Current scenario and challenges of plastic pollution in Bangladesh: a focus on farmlands and terrestrial ecosystems

● A global snapshot of plastic waste generation and disposal is analysed. ● Effect of plastic pollution on environment and terrestrial ecosystem is reviewed. ● Ecotoxicity and food security from plastic pollution is discussed. Plastic is considered one of the most indispensable commodities in our daily life. At the end of life, the huge ever-growing pile of plastic waste (PW) causes serious concerns for our environment, including agricultural farmlands, groundwater quality, marine and land ecosystems, food toxicity and human health hazards. Lack of proper infrastructure, financial backup, and technological advancement turn this hazardous waste plastic management into a serious threat to developing countries, especially for Bangladesh. A comprehensive review of PW generation and its consequences on environment in both global and Bangladesh contexts is presented. The dispersion routes of PW from different sources in different forms (microplastic, macroplastic, nanoplastic) and its adverse effect on agriculture, marine life and terrestrial ecosystems are illustrated in this work. The key challenges to mitigate PW pollution and tackle down the climate change issue is discussed in this work. Moreover, way forward toward the design and implementation of proper PW management strategies are highlighted in this study.     

Coastal hazards and community-coping methods in Bangladesh

Addressing one of the most vulnerable coastal communities in Bangladesh, this paper explores people’s perception and vulnerabilities to coastal hazards. At the same time, it investigates the methods that communities apply to cope with different coastal hazards. Findings revealed that people perceived an increase in both the intensity of hazards and their vulnerabilities. In spite of having a number of socio-economic and locational factors enhancing their vulnerabilities, the community is creating their own ways to cope with these hazards. For different aspects of life like shelter, employment, water supply, and health, communities apply different coping methods that vary with the types of hazard. Efforts have also been made by governments and NGOs to manage coastal hazards. By highlighting both community-coping methods and efforts of development organizations, this paper attempts to devise an integrated approach for managing the coastal hazards that occur in Bangladesh.     

溴代二恶英类的来源、检测与污染现状

多溴二苯并-对-二恶英和多溴二苯并呋喃(PBDD/Fs)具有与多氯二苯并-对-二恶英和多氯二苯并呋喃(PCDD/Fs)相似的结构和毒性,广泛存在于多种环境介质和生物体中,已经引起了广泛的关注.本文讨论了溴代阻燃剂(BFRs)生产和处理、电子垃圾拆解和热处理、垃圾焚烧和金属冶炼等工业热过程中PBDD/Fs排放水平及生成机制.其中,PBDD/Fs在BFRs产品中的含量较高,范围为0.257—49.605μg.g-1,在电子垃圾热解处理中气相和固相的含量分别可达到57 ng TEQ.kg-1和19000 ng TEQ.kg-1,而在冶金过程烟道气中的含量范围是0.14—1.5 ng TEQ.m-3.本文还总结了PBDD/F分析方法研究进展,包括样品前处理和仪器分析方法,提出了目前影响准确定量PBDD/Fs的因素以及相关的解决措施.归纳了当前环境介质和生物体及食品中PBDD/Fs的存在水平,指出电子垃圾热处理、垃圾焚烧等工业热过程已导致周边环境和生物体内PBDD/Fs的浓度增高.最后,介绍了国外与PBDD/Fs相关的控制措施和政策法规.     

Arsenic and other toxic elemental contamination of groundwater, surface water and soil in Bangladesh and its possible effects on human health

The problems of contamination caused by arsenic (As) and other toxic metals in groundwater, surface water and soils in the Bengal basin of Bangladesh have been studied. Altogether 10 groundwater, seven surface water and 31 soil samples were collected from arsenic-affected areas and analysed chemically. The geologic and anthropogenic sources of As and other toxic metals are discussed in this paper. The chemical results show that the mean As concentrations in groundwater in the Char Ruppur (0.253mg As L^–1), Rajarampur (1.955mg As L^–1) and Shamta areas (0.996mg As L^–1) greatly exceed the WHO recommended value, which is 0.01mg As L^–1. The concentrations of As in groundwater are very high compared to those in surface water and in surface soil in the three (As-affected) areas studied. This indicates that the source of As in groundwater could be bedrock. The relatively high concentrations of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in surface water, compared to world typical value, are due to the solubility of metal ions, organometalic complexes, coprecipitation or co-existance with the colloidal clay fraction. In the soil, the elevated concentrations of As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn are due to their strong affinity to organic matter, hydrous oxides of Fe and Mn, and clay minerals.     

