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As the key for haze control, atmospheric fine particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 μm (or PM 2.5 ) is of great concern lately in China. It is closely linked to fast pace of urbanization, industrialization and economic development, especially in eastern China. A good understanding of its sources is required for effective pollution abatement. Receptor models are one of the major methods for source apportionment used in China. The major objective of this study is to understand sources that contribute to fine particulate matter in China and key challenges in this area. Spatial distribution of fine particulate matter concentration, chemical composition and dominant sources in North and South China are summarized. Based on chemical speciation results from 31 cities and source apportionment results from 21 cities, it is found that secondary sources and traffic emission have higher contribution in South China while the percentage of coal combustion, dust and biomass burning to total PM 2.5 are higher in North China. Source profiles established in China from 44 cities and areas are also summarized as references for future source apportionment studies. Suggestions for future research are also provided including methods for evaluating source apportionment results, ways for integrating multiple source apportionment methods, the need for standardizing protocols and developing tools for high-time resolution source apportionment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The determination of the microplastic distribution will be beneficial as a measure of the potential effects on the environment. The Mediterranean Sea had a high risk of pollution as it was enclosed by highly populated and industrialized countries. Here, we determined the level of micro- and mesoplastic pollution in Iskenderun and Mersin Bays, located in the Northeastern Levantine coast of Turkey. The average level of both micro- and mesoplastic was determined to be 0.376 item/m 2 at seven stations. The highest level was determined in Mersin Bay at the mouth of the Seyhan river (Station no. 7, with 906 items), and the lowest level was found in Station no. 4 in Iskenderun Bay (78 items). As a result of this study, it was determined that the microplastic pollution level in the Mediterranean coast of Turkey was similar to the other regions of the Mediterranean Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major threat to the comfort of human life has been imposed by increased industrialization and urbanization. The generation and disposal of huge amounts of toxic materials and pollutants have heavily contaminated our environment. Some Organics such as synthetic dyes (SD) and heavy metals (HM) are becoming increasingly prevalent as the most dangerous pollutants in soil and surface water environments. They are causing great concern worldwide due to their toxicity to many life forms. Environmentally friendly utilization of agricultural by-products/waste materials either as raw materials or in production of so-called activated carbons (AC) is an important issue. Because it is apparent from our literature review that the main factors characterizing these materials are their affordability, local availability, and efficiencies in removing many unwanted toxics and pollutants, they therefore could be utilized instead of more conventional but expensive adsorbent materials, particularly in developing countries where many industries lack appropriate individual sewage treatment systems; even where they exist, they lack satisfactory functioning and maintenance because of the lack of good budgets. A number of case studies are supplied in this review. These case studies have pointed to the efficient removal of SD/HM ions from aqueous solutions by the agricultural by-products/wastes in the form of a raw material, signifying spent tea leaves (STL) as a good example. Besides, the efficient removal of such ions by AC produced from these agricultural by-products/wastes has also been given in detail, suggesting a variety of AC agricultural by-products/wastes sources. Both kinds are widely used adsorbents in the treatment of wastewaters. Our review has shown that these adsorbents are characterized by many exceptional physical and chemical features that make them widely used adsorbents in the treatment of wastewaters. The adsorption efficiencies by these substances were also affected by the characteristics of AC, which depend on the physical and chemical properties of the precursor (i.e., agricultural by-products/wastes) as well as on the activation method applied, which is either chemical or physical. The structural properties of the resulting AC can be affected by a number of factors such as time of activation, temperature of activation, and the oxidizing agent used in addition to the starting precursor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road spills of hazardous substances are common in developing countries due to increasing industrialization and traffic accidents, and represent a serious threat to soils and water in catchments. There is abundant literature on equations describing the wash-off of pollutants from roads during a storm event and there are a number of watershed models incorporating those equations in storm water quality algorithms that route runoff and pollution yields through a drainage system towards the catchment outlet. However, methods describing catchment vulnerability to contamination by road spills based solely on biophysical parameters are scarce. These methods could be particularly attractive to managers because they can operate with a limited amount of easily collectable data, while still being able to provide important insights on the areas more prone to contamination within the studied watershed. The purpose of this paper was then to contribute with a new vulnerability model. To accomplish the goal, a selection of medium properties appearing in wash-off equations and routing algorithms were assembled and processed in a parametric framework based on multi criteria analysis to define the watershed vulnerability. However, parameters had to be adapted because wash-off equations and water quality models have been developed to operate primarily in the urban environment while the vulnerability model is meant to run in rural watersheds. The selected parameters were hillside slope, ground roughness (depending on land use), soil permeability (depending on soil type), distance to water courses and stream density. The vulnerability model is a spatially distributed algorithm that was prepared to run under the IDRISI Selva software, a GIS platform capable of handling spatial and alphanumeric data and execute the necessary terrain model, hydrographic and thematic analyses. For illustrative purposes, the vulnerability model was applied to the legally protected Environmental Protection Area (APA), located in the Uberaba region, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. In this region, the risk of accidents causing chemical spills is preoccupying because large quantities of dangerous materials are transported in two important distribution highways while the APA is fundamental for the protection of water resources, the riverine ecosystems and remnants of native vegetation. In some tested scenarios, model results show 60% of vulnerable areas within the studied area. The most sensitive parameter to vulnerability is soil type. To prevent soils from contamination, specific measures were proposed involving minimization of land use conflicts that would presumably raise the soil's organic matter and in the sequel restore the soil's structural functions. Additionally, the present study proposed the preservation and reinforcement of riparian forests as one measure to protect the quality of surface water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the optimal and equilibrium distribution of industrial and residential land in a given region. The trade-off between agglomeration and dispersion forces in the form of pollution from stationary forces, production externalities and commuting costs, determines the emergence of industrial and residential clusters across space. In this context, we define two kinds of spatial policies that can be used in order to close the gap between optimal and market allocations. More specifically, we show that the joint implementation of a site-specific environmental tax and a