Estimate on spillover effect of environmental pollution between peripheral areas

ABSTRACT

Interaction of environmental pollution between peripheral areas has become a central topic in the field of resources and environment but little is known about the actual impact on peripheral areas in the current literature. This paper sets out a simultaneous equation model to investigate the spillover effect of environmental pollution between China’s peripheral areas utilizing the panel data of 218 cities in China. Making use of indicators for measuring the impact on environmental pollution, it identifies that environmental pollution between cities of China has a significant two-way spillover effect. After standardization of variables, it is found that the spillover effect of peripheral areas on urban environmental pollution cannot be neglected. Nearly, a third of the environmental pollution level in a city is induced by the environmental pollution in peripheral areas. If the indicator of environmental pollution in peripheral areas is missing, wrong conclusions will be drawn. Therefore, government should shift the emphasis of environmental regulation from local to global, and improve the overall environmental quality through coordinated management of regional environment.     

环境规制、省际产业转移对污染迁移的空间溢出效应

目前我国正在积极地探寻经济增长高质量发展,生态环境与经济持续、稳定的和谐发展至关重要。虽然政府制定了相关的环境治理政策,但我国环境治理整体效果仍然欠佳。自从分税制改革以来,地方政府为了获得较高经济效益,会放松对环境管理,导致环境治理高投入低成效。同时,由于区域经济发展不平衡导致政府在制定相关环境治理政策时带有区域性特点,迫使高污染高能耗企业迁移至环境规制相对薄弱的地区,由此产生污染迁移的现象。基于此,对2003—2017年30个省区市(港澳台和西藏除外)环境污染总指数的空间溢出效应进行探讨,构建动态空间杜宾模型研究环境规制、省际产业转移对污染迁移的影响。研究结果表明:①环境规制总体上对环境污染具有显著直接效应且存在正向空间溢出效应,当某省环境规制强度增加,环境污染总指数会降低,从而引起污染向相邻省份转移,造成相邻省份的环境污染总指数上升。②省际产业转移整体上对环境污染具有显著直接效应且存在负向空间溢出效应,当某省的产业转移到相邻省份时,会缓解本省环境污染,却加重相邻省份的环境污染程度。这就需要中央政府加强对于各省区市的环境管控,统筹各区域的联防联治机制。产业转移承接省份在招商引资的过程中不仅要考虑本省环境承载能力和环境治理能力,还要考虑入驻企业自身污染排放处理能力,并将污染排放指数纳入筛选条件。同时,产业转移承接省份要引入企业的生产工艺、技术、研发团队等,运用技术溢出效应提升区域环境治理水平。     

Understanding and addressing the environmental risk of microplastics

Over the past decades, the plastic production has been dramatically increased. Indeed, a category of small plastic particles mainly with the shapes of fragments, fibers, or spheres, called microplastics (particles smaller than 5 mm) and nanoplastics (particles smaller than 1 μm) have attracted particular attention. Because of its wide distribution in the environment and potential adverse effects to animal and human, microplastic pollution has been reported as a serious environment problem receiving increased attention in recent years. As one of the commonly detected emerging contaminants in the environment, recent evidence indicates that the concentration of microplastics show an increasing trend, for the reason that up to 12.7 million metric tons of plastic litter is released into aquatic environment from land-based sources each year. Furthermore, microplastic exposure levels of model organisms in laboratory studies are usually several orders of magnitude higher than those found in environment, and the microplastics exposure conditions are also different with those observed in the environment. Additionally, the detection of microplastics in feces indicates that they can be excreted out of the bodies of animal and human. Hence, great uncertainties might exist in microplastics exposure and health risk assessment based on current studies, which might be exaggerated. Policies reduce microplastic emission sources and hence minimize their environmental risks are determined. To promote the above policies, we must first overcome the technical obstacles of detecting microplastics in various samples.     

