https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/376 2026-04-04T15:49:27Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/145170 Title: Atmospheric deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in southwestern German soils : sources, cancer risks and policy implications Authors: Scerri, Mark M.; Haas, Kristin; Gauci, Adam; Schiedek, Thomas Abstract: Background: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) comprise a group of persistent carcinogenic pollutants whose transfer from air to soil via the atmospheric deposition represents a major chronic exposure pathway. Regulatory frameworks across Europe and beyond rely heavily on single compound indicators such as benzo[a]pyrene and focus predominantly on point source contamination, creating potential blind spots for contamination by deposition. This observational study quantified concentrations, identified emission sources and assessed the lifetime cancer risk of 20 PAHs in 97 topsoil samples from four locations in southwestern Germany. Results: The total concentrations of the 16 USEPA priority pollutants ranged from 52 to 3956 μg/kg, with median values between 214 μg/kg (Hunsrück) and 371 μg/kg (Saarland/Palatinate Forest). Most sites (76%) were classified as “not” or “weakly” contaminated, while 12% were “heavily contaminated”. PMF identified four major sources accounting for 97% of the total PAH mass: coal/coke combustion (34.5%), biomass combustion (9.8%), petrogenic sources (15.8%) and combustion of liquid fuels from vehicles and stationary sources (37.0%). A Monte Carlo based cancer risk assessment for ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation indicated cumulative risks between 10-4 – 10-6, with ingestion and dermal contact as the dominant pathways. Localized hotspots with elevated risks were identified, indicating the need for site specific follow up. Conclusions: Liquid fuel combustion represents the dominant process influencing soil contamination by atmospherically deposited polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the study area. While measured concentrations at most sites remain within current regulatory limits, the cumulative toxicity of PAH mixtures results in cancer risks that are not negligible. These findings point to a structural limitation in existing EU and national soil protection frameworks (e.g., the German BBodSchG/BBodSchV), which remain primarily oriented toward contamination from identifiable point sources and do not adequately account for diffuse deposition-driven inputs. Consequently, soils affected by atmospheric PAH deposition may fall outside current regulatory attention despite carrying a cumulative toxic burden of potential relevance for human health. Strengthening soil quality assessment approaches to incorporate cumulative toxicity metrics and deposition-driven contamination pathways would improve health protection and better align soil policy with contemporary emission patterns. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/140786 Title: Vegetation, climate and habitability in the Marseille Basin (SE France) circa 1 Ma Authors: Andrieu, Valérie; Rochette, Pierre; Fournier, François; Demory, François; Robles, Mary; Peyron, Odile; Fauquette, Séverine; Charrat, Eliane; Magniez, Pierre; Gambin, Belinda; De Coignac, Samuel Benoît Abstract: The environment of the Marseille basin in the Early Pleistocene was reconstructed through a multiproxy study of fluvial tufa deposits. Palaeomagnetic measurements revealed the Jaramillo subchron and dated the tufa to within the 0.8–1.5 Ma interval, probably between 0.9 and1.2 Ma. Sedimentological studies show varied depositional environments comprising natural dams formed by accumulations of plants promoting the development of upstream water bodies. The very negative δ 13C values indicate that the Marseille tufa is not travertine sensu stricto but tufa deposited by local cold-water rivers. Palynological analyses indicate a semi-forested, diverse, mosaic vegetation landscape dominated by a Mediterranean pine and oak forest. Along the streams, the riparian forest was diverse and included Juglans, Castanea, Platanus and Vitis. The potential diet reconstructed from pollen was varied. The most surprising discovery was the presence of proto-cereals, which could potentially enrich the diet with carbohydrates. The identification of spores of coprophilous fungi seems to indicate the presence in situ of large herbivore herds. It is possible that, as in Anatolia, the disturbance of ecosystems by large herbivores was responsible for the genetic mutation of Poaceae and the appearance of proto-cereals. Climatic reconstructions indicate a slightly cooler and wetter climate than the present. 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/140716 Title: Space observation for the sustainable utilization of world heritage sites along the silk roads : the routes network of Chang’an-Tianshan corridor Authors: Tang, Yunwei; Chen, Fulong; Wang, Haoshan; Galdies, Charles; Chen, Caiyan; Jing, Linhai Abstract: Urban development under a changing climate pose threats to heritage conservation, necessitating vigilant monitoring of human activities and natural disasters. This study proposes a dynamic monitoring and risk assessment technology aimed at identifying interferences to heritage sites along the Silk Road. The characterization of land use was investigated, and changes within the protected areas were extracted using an object-based deep learning method to reveal instances of human interference. Nighttime light changes were analyzed to assess socio-economic development in heritage regions and cross-referenced with results indicating human interference to examine the relationship between urban development and heritage conservation. Additionally, we extracted various environmental and climate variables to evaluate the risk of flood disasters for these heritage sites. The findings suggest that heritage sites along the Silk Road are generally in good condition. Nevertheless, the substantial increase in construction land highlights challenges in heritage conservation and economic development. This study highlights the importance of vegetation coverage and water diversion measures to prevent floods, emphasizing the effectiveness of space observation in identifying risks. Such observation can help the government manage and protect valuable sites, advancing heritage protection within the framework of sustainable development goals (SDGs). 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/139251 Title: Derivation of tasseled cap transformation coefficients for SDGSAT-1 multispectral imager at-sensor reflectance data Authors: Jiang, Nijun; Dou, Changyong; Tang, Yunwei; Galdies, Charles; Yan, Lin; Ding, Haifeng Abstract: The tasseled cap transformation (TCT) is a widely used technique for reducing remote sensing multispectral data into three tasseled cap (TC) components – brightness, greenness, and wetness – while retaining essential information for various applications. We derived the TCT coefficients for 7-band SDGSAT-1 Multispectral Imager data for the first time by leveraging established Sentinel-2 TCT coefficients. This was achieved through Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for dimensional reduction of SDGSAT-1 data and the Procrustes Analysis (PA) method for aligning the principal components’ eigenvectors with the directions of Sentinel-2 TC components. A comparison between the new SDGSAT-1 coefficients and those of Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 revealed a strong correlation, demonstrating similar characteristics for brightness, greenness, and wetness components. Given the established applications of TCT, the SDGSAT-1 TCT could significantly facilitate the use of SDGSAT-1 Multispectral Imager data for vegetation monitoring, water body analysis, and change detection. This study not only presents the derivation of SDGSAT-1 TCT coefficients but also highlights the effectiveness of the PA method in deriving TC wetness component coefficients that are sensitive to water bodies and vegetation, even for multispectral data lacking the moisture-sensitive shortwave-infrared (SWIR) band. 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z