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Environmental Monitoring and Impact Assessment for Sustainable Management

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2022) | Viewed by 35102

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Anna Podlasek

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Guest Editor

Department of Revitalization and Architecture, Institute of Civil Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: groundwater quality; landfills; environmental impact assessment; environmental analysis; environmental pollution; fertilizers; soil analysis; water resources management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last decades, there has been a remarkable growth of interest in environmental issues related to sustainability and the better management of development in harmony with the environment. Environmental monitoring and impact assessment are perceived as important instruments to pursue environmental protection, sustainable development, and ecosystem conservation. These tools are of a substantial importance nowadays as they allow assessing environmental trends, supporting policy implementation, and developing information for scientific reporting.

The Special Issue entitled “Environmental Monitoring and Impact Assessment for Sustainable Management” will focus attention on innovative solutions for environmental monitoring and assessment in which sustainability is prioritized.

For this Special Issue, we welcome the submission of high-quality manuscripts with new results or new ideas as well as comprehensive reviews that offer new perspectives. This Special Issue seeks contributions involving innovative approaches or relevant case studies regarding the following topics:

Advanced monitoring strategies;
Barriers and possibilities for environmental monitoring;
Practices for environmental impact assessment;
Field monitoring systems;
Laboratory tests;
Hydrogeological modeling;
Management of water resources;
Fate and transport of contaminants;
Prediction of environmental quality and hazard assessment;
Impact of anthropogenic activities on the quality of the environment and possible mitigating solutions;
Monitoring of landfills.

This list must not be seen as exclusive, and other topics showing the importance of environmental monitoring and impact assessment are welcome.

Dr. Anna Podlasek
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

monitoring
sustainability
environmental quality
groundwater
soil
pollution
landfill
numerical modelling

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 1356 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determining the Contributions in a Denim Fabric Production for Sustainable Development Goals: Life Cycle Assessment and Material Input Approaches

by Bülent Sarı, Farhad Zarifi, Muhammed Alhasan, Hakan Güney, Selman Türkeş, Serdal Sırlıbaş, Deniz Civan Yiğit, Güray Kılınççeker, Beşir Şahin and Olcayto Keskinkan

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5315; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15065315 - 16 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3158

Abstract

In this paper, within the framework of increasing the contributions to sustainable development goals and reducing the water footprint, the sustainable production potential of a factory producing denim fabrics have been studied in association with the sustainable development goals. For this purpose, Life Cycle Assessment and Material Input per Service methods were used to determine the environmental impact factors of the factory and the existing water footprint. Calculations were made in three different ways, taking the factory’s total production capacity, a selected product, and the wet processes into account. Although the sustainable production potential of the factory is demonstrated with the Sustainable Development Goals, it has been determined that the contribution rates differ according to both the calculation method and the production data taken into account. As a result of the evaluations, it has emerged as a more dominant view that the factory’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals should be evaluated according to the total production capacity. The sustainability evaluation made according to the total production capacity determined that the factory contributed approximately 12% to Sustainable Development Goal 12 in the period examined, according to both Life Cycle Assessment and Material Input per Service methods. Although there is inconsistency in the Life Cycle Assessment and Material Input per Service method results, it was predicted that there are economic and environmental gain potentials related to Sustainable Development Goals 13, 14, and 15, and the sustainable production potential of the factory can be increased. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Monitoring and Impact Assessment for Sustainable Management)

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22 pages, 61337 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Use of Waste Building Materials in Architecture and Urban Planning—A Review of Selected Examples

by Kinga Rybak-Niedziółka, Agnieszka Starzyk, Przemysław Łacek, Łukasz Mazur, Izabela Myszka, Anna Stefańska, Małgorzata Kurcjusz, Aleksandra Nowysz and Karol Langie

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5047; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15065047 - 13 Mar 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5301

