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Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and haze pollution are often thought to have the same origin, the burning of fossil fuels. However, their relationship is not always synergistic and may even exhibit mutual constraints. Carbon-biased technological progress has emerged as a promising approach for simultaneously achieving three goals - to reduce CO2 emissions, alleviate the haze pressure, and keep economic growth. This study empirically investigates the impact and mechanisms of carbon-biased technological progress on carbon haze collaborative governance using data from 286 Chinese cities during 2006-2021. The results indicate that: (1) Carbon biased technological progress positively influences carbon haze collaborative governance. (2) This progress achieves coordination by enhancing element allocation efficiency, carbon efficiency, and responding to public environmental demands. (3) The facilitating role of carbon biased technological progress to carbon haze collaborative governance will work better if external conditions are met. Moreover, the effectiveness of carbon-biased technological progress in promoting coordination is contingent upon high levels of marketization, government intervention, environmental regulation, and technical advancements. Local and regional governments should foster conducive conditions for carbon dioxide and haze pollution coordination, optimize the allocation and flow of carbon resources, ensure harmonization between environmental regulation policies and other sectors, and bolster international cooperation and technical knowledge exchange to collectively address global environmental challenges., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Climate change mitigation requires simultaneous reduction of carbon emissions and air pollution. This study examines the synergy between pollution reduction and carbon reduction, identifying key variables and strategies to achieve this goal. Using a Geographical Detector model and a Coupling Degree of Coordination model, 108 cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) are investigated. Results show that while controlling PM2.5 has been more successful than managing carbon emissions in the YREB, synergy between pollution reduction and carbon emissions increased by an average of 7.2% from 2006 to 2019. Spatial analysis reveals higher synergy in upstream areas, indicating significant spatial diversity. The impact of pollution and emission reduction synergies is influenced by societal and environmental variables, including industry structure, technological innovation, energy structure, human capital quality, and economic basis. Synergy is amplified when natural limits align with high-quality development drivers such as technical innovation and the digital economy. Recommendations include enhancing city-to-city contact, improving energy and industrial structures, and fostering technological innovation to address regional variations in synergy levels., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This review is aimed at researchers in air pollution control seeking to understand the latest advancements in volatile organic compound (VOC) removal. Implementing of plasma-catalysis technology for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) led to a significant boost in terms of degradation yield and mineralization rate with low by-product formation. The plasma-catalysis combination can be used in two distinct ways: (I) the catalyst is positioned downstream of the plasma discharge, known as the "post plasma catalysis configuration" (PPC), and (II) the catalyst is located in the plasma zone and exposed directly to the discharge, called "in plasma catalysis configuration" (IPC). Coupling these two technologies, especially for VOCs elimination has attracted the interest of many researchers in recent years. The term "synergy" is widely reported in their works and associated with the positive effect of the plasma catalysis combination. This review paper investigates the state of the art of newly published papers about catalysis, photocatalysis, non-thermal plasma, and their combination for VOC removal application. The focus is on understanding different synergy sources operating mutually between plasma and catalysis discussed and classified into two main parts: the effect of the plasma discharge on the catalyst and the effect of the catalyst on plasma discharge. This approach has the potential for application in air purification systems for industrial processes or indoor environments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The reliance solely on the government or enterprises to promote climate governance is contingent upon the vested interests of economic entities and the regulatory bodies' efficiency in governance. Can the model of government-enterprise green collaborative governance evolve into a long-term mechanism for addressing the climate crisis and achieving the goals of sustainable development? By crawling data on public-private partnerships (PPP), employing ChatGPT to identify green PPP projects, and building a generalized difference-in-differences framework based on the Guidance on Building a Green Financial System issued in 2016, this present study investigates whether the involvement of private capital in government-led environmental and climate governance can effectively facilitate government-enterprise green collaborative governance, thereby mitigating urban carbon emissions. The study finds government-enterprise green collaborative governance can significantly reduce urban carbon emissions. The conclusion remains valid even after several rounds of robustness tests, including removing the influence of pertinent climate policies, adjusting the settings of independent and dependent variables, and removing self-selection issues. Heterogeneity tests show, on the first hand, the carbon emission reduction effect of government-enterprise green collaborative governance differs due to the differences in the characteristics of green PPP(Pubic-private partnership) projects such as project return mechanism, project investment volume, and project cooperation term; on the other hand, the carbon emission reduction effect also shows heterogeneity with various urban characteristics such as geographical location, city type and city size. Mechanism tests indicate government-enterprise green collaborative governance affects urban carbon emissions mainly through structural effects, technological effects and co-investment effects. This paper offers a valuable framework for effectively promoting environmental and climate co-governance between governmental bodies and enterprises, while enhancing the market's role in resource benefit allocation within climate governance to mitigate the risks associated with climate change., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The cities of North India, such as Delhi, face a significant public health threat from severe air pollution. Between October 2021 and January 2022, 79 % of Delhi's daily average PM 2.5 (Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) values exceeded 100 μg/m 3 (the permissible level being 60 μg/m 3 as per Indian standards). In response to this acute exposure, using Respiratory Face Masks (RFMs) is a cost-effective solution to reduce immediate health risks while policymakers develop long-term emission control plans. Our research focuses on the health and economic benefits of using RFMs to prevent acute exposure to PM 2.5 pollution in Delhi for different age groups. Our findings indicate that, among the fifty chosen RFMs, M50 has greatest potential to prevent short-term excess mortality (908 in age ranges 5-44), followed by M49 (745) and M48 (568). These RFMs resulted in estimated economic benefits of 500.6 (46 %), 411.1 (37 %), and 313.4 (29 %) million Indian Rupee (INR), respectively during October-January 2021-22. By wearing RFMs such as M50, M49, and M48 during episodes of bad air quality, it is estimated that 13 % of short-term excess mortality and associated costs could be saved if at least 30 % of Delhi residents followed an alert issued by an operational Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) developed by the Ministry of