Environmental concerns and switching toward electric vehicles: geographic and institutional perspectives

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Smog pollution deteriorates environmental quality and has severe health risks. This affects the daily lives of people in China, particularly in urban...     

The potential of cost-effective coconut husk for the removal of toxic metal ions for environmental protection

Coconut (Cocos nucifera) husk, an agricultural waste, has been thoroughly investigated for the removal of toxic Cd(II), Cr(III) and Hg(II) ions from aqueous media. The parameters like nature and composition of electrolyte, concentration of toxic ions, dosage of coconut husk, and equilibration time between the two phases were optimized for their maximum accumulation onto the solid surface. The effect of common ions on the uptake of metal ions has been monitored under optimal conditions. The variation of retention of each metal ion with temperature was used to compute the thermodynamic quantities DeltaH, DeltaS and DeltaG. The values 18.1+/-0.6 kJmol(-1), 74+/-2 Jmol(-1)K(-1), and -3.8+/-0.04 kJmol(-1) at 298 K; 10.8+/-0.8 kJmol(-1), 48.8+/-2.7 Jmol(-1)K(-1), and -4.6+/-0.3 kJmol(-1) at 298 K; and -37.4+/-2k Jmol(-1), 105+/-7 Jmol(-1)K(-1) and -2.58+/-0.5 kJmol(-1) at 298 K were obtained for Cd(II), Cr(III) and Hg(II) ions, respectively. The sorption data were analysed by applying different sorption isotherms. The sorption capacity and energy were evaluated for each metal ion. The values of the Freundlich constants 1/n and C(m) were 0.92+/-0.04 and 52.6+/-22.2 mmolg(-1); 0.85+/-0.05 and 56.0+/-0.03 mmolg(-1); and 0.88+/-0.03 and 6.84+/-0.45 mmolg(-1) for Cd(II) Cr(III) and Hg(II) ions, respectively. Similarly, the Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) constants beta, X(m,) and E were evaluated for the three metal ions. To check the selectivity of the sorbent, sorption of a number of elements was measured under similar conditions. Separation of Zn(II) from Cd(II); Cr(III) from I(I), Zr(IV), Se(IV), and Hg(II) from Se(IV) and Zn(II) can be achieved using this sorbent. This cheap material has potential applications in analytical chemistry, water decontamination, industrial effluent treatment and in pollution abatement.     

Airborne foliar transfer of particular metals in Lactuca sativa L.: translocation,phytotoxicity, and bioaccessibility

The uptake, translocation, and human bioaccessibility of metals originating from atmospheric fine particulate matters (PM) after foliar exposure is not well understood. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) plants were exposed to micronic PbO, CuO, and CdO particulate matters (PMs) by the foliar pathway and mature plants (6 weeks old) were analyzed in terms of: (1) metal accumulation and localization on plant leaf surface, and metal translocation factor (TF) and global enrichment factor (GEF) in the plants; (2) shoot growth, plant dry weight (DW), net photosynthesis (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), and fatty acid ratio; (3) metal bioaccessibility in the plants and soil; and (4) the hazard quotient (HQ) associated with consumption of contaminated plants. Substantial levels of metals were observed in the directly exposed edible leaves and newly formed leaves of lettuce, highlighting both the possible metal transfers throughout the plant and the potential for human exposure after plant ingestion. No significant changes were observed in plant biomass after exposure to PbO, CuO, and CdO-PMs. The Gs and fatty acid ratio were increased in leaves after metal exposure. A dilution effect after foliar uptake was suggested which could alleviate metal phytotoxicity to some degree. However, plant shoot growth and Pn were inhibited when the plants are exposed to PbO, and necrosis enriched with Cd was observed on the leaf surface. Gastric bioaccessibility of plant leaves is ranked: Cd?>?Cu?>?Pb. Our results highlight a serious health risk of PbO, CuO, and CdO-PMs associated with consumption of vegetables exposed to these metals, even in newly formed leaves in the case of PbO and CdO exposure. Finally, the study highlights the fate and toxicity of metal rich-PMs, especially in the highly populated urban areas which are increasingly cultivated to promote local food.

     

Comparative effect of organic amendments on physio-biochemical traits of young and old bean leaves grown under cadmium stress: a multivariate analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The current study investigated the influence of organic amendments on cadmium (Cd) uptake and its effects on biochemical attributes of young and old...     

Composting of municipal solid waste by different methods improved the growth of vegetables and reduced the health risks of cadmium and lead

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Reutilization of putrescible municipal solid wastes (MSW) in agriculture can provide valuable plant nutrients. However, it may pose serious...     

A study on the factor market distortion and the carbon emission scale effect of two-way FDI

Based on the data of 30 Chinese provinces for the period from 2004 to 2015, this paper expounds the carbon emissions effect of two-way foreign direct investment (FDI) from the perspective of scale effect and factor market distortions. This study uses Kaya identity to decompose carbon emission and construct simultaneous equations model to empirically examine the factor market distortion and the carbon emission scale effect of two-way FDI. The results show that the inward foreign direct investment (IFDI) increase regional carbon emission through scale effect and also exacerbates factor market distortion in China, whereas the outward FDI trends reduce carbon emission and reduces factor market distortions in China. The study also shows that human capital, research and development (R&D), trade openness, and capital accumulation are important determinants of two-way FDI. Therefore, the study proposes that IFDI policies should focus on acquiring green technologies. In addition, the domestic enterprises should be encouraged to participate in global business.     