site-specific labor subsidy can reproduce the optimum as an equilibrium outcome. The methodological approach followed in this article allows for an endogenous determination of land use patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here a new global emission inventory of C4--C10 perfluoroalkanesulfonic acids (PFSAs) from the life cycle of perfluorooctanesulfonyl fluoride (POSF)-based products in 1958-2030 is presented. In particular, we substantially improve and expand the previous frameworks by incorporating missing pieces (e.g., emissions to soil through land treatment, overlooked precursors) and updating parameters (e.g., emission factors, degradation half-lives). In 1958-2015, total direct and indirect emissions of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) are estimated as 1228-4930 tonnes, and emissions of PFOS precursors are estimated as 1230-8738 tonnes and approximately 670 tonnes for x-perfluorooctanesulfonamides/sulfonamido ethanols (xFOSA/Es) and POSF, respectively. Most of these emissions occurred between 1958 and 2002, followed by a substantial decrease. This confirms the positive effect of the ongoing transition to phase out POSF-based products, although this transition may still require substantial time and cause substantial additional releases of PFOS (8--153 tonnes) and xFOSA/Es (4--698 tonnes) in 2016 to 2030. The modeled environmental concentrations obtained by coupling the emission inventory and a global multimedia mass-balance model generally agree well with reported field measurements, suggesting that the inventory captures the actual emissions of PFOS and xFOSA/Es for the time being despite remaining uncertainties. Our analysis of the key uncertainties and open questions of and beyond the inventory shows that, among others, degradation of side-chain fluorinated polymers in the environment and landfills can be a long-term, (potentially) substantial source of PFOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early industrial trace metal loadings are poorly characterized but potentially substantial sources of trace metals to the landscape. The magnitude of legacy contamination in southwestern Pennsylvania, the cradle of North American fossil fuel industrialization, is reconstructed from trace metal concentrations in a sediment core with proxies including major and trace metal chemistry, bulk density, and magnetic susceptibility. Trace metal chemistry in this sediment record reflects 19th and 20th century land use and industry. In particular, early 19th century arsenic loadings to the lake are elevated from pesticides used by early European settlers at a lakeside tannery. Later, sediment barium concentrations rise, likely reflecting the onset of acidic mine drainage from coal operations. Twentieth century zinc, cadmium, and lead concentrations are dominated by emissions from the nearby, infamous Donora Zinc Works yet record both the opening of a nearby coal-fired power plant and amendments to the Clean Air Act. The impact of early industry is substantial and rivals more recent metal fluxes, resulting in a significant potential source of contaminated sediments. Thus, modern assessments of trace metal contamination cannot ignore early industrial inputs, as the potential remobilization of legacy contamination would impact ecosystem and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Declines in bird populations in agricultural regions of North America and Europe have been attributed to agricultural industrialization, increases in use of agrochemical application, and increased predation related to habitat modification. Based on count data compiled from Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) from 1974 to 2012, Christmas Bird Count (CBC) collected from 1914 to 2013, and hunter data from Annual Game Take Survey (AGTS) for years 1948–2010, ring‐necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) in California have experienced substantial declines in agricultural environments. Using a modeling approach that integrates all three forms of survey data into a joint response abundance index, we found pheasant abundance was related to the amount of harvested and unharvested crop land, types of crops produced, amount of total pesticide applied, minimum temperature, precipitation, and numbers of avian competitors and predators. Specifically, major changes in agricultural practices over the last three decades were associated with declines in pheasant numbers and likely reflected widespread loss of habitat. For example, increases in cropland were associated with increased pheasant abundance during early years of study but this effect decreased through time, such that no association in recent years was evidenced. A post hoc analysis revealed that crops beneficial to pheasant abundance (e.g., barley) have declined substantially in recent decades and were replaced by less advantageous crops (e.g., nut trees). An additional analysis using a restricted data set (1990–2013) indicated recent negative impacts on pheasant numbers associated with land use practices were also associated with relatively high levels of pesticide application. Our results may provide valuable information for management policies aimed at reducing widespread declines in pheasant populations in California and may be applicable to other avian species within agricultural settings. Furthermore, this general analytical approach is not limited to pheasants and could be applied to other taxa for which multiple survey data sources exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rapid economic development and expansion of built environment since the year 2000, urbanization has led to great challenge of reduction targets in energy intensity and carbon dioxide emissions. This paper aims to explore the disaggregate driving force of different sectors and investigate the potential of carbon dioxide reduction of them in the context of rapid urbanization. By using the panel datasets at a provincial level in a LMDI (Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index) model, we investigated the effects of various energy-related and socioeconomic factors on regional carbon dioxide emissions in 30 China's provinces from 2000 to 2013. The results show that the factors of economic development are the largest drivers of regional carbon dioxide emissions, compared with the factors of structural change, energy intensity, and social transition. Meanwhile, evidence is found that the urbanization process has contributed to the regional CO 2 emissions in China's provinces through a variety of approaches, including changing the energy use characteristics of urban households, transportation, and business sectors. Finally, we found that the changing trend of these influence factors' effect on regional CO 2 emissions varied across different provinces, which means there are significant regional heterogeneity in the influence mechanisms of urbanization process on regional CO 2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Grassland bird species have declined more than birds of any other region in North America and industrial development may exert further pressure on these species. We evaluated effects of conventional natural gas infrastructure on the relative abundances of grassland songbirds in southeastern Alberta, Canada at sites with shallow gas well pad densities ranging from 0 to 16 pads/258 ha (0-24 well heads/258 ha). Conventional gas wells have a relatively small footprint and minimal associated noise and maintenance activities, allowing us to focus on effects of the infrastructure itself and vegetation surrounding wells. We conducted fixed-radius point counts and vegetation sampling at 34 sites in 2010 and 40 sites in 2011. We used generalized linear mixed models and information theory to evaluate effects of infrastructure on birds. Relative abundances of vesper sparrow ( Pooecetes gramineus) and western meadowlark ( Sturnella neglecta) increased near gas wells, whereas abundance of the threatened Sprague's pipit ( Anthus spragueii) declined. Vegetation near infrastructure was shorter and sparser than locations farther from wells, but discrepancies with avian habitat preferences suggest that, in contrast to conclusions of previous studies, vegetation structure could not explain responses to infrastructure by birds. Instead, gas wells may have acted as artificial shrubs because they attracted species that use vegetation for perching but were