Earth Sciences. Our research suggests that RFMs can notably decrease health and economic burdens amid peak PM 2.5 pollution in post-monsoon and winter seasons until long-term emission reduction strategies are adopted. It is suggested that an advisory may be crafted in collaboration with statutory bodies and should be disseminated to assist the vulnerable population in using RFMs during winter. The analysis presented in this research is purely science based and outcomes of study are in no way to be construed as endorsement of product., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The authors also declare that The Ministry of Earth Science (MoES) of the Government of India, and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) may not fully endorse the findings from this study, and authors don't have any commercial interests with manufacturers of masks presented in this study., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Carbon emissions trading scheme (ETS) will change the internal and external operating environment of related companies, increase new carbon reduction costs, and may affect their investment behavior and decision-making. This study constructs the policy effect evaluation model to evaluate the net effect of China's ETS pilot policy on the investment efficiency of related companies in high-carbon industries. This study indicates that: first, China's ETS pilot policy has reduced the inefficient investment of related companies by 11.40% during the sample period. Second, innovation ability plays an enhanced moderating effect in the inhibitory effect of China's ETS pilot policy on the inefficient investment of related companies in the short term, but the effect is weakened in the long-term. Third, the policy effect is relatively obvious for non-state-owned companies and companies with more institutional shareholdings. This research has important reference value for the continuous improvement of China's national carbon market, and the steady transformation from simple investment-driven to investment-efficiency-driven economic development in China., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Climate change mitigation and adaptation along with air pollution are key challenges that require a comprehensive planning approach able to promote win-win strategies and avoid transferring environmental pressures from one sector to another. The joint approach is widely advocated at the policy level while the scientific research investigates the role of co-benefits in planning processes. A methodological framework was developed with the twofold aim of (i) assessing the current integration degree between regional Air Quality Plans and Climate Plans and (ii) providing useful hints for pursuing greater air-climate integration. Its application to the Italian case study provides useful policy implications for strengthening the role of co-benefits as drivers of planning processes. Results show that a greater air-climate integration can be achieved by enhancing the role of regional authorities in supporting the implementation of local-scale plans and actions. This is especially important in contexts where an integrated planning framework is lacking and the mainstreaming within sectoral sub-regional plans turns out to be crucial., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The iron and steel industry (ISI) is a significant source of sulfur dioxide and particulate matter pollution in China. Existing research on regional environmental regulation or ISI emission reduction strategies tends to overlook spillover effects and the enterprise perspective. During the heating season, production limitations in ISI are potential policy measures for achieving structural emission reductions in heavily polluted cities in China's Jing-Jin-Ji and surrounding regions. We adopt a bottom-up modeling approach, incorporating effective production time to describe enterprise behavior and establishing a quantitative trade model based on trade theory. By modeling three types of production restriction policies outlined in policy documents, we evaluate the emission reduction effects of structure-adjustment measures using the example of reduced effective production time for steel-producing enterprises in the air pollution transmission channel in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area. The results indicate the following: (1) Reducing the effective production time of ISI enterprises can help decrease domestic production value and total factor productivity in pollution-intensive industries, including but not limited to ISI. It also leads to reduced emissions of various pollutants in the implementation regions. (2) Due to interprovincial trade and input-output linkages, structural reduction measures in certain regions have implications for almost all other provinces' industrial structures. Differences in initial industrial structures, factor endowments, and geographical locations contribute to varying directions and magnitudes of industrial structural changes. Pollution-intensive industries' share tends to increase higher in less developed regions. (3) Our estimated pollution reduction is smaller compared to the literature evaluating clean air policies in similar regions using top-down strategies. This discrepancy arises because we analyze a single policy tool rather than modeling industry-wide emission fluctuations from the top down. Additionally, our modeling approach allows us to examine dynamic changes in comparative advantages. The increase in production scale for certain industries in policy-affected regions partially offsets the decline in pollution emissions. These findings enhance our understanding of structure-adjustment reduction measures' role and highlight their potential advantages and limitations., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In response to the dual challenges of air pollution control and carbon mitigation, China has strategically shifted its focus towards the synergistic reduction of air pollutants and CO 2 emissions. This study identifies the potential areas and specific air pollutant species (including CO, NO x , and SO 2 ) for co-reduction with carbon mitigation. We also reveal the driving forces behind the emissions of each air pollutant at both the national and regional scales. Our findings are as follows: (1) The potential for synergistic reduction of CO and SO 2 with CO 2 emissions has diminished in economically developed areas. There is a significant opportunity for co-reduction of SO 2 and CO 2 in the western and northern regions of China, particularly within Heilongjiang Province. (2) NOx is the key species for synergistic reduction with CO 2 emissions across China, especially in the Chengyu Plain. (3) Cleaner production and the synergistic reduction effect are the primary contributors to national air pollutant reduction in China from 2008 to 2017. Conversely, efforts in economic development and energy efficiency have led to emission increases. Energy and industrial structures have only made limited contributions to emission reductions, and carbon mitigation shows an inhibition effect on emission reductions. These results offer valuable insights for developing targeted regional strategies for deeper air pollution control, considering the specific characteristics and needs of each region. Additionally, our findings highlight the importance of addressing policy misalignments and strengthening mutual-influence mechanisms between air pollution control and carbon mitigation, ensuring that policies for carbon reduction also effectively contribute to air quality improvements., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted into the atmosphere negatively affect the environment and human health. Biotrickling filtration, an effective technology for treating VOC-laden waste gases, faces challenges in removing hydrophobic VOCs due to their low water solubility and therefore limited bioavailability to microorganisms. Consequently, the addition of (bio)surfactants has proven to be a promising strategy to enhance the removal of hydrophobic VOCs in biotrickling filters (BTFs). Yet, up to now, no single study has ever performed a mass transfer characterization of a BTF under (bio)surfactants addition. In this study, the effect of (bio)surfactant addition on the gas-liquid mass transfer characteristics of two BTFs was measured by using oxygen (O 2 ) as a model gas. Through an empirical correlation, the mass transfer coefficients (k L a) of two hydrophobic VOCs, toluene and hexane, which are of industrial and environmental significance, were estimated. One BTF was filled with expanded perlite, while the other with a mixture of compost and wood chips (C + WC). Both BTFs were operated under different liquid velocities (U L : 0.95 and 1.53 m h -1 ). Saponin, a biological surfactant, and Tween 80, a synthetic surfactant, were added to the recirculating liquid at different critical micelle concentrations (CMCs: 0-3 CMC). The higher interfacial and surface area of the perlite BTF compared to the C + WC BTF led to higher k L aO 2 values regardless of the operational condition: 308 ± 18-612 ± 19 h -1 versus 42 ± 4-177 ± 24 h -1 , respectively. Saponin addition at 0.5 and 1 CMC had positive effects on the perlite BTF, with k L aO 2 values two times higher compared to those at 0 CMC. Tween 80 exhibited a neutral or slightly positive effect on the mass transfer of both BTFs under all conditions. Overall, the CMC, along with the physical characteristics of the packing materials and the operational conditions evaluated explained the results obtained. This study provides fundamental data essential to improve the performance and design of BTFs for hydrophobic VOCs abatement., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Air pollution is arguably the most pressing human health concern today, accounting for approximately 7-9 million premature deaths worldwide. In the United States, more than 40% of early deaths caused by air pollution are assessed to be caused by emissions produced by neighboring states. This article examines one of the governance mechanisms used by the U.S. to address this issue: section 126 of the Clean Air Act. Critical factors including case length, evidence used, and case outcome are compiled for the population of section 126 petitions submitted from 2000-2022. This evidence is assessed using comparative case analysis. The findings reinforce two issues with the petition process already identified in the literature-the use of cost as a proxy for significance and the excessive and unclear burden of proof placed on downwind states-adding texture to the latter issue by examining the modeling techniques used by downwind states. This analysis identifies lengthy response timelines as an additional issue and calls to attention the infrequency with which the EPA has formally accepted petitions. Collectively, these issues increase the cost, complexity, and unpredictability of filing a section 126 petition., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Air pollution poses a significant threat to global public health. While broad mitigation policies exist, an understanding of the economic consequences, both in terms of health benefits and mitigation costs, remains lacking. This study systematically reviewed the existing economic implications of air pollution control strategies worldwide., Methods: A predefined search strategy, without limitations on region or study design, was employed to search the PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and CEA registry databases for studies from their inception to November 2023 using keywords such as "cost-benefit analyses", "air pollution", and "particulate matter". Focus was placed on studies that specifically considered the health benefits of air pollution control strategies. The evidence was summarized by pollution control strategy and reported using principle economic evaluation measurements such as net benefits and benefit-cost ratios., Results: The search yielded 104 studies that met the inclusion criteria. A total of 75, 21, and 8 studies assessed the costs and benefits of outdoor, indoor, and mixed control strategies, respectively, of which 54, 15, and 3 reported that the benefits of the control strategy exceeded the mitigation costs. Source reduction (n = 42) and end-of-pipe treatments (n = 15) were the most commonly employed pollution control methodologies. The association between particulate matter (PM) and mortality was the most widely assessed exposure-effect relationship and had the largest health gains (n = 42). A total of 32 studies employed a broader benefits framework, examining the impacts of air pollution control strategies on the environment, ecology, and society. Of these, 31 studies reported partially or entirely positive economic evidence. However, despite overwhelming evidence in support of these strategies, the studies also highlighted some policy flaws concerning equity, optimization, and uncertainty characterization., Conclusions: Nearly 70% of the reviewed studies reported that the economic benefits of implementing air pollution control strategies outweighed the relative costs. This was primarily due to the improved mortality and morbidity rates associated with lowering PM levels. In addition to health benefits, air pollution control strategies were also associated with other environmental and social benefits, strengthening the economic case for implementation. However, future air pollution control strategy designs will need to address some of the existing policy limitations., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Despite the extensive use of community-based participatory research (CBPR) in health-related projects, there is limited work on how CBPR processes result in outcomes, especially in household and ambient air pollution (HAAP) research. This study explores the reflections of key informants on factors that shape the implementation and outcomes of CBPR in HAAP projects., Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 key stakeholders, including academic researchers, non-governmental organisation administrators, a policymaker, and community members. All interviewees have experience in CBPR projects. Interviews were analysed using framework analysis, and findings were mapped to Wallerstein et al.'s CBPR conceptual model, which consists of four constructs: context, partnership processes, intervention and research, and outcomes., Results: The findings are described under two main categories: 'barriers to participation' and 'good practices for effective CBPR design and implementation'. Relevant sub-categories were barriers at the structural, research, community, and individual levels. Suggestions for good practices included respect, cultural humility, trust, effective communication, suitable and affordable interventions such as improved cookstoves, appropriate participatory research tools, and gratuity for the community's time., Conclusion: Key informants' perspectives identified factors supported by the CBPR model to inform the design and implementation of the CBPR approach. The add-ons to some of the model's factors, such as intra-community dynamics, give value to the informants' knowledge to support community-research partnerships and improve outcomes in HAAP intervention projects. Addressing these factors at the design stage and reporting CBPR evaluation could deepen the understanding of community-research partnerships., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Although reactive nitrogen (Nr) emissions from food and energy production contribute to multi-dimensional environmental damages, integrated management of Nr is still lacking owing to unclear future mitigation potentials and benefits. Here, we find that by 2050, high-ambition compared to low-ambition N interventions reduce global ammonia and nitrogen oxide emissions by 21 and 22 TgN/a, respectively, equivalent to 40 and 52% of their 2015 levels. This would mitigate population-weighted PM2.5 by 6 g/m 3 and avoid premature deaths by 817 k (16%), mitigate ozone by 4 ppbv, avoid premature deaths by 252k (34%) and crop yield losses by 122 million tons (4.3%), and decrease terrestrial ecosystem areas exceeding critical load by 420 Mha (69%). Without nitrogen interventions, most environmental damages examined will deteriorate between 2015 and 2050; Africa and Asia are the most vulnerable but also benefit the most from interventions. Nitrogen interventions support sustainable development goals related to air, health, and ecosystems.

