A comparative study of noise pollution levels in some selected areas in Ilorin Metropolis, Nigeria

The noise pollution is a major problem for the quality of life in urban areas. This study was conducted to compare the noise pollution levels at busy roads/road junctions, passengers loading parks, commercial, industrial and residential areas in Ilorin metropolis. A total number of 47-locations were selected within the metropolis. Statistical analysis shows significant difference (P < 0.05) in noise pollution levels between industrial areas and low density residential areas, industrial areas and high density areas, industrial areas and passengers loading parks, industrial areas and commercial areas, busy roads/road junctions and low density areas, passengers loading parks and commercial areas and commercial areas and low density areas. There is no significant difference (P > 0.05) in noise pollution levels between industrial areas and busy roads/road junctions, busy roads/road junctions and high density areas, busy roads/road junctions and passengers loading parks, busy roads/road junctions and commercial areas, passengers loading parks and high density areas, passengers loading parks and commercial areas and commercial areas and high density areas. The results show that Industrial areas have the highest noise pollution levels (110.2 dB(A)) followed by busy roads/Road junctions (91.5 dB(A)), Passengers loading parks (87.8 dB(A)) and Commercial areas (84.4 dB(A)). The noise pollution levels in Ilorin metropolis exceeded the recommended level by WHO at 34 of 47 measuring points. It can be concluded that the city is environmentally noise polluted and road traffic and industrial machineries are the major sources of it. Noting the noise emission standards, technical control measures, planning and promoting the citizens awareness about the high noise risk may help to relieve the noise problem in the metropolis.     

濮阳市工业污染特征与产业布局调整路径探析

基于2017年濮阳市第二次全国污染源普查数据,采用聚类分析和核密度分析的方法对濮阳市行业结构特征、工业污染集聚特征进行了分析。结果表明,濮阳市支柱行业为石化行业,工业总产值占比36.92%,远高于其他行业;非金属矿物制品企业数量最多,污染物排放总量最高;颗粒物排放量占濮阳市工业污染源排放总量的33%,占比最高;非金属矿物制品业与石油、煤炭及其他燃料加工业是濮阳市废气污染物的主要来源,石油、煤炭及其他燃料加工业与农副产品加工业是濮阳市废水污染物的主要来源;濮阳市产业集聚区是污染物产排的重要区域,其污染物产生量占濮阳市污染物产生总量的95.49%,污染物排放量占濮阳市排放总量的63.05%。而非产业集聚区的污染物排放量占濮阳市排放总量的36.95%,是精准治污的重点。针对濮阳市产业结构和产业布局现状,提出,重新整合辖区非金属矿物制品业,继续做强石化行业,兼顾发展污染物排放强度低的行业;挖掘产业集聚区减排潜力,建设绿色产业集聚区是经济与环境协调发展的重要途径;非产业集聚区企业应因地制宜,政策引导,发挥中小企业自主能动性,提升环境质量。以期为濮阳市产业布局调整提供技术支持。     

BIOMONITORING OF AIR POLLUTION IN A SEASONALLY DRY TROPICAL SUBURBAN AREA USING WHEAT TRANSPLANTS

Air pollution has been identified as a serious problem throughout the world which causes tremendous loss to the crops by affecting plant growth and yield. Earlier, air pollution was restricted to urban and industrial regions. Over the last few decades, however, it has become evident that pollutants can be transported over long distances and hence their impact may be felt widely over rural areas. The present study was conducted to evaluate the impact of urban air pollution on suburban agriculture with respect to the changes in photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, water-use efficiency, plant height, numbers of tillers, leaves, ears and seeds, chlorophyll, carotenoid, protein, phenol, ascorbic acid, nitrogen and sulphate-sulphur contents and seed weight of pot-grown wheat plants (Triticum aestivum var. HUW 468) kept at different sites around Varanasi city receiving varying levels of pollution load. Mean concentrations of were monitored. The study clearly showed that plants are negatively affected by the ambient levels of air pollutants. Reduction in various parameters directly corresponded with the air pollution levels at different sites.     