avoided by species that avoid shrubs. Our results suggest that observed effects were a direct result of the presence of wells and associated fencing, and thus risk mitigation should focus on reducing the extent of aboveground infrastructure. © 2017 The Wildlife Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial processes currently contribute 40% to global CO2 emissions and therefore substantial increases in industrial energy efficiency are required for reaching the 2 °C target. We assess the macroeconomic effects of deploying low carbon technologies in six energy intensive industrial sectors (Petroleum, Iron and Steel, Non-metallic Minerals, Paper and Pulp, Chemicals, and Electricity) in Europe, China and India in 2030. By combining the GAINS technology model with a macroeconomic computable general equilibrium model, we find that output in energy intensive industries declines in Europe by 6% in total, while output increases in China by 11% and in India by 13%. The opposite output effects emerge because low carbon technologies lead to cost savings in China and India but not in Europe. Consequently, the competitiveness of energy intensive industries is improved in China and India relative to Europe, leading to higher exports to Europe. In all regions, the decarbonization of electricity plays the dominant role for mitigation. We find a rebound effect in China and India, in the size of 42% and 34% CO2 reduction, respectively, but not in Europe. Our results indicate that the range of considered low-carbon technology options is not competitive in the European industrial sectors. To foster breakthrough low carbon technologies and maintain industrial competitiveness, targeted technology policy is therefore needed to supplement carbon pricing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy and Resources use efficiency in industrial sector holds the key in achieving sustainable development. Networking among industries to use by-product and waste product streams as input sources to the other industrial units, which is termed as Eco-industrial Networking holds the key for Eco-industrial development which is a building block of sustainable development of cities. Based on the Korean eco-industrial park (EIP) experience, the present paper reviews the key drivers to such a networking, identifies what are the conditions and strategies required at different levels, and barriers for their implementation. The paper further contextualizes the same to Asian region by linking EIPs to urban systems and that evolves into Eco-city concepts. Ability of such eco-efficiency imbibing network towards decarbonizing the development paths is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind farm development can combat climate change but may also threaten bird populations’ persistence through collision with wind turbine blades if such development is improperly planned strategically and cumulatively. Such improper planning may often occur. Numerous wind farms are planned in a region hosting the only cinereous vulture population in south-eastern Europe. We combined range use modelling and a Collision Risk Model (CRM) to predict the cumulative collision mortality for cinereous vulture under all operating and proposed wind farms. Four different vulture avoidance rates were considered in the CRM. Cumulative collision mortality was expected to be eight to ten times greater in the future (proposed and operating wind farms) than currently (operating wind farms), equivalent to 44% of the current population (103 individuals) if all proposals are authorized (2744 MW). Even under the most optimistic scenario whereby authorized proposals will not collectively exceed the national target for wind harnessing in the study area (960 MW), cumulative collision mortality would still be high (17% of current population) and likely lead to population extinction. Under any wind farm proposal scenario, over 92% of expected deaths would occur in the core area of the population, further implying inadequate spatial planning and implementation of relevant European legislation with scant regard for governmental obligations to protect key species. On the basis of a sensitivity map we derive a spatially explicit solution that could meet the national target of wind harnessing with a minimum conservation cost of less than 1% population loss providing that the population mortality (5.2%) caused by the operating wind farms in the core area would be totally mitigated. Under other scenarios, the vulture population would probably be at serious risk of extinction. Our ‘win-win’ approach is appropriate to other potential conflicts where wind farms may cumulatively threaten wildlife populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid growth of industrialization, transportation, and urbanization has caused increasing emissions of ozone (O3) precursors recently, enhancing the O3 formation in eastern China. We show here that eastern China has experienced widespread and persistent O3 pollution from April to September 2015 based on the O3 observations in 223 cities. The observed maximum 1 h O3 concentrations exceed 200 μgm-3 in almost all the cities, 400 μgm-3 in more than 25%of the cities, and even 800 μgm-3 in six cities in eastern China. The average daily maximum 1 h O3 concentrations are more than 160 μgm-3 in 45% of the cities, and the 1 h O3 concentrations of 200 μgm-3 have been exceeded on over 10% of days from April to September in 129 cities. Analyses of pollutant observations from 2013 to 2015 have shown that the concentrations of CO, SO2, NO2, and PM2.5 from April to September in eastern China have considerably decreased, but the O3 concentrations have increased by 9.9%. A widespread and severe O3 pollution episode from 22 to 28 May 2015 in eastern China has been simulated using the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled to chemistry (WRF-CHEM) to evaluate the O3 contribution of biogenic and various anthropogenic sources. The model generally performs reasonably well in simulating the temporal variations and spatial distributions of near-surface O3 concentrations. Using the factor separation approach, sensitivity studies have indicated that the industry source plays the most important role in the O3 formation and constitutes the culprit of the severe O3 pollution in eastern China. The transportation source contributes considerably to the O3 formation, and the O3 contribution of the residential source is not significant generally. The biogenic source provides a background O3 source, and also plays an important role in the south of eastern China. Further model studies are needed to comprehensively investigate O3 formation for supporting the design and implementation of O3 control strategies, considering rapid changes of emission inventories and photolysis caused by the Atmospheric Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan released by the Chinese State Council in 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic trend of regional industrial carbon transfer along with industrial transfers in China is currently a hot topic. To explore this problem, the gravity model has been used to study the spatial distribution of industrial transfer and industrial carbon transfer. The results indicate that both barycenters are moving westward. Based on the STIRPAT model, a system-GMM model was then constructed that introduced the industrial transfer factor and its square to explore temporal changes in regional industrial carbon transfer in the course of industrial transfer. The estimated results revealed that the relationship between industrial transfer and industrial carbon transfer displays an inverted U-shaped pattern. For every 1% increase in industrial transfer, there was a 0.327% increase in industrial carbon transfer before the turning point, but industrial carbon transfer decreased by 0.07% when it passed the “peak”. Because no province had surpassed the turning point, carbon transfer during industrial transfer in China is currently in the growth phase. Moreover, real GDP per capita, industrial structure, and industrial carbon emission intensity promoted carbon emissions reduction in the course of industrial transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A table of contents for the issue is presented.

Table of Contents Title Page Editorial Board Aims and Scope [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A table of contents for the issue is presented.