Abstract

Modern environmental protection standards have a direct impact on the construction and shaping of public space. Designers are increasingly reaching for materials produced via recycling technologies. Waste materials are more readily adopted and used in urban planning and architecture. Current projects in this area are being increasingly designed to meet the requirements of the circular economy, which is facilitated by the reuse of once-used components. The aim of the study is to review research papers in the Scopus database (bibliometric analysis) and other selected materials applied in construction, which are recycled and used again in various ways in the construction of subsequent buildings. The results show various application possibilities of recycled materials in construction. The study draws attention to the fact that the use of recycled materials in modern construction is becoming more and more effective, which may contribute to increasing the share of the circular economy in the implementation process related to this subject. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Monitoring and Impact Assessment for Sustainable Management)

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17 pages, 290 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integration of the Standalone ‘Risk Assessment’ Section in Project Level Environmental Impact Assessment Reports for Value Addition: An Indian Case Analysis

by Arjun Kumar A. Rathi

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2296; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15032296 - 26 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1768

Abstract

Both environmental impact assessment (EIA) and risk assessment (RA) instituted some 50 years ago are interdisciplinary and decision-support tools and have analogies in their procedural steps. Environmental risk assessment could be employed as such or as complementary to EIA for environmental management. This study aims to examine how RA is dealt with in the EIA reports of greenfield projects. The investigation reveals that RA is treated as a standalone exercise and too inadequately in EIA studies. There is a lack of well-defined criteria and methodologies for RA in different contexts, evaluation of prediction uncertainties, residual risks, assimilating RA in EIA, regulatory framework to strengthen RA integration in EIA, objective review of RA by the competent authority, and EIA follow-up. Unambiguous terms of reference are proposed for RA in EIA under the prevailing regulation for immediate implementation. The duration and cost of preparing and reviewing EIA reports integrated with RA would increase but there would be more value addition to the EIA studies. Comprehensive EIA regulation, RA-related scoping, and institutional capacity building could help promote such integration that is crucial for assessing industrial and other anthropogenic calamities at the project development stage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Monitoring and Impact Assessment for Sustainable Management)

20 pages, 7208 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Environmental Noise Impact Assessment for Large-Scale Surface Mining Operations in Serbia

by Uros Pantelic, Petar Lilic, Aleksandar Cvjetic and Nikola Lilic

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 1798; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15031798 - 17 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2210

Abstract

Noise emissions are a significant environmental impact caused by the mining industry in all technological phases of surface mining, mineral processing, and waste disposal. This paper presents the role of noise impact assessment and control in large-scale surface mining operations. Mine planning develops the model of mining operations, ore excavation, and waste dumping scheduling and processing rates, including spatial distribution of mining activities. Such a level of mine planning requires an environmental impact assessment study. This can be achieved by applying noise impact assessment models. The described approach can be used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed protection measures to reduce or eliminate the identified negative impacts. This paper presents a case study of environmental noise impact assessment and control at the Serbia Zijin Copper DOO Bor mine, encompassing the analysis of the noise protection measures efficiency within the planning of large-scale mining operations at the open-pit mine Veliki Krivelj. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Monitoring and Impact Assessment for Sustainable Management)

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19 pages, 12112 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Simulation Analysis of Land Use Changes in the Yarlung Zangbo River and Its Two Tributaries of Tibet Using the Markov–PLUS Model

by Wenyuan Hao, Zhenzhu Cao, Shengya Ou, Yi Qin, Zhongbin Wang, Shuang Yang, Damien Sinonmatohou Tiando and Xin Fan

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1376; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15021376 - 11 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1289

Abstract

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the economic development of Tibet has been accelerating. The Yarlung Zangbo River and its two tributaries, as the region with the largest population concentration and the fastest economic development in Tibet, has been under the dual influence of global climate warming and the intensification of human social and economic activities, where a high number of land types, such as woodland, grassland, and water areas, have been transformed into other land types, and the residential area has expanded in a disorderly manner. The ability to maintain sustainable regional development has been severely damaged. To meet the requirements of different stages of social and economic development and regional social development goals, in this study, we use the Yarlung Zangbo River and its two tributaries of Tibet as an example. Based on the Markov–PLUS model and considering the natural, social, and cultural conditions of the basin, combined with the multi-landscape simulation of land use, we predict the land use situation of the Yarlung Zangbo River and its two tributaries of Tibet in 2038. We observed the following: (i) the Markov–PLUS model has a high simulation accuracy for different land types in the study area, and can sufficiently simulate the changes in different land types in the Yarlung Zangbo River and its two tributaries of Tibet; and (ii) the simulation settings of the three landscapes basically meet the different development modes and paths of the basin in the future. There were obvious differences in the structure of land use in the basin, among which there were obvious differences, especially agricultural land and water areas. Use of the Markov–PLUS model can provide data support and references for the implementation in terms of ecological scrutiny, landscape planning, and early warnings for food production consumption security and unreasonable land use, in order to achieve the sustainable development of the basin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Monitoring and Impact Assessment for Sustainable Management)