Monitoring variation in greenhouse gases concentration in Urban Environment of Delhi

Cities across the globe are considered as major anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gases (GHG), yet very few efforts has been made to monitor ambient concentration of GHG in cities, especially in a developing country like India. Here, variations in the ambient concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) in residential, commercial, and industrial areas of Delhi are determined from fortnightly daytime observations from July, 2008 to March, 2009. Results indicate that the average daytime ambient concentration of CO₂ varied from 495 to 554 ppm in authorized residential areas, 503 to 621 ppm in the slums or jhuggies in the unauthorized residential areas, 489 to 582 ppm in commercial areas, and 512 to 568 ppm in industrial areas with an average of 541?±?27 ppm. CH₄ concentration varied from 652 to 5,356 ppbv in authorized residential areas, 500 to15,220 ppbv in the unauthorized residential areas, 921 to 11,000 ppbv in the commercial areas, and 250 to 2,550 ppbv in the industrial areas with an average of 3,226?±?1,090 ppbv. A low mid-afternoon CO₂ concentration was observed at most of the sites, primarily due to strong biospheric photosynthesis coupled with strong vertical mixing.     

Blood lead levels, δ-ALAD inhibition, and hemoglobin content in blood of giant toad (Rhinella marina) to asses lead exposure in three areas surrounding an industrial complex in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico

The Coatzacoalcos Region in Veracruz, Mexico houses one of the most important industrial complexes in Mexico and Latin America. Lead is an ubiquitous environmental pollutant which represents a great risk to human health and ecosystems. Amphibian populations have been recognized as biomonitors of changes in environmental conditions. The purpose of this research is to measure exposure to lead and evaluate hematological and biochemical effects in specimens of giant toads (Rhinella marina) taken from three areas surrounding an industrial complex in the Coatzacoalcos River downstream. Lead levels in toads' blood are between 10.8 and 70.6 μg/dL and are significantly higher in industrial sites. We have found a significant decrease in the delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δ-ALAD) activity in blood from 35.3 to 78 % for the urban–industrial and industrial sites, respectively. In addition, we have identified a strong inverse relationship between the δ-ALAD activity and the blood lead levels (r?=??0.84, p?<?0.001). Hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin levels, as well as the condition factor, are found to be lower at industrial sites compared with the reference sites. Our results suggest that the R. marina can be considered a good biomonitor of the δ-ALAD activity inhibition and hematological alterations at low lead concentrations.     

Multi-residues analysis of pre-emergence herbicides in fluvial sediments: application to the mid-Garonne River

Contamination of man and ecosystems by pesticides has become a major environmental concern. Whereas many studies exist on contamination from agriculture, the effects of urban sources are usually omitted. Fluvial sediment is a complex matrix of pollutants but little is known of its recent herbicide content. This study proposes a method for a fast and reliable analysis of herbicides by employing the accelerated solvent extractor (ASE). The aim of the study is to show the impact of a major town (Toulouse) on the herbicide content in the river. In this study, three herbicide families (i.e.s-triazine, substituted ureas and anilides) were analysed in fluvial sediment fractions at 11 sampling sites along the mid-Garonne River and its tributaries. River water contamination by herbicides is minor, except for at three sites located in urban areas. Among the herbicidal families studied, urban and suburban areas are distinguished from rural areas and were found to be the most contaminated sites during the study period, a winter low-water event. The herbicide content of the coarse sediment fractions is about one third of that found in the fine fractions and usually ignored. The distribution of pesticide concentrations across the whole range of particle sizes was investigated to clarify the role of plant remains on the significant accumulation in the coarse fractions.     

An air quality balance index estimating the total amount of air pollutants at ground level

A new index named Air Quality Balance Index (AQBI), which is able to characterise the amount of pollution level in a selected area, is proposed. This index is a function of the ratios between pollutant concentration values and their standards; it aims at identifying all situations in which there is a possible environmental risk even when several pollutants are below their limit values but air quality is reduced. AQBI is evaluated by using a high-resolution three-dimensional dispersion model: the air concentration for each substance is computed starting from detailed emissions sources: point, line and area emissions hourly modulated. This model is driven with accurate meteorological data from ground stations and remote sensing systems providing vertical profiles of temperature and wind; these data are integrated with wind and temperature profiles at higher altitudes obtained by a Local Area Model. The outputs of the dispersion model are compared with pollutant concentrations provided by measuring stations, in order to recalibrate emission data. A three-dimensional high resolution grid of AQBI data is evaluated for an industrial area close to Alessandria (Northern Italy), assessing air quality and environmental conditions. Performance of AQBI is compared with the Air Quality Index (AQI) developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. AQBI, computed taking into account all pollutants, is able to point out situations not evidenced by AQI, based on a preset limited number of substances; therefore, AQBI is a good tool for evaluating the air quality either in urban and in industrial areas. The AQBI values at ground level, in selected points, are in agreement with in situ observations.     

北京市建筑施工裸地的空间分布及扬尘效应

北京市作为中国典型的快速城市化大城市之一,大规模的城市建设使得城市内部存在大量的建筑施工裸地,工地扬尘效应造成了严重的大气颗粒物污染。以北京市平原区为研究区,首先利用高分辨率卫星数据反演了建筑施工裸地的空间分布格局,在此基础上,结合建筑施工裸地的扬尘排放因子,在空间上定量分析建筑施工裸地的扬尘效应。结果显示,2012年全市平原区建筑施工裸地总面积为140.77 km2,主要分布在城市核心区向外拓展的城乡过渡带。建筑施工裸地的扬尘效应分析中发现北京市平原区建筑施工裸地中TSP、PM10和PM2.5的排放量分别是31.53、16.66、9.16万吨,并且这些污染物的排放量在城市发展新区与功能拓展区中较高,生态涵养发展区较小。以北京市的建筑施工裸地为例,示范了以遥感为技术手段结合污染排放因子的城市内部典型面源污染的监测和污染排放定量化,为今后面源污染的快速准确监测开辟了新的研究思路。     

Spatial variability of air pollutants in the city of Taranto, Italy and its potential impact on exposure assessment

Epidemiological studies typically use monitored air pollution data from a single station or as averaged data from several stations to estimate population exposure. In industrialized urban areas, this approach may present critical issues due to the spatial complexities of air pollutants which are emitted by different sources. This study focused on the city of Taranto, which is one of the most highly industrialized cities in southern Italy. Epidemiological studies have revealed several critical situations in this area, in terms of mortality excess and short-term health effects of air pollution. The aims of this paper are to study the variability of air pollutants in the city of Taranto and to interpret the results in relation to the applicability of the data in assessing population exposure. Meteorological and pollution data (SO2, NO2, PM10), measured simultaneously and continuously during the period 2006–2010 in five air quality stations, were analyzed. Relative and absolute spatial concentration variations were investigated by means of statistical indexes. Results show significant differences among stations. The highest correlation between stations was observed for PM10 concentrations, while critical values were found for NO2. The worst values were observed for the SO2 series. The high values of 90th percentile of differences between pairs of monitoring sites for the three pollutants index suggest that mean concentrations differ by large amounts from site to site. The overall analysis supports the hypothesis that various parts of the city are differently affected by the different emission sources, depending on meteorological conditions. In particular, analysis revealed that the influence of the industrial site may be primarily identified with the series of SO2 data which exhibit higher mean concentration values and positive correlations with wind intensity when the monitoring station is downwind from the industrial site. Results suggest evaluating the population exposure to air pollutants in industrialized cities by taking into account the possible zones of influence of different emission sources. More research is needed to identify an indicator, which ought to be a synthesis of several pollutants, and take into account the meteorological variables.     

Efficient control of air pollution through plants, a cost-effective alternative: studies on Dalbergia sissoo Roxb

Plants can be used as both passive biomonitors and biomitigators in urban and industrial environments to indicate the environmental quality and to ameliorate pollution level in a locality. Many studies reveal that plants are negatively affected by the ambient levels of air pollutants. The present study was conducted to evaluate the impact of air pollution on comparative basis with reference to changes in photosynthetic pigments, plant height, leaves, as well as, biochemical parameters of plants of different sites around Udaipur city receiving varying levels of pollution load. The investigated tree species Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. (Family: Fabaceae) exhibited a reduction in various physiological and biochemical growth parameters that correspond with air pollution levels at different sites. The tree species growing in polluted and control areas were compared with respect to foliar dust load, leaf area, and chlorophyll and total carbohydrate and total protein concentration in the leaves. Our studies suggest that D. sissoo Roxb. can successfully be grown in an area for monitoring air pollution, where it is mild and droughts are common. It will prove as an ideal tree species to control pollution effectively beside acting as a shade tree and being a source of food for birds and animals. By plantation of D. sissoo Roxb., mitigative measure at the polluted sites to control generation of particulate matter and the air quality required can be ensured. Our results also confirm that industrial and vehicular air pollution level in Udaipur city is shifting beyond limits.     

Sources of potentially toxic elements and organic pollutants in an urban area subjected to an industrial impact

Urban and industrial development has caused a major impact on environmental soil quality. This work assesses the extent and severity of contamination in a small urban area subjected to an industrial impact and identifies the major anthropogenic inputs. Twenty-six soil samples were collected from agricultural and urban sites, and concentrations of potentially toxic elements (As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn), PAHs and PCBs, were determined. In spite of the low median concentrations observed, some sites represent a potential hazard for human health and ecosystems. Concentrations of contaminants were higher than those found in a nearby city, indicating that the study area is affected by the surrounding industry. The use of multivariate statistical analyses allowed for the identification of the main factors controlling the variability of potentially toxic elements and organic pollutants in the soils. The presence of Cr, Fe, Mn and Ni was associated with geogenic inputs, and Cu, Pb, Zn, As, PAHs and PCBs were associated with anthropogenic inputs. Industry and traffic were the most important anthropogenic sources. Soil characteristics were identified as important factors controlling the spatial variability of elements, both from recognised natural and anthropogenic origin. Differences between land uses were observed, which may be attributed to both management practices and proximity to sources.     

Influence of multi-industrial activities on trace metal contamination: an approach towards surface water body in the vicinity of Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ)

Industrial wastewater discharged into aquatic ecosystems either directly or because of inadequate treatment of process water can increase the concentrations of pollutants such as toxic metals and others, and subsequently deteriorate water quality, environmental ecology and human health in the Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ), the largest industrial belt of 6-EPZ in Bangladesh. Therefore, in order to monitor the contamination levels, this study collected water samples from composite effluent points inside DEPZ and the surrounding surface water body connected to effluent disposal sites and determined the environmental hazards by chemical analysis and statistical approach. The water samples were analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to determine 12 trace metals such as As, Ag, Cr, Co, Cu, Li, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, V and Zn in order to assess the influence of multi-industrial activities on metal concentrations. The composite effluents and surface waters from lagoons were characterized by a strong colour and high concentrations of biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, electrical conductivity, pH, total alkalinity, total hardness, total organic carbon, Turb., Cl(-), total suspended solids and total dissolved solids, which were above the limit of Bangladesh industrial effluent standards, but dissolved oxygen concentration was lower than the standard value. The measurement of skewness and kurtosis values showed asymmetric and abnormal distribution of the elements in the respective phases. The mean trend of variation was found in a decreasing order: Zn > Cu > Sr > Pb > Ni > Cr > Li > Co > V > Se > As > Ag in composite industrial effluents and Zn > Cu > Sr > Pb > Ni > Cr > Li > V > As > Ag > Co > Se in surface waters near the DEPZ. The strong correlations between effluent and surface water metal contents indicate that industrial wastewaters discharged from DEPZ have a strong influence on the contamination of the surrounding water bodies by toxic metals. The average contamination factors were reported to be 0.70-96.57 and 2.85-1,462 for industrial effluents and surface waters, respectively. The results reveal that the surface water in the area is highly contaminated with very high concentrations of some heavy/toxic metals like Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni and Cr; their average contamination factors are 1,460, 860, 136, 74.71 and 4.9, respectively. The concentrations of the metals in effluent and surface water were much higher than the permissible limits for drinking water and the world average concentrations in surface water. Therefore, the discharged effluent and surface water may create health hazards especially for people working and living inside and in the surrounding area of DEPZ.     

环境统计与排污许可衔接的工业源排放核算研究

环境统计面临依据排污许可数据估算工业污染排放总量的挑战.以某市4个行业6类污染物的排放数据为案例,讨论了在非重点源污染排放量估算问题上衔接排污许可和环境统计的可行性和存在的问题.研究结果表明:排污许可重点管理单位与环境统计重点调查单位存在显著差异,不能采用比率估算方法估算工业非重点源排污量;排污许可简化和登记管理单位排...     

River water quality and pollution sources in the Pearl River Delta, China

Some physicochemical parameters were determined for thirty field water samples collected from different water channels in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone river system. The analytical results were compared with the environmental quality standards for surface water. Using the SPSS software, statistical analyses were performed to determine the main pollutants of the river water. The main purpose of the present research is to investigate the river water quality and to determine the main pollutants and pollution sources. Furthermore, the research provides some approaches for protecting and improving river water quality. The results indicate that the predominant pollutants are ammonium, phosphorus, and organic compounds. The wastewater discharged from households in urban and rural areas, industrial facilities, and non-point sources from agricultural areas are the main sources of pollution in river water in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone.     

Pollute less or tax more? Asymmetries in the EU environmental taxes – Ecological balance nexus

This paper examines the impact of environmentally related taxes on environmental performance in the EU-15 countries during the period of 1995–2016 by utilizing an innovative non-linear model, which is the panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) model. Although the effectiveness of environmental taxes has been discussed before, the potential effects of these taxes on ecological balance sheets as a measure to reflect human pressures on the environment/ecosystem have not been fully investigated. This paper, therefore, deals with total ecological balance and its main components, which are based on the major types of ecologically productive areas such as cropland, grazing land, forest area, and fishing grounds. The results indicate that revenues from environmentally-related taxes as a share of GDP significantly lower the ecological deficits after exceeding a certain threshold level, but not cropland balance accounts. Thus, well-designed environmental taxes on the optimal level have the potential to reduce environmental problems/ ecological imbalance, if not implemented in conjunction with policies such as tax exemptions, refunds or tax allowances that limit their impact.     

Decision support methods for the environmental assessment of contamination at mining sites

Polluting mine accidents and widespread environmental contamination associated with historic mining in Europe and elsewhere has triggered the improvement of related environmental legislation and of the environmental assessment and management methods for the mining industry. Mining has some unique features such as natural background pollution associated with natural mineral deposits, industrial activities and contamination located in the three-dimensional sub-surface space, the problem of long-term remediation after mine closure, problem of secondary contaminated areas around mine sites and abandoned mines in historic regions like Europe. These mining-specific problems require special tools to address the complexity of the environmental problems of mining-related contamination. The objective of this paper is to review and evaluate some of the decision support methods that have been developed and applied to mining contamination. In this paper, only those methods that are both efficient decision support tools and provide a ‘holistic’ approach to the complex problem as well are considered. These tools are (1) landscape ecology, (2) industrial ecology, (3) landscape geochemistry, (4) geo-environmental models, (5) environmental impact assessment, (6) environmental risk assessment, (7) material flow analysis and (8) life cycle assessment. This unique inter-disciplinary study should enable both the researcher and the practitioner to obtain broad view on the state-of-the-art of decision support methods for the environmental assessment of contamination at mine sites. Documented examples and abundant references are also provided.     

全球POPs监测计划实施进展及我国开展POPs监测实践

持久性有机污染物(POPs)因其具有高毒性、持久性以及远距离迁移性而引起国际社会的广泛关注,各国家和地区持续开展了一系列POPs监测活动。文章介绍了国际上一些影响重大的区域和跨区域POPs监测计划及其特点,并结合国内外POPs监测进展,提出我国开展POPs监测的对策与建议。     

