In the era of information economy, the integration of the internet and traditional industries is pushing the rapid transformation of the world economy in a more innovative, smarter, and greener ...direction. Based on the panel data for 30 Chinese provinces for the 2006-2017 period, the level of China's internet development is comprehensively evaluated using the full array polygon graphic index method. The spatial Durbin model and threshold model are used to empirically analyze the impact of internet development on environmental quality. The results indicate that China's environmental pollution has a significant spatial spillover effect. Internet development can not only significantly reduce local environmental pollution, but also environmental pollution in neighboring areas. The regression results of the mediation effect indicate that internet development mainly affects environmental pollution by improving technological innovation, industrial upgrading, human capital and financial development. Finally, policy suggestions are proposed from the aspects of strengthening collaborative environmental governance and increasing internet infrastructure investment.
Municipal solid waste disposed of in illegal dumpsites pollutes the surface and groundwater. However, accurately determining these pollution levels is typically challenging for practitioners and ...decision-makers in developing countries. The purpose of this study is to use the leachate pollution index (LPI) to assess the contamination potential of uncontrolled dumping sites along the course of the Kulfo River in Arba Minch, Ethiopia. The comprehensive pollution index (CPI) approach was also utilized to assess the suitability of Kulfo River water quality for aquatic species. Leachate samples were collected from four uncontrolled dumping sites along the Kulfo River’s course and analyzed for fifteen leachate characteristics necessary to quantify the LPI sub-indices. Water samples were taken from three monitoring stations along the river and examined for aquatic species suitability. When the leachate parameters were compared to the Indian limit for discharge of treated leachate, it was found that dumping sites posed a considerable risk of pollution to adjacent water resources. The overall LPI ranged from 23.34 to 27.35, which is higher than the discharge standard LPI of 5.69, indicating that dumping sites can threaten the surrounding water resources and human health. Based on the rating scale of CPI, at all monitoring stations, the river resulted severely polluted. Finally, appropriate strategies to reduce the pollution and the related mismanagement of solid waste were discussed. Combining LPI and CPI methods can represent a crucial tool for experts and decision-makers in developing countries to evaluate the pollution potential of dumping sites and water resource monitoring.
Improving and monitoring air quality DuPont, André
Environmental science and pollution research international,
05/2018, Volume:
25, Issue:
15
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Since the authorization of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, the air quality in the USA has significantly improved because of strong public support. The lessons learned over the last 25 years are ...being shared with the policy analysts, technical professionals, and scientist who endeavor to improve air quality in their communities. This paper will review how the USA has achieved the “high” standard of air quality that was envisioned in the early 1990s. This document will describe SO
2
gas emission reduction technology and highlight operation of emission monitoring technology. This paper describes the basic process operation of an air pollution control scrubber. A technical review of measures required to operate and maintain a large-scale pollution control system will be described. Also, the author explains how quality assurance procedures in performance of continuous emission monitoring plays a significant role in reducing air pollution.
Inflammatory effects of particulate matter air pollution Arias-Pérez, Rubén D.; Taborda, Natalia A.; Gómez, Diana M. ...
Environmental science and pollution research international,
12/2020, Volume:
27, Issue:
34
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Air pollution is an important cause of non-communicable diseases globally with particulate matter (PM) as one of the main air pollutants. PM is composed of microscopic particles that contain a ...mixture of chemicals and biological elements that can be harmful to human health. The aerodynamic diameter of PM facilitates their deposition when inhaled. For instance, coarse PM having a diameter of < 10 μm is deposited mainly in the large conducting airways, but PM of < 2.5 μm can cross the alveolar-capillary barrier, traveling to other organs within the body. Epidemiological studies have shown the association between PM exposure and risk of disease, namely those of the respiratory system such as lung cancer, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, cardiovascular and neurological diseases have also been reported, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, acute myocardial infarction, stroke, loss of cognitive function, anxiety, and Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Inflammation is a common hallmark in the pathogenesis of many of these diseases associated with exposure to a variety of air pollutants, including PM. This review focuses on the main effects of PM on human health, with an emphasis on the role of inflammation.
