Sustainability at the Local Scale: Defining Highly Aggregated Indices for Assessing Environmental Performance. The Province of Reggio Emilia (Italy) as a Case Study

In order to achieve improved sustainability, local authorities need to use tools that adequately describe and synthesize environmental information. This article illustrates a methodological approach that organizes a wide suite of environmental indicators into few aggregated indices, making use of correlation, principal component analysis, and fuzzy sets. Furthermore, a weighting system, which includes stakeholders’ priorities and ambitions, is applied. As a case study, the described methodology is applied to the Reggio Emilia Province in Italy, by considering environmental information from 45 municipalities. Principal component analysis is used to condense an initial set of 19 indicators into 6 fundamental dimensions that highlight patterns of environmental conditions at the provincial scale. These dimensions are further aggregated in two indices of environmental performance through fuzzy sets. The simple form of these indices makes them particularly suitable for public communication, as they condensate a wide set of heterogeneous indicators. The main outcomes of the analysis and the potential applications of the method are discussed.     

Species composition and soil erosion on a ski area in Hokkaido,northern Japan

In 1986 and 1987, a study on factors governing revegetation on ski grounds was conducted at Teine ski ground (built in 1971) located near the city of Sapporo in northern Japan. Soil movement, slope gradient, distance from forest edge, vegetation cover, and number of species on the ski ground were examined. Although artificial sowing of exotic plants was undertaken in the whole ground surface at the time of opening, bare land occurred in ca. 50% of surveyed plots and the ski ground was mostly covered with native plants. The number of species was positively correlated to vegetation cover, which was low in the sites where intensive soil erosions occurred in winter. A principal component analysis of plant species distinguished three major groups of factors, i.e., vegetation cover (first axis, contribution rate 30.3%), soil erosion in winter and slope gradient (second, 23.1%), and distance from forest edge (third, 16.3%). The vegetation characteristics on the ski ground were not determined by a single environmental gradient but by the combination of factors described above. In particular, soil movements, which are mostly derived from snowmelt, are considered to be the initiator of vegetation changes.     

赣江流域丘陵山区资源经济结构梯度的数量分析

本文应用主成分分析方法(PCA)对赣江流域丘陵山区县级系统的资源经济结构梯度进行了分析。根据35个县市资源和经济结构变量资料分析表明,各县市之间的系统差异主要由气候条件、土壤成分、农业集约化经营水平及城市化程度所决定;这些决定因素在地理空间分布上存在着一定的连续性,并呈梯度变化:即资源结构以吉泰盆地为中心向南、西、北方向辐射;地形和地势由河谷平原向低丘、高丘、低山和中山过渡;生产经济结构类型也由盆地的单纯种植业型向农牧型、农牧副型、多种经营型和山地林业型变化。据此可把该流域丘陵山区分为上游山区和上游南部丘陵区、中游南部丘陵区和西部山区、北部丘陵区及下游丘陵区6大区。最后根据资源经济结构梯度和分区结果提出本流域丘陵山区的资源开发战略方向为以浙赣铁路线上的下游丘陵区和以赣州市为依托的上游北部丘陵区为中心向中游的吉泰盆地和西部山区及上游的南部山区定向开发。     

土壤里的微量元素与土壤肥力变异因子关系分析

运用主成分分析选取土壤肥力变异因子。三个主成分的累积贡献率达85．21％，分别命名为：有机质因子、酸碱度因子、质地因子。将各样品的主成分因子得分作为自变量．土壤微量元素含量作为因变量，进行逐步回归分析，得到回归方程。根据方程的回归系数大小可以评价各肥力变异因子对土壤微量元素累积和迁移的作用大小。     

江苏近岸海域水环境质量状况及主要污染因子研究

采用主成分分析法对2004～2007年江苏近岸海域的水质污染进行了分析研究,从众多的污染因子中提取出水质污染的5个主要因子,并利用测点排序分析江苏省近岸海域水环境质量变化情况.研究结果表明:(1)5个主成分因子累计可解释总方差的76.55%,主成分F1因子中,无机氮(DIN)、硝酸盐氮(NO3--N)、锌(Zn)、化学需氧量(COD)、活性磷酸盐(PO43--P)有较高的载荷值,可认为是N污染因素、生活污水污染的综合;主成分F2因子中,汞(Hg)、石油类(OIL)有较高的载荷值,代表了石化废水污染;主成分F3中,铅(Pb)、铜(Cu)、镉(Cd)的载荷值较高,代表了海域的重金属Pb,Cu,Cd污染因素;主成分F4因子中,亚硝酸盐氮(NO2--N)、溶解氧(DO)的载荷值较高,代表了N污染因素;主成分F5因子中,仅pH值的载荷值较高,其实际意义不明显.(2)2004～2007年,江苏近岸海域水环境质量有所改善.     