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27 pages, 15513 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on BIPV in Office and Public Utility Buildings in Aesthetic and Utility Context

by Janusz Marchwiński

Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 136; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15010136 - 22 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1538

Abstract

The idea of the article is to examine the perception of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) by users of buildings in which BIPV has been applied. The study aims at determining the acceptance degree as well as problem areas related to the use of BIPV within façades in the aesthetic and utility context. The article includes survey research conducted among 232 employees working in six office and public buildings with BIPV in Poland. The buildings were selected so that the PV modules within their façades were visible both outside and inside the building. For this reason, two groups of buildings were chosen for the study: those with PV modules as external glazing and with an external PV shelves (three buildings each). The research results indicate differences in the perception of the aesthetic, semantic, and functional roles of BIPV depending on the aforementioned BIPV application method, the observation place (outside or inside the building), and employee characteristics, i.e., groups divided regarding such aspects as their age and time spent in the room with BIPV. The research novelty is in examining the influence of BIPV on users’ reactions in their workplace in terms of aesthetic and utility issues. The research includes post-occupancy evaluation method (POE), which is for the first time used in relation to BIPV in office and public utility buildings. The research can prove useful for investors and designers at the planning and design concept stage. The outcomes constitute a practical source of knowledge for BIPV manufacturers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Monitoring and Impact Assessment for Sustainable Management)

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15 pages, 3005 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characteristics and Assessment of Soil Heavy Metals Pollution in the Xiaohe River Irrigation Area of the Loess Plateau, China

by Zhilong Meng, Ting Liu, Xinru Bai and Haibin Liang

Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6479; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14116479 - 25 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1551

Abstract

Heavy metals in soil are a potential threat to ecosystems and human well−being. Understanding the characteristics of soil heavy metal pollution and the prediction of ecological risk are crucial for regional eco−environment and agricultural development, especially for irrigation areas. In this study, the Xiaohe River Irrigation Area in the Loess Plateau was taken as the study area, and the concentration, as well as their accumulation degree and ecological risk and distribution of soil heavy metals, were explored based on the geo−accumulation index (Igeo) and Hakanson potential ecological risk index methods. The results showed that the concentrations of soil heavy metals were all lower than the second grade Environmental Quality Standard for Soils of China. However, the average concentrations of Cu, Hg, Cd, Pb, Zn, Ni and As were higher than the above−mentioned standard. Compared with the soil background values of Shanxi Province, eight heavy metals of all samples presented different accumulation degrees, with the highest accumulation degree in Hg, followed by Cd, and the values were 11.3 and 4.0 times more than the background value, respectively. Spatially, the distribution of soil heavy metals in the Xiaohe River irrigation area was quite different, generating diverse pollution patterns with significant regional differences and complex transportation routes. The content of soil heavy metals in the Xiaohe River irrigation area was highly affected by land use types. The pollution degree varied with the distance to an urban area, declining from the urban area to suburban farmland, and the outer suburban farmland. Among these heavy metals, Hg and Cd were the principal contamination elements, and transportation, service industry and agricultural activities were the main potential contamination sources. The potential ecological risk of soil heavy metal positioned as follows: Hg > Cd > Pb > Zn > Cu > As > Ni > Cr. As indicated by the Hakanson potential ecological risk index strategies, except for the Wangwu examining site, the other six sampling sites experienced extremely strong risks, and as a whole, the entire study region was in a condition of incredibly impressive perils. Consequently, these results suggest that improving soil environmental investigation and assessment, setting up soil heavy metal contamination prevention and control innovation framework and reinforcing contamination source control are effective approaches for soil heavy metal contamination anticipation and control in irrigated areas of the Loess Plateau. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Monitoring and Impact Assessment for Sustainable Management)