Biofuels and agriculture: a past perspective and uncertain future

The US corn ethanol industry has grown from virtually nothing in the early 1980s to over 14 billion gallons in 2011. Subsidies have been an important impetus for the industry, and they have existed in one form or another throughout the life of the industry. This paper provides (1) a brief look at the history of the linkages between energy and agriculture and how they have changed with biofuels; (2) a review of some of the major impacts of the US corn ethanol program; and (3) analysis of prospective impacts of cellulosic biofuels. There is no doubt that biofuels have brought about a new era for global agriculture. Historically, the prices of agricultural and energy products moved in response to supply and demand factors relevant to each market, but moved largely independent of one another. Corn ethanol has changed that, and today there is a link between crude oil and corn that is driven by the demand side. Since agricultural commodity prices are linked both on the demand and supply sides, the corn–crude oil link spills over to other agricultural commodities as well. Development of cellulosic biofuels has been much slower than hoped. The feedstocks are more expensive than initially believed. Conversion technologies remain uncertain and expensive. There are many uncertainties through the cellulosic supply chain, and government policy remains uncertain as well. Thus, the future of the cellulosic biofuels industry is, at this point, an open question.     

An emerging market for groundwater remediation in China: Policies,statistics, and future outlook

There is a rapidly emerging and potentially huge market for the remediation of contaminated groundwater in China. The Chinese government published a Water Action Plan in April 2015, a Soil Action Plan in May 2016, and a draft Soil Pollution Prevention and Control Law in June 2017. All of these new policies and regulations put pressures on local governments and contaminated site owners, obliging them to conduct site investigation and to cleanup contaminated groundwater. The Chinese population in northern regions heavily depend on groundwater, with nearly 70% of water supply coming from aquifer sources in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. However, poor groundwater quality due to natural geochemical background and anthropogeic pollution is a serious concern, with poor or very poor quality water observed in nearly 80% of groundwater monitoring wells in 17 northern provinces. Shallow groundwater in many areas has been contaminated by toxic pollutants such as heavy metals and chlorinated organic compounds. There is an urgent need to better understand the situation and to conduct groundwater remediation at contaminated sites. The Chinese government is investing heavily in the research and development for groundwater remediation, which is expected to greatly add to the quality and quantity of groundwater remediation projects in the near future.     

Homogeneous and heterogeneous photolysis of nitrate in the atmosphere: state of the science,current research needs,and future prospects

● Recent advances in the photolysis of nitrate/HNO₃ are reviewed. ● Mechanisms and key factors affecting the photolysis of nitrate/HNO₃ are summarized. ● Atmospheric implications and future research recommendations are provided. Nitrate is an important component of atmospheric particulate matter and affects air quality, climate, human health, and the ecosystem. Nitrate was previously considered a permanent sink for nitrogen oxides (NO_x). However, this viewpoint has been challenged in recent years because growing research evidence has shown the transformation of nitrate into NO_x (i.e., renoxification). The photolysis of nitrate/HNO₃, especially in the particulate phase or adsorbed on particles, can be a significant renoxification process in the atmosphere. The formation and photolysis of nitrate in aerosol not only change the diurnal variation of NO_x, but also provide long-distance transport of NO_x in the form of nitrate, which affects local and regional atmospheric chemistry and air quality. This review summarizes recent advances in the fundamental understanding of the photolysis of nitrate/HNO₃ under various atmospheric conditions, with a focus on mechanisms and key factors affecting the process. The atmospheric implications are discussed and future research is recommended.     