The Danube River is of particular importance for countries whose territories it crosses, both economically but for its impressive biodiversity, too. Thus, it is important to know the distribution of pollutants in certain areas of interest, in order to mitigate their expansion and to decontaminate the pollution prone zones. In this study, was assessed an accidental pollution scenario by using the numerical simulation program Delft3D. It was analysed the dispersion of water quality indicators in the Danube. Hence, it was intended to estimate the river area dimensions that would be polluted in the context of toxic substances discharges and to evaluate the river pollution level on the affected section by the toxic wave. The use of this program allows the tracking in time and space of the pollutants concentration, providing information on the effects the pollutants discharges may have on the Danube River, depending on the hydromorphological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of this research was to study the rate at which the semi-enclosed bay such as the Kaštela Bay reacts to the coastal processes of industrialization and urbanization, the extent of the influence of human activities on the bay, and the sediment distribution affected by anthropogenic influence. Temporal and spatial sedimentation rate variations were observed between three studied periods: 1954–2005, 1963–2005/2006, and 1986–2005/2006. Sedimentation rates were in the following ranges: 0.29–0.49 cm/yr for the 1954–2005 period, 0.58–0.95 cm/yr for the 1963–2005/2006 period, and 0.50–1.32 cm/yr for the 1986–2005/2006 period. The average total sedimentation rates for three periods were 0.41 cm/yr, 0.81 cm/yr, and 0.61 cm/yr, respectively. Sedimentation rate for the individual 1963–1986 period marked with two 137 Cs marker peaks was in the 0.65–1.30 cm/yr range, while the mean value was 1.06 cm/yr. Long-term sedimentation rate increase in the whole Kaštela Bay was observed and clearly connected to the industrialization and urbanization processes in the coastal area. These processes reflect very quickly, in terms of years, in the sedimentation rates. Intensive anthropogenic activities in the coastal area are reflected in the whole bay depending on the amount of the discharged sediment material, topography of the sea bottom, and water currents. Some localized areas of sediment accumulation may form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the advent of the industrialisation phenomenon, the increasing contamination of the soil caused by heavy metals has recently become a major concern. The present study set out to collect samples from the 0-30 and 30-60 cm depths of the soils in industrial areas for the purpose of evaluation of the contamination caused by the heavy metals through the Pearson correlation coefficients and quantitative indices. The results revealed that the Cu and Pb concentrations were higher than the average in both depths of shale like Cd at the 30-60 cm depth. Ni and Cd as well as Ni and Cu were shown to be higher in terms of the concentration values than the Iranian standard at the 0-30 and 30-60 cm depths, respectively. The mean I-geo soil was classified as uncontaminated by the Iranian standard, uncontaminated to slightly contaminated, and very contaminated to severely contaminated by the shale average associated with Pb, Cr and Cd, respectively, whereas Ni and Cu were determined to be uncontaminated. Low and moderate contamination factors were attributed to Pb, Cr, Cd as well as Ni and Cu by the Iranian standard at both depths. It was also shown that the mean contamination degree (CD) and modified contamination degree (MCD) were moderate and very low, respectively. The pollution load index was demonstrated to be uncontaminated by the Iranian standard. The mean contamination factor correlated with the average shale turned out to be classified as low, moderate, and very high factor as far as Fe, Cr and Ni, Pb and Cu, Cd were concerned, respectively. Moreover, the mean contamination degree (CD) and modified contamination degree (MCD) were considerable, low and moderate, respectively. The mean pollution load index was indicative of contamination, and Enrichment factor (EF) was ranked as follows: Cd > Pb > Cu (at both depths of the average shale). Correlation values (r) attested to the common sources of Pb, Cr and Ni, on the one hand, and Cr, Cu, Ni and Cd, on the other hand, at the 0-30 cm depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrialization and urbanization have led to a deterioration in air quality and provoked some serious environmental concerns. Fifty-four samples of atmospheric deposition were collected from an emerging industrial area and analyzed to determine the concentrations of 11 trace elements (As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Mo, Pb, Se, S and Zn). Multivariate geostatistical analyses were conducted to determine the spatial distribution, possible sources and enrichment degrees of trace elements in atmospheric deposition. Results indicate that As, Fe and Mo mainly originated from soil, their natural parent materials, while the remaining trace elements were strongly influenced by anthropogenic or natural activities, such as coal combustion in coal-fired power plants (Pb, Se and S), manganese ore (Mn, Cd and Hg) and metal smelting (Cu and Zn). The results of ecological geochemical assessment indicate that Cd, Pb and Zn are the elements of priority concern, followed by Mn and Cu, and other heavy metals, which represent little threat to local environment. It was determine that the resuspension of soil particles impacted the behavior of heavy metals by 55.3%; the impact of the coal-fired power plants was 18.9%; and the contribution of the local manganese industry was 9.6%. The comparison of consequences from various statistical methods (principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis (CA), enrichment factor (EF) and absolute principle component score (APCS)-multiple linear regression (MLR)) confirmed the credibility of this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine the extent to which the relationship between energy consumption and real gross domestic product can be affected by an effective economic development policy based on industrialization. The SpanishStabilization and Liberalization Planof 1959 is regarded as a “natural experiment” that is especially interesting for our purposes. To explore long-run causality and possible changes in its direction, we have exploited statistical information for a long period (1900–2008). We applied a moving-window regression procedure based on the augmented vector autoregressive methodology of Toda and Yamamoto (1995). Causality results are highly sensitive to the industrialization process. For the sub-period preceding the development policy, we consistently found greater support for the “conservation hypothesis”. This contrasts sharply with the set of results obtained from the data belonging to the subsequent sub-period, where evidence is in favor of the “growth hypothesis”. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Northwest British Columbia, Canada, a sparsely populated and largely pristine region, is targeted for rapid industrial growth owing to the modernization of an aluminum smelter and multiple proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities. Consequently, air quality in this region is expected to undergo considerable changes within the next decade. In concert, the increase in LNG capacity driven by gas production from shale resources across North America has prompted environmental concerns and highlighted the need for science-based management decisions regarding the permitting of air emissions. In this study, an effects-based approach widely-used to support transboundary emissions policy negotiations was used to assess industrial air emissions in the Kitimat and Prince Rupert airsheds under permitted and future potential industrial emissions. Critical levels for vegetation of SO 2 and NO 2 and critical loads of acidity and nutrient nitrogen for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems were estimated for both regions and compared with modelled concentration and deposition estimates to identify the potential extent and magnitude of ecosystem impacts. The critical level for SO 2 was predicted to be exceeded in an area ranging from 81 to 251 km 2 in the Kitimat airshed owing to emissions from an existing smelter, compared with <1 km 2 in Prince