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14 pages, 2250 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Seasonal Variation of Phthalate Esters in Urban River Sediments: A Case Study of Fengshan River System in Taiwan

by Kuan-Nan Lin, Chiu-Wen Chen, Chih-Feng Chen, Yee Cheng Lim, Chih-Ming Kao and Cheng-Di Dong

Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 347; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14010347 - 29 Dec 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1671

Abstract

The Fengshan River system is one of the major rivers in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. This study investigated the concentration of eight phthalate esters (PAEs) in sediments of the river and the impact of potential ecological risks during the dry and wet seasons. The potential risk assessment of sediment PAEs was evaluated by adopting the total risk quotient (TRQ) method. The total PAEs concentrations (∑PAEs) in the sediments of the Fengshan River system are between 490–40,190 ng/g dw, with an average of 8418 ± 11,812 ng/g dw. Diisononyl phthalate (38.1%), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (36.9%) and di-isodecyl phthalate (24.3%) accounted for more than 99.3% of ∑PAEs. The concentration of ∑PAEs in sediments at the river channel stations is higher during the wet season (616–15,281 ng/g dw) than that during the dry season (490–1535 ng/g dw). However, in the downstream and estuary stations, the wet season (3975–6768 ng/g dw) is lower than the dry season (20,216–40,190 ng/g dw). The PAEs in sediments of the Fengshan River may have low to moderate potential risks to aquatic organisms. The TQR of PAEs in sediments at the downstream and estuary (TQR = 0.13) is higher than that in the upstream (TQR = 0.04). In addition, during the wet season, rainfall transported a large amount of land-sourced PAEs to rivers, leading to increased PAEs concentration and potential ecological risks in the upper reaches of the river. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Monitoring and Impact Assessment for Sustainable Management)

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12 pages, 258 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Farmers’ Perceptions and Willingness of Compost Production and Use to Contribute to Environmental Sustainability

by Zineb Majbar, Fatima-Zahra El Madani, Mohamed Khalis, Kenza Lahlou, Mohamed Ben Abbou, El Batoul Majbar, Mohammed Bourhia, Arwa Abdulkreem AL-Huqail, Ahmad El Askary, Amany S. Khalifa, Lahcen Ouahmane, Mustapha Taleb, Mounia El Haji and Zakia Rais

Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 13335; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su132313335 - 02 Dec 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2582

Abstract

Composting is an ecological method of recycling organic waste. It presents an effective solution to reduce the large volume of agricultural waste and provides an organic fertilizer and soil amendment. However, its implementation remains limited, especially in Morocco. The vast majority of farmers are unaware of the effectiveness of compost, and it is often considered as an inefficient product compared with chemical fertilizers. In order to develop a local marketing strategy for compost, this study aims to identify the perceptions and willingness of farmers to produce and use compost in agriculture, and to assess the factors shaping these perceptions and willingness, including socio-economic, agricultural and individual factors. The case of Morocco is investigated, where the vast majority of farmers practice inappropriate disposal of agricultural waste and excessive use of agro-chemicals. Data are collected using a standard questionnaire and face-to-face interviews with 350 farmers during their visit to the international agricultural exhibition in Morocco. Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA) are used for data analysis. The results showed a high level (80%) of acceptance by farmers of the production and use of compost. Farmers are also very willing to produce and use compost in agriculture. All the socio-economic, individual and agricultural factors, except gender, length of experience and cultivated area, had a highly significant influence on farmers’ perception and willingness to produce compost (p < 0.005). The positive perceptions of farmers and the high level of willingness to produce compost imply that the composting of organic waste should be encouraged by our local authorities. The production of compost will thus contribute to environmental sustainability and to the promotion of the ecological management of agricultural waste meeting the requirements of a circular economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Monitoring and Impact Assessment for Sustainable Management)

20 pages, 27978 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Environmental Particulate Matter (PM) Exposure Assessment of Construction Activities Using Low-Cost PM Sensor and Latin Hypercubic Technique

by Muhammad Khan, Numan Khan, Miroslaw J. Skibniewski and Chansik Park

Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 7797; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13147797 - 13 Jul 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3017

