The effect of fiscal decentralization,environmental regulation,and economic development on haze pollution: empirical evidence for 270 Chinese cities during 2007–2016

The current discourse addresses fiscal issues, financial decentralization, and environmental quality and significantly affects economic development and sustainability. This investigation aims to address the research gap in fiscal decentralization and haze pollution for innovation and sustainable growth. This study uses the annual data of 270 Chinese cities from 2007 to 2016 for comprehensive analysis and employs spatial regression methods. The key findings imply that haze pollution in neighbouring cities causes further ecological issues. While the environmental regulations of China tend to have negative impacts on pollution, fiscal decentralization was found to be a key contributor to environmental pollution in Chinese cities. Overall, the study supports the validity of the pollution refuge hypothesis in China. Lastly, the conclusions allow us to conclude that China might need micro-level reforms regarding fiscal decentralization, environmental tax laws, and encouragement of cleaner production technologies.

     

Fate of selected pharmaceuticals in hospital and municipal wastewater effluent: occurrence,removal, and environmental risk assessment

The concentrations and distribution of β-blockers, lipid regulators, and psychiatric and cancer drugs in the influent and effluent of the municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and the effluent of 16 hospitals that discharge into the wastewater treatment plant mentioned in this study at two sampling dates in summer and winter were examined. The pharmaceutical contribution of hospitals to municipal wastewater was determined. The removal of target pharmaceuticals was evaluated in a WWTP consisting of conventional biological treatment using activated sludge. Additionally, the potential environmental risk for the aquatic receiving environments (salt lake) was assessed. Beta-blockers and psychiatric drugs were detected in high concentrations in the wastewater samples. Atenolol (919 ng/L) from β-blockers and carbamazepine (7008 ng/L) from psychiatric pharmaceuticals were detected at the highest concentrations in hospital wastewater. The total pharmaceutical concentration determined at the WWTP influent and effluent was between 335 and 737 ng/L in summer and between 174 and 226 ng/L in winter. The concentrations detected in hospital effluents are higher than the concentrations detected in WWTP. The total pharmaceutical contributions from hospitals to the WWTP in summer and winter were determined to be 2% and 4%, respectively. Total pharmaceutical removal in the WWTP ranged from 23 to 54%. According to the risk ratios, atenolol could pose a high risk (risk quotient > 10) for fish in summer and winter. There are different reasons for the increase in pharmaceutical consumption in recent years. One of these reasons is the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been going on for 2 years. In particular, hospitals were operated at full capacity during the pandemic, and the occurrence and concentration of pharmaceuticals used for the therapy of COVID-19 patients has increased in hospital effluent. Pandemic conditions have increased the tendency of people to use psychiatric drugs. It is thought that beta-blocker consumption has increased due to cardiovascular diseases caused by COVID-19. Therefore, the environmental risk of pharmaceuticals for aquatic organisms in hospital effluent should be monitored and evaluated.

     

Evaluation of ecological risk,source, and spatial distribution of some heavy metals in marine sediments in the Middle and Eastern Black Sea region,Turkey

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In the present study, the concentration levels of heavy metals such as Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cr, and Pb in sediment samples collected from 16 sampling...     

The risk estimation and assessment of heavy metal exposure by biomonitoring in the breast milk of mothers in the Cukurova Region,Turkey

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Toxic heavy metals released into the environment through various industrial processes have potential adverse effects on the environment and human...     

UV/H2O2降解水中硝基酚及影响因素

UV H2 O2 氧化对硝基酚实验表明 ,H2 O2 光解产生·OH自由基是对硝基酚降解的直接原因 ,12min内 2 5mg L的对硝基酚去除率达到98%以上。溶液中TOC变化与对硝基酚的去除并不同步 ,说明对硝基酚的降解中生成了一系列的中间产物 ,然后再达到完全矿化的。体系中H2 O2 浓度变化显示产生的中间产物对H2 O2 光解没有明显影响。研究中还对对硝基酚起始质量浓度、H2 O2 浓度及pH影响进行了考察。研究认为UV H2 O2 是对硝基酚脱毒的一种有效方法     

九龙江河口湾区冬季海水二甲基硫浓度的分布特征

以九龙江河口湾区为研究区域探寻受人为干扰严重的河口湾区DMS排放规律.2001年冬季采样调查发现在九龙江河口和湾口区叶绿素、盐度和营养盐等环境因子呈现出区域差异,海水DMS也存在明显的空间分布特征,平均浓度分别为101.0和242.1 ng·L^-1.随着海水盐度从低到高,DMS浓度出现先降低后升高的现象,DMS高值出现在九龙江最大浑浊带的河口峰面处.     