Rupert under the lowest to highest emissions scenarios. In contrast, the NO 2 critical level was not exceeded in Kitimat, and ranged from 4.5 to 6 km 2 in Prince Rupert owing to proposed LNG related emissions. Predicted areal exceedance of the critical load of acidity for soil ranged from 1 to 28 km 2 in Kitimat and 4–10 km 2 in Prince Rupert, while the areal exceedance of empirical critical load for nutrient N was predicted to be greater in the Prince Rupert airshed (20–94 km 2 ) than in the Kitimat airshed (1–31 km 2 ). The number of lakes that exceeded the critical load of acidity did not vary greatly across emissions scenarios in the Kitimat (21–23 out of 80 sampled lakes) and Prince Rupert (0 out of 35 sampled lakes) airsheds. While critical loads have been widely used to underpin international emissions reductions of transboundary pollutants, it is clear that they can also play an important role in managing regional air emissions. In the current study, exceedance of critical levels and loads suggests that industrial emissions from the nascent LNG export sector may require careful regulation to avoid environmental impacts. Emissions management from LNG export facilities in other regions should consider critical levels and loads analyses to ensure industrial development is synergistic with ecosystem protection. While recognizing uncertainties in dispersion modelling, critical load estimates, and subsequent effects, the critical levels and loads approach is being used to inform regulatory decisions in British Columbia to prevent impacts that have been well documented in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To sustain healthy and energetic lives of mankind clean environment and pure air are required. But with globalization, industrialization and urbanization the concept of healthy ecosystem has been demolished. Poisonous and toxic agents are mixing in the air and chemical reaction happening in the atmosphere. Twelve Indian states are studied in this paper. It explores the trends and pattern of air pollutants. Multi-linear analysis has been done to explore the association among different gases and the respiratory problems. In Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh the number of factories has not significantly increased and also N02 and So2 are emitted less than other states. Industrially developed states have faced respiratory health problems with increasing gas emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early cities depended on local, solar-based energy resources for their metabolism. Over time, cities have become increasingly dependent on fossil fuels, both directly and indirectly, as they facilitate exploitation of solar resources from much farther away. Alternatives to fossil fuels, typically generated locally, often provide lower surplus energy to society. As cities consider the transition back to solar-based energy resources, it becomes necessary to understand the capability of the solar-based economy to provide e.g. energy (including food) from nearby lands. To do so, we compared the energy metabolism (respiration) of a typical rust-belt city, Syracuse, NY, with the net primary production in the surrounding county (production) over its development (1840-2005). We calculated the ratio of respiration to production (R:P) and examined how this ratio changed during the periods of industrialization, shifts in major fuel types, and deindustrialization. We found that from 1840 to 1950 respiration became increasingly centralized in the urban core; since then it has become more diffused. Urban respiration exceeded production in the county by 9:1 in 1930, and it remains just under 2:1 today. Respiration reached an absolute (67 PJ) and a per capita (339 GJ) maximum in 1970, then fell by 40 % and 20 % respectively, due to deindustrialization and population losses. Conversely, production increased 480 % from its lows in 1930 because of reforestation and improved agricultural yields. What this means is that to achieve a higher P:R ratio requires either increased production of food and fuels in areas surrounding the city, or decreased per capita energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the author's interpretation on the views of 1969 U.S. Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Walter J. Hickel regarding the issues on environmental protection and industrial development as criticized by the environmental activists in the U.S. According to the author, Hickel has been charged of deprecating "conservation for conservation's sake" program and had allegedly argued for a moderate approach to the prevention of pollution of air and water to avoid slowing down of the industrial development.

A verity of human activities i.e. urbanization and industrialization have been resulted serious environmental contaminations by heavy metals in all over the world. The settlement of populations in urban and nearby industrial areas for economic development has significant share in their exposure to these metallic contaminants. Depending on the nature and type of the pollutants, targeted urban-industrial environments can have harmful and chronic health risk impacts on exposed local inhabitants and may require detoxification, healing and remedial therapy. Consequently, environmental monitoring as well as human health risk assessments of urban environments under industrial influence are key dominant features. We believe this work will provide new insights into the studies of metals exposure and associated health risks in emerging industrials cities of developing countries. Present study aimed to study the bioavailability of metals, quantify the changeability in soil and vegetable metal concentrations and estimation of human health risks via dietary exposure, focusing on urban-industrial environment. Soil and vegetable samples were collected in six random sites within the urban, periurban and industrial areas and analyzed for metal concentrations. In addition, risk assessment model proposed by US-EPA was employed to estimate the potential health risk of heavy metals via dietary intake. Results indicated that the heavy metal concentrations were noteworthy in periurban and urban-industrial areas. However, contamination levels varied with the type of vegetable, and the point source pollution such as traffic, urban wastes and industrial effluent. According to the estimated THQ and HI values for non-carcinogenic risk, little or no negative impact of heavy metals was observed on local inhabitants. However, the concentrations of Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni were nearly closed to the permissible limits described by US-EPA in urban-industrial areas. Conclusively, some efficient remedial strategies should be focus to overcome the increasing levels of Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni in this study area to protect the health of local inhabitants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Widespread controversy and a lack of empirical research exist with regard to the relationship between information communication technology (ICT) and energy consumption, especially in developing countries. This paper adopts a partial least square (PLS) method to explore the impact of ICT on energy consumption in China. Its main conclusions indicate that the impact can be represented by a U-shaped curve and the turning-point for ICT capital service is 10.93 units at 1990 constant prices. The negative effect of ICT was dominant until 2014. Moreover, the ARDL-ECM results also reveal a negative association between ICT and energy consumption in the short run. In addition, the influence of population, income, industrialization level, service sector development, energy price, energy consumption structure and non-ICT capital service on energy consumption is examined. Finally, policy recommendations are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metals are distributed in the earth's crust in varying amounts and ore concentrations, implying that some countries have more metal resources than others. This inequality in geological resource distribution may lead to potential constraints and bottlenecks of a steady resource supply. In the context of strategic planning and innovation, and in scientific literature, this aspect is often referred to as geopolitical supply risk . In the past few decades, cobalt crisis, the oil embargo, and the more recent Rare Earth Elements (REEs) issue are the best examples regarding the geopolitical supply risk