南宁市土壤中正构烷烃的污染特征及来源解析

为研究南宁市土壤中正构烷烃的赋存情况以及来源,于2021年6月在南宁市内采集了48个土壤样品,采用气相色谱质谱法(GC-MS)对表层土壤中正构烷烃的质量分数进行了测定。结果表明,正构烷烃碳链长度范围为C12—C35,∑24正构烷烃的质量分数为3.93~131.02μg/g,其中C31质量分数最高,C22以上的高碳正构烷烃具有明显的奇偶优势,体现了典型的高等植物来源的特点。碳优势指数等参数分析结果表明,土壤中的正构烷烃主要来自陆地高等植物且总体上木本植物>草本植物,少部分可能存在石油污染。主成分分析(PCA)结果表明,C29—C35具有同源性,主要受植物叶蜡影响(41.36%),C24和C25主要来自水生植物(27.88%),C16和C18可能是细菌和石油化合物排放共同影响的结果(21.49%)。根据主成分分析中样品的贡献权重得出,可能存在石油化合物输入的土壤63.6%来自耕地,27.3%来自林地,9.1%来自园地,研究区土壤中正构烷烃的主要人为排放源可能受到农业机械排放以及靠近道路周边受交通排放的影响。     

Multivariate toxicity profiles and QSAR modeling of non-dioxin-like PCBs--an investigation of in vitro screening data from ultra-pure congeners

The non-dioxin-like PCBs (NDL-PCBs) found in food and human samples have a complex spectrum of adverse effects, but lack a detailed risk assessment. The toxicity profiles of 21 carefully selected PCBs (19 NDL-PCBs) were identified by in vitro screening in 17 different assays on specific endpoints related to neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption and tumor promotion. To ensure that the test results were not affected by polychlorinated dioxins, dibenzofurans or DL-PCB contaminants, the NDL-PCB congeners were thoroughly purified before testing. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to derive general toxicity profiles from the in vitro screening data. The toxicity profiles indicated different structure-activity relationships (SAR) and distinct mechanisms of action. The analysis also indicated that the NDL-PCBs could be divided into two groups. The first group included generally smaller, ortho-substituted congeners, comprising PCB 28, 47, 51, 52, 53, 95, 100, 101, 104 and 136, with PCB 95, 101 and 136 as generally being most active. The second group comprising PCB 19, 74, 118, 122, 128, 138, 153, 170, 180 and 190 had lower biological activity in many of the assays, except for three endocrine-related assays. The most abundant congeners, PCB 138, 153, 170, 180 and 190, cluster in the second group, and thereby show similar SAR. Two quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models could be developed that added information to the SAR and could aid in risk assessments of NDL-PCBs. The QSAR models predicted a number of congeners as active and among these e.g., PCB 18, 25, 45 and 49 have been found in food or human samples.     

Exposure to hazardous air pollutants along Oba Akran road, Lagos-Nigeria

We measured toxic air pollutants along Oba Akran road in Lagos to evaluate pedestrian exposure. PM₁₀, CO, O₃, NO₂, SO₂, CH₄, noise, wind velocity and temperature were measured simultaneously with portable analyzers. Our results showed that pedestrian exposure to PM₁₀ (with an average of 274.6 μg m⁻³ for all samples) and CO (with an average of 19.27 ppm for all samples) was relatively high. CO is a traffic-related pollutant, so the influence of the local traffic emissions on CO levels is strong. The high concentration of the PM₁₀ measured at the three environments also suggests that the traffic is a major source of ultrafine particles. The overall average concentrations for the 72-day experimental period for SO₂, NO₂ and O₃ are 101.2, 62.5 and 0.32 ppb respectively, all of which are below the US national ambient air quality standards. Strong traffic impacts can be observed from the concentrations of some of these pollutants measured in these three environments. Most clear is a reflection of diesel truck traffic activity rich in black carbon concentrations. The diurnal variation of O₃ and NO₂ also showed that NO₂ was depleted by photochemically formed O₃ during the day and replenished at night as O₃ was destroyed. A multivariate statistical analysis (Principal Component Analysis, Factor Analysis) has been applied to a set of data in order to determine the contribution of different sources. It was found that the main principal components, extracted from the air pollution data, were related to gasoline combustion, oil combustion and ozone interactions.     