Agricultural non-point source pollution (AGNPS) is considered a key problem affecting global water quality. The main causes of AGNPS are the loss of N, P, and other pollutants in agricultural ...production activities, the improper treatment of livestock and poultry manure, and rural household garbage and sewage. However, there is a lack of systematic summary on the source of AGNPS. This paper summarizes the sources, current situation, prevention, and control policies of AGNPS, and technical control policy and fertilizer reduction policy, which can contribute to solve AGNPS arising from agricultural production, such as renewable energy policies and control technologies that mitigate AGNPS caused by livestock industry, urban–rural integration policies and domestic sewage biogas treatment have mitigated AGNPS caused by rural life. Therefore, this paper can provide an important basis and guidance for solving AGNPS.
Water plays a pivotal role in socio-economic development in Algeria. However, the overexploitations of groundwater resources, water scarcity, and the proliferation of pollution sources (including ...industrial and urban effluents, untreated landfills, and chemical fertilizers, etc.) have resulted in substantial groundwater contamination. Preserving water irrigation quality has thus become a primary priority, capturing the attention of both scientists and local authorities. The current study introduces an innovative method to mapping contamination risks, integrating
vulnerability
assessments, land use patterns (as a
sources of pollution
), and groundwater overexploitation (represented by the
waterhole density
) through the implementation of a
decision tree model
. The resulting risk map illustrates the probability of contamination occurrence in the substantial aquifer on the plateau of Mostaganem. An agricultural region characterized by the intensive nutrients and pesticides use, the significant presence of septic tanks, widespread illegal dumping, and a technical landfill not compliant with environmental standards. The critical situation in the region is exacerbated by excessive groundwater pumping surpassing the aquifer’s natural replenishment capacity (with 115 boreholes and 6345 operational wells), especially in a semi-arid climate featuring limited water resources and frequent drought. Vulnerability was evaluated using the
DRFTID
method, a derivative of the
DRASTIC
model, considering parameters such as depth to groundwater, recharge, fracture density, slope, nature of the unsaturated zone, and the drainage density. All these parameters are combined with analyses of inter-parameter relationship effects. The results show a spatial distribution into three risk levels (
low, medium, and high
), with 31.5% designated as high risk, and 56% as medium risk. The validation of this mapping relies on the assessment of physicochemical analyses in samples collected between 2010 and 2020. The results indicate elevated groundwater contamination levels in samples. Chloride exceeded acceptable levels by 100%, nitrate by 71%, calcium by 50%, and sodium by 42%. These elevated concentrations impact electrical conductivity, resulting in highly mineralized water attributed to anthropogenic agricultural pollution and septic tank discharges. High-risk zones align with areas exhibiting elevated nitrate and chloride concentrations. This model, deemed satisfactory, significantly enhances the sustainable management of water resources and irrigated land across various areas. In the long term, it would be beneficial to refine “vulnerability and risk” models by integrating detailed data on land use, groundwater exploitation, and hydrogeological and hydrochemical characteristics. This approach could improve vulnerability accuracy and pollution risk maps, particularly through detailed local data availability. It is also crucial that public authorities support these initiatives by adapting them to local geographical and climatic specificities on a regional and national scale. Finally, these studies have the potential to foster sustainable development at different geographical levels.
The Central Plains Urban Agglomeration is an important growth pole of China’s economy, but the rapid economic growth is accompanied by serious air pollution problems. In this paper, the latest ...available PM
2.5
monitoring data in 2015–2017 and exposure-response relationship model are used to quantitatively analyze the health effect damages due to PM
2.5
pollution. The way of disease cost, adjusted human capital, and willingness to pay were adopted to estimate the economic loss of health effect damages. The results show that health effect damages of PM
2.5
pollution in 2015–2017 were 11.9251 million, 11.4292 million, and 11.1012 million, respectively, accounting for 7.41%, 7.05%, and 6.94% of the total population of this area. The health effect economic loss was 97.398 billion RMB, 93.516 billion RMB, and 94.485 billion RMB, accounting for 1.73%, 1.53%, and 1.41% of the GDP. Chronic bronchitis and premature death due to PM
2.5
are the main sources of health effect economic loss. Elderly people and infants are vulnerable groups of PM
2.5
pollution. Affected by economic growth level, population density, and economic structure, Heze, Zhengzhou, Handan, and Liaocheng were greatly affected by PM
2.5
pollution, and their health effect damages was larger. The health effect damages and health effect economic loss due to PM
2.5
pollution in this area show a downward trend, indicating that air pollution reduction measures have played a positive role. However, the whole effect is still large. According to the results, this paper puts forward the policies.
