A novel lens of stock market capitalization and environmental degradation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This research article examines the impact of stock market capitalization on carbon emissions using forty high carbon-emitting countries from 1996 to...     

Asymmetric macroeconomic determinants of CO2 emission in China and policy approaches

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Since the nonlinear ARDL approach is introduced in advanced econometric, some old relationships are getting new empirical attention. Therefore, we...     

Norm and associated radiation hazards in bricks fabricated in various localities of the North-West Frontier Province (Pakistan).

The activity concentrations of natural gamma-emitting radionuclides and associated radiation hazards due to 40K, 226Ra and 232Th have been measured in baked brick samples, collected from six highly populated areas of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan. For the detection, analysis and data acquisition, a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector coupled with a high resolution multichannel analyser (MCA) was used. The range of the average values of the activity concentrations due to 40K, 226Ra and 232Th were found to be 680.3 +/- 22.2-784.4 +/- 30.7 Bq kg(-1), 36.9 +/- 3.5-51.9 +/- 3.3 Bq kg(-1) and 52.5 +/- 3.6-67.6 +/- 3.1 Bq kg(-1), respectively. Radium equivalent (Ra(eq)) activities and various hazard indices were also calculated to assess the radiation hazards. All the brick samples showed Ra, activities within the limit (370 Bq kg(-1)) set by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. The results of different criterion formulae also complemented each other in this study. The derived data have been compared with the reported values for other countries of the world.     

Soil-Atmosphere exchange of radiatively and chemically active gases

Exchanges between the soils and the atmosphere may control or significantly affect the global budgets of many environmentally important trace gases, both natural and man-made. Flux measurements, taken in several ecosystems, show that soils are a substantial source of chloroform (8 ± 4 μg/m²/d) and a sink for methyl chloride (-10 _-3 ⁺⁶ μg/m²/d). The known sources and sinks of these gases are insufficient to explain the observed concentrations. Our findings will help to balance the global budget of chloroform but may put the budget of methyl chloride further out of balance. We also found, consistent with previous research, that soils are a substantial source of nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide and take up hydrogen and methane. The uptake of man-made chlorocarbons was observed, but the rates are small. Observed fluxes of non-methane hydrocarbons showed few patterns except that soils may be a source of ethane and butane.     

VALUING IRRIGATION WATER IN PUNJAB PROVINCE,PAKISTAN: A LINEAR PROGRAMMING APPROACH1

ABSTRACT: Linear programming models of a representative farm in a district of Pakistan's Punjab Province are formulated for the purpose of estimating the value of irrigation water. The models provide for choices among several irrigation levels for each potential crop. Solutions of the model for several water supply situations provide the basis for approximating the total, average, and marginal values of irrigation water. Prices for important crops in Pakistan are controlled at levels below their levels elsewhere in the world, so models are specified for both financial (domestic price) and economic (world price) scenarios. The value of water to society (its economic value) is high relative to the costs of some generally available water-augmenting investments, while financial values, which measure water management and allocation incentives faced by farmers, are less than the corresponding economic values. At current water supply levels, incremental returns to added water estimated from the economic model would justify investments in water-saving or water-augmenting technologies, while such a decision would be barely attractive assuming financial prices. While present government commodity price policies may serve to protect low-income and non-farm members of the population, they also inhibit farmer investments to increase the productivity of scarce irrigation water.     

Effect of pesticide residues on health and different enzyme levels in the blood of farm workers from Gadap (rural area) Karachi-Pakistan

Persons from 14 different fruit and vegetable farm stations from Gadap (rural area), Karachi-Pakistan were examined for the presence of pesticide (cypermethrin, deltamethrin, polytrin-C, diazinon, monocrotophos, DDT and DDE) residues in their blood samples. The present study is concerned with effects of residue on the enzyme levels (GPT, GOT and ALP) as well as the health hazards of pesticide exposed persons. There is a significant increased in the enzyme levels at different stations. Exposed persons complained about liver and kidney dysfunctions and RTI. It may be concluded that exposure of multiple pesticides for prolonged period has affected the normal functioning of different organ systems and possibly produced characteristics clinical effects such as hepatitis, dyspnea and burning sensation in urine.     

Experimental degradation of oil in permeable sand from the Gulf of Aqaba,Red Sea

Degradation rates of light and heavy oil in permeable carbonate sands from the Gulf of Aqaba were investigated to evaluate the ability of sediments to degrade oil compounds. Silicate sands that are less permeable and different properties from carbonate sands were used for comparison. Estimates of oil degradation rates were based on oxygen consumption rates, calculated by incubating natural carbonate sands with oil. The degradation rates of light oil were twofold higher than those of heavy oil, which may be attributed to the presence of a higher carbon number in heavy oil compared with light oil. Degradation rates of light oil in carbonate sands were twofold higher than in silicate sands. Oil degradation rates calculated using the bottle incubation technique were three- to fourfold higher than rates from chamber incubations, indicating the importance of adequate mixing between oil particles and sediments during degradation processes. This study suggests that permeable sands, through their chemical and physical properties, increase oil biodegradation rates by enhancing flow through sediment particles and positively impacting bioturbation processes.