Environmental justice in Nigeria: A narration of residents’ experience in Ile-Ife

The sharing of environmental cost by residents in various residential areas in the developing world is perceived to be unfair. This study therefore assessed residents’ experiences of environmental justice in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Three residential areas were identified in the study area and samples were selected using systematic sampling. Using availability and condition of urban infrastructure, severity of environmental problems and residents’ involvement in environmental issues, the study examined environmental justice in the study area. The study established a variation in environmental issues across identified residential areas. The severity of environmental problem measured through an index tagged Severity of Environmental Problem (SEPI) revealed that environmental problems was most severe in the core (SEPI = 4.00), followed by the peripheral area (SEPI = 3.71) and least in the transition area (SEPI = 3.56). On the condition of available environmental infrastructure, the study revealed that the conditions of infrastructure were most improved in the peripheral area (ICI = 3.07), followed by the core (ICI = 2.67) and the least in the transition area (ICI = 2.42). The study concluded that residents’ experiences of environmental justice differ significantly across the different residential zones as reflected by residents’ socio-economic characteristics. Furthermore, it established that age, gender, educational status, and number of years spent in the area can be used to explain the differences in residents’ experience of environmental justice in the study area. To enhance the liveability, the study recommends adequate provision of environmental amenities needed by each category of people in the city.     

Alcohol-impaired motorcyclists versus car drivers: A comparison of crash involvement and legal consequence from adjudication data

Introduction: Driving under the influence (DUI) increases the probability of motor-vehicle collisions, especially for motorcycles with less protections. This study aimed to identify commonalities and differences between criminally DUI offenses (i.e., with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 80 mg/dL or higher) committed by motorcyclists and car drivers. Methods: A total of 10,457 motorcycle DUIs and 8,402 car DUIs were compared using a series of logistic regression models, using data extracted from the documents of adjudication decisions by the courts of Jiangsu, China. Results: The results revealed that offenders from the high-BAC group (i.e., 200 mg/dL or higher) accounted for more than 20% of the total DUI offenses, and were more likely to be involved in a crash and punished with a longer detention. Motorcyclists had a higher likelihood of crash involvement, and were also more likely to be responsible for single-vehicle crashes associated with higher odds of injury sustained, compared to alcohol-impaired car drivers. In the verdict, motorcycle offenders were more likely to receive a less severe penalty. Conclusions: Interventions are clearly required to focus on reducing in the high-BAC group of offenders. For alcohol-impaired motorcyclists, their risks of crash and injury against BAC climb more steeply than the risks for car drivers. The factors including frequent occurrences, uncertainty of detection, and short-term sentences may weaken the deterrence effect of the criminalization of motorcycle DUI. Practical Applications: The traffic-related adjudication data support traffic safety analysis. Strategies such as combating motorcycle violations (e.g., unlicensed operators or driving unsafe vehicles), undertaking education and awareness campaigns, are expected for DUI prevention.     

Inhibiting effects by Fe2O3 on combustion and explosion characteristics of ABS resin

The global increase in the use of, and reliance on, plastics has prompted the demand for acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) resin in various fields. With this increased requirement, numerous failures have occurred in the ABS process. Those incidents, resulting from electrostatic discharge, powder accumulation, heat accumulation, construction sparks, and plant fires, have caused dust fire and explosions.In this study, the ABS resin was gleaned from the site and tested for its explosion parameters, including minimum ignition temperature of dust cloud (MIT_C), minimum ignition energy (MIE), and minimum explosion concentration (MEC). To improve loss prevention in the manufacturing process, ferric oxide (Fe₂O₃) as an inert additive was added in the ABS powder. According to the MIE test, Fe₂O₃ has an apparent inhibiting effect on dust explosion for the ABS dust. With the proportion of Fe₂O₃ increased from 25 to 50 mass% in ABS, the MIE increased from 67 to 540 mJ. The explosion tests via 20-L apparatus indicated that Fe₂O₃ mixed with ABS could not increase the MEC significantly. However, the explosion pressure dropped by increasing in the ratio of Fe₂O₃ in ABS. This inerting strategy of ABS was deemed to substantially lessen the probability and severity of fire and explosion.     