Effects of thermal barrier coating on the performance and combustion characteristics of a diesel engine fueled with biodiesel produced from waste frying cottonseed oil and ultra-low sulfur diesel

In this study, the top surfaces of piston and valves of a four-strokes and direct-injection diesel engine have been coated—with no change in the compression ratio—with a 100 μm of NiCrAl lining layer via plasma spray method and this layer has later been coated with main coating material with a mixture of 88% of ZrO₂, 4% of MgO and 8% of Al₂O₃ (400 μm). Then, after the engine-coating process, ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) as base fuels and its blend with used frying cottonseed oil derived biodiesel in proportion of 20%, volumetrically, have been tested in the coated engine and data of combustion and performance characteristics on full load and at different speeds have been noted. The results, which were compared with those obtained by uncoated-engine operation, showed that thermal efficiency increased, and engine noise reduced. Cylinder gas pressure values obtained from the diesel engine which has been coated with thermal barriers have been found to be somewhat higher than those of the uncoated-engine. Also, maximum pressure values measured in both engines and under the same experimental conditions through the use of test fuel have been obtained after TDC. Moreover, heat release rate and heat release have occurred earlier in the coated-engine. NOx emissions were increased while CO and HC emissions were remained almost the same with a little bit decrease.     

Interactions between energy consumption,international trade,and real income in Canada: An empirical investigation from a new version of the Solow growth model

This study investigates the empirical relationship between energy consumption, international trade, and real income in Canada which has an important role in global energy and trade. It employs bound tests to level relationships and conditional error correction models through ARDL specification to a new version of the Solow Growth model. Using annual data of the 1960–2010 period, results reveal a long-term relationship between energy consumption, international trade, and real income in Canada. It is also found that energy exporting activity is the determinant (driver) of energy consumption through the channel of real income and energy consumption is the determinant (driver) of exports through the channel of real income in the long term of the Canadian economy. Exports and energy use are the determinants (drivers) of real income in the long term of the Canadian economy; therefore, as conditional Granger causality tests suggest there is feedback relationship between energy consumption, international trade, and real income in the long term of the Canadian economy. The present study suggests that any energy conservation policies are likely to have negative influence on output and international trade in Canada.     

The influence of biomass energy consumption on CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> emissions: a wavelet coherence approach

In terms of today, one may argue, throughout observations from energy literature papers, that (i) one of the main contributors of the global warming is carbon dioxide emissions, (ii) the fossil fuel energy usage greatly contributes to the carbon dioxide emissions, and (iii) the simulations from energy models attract the attention of policy makers to renewable energy as alternative energy source to mitigate the carbon dioxide emissions. Although there appears to be intensive renewable energy works in the related literature regarding renewables’ efficiency/impact on environmental quality, a researcher might still need to follow further studies to review the significance of renewables in the environment since (i) the existing seminal papers employ time series models and/or panel data models or some other statistical observation to detect the role of renewables in the environment and (ii) existing papers consider mostly aggregated renewable energy source rather than examining the major component(s) of aggregated renewables. This paper attempted to examine clearly the impact of biomass on carbon dioxide emissions in detail through time series and frequency analyses. Hence, the paper follows wavelet coherence analyses. The data covers the US monthly observations ranging from 1984:1 to 2015 for the variables of total energy carbon dioxide emissions, biomass energy consumption, coal consumption, petroleum consumption, and natural gas consumption. The paper thus, throughout wavelet coherence and wavelet partial coherence analyses, observes frequency properties as well as time series properties of relevant variables to reveal the possible significant influence of biomass usage on the emissions in the USA in both the short-term and the long-term cycles. The paper also reveals, finally, that the biomass consumption mitigates CO₂ emissions in the long run cycles after the year 2005 in the USA.     

POPs in a major conurbation in Turkey: ambient air concentrations,seasonal variation,inhalation and dermal exposure,and associated carcinogenic risks

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Semi-volatile organic compounds were monitored over a whole year, by collection of gas and particle phases every sixth day at a suburban site in...