For air quality management, while numerical tools are mainly evaluated to assess their performances on absolute concentrations, this study assesses the impact of their settings on the robustness of model responses to emission reduction strategies for the main criteria pollutants. The effect of the spatial resolution and chemistry schemes is investigated. We show that whereas the spatial resolution is not a crucial setting (except for NO 2 ), the chemistry scheme has more impact, particularly when assessing hourly values of the absolute potential of concentrations. The analysis of model responses under the various configurations triggered an analysis of the impact of using online models, like WRF-chem or WRF-CHIMERE, which accounts for the impact of aerosol concentrations on meteorology. This study informs the air quality modeling community on what extent some model settings can affect the expected model responses to emission changes. We suggest to not activate online effects when analyzing the effect of an emission reduction strategy to avoid any confusion in the interpretation of results even if an online simulation should represent better the reality., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Chinese government has implemented environmental regulations to address the deterioration of air quality associated with rapid industrialization. However, there is no consensus on whether environmental regulations are beneficial to environmental performance. The technical challenges related to endogeneity and spatial correlation may bias the estimation of the emission reduction effect of regulations. In this study, we comprehensively evaluate the environmental performance of sulfur dioxide regulations in Chinese cities using a novel stochastic frontier model that introduces the single control function to correct estimation errors caused by spatial spillovers and endogeneity. Our analysis emphasizes that insufficient resolution of endogeneity or spatial spillovers may lead to underestimation or neglect of the environmental performance improvements achieved by these regulations. On the contrary, our revised research results indicate that regulations aimed at reducing sulfur dioxide emissions not only successfully control sulfur dioxide emissions, but also have a positive impact on reducing carbon emissions. In addition, we conduct in-depth research on the mechanisms by which environmental regulations improve performance by stimulating green technology innovation and promoting industrial structure upgrading. Based on our research findings, we propose policy recommendations to establish a city cooperation mechanism of technology exchange to achieve synergistic emission reduction and strengthen regional factor circulation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The transformation of public consumption patterns has become a burning question, but there are few studies on public consumption patterns. Therefore, evaluating the impact of Information consumption city (ICC) policy on carbon emission efficiency holds significant implications. This study settles on 104 pilot cities in China from 2006 to 2020 to assess the impact and the response mechanism of ICC policy on carbon emission efficiency through the time-vary Difference-in-Difference (DID) model. The result shows that: (1) ICC policy significantly promotes the local carbon emission efficiency, which remains robust after a battery of sensitivity tests. (2) It improves carbon emission efficiency through production factors agglomeration effect, industrial structural changing effect, innovation promotion effect, and environmental attention effect; (3) The direct impact of ICC policy on carbon emission efficiency varies across regions with different information consumption and carbon emission base. (4) ICC can improve carbon emission efficiency through the joint implementation of smart city (SC), new urbanization (NU), ecological civilization city construction (EC), Belt and Road Initiative (BR), Broadband China (BC), low-carbon city pilot policy (LCC), and air quality standards (AQS) policy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Emissions from road traffic and residential heating contribute to urban air pollution. Advances in emission reduction technologies may alter the composition of emissions and affect their fate during atmospheric processing. Here, emissions of a gasoline car and a wood stove, both equipped with modern emission mitigation technology, were photochemically aged in an oxidation flow reactor to the equivalent of one to five days of photochemical aging. Fresh and aged exhausts were analyzed by ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry. The gasoline car equipped with a three-way catalyst and a gasoline particle filter emitted minor primary fine particulate matter (PM2.5), but aging led to formation of particulate low-volatile, oxygenated and highly nitrogen-containing compounds, formed from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and gases incl. NO x , SO 2 , and NH 3 . Reduction of the particle concentration was also observed for the application of an electrostatic precipitator with residential wood combustion but with no significant effect on the chemical composition of PM2.5. Comparing the effect of short and medium photochemical exposures on PM2.5 of both emission sources indicates a similar trend for formation of new organic compounds with increased carbon oxidation state and nitrogen content. The overall bulk compositions of the studied emission exhausts became more similar by aging, with many newly formed elemental compositions being shared. However, the presence of particulate matter in wood combustion results in differences in the molecular properties of secondary particles, as some compounds were preserved during aging.