of mineral resources. The aim of this study is to present a historical overview of the development in geopolitical supply risk of 52 metals during the past two decades and to support an assessment of such risk in the future, i.e. 2050. A geographical mapping of metals primary production in 1994 and 2013 is included which shows a shift from developed economies to developing economies over this time period. Our analysis demonstrates that the geopolitical supply risk of metals has been fluctuating during the past two decades due to change in the number and production share of producing countries. During this time period, Chinese share of global metals production has increased from 23% to 44%. China, today, is also the dominant supplier of 34 metals, out of which 23 are considered as critical resources by the European Commission. The future geopolitical supply risk is less dependent on the present production distribution and more dependent on the location of current geological resources and the future discoveries, as well as on the technological development to improve profitability of mining the currently sub-economical resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is one of the fast developing countries in the world with a growth rate of 6.4%. Rapid industrialization is the main cause behind such growth. Although industrialization is of utmost importance for growth, sustainability of ecology is also a matter of concern. India has a vast coastline, but the saline water is not suitable for industrialization; so groundwater is the primary source for both industrialization and human consumption. Agriculture plays a major role in India's economy and irrigation is also dependent on groundwater to some extent. Hence the study of groundwater levels is the need of the hour. In this study, time-series techniques like fuzzy time-series analysis and ARIMA are utilized for forecasting monthly groundwater levels. Experiments are performed on the datasets collected from different regions of India. The experimental results demonstrate that fuzzy time series analysis yields more accurate forecast of groundwater levels compared to the ARIMA model. The results of this study can be utilized for planning a suitable policy for groundwater use and its proper regulation to avoid future crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental issues such as pollution and access to clean water and concerns like awareness of environmental conditions are pressing global challenges. Despite its importance, however, our understanding of how environmental views connect with trust is understudied. To address this gap in the literature, this article examines the composition, level, and distribution of environmental trust as a latent variable and the factors shaping it. Both cross-region and cross-country comparisons are conducted using structural equation modeling and a unique set of items only available in the 2000 International Social Survey Program (ISSP) data. Important similarities are shown across regions, yet findings for 26 countries individually reveal intriguing differences. Analyses by region and by country advance our collective understanding regarding the presence of universal dynamics shaping environmental trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In industrialised areas rivers and their floodplains are often highly polluted. The historic contamination of floodplains offers an important archive of past polluting activities and fluvial sediment dynamics. It can also present a significant threat to contemporary aquatic ecosystems and water quality resulting from the remobilisation of sediment-associated pollutants from floodplain secondary sources. Therefore, knowledge of the type and level of pollutants present and their spatial distribution in floodplains is essential for supporting measures to mitigate future impacts. Here, we outline an approach for reconstructing pollution history and extent by using floodplains as archives of historic chemical contamination coupled with geochemical and geomorphological analyses to account for variations in sediment provenance and depositional processes. The study is situated in the Ohře River (total catchment area of 5606 km 2 ), which provides an excellent test case given its complex pollution history, heterogeneous geology and variable deposition patterns. Most severe pollution in this river system has originated from a chemical factory in Marktredwitz, Germany (mainly Hg) and uranium processing in Nejdek, the Czech Republic (mainly U); historical lead mining and modern coal combustion have also played a role. The geological/geochemical variability of the Ohře catchment required extensive sampling along the river course. Variations in several major lithogenic elements, in particular Al, K, Rb, Si and Ti allowed the river course to be subdivided to geochemical river reaches using simple scatter plots (Ti against Al/Si ratio and Rb against K) or PCA; there was no need to sieve the sediment samples before analyses or perform other discrimination of sediment lithology. The geochemical river reaches reflect catchment geology and hence they exhibit distinct background functions for Cu, Pb, and Zn and varying background concentrations of U. Titanium was the best performing reference element. The Ohře River has deposited most historical pollution in former (abandoned or laterally shifting) channels rather than in overbank fine-grained materials. The former channel sediments can be recognised by a specific surface topography, vegetation cover and sediment lithology; the use of geographic information systems (evaluating historical maps, aerial photographs and DTM by LIDAR) is indispensable in the study of the depositional patterns. The narrow floodplain limited floodplain deposition, and has probably allowed particulates to travel through the channel for tens of kilometres, in the case of U pollution in < 10 years. Dams constructed in the 1960s in the upper and middle river reaches have suppressed downstream transport of pollution and combined with certain channel engineering projects to prevent bank erosion are likely to have further limited the deposition of overbank fines. The study clearly shows that in the Ohře floodplain the fills of former channels are more suitable as pollution archives than the distal floodplain sediments (overbank fines outside the channel belt). The approach outlined here is applicable to reconstructions of pollution histories for any river characterised by varied catchment geochemistry and deposition in their channel belts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activity goes hand in hand with urban and industrial development. It leads to the emergence of new industrial technologies, construction materials and techniques. Metropolitan and urban areas are most susceptible to this influence both during the development of new territories and the operation of existing industrial and residential complexes. The article presents the results of the soil investigation conducted in the city of Novokuybyshevsk to determine prospects for future growth of the city. Soil samples were retrieved in the urban area of Novokuybyshevsk in full compliance with the requirements of the State Standard. Soil testing was performed to obtain research data on the concentrations of heavy metals (lead, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, manganese etc.), oil, sulfates and nitrates. The findings were then compared with the results obtained in previous years. The research provided a perspective on the current state of the soil, considered major sources of pollution and helped assess the extent of urban soil contamination in Novokuybyshevsk. Realistic and urgent measures were suggested to improve the state of the soil for further development and expansion of the industrial and residential areas of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization has caused serious environmental pollution, especially particulate pollution. As the “Earth’s kidneys,” wetland plays a significant role in improving the environmental quality and adjusting the climate. To study how wetlands work in this aspect, from the early autumn of 2014 to 2015, we implemented a study to measure the PM concentration and chemical composition at three heights (1.5, 6, and 10 m) during different periods (dry, normal water, and wet periods) in the Cuihu wetland park in Beijing for analyzing the dry deposition flux and the effect of meteorological factors on the