Mapping farmers’ vulnerability to climate change and its induced hazards: evidence from the rice-growing zones of Punjab,Pakistan

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In developing countries like Pakistan, agriculture constitutes the primary source of support for the majority of rural and the adjacent urban...     

‘Contractual’ and ‘cooperative’ civic engagement: The emergence and roles of ‘flood action groups’ in England and Wales

Devolution of responsibilities is transforming how flood risk is managed in many countries. Research assessing the emergence and role of a new element in the governance of flood risk management in England explored the numerous ‘flood action groups’ that have developed over the last decade. We identified two broad categories of relationship between the public and authorities. The first displays ‘contractual’ characteristics: a level of protection provided by the authority in exchange for taxes or similar support. The second embodies a ‘collaborative’ relationship: public knowledge, social and financial resources are equal and complementary to those of authority, and seeking ‘collective security’. In general, the former were more successful than the latter, but common lessons were that success in FRM should not be defined purely as the ability to prevent flooding, but as the ability to access a variety of resources across different levels of society at different stages of flood risk management.     

Farmers’ perception and adaptations to climate change: findings from three agro-ecological zones of Punjab,Pakistan

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The main objective of this study was to capture farmers’ perceptions and adaptations to climate change in agriculture sector. Along with this,...     

The impact of climate change coping and adaptation strategies on livestock farmers’ technical efficiency: the case of rural Ghana

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Compared with developed nations, developing countries are more vulnerable to climate change and variability. In this study, a coping and adaptation...     

Analyzing farm households’ perception and choice of adaptation strategies towards climate change impacts: a case study of vulnerable households in an emerging Asian region

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Poor agricultural communities are particularly more disruptive to changes in climate. In southeast Asian countries, Pakistan is extremely vulnerable...     

Environmental change and fishermen’s income: is there a poverty trap

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The unequal cost and benefit led by environmental changes may potentially set China’s rural areas a “Poverty Trap.” Therefore,...     

Lessons from farmers’ adaptive practices to climate change in China: a systematic literature review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Due to the vulnerability and exposure of agriculture, farmers’ adaptive strategies to climate change are important to food security and...     

Correction to: Analyzing farm households’ perception and choice of adaptation strategies towards climate change impacts: a case study of vulnerable households in an emerging Asian region

Environmental Science and Pollution Research -     

Environmental cost of sustainable development and climate change: can SAARC shift some liability with renewable energy and efficiency?

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Sustainable development holds the key not to resolve the problems every nation is facing these days but also for long-lasting effects. In the current...     

Concentration and characterization of airborne particles in Tehran’s subway system

Particulate matter is an important air pollutant, especially in closed environments like underground subway stations. In this study, a total of 13 elements were determined from PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 samples collected at two subway stations (Imam Khomeini and Sadeghiye) in Tehran’s subway system. Sampling was conducted in April to August 2011 to measure PM concentrations in platform and adjacent outdoor air of the stations. In the Imam Khomeini station, the average concentrations of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 were 94.4?±?26.3 and 52.3?±?16.5 μg m^?3 in the platform and 81.8?±?22.2 and 35?±?17.6 μg m^?3 in the outdoor air, respectively. In the Sadeghiye station, mean concentrations of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 were 87.6?±?23 and 41.3?±?20.4 μg m^?3 in the platform and 73.9?±?17.3 and 30?±?15 μg m^?3, in the outdoor air, respectively. The relative contribution of elemental components in each particle fraction were accounted for 43 % (PM₁₀) and 47.7 % (PM_2.5) in platform of Imam Khomeini station and 15.9 % (PM₁₀) and 18.5 % (PM_2.5) in the outdoor air of this station. Also, at the Sadeghiye station, each fraction accounted for 31.6 % (PM₁₀) and 39.8 % (PM_2.5) in platform and was 11.7 % (PM₁₀) and 14.3 % (PM_2.5) in the outdoor. At the Imam Khomeini station, Fe was the predominant element to represent 32.4 and 36 % of the total mass of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 in the platform and 11.5 and 13.3 % in the outdoor, respectively. At the Sadeghiye station, this element represented 22.7 and 29.8 % of total mass of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 in the platform and 8.7 and 10.5 % in the outdoor air, respectively. Other major crustal elements were 5.8 % (PM₁₀) and 5.3 % (PM_2.5) in the Imam Khomeini station platform and 2.3 and 2.4 % in the outdoor air, respectively. The proportion of other minor elements was significantly lower, actually less than 7 % in total samples, and V was the minor concentration in total mass of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 in both platform stations.     

Humic substances—part 7: the biogeochemistry of dissolved organic carbon and its interactions with climate change

Background, aim, and scope  

Dissolved organic matter, measured as dissolved organic carbon (DOC), is an important component of aquatic ecosystems and of the global carbon cycle. It is known that changes in DOC quality and quantity are likely to have ecological repercussions. This review has four goals: (1) to discuss potential mechanisms responsible for recent changes in aquatic DOC concentrations; (2) to provide a comprehensive overview of the interactions between DOC, nutrients, and trace metals in mainly boreal environments; (3) to explore the impact of climate change on DOC and the subsequent effects on nutrients and trace metals; and (4) to explore the potential impact of DOC cycling on climate change.     