A critical review of the emerging research on the detection and assessment of microplastics pollution in the coastal,marine, and urban Bangladesh

● Coastal and marine regions are the most studied for microplastic pollution. ● Tourism is a major cause of microplastic pollution in coastal regions. ● Sediments contain larger microplastics while fish ingest smaller microplastics. ● Inland lakes, rivers, and freshwater fish are impacted by microplastic pollution. ● Microplastics are found in edible salts, however, presence is less in refined salt. The research on the extent and effects of microplastics pollution in the Global South is only getting started. Bangladesh is a South Asian country with one of the fastest growing economies in the world, however, such exponential economic growth has also increased the pollution threats to its natural and urban environment. In this paper, we reviewed the recent primary research on the assessment of the extent of microplastics pollution in Bangladesh. From the online databases, we developed a compilation of emerging research articles that detected and quantified microplastics in different coastal, marine, and urban environments in Bangladesh. Most of the studies focused on the coastal environment (e.g., beach sediment) and marine fish, while limited data were available for the urban environment. We also discussed the relationship of the type of anthropogenic activities with the observed microplastic pollution. The Cox’s Bazar sea beach in south-east Bangladesh experienced microplastics pollution due to tourism activities, while fishing and other anthropogenic activities led to microplastics pollution in the Bay of Bengal. While microplastics larger than 1 mm were prevalent in the beach sediments, smaller microplastics with size below 0.5 mm were prevalent in marine fish samples. Moreover, the differences in microplastic abundance, size, shape, color, and polymer type found were depended on the sampling sites and relevant anthropogenic activities. It is imperative to identify major sources of microplastics pollution in both natural and urban environment, determine potential environmental and human health effects, and develop mitigating and prevention strategies for reducing microplastics pollution.     

Prospects for repellent in pest control: current developments and future challenges

The overall interest in environmentally safe pest control methods and the rise of insecticide resistance in pest populations have prompted medical and agricultural entomology research on insect repellents in recent years. However, conducting research on repellent is challenging for several reasons: (1) the different repellent phenomena are not well defined; (2) it is difficult to test for and quantify repellent; (3) the physiological mechanisms are poorly known; (4) the field efficacy appears to be highly variable. Here, we identified five different types of repellent: expellency, irritancy, deterrency, odor masking and visual masking, and described behavioral bioassays to differentiate between them. Although these categories are currently defined by their behavioral response to different stimuli, we suggest new definitions based on their mechanism of action. We put forward three main hypotheses on the physiological mechanism: (1) a dose effect that modifies the behavior, (2) a repellent mechanism with specific receptors, or (3) inhibition of the transduction of neural information.     

Principle of the worst scenario in the modelling past and future of biosphere dynamics

The “biosphere–climate” system is subjected to different influences (influx of anthropogenic CO₂ and pollutants, deforestation, harmful land management, biological species depopulation, etc.). Therefore, the vital question arises: “Can these influences lead to irreversible negative changes in the climate–biosphere system or a global ecological catastrophe?” The possibility of irreversible changes may be not very high, but one cannot ignore it. So the main aim of our investigation is to evaluate possible consequences of human impact on the biosphere focusing on irreversible changes of it.     

An overview of flood mitigation strategy and research support in South Asia: implications for sustainable flood risk management

South Asia faces increasing flooding risks due to climatic and socio-economic changes. Various measures have been adopted by the governments of the countries in this region. However, these measures are not adequate to protect the vulnerable communities from ever-increasing flood losses. This study assesses the policy and planning processes and flood-related scientific research in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Based on a systematic review, a comparison of the existing flood management systems of the three countries is undertaken, and a framework for sustainable flood management in the region is suggested. Insights from the literature show that Bangladesh has been able to develop an effective governance structure to address flood hazards, while Pakistan’s approach to flood management planning is found to be largely inadequate. This inadequacy is mainly attributed to missing links in policy formulation and planning processes, along with a lack of institutional coordination. The results of the literature analysis reveal poor support from scientific research focusing on flooding issues in the case of Pakistan, while Bangladesh and India seem to have benefited from research support in formulating their flood management strategies. Based on these findings, an alternative framework is suggested, emphasizing the need to enhance institutional linkages, community participation and evidence-based research.     

Reactivity of Pyrogenic Carbonaceous Matter (PCM) in mediating environmental reactions: Current knowledge and future trends