concentration. Results indicated that (1) the diurnal variations of the PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations at the three heights were similar in that the highest concentration occurred at night and the lowest occurred at noon, and the daytime concentration was lower than that at night; (2) the PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations also varied between different periods that wet period > normal water period > wet period, and the concentration at different heights during different periods varied. In general, the lowest concentration occurred at 10 m during the dry and normal water periods, and the highest concentration occurred at 1.5 m during the wet period. (3) SO42−, NO3−, and Cl− are the dominant constituents of PM2.5, accounting for 42.22, 12.6, and 21.56%, respectively; (4) the dry depositions of PM2.5 and PM10 at 10 m were higher than those at 6 m, and the deposition during the dry period was higher than those during the wet and normal water periods. In addition, the deposition during the night-time was higher than that during the daytime. Moreover, meteorological factors affected the deposition, the temperature and wind speed being negatively correlated with the deposition flux and the humidity being positively correlated. (5) The PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were influenced by meteorological factors. The PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were negatively correlated with temperature and wind speed but positively correlated with relative humidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient industrial emissions mitigation strategy is critical for China's national action on climate change and sustainable development, considering its rapid industrialization. Regional disparity brings difficulties and uncertainties to policy implementation in China. Therefore, an investigation on the regional features of industrial emissions is critical to better decision makings. While to date, related studies have been rather few. This paper applies a spatial analysis on regional features of China's industrial emissions (SO 2 , NO x and PM 2.5 and CO 2 emission) in 31 provinces. Spatial autocorrelation and regression analysis are firstly conducted to identify the regional emissions patterns. The regional disparity and inequity is further analyzed with Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient approach. Analytical results verify the regional cluster effects and the emissions' sensitivity to the economic and industrial development, and highlight not only disparity, but also inequity exists. It is concluded that, there is a larger unequal distribution of GDP per unit of air pollutants and CO 2 emission between eastern and western regions, reveals that less developed western and central regions suffer from the emission leakage and an environmental inequity. Regional oriented mitigation strategies are required to balance regional disparity, so as to realize the industrial emission control policy under the “equity and efficiency” principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with issues of urban change in areas of London that have become the focus of regeneration strategies predicated on accommodating growth and development within existing city boundaries. Its focus is in the Lower Lea Valley in East London, which developed in the nineteenth century in the context of its peripheral location with respect to central London and which continues to lie at the seam between urban authorities. Today, this whole area is subject to regeneration plans based on addressing the physical and social manifestations of this transforming peripherality – including environmental impacts of industrialization, post-industrial piecemeal development, spatial disconnection, and long-standing patterns of social deprivation – by creating a framework geared towards attracting new investment, population and employment and, in the process, addressing the impediments to change that are seen to have been posed by fractured local policy. Taking one small part of this larger area, Hackney Wick, which is beside the 2012 London Olympic site in the London Borough of Hackney, the paper turns to planning history to explore its development from the nineteenth century in relation to urban boundaries. It uses this exploration as the basis for reflecting on the significance of contemporary boundary adjustments and plans predicated on facilitating the creation of local centrality for the remaking of an urban ‘edgeland’. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The cause of rheumatoid arthritis, which is the most frequent inflammatory rheumatic disease, affecting between 0.5 and 1% of the general population, still remains unknown. However, as with all autoimmune disorders, it is assumed that rheumatoid arthritis is the consequence of the influence of environmental factors on a genetically predisposed host. Regional variations in disease prevalence support the environmental influence theory: geographical and climatic conditions, industrialization and pollution, socioeconomic status or lifestyle. For the time being, with a few exceptions, such as smoking, the vast majority of factors that can influence the onset of the disease remain unclear, although their contribution is most probably significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we employed the Extended Parallel Process Model of risk communication to investigate the effectiveness of combining threat and efficacy messages to increase public engagement with climate change. A total of 515 Mandarin-speaking residents of Beijing, China were randomly assigned to view one of two climate change messages sourced from an online environmental website. The first message (high threat - low efficacy) described the negative impacts of climate change for China, but provided no information about what actions could be taken by citizens to reduce the threat. The second message (high threat - high efficacy) provided the same threat information, but also provided practical information on how to reduce the threat. Mediation analyses revealed that the high threat - high efficacy message elicited higher levels of perceived efficacy in viewers, which in turn predicted higher levels of danger control processing (intention to seek our more information and take action) and lower levels of fear control processing (message rejection and denial of threat). Moderation analyses revealed that the high efficacy messages were less effective for viewers with moderate to strong anthropocentric worldviews and very high ecocentric worldviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few decades of industrialization, the concentration of CO in the atmosphere had increased rapidly. Different organizations have invested considerable funds in research activities worldwide for CO capture and storage. To date, significant work has been done and various technologies have been proposed for CO capture and storage. Both adsorption and absorption are promising techniques for CO capture, but low-temperature adsorption processes using solid adsorbents are the prevailing technique nowadays. In this review paper, a variety of adsorbents such as carbonaceous materials, dry alkali metal-based sorbents, zeolites, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and microporous organic polymers (MOPs) have been studied. Various methods of chemical or physical modification and the effects of supporting materials have been discussed to enhance CO capture capacity of these adsorbents. Low-temperature (<100 °C) adsorption processes for CO capture are critically analyzed and concluded on the basis of information available so far in the literature. All the information in CO adsorption using different routes has been discussed, summarized and thoroughly presented in this review article. The most important comparative study of relatively new material MOFs and MOPs is carried out between the groups and with other sorbent as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay is presented on environmentalism and the term Anthropocene which is used as the characterization of the geological epoch concerning the transformation of the global ecology due to extensive human activities since the start of industrialization. Topics discussed include the public risk posed by the creation of the electron pump, the impact of the increasing levels of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and environmental politics.

