A comprehensive review on green buildings research: bibliometric analysis during 1998–2018

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Buildings account for nearly 2/5ths of global energy expenditure. Due to this figure, the 90s witnessed the rise of green buildings (GBs) that were...     

Progress in the interaction of dissolved organic matter and microbes (1991–2020): a bibliometric review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Dissolved organic matter (DOM) and microbes are key in the planetary carbon cycle, and research on them can lead to a better understanding of the...     

Research trend and dynamical development of focusing on the global critical metals: a bibliometric analysis during 1991–2020

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Critical metals are indispensable to a world seeking to transition away from carbon. Yet their extraction, processing, and application leave an...     

Research trends and areas of focus on water rights: a bibliometric analysis 1971–2020

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study investigated the research trends, key areas, and directions of water rights (WRs) using bibliometric data based on the Science Citation...     

A review on fabricating functional materials by heavy metal–containing sludges

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - With the development of industry, sustainable use of natural resources has become a worldwide hot topic. Heavy metal–containing sludge (HMS) is...     

Evolution,status, and trends of exergy research: a systematic analysis during 1997–2020

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Exergy analysis, as a core evaluation tool to improve energy efficiency and system sustainability, has been applied in various fields over the last...     

A social–ecological analysis of ecosystem services in two different farming systems

In this exploratory study we use existing in situ qualitative and quantitative data on biophysical and social indicators to compare two contrasting Swedish farming systems (low intensity and high intensity) with regard to ecosystem service supply and demand of a broad suite of services. We show that the value (demand) placed on a service is not necessarily connected to the quantity (supply) of the service, most clearly shown for the services recreation, biodiversity, esthetic experience, identity, and cultural heritage. To better capture this complexity we argue for the need to develop portfolios of indicators for different ecosystem services and to further investigate the different aspects of supply and demand. The study indicates that available data are often ill-suited to answer questions about local delivery of services. If ecosystem services are to be included in policy, planning, and management, census data need to be formatted and scaled appropriately.     

Trends in groundwater research development in the South and Southeast Asian Countries: a 50-year bibliometric analysis (1970–2020)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Groundwater plays a pivotal role in sustaining the water needs of the population of South and Southeast Asia. However, long-term overexploitation and...     

A survey of municipal solid waste landfills in Beijing during 2009–2011

The investigation of municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment in China is rare due to its sensitivity and difficulty in terms of access. We chose Beijing, the capital of China, as an example to identify the characteristics of MSW landfill treatments using a 2-month investigation with 20 participants. MSW landfill treatments account for nearly 70% of the annual MSW disposal in Beijing; the landfill processes are equipped with many kinds of technologies and consume a large amount of energy and produce a variety of contaminants. The cover method (the most obvious difference in landfill tamping) mainly includes high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembranes with loess and soil alone (i.e., loess or sandy soil). We investigated the actual conditions of landfills and collected data on leachate and landfill gas (LFG) emissions and energy consumption during 2009–2011. The results indicated that the cover method employed by landfills was related to treatment quantity, operation, and especially landfill location. Early large-scale landfills located in plains were covered with HDPE geomembranes, and newly built landfills covered with soil tended to be equipped with HDPE covers. Using HDPE cover also contributed greatly to LFG production due to its impermeability but had no remarkable effect on leachate yield reduction due to the dry climate in Beijing. The potential was reinforced by the potentials of decrement and reuse. The disposal method of LFG can be optimized, and the power generated by the LFG process can meet the landfill demand. The gray water recycled from the leachate could be used in the landfill process.

     

Operationalising a social–ecological system perspective on the Arctic Ocean

We propose a framework to support management that builds on a social–ecological system perspective on the Arctic Ocean. We illustrate the framework’s application for two policy-relevant scenarios of climate-driven change, picturing a shift in zooplankton composition and alternatively a crab invasion. We analyse archetypical system dynamics between the socio-economic, the natural, and the governance systems in these scenarios. Our holistic approach can help managers identify looming problems arising from complex system interactions and prioritise among problems and solutions, even when available data are limited.     