China's advancements in addressing air pollution and reducing CO 2 emissions offer valuable lessons for collaborative strategies to achieve diverse environmental objectives. Previous studies have assessed the mutual benefits of climate policies and air pollution control measures on one another, lacking an integrated assessment of the benefits of synergistic control attributed to refined measures. Here, we comprehensively used coupled emission inventory and response models to evaluate the integrated benefits and synergy degrees of various measures in reducing air pollutants and CO 2 in China during 2013-2021. Results indicated that the implemented measures yielded integrated benefits value at 6.7 (2.4-12.6) trillion Chinese Yuan. The top five contributors, accounting for 55%, included promoting non-thermal power, implementing end-of-pipe control technologies in power plants and iron and steel industry, replacing residential scattered coal, and saving building energy. Measures demonstrating high synergies and integrated benefits per unit of reduction (e.g., green traffic promotion) yielded low benefits mainly due to their low application, which are expected to gain greater implementation and prioritization in the future. Our findings provide insights into the effectiveness and limitations of strategies aimed at joint control. By ranking these measures based on their benefits and synergy, we offer valuable guidance for policy development in China and other nations with similar needs.

Air pollution significantly impacts cardiovascular health, yet pollution reduction strategies in cardiovascular disease prevention remain limited. Dietary flavonoids show promise in protecting cardiovascular health, but their potential to mitigate air-pollution-induced risks is unexplored. This study investigates this research gap. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, literature from 2014-2024 was searched across MedLine/PubMed, ScienceDirect, and MDPI databases. Of 463 identified studies, 53 were eligible for analysis based on PICO criteria. Findings revealed significant impacts of air pollution on cardiovascular health, including increased disease risks and mortality. Flavonoid intake demonstrated protective effects against these risks. Flavonoid mechanisms include improved endothelial function, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, blood pressure regulation, antiplatelet effects, cardioprotection, and enhanced lipid and glucose metabolism. Higher flavonoid intake was consistently associated with reduced cardiovascular risks. While reducing pollution remains crucial, promoting flavonoid-rich diets is a promising complementary strategy. Public health initiatives should raise awareness about these benefits. Further research on direct interactions between flavonoid intake and air pollution exposure is needed. Current evidence supports integrating dietary interventions into broader strategies to reduce air pollution's cardiovascular impacts.

Vehicle exhaust is one of the major organic sources in urban areas. Old taxis equipped with failed three-way catalysts (TWCs) have been regarded as "super emitters". Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a regular substitution fuel for gasoline in taxis. The relative effect of fuel substitution and TWC failure has not been thoroughly investigated. In this work, vehicle exhausts from gasoline and CNG taxis with optimally functioning and malfunctioning TWCs are sampled by Tenax TA tubes and then analyzed by a comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC×GC-MS). A total of 216 organics are quantified, including 80 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and 132 intermediate volatility organic compounds (IVOCs). Failure of TWC introduces super emitters with 30 - 70 times emission factors (EFs), 60 - 112 times ozone formation potentials (OFPs), and 34 - 92 times secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) more than normal vehicles. Specifically, for the taxi with failed TWC, the total organic EF of CNG is 16 times that of gasoline, indicating that the failure of TWC exceeds the emission reduction achieved by CNG-gasoline substitution. A significant but unbalanced reduction of ozone and SOA is observed after TWC, whereas a notable "enrichment" in IVOCs was observed. Naphthalene is a typical IVOC component strongly associated with CNG-gasoline substitution and TWC failure, which is lacking in current VOC measurement. We especially emphasize that there is an urgent need to scrap vehicles with failed TWCs in order to significantly reduce air pollution., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Electricity production is a significant source of air pollution. Various factors, including electricity demand, generation efficiency, energy mix, and end-of-pipe control measures, are responsible for the emission changes during electricity generation. Although electricity production more than doubled from 1990 to 2017, air pollutant emissions showed a moderate increase or decrease, which was attributed to mitigating drivers such as increased clean energy use, improved power generation efficiency, and widespread installation of end-of-pipe control facilities. The absence of these mitigating drivers would have increased CO 2 , fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), black carbon, SO 2 , and NOx emissions in 2017 by 165 %, 403 %, 1070 %, 614 %, and 274 % than their actual levels, respectively. The improved electricity generation efficiency reduced potential CO 2 , PM 2.5 , SO 2 , and NOx emissions by 30 %, 295 %, 119 %, and 52 % compared to actual emissions, respectively. Meanwhile, the installation of end-of-pipe facilities reduced potential SO 2 and PM 2.5 emissions by 34.7 and 4.0 Tg, respectively. Considerable differences in emissions among countries were found to be attributable to their differences in electricity demand and the implementation of local mitigating polices., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

To protect occupants in vehicle cabin environments from the health risks of high concentrations of particulate matter (PM), it is important to install vehicle cabin air filter (VCAF) to eliminate PM. In this study, we investigated the filtration performance of 22 VCAFs. Results showed that the minimum average filtration efficiency was 56.1 % for particles with a diameter of 0.1-0.3 μm, a pressure drop of 33.2-250 Pa at air velocity of 2.5 m/s, and the dust-holding capacity ranged from 5.8 to 19.4 g. In addition, as the filter area increased from 0.23 m 2 to 0.50 m 2 , the filtration efficiency for particles with a diameter of 0.1-0.3 μm increased from 56.7 % to 77.5 %, the pressure drop decreased from 96.1 to 62.5 Pa, and the dust holding capacity increased 2.7 times. Furthermore, we compared the service life of VCAF from 31 major Chinese cities and found that the service life varied greatly from maximum of 1730 h for Haikou to minimum of 352 h for Shijiazhuang. Considering occupant health risks, Beijing requires that VCAFs have PM 2.5 filtration efficiency at least 88.1 %, and Liaoning requires minimum of 97.5 %. Hence, choosing the appropriate VCAF based on the atmospheric environment of different cities deserves our attention., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The pollutant emissions of diesel-powered heavy-duty trucks (HDTs) seriously damage the air quality. The promotion of hydrogen fuel cell HDTs through purchase subsidy policy to reduce emissions has become an important approach to control air pollution. This study focuses on the impact of hydrogen fuel cell HDT purchase subsidies on air quality in the context of China, covering the panel data of 31 Chinese cities from 2014 to 2021 and applying