大气环境高灵敏光谱探测技术

大气环境高灵敏光谱探测技术是以光与环境相互作用为基础发展起来的学科交叉方向,使用光学的方法和手段来探知研究环境问题。大气环境高灵敏光谱探测技术能够实现从现场瞬态灵敏探测到污染时空分布等不同尺度的遥测,从而获得大气污染"点-线-面"的时空变化规律,由于光谱探测技术具有多组分、非接触、无采样、高灵敏度、大范围快速以及遥测等特点,已经成为国际上大气环境监测技术的主要方向之一。大气环境高灵敏光谱技术在污染源、工业园区、空气质量以及区域污染等监测方面都有很广泛的应用。针对化工园区复杂的环境污染问题,光谱探测技术可以高灵敏、非接触地获取多种污染物浓度特征,掌握化工园区污染时空分布状况,为化工园区的大气污染治理提供有效支撑;针对京津冀、长三角等地区大气重污染过程的核心问题,大气环境高灵敏光谱探测技术通过地基组网观测,车载/机载平台移动观测等三维立体监测手段获取重点区域污染物的生成、转化过程以及重污染过程的形成机制,为区域大气污染成因追溯、污染控制措施评估提供科学的数据和技术支撑。高灵敏光谱探测技术在大气环境领域的成功应用,为污染源、化工园区和重点区域的环境综合诊断和治理奠定了技术基础。     

基于新空气质量标准的全国大气环境承载力评价

随着中国环境问题特别是大气环境问题的凸显,环境承载能力研究成为国内各界关注的热点。采用大气污染物年均质量浓度与新的空气质量标准比较的方法即超标倍数法,对全国330个地级城市进行大气环境承载力评价。评价结果表明,有70%的城市大气环境超载,大气环境承载形势严峻。超载最严重地区为京津冀及周边区域,长三角地区、中部大部分地区。PM2.5为大多数重点城市超载的首要污染物。通过对比大气环境承载指数与污染物排放总量、污染排放强度、人口、第二产业、地形、气象等因素的相关关系发现,不同地区主要影响因素不同,应该采取分区域、季节等差别化手段控制污染物排放,提高环境承载能力。     

Investigation of wind erosion process for estimation, prevention, and control of DSS in Yazd–Ardakan plain

Wind erosion is a phenomenon that is reasonably common in regions where dry winds blow. For the most part, these regions correspond to the dry lands; areas where the soil, generally, is dry and shifting and lacks vegetation for most of the year. The winds are sufficiently strong to lift and move sands and soil particles. The repeated removal of superficial layers by the action of winds can modify the texture of the topsoil, by removing the fine particles and leaving the larger particles. Dust and sandstorm (DSS) is the generic term for a serious environmental phenomenon that involves strong winds that blow a large quantity of dust and fine sand particles away from the ground and carry them over a long distance with significant environmental impacts along the way. In the realm of DSS in Iran country, the people who live in Yazd and Sistan–Baluchestan provinces form a single ecological community due to their geographic proximity and climatic contiguity. The major sources of DSS in the region are believed to be the desert and semidesert areas of the Yazd–Ardakan plain in Yazd province. Both Sistan and Baluchestan are the recipients of this dust. To address the long-range transboundary environmental problem of DSS, a regional cooperation mechanism must be established among the provinces in the region. Yazd–Ardakan plain, with area of about 650,000 ha, is located in the center of Iran, between Yazd and Ardakan cities. The mean annual rainfall is less than 65 mm. Rainfall distribution is a simple modal and more than 70% of it occurs in winter. Plant density varies from 0% to 25%, and Artemisia sieberi is the dominant plant species. The major part of Yazd–Ardakan plain is bare land. According to the recent investigation, more than 20,000-m³ dust with less than 100-μm diameter falls down annually on Yazd city with an area of 7,000 ha. Horizontal visibility is reduced to less than 6 m in stormy days in some parts of Yazd–Ardakan plain. This phenomenon causes car accidents on the main roads of Yazd–Ardakan and can cancel the airplane flights in the stormy days. At present, it is estimated that wind erosion causes more than $6.8 million damages to socioeconomic resources in Yazd plain each year. This paper describes the pattern of occurrence of wind erosion and major contributing factors, summarizes measured rates of wind erosion, outlines the techniques used to mitigate wind erosion hazard, and suggests research priorities. Also, damages of DSS have been estimated and methods for prevention and control are suggested.