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In this study, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and stable carbon isotopes (δ13C) were measured in surface intertidal saltmarsh and bare tidal flat sediments along the Rudong coast. The distribution and sources of organic carbon were examined under different depositional environments based on C/N ratios and a two-terminal mixing model. The results showed that the average TOC content of the vegetated saltmarsh sediments, bare tidal flat areas near vegetation (BF1), and bare tidal flat areas far from vegetation (BF2) were 4.05, 2.72, and 1.22 mg/g, respectively. The mean δ13C value within the vegetated saltmarsh area was −22.37‰, and the C/N ratio was 9.3; the corresponding values in the BF1 area were −23.27‰ and 7.95, respectively; and in the BF2 area, the corresponding values were −21.91‰ and 5.36, respectively. These C/N ratios reflect an increasing marine contribution with distance from the vegetated zone. Combined with the two-terminal mixing model, the organic carbon in the vegetated saltmarsh sediments was dominated by terrestrial sources, while the bare tidal flat sediments were more influenced by marine sources, and the bare tidal flat sediments nearer to the vegetated zone (BF1) were influenced by a combination of vegetation, marine sources, and other terrestrial factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jiangsu coastal environment in China is affected by pollution, and the Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cr, As, and Hg concentrations in the surface sediment of Dafeng Port during 2011–2017 were analyzed to determine their contamination and ecological risks. The multi-year average of Zn, Cr, Pb, Cu, As, Cd, and Hg concentrations were 50.10, 40.32, 12.41, 11.76, 8.67, 0.08, and 0.04 mg/kg, respectively, which were generally higher than their background values, except for those of Cu and Cr. The spatial distribution of heavy metals were similar, and the highest concentrations were measured near Dafeng Port and coastal river inlets. The geoaccumulation index generally indicated moderate–low ecological risk, except for Cd. Multivariate statistical analyses showed that Pb, Zn, Cr, As, Hg, Cd, and petroleum were strongly influenced by anthropogenic activities, whereas Cu derived from both natural and anthropogenic sources. This study provides important information for the management of heavy metal contamination. • High heavy metal concentrations occurred near Dafeng Port and coastal river inlets. • I geo values showed an uncontaminated environment and moderate–low ecological risk. • However, Cd is an important contributor to pollution in and around Dafeng Port. • Pb, Zn, Cr, As, Hg, and Cd had anthropogenic sources, but Cu also had natural sources. • We provide information for the management of heavy metals along the Jiangsu coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most infant formula oils differ significantly from human milk fat (HMF) in structure and composition, which is detrimental to the development of infants. In this study, the lipid compositions of Carassius auratus oils (CAOs) from seven provinces of China were systematically analyzed, and the potential of CAO for use in human milk fat substitutes (HMFS) was evaluated. First, the main fatty acids in most CAOs were confirmed to be palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids. It is interesting to find that 57.08–69.27% of palmitic acid tended to be located at the sn -2 position, which showed a consistency with HMF. Afterwards, content of C52 triacylglycerol in CAOs from three regions exceeded 45%. Finally, a HMFS containing CAO from Jiangsu province was prepared by physical blending and it was verified to have a high similarity with HMF after similarity evaluation, which can provide a reference for the application of CAO in infant formulas. ● Palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids are the major fatty acids in CAOs. ● Over 65% of palmitic acid in CAOs is located at the sn -2 position. ● OPO and OPL are the most abundant triacylglycerols (TAG) in CAOs. ● CAOs have similar composition with HMF, which can be used in infant formula. ● HMFS obtained by physical blending of CAO and base oils have high similarity to HMF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remanufacturing industry can solve the issues of resource depletion and environment deterioration by reducing consumptions of raw materials and minimizing emissions of wastes. It has been strongly promoted by Chinese government in recent years. However, its current development situation has been unsatisfactory all the time. The aim of this paper is to evaluate development level of remanufacturing industry of China and point out future directions of industrial improvement. To achieve the above objective, this paper establishes an evaluation index system of remanufacturing industry and puts forward an improved grey fixed weight clustering method, which is suitable for assessing remanufacturing industry. Then taking Jiangsu Province of China as a practical case, this method is used to evaluate its remanufacturing industry and identify rank order of improvement measures for each city. Research results show that overall development level of remanufacturing industry is still low and development unbalance is remarkable. Two more important findings are as follows: The first is that rank orders of improvement measures for all cities are different from each other and decision maker should adopt differentiated industrial policies and improvement measures. The second is that the cities which belong to the 2nd and 3rd grey class should paid more attention to improvement measures for four evaluation sub-indices: Annual sale of remanufacturing industry, Total assets of remanufacturing enterprise, Total investment of under construction and Total number of research institution and university participated in remanufacturing. The major contribution of this study is to offer an effective decision-making approach for evaluation of remanufacturing industry. It helps in classifying development levels of remanufacturing industry in different cities and providing decision makers with a scientific basis for adopting appropriate industrial policies and improvement measures, which will efficiently enhance remanufacturing industry in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The sources and influencing factors of HMs in sediments were identified. • The spatial variation of Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and As was primarily influenced by the TOC. • The grain size of sediments plays an important role in the spatial variation of HM. Determining the sources and factors influencing the spatial variation of heavy metals in the surface sediments of tidal flats is important for controlling and reducing heavy metal pollution. We used principal component analysis and partial least square regression to analyse the distribution characteristics, sources, and factors influencing the spatial variation of nine heavy metals (As, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) in the surface sediments of tidal flats along four sites located on the northern Jiangsu coast. Our results indicate that the northern three sampling areas had a high heavy metal content, whereas the southern sampling area had a low heavy metal content. The heavy metals Mn and Pb are related to both natural and anthropogenic sources, whereas V and Cr are primarily derivatives of human activities, and As, Co, Cu, Ni, and Zn are primarily a result of natural processes. The spatial variation of Mn and Pb was primarily affected by the total inorganic carbon and clay content (positive affect) as well as the sand and silt content (negative affect). The spatial variation of V and Cr was primarily related to silt, clay, and total phosphorus content (positive influence) as well as sand (negative influence). In addition, the spatial variation of As, Co, Cu, Ni, and Zn was primarily influenced by the total organic carbon and clay content (positive effect) as well as sand and pH (negative effect). The grain size of sediments plays an important role in the spatial variation of heavy metals in the surface sediments of tidal flats, with fine-grained clay materials being related to the enrichment of heavy metals. The results of our study are important for the control and reduction of heavy metal pollution in coastal sediments, protecting both the ecological environment and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]