The benefits of the Kyoto Protocol to developing countries

The Kyoto Protocol relies on incentive-based regulations layered underneath a global cap on net emissions of greenhouse gases. Within the Kyoto Protocol are opportunities and constraints for signatory nations. Of concern to developing nations are the constraints the Kyoto Protocol could place on future growth. We examine the constraints and the opportunities offered to developing countries within the Kyoto Protocol. By identifying the potential costs and benefits the Kyoto Protocol has to offer to developing countries and by examining the incentives each create, we hope to spark serious investigations into ways to minimize the potential costs of entering the Kyoto Protocol and take full advantage of the potential benefits.

Strain-related physiological and behavioral effects of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Skeletonema marinoi</Emphasis> on three common planktonic copepods

Three strains of the chain-forming diatom Skeletonema marinoi, differing in their production of polyunsaturated aldehydes (PUA) and nutritional food components, were used in experiments on feeding, egg production, hatching success, pellet production, and behavior of three common planktonic copepods: Acartia tonsa, Pseudocalanus elongatus, and Temora longicornis. The three different diatom strains (9B, 1G, and 7J) induced widely different effects on Acartia tonsa physiology, and the 9B strain induced different effects for the three copepods. In contrast, different strains induced no or small alterations in the distribution, swimming behavior, and turning frequency of the copepods. 22:6(n-3) fatty acid (DHA) and sterol content of the diet typically showed a positive effect on either egg production (A. tonsa) or hatching success (P. elongatus), while other measured compounds (PUA, other long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids) of the algae had no obvious effects. Our results demonstrate that differences between strains of a given diatom species can generate effects on copepod physiology, which are as large as those induced by different algae species or groups. This emphasizes the need to identify the specific characteristics of local diatoms together with the interacting effects of different mineral, biochemical, and toxic compounds and their potential implications on different copepod species.     

The concentration and probabilistic risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in fillets of silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus): A global systematic review and meta-analysis

The contamination of fish type products such as silver pomfret fish fillets by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) has raised global health concerns. Related studies regarding the concentration of PTEs in fillets of silver pomfret fish were retrieved among some international databases such as Scopus, PubMed and Embase between 1 January 1983 and 10 March 2020. The pooled (mean) concentration of PTEs in fillets of silver pomfret fish was meta-analyzed with the aid of a random-effect model (REM). Also, the non-carcinogenic risk was estimated via calculating the 95th percentile of the total target hazard quotient (TTHQ). The meta-analysis of 21 articles (containing 25 studies or data reports) indicated that the ranking of PTEs in fillets of silver pomfret fish was Fe (11,414.81 µg/kg wet weight, ww) > Zn (6055.72 µg/kg ww) > Cr (1825.79 µg/kg ww) > Pb (1486.44 µg/kg ww) > Se (1053.47 µg/kg ww) > Cd (992.50 µg/kg ww) > Ni (745.23 µg/kg ww) > Cu (669.71 µg/kg ww) > total As (408.24 µg/kg ww) > Co (87.03 µg/kg ww) > methyl Hg (46.58 µg/kg ww). The rank order of health risk assessment by country based on the TTHQ for adult consumers was Malaysia (2.500) > Bangladesh (0.886) > Iran (0.144) > China (0.045) > Pakistan (0.020) > India (0.015), while the corresponding values for child consumers was Malaysia (11.790) > Bangladesh (4.146) > Iran (0.675) > China (0.206) > Pakistan (0.096) > India (0.077). The adult consumers in Malaysia and children in Malaysia and Bangladesh were at considerable non-carcinogenic risk. Therefore, following the recommended control plans in order to reduce the health risk associated with the ingestion of PTEs via consumption of silver pomfret fish fillets is crucial.     

Construction,renovation, and demolition waste in landfill: a review of waste characteristics,environmental impacts,and mitigation measures

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - With the increase in global population, industrialization, and urbanization, waste from construction, renovation, and demolition (CRD) activities has...     

Field effectiveness evaluation of advanced driver assistance systems

Abstract

Objective: Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are a class of vehicle technologies designed to increase safety by providing drivers with timely warnings and autonomously intervening to avoid hazardous situations. Though laboratory testing suggests that ADAS technologies will greatly impact crash involvement rates, real-world evidence that characterizes their effectiveness is still limited. This study evaluates and quantifies the association of ADAS technologies with the likelihood of a moderate or severe crash for new-model BMWs in the United States.

