Land-use change and its socio-environmental impact in Eastern Ethiopia’s highland

The Alemaya district (Eastern Ethiopian highlands) is characterized by undulating physiographic features with arid, semi-arid, and humid climatic conditions. This study evaluated socio-environmental changes in land use and land cover during 1985–2011. Screen digitization on remotely sensed data (i.e., Landsat images from 1985 to 2011) was performed to produce 10 classes of land use and land cover. Then, final land-use maps were prepared using a geographic information system following field verification and accuracy assessment. The drying of water bodies, including the prominent lakes Alemaya, Adele, and Tinike, had been the most important environmental change observed. Degraded land, marsh, perennial cropland, and residential areas increased by 37, 438, 42, and 190 %, respectively, whereas grassland, plantation, shrubland, and temporal cropland decreased by 64, 11, 63, and 29 %, respectively. The increase in land degradation (+37 %), the other major observed problem, has made large areas unsuitable for agriculture and has reduced crop productivity. These land-use and land-cover changes have affected both the environment and the livelihoods of local residents; especially the issue related to land degradation requires urgent attention.     

Groundwater quality assessment and its correlation with gastroenteritis using GIS: a case study of Rawal Town,Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Majority of the people of Pakistan get drinking water from groundwater source. Nearly 40 % of the total ailments reported in Pakistan are the result of dirty drinking water. Every summer, thousands of patients suffer from acute gastroenteritis in the Rawal Town. Therefore, a study was designed to generate a water quality index map of the Rawal Town and identify the relationship between bacteriological water quality and socio-economic indicators with gastroenteritis in the study area. Water quality and gastroenteritis patient data were collected by surveying the 262 tubewells and the major hospitals in the Rawal Town. The collected spatial data was analyzed by using ArcGIS spatial analyst (Moran’s I spatial autocorrelation) and geostatistical analysis tools (inverse distance weighted, radial basis function, kriging, and cokriging). The water quality index (WQI) for the study area was computed using pH, turbidity, total dissolved solids, calcium, hardness, alkalinity, and chloride values of the 262 tubewells. The results of Moran’s I spatial autocorrelation showed that the groundwater physicochemical parameters were clustered. Among IDW, radial basis function, and kriging and cokriging interpolation techniques, cokriging showed the lowest root mean square error. Cokriging was used to make the spatial distribution maps of water quality parameters. The WQI results showed that more than half of the tubewells in the Rawal Town were providing “poor” to “unfit” drinking water. The Pearson’s coefficient of correlation for gastroenteritis with fecal coliform was found significant (P?P?P?相似文献   

Elevated exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may trigger cancers in Pakistan: an environmental,occupational, and genetic perspective

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic compounds which are emitted through incomplete combustion of organic materials, fossil fuels,...     

Correction to: Radical scavenging and antiproliferative effect of novel phenolic derivatives isolated from Nerium indicum against human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7)—an in silico and in vitro approach

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The correct presentation of the Author names are shown in this paper.     

Water,sanitation, hygiene and waste disposal practices as COVID-19 response strategy: insights from Bangladesh

Environment, Development and Sustainability - The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global emergence, and the absence of a proven vaccine or medicine has led to the implementation of measures to...     

Production and optimization of biodiesel using mixed immobilized biocatalysts in packed bed reactor

Vegetable oils are used as raw materials for biodiesel production using transesterification reaction. Several methods for the production of biodiesel were developed using chemical (alkali and acidic compounds) and biological catalysts (lipases). Biodiesel production catalyzed by lipases is energy and cost-saving processes and is carried out at normal temperature and pressure. The need for an efficient method for screening larger number of variables has led to the adoption of statistical experimental design. In the present study, packed bed reactor was designed to study with mixed immobilized biocatalysts to have higher productivity under optimum conditions. Contrary to the single-step acyl migration mechanism, a two-step stepwise reaction mechanism involving immobilized Candida rugosa lipase and immobilized Rhizopus oryzae cells was employed for the present work. This method was chosen because enzymatic hydrolysis followed by esterification can tolerate high free fatty acid containing oils. The effects of flow rate and bed height on biodiesel yield were studied using two factors five-level central composite design (CCD) and response surface methodology (RSM). Maximum biodiesel yield of 85 and 81 % was obtained for jatropha oil and karanja oil with the optimum bed height and optimum flow rate of 32.6 cm and 1.35 L/h, and 32.6 cm and 1.36 L/h, respectively.     

Projected changes in heat wave characteristics in the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East

According to observed twentieth century temperature trends and twenty-first century climate model projections, the region that encompasses the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East (EMME) is identified as a climate change hot spot. We extend previous studies by a comprehensive climatology of heat waves in the EMME based on regional climate model simulations for the recent past and the end of the twenty-first century. A percentile-based definition of heat waves is used to account for local climatic conditions. Spatial patterns of several heat wave properties are assessed and associated with atmospheric circulation regimes over specific locations. To cover a range of possible future climates, we use three SRES emission scenarios. According to our results, all indices that characterize heat wave severity will strongly increase compared with the control period of 1961–1990. The northern part of the EMME could be exposed to increased heat wave amplitudes by 6–10 °C, and the southern part may experience 2–3 months more combined hot days and tropical nights. Heat wave peak temperatures will be higher due to the overall mean warming as well as stronger summer anticyclonic conditions. The projected changes will affect human health and the environment in multiple ways and call for impact studies to support the development of adaptation strategies.     

Melatonin ameliorates chronic copper-induced lung injury

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Copper (Cu) is an important trace element required for several biological processes. The use of copper is increasing gradually in several...     

An assessment of ecosystem services of Corbett Tiger Reserve,India

This paper examines the economic value of selected ecosystem services of Corbett Tiger Reserve, India. The direct cost was derived from secondary sources, and indirect and opportunity costs through socioeconomic surveys. For recreational value the individual approach to travel cost method was used, and to assess carbon sequestration the replacement cost method was used. The maintenance cost of the reserve was estimated as US $2,153,174.3 year⁻¹. The indirect costs in terms of crop and livestock depredation by wild animals ranged from US $2,153,174.3 year⁻¹. The indirect costs in terms of crop and livestock depredation by wild animals ranged from US 2,408 to US $37,958 village⁻¹ over a period of 5 years. The dependence of local communities was for fuel wood (US $37,958 village⁻¹ over a period of 5 years. The dependence of local communities was for fuel wood (US 7,346 day⁻¹), fodder (US $5,290 day⁻¹), small timber, and other nontimber forest products. The recreational value of the reserve was estimated as US $5,290 day⁻¹), small timber, and other nontimber forest products. The recreational value of the reserve was estimated as US 167,619 year⁻¹. With the cost per visitor being US $2.5, the consumers’ surplus was large, showing the willingness of visitors to pay for wildlife recreation. The forests of the reserve mitigate carbon worth US $2.5, the consumers’ surplus was large, showing the willingness of visitors to pay for wildlife recreation. The forests of the reserve mitigate carbon worth US 63.6 million, with an annual flow of US $65.0 ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. The other benefits of the reserve include US $65.0 ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. The other benefits of the reserve include US 41 million through generation of electricity since 1972. The analysis reveals that, though the benefits outweigh costs, they need to be accrued to local communities so as to balance the distribution of benefits and costs.     

Trilemma association of energy consumption,carbon emission,and economic growth of BRICS and OECD regions: quantile regression estimation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Recent research has shown a huge impact of non-renewable energy (NRE) production on environmental health. In this context, this work analyzes the...