a two-way fixed effects model to analyze the contribution of purchase subsidies and hydrogen refueling station construction subsidies to air quality. Results show that (1) the increase in purchase subsidies could improve the air quality by around 6.1% and there is a lag effect. (2) Purchase subsidies make a larger contribution to air quality compared with construction subsidies. (3) Purchase subsidies can improve air quality by reducing carbon emissions in transport industry. In sight of these results, policy makers should emphasize the implementation of purchase subsidies and hydrogen refueling station construction subsidies and stimulate manufacturers to improve the performance of hydrogen fuel cell so as to contribute more to the environment., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This study introduces a novel integrated quantitative modeling framework to assess the multiple environmental, health, and economic benefits from implementing carbon capture technology in the power sector of Basra province, Iraq. This province is struggling with significant environmental challenges and air pollution caused by extensive oil extraction operations. First, the developed modeling framework quantifies the captured CO 2 emissions and the equivalent avoided PM 2.5 emissions resulting from the use of carbon capture units in existing power plants. This is achieved through a detailed simulation of the monoethanolamine (MEA) capture process using Aspen. Second, the impact of avoided PM 2.5 exposure on public health is evaluated by developing and applying a dynamic dispersion model across the districts where the power plants are located. Third, it quantifies the expected health benefits, using the health impact assessment method. This method is based on a comprehensive meta-analysis of concentration-response functions, and it utilizes a Recurrent Neural Network prediction framework based on the Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) method to predict the relative risk value of six health outcomes. Finally, the economic value of avoided health burdens is estimated by employing the Value of Statistical Life (VSL) and the Cost of Illness (COI) approaches. According to the findings, implementing new carbon capture units in the selected power plants in the area will lead to a reduction of 7.697 million tons of carbon dioxide per year in the total emission of pollutants from the current power generation units in the region. The integrated assessment results demonstrate a significant reduction in PM 2.5 emissions, amounting to 2299 tons per year, leading to the avoidance of 1328 premature deaths and 217 hospital admissions, resulting in annual savings of $1846 million from the avoided mortalities and morbidities cases and creation of 29,607 green jobs in Basra Province., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Amidst escalating environmental concerns, regional cooperation has emerged as a potent strategy for environmental preservation. Yet, the potency of such cooperation in curbing air pollution remains largely unexplored and nebulous. Drawing upon a decade-long (2010-2019) new data from the dynamic Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), this study seeks to fill these knowledge gaps. Our findings underscore the transformative potential of regional cooperation in mitigating air pollution. By catalyzing technological advancements, fostering structural shifts in businesses, and reshaping land-use patterns, regional cooperation paves the way for a cleaner, healthier environment. A deeper dive into the heterogeneity reveals that "top to bottom" city agreements within regional cooperation frameworks significantly enhance air quality. While institutional and economic collaborations prove instrumental in reducing air pollution, social cooperation appears to have a lesser impact. Research findings indicate that the future will necessitate strengthening formal, institutionalized regional cooperation to address potential challenges posed by environmental pollution., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None of the authors have a conflict of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The American Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 contains climate-related provisions that may have noteworthy implications for cancer control and prevention. This commentary assesses the potential co-benefits of the IRA for cancer control efforts, specifically policies and programs to reduce carcinogen exposure via air quality monitoring and air pollution reduction. Allocations through the IRA for air quality improvement, paired with its environmental justice provisions, hold promise for advancing cancer prevention by targeting resources to communities most susceptible to environmental hazards. Moreover, climate resilience measures dictated by the IRA are crucial for oncology professionals grappling with the dual challenges of climate change and cancer care. Climate-driven extreme weather events can exacerbate carcinogen exposure and disrupt access to cancer care, underscoring the need for resilient health-care infrastructure. The IRA's provisions for clean energy incentives and infrastructure upgrades offer oncology care institutions opportunities to mitigate emissions and bolster resilience against climate-related disruptions, ultimately improving cancer outcomes. Climate-related initiatives funded by the IRA present a unique and timely avenue to advance equitable cancer control efforts. This commentary underscores the critical intersection between climate resilience policy and oncology care, highlighting the potential to promote a healthier and more resilient future for all., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Landfills are widely employed as the primary means of solid waste disposal. However, this practice generates landfill gas (LFG) which contains methane (CH 4 ), a potent greenhouse gas, as well as various volatile organic compounds and volatile inorganic compounds. These emissions from landfills contribute to approximately 25% of the total atmospheric CH 4 , indicating the imperative need to valorize or treat LFG prior to its release into the atmosphere. This review first aims to outline landfills, waste disposal and valorization, conventional gas treatment techniques commonly employed for LFG treatment, such as flares and thermal oxidation. Furthermore, it explores biotechnological approaches as more technically and economically feasible alternatives for mitigating LFG emissions, especially in the case of small and aged landfills where CH 4 concentrations are often below 3% v/v. Finally, this review highlights biofilters as the most suitable biotechnological solution for LFG treatment and discusses several advantages and challenges associated with their implementation in the landfill environment., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The most up-to-date estimate of the global burden of disease indicates that ambient air pollution, including fine particulate matter and ozone, contributes to an estimated 5.2 million deaths each year. In this review, we highlight the challenges in estimating population exposure to air pollution and attributable health risks, particularly in low- and middle-income countries and among vulnerable populations. To protect public health, the evidence so far confirms urgent needs to prioritize interdisciplinary research on air pollution exposure and risk assessment and to develop evidence-based intervention policies and risk communication strategies. Here, we synthesize the emerging evidence supporting the monitoring and evaluation of the progress in implementation of the Global Air Quality Guidelines prepared by the World Health Organization.

The upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games could face environmental challenges related to heat, air quality and water quality. These challenges will pose potential threats to athletes and impact thousands of stakeholders and millions of spectators. Recognising the multifaceted nature of these challenges, a range of strategies will be essential for mitigating adverse effects on participants, stakeholders and spectators alike. From personalised interventions for athletes and attendees to comprehensive measures implemented by organisers, a holistic approach is crucial to address these challenges and the possible interplay of heat, air and water quality factors during the event. This evidence-based review highlights various environmental challenges anticipated at Paris 2024, offering strategies applicable to athletes, stakeholders and spectators. Additionally, it provides recommendations for Local Organising Committees and the International Olympic Committee that may be applicable to future Games. In summary, the review offers solutions for consideration by the stakeholders responsible for and affected by the anticipated environmental challenges at Paris 2024., Competing Interests: Competing interests: MLM is Deputy Editor of BJSM, and on the Editorial Board of the BJSM Injury Prevention and Health Promotion Journal. SR is Associate Editor of BJSM. LJJ and SM have current/previous fundings from the food/nutrition industry., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

This study delves into the impact of digital inclusive finance on environmental pollution, with a specific focus on air pollution. Utilizing data from 265 Chinese cities, advanced econometric methods such as the bi-directional fixed effects model, threshold model, spatial Durbin model, and multi-period difference-in-differences model are employed, incorporating a variety of control variables. The empirical findings indicate that digital inclusive finance significantly reduces air pollution. This mechanism chiefly operates through enhancing public environmental consciousness and fostering green technological innovation. The study also uncovers the spatial spillover effect and non-linear characteristics of digital inclusive finance on air pollution, along with its interactive effects with specific policies (e.g., smart city pilot policies and the "major protection, no major development" initiative). Moreover, heterogeneity analysis reveals regional variations in the environmental effects of digital inclusive finance. These insights provide a novel perspective on the relationship between financial technology and environmental protection and offer crucial guidance for policymaking., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Wang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

In light of the recent worldwide scientific and technological revolution, it is imperative that urban infrastructure undergo a digital transformation in order to lower carbon emissions and support sustainable urban growth. However, to date, there is a lack of empirical research on carbon emissions based on the digital transformation of urban infrastructure. This paper uses data from 178 prefecture-level cities in China from 2005 to 2020 to study the impact of digital transformation of urban infrastructure on carbon emissions based on the "local-neighbourhood" perspective using a spatial difference-in-differences model. The results show that the digital transformation of urban infrastructure reduces the intensity of local carbon emissions while also reducing the carbon emissions of neighbouring cities, with a spatial spillover effect, and the boundary of this spatial spillover is 600 km. Mechanistic analyses suggest that digital transformation of urban infrastructure can reduce carbon emissions locally as well as in nearby areas by promoting green technological innovations. In light of this, this study has important policy implications for maximising the contribution of digital transformation of infrastructure to reducing carbon emissions., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Song et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Reducing air pollutants and CO 2 emissions from energy utilization is crucial for achieving the dual objectives of clean air and carbon neutrality in China. Thus, an optimized health-oriented strategy is urgently needed. Herein, by coupling a CO 2 and air pollutants emission inventory with response surface models for PM 2.5 -associated mortality, we shed light on the effectiveness of protecting human health and co-CO 2 benefit from reducing fuel-related emissions and generate a health-oriented strategy for the Yangtze River Delta (YRD). Results reveal that oil consumption is the primary contributor to fuel-related PM 2.5 pollution and premature deaths in the YRD. Significantly, curtailing fuel consumption in transportation is the most effective measure to alleviate the fuel-related PM 2.5 health impact, which also has the greatest cobenefits for CO 2 emission reduction on a regional scale. Reducing fuel consumption will achieve substantial health improvements especially in eastern YRD, with nonroad vehicle emission reductions being particularly impactful for health protection, while on-road vehicles present the greatest potential for CO 2 reductions. Scenario analysis confirms the importance of mitigating oil consumption in the transportation sector in addressing PM 2.5 pollution and climate change.

Urban road traffic is one of the primary sources of carbon emissions. Previous studies have demonstrated the close relationship between traffic flow characteristics and carbon emissions (CO2). However, the impact of dynamic traffic distribution on carbon emissions is rarely empirically studied on the network level. To fill this gap, this study proposes a dynamic network carbon emissions estimation method. The network-level traffic emissions are estimated by combining macroscopic emission models and recent advances in dynamic network traffic flow modeling, namely, Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram. The impact of traffic distribution and the penetration of battery electric vehicles on total network emissions are further investigated using the Monte Carlo method. The results indicate the substantial effect of network traffic distribution on carbon emissions. Using the urban expressway network in Ningbo as an example, in the scenario of 100% internal combustion engine vehicles, increasing the standard deviation of link-level traffic density from 0 to 15 veh/km-ln can result in an 8.9% network capacity drop and a 15.5% reduction in network carbon emissions. This effect can be moderated as the penetration rate of battery electric vehicles increases. Based on the empirical and simulating evidence, different expressway pollution management strategies can be implemented, such as petrol vehicle restrictions, ramp metering, congestion pricing, and perimeter control strategies., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Zhang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