Methods: Vehicle ADAS option information for the cohort of model year 2014 and later BMW passenger vehicles sold after January 1, 2014 (n?=?1,063,503), was coded using VIN-identified options data. ADAS technologies of interest include frontal collision warning with autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, and blind spot detection. BMW Automated Crash Notification system data (from January 2014 to November 2017) were merged with vehicle data by VIN to identify crashed vehicles (n?=?15,507), including date, crash severity (delta V), and area of impact. Using Cox proportional hazards regression modeling, the study calculates the adjusted hazard ratio for crashing among BMW passenger vehicles with versus without ADAS technologies. The adjusted percentage reduction in moderate and severe crashes associated with ADAS is interpreted as one minus the hazard ratio.

Results: Vehicles equipped with both autonomous emergency braking and lane departure warning were 23% less likely to crash than those not equipped (hazard ratio [HR]?=?0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73–0.81), controlling for model year, vehicle size and body type. Autonomous emergency braking and lane departure warning generally occur together, making it difficult to tease apart their individual effects. Blind spot detection was associated with a 14% reduction in crashes after controlling for the presence of autonomous emergency braking and lane departure warning (HR =0.86; 95% CI, 0.744–0.99). Differences were observed by vehicle type and crash type. The combined effect of autonomous emergency braking and lane departure warning was greater in newer model vehicles: Equipped vehicles were 13% less likely to crash (HR =0.87; 95% CI, 0.79–0.95) among 2014 model year vehicles versus 34% less likely to crash (HR =0.66; 95% CI, 0.57–0.77) among 2017 model year vehicles.

Conclusion: This robust cohort study contributes to the growing evidence on the effectiveness of ADAS technologies.     

High CO2 adsorption on improved ZSM-5 zeolite porous structure modified with ethylenediamine and desorption characteristics with microwave

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Synthesized zeolite Socony Mobil-5 (ZSM-5) with large pore surface structures and modified with ethylenediamine were used to achieve high CO2...     

Convergence in carbon dioxide emissions and the role of growth and institutions: a parametric and non-parametric analysis

Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - This paper examines convergence of per capita carbon dioxide (CO2) emission for a panel of 124 countries taking into account the impact of economic...     

In situ stabilization of trace metals in a copper-contaminated soil using P-spiked Linz-Donawitz slag

Purpose  

A former wood exploitation revealing high Cu and As concentration of the soils served as a case study for assisted phytoextraction.     

Optimization of membrane-based CO2-removal from natural gas using simple models considering both pressure and temperature effects

Simple models for permeability and selectivity variations of the CO₂/CH₄ system in 6FDA-2,6-DAT membrane have been derived that include both temperature and pressure effects simultaneously in a single equation. The proposed models were used in MATLAB, for a membrane-based CO₂-removal process design for natural gas sweetening. The effects of the following factors on design parameters were examined: feed temperature, feed pressure and permeate pressure. The effect of permeate pressure was found to be very significant in the optimization process. In order to reduce hydrocarbon losses to below 2%, a two-stage membrane process was modeled and simulated in MATLAB, and the extent of desired hydrocarbon recovery was shown to be crucial in the optimization process. It has also been shown that there exist minima for the total required area of the two-stage membrane-based process, and as the CO₂ load increases in the feed, the position of these minima shift to higher values of methane loss.     

Anthropogenic impacts on heavy metal concentrations in the coastal sediments of Dumai, Indonesia

Concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni and Fe were determined in the surface sediments to investigate the distributions, concentrations and the pollution status of heavy metals in Dumai coastal waters. Sediment samples from 23 stations, representing 5 different site groups of eastern, central and western Dumai and southern and northern Rupat Island, were collected in May 2005. The results showed that heavy metal concentrations (in microg/g dry weight; Fe in %) were 0.88 (0.46-1.89); 6.08 (1.61-13.84); 32.34 (14.63-84.90); 53.89 (31.49-87.11); 11.48 (7.26-19.97) and 3.01 (2.10-3.92) for Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni and Fe, respectively. Generally, metal concentrations in the coastal sediments near Dumai city center (eastern and central Dumai) which have more anthropogenic activities were higher than those at other stations. Average concentration of Cd in the eastern Dumai was slightly higher than effective range low (ERL) but still below effective range medium (ERM) value established by Long et al. (Environmental Management 19(1):81-97, 1995; Environmental Toxicology Chemistry 17(4):714-727, 1997). All other metals were still below ERL and ERM. Calculated enrichment factor (EF), especially for Cd and Pb, and the Pollution load index (PLI) value in the eastern Dumai were also higher than other sites. Cd showed higher EF when compared to other metals. Geo-accumulation indices (I(geo)) in most of the stations (all site groups) were categorized as class 1 (unpolluted to moderately polluted environment) and only Cd in Cargo Port was in class 2 (moderately polluted). Heavy metal concentrations found in the present study were comparable to other regions of the world and based on the calculated indices it can be classified as unpolluted to moderately polluted coastal environment.