This paper presents the reviews of scientific papers published in 2018 issues on the effects of anthropogenic pollution on the aquatic organisms dwelling in freshwater ecosystem at global scale. The ...first part of the study provides the summary of relevant literature reviews followed by field and survey based studies. The second part is based on categories of different classes/sources of pollutants which affect freshwater organism. This is composed of several sections including metals and metalloids, wastewater and effluents, sediments, nutrients, pharmaceuticals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, flame retardants, persistent organic pollutants, pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs, emerging contaminants, pesticides, herbicides, and endocrine disruptors. The final part of the study highlights the reviews of published research work on new pollutants such as microplastics and engineered nanoparticles which affect the freshwater organisms. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Heavy metals concentrations should be assessed at nano-scale in aquatic environment. Air pollutants could have long-term effects on freshwater ecosystem. Future studies should focus on bioremediations of freshwater pollution.
Soils are essential components of terrestrial ecosystems that experience strong pollution pressure. Microplastic contamination of soils is being increasingly documented, with potential consequences ...for soil biodiversity and function. Notwithstanding, data on effects of such contaminants on fundamental properties potentially impacting soil biota are lacking. The present study explores the potential of microplastics to disturb vital relationships between soil and water, as well as its consequences for soil structure and microbial function. During a 5-weeks garden experiment we exposed a loamy sand soil to environmentally relevant nominal concentrations (up to 2%) of four common microplastic types (polyacrylic fibers, polyamide beads, polyester fibers, and polyethylene fragments). Then, we measured bulk density, water holding capacity, hydraulic conductivity, soil aggregation, and microbial activity. Microplastics affected the bulk density, water holding capacity, and the functional relationship between the microbial activity and water stable aggregates. The effects are underestimated if idiosyncrasies of particle type and concentrations are neglected, suggesting that purely qualitative environmental microplastic data might be of limited value for the assessment of effects in soil. If extended to other soils and plastic types, the processes unravelled here suggest that microplastics are relevant long-term anthropogenic stressors and drivers of global change in terrestrial ecosystems.
Plastics are widely considered to be a major threat particularly in the urban areas owing to extensive use of plastic products. The current study is the first investigation to highlight the ...microplastics (MPs) pollution from the freshwater (Ravi River) located in the predominant urban center, i.e., Lahore, Pakistan. The concentration profile was quantified from surface water (
n = 19
) and sediments (
n = 19
) collected from different drains and canals of predominant freshwater resources in Lahore, Pakistan. The highest content of MPs was observed in the sullage carrier with mean concentration of 16,150 ± 80 MPs/m
3
and 40,536 ± 202 MPs/m
2
in the water and sediments respectively. The lowest level was detected in the link canals with mean concentration of 190 ± 141 MPs/m
3
in the water and 683 ± 479 MPs/m
2
in the sediments. The proportion of large size MPs (300 μm–5 mm) was maximum in the upstream section of Ravi river, whereas fine size MPs (50–150 μm) were dominant in the downstream section. In terms of shapes, the fragments were predominant with a relative abundance of 56.1% and 83.1% followed by fibers with a relative abundance of 38.6% and 11.8% in the water and sediments respectively. The chemical composition analysis showed that most of the fibers, fragments, and beads were polyethylene while the sheets were composed of polypropylene. Nevertheless, the foams isolated from the samples were composed of polystyrene. Within 24 h, about 2.4 ± 2.4 billion microplastic pieces were estimated to be transported from a single water channel into the river. The highest discharge of MPs was estimated from the sullage carrier with about 7 billion pieces/day.
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