A field survey—Staroe lake suffering from atmospheric deposition in the region north of the Arctic Circle

Background, aim, and scope  The Arctic holds large stores of minerals, and extracted materials are provided to the world’s economy; in this sense, the Arctic issue associated with mining is not local but global. In a part of the Arctic region (the Kola Peninsula, 66–70° N and 28–41° E), metal levels are generally elevated in the lake sediment. There is a question as to what results in elevated metal levels—a natural process (naturally abundant minerals) or an anthropogenic process (mining and metallurgy). In terms of solving this question, Staroe lake located on the Kola Peninsula was researched as a case study. Materials and methods  The following parameters were determined in relation with Staroe lake: (1) the current quality of the lake’s water—each 1,000-ml sample was collected at a surface point and a deep point (near the bottom layer), and the collected samples were directly analyzed after filtration; (2) atmospheric bulk deposition—bulk deposition was collected using a set of three rainwater samplers near the lake. In addition, bulk deposition was collected in a background site (250 km to the southwest of the smelter complex) as a reference; and (3) sediment profile (plus principal component analysis)—lake-bottom sediment was collected by an open-gravimetric column sampler equipped with an automatic diaphragm. After collection, the sample columns were cut at a 1-cm interval for analysis. Eigenvalues and variances by factor were calculated from the correlation coefficients. Results  The obtained data show that (1) naturally poor elements (Cu, Ni, Si, and SO₄ ²⁻) dominantly influence the lake’s water quality; (2) they are transported from the anthropogenic sources to the study lake through the atmospheric pathway; (3) mainly the contents of Cu, Ni, Sr, and Ca have influenced the sediment quality since the 1950s, corresponding to the industrial movement; and (4) Cu, Ni, and Sr originate from an anthropogenic source (smelter), and Ca originates from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Discussion  As compared with the Russian standard (San Pin 2.1.980–00), the contents of NO₃ ⁻ (50.3 ± 0.1 mg l⁻¹) and particulates (2.3 ± 0.2 mg l⁻¹) exceeded the standard levels (0.7 mg l⁻¹ NO₃ ⁻ and 45 mg l⁻¹ particulates); Staroe lake may be slightly contaminated. However, the contamination factor (comparison with the background data) implies that Staroe lake is considerably contaminated. There is a strong possibility that fine overburden detritus (<0.1 mm diameter) may be transported from an open pit to the study lake by natural forces such as wind. Although it is difficult to suppose that one factor dominantly affects the sediment quality, it follows from a factor analysis that factors 1 and 2 account for about 70% of the total variance: Factor 1 is the most dominant, and factor 2 is the second most dominant in the variability of sediment quality. It is considered that Cu, Sr, and Ni in factor 1 originate from anthropogenic sources because they are poor in sediment rocks. Conclusions  The field survey conducted in Staroe lake can give the following answers to the key objectives: (1) The present water quality is affected by Cu, Ni, Si, and SO₄ ²⁻ in light of the contamination factor, and these elements originate from anthropogenic sources (the smelter and the open pit) and are transported to the lake through the atmospheric pathway; (2) the sediment profile and statistic analysis show that the lake quality has been influenced by deposition of metals since the 1950s; and (3) Cu, Ni, Sr, and Ca have influenced the sediment quality in light of the most dominant factor—Cu, Ni, and Sr originate from an anthropogenic source, whereas Ca comes from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Recommendations and perspectives  The presented lake survey shows that the dispersion of human-related pollutants via the atmospheric pathway takes place in the Arctic region. If the current pollution continues without countermeasures, the high-latitude environment may lose its original characteristics; hence, this subject is important when considering how to implement a wide range of environmental protection measures in the Arctic.