Demolishing obsolete ammunition and live fire training, along with other military activities, contaminated military sites with energetic compounds (ECs), are raising human concerns. Biopiling is a ...green and sustainable technology for soil remediation due to its low cost and minimal secondary pollution. This study investigated the effects of various bio-stimulants in enhancing intermittent anaerobic-aerobic biopiling for ECs degradation in soil. The results showed that intermittent anaerobic-aerobic biopiling with municipal sludge, livestock and poultry manure, and agricultural and forestry wastes degraded 93.7 % 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), 79.5 % hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), and 92.0 % octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro −1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) in 15 days. Correlation analysis of the energetic compounds showed that the TNT concentration and its reduction products changed conversely under anaerobic conditions, indicating a faster TNT reduction. Analysis based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database revealed an increase in the abundance of genes (nemA &porA) associated with nitrotoluene reduction. This study demonstrated that bio-stimulants composed of a mixture of municipal sludge, manure, and soil conditioner (SLA) could improve the physicochemical properties of the biopiling system and the microbial community structure, promoting the growth of Firmicutes that respond for the degradation of energetic compounds, including the influence of functional genes for TNT degradation.
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•Bio-stimulants enhanced the degradation of energetic compounds during the biopiling.•Nitrotoluene reduction dominated the initial degradation reaction of TNT.•Bacterial community diversity & functional gene abundance for TNT degradation increased.
The sustainable regeneration of military sites is a challenging problem requiring the involvement of various stakeholders. Yet, in many parts of the world, it is a practice which excludes the public ...from the decision-making. This article is based on a survey of people residing or working nearby a military area in Ankara, where a number of megaprojects have been proposed by the government. It questions how the public would approach the regeneration of this site, what their preferences and concerns for reuse are and how their responses vary according to certain individual factors. The results show a mismatch between the interest of the ordinary public in the protection of green open spaces and the government's agenda to transform military sites into housing estates. Gender, level of education and landownership affect the way people view the regeneration of military landscapes and their preferences for reuse. These findings are important for the sustainable regeneration of military sites.
•We examined the public’s preferences, interests and concerns related to the regeneration of a military site•There is a mismatch between the interests of the government and the public regarding the regeneration of military sites•The public tends to express more concern for environmental issues and their social needs than for their economic needs•Better educated people are more likely to expect to see places that are currently lacking in their neighborhood•Home/store owners are more willing than non-landowners to see the military site being transformed into a natural park
This study aims to summarize results on potential phytomanagement of two metal(loid)-polluted military soils using Miscanthus x giganteus. Such an option was tested during 2-year pot experiments with ...soils taken from former military sites in Sliač, Slovakia and Kamenetz-Podilsky, Ukraine. The following elements were considered: As, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Sr, Ti, Zn and Zr. M. x giganteus showed good growth at both military soils with slightly higher maximum shoot lengths in the second year of vegetation. Based on Principal Component Analysis similarities of metal(loid) uptake by roots, stems and leaves were summarized. Major part of the elements remained in M. x giganteus roots and rather limited amounts moved to the aerial parts. Levels taken up decreased in the second vegetation year. Dynamics of foliar metal(loid) concentrations divided the elements in two groups: essential elements required for metabolism (Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn) and non-essential elements without any known metabolic need (As, Sr, Ti, and Zr). Fe, Mn, Ti and Sr showed similar S-shaped uptake curve in terms of foliar concentrations (likely due to dilution in growing biomass), while Cu exhibited a clear peak mid-season. Behavior of Zn was in between. Foliar Zr and As concentrations were below detection limit. The results illustrated a good potential of M. x giganteus for safely growing on metal-polluted soils taken from both military localities.
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•Potential phytomanagement with Miscathus x giganteus was proved while growing at the military soils.•Principal Component Analysis revealed low variability of metal(loid)s behavior in upper parts of the plants.•Dynamics of foliar metal(loid)s during two vegetation season was evaluated.•Profound research is requested for understanding the mechanism of soil characteristic changing.
This work drafts a general framework about the disposal policies fostered by the Spanish Ministry of Defence since the 1980 s, which is apparently understudied in comparison with emerging ...international research. The research seeks two main goals. The first is to demonstrate that these policies have followed the general trend of neoliberal restructuring of the public sector, as it happened in countries like France, Italy, and the UK. In the face of austerity and deep state cuts in military spending, the MoD sells (off) its estate to reduce the real estate management and maintenance costs and generate financial gains from sales. The second goal is to highlight the primarily financial approach of the MoD disposal policies. Although military land may catalyse significant urban transformation, the disposal policies have sought direct economic revenue for the central government and the MoD.
•Profit-seeking approach to public-owned assets leads to privatization.•The redevelopment of former military land is tied to neoliberal policies.•The Ministry of Defence plays either an active or passive role in the redevelopments.•The redevelopments apparently favour private interests over public benefits.•Tribunal appeals change the terms midway of planning agreements.
A Mongolian-German project is investigating abandoned early modern military and monastic sites in central Mongolia, including how the ruins of these urban nodes continue to shape cultural memory ...within nomadic society. Initial excavations have revealed a previously unknown site type, interpreted as garrisons from the period of Manchu rule (AD 1636–1911).
This introduction outlines the rationale for and concerns of the research network, 'Big Data on the Roman Table' – an international forum showcasing and exploring new ways of harnessing and analysing ...the extensive datasets of tablewares from around the Roman world, for agenda-changing, consumption-orientated approaches to this rich archaeological record from the early Roman Empire. The introduction sets out the problems facing more social-historical approaches to these, mainly ceramic, tablewares and includes examples from my own research into tablewares, from the Roman world and beyond, to demonstrate my reasons for initiating and co-organising this network. It also summarises the structure and the approaches of this volume and its selection of articles, from papers presented at the two workshops of this network.
This paper presents the results of a research project on the southwestern frontier of Roman Dacia, which was an external frontier of the Roman Empire in this area. The research aimed to investigate ...and locate on the ground all Roman military sites with modern devices (GPS) and establish the elements of the ancient landscape that had an influence on the choice of particular locations for the Roman forts. Also, the Roman military sites have been placed on geo-referenced maps. Another goal was to locate and investigate the great earth ramparts from nowadays southwestern Romania (so-called "Roman walls") and try to see whether there is a relation between them and the forts on one side and the many sites (cemeteries and settlements) of the Sarmatian Iazyges. This people, that lived to the west from Roman Dacia, penetrated the marshy plains east of the river Tisza much earlier than the researchers previously supposed, that is right after the Marcomannic wars (after 180 AD) and not only at the end of the 3rd century AD.
The sale of public real estate assets is one of the main issues in the governments agenda. The goal is to find resources and improve the management of the building stock. Such assets are different ...from each other and transformation involves issues of urban and regional importance. Former military sites are mainly characterized by: different types (barracks, military airports, military bases, military hospitals, firing ranges, powder magazine, ports), spread out, obsolescence and environmental liabilities. Also historical buildings are relatively few in the military building stock. It follows that these assets cannot be converted to other uses without a technological knowledge. The paper discusses the key issues in rehabilitation of the military sites with particular attention to recent international experiences. The paper then goes on to focus the role of the research institutions in the screening required of the military real estate to be divested.