There is a growing concern of pesticide risks to human health, natural environment and ecosystems. Many previous economic valuations have accounted health aspects or environmental components, but rarely combined; thus, overall risk assessment is partially distorted. The study, conducted close to the capital of Nepal, addressed the health effects of pesticides on small-scale farmers and evaluated the monetary risks of pesticide use on human health and environmental resources. We also aim to establish the relationships among valuation methods. The paper adopts cost of illness, defensive expenditure and contingent valuation willingness to pay approach. The study concluded that the methods used for valuing pesticide risks to human and environmental health are theoretically consistent. The exposed individuals are likely to bear significant economic costs of exposures depending on geographical location, pesticide use magnitudes and frequency. Individuals are willing to pay between 53 and 79% more than the existing pesticide price to protect their health and environment. The integrated pest management training is less likely to reduce health costs of pesticide exposure, although it leads to higher investment in safety measures. 相似文献
In industrialized countries, the idea of degrowth has emerged as a response to environmental, social, and economic crises.
Realizing environmental limits to and failures of more than half a century of continual economic growth in terms of social
progress and environmental sustainability, the degrowth paradigm calls for a downscaling of consumption and production for
social equity and ecological sustainability. The call for economic degrowth is generally considered to be delimited to rich
countries, where reduced consumption can save “ecological space” enabling people in poor countries to enjoy the benefits of
economic growth. China, as one of the economically most expanding countries in the world, has dramatically improved its living
standards, particularly along the Eastern coast, over the latest 30 years. However, China is absent from the international
debates on growth. This article discusses the implications of the Western degrowth debates for China. Given the distinctive
features of China’s development, the paper aims to enrich the degrowth debates, which have hitherto been dominated by Western
perspectives. Based upon reflections on social, environmental, and moral dimensions of economic growth, the paper argues that
limited natural resources may not continuously support universal affluence at the current level of the rich countries, a level
that China is likely to reach within a few decades. Priority for growth in China should therefore be given to the poor regions
of the country, and future growth should be beneficial to social and environmental development. 相似文献
The World Bank used the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to calculate changes in the world poverty level (measured in U.S. dollars)
prior to 1982. In 1983, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) replaced the CPI with several indices including CPI-W which
was then adopted by the World Bank. This caused the inflated rate of the U.S. dollars and the percentage of the world population
in poverty to be dramatically underestimated. This new incorrect procedure gives 25% (1.5 million) below the poverty line
in 2005, while the more appropriate procedure (described herein) gives 52% (3.3 million in 2005). The rapid rise of the poverty
line (using the preferable CPI) starting in 1987 occurred at nearly the same time as the peak in per capita annual cereal
production. 相似文献
In an interview study conducted among smallholder rice farmers in Rufiji, Tanzania coastal mainland, and in Cheju, Zanzibar, farmer??s pesticide use and risk awareness were assessed. The farmers generally lacked knowledge or possibilities to manage the pesticides as prescribed by the manufacturers. Few farmers knew what kind of pesticides they were using and had never seen the original packages, as pesticides were usually sold per weight or already diluted without labeling. Protective equipment was rarely used since they were not aware of risks associated with pesticides or did not know where to purchase protective gear. Only half of the farmers were aware of pesticides?? health hazards and few associated pesticides with environmental problems. The pesticide use was relatively low, but based on farmers?? pesticide handling and application practices, health risks were a major concern. Most farmers did not believe in successful rice cultivation without using pesticides to control pests. However, estimated yields did not differ between pesticide users or farmers using conventional methods or neem tree extract. To avoid negative effects on human health and the environment, the farmers need basic education and better assistance in their farming practices and pesticide management. 相似文献
More and more coal-fired power plants equipped with seawater flue gas desulfurization systems have been built in coastal areas.
They release large amount of mercury (Hg)-containing waste seawater into the adjacent seas. However, very limited impact studies
have been carried out. Our research targeted the distribution of Hg in the seawater, sediment, biota, and atmosphere, and
its environmental transportation. 相似文献
Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers (??-, ??- and ??- (Lindane)) were recently included as new persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Stockholm Convention, and therefore, the legacy of HCH and Lindane production became a contemporary topic of global relevance. This article wants to briefly summarise the outcomes of the Stockholm Convention process and make an estimation of the amount of HCH waste generated and dumped in the former Lindane/HCH-producing countries.
Results
In a preliminary assessment, the countries and the respective amount of HCH residues stored and deposited from Lindane production are estimated. Between 4 and 7 million tonnes of wastes of toxic, persistent and bioaccumulative residues (largely consisting of alpha- (approx. 80%) and beta-HCH) are estimated to have been produced and discarded around the globe during 60 years of Lindane production. For approximately 1.9 million tonnes, information is available regarding deposition. Countries are: Austria, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Macedonia, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, The Netherlands, UK, USA, and former USSR. The paper highlights the environmental relevance of deposited HCH wastes and the related POPs?? contaminated sites and provides suggestions for further steps to address the challenge of the legacy of HCH/Lindane production.
Conclusion
It can be expected that most locations where HCH waste was discarded/stockpiled are not secured and that critical environmental impacts are resulting from leaching and volatilisation. As parties to the Stockholm Convention are legally required to take action to stop further POPs pollution, identification and evaluation of such sites are necessary. 相似文献
Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol—A (DGEBA)—based epoxy resin was blended in the ratio of 3:1 (weight basis) with cycloaliphatic
epoxy (CAE) resin. The prepared blend sample was further blended with different weight percentages of carboxyl-terminated
butadiene acrylonitrile copolymer (CTBN) ranging between 0 and 25 wt% with an interval of 5 wt% and cured with stiochiometric
amounts of 4, 4’- diamino diphenyl sulphone (DDS) cure agent. Structural changes during blending were studied by Fourier-transform
infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis. The kinetic parameters, viz., order of decomposition reaction (n), activation energy (E), pre-exponential factor (Z) and rate decomposition constant (k), for the decomposition of the samples were calculated by applying Coats-Redfern equation over thermogravimetric (TG) data.
The degradation of each sample followed second-order degradation kinetics, which was calculated by Coats-Redfern equation
using best-fit analysis. This was further confirmed by linear regression analysis. The validity of data was checked by t-test
statistical analysis. Further, the blend sample had higher initial degradation temperature and activation energy than its
respective pure epoxy resin indicating that the CTBN acted as thermal stabilizer for epoxy resin which improved the thermal
stability. 相似文献
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.