• Pyrogenic Carbonaceous Matter (PCM) promote both chemical and microbial synergies. • Discussion of PCM-enhanced abiotic transformation pathways of organic pollutants. • Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) can mimic the performance of PCM. • CMPs offer a platform that allows for systematic variation of individual properties. Pyrogenic Carbonaceous matter (PCM; e.g., black carbon, biochar, and activated carbon) are solid residues from incomplete combustion of fossil fuel or biomass. They are traditionally viewed as inert adsorbents for sequestering contaminants from the aqueous phase or providing surfaces for microbes to grow. In this account, we reviewed the recently discovered reactivity of PCM in promoting both chemical and microbial synergies that are important in pollutant transformation, biogeochemical processes of redox-active elements, and climate change mitigation with respect to the interaction between biochar and nitrous oxide (N₂O). Moreover, we focused on our group’s work in the PCM-enhanced abiotic transformation of nitrogenous and halogenated pollutants and conducted in-depth analysis of the reaction pathways. To understand what properties of PCM confer its reactivity, our group pioneered the use of PCM-like polymers, namely conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs), to mimic the performance of PCM. This approach allows for the controlled incorporation of specific surface properties (e.g., quinones) into the polymer network during the polymer synthesis. As a result, the relationship between specific characteristics of PCM and its reactivity in facilitating the decay of a model pollutant was systematically studied in our group’s work. The findings summarized in this account help us to better understand an overlooked environmental process where PCM synergistically interacts with various environmental reagents such as hydrogen sulfide and water. Moreover, the knowledge gained in these studies could inform the design of a new generation of reactive carbonaceous materials with tailored properties that are highly efficient in contaminant removal.     

PAHs在我国土壤中的污染现状及其研究进展

土壤多环芳烃(PAHs)污染控制是当前土壤污染防治与保护的热点问题之一,开展土壤中PAHs污染分布规律、污染机理、归宿与控制技术的研究,对于土壤与地下水环境的生态安全具有重要意义.文章简要论述了我国土壤中PAHs污染水平、分布特点,并对未来该领域需要进一步研究的科学问题进行了展望.分析表明:(1)我国土壤已普遍受PAHs污染,大部分地区PAHs土壤污染水平主要集中在中低污染水平,污染生态风险较小,但PAHs在我国土壤中呈不断积累的趋势;(2)北京、大连、天津、上海、厦门等地土壤中PAHs的污染最严重,污染水平属于严重污染,存在不可忽视的生态风险,要恢复其土壤多种用途具有很大困难;(3)在同一区域内,城区、郊区和农村的土壤中的PAHs污染水平具有依次降低的趋势,不同功能区之间土壤中PAHs的污染存在明显的差异,充分说明了人类活动对区域内PAHs的污染所带来的影响;(4)由于我国南北方在气候、能源结构等方面的差异,使得我国南北方土壤中PAHs的污染水平、分布特征和毒性特点有所不同.     

Modeling fecundity in birds: Conceptual overview, current models, and considerations for future developments

Fecundity is fundamental to the fitness, population dynamics, conservation, and management of birds. For all the efforts made to measure fecundity or its surrogates over the past century of avian research, it is still mismeasured, misrepresented, and misunderstood. Fundamentally, these problems arise because of partial observability of underlying processes such as renesting, multiple brooding, and temporary emigration. Over the last several decades, various analytical approaches have been developed to estimate fecundity from incomplete and biased data. These, include scalar arithmetic formulae, partial differential equations, individual-based simulations, and Markov chain methodology. In this paper, we: (1) identify component processes of avian reproduction; (2) review existing methods for modeling fecundity; (3) place these diverse models under a common conceptual framework; (4) describe the parameterization, validation, and limitations of such models; and (5) point out future considerations and challenges in the application of fecundity models. We hope this synthesis of existing literature will help direct researchers toward the most appropriate methods to assess avian reproductive success for answering questions in evolutionary ecology, natural history, population dynamics, reproductive toxicology, and management.     

Interpreting and using outputs from the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System in research applications

Understanding and being able to predict forest fire occurrence, fire growth and fire intensity are important aspects of forest fire management. In Canada fire management agencies use the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System (CFFDRS) to help predict these elements of forest fire activity. In this paper a review of the CFFDRS is presented with the main focus on understanding and interpreting Canadian Fire Weather Index (FWI) System outputs. The need to interpret the outputs of the FWI System with consideration to regional differences is emphasized and examples are shown of how the relationship between actual fuel moisture and the FWI System’s moisture codes vary from region to region. Examples are then shown of the relationship between fuel moisture and fire occurrence for both human- and lightning-caused fire for regions with different forest composition. The relationship between rate of spread, fuel consumption and the relative fire behaviour indices of the FWI System for different forest types is also discussed. The outputs of the CFFDRS are used every day across Canada by fire managers in every district, regional and provincial fire management office. The purpose of this review is to provide modellers with an understanding of this system and how its outputs can be interpreted. It is hoped that this review will expose statistical modellers and other researchers to some of the models used currently in forest fire management and encourage further research and development of models useful for understanding and managing forest fire activity.