应用高频气力分选机分选电子废料碎片的研究

进行了实验室高频气力分选机分选3～0.3 mm印刷电(线)路板模拟物料的研究.结果表明,在振频为1 621次/min,上升风量为120 m3/h,95 m3/h,60 m3/h,床面横向倾角6.64°,纵向倾角为1.07°时,金属回收率达93.95%;重产物金属品位为89.19%;轻产物中非金属的品位达99.33%.0.5～0.3 mm细粒物料的分选效果也是令人满意的.     

湘江干流水环境健康风险评价

为研究湘江水环境污染对人体健康产生的危害风险,在简要介绍健康风险评价方法及国内外研究、应用进展的基础上,建立了水环境健康风险评价模式,应用2000年的水质监测资料,对湘江干流主要断面进行了水环境健康风险评价.结果表明,在所评价断面中,非致癌物质由饮水途径所致健康危害的个人年风险按大小排列为Pb＞Hg＞NH3＞酚;化学致癌物质由饮水途径所致健康危害的个人年风险按大小排列为As＞Cd;化学致癌物质对人体健康危害的个人年风险远超过非致癌物质;污染最为严重的为松柏断面,其次是五星断面和三叉矶断面.湘江干流衡阳以上江段水质良好,衡阳以下江段水质较差.研究对湘江干流水污染防治方略的制定具有一定价值.     

低剂量镉诱导细胞氧化损伤的机理研究

镉是一种有毒重金属,能诱导酿酒酵母的氧化损伤.为了研究低剂量镉诱导细胞氧化损伤的作用,通过有葡萄糖和无葡萄糖的酵母培养基,用浓度2 μmol/L和10 μmol/L的CdCl2染毒酿酒酵母10 h后,统计酿酒酵母细胞的存活率,并用HPLC-EC法测定酿酒酵母线粒体DNA中8-OH-dG/105dG比值.结果表明:无葡萄糖条件下,10μmol/L的CdCl2染毒时酿酒酵母对Cd2 的耐受性比有葡萄糖时明显高(P＜0.01),而且线粒体DNA氧化损伤程度也明显低(P＜0 01);但2 μmol/L的CdCl2染毒时,酿酒酵母对Cd2 的耐受性和线粒体DNA氧化损伤程度与有葡萄糖条件下相比差异不显著(P＞0.05).因此,本文认为低浓度Cr主要对酿酒酵母细胞质中蛋白造成氧化损伤,浓度升高时则对线粒体DNA也产生氧化损伤.     

久效磷对黄鳝乙酰胆碱酯酶、羧酸酯酶和磷酸酶活性的影响

采用静态急性毒性实验方法,研究了久效磷对黄鳝脑乙酰胆碱酯酶及肝脏、肾脏羧酸酯酶、碱性磷酸酶、酸性磷酸酶活性的影响.结果表明,在水温(20±2)℃条件下,经0.25 mg·L-1、0.50 mg·L-1、1.00mg·L-1和2.00mg·L-1的久效磷暴露96 h,黄鳝肝脏、肾脏羧酸酯酶和脑乙酰胆碱酯酶活性均显著下降,但两者表现出不同的抑制模式.随着暴露质量浓度的升高,肝脏和肾脏羧酸酯酶活性的下降幅度逐渐变小,而脑乙酰胆碱酯酶活性下降幅度却由小变大.久效磷暴露黄鳝96 h,肝脏、肾脏酸性磷酸酶活性均升高;而肝脏碱性磷酸酶活性升高;肾脏碱性磷酸酶活性降低.久效磷暴露质量浓度与脑乙酰胆碱酯酶和肝脏、肾脏羧酸酯酶活性之间具有剂量-效应关系,酸性磷酸酶和碱性磷酸酶可能在鱼体抵御有机磷农药毒性作用中有着重要的作用,其机理有待进一步研究.此外,本文还探讨了有机磷农药靶标酶乙酰胆碱酯酶和解毒酶羧酸酯酶、磷酸酶之间的相关性.