The coastal areas of China face great challenges, owing to heavy metal contamination caused by rapid industrialization and urbanization. To our knowledge, this study is the first report of the levels of heavy metals in the major rivers of Zhenjiang, one of the most important cities of the Yangtze River Delta in China. In addition, we measured heavy metal levels in the blood of 76 residents of Zhenjiang. The results suggest that the presence of heavy metals in the blood may threaten human health and the distribution appeared to correspond to most highly populated areas and/or areas with high traffic. We also found that the concentration of heavy metals in human blood showed an accumulation effect with increase in age. Moreover, the levels of most heavy metals were lower in participants who regularly exercised than in those who did not. We studied heavy metal levels in the urine and sweat of another 17 volunteers to monitor the elimination of bioaccumulated heavy metal. Heavy metals were found in the urine and sweat of all the 17 participants and were more concentrated in sweat. Induced micturition and sweating appear to be potential methods for the elimination of heavy metals from the human body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonstationary hydrologic behaviour resulting from rapid industrialization and urbanization, combined with climate change effects, likely produces greater challenges in water resources and flood risk managements. Our country-wide analyses for South Korea, based on spectral analysis technique, revealed how streamflow characteristics have shifted towards a less hydrologic memory state, which indicates a weaker temporal autocorrelation in the time series. Specifically, we analysed 1/ f α noise of streamflow in 78 unit watersheds in five major river basins in South Korea to investigate the effects of urbanization on stream hydrologic responses over a 30-year period. The average slope of runoff spectra, α0, was 0.94 ± 0.20, indicating that runoffs are characterized by pink noise. The distribution of α0 showed a convergence towards <0.5 with increasing urbanization, indicating a clear effect of memory loss due to expanded impervious surface areas in watersheds. Among the watersheds examined, 59 showed bi-fractal scaling regimes, with scale break points located around 17.5 days. Analysis of the three spectral slopes, α0 (average), αL (in low-frequency domain), and αH (in high-frequency domain), revealed a threshold of urbanization ratio (UR) of ~15% from which all the three slopes decrease, and additional thresholds of UR around 6-7% are found from which all the three slopes increase as UR increases. While hydrologic responses of watersheds are the result of complex and compound interplay among many factors such as climate and topography, increasing urbanization seems to dominantly control the hydrologic properties resulting in homogenization of spectral slopes among various watersheds. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwaters are subjected to a continuous threat of pollution from anthropogenic action, such as urban development, agricultural, industrial, mining activities and others which constitutes a risk to the ecosystem and even human health if considered the underground water resource as a supplier for human consumption. That is why in this study the POSH method was applied, a tool which identifies pollution sources framed in the hydrogeological sector CA-I-5, the activities that most influence with polluting sources of interest for the protection of the aquifer together with the classification and estimation of subsurface contaminant load, both of which are a key step in risk assessment programs of pollution and protecting the quality of groundwater in Ciego de Avila province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human population boom, urbanization and rapid industrialization have either directly or indirectly resulted in the serious environmental toxification of the soil-food web by metal exposure from anthropogenic sources in most of the developing industrialized world. The present study was conducted to analyze concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in soil and vegetables in the urban–periurban areas influenced by emerging industry. Vegetables and their corresponding soil samples were collected and analyzed for heavy metals contents from six random sites. According to the results, the potential health risks from metals to the local communities were assessed by following the methodology described by the US-EPA. In general, the total non-carcinogenic risks were shown to be less than the limits set by the US-EPA. However, the potential risk of developing carcinogenicity in humans over a lifetime of exposure could be increased through the dietary intake of Cd, Cr and Ni. In some cases, Pb was also marginally higher than the safe level. It was concluded that some effective remedial approaches should be adopted to mitigate the risks of Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb in the study area because these metal levels have exceeded the safe limits for human health. However, new studies on gastrointestinal bioaccessibility in human are required to heighten our understanding about metals exposure and health risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the results obtained in studying variations of the concentrations of ion composition, and nutrients in the surface waters of Southern Yakutia in the construction zone of the Amur-Yakutsk Railway Main Line, as well as in streams in the territory of the Neryungri Coal and Aldan Gold-Mining regions. In 2007-2012, the concentrations of major ions in the 15 examined watercourses varied mostly under the effect of natural conditions, while variations of the concentrations of major ions and nutrients in surface waters of the coal- and gold-mining regions, estimated for the past 30-40 years, were significant as the result of anthropogenic and technogenic impact. Variations of all examined chemical characteristics of water in the examined rivers did not go beyond their MACs introduced by SanPin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil heavy metals and their bioaccumulation in agricultural products have attracted widespread concerns, yet the transfer and accumulation characteristics of heavy metals in different soil–crop systems was rarely investigated. Soil and crop samples were collected from the typical agricultural areas in the Yangtze River Delta region, China. The concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd and Hg in the soils, roots and grains of rice ( Oryza Sativa L. ), wheat ( Triticum L. ) and canola ( Brassica napus L .) were determined in this study. Transfer ability of heavy metals in soil-rice system was stronger than those in soil-wheat and soil-canola systems. The wheat showed a strong capacity to transfer Zn, Cu and Cd from root to the grain while canola presented a restricting effect to the intake of Cu and Cd. Soil pH and total organic matter were major factors influencing metal transfer from soil to rice, whereas soil Al 2 O 3 contents presented a negative effect on heavy metal mobility in wheat and canola cultivation systems. The concentration of Zn and Cd in crop grains could well predicted according to the stepwise multiple linear regression models, which could help to quantitatively evaluate the ecologic risk of heavy metal accumulation in crops in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper endeavours to understand the climate change phenomenon and identify measures taken to contain it. It discusses global warming causes and consequences and assesses effectiveness of the United Nations (UN) polices following failure of the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In pursuing this course of action, this paper utilizes data collected from East Africa region. Key issues discussed in the paper include findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the role of urbanization in global warming as cities emit most of greenhouse gases. Special reference is made to developing cities which are growing extremely fast and will consume more energy in future. They are becoming economic engines and adopting industrialization as an economic model while developed cities are experiencing de-industrialization. Developing cities have neither the ability to adopt green technology nor the capacity to establish large capacity public transport systems to reduce carbon dioxide (CO) emissions. It is evident that UN efforts to combat climate change are not effective because past experience shows that CO generation cuts weren't near enough. The recent Paris Agreement may restore a faith in UN process if implemented but doesn't reduce temperatures as needed unless all drivers of climate variability are considered, particularly the abortive role of developing cities. The UN Programme appears to be focusing on attaining urban resilience rather than targeting grassroots causes. Urbane-bias global policies drive the rural population to leave their land and flood cities while over-usage of natural resources by the rich is left unchecked. A new UN strategy making the countryside a more appealing place to live in and work whilst normalising urban growth is needed as well as mobilizing local leaders who enjoy more autonomy to enact regulations. It should also alleviate poverty, deter excessive practices and put science and technology under community control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent economic turmoil has revived interest in the quest for sustainable growth. Current economic thinking attaches growing importance to industrial development. The roots of such thinking can be traced back to traditional arguments about the beneficial role of manufacturing for economic growth through horizontal and vertical spillovers to other sectors. These spillovers are of particular importance at the regional level, as such externalities tend to be localized in nature. The objective of this paper is to explore the relationship between economic structure and regional growth in ten Western European EU member states in the post-crisis period. The analysis wishes to answer the question of whether regions with a higher concentration of manufacturing outperform their counterparts with more diverse economic structures. A spatial panel econometric technique is applied in order to distinguish between the intra-regional and inter-regional effects of economic structure, yielding recommendations for policy makers in the field of industrial policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]