In light of the pressing need to reduce carbon emissions, the biomass power generation industry has gained significant attention and has increasingly become a crucial focus in China. However, there are still considerable gaps in the historical background, status, and prospects of biomass power generation. Herein, the historical and current status of biomass power generation in China are systematically reviewed, with a particular emphasis on supportive policies, environmental impacts, and future projections. By 2022, the newly installed capacity for biomass power generation reached 3.34 MW with a total installed capacity of 41 MW. The power produced from biomass power generation is 182.4 billion kWh in China. The total installed capacity and generated power in 2022 were 1652 and 1139 folds higher than in 2006 when the first biomass generation plant was established. However, disparities in the distribution of biomass resources and power generation were observed. Key drivers of the industry development include tax, finance, and subsidy policies. Under the implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan for renewable energy development and the goal of carbon neutrality, biomass power generation may achieve great success through more targeted policy support and advanced technologies that reduce air pollutant emissions. If combined with Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) technology, biomass power generation will make its contribution to carbon neutrality in China., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Governmental policies, regulations, and responses to the pandemic can benefit from a better understanding of people's resulting behaviours before, during, and after COVID-19. To avoid the inelasticity and subjectivity of survey datasets, several studies have already used some objective variables like air pollutants to estimate the potential impacts of COVID-19 on the urban transportation system. However, the usage of reactant gases and a narrow time scale might weaken the results somehow. Here, both the objective passenger volume of public transport and the concentration of private traffic emitted black carbon (BC) from 2018 to 2023 were collected/calculated to decipher the potential relationship between public and private traffic during the COVID-19 period. Our results indicated that the commuting patterns of citizens show significant (p < 0.01) different patterns before, during, and after the pandemic. To be specific, public transportation showed a significant (p < 0.01) positive correlation with private transportation before the pandemic. This public transportation was significantly (p < 0.01) affected by the outbreaks of COVID-19, showing a significant (p < 0.01) negative correlation with private transportation. Such impacts of the virus and governmental policy would affect the long-term behaviour of individuals and even affect public transportation usage after the pandemic. Our results also indicated that such behaviour was mainly linked to the governmental restriction policy and would soon be neglected after the cancellation of the restriction policy in China., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

When ecology thrives, civilization thrives, and when ecology declines, civilization declines. Based on panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2021, this study used marginal abatement costs to estimate the co-benefits of pollution reduction and carbon reduction. Two-way fixed effect and two-stage intermediary effect models were used to evaluate the impact of digital technology on co-benefits and its indirect channels. The results indicated that China's total carbon emissions maintained a steady growth trend, while air pollution showed a fluctuating declining trend. Reaching peak carbon neutrality calls for more innovative solutions. Under joint emission reduction efforts, the study revealed marginal abatement cost savings of 535.8 million yuan/million tons and 6216.5 million yuan/μg/m 3 for carbon reduction and pollution reduction, respectively. Most importantly, the study confirmed that joint emission reduction programs can reduce environmental governance costs more than individual emission reductions can, and the co-benefits increased from 37.983 to 44.757. The co-benefits generally showed a trend of fluctuation and increases and had the characteristics of phased transformation. Intragroup differences and cross-overlapping between regions made regional differences in co-benefits obvious. The subversive, permeable, and integrated features of digital technology have resulted in the all-around transformation of the economy and society, and the new technology-economy paradigm has significantly improved co-benefits. The conclusion remains valid after robustness testing and controlling for endogeneity problems. The results of the mechanism analysis suggest that digital technology can indirectly improve synergies through the intermediary channels of fostering green technology innovation, reducing energy consumption intensity and improving the energy structure., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background: Climate actions targeting combustion sources can generate large ancillary health benefits via associated air-quality improvements. Therefore, understanding the health costs associated with ambient fine particulate matter (PM 2·5 ) from combustion sources can guide policy design for both air pollution and climate mitigation efforts., Methods: In this modelling study, we estimated the health costs attributable to ambient PM 2·5 from six major combustion sources across 204 countries using updated concentration-response models and an age-adjusted valuation method. We defined major combustion sources as the sum of total coal, liquid fuel and natural gas, solid biofuel, agricultural waste burning, other fires, and 50% of the anthropogenic fugitive, combustion, and industrial dust source., Findings: Global long-term exposure to ambient PM 2·5 from combustion sources imposed US$1·1 (95% uncertainty interval 0·8-1·5) trillion in health costs in 2019, accounting for 56% of the total health costs from all PM 2·5 sources. Comparing source contributions to PM 2·5 concentrations and health costs, we observed a higher share of health costs from combustion sources compared to their contribution to population-weighted PM 2·5 concentration across 134 countries, accounting for more than 87% of the global population. This disparity was primarily attributed to the non-linear relationship between PM 2·5 concentration and its associated health costs. Globally, phasing out fossil fuels can generate 23% higher relative health benefits compared to their share of PM 2·5 reductions. Specifically, the share of health costs for total coal was 36% higher than the source's contributions to corresponding PM 2·5 concentrations and the share of health costs for liquid fuel and natural gas was 12% higher. Other than fossil fuels, South Asia was expected to show 16% greater relative health benefits than the percentage reduction in PM 2·5 from the abatement of solid biofuel emissions., Interpretation: In most countries, targeting combustion sources might offer greater health benefits than non-combustion sources. This finding provides additional rationale for climate actions aimed at phasing out combustion sources, especially those related to fossil fuels and solid biofuel. Mitigation efforts designed according to source-specific health costs can more effectively avoid health costs than strategies that depend solely on the source contributions to overall PM 2·5 concentration., Funding: The Health Effects Institute, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and NASA., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The institution of RVM received a grant from the Clean Air Fund during the study. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

In light of China's objectives for carbon peak and carbon neutrality, there is an opportunity for fintech to leverage its technological advantages and enhance its integration with green finance (GF). This can bring about enhanced coverage and precision of financial services for green industries, facilitating the transformation towards a sustainable, greener, and low-carbon real economy. We investigate how fintech development influences the carbon emission reduction effects of GF utilizing a two-way fixed effects model with a panel dataset covering 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2020. Our findings indicate that the negative impact of GF on carbon emissions (CE) is heightened in areas with high levels of fintech development. Furthermore, we notice regional disparities in how fintech development impