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...     

Nanoscale materials and their use in water contaminants removal—a review

Water scarcity is being recognized as a present and future threat to human activity and as a consequence water purification technologies are gaining major attention worldwide. Nanotechnology has many successful applications in different fields but recently its application for water and wastewater treatment has emerged as a fast-developing, promising area. This review highlights the recent advances on the development of nanoscale materials and processes for treatment of surface water, groundwater and industrial wastewater that are contaminated by toxic metals, organic and inorganic compounds, bacteria and viruses. In addition, the toxic potential of engineered nanomaterials for human health and the environment will also be discussed.     

Spatiotemporal distribution of water environmental capacity—a case study on the western areas of Taihu Lake in Jiangsu Province,China

Currently, the poor water quality in Taihu Lake is a major problem in China, so pollution control in the upstream areas has become a government priority. In Jiangsu Province, pollution emissions around the western areas of Taihu Lake, including Changzhou Municipality and Yixing City, need to be highly restricted, and calculating the water environmental capacity is important if pollution is to be reduced. In this study, 19 control units in these areas were established, and a 0-D mathematical model was used to calculate the water environmental capacity. For three important control units with important cross sections, a 1-D model was established to redress the results. Finally, the total maximum monthly loads of each control unit were obtained using temporal allocation principles. The results suggested that (1) the total pollution control of chemical oxygen demand was 58,894.2 tonnes per annum (t a^?1), with ammonia nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus amounting to 3,808, 6,054.6, and 386.6 t a^?1, respectively; (2) water environmental capacity per unit water area in the ambient control units was smaller than that in the middle control units; and (3) the largest water environmental capacity was in June, and the smallest capacity was in December. The study provides important information for local governments, which will enable them to implement pollution control strategies that will improve the water quality in Taihu Lake.     

Distribution-based effects of disaggregated GDP and environmental quality—a case of quantile on quantile estimates

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - There is a strong association between environmental quality and economic activity. Empirical studies term this relationship as environmental Kuznets...     

Assessment on the effectiveness of environmental regulation in China—evidence from a panel data analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In the context of global warming and environmental deterioration, the environment impact assessment is a crucial institutional guaranty to assure less...     

Substance-related environmental monitoring strategies regarding soil, groundwater and surface water — an overview

Substance-related monitoring is an essential tool within environmental risk assessment processes. The soundness of policy decisions including risk management measures is often directly related to the reliability of the environmental monitoring programs. In addition, monitoring programs are required for identifying new and less-investigated pollutants of concern in different environmental media. Scientifically sound and feasible monitoring concepts strongly depend on the aim of the study. The proper definition of questions to be answered is thus of pivotal importance. Decisions on sample handling, storage and the analysis of the samples are important steps for the elaboration of problem-oriented monitoring strategies. The same applies to the selection of the sampling sites as being representative for scenarios to be investigated. These steps may become critical to handle for larger international monitoring programs and thus trigger the quality of their results. This study based on the work of an IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) task group addresses different kinds and approaches of substance-related monitoring of different compartments of soil, groundwater and surface water, and discusses their advantages and limitations. Further important aspects are the monitoring across policies and the monitoring data management using information systems.     

Microbial contamination of drinking water in Pakistan—a review

Water pollution with pathogenic microorganisms is one of the serious threats to human health, particularly in developing countries. The main objective of this article is to highlight microbial contamination of drinking water, the major factors responsible for microbial contamination, and the resulting health problems in Pakistan. Furthermore, this study will be helpful for researchers and administrative agencies to initiate relevant studies and develop new policies to protect further deterioration of water supply with pathogenic microbes and ensure clean and safe drinking water to the public in Pakistan. In Pakistan, water at the source, in the distribution network, and at the consumer tap is heavily polluted with coliforms and fecal coliforms all over the country. An overview of more than 7,000 water samples reviewed here reveals that an average of over 71 and 58 % samples in the country was contaminated with total coliforms and fecal coliforms, respectively. Drinking water contamination accounts for 20 to 40 % of all diseases in the country, which causes national income losses of Rs 25–58 billion annually (US$0.25–0.58 billion, approximately 0.6–1.44 % of the country’s GDP). Improper disposal of industrial and municipal wastes is the most important factor responsible for water pollution in the country followed by cross-contamination due to old and leaking pipes and lack of water filtration and disinfection facilities. There is an urgent need for emergency steps to stop further deterioration of water quality and improve the existing water quality so as to protect the public from widespread waterborne diseases.     

Is pesticide sorption by constructed wetland sediments governed by water level and water dynamics?

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are used to reduce the pesticide inputs from tile drainage or run-off to surface water. Their effectiveness appears variable and remains to be better characterized and understood. The aim of this study was to assess the influences of two hydraulic parameters (i.e., dynamics and water level) on the sorption process occurring in CWs. Then, two solid/liquid ratios were studied (1/1 and 1/5) to mimic the water level variation in the field, and two agitation speeds were used (none and gentle agitation) to simulate different water dynamics (stagnation and flow pass, respectively). Sorption kinetics and isotherms were obtained for four pesticides with contrasting properties. The pesticide adsorption coefficients were classified as follows: boscalid (BSC) > cyproconazole (CYP) > isoproturon (IPU) ～ dimethachlor (DMT) at any ratio or agitation, in agreement with their water solubilities and K _ow values. The effect of the solid/liquid ratio was evidenced for all conditions. Indeed, the adsorption equilibrium time was reached more quickly for the 1/1 ratio (24–72 h) than for the 1/5 ratio (96–120 h). In addition, the adsorption coefficients (K _f ^ads) were larger for the 1/1 ratio (1.8–11.2 L kg^?1) than for the 1/5 ratio (1.0–5.9 L kg^?1). The agitation effect was ?more evidenced for the 1/5 ratio and for the more hydrophobic molecules, such as BSC and CYP, for which adsorption equilibrium time was never reached with agitation (>120 h), while it was reached at 96 h without agitation. Moreover, the K _f ^ads values were larger with agitation than without agitation for BSC and CYP, whereas they were similar for the two agitations for IPU and DMT. Our results demonstrated that the hydrodynamic function of CWs could influence pesticide sorption with variable effects according to the molecular properties and consequently influence the mitigation effect of CWs throughout the year.     

Vertical profiles of air pollutants in a spruce forest — analysis of adherent water,throughfall and deposits on surrogate surfaces

Vertical profiles of air pollutants were studied in a spruce forest, which is damaged mainly in the upper parts of the canopy. The sampling included plant surface water, throughfall and surrogate surfaces at five different heights. For most components a low amount of precipitation after a dry period yielded in vertical profiles of the plant surface water shaped by the wind speed. If there was enough precipitation to start wash-off, the maximum of the concentrations shifted downwards. An exception was the acidity, which increased continuously from the top to the bottom of the trees. The deposition on vertically orientated surfaces and face up orientated surfaces were in the same order of magnitude, but the deposition on face down orientated surfaces was negligible.     

Association between human coronaviruses’ epidemic and environmental factors on a global scale

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Environmental factors could influence the epidemic of virus in human; however, the association remains intricate, and the evidence is still not clear...     

Retrospecting on resource abundance in leading oil-producing African countries: how valid is the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in a sectoral composition framework?

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Policymakers and authorities in Africa are often concerned about economic growth and stability owing to the long history of socioeconomic problems...     

Wetting mechanism and morphological adaptation; leaf rolling enhancing atmospheric water acquisition in wheat crop—a review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Several plant species such as grasses are dominant in many habitats including arid and semi-arid areas. These species survive in these regions by...     

Spatial gradients of OCPs in European butter—integrating environmental and exposure information

The Stockholm Convention and the Global Monitoring Plan encourage the production of monitoring data to effectively evaluate the presence of the persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in all regions, in order to identify changes in levels over time, as well as to provide information on their regional and global environmental transport. Here, we report the first step of two to investigate whether butter is a feasible matrix to screen with the purpose to reflect regional ambient atmospheric air levels of POPs. The first step described here is to generate monitoring data; the second is to investigate the relationship between the two matrixes, i.e., POP concentrations in air and butter, which will be reported in another article published in this journal. Here, the 27 organochlorine pesticides listed under the Stockholm Convention have been analyzed in 75 butter samples from Europe. The general conclusions were as follows: Total organochlorine pesticide concentration is lower in butter from northern and central Europe. The spatial gradient of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-di(4-chlorophenyl)ethane and hexachlorocyclohexane is increasing in the eastern region of Europe (Romania, Bulgaria, and Ukraine), dieldrin towards France, and endosulfan levels were elevated on the Azores Island in the Atlantic Ocean. One butter sample from Romania exceeded the European Maximum Residue Limit value for lindane, but the other butter pesticide levels were all below the limit values. The dataset reported here can be used for the calibration of the air–grass–dairy products model, which would support the feasibility to use butter as biomonitor for measuring POP levels in ambient air.     