Concentrations of phthalate esters and identification of other additives in PVC children’s toys

This study was intended to provide data on the composition of soft PVC toys, addressing the widest practicable range of chemical additives and including non-phthalate additives. The study also included toys from as many countries as possible, since for many, no data were available. A total of 72 toys were purchased in 17 countries. The majority (64) were PVC or had PVC sections. In almost all the soft PVC toys analysed, phthalates comprised a sizeable proportion (most frequently 10–40%) of the total weight of the toy. The predominant phthalates detected were diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Other phthalates identified in high concentrations in some toys include isomeric mixes of diisooctyl phthalate (DIOP) and diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP). The estrogenic chemical nonylphenol was isolated from 13 toys, while 2 toys were found to contain the fungicide Fungitrol 11 (Folpet). 78% of PVC toys contained one or more extractable organic compounds in addition to those reported above. Some of these data have been released previously by Greenpeace and made available on the internet.This report, however, which is intended for a technically expert audience, has been peer reviewed and contains further analytical data that have not been published before.     

Cost and Benefits of Road Dust Control in Seattle’s Industrial Valley

The paving of gravel roads with an average daily traffic (ADT) over 15 is a least cost method for reducing suspended particulate In the air in Seattle. It is also a good business investment when the ADT exceeds 100. Clean roads, gutters, and parking lots may reduce or eliminate Seattle’s most serious environmental constraint on economic development. In a study done in Seattle’s Duwamish Valley the impact of road dust on air quality was measured by obtaining dust emission factors for vehicles traveling at 10, 20, and 30 mph on gravel as well as dusty paved roads. A University of Washington Mark II Cascade Impactor was mounted on a trailer and towed behind a car to determine the concentration and size distribution of this dust. It was found that each vehicle mile at 20 mph on unpaved roads contributed 7.0 Ib of dust to the air, 1.9 Ib consisting of particles smaller than 10 microns in diameter and 0.24 Ib below 2 microns. Three to eight percent by weight of this respirable dust was free silica, which is potentially toxic. The quantity of dust generated varies as an exponent of the speed. The concentrations of dust found in the air near a dry gravel road with an ADT of 250 reached 584 μg/m3 for an 8 hr work day. A 24 hr suspended particulate reading of 463 μg/m3 total and 3.83 μg/m3 free silica was found beside a dusty paved road with an ADT of 18,000. Nineteen miles of gravel roads and 110 miles of dusty paved roads contributed 2700 tons/year of particulate, of which 700 tons were below 10 microns. Paving or oiling such roads will produce benefits of $3,881,000 yearly in household cleaning, health care, sewer, vehicle operation, and road maintenance costs as well as an increase in property values. Clean roads can lower the cost of clean air in Seattle.     

Analysis of organochlorine pesticide residues in human and cow’s milk in the towns of Asendabo,Serbo and Jimma in South-Western Ethiopia

The level of some OCPs in human and cow milk collected from Asendabo, Serbo and Jimma in South-West Ethiopia were analyzed using GC–ECD. Results of the analysis indicated that all samples contained detectable quantities of p,p′-DDT and its metabolites, p,p-DDE and p,p-DDD, but none of the other OCPs analyzed. Mean levels of total DDT in the human and cow milk samples in the three areas were 12.68 and 0.389 μg g^?1 respectively. The distributions of p,p-DDT, p,p-DDE and p,p-DDD in the human milk samples from the three locations followed the same trend in which the proportion of p,p-DDT was the highest in all the three cases, comprising 55–71% of total DDT, followed by p,p-DDE, 26–39%, and the least, p,p-DDD of 2–5%. The mean ratio of DDT/DDE concentration for the three areas was calculated to be 2.01. This value was much higher than the values reported from other countries in earlier studies and indicates the existence of a higher quantity of DDT from a fresh input in the three study areas. The mean estimated daily intake of DDT by infants from mother’s milk in the three locations was found to be 62.17 μg kg^?1 body weight, which is about three times higher than the acceptable daily intake set by WHO/FAO for total DDT, 20 μg kg^?1 of body weight. This alarmingly high daily intake value is a cause for concern, since children are highly susceptible to effects from such environmental contaminants. The study has revealed that people in the study areas are facing exposure to DDT from recent use. The observed contamination of mother’s milk and the possible transfer of the contaminant from mother to child is an obvious risk associated with breast-feeding in the study areas and possibly in other parts of the country too.     

Prevalence of coal worker’s pneumoconiosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Global prevalence trend and regional differences of coal worker’s pneumoconiosis (CWP) remain unclear. This study aimed to provide systematic...     

Do risk perceptions and constraints influence the adoption of climate change practices among small livestock herders in Punjab,Pakistan?

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Climate change is severely damaging the agricultural system of many food producing regions worldwide. Small/subsistent livestock herders are the most...     

Impact of urban innovation on urban green development in China’s Yangtze River Economic Belt: perspectives of scale and network

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Understanding whether and how urban innovation offers a sound solution to the dilemma of urban green development is a crucial response to mitigate the...     

Assessment of Needs for Technical Information in EPA’s Hazardous and Solid Waste Programs

Headquarters managers and Regional staff in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s hazardous and solid waste programs were surveyed to determine priorities for technical information and guidance among EPA Regional staff, state hazardous waste management staff, EPA contractors, and the regulated community. The survey also examined delivery systems effective for EPA Regional staff. The fifteen highest ranked technical needs for RCRA, Superfund, and UST reflect a pervasive interest in hazardous waste remediation. Top priority technical needs focus on establishing cleanup levels, subsurface fate and transport, field monitoring and quality assurance, remedy selection, and most importantly, which remedies work and which do not in specific situations. Technical needs of non- EPA audiences are quite similar to those for EPA field staff. Preferences for technology transfer delivery systems are generally for conventional distribution methods (such as print materials and workshops) rather than electronic or video media. Regional staff report serious problems in utilizing technology transfer because of time constraints, insufficient knowledge of available products, insufficient travel funds, and limited access to and training on computers.     

The spatial distribution dynamic and convergence of CO2 emissions in Iran’s provinces

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - It is essential to study CO2 emissions intensity as the most critical factor affecting temperature increase and climate change in a country like Iran,...