Renewable energy in Australia: a wider policy discourse

ABSTRACT

This paper assesses the evolution of generation technology-mix in Australia, with specific emphasis on understanding how such evolution has been shaped by wider political and socio-economic influences. This assessment is predicated on the argument that the contemporary, quintessentially techno-economic, policy discourse on renewable energy is deficient, as it ignores climacteric political and socio-economic influences on generation technology-mix. The methodological framework employed in this paper is informed by the core tenets of technological change theory. The assessment suggests that generation technology-mix in Australia has historically been overwhelmingly influenced by the underlying technological paradigm of the electricity industry; and that this technological paradigm essentially draws its imprimatur from the wider political and socio-economic contexts. By implication, it suggests that a rapid uptake of renewables will have widespread ramifications, extending into political, socio-economic and cultural realms of a society. Clearly, existing policy discourse – that tends to focus on technical potentials, cost competitiveness, externalities and risks of various renewable technologies – is deficient. A much broader discourse is needed. This paper also made an attempt to develop a basis for such a discourse by reviewing broader aspects of the Australian society that would be affected by a rapid uptake of renewables.     

A quantitative water resource planning and management model for an industrial park level

This paper introduces an integrated water management model at the industrial park level. It suggests four approaches to water management: first, direct water reuse among users; second, water reuse among users by blending with freshwater; third, water reuse between users and a wastewater treatment plant; and fourth, groundwater recharge by reclaimed wastewater or other feasible applications in order to optimize the overall water efficiency. The model results in a comprehensive management methodology for optimizing water resources within an industrial park, seeking potential water reuse among industries, and incorporating the size and cost of reclaimed wastewater delivery systems. A case study is employed to test the model’s feasibility. An economic analysis of the optimized water use network is also carried out, showing the potential water and cost savings.     

Energy use,blue water footprint,and greenhouse gas emissions for current food consumption patterns and dietary recommendations in the US

This article measures the changes in energy use, blue water footprint, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with shifting from current US food consumption patterns to three dietary scenarios, which are based, in part, on the 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines (US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Health and Human Services in Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, 7th edn, US Government Printing Office, Washington, 2010). Amidst the current overweight and obesity epidemic in the USA, the Dietary Guidelines provide food and beverage recommendations that are intended to help individuals achieve and maintain healthy weight. The three dietary scenarios we examine include (1) reducing Caloric intake levels to achieve “normal” weight without shifting food mix, (2) switching current food mix to USDA recommended food patterns, without reducing Caloric intake, and (3) reducing Caloric intake levels and shifting current food mix to USDA recommended food patterns, which support healthy weight. This study finds that shifting from the current US diet to dietary Scenario 1 decreases energy use, blue water footprint, and GHG emissions by around 9 %, while shifting to dietary Scenario 2 increases energy use by 43 %, blue water footprint by 16 %, and GHG emissions by 11 %. Shifting to dietary Scenario 3, which accounts for both reduced Caloric intake and a shift to the USDA recommended food mix, increases energy use by 38 %, blue water footprint by 10 %, and GHG emissions by 6 %. These perhaps counterintuitive results are primarily due to USDA recommendations for greater Caloric intake of fruits, vegetables, dairy, and fish/seafood, which have relatively high resource use and emissions per Calorie.     

Policy evaluation of vehicle exhaust standards in Japan from 1995 to 2005 based on two human health risk indices for air pollution and global warming

Measures for vehicle exhaust emissions aimed at reducing either air pollution or global warming could have counterproductive effects on one another. Increasing diesel passenger vehicles, which generally have lower CO₂ emissions than gasoline counterparts, leads to increasing particulate matter (PM) emissions, while gasoline has lower PM emissions than diesel. It is said that stringent limits on PM emission factors discourages improved CO₂ emission factors. Without including both effects in a risk evaluation, one cannot evaluate whether the total risk is reduced or not. Hence, we evaluated representative exhaust emission measures based on risk evaluation for both air pollution and global warming. Considering consumer choice between diesel and gasoline passenger vehicles and emissions standards adopted in Japan from 1995 to 2005, we built five cases for vehicle policy evaluation. For each case, we estimated disability-adjusted life years (DALY) as an index of human health risk caused by lung cancer linked to inhalation exposure of elemental carbon in PM as well as due to global warming linked to CO₂. The results of our risk evaluation reveal that the case adopting the 2005 new long-term Japanese emission standard reduces the human health risk caused by lung cancer due to air pollution by 0.6 × 10³ DALY, but would increase the risk due to global warming by 31.9 × 10³ DALY compared with the case of adopting EURO 4, for the same conditions of passenger vehicle choice from 1995. These results suggest that the characteristics of Japanese emissions standards are mainly designed to reduce air pollution.