Discrete-choice experiments valuing local environmental impacts of renewables: two approaches to a case study in Portugal

Despite the often mentioned environmental benefits associated with transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, their use for electricity production has non-negligible negative environmental impacts. The most commonly mentioned in surveys concern different types of landscape impacts, impacts on the fauna and flora, and noise. These impacts differ by size and location of plants, and by source of energy, rendering the policy decision complex. In addition, there are other welfare issues to take into consideration, as positive and negative environmental impacts are not evenly distributed among population groups. This paper proposes to compare the welfare impacts of renewable energy sources controlling for the type of renewable as well as the specific environmental impact by source. To this end, two discrete-choice experiments are designed and applied to a national sample of the Portuguese population. In one case, only individual negative impacts of renewables are used, and in another case, the negative impacts interact with a specific source. Results show the robustness of discrete-choice experiments as a method to estimate the welfare change induced by the impacts of renewable energy sources. Overall, respondents are willing to pay to reduce the environmental impacts, thus making compensation for local impacts feasible. Moreover, the estimations reveal that respondents are significantly sensitive to the detrimental environmental effects of specific renewable energy sources, being willing to pay more to use these sources of energy relative to others.     

Nitrogen removal performance and bacterial communities in zeolite trickling filter under different influent C/N ratios

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, the degradation performance of nutrients in zeolite trickling filter (ZTF) with different influent C/N ratios and aeration conditions...     

Research progress on the association between environmental pollutants and the resistance mechanism of PARP inhibitors in ovarian cancer

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The occurrence and progression of ovarian cancer are closely related to genetics and environmental pollutants. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)...     

华北农村水环境污染评价及源解析

近年来,国家相继发布多项重要文件要求整治农村人居环境、建设美丽乡村,但当前针对农村水环境问题研究相对较少,制约了农村环境治理工作开展。选取华北某镇农村河道坑塘,评价农村水环境污染水平、生态风险并进行污染溯源。结果表明,57处调查点位中有1处水体黑臭,但有多处调查点位水体溶解氧在2~3 mg∙L⁻¹、透明度在25~35 cm、氨氮在8~15 mg∙L⁻¹,接近黑臭阈值。仅有约9%的水体全部水质指标均能满足地表水V类要求 (检测指标为18项) ,超标指标主要为pH、COD_Mn、BOD、氨氮、总磷、总氮、粪大肠菌群等8项。底泥总磷、总氮标准指数分别处于中度、重度污染状态,营养盐综合指数属于重度污染状态。底泥存在不同程度的重金属富集,铜、锌、汞、镉、铬、铅、砷、镍等8项重金属的平均浓度是天津土壤背景值的0.45~2.73倍。汞的地累积指数平均值为0.64,为轻度污染;铜、锌、镉、铬、铅、砷、镍等其他7项重金属为清洁状态。汞的潜在生态风险指数约110,为较高生态危害;其他7项重金属生态风险指数均小于80,为轻微生态危害。综合Pearson相关性、主成分及PMF分析,研究区重金属最主要的污染来源是交通源和大气沉降,其次是工业源,最后是农业源。总体来看,研究区水体水质较差,沉积物有重金属轻度富集,其中汞是沉积物生态风险的主要贡献元素。     

生物材料治理镉污染研究进展

近年来,生物材料以其经济、有效和无二次污染等特点,在重金属废水处理和土壤修复方面显示出了众多的优势·可替代传统的镉污染处理方法.综述了目前国内外生物材料在处理镉污染方面的研究进展,并对今后应用生物材料治理镉污染提出了一些建议.     

Can we take the pulse of environmental governance the way we take the pulse of nature? Applying the Freshwater Health Index in Latin America

Quantitative assessments have long been used to evaluate the condition of the natural environment, providing information for standard setting, adaptive management, and monitoring. Similar approaches have been developed to measure environmental governance, however, the end result (e.g., numeric indicators) belies the subjective and normative judgments that are involved in evaluating governance. We demonstrate a framework that makes this information transparent, through an application of the Freshwater Health Index in three different river basins in Latin America. Water Governance is measured on a 0–100 scale, using data derived from perception-based surveys administered to stakeholders. Results suggest that water governance is a primary area of concern in all three places, with low overall scores (Guandu-26, Alto Mayo-38, Bogotá-43). We conclude that this approach to measuring governance at the river basin scale provides valuable information to support monitoring and decision making, and we offer suggestions on how it can be improved.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01407-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Innovations strategy for moving from created regional clusters to co-creation in life sciences for health care and well-being ecosystems

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Over the last decades, the demographic changes have all altered the population structure and influenced the social, economic, and political...     

我国典型城市PM_(2.5)空间分布均匀性分析

随着空气质量新标准的实施,从2013年开始我国部分城市先期开展了PM2.5的例行监测,从中选取不同区域的典型城市,分析了PM2.5在环境中的分布情况。分析结果表明:典型城市PM2.5日均值相对标准偏差(RSD)范围为13%~26%,平均值为18%;我国南方城市PM2.5空间分布均匀性优于北方城市,北方城市冬、春季节PM2.5分布的均匀性较差,南方城市夏季PM2.5分布的均匀性较差;PM2.5的空间分布均匀程度与PM10接近,但明显优于其他气态污染物。综合分析认为,目前我国国家监测网内PM2.5监测点位的代表性能够满足城市空气质量监测与评价工作需要。     

表面活性剂强化球形节杆菌修复DDTs污染农田土壤的现场实验

通过田间实验,研究了不同浓度的表面活性剂（SDBS-TW80和RL）对球形节杆菌Arthrobacter globiformis DC-1降解设施农业土壤中DDTs效果的影响。结果表明,SDBS-TW80和RL 均能不同程度地促进球形节杆菌降解农田土壤中DDTs。当SDBS-TW80和RL浓度分别为200和5 mg·kg-1土时,DDTs的降解率达到最高,均为64%左右。DDTs组分分析表明：SDBS-TW80和RL对p,p'-DDE、p,p'-DDT、p,p'-DDD和o,p'-DDT 4种组分均有不同程度的降解,其中毒性最强的p,p'-DDE降解效果最好,最高达75%左右。实验结果证实了利用表面活性剂强化球形节杆菌现场修复DDTs污染土壤的可能性。考虑到修复效率和成本,实际应用中优先选择SDBS-TW80的组合。     

美国排水综合毒性在有毒污染物排放控制中的应用方法与启示

简要介绍了排水综合毒性(whole effluent toxicity,WET)在美国的发展概况和相关技术指南、规范等内容,剖析了WET在美国水中有毒污染物排放控制中的应用方法,主要包括确定适用的WET基准与标准、表征废水特性以评价排水潜在毒性、计算WET排放限值和进行毒性削减评价。美国针对以上每个环节的工作都建立了一套科学的方法体系,为我国开展水中有毒污染物的排放控制管理提供了重要借鉴,即明确排污许可的核心地位,完善我国水中污染物排放控制管理制度;建立基于水环境质量的水污染物排放控制管理体系及方法;加强WET监测研究工作,确定WET用于水中有毒污染物排放控制的方法体系。