Zeolite is an abundant porous mineral found on the Earth's surface in Ecuador due to volcanic activity in the soil. Natural mordenite (Z.A.) can be used as an adsorption agent in wastewater and groundwater containing hardness, composed of dissolved salts that increase conductivity as well as total dissolved solids (TDS). This study demonstrates its effectiveness in improving water quality for general use and potentially for consumption in groundwater from a facility located in the Milagro Canton, Guayas Province. Three unfiltered well-water samples from the facility and five samples filtered through a previously constructed aquarium-type filter were analyzed. The samples were tested for pH, conductivity, hardness, fecal coliforms, and initial TDS levels for comparison purposes. The results showed that the unfiltered samples had hardness levels of 340 mg/L, 355 mg/L, and 360 mg/L, respectively, with a maximum conductivity of 780 µS/cm. In contrast, the filtered samples exhibited a significant reduction, reaching a maximum hardness of 240 mg/L and a conductivity of 653 µS/cm, representing an average efficiency of 29%.

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio frequency interference (RFI) has become a growing operational threat to civil aviation, especially in and around conflict-affected regions. This article develops a publication-ready case study of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), focusing on repeated GNSS jamming and spoofing events reported in the eastern portion of the Kinshasa Flight Information Region (FIR) between May 2024 and January 2025. The study is based on a structured documentary analysis of the DRC national presentation delivered during the ACAO/ICAO Radio Navigation Workshop in Rabat in February 2025, complemented by current ICAO, ITU, EASA, and IATA guidance and policy documents. The findings show that the affected areas - notably Goma, Butembo, Beni, and Lubero - experienced recurrent signal loss from the surface up to at least FL210, affecting multiple aircraft categories, including transport aircraft, regional aircraft, unmanned aircraft, United Nations flights, and military flights. Operational effects included re-routing, visual continuations, temporary suspension of GNSS-based instrument flight procedures and drone operations, elevated operator risk assessments under safety management systems, and rising economic and passenger-service burdens. The article argues that the DRC case is significant because it illustrates the asymmetry between rapidly increasing dependence on satellite-based CNS and the limited enforceability of civil aviation rules when military or extraterritorial interference is involved. It proposes a resilience framework built on five pillars: threat monitoring, risk assessment, contingency navigation, civil-military coordination, and harmonized reporting. The article concludes that States exposed to conflict-proximate interference should preserve a minimum operational network of conventional navigation aids, standardize GNSS RFI NOTAM practices, integrate spectrum regulators into aviation safety governance, and strengthen regional escalation mechanisms through ICAO and ITU.

This study presents a comprehensive, explanatory, and methodologically grounded scientific analysis of the microclimatic dynamics at Lubumbashi International Airport (Luano). It demonstrates that the airport platform should be interpreted as a coupled thermo-operational system, in which mineral surfaces, residual vegetation, seasonality, wind, precipitation, and aeronautical operations interact to generate a structured thermal signal. The analysis integrates hourly meteorological observations, Landsat and MODIS satellite products, ERA5 reanalysis variables, CHIRPS precipitation data, biophysical indicators such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and air traffic data. It further develops an airport–reference thermal contrast, a spatial LTO exposure index, and a framework based on spatial and temporal differencing. The results converge toward four main conclusions: (1) the Luano airport area exhibits a well-defined airport-related thermal signature; (2) the relative decline in vegetation cover and increasing surface artificialization account for a major share of background warming; (3) LTO cycles act as localized and transient thermal amplifiers; and (4) these dynamics have direct implications for air density, take-off performance, low-level turbulence, and overall aviation safety.

The tiger bush, the primary habitat of the giraffe, is facing severe soil degradation due to arid climate and increased human activity. This study aims to assess changes in different land cover units and the extent of forest cover degradation in the core giraffe habitat. To this end, Landsat images from 1990, 2006, and 2022 were downloaded using USGS and processed with ENVI 5.1 software. The results reveal that the landscapes of the giraffe zone are predominantly dominated by cultivated areas. The expansion of cultivated areas has contributed to the degradation of tiger bush and shrub steppes, which have seen their areas reduced from 1990 to 2022. The transition matrix showed a 73.21% change in regular tiger bush between 1990 and 2022. The degrading dynamics of forest cover caused by the overexploitation of natural resources should in the long-term lead to the complete anthropization of the landscape.

For primates, as for most other animals, the abundance and distribution of food resources and the risk of predation are generally considered primary determinants of their social organization. The overall objective of this project is to characterize the availability and diet of the Guinea baboon in the Niokolo Koba National Park, particularly in the Simenti sector. Descriptive information on plant phenology was needed to determine seasonal changes in food availability. Thus, the results show that there are more tree species available as the season becomes drier, the month of April with more plants available 15 species, the month of March with 12 species and the month of February 10 species. So, to find out which species the baboons consumed during our study, we followed the baboons for 47 days to collect data on their diet and daily activities from 6: 30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thus, we were able to monitor several different groups, of which several parameters (daily activities) were listed. The results reveal for the three months of collection to give out of 986 events observed, the 526 concern the food, either 54.34% more than half of the events. Thus, the Guinea baboon spent most of its time satisfying its nutritional needs than focusing on its other activities such as socialization (81 events), movements (128 events), rest (251 events). The analysis show also that Guinea baboons are eclectic omnivores, they consume much more plants than other types of food. Plants account for 89.67% of their general diet, insects 7.46%, mammals 0.24%, and other foods 1.86%. Considered omnivorous with a frugivorous tendency, baboons show a preference for fruits on all parts of plants consumed with a proportion of 79.36%, for roots 6.2%, flowers 5.8%, bark and fiber 3.83% and for leaves sap and stems the least consumed parts with 4.80%). However, not all species were consumed at the same rate. The best consumed species were: Piliostigma thonningii, Strychnos spinosa, Cyperus rotontus and Mimosa pigra.

In accordance with the international safety requirements, particularly those established by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the General Safety Requirements (GSR part 3), materials containing naturally occurring radionuclides from the uranium and thorium decay series with an activity concentration of 1 Bq/g are generally considered to fall within the scope of regulatory control. This work was devoted to the analysis of variability of specific activity of cobalt hydroxides from four companies in the city of Kolwezi, particulary those reputed to have deposits slightly enriched in radioactive materials. Nearly 150 samples were collected to carry out this study, and the specific activities were calculated after analysis using an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. The activity concentration determined in the present study remains below this reference level. Nevertheless, the findings warrant a documented radiological assessment conducted under a graded approach to radiation protection. Consistent with the fundamental principles of radiation protection recommended by the IAEA namely justification, optimization and dose limitation- the measured radiological levels indicate that handling, storage, and transport operation may be performed under normal operating conditions. This conclusion is contigent upon the implementation of good industrial practices and the establishment of periodic radiological monitoring to ensure continued compliance with regulatory standards.

Environmental radiological assessment is an essential process for characterizing human exposure levels in order to limit or reduce the risks associated with exposure to ionizing radiation. The approach involves identifying the transfer pathways of radionuclides and assessing the potential risks to ecosystems and nearby populations. To optimize the use of resources and adapt the level of analysis to the degree of radiological risk, international radiation protection organizations recommend the application of the graded approach in radiological impact studies. This approach consists of adjusting the depth and complexity of the assessment according to the potential significance of the radiological impacts associated with a given activity. Indeed, after energy and efficiency calibration, the peaks identified and correct for background radiation show that the calculated mass activities obtained after peak integration do not indicate any abnormal levels. Thus, the results of this study will contribute to establishing a database for environmental radiological monitoring.