VOC source–receptor relationships in Houston during TexAQS-II

During the TRAMP field campaign in August–September 2006, C₂–C₁₀ volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured continuously and online at the urban Moody Tower (MT) site. This dataset was compared to corresponding VOC data sets obtained at six sites located in the highly industrialized Houston Ship Channel area (HSC). Receptor modeling was performed by positive matrix factorization (PMF) at all sites. Conditional probability functions (CPF) were used to determine the origin of the polluted air masses in the Houston area. A subdivision into daytime and nighttime was carried out to discriminate photochemical influences. Eight main source categories of industrial, mobile, and biogenic emissions were identified at the urban receptor site, seven and six, respectively, at the different HSC sites. At MT natural gas/crude oil contributed most to the VOC mass (27.4%), followed by liquefied petroleum gas (16.7%), vehicular exhaust (15.3%), fuel evaporation (14.3%), and aromatics (13.4%). Also petrochemical sources from ethylene (4.7%) and propylene (3.6%) play an important role. A minor fraction of the VOC mass can be attributed to biogenic sources mainly from isoprene (4.4%). Based on PMF analyses of different wind sectors, the total VOC mass was estimated to be twofold at MT with wind directions from HSC compared to air from a typical urban sector, for petrochemical compounds more than threefold. Despite the strong impact of air masses influenced by industrial sources at HSC, still about a third of the total mass contributions at MT can be apportioned to other sources, mainly motor vehicles and aromatic solvents. The investigation of diurnal variation in combination with wind directional frequencies revealed the greatest HSC impact at the urban site during the morning, and the least during the evening.     

Anthropogenic NOx emissions in Asia in the period 1990–2020

Nitrogen oxides emissions in Asia during the period 1990–2020 due to anthropogenic activity are presented. These estimates are based on the RAINS-ASIA methodology (Foell et al., 1995, Acid Rain and Emission Reduction in Asia, World Bank), which includes a dynamic model for energy forecasts, and information on 6 energy sectors and 9 fuel types. The energy forecasts are combined with process emission factors to yield NO_x emission estimates at the country level, the regional level, and on a 1 degree by 1 degree grid. In 1990 the total NO_x emissions are estimated to be ∼19 Tg NO₂, with China (43%), India (18%) and Japan (13%) accounting for 75% of the total. Emissions by fuel are dominated by burning of hard coal and emissions by economic activity are dominated by the power, transport, and industrial sectors. These new estimates of NO_x emissions are compared with those published by Hameed and Dignon (1988, Atmospheric Environment 22, 441–449) and Akimoto and Narita (1994, Atmospheric Environment 28, 213–225). Future emissions under a no-further-control scenario are also presented. During the period 1990–2020 the NO_x emissions increase by 350%, to ∼86 Tg NO₂. The increase in NO_x emissions by sector and end-use varies between countries, but in all countries this increase is strongest in the power and transport sectors. These results highlight the dynamic nature of energy use in Asia, and the need to take the rapid growth in NO_x emissions in Asia into account in studies of air pollution and atmospheric chemistry.     

Variability of total ozone over India and its adjoining regions during 1997–2008

Total Ozone Concentration (TOC) data over nineteen stations around India (fifteen stations) and its adjoining regions (three stations in Pakistan and one station in Bangladesh) are investigated in the present analysis. The overpass satellite data for these nineteen stations, distributed in the latitude range from 8.48°N to 35.83°N and altitude range from 6 m to 2718 m are available from FTP Site. TOC data pertaining to the last twelve years from 1997 to 2008 were obtained from two different instruments: Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on Earth Probe and AURA satellites respectively. The analysis is divided into two phases, each of six years duration; from 1997 to 2002 and from 2003 to 2008. Seasonal average values of TOC are calculated for the two phases and compared to study the spatial distribution (latitude, longitude and station altitude) and the trends of TOC variation. In general a decreasing tendency in ozone concentration was found everywhere. The average yearly rate of the TOC decrease was ?0.363 DU over the entire region during the period 1997–2008. The trends in the TOC distribution and its decrease with latitude were found parabolic, with a deep near 14.7°N and 12.1°N for the two phases respectively. The decrease was maximum at lower latitude (?1.87%) and minimum (?0.25%) at higher latitude. Weak oscillatory trends in the TOC distribution and its decrease with longitude were found. A deep in the longitudinal variation was observed in each phase, at 77.4°E during 1997–2002 and at 78.2°E during 2003–2008. The minimum centre of the ozone distribution is therefore shifted from 14.7°N, 77.4°E to 12.1°N, 78.2°E over the last twelve years, and in general a meridional line near 78°E appears to divide symmetrically the TOC distribution over this region. Strong oscillatory trends in the seasonal average of TOC distribution and its decrease with station altitude are observed during the two phases. The inversion of high correlation coefficients between the seasonal average TOC and station altitude in the range 6 m to 2718 m indicate the existence of four transition layers aloft, near 200, 740, 1670, and 2400 m in the lower troposphere. Emission of precursor pollutants together with complex wind pattern around the marine boundary appears to have strong potentials to modulate tropospheric ozone and the observed spatial distribution of TOC may be expected.     

Does living in elevated CO2 ameliorate tree response to ozone? A review on stomatal responses

Short-term elevated O3 reduces photosynthesis, which reduces stomatal conductance (g(s)) in response to increased substomatal CO2 concentration (Ci). Further exposure causes stomata to become sluggish in response to environmental stimuli. Exposure to elevated CO2 stimulates rapid stomata closure in response to increased Ci. This reduction in g(s) may not be sustained over time as photosynthesis down-regulates and with it, g(s). The relationship between g(s) and photosynthesis may not be constant because stomata respond more slowly to environmental changes than photosynthesis, and because elevated CO2 may alter guard cell sensitivity to other signals. Also, reduced stomatal density (and g(s)) in response to long-term CO2 enrichment suggests sustained reduction in g(s). Elevated CO2 is believed to ameliorate the deleterious O3 effects by reducing g(s) and thus the potential O3 flux into leaves. Confirmation that g(s) acclimation to CO2 enrichment does not lessen over time is critical for developing meaningful O3 flux scenarios.     

A review of plant–pharmaceutical interactions: from uptake and effects in crop plants to phytoremediation in constructed wetlands

Pharmaceuticals are commonly found both in the aquatic and the agricultural environments as a consequence of the human activities and associated discharge of wastewater effluents to the environment. The utilization of treated effluent for crop irrigation, along with land application of manure and biosolids, accelerates the introduction of these compounds into arable lands and crops. Despite the low concentrations of pharmaceuticals usually found, the continuous introduction into the environment from different pathways makes them ‘pseudo-persistent’. Several reviews have been published regarding the potential impact of veterinary and human pharmaceuticals on arable land. However, plant uptake as well as phytotoxicity data are scarcely studied. Simultaneously, phytoremediation as a tool for pharmaceutical removal from soils, sediments and water is starting to be researched, with promising results. This review gives an in-depth overview of the phytotoxicity of pharmaceuticals, their uptake and their removal by plants. The aim of the current work was to map the present knowledge concerning pharmaceutical interactions with plants in terms of uptake and the use of plant-based systems for phytoremediation purposes.     

Titanium dioxide and graphitic carbon nitride–based nanocomposites and nanofibres for the degradation of organic pollutants in water: a review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The paper reviews graphitic carbon nitride–based nanostructured photocatalytic materials and nanofibres for applications in water purification....     

The chemistry of carbonyl compounds in the atmosphere—A review

Carbonyl compounds are very important for the trophospheric physico-chemistry because they are the result of the first photo-oxidation stage of almost all organic compounds and they are the essential originators of the free radicals. In the present review we make a synthesis of the studies on the carbonyl compounds chemistry in the trophosphere by successively examining: measurement methods in the trophosphere, sources of primary carbonyl compounds, formation of secondary carbonyl compounds in the atmosphere, reactivity of carbonyl compounds in the atmosphere.     

Annual and seasonal trends in chemical composition of precipitation in Japan during 1989–1998

Annual and seasonal trends were discussed for precipitation chemistry in Japan on the basis of a nationwide monitoring network by Japan Environment Agency. For this analysis, 17 sites, selected from the 23 network sites after evaluation of data completeness for the present purpose, were grouped into four areas in terms of the sea which could characterize each area: the Pacific Ocean, the Japan Sea, the Seto Inland Sea and the East China Sea areas. Major ion concentrations at each site were subjected to least-squares multiple regression analysis, and discussion was principally focused on the area-groups. Each area showed significant (p<0.05) decreasing trends in non-sea-salt sulfate (nss-SO₄²⁻) concentrations with the annual mean change rate of −3.0% yr⁻¹, whereas no significant trends were detected for NO₃⁻ at 59% of the sites. Ammonium (NH₄⁺) showed significant increasing trends for 35%, and decreasing trends for 18% of the sites; and, the maximum change rate of 3.8% yr⁻¹ was recorded in the Pacific Ocean area. Non-sea-salt calcium (nss-Ca²⁺) concentrations significantly decreased in northern and some industrialized areas. Both the annual cycle-amplitudes and effects of precipitation amounts were significant for the four ions at almost all sites. The maximum concentrations of nss-SO₄²⁻ and -Ca²⁺ occurred from winter to spring at most sites. The seasons when the maximum concentrations of NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺ occurred, were found to differ from area to area. Furthermore, the trends in precipitation nss-SO₄²⁻, and NO₃⁻ were qualitatively consistent with those of anthropogenic emissions of SO₂, and NO_x in Japan, respectively.     

Samsum ant venom protects against carbon tetrachloride–induced acute spleen toxicity in vivo

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Many active molecules used in the development of new drugs are produced by ants. Present study assessed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties...