesculus hisppocastanus in urban environments. At different traffic densities and sampling times, however, Cu accumulation did not vary across species. This is because, through translocation, woody plants absorb Cu not only from the air but also from the soil. Furthermore, it is also because of the long-distance transportation and long-term suspension of fine particulate matter. From the obtained results, we can conclude that woody plants are important phytoremediation elements in the urban area of Budapest. Planting T. tomentosa and A. platanoides in urban areas of central Europe will be promising for ambient heavy metal pollution phytoremediation. But environmental conditions differ from one place to another. Therefore, a comprehensive study is required in order to apply the results to different locations.

Urban green infrastructure planning plays an important role in aspects of pollution reduction, such as heavy metal trapping. However, the reduction effects are both influenced by the different pollution conditions in each city and the species-specific interaction of trees and pollution. Herein, we investigated three common urban woody plants (Acer platanoides L., Fraxinus excelsior L. Westhof’s Glorie, and Tilia tomentosa Moench) in Budapest to compare their heavy metal trapping abilities from the airborne in leaf dust deposits and leaves. All samples were deconstructed by a wet digestion method. Four high traffic-related heavy metal elements (Zn, Cu, Pb, and Ni) were determined by using an atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS). The investigated results showed that the relevant concentration of all measured elements was constant in all species, namely Zn < Cu < Pb < Ni. Although the total heavy metal content in the dust deposit increased towards the end of one vegetation period, the highest percentage of total metal concentration was in the summer season as the particulate matter sources varied in each season. These indicate that woody plants are ideal candidates for pollution monitoring. All of the evaluated elements were loaded highest in the dust deposit of T. tomentosa during all sampling times, followed by A. platanoides, and the least in F. excelsior. A significant correlation between metal contents in the dust deposit and leaf was found in T. tomentosa (0.926 at a p<0.01 level). Therefore, we suggest T. tomentosa, which has better atmospheric trace element capturing capacity than A. platanoides and F. excelsior and thus it is a better option for pollution reduction in the urban area.

Rare earth elements, particularly middle and heavy rare earth, are among the most valuable resources in the pursuit of a greener economy. The production of middle and heavy rare earth elements heavily relies on ion adsorption, which constitutes over 80% of global output and is centered in southern China. Unfortunately, the extensive mining activities have led to severe environmental pollution, resource depletion, and risks to human health. In contrast, biochar application offers a cost-effective and efficient phytoremediation solution. However, existing literature on the biochar application in IAT-Res mine tailings is limited. In this paper, we conducted a literature review and summarized the contaminations in the ion adsorption mine tailings, as well as explored the potential of using biochar to remediate contaminations. We aim to raise interest and encourage further research on utilizing biochar for pollution remediation in ion adsorption rare earth mine tailings. By effectively managing contamination, this approach can contribute to the sustainable supply of ion adsorption rare earth elements while ensuring their long-term viability.

Organic waste generation has been extending to an alarming level in most areas of the world, and its sustainable management is required. In Hungary, the amount of organic waste is increasing significantly, especially in pálinka manufacturing - a Hungarian hard liquor - producing a great quantity of mash residue, mostly grape pomace spent wash, a non-hazardous food waste that is a suspension left over by the distillation of fermented spirits. Around two hundred thousand tons of fruit waste are generated annually, and its full recycling and legal disposal are unprecedented in Hungarian distilling plants, threatening the environment if disposed of incorrectly. In this paper, we focused on reviewing the Pálinka mash composting, where the biggest challenge for its treatment is its initial pH, around 4, which can be successfully neutralized with mineral additives. The applied additives were chosen by their beneficial physical, chemical, and biological qualities. Accordingly, andesite and alginite were employed in the experimental composting. The results of our observation have confirmed that the mineral additives can establish valuable compost or fertilizer, favourably altering the dynamics of the decomposition and synthesis reactions. As an experiment on mash composting technology, we also tested the mature mash compost in culture vessel experiments for heavy metal adsorption capacity of the ma tube mash compost using lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum) as test plants. The plants were irrigated with lead (Pb), and iron (Fe) contaminated water, and then it was determined the metals accumulation capacity of the plants and growing media with an Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS). The study could compare the rate of heavy metal accumulation by different plant parts and ratios of Pálinka mash compost in the growing media.

A kommunális és ipari szennyvizek tisztításának nagy mennyiségben keletkező mellékterméke a szennyvíziszap, amely makro- és mikroelem-tartalmát illetően széles skálán mozoghat. A folyamat során keletkezett iszapok stabilizálásának technológiája, illetve végfelhasználása is eltérő lehet attól függően, hogy milyen minőségi és mennyiségi paramétereknek kell megfelelnie a kezelt iszapnak. Gazdasági, illetve környezetvédelmi szempontból vizsgálva a szennyvíziszap legmegfelelőbb ártalmatlanítási módja annak trágyaként történő hasznosítása lenne, azonban egyes toxikus elemek jelenléte korlátozza a szennyvíziszap mezőgazdasági területeken történő elhelyezését, a fém-dús stabilizált iszap fokozhatja a talajok potenciálisan toxikus elem-koncentrációját. A nemkívánatos toxikus fémek szennyvíziszapból történő eltávolítására különböző technológiák állnak rendelkezésre (fizikai, kémiai és biológiai), azonban egyelőre nincs egységes direktíva az elérhető legjobb kezelési lehetőségekről. A fizikai és kémiai módszerek relatíve nagy költsége, valamint a másodlagos szennyezés kialakulásának kockázata miatt a kutatások egyre inkább a biológiai eljárások irányába nyitnak, melyek gazdasági és környezeti szempontból is kedvezőbb eljárások lehetnek a jövőben. A szennyvíziszap vermikomposztálása ígéretes módszer a fémek eltávolításában, mivel kis költségigényű, emellett nem változtatja meg negatív irányba az iszap tápanyag-összetételét.

A kommunális szennyvíziszap környezetileg fenntartható kezelése a mai környezetgazdálkodás egyik kiemelkedően fontos feladata. Az utóbbi időben a földigiliszták hulladékkezelésben való felhasználásának technológiája (a vermikomposztálás) egyre elterjedtebb technológia. A giliszták anyagcseréjüknek köszönhetően eltávolítják az elöregedő baktérium populációkat az iszapból, így teret engedve az újabb baktériumcsoportok megtelepedésének, amelyek hozzájárulhatnak a komposztálás folyamatának felgyorsulásához. Emellett a vermikomposztálás növeli a kezelt iszap nitrogén (N), foszfor (P) és kálium (K) tartalmát, és csökkenti a potenciális patogének számát is. Munkánk során vizsgáltuk a vermikomposztálási technológiai folyamatokat laboratóriumi, félüzemi léptékben (nyílt és zárt környezeti feltételek mellett), valamint ipari komposztálási körülmények között, ahol a komposztprizmák szalmával, geotextíliával kerültek lefedésre, illetve fedetlenek voltak. A komposztprizmákban Eisenia foetida gilisztákat használtunk. A mintákat a kísérleti periódus elején, félidőben és végén vettük meg. Vizsgáltuk a fizikai és kémiai paramétereket: pH, szárazanyag-tartalom, szervesanyag-tartalom, összes sótartalom, összes nitrogén, összes foszfortartalom (P2O5), káliumtartalom (K2O), humusztartalom (H%), humusz minőségét és meghatároztuk a dehidrogenáz enzimaktivitást is. A hőmérsékletet és a redoxpotenciált hetente kétszer mértük az oxidációs-redukciós körülmények jellemzésére. A nehézfém-koncentrációkat (Pb, Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn) a kiindulási iszapban, a kész vermikomposztban, valamint a gilisztákban is megmértük, ezáltal meghatározható a nehézfémek földigiliszták általi bioakkumulációja. A megfelelő vermikomposztálási technológia potenciális eszköze lehet a növekvő mennyiségű kommunális szennyvíziszap környezeti kockázatainak csökkentésére.