Abstract

Dust generation is generally considered a natural process in construction sites; ergo, workers are exposed to health issues due to fine dust exposure during construction work. The primary activities in the execution of construction work, such as indoor concrete and mortar mixing, are investigated to interrogate and understand the critical high particulate matter concentrations and thus health threats. Two low-cost dust sensors (Sharp GP2Y1014AU0F and Alphasense OPC N2) without implementing control measures to explicitly evaluate, compare and gauge them for these construction activities were utilized. The mean exposures to PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and PM₁ during both activities were 3522.62, 236.46 and 47.62 µg/m³ and 6762.72, 471.30 and 59.09 µg/m³, respectively. The results show that PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 caused during the concrete mixing activity was approximately double compared to the mortar. The Latin Hypercube Sampling method is used to analyze the measurement results and to predict the exposure concentrations. The high dust emission and exposure from mixing activities fail to meet the World Health Organization and Health and Safety Commission standards for environmental exposure. These findings will leverage the integration of low-cost dust sensors with Building Information Modelling (BIM) to formulate a digital twin for automated dust control techniques in the construction site. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Monitoring and Impact Assessment for Sustainable Management)

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Review

Jump to: Research

17 pages, 947 KiB

Open AccessReview

Climate-Smart Pest Management in Sustainable Agriculture: Promises and Challenges

by Meriam Bouri, Kadir Sinan Arslan and Fikrettin Şahin

Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4592; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15054592 - 04 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4995

Abstract

Sustainable development in global and regional contexts has become mandatory to prevent the potential adverse effects of human activities on the environment. While agricultural activities stand as the leading source of degradation and pollution in ecosystems, climate changes are among the most important challenges facing agricultural productivity. Climate-smart agriculture involves farming methods and strategies adopted for the early diagnosis and management of climate crisis drawbacks. Changing climatic conditions affect plant health either through abiotic or biotic factors that influence diverse disease scenarios on a wide range of crops. Therefore, disease management under the concerns of climate change is considered the cornerstone of sustainable agriculture. The climate-smart pest management (CSPM) concept and its role in supporting sustainable agricultural development, particularly the effect of weather changes on phytosanitary issues, are reviewed in this article. Problems in implementation and difficulties in decision-making are among the main challenges facing CSPM, which still has both technological and coordination shortcomings to overcome. Intensifying collaborative activities in scientific and technological research, risk assessment, and surveillance may enhance the current efficiency of CSPM in terms of preserving the sustainable development of agricultural systems. More efforts for capacity building are also needed in developing countries to promote the implementation and adoption of CSPM. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Monitoring and Impact Assessment for Sustainable Management)

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20 pages, 6372 KiB

Open AccessReview

Environmental and Architectural Solutions in the Problem of Waste Incineration Plants in Poland: A Comparative Analysis

by Agnieszka Starzyk, Kinga Rybak-Niedziółka, Przemysław Łacek, Łukasz Mazur, Anna Stefańska, Małgorzata Kurcjusz and Aleksandra Nowysz

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2599; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15032599 - 01 Feb 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3093

Abstract

Thermal waste transformation plants (waste incineration plants) are a strong architectural accent in the existing site context. They often function as power plants or combined heat and power plants, producing heat and/or electricity by recovering energy from flue gases. The main objective of this study was to demonstrate the relationship between the architectural quality and protection of the natural environment through the technological solutions applied. The indirect aims of the study include the demonstration of the educational message conveyed through architectural and environmental solutions. The relationships defined by the objective were verified in comparative studies of eight operating waste incineration plants in Poland, located in: Bialystok, Bydgoszcz, Konin, Krakow, Poznan, Rzeszow, Szczecin, and Warsaw. The results were presented in three problem areas: (i) architectural quality, (ii) environmental solutions, and (iii) educational message. The results of the study led to the following conclusions: (i) waste incineration plants operating in Poland show a relationship between the architectural quality and broadly understood pro-environmental solutions, (ii) and all waste incineration plants operating in Poland show educational solutions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Monitoring and Impact Assessment for Sustainable Management)

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