Phenolic xenoestrogens in surface water, sediments, and sewage sludge from Baden-Württemberg, south-west Germany.

Nine structurally different phenolic chemicals, which have been reported to mimic estrogen effects, were determined in various aquatic environmental compartments. Twenty-three water samples from five streams and rivers showed levels up to 458 ng/l for 4-nonylphenol (4NP), 189 ng/l for 4-t-octylphenol (4tOP), 272 ng/l for bisphenol A (BPA) and 47 ng/l for 2-hydroxybiphenyl (2OHBiP). Elevated levels of these compounds in a stream with a high load of effluents of sewage treatment plants (STPs), compared to a brook free of sewage, identified STPs as major sources. With a similar order, 4NP (10-259 micrograms/kg dry matter), 4tOP (< 0.5-8 micrograms/kg), BPA (< 0.5-15 micrograms/kg), and 2OHBiP (2-69 micrograms/kg) were also detected regularly in riverine sediment (n = 11). Levels in sewage sludge were one order of magnitude higher than in sediments. 4-Hydroxybiphenyl and 4-chloro-3-methylphenol were found predominantly in sludge and sediment in the lower ppb range.     

Conductive and convective heat transfer augmentation in flat plate solar collector from energy,economic and environmental perspectives — a comprehensive review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The primary objective of the paper is to identify the effective way to enhance the conductive and convective heat transfer of the FPSC. The...     

Study on the threshold relationship between landscape pattern and water quality considering spatial scale effect—a case study of Dianchi Lake Basin in China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - It is of great significance to analyze the threshold relationship between landscape pattern and water quality for watershed water environment...     

Persistence of residues in water and sediment op a fresh‐water lake after surface application of technical chlordane

Abstract

A fresh‐water lake, free from detectable pesticide residues before this study, was treated with a commercial formulation of technical chlordane. Water and sediment samples were analysed for chlordane residues 7, 24, 52, 279. and 421 days after treatment. Residues moved rapidly from the water to the lake bottom, supporting earlier results of a laboratory study with other organochlorines.

In water, α‐ and γ‐chlordane concentrations remained proportional to total chlordane concentrations, as determined by total‐peak area measurements of gas‐liquid chronatogrammes. But in bottom sediments, α‐ and γ‐chlordane were more persistent than other constituents of technical chlordane, supporting recent evidence that quantification of technical chlordane residues on the basis of γ‐chlordane quantification only (or that of a‐ and γ‐chlordane only), can lead to incorrect results and that this method, although simple and fast, should no longer be recommended.     

Pollution of water in Africa: a review of contaminants and fish as biomonitors and analytical methodologies—the case of Senegal

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Environmental pollution is one of the major problems facing human health, ecosystems, and biodiversity. This is particularly the case for water...     

Recommendations on chemicals management policy and legislation in the framework of the Egyptian–German twinning project on hazardous substances and waste management

The sustainable management of chemicals and their associated wastes—especially legacy stockpiles—is always challenging. Developing countries face particular difficulties as they often have insufficient treatment and disposal capacity, have limited resources and many lack an appropriate and effective regulatory framework. This paper describes the objectives and the approach of the Egyptian–German Twinning Project under the European Neighbourhood Policy to improve the strategy of managing hazardous substances in the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) between November 2008 and May 2011. It also provides an introduction to the Republic of Egypt’s legal and administrative system regarding chemical controls. Subsequently, options for a new chemical management strategy consistent with the recommendations of the United Nations Chemicals Conventions are proposed. The Egyptian legal and administrative system is discussed in relation to the United Nations’ recommendations and current European Union legislation for the sound management of chemicals. We also discuss a strategy for the EEAA to use the existing Egyptian legal system to implement the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals, the Stockholm Convention and other proposed regulatory frameworks. The analysis, the results, and the recommendations presented may be useful for other developing countries in a comparable position to Egypt aspiring to update their legislation and administration to the international standards of sound management of chemicals.     

Application of polyaniline-based adsorbents for dye removal from water and wastewater—a review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Several industries release varying concentration of dye-laden effluent with substantial negative consequences for any receiving environmental...