Disadvantages and future research directions in valuation of ecosystem services in China

We have reviewed the development, background and valuation history of ecosystem services in China and abroad, and highlight the importance of ecosystem services and the necessity of their valuation at various temporal and spatial scales. Through critical review of the literature, we have elucidated disadvantages in studies of ecosystem services in China, including the lack of a definite purpose for the valuation of ecosystem services, improper emphasis of valuation studies, stifled application of the contingent valuation method, weak power of research panels in the field, and the absence of the participation of government officials. In addition, we discuss some case studies from Western countries which tracked changes in the total economic value (TEV) of ecosystem services across different states of ecological disturbance and evaluated changes in the TEV under different management regimes. These studies may be useful in guiding future research in China. In essence, there are three major aspects involved in the valuation of ecosystem services: improving accuracy of valuation, association of results of valuation with policy and management decisions, and transfer of payments for ecosystem services. We suggest three priorities for future research in China: to develop an ecosystem service valuation model, to enhance the relevance of valuation studies to policy development, and to reward the protectors of ecosystem services.     

Environmental pollution and biodiversity: Light pollution and sea turtles in the Caribbean

We examine the impact of pollution on biodiversity by studying the effect of coastal light pollution on the sea turtle population in the Caribbean. To this end we assemble a panel data set of sea turtle nesting activity and satellite-derived measures of nighttime light. Controlling for the surveyor effort, the local economic infrastructure, and spatial spillovers, we find that nighttime light significantly reduces the number of sea turtle nests. According to data on replacement costs for sea turtles raised in captivity, our result suggests that the increase in lighting over the last two decades has resulted in the loss of close to 1800 sea turtles in the Caribbean, worth up to $288 million. Incorporating our empirical estimates into a stage-structured population model, we discover that the dynamic effect of nighttime light on future generations of sea turtles is likely to be much larger, with a cost of approximately $2.8 billion for Guadeloupe alone. More generally, our study provides a new approach to valuing the cost of environmental pollution associated with species extinction.     

菌根技术在重金属污染修复中的研究与展望

菌根技术作为一种生物新技术对于重金属污染土壤的生物修复正在为全球环境工作者所关注。在土壤中菌根及其庞大的菌丝体网可以分泌大量的生物化学物质，改变植物根际环境及重金属的存在状态或降低重金属的毒性；还可以通过在植物体内的累积以及菌根真菌菌丝体的螯合等各种机制，实现对重金属的提取和固定，达到菌根重金属修复的目的。文章通过讨论菌根植物对重金属修复的作用机制，提出今后菌根技术在重金属植物修复中的新思路；认为应在通过广泛调查、筛选超积累菌根植物的基础上，不断探索植物一微生物一菌根体系修复问题，同时认为应将基因工程引入菌根植物的重金属修复研究中，以促进土壤重金属污染的生物修复。     

中国农村环境污染防治研究综述

农村环境污染防治是农村生态环境建设的核心内容,加强农村环境污染防治研究,对解决我国独特的农村环境污染问题,具有积极的理论和现实指导意义。如何进一步探索农村环境污染防治机制的研究范式,需要在理论和方法上均有所突破。采用文献资料法和对比分析法,在简要分析了国外的研究进展基础上,重点总结了中国农村环境污染防治的研究现状,提出当前研究中存在的问题以及今后的探索方向。结果表明,近年来我国农村环境污染防治及其相应的理论与实践研究均取得较大进展,但与农村社会可持续发展的现实要求尚有不小差距。国内学者对于农村环境污染的研究主要集中在污染防治的基础理论、污染状况及质量评价、基于不同层次的农村环境污染影响因素以及污染防治机制和政策4个方面。当前的研究存在诸多不足,例如：综合防控研究的理论体系不完善,较多地关注造成农村环境污染的显性影响因子,而忽视了大量限制因子,研究中采用的数据和参照标准缺乏统一口径,空间尺度选择不一和时间尺度难以衔接等,这些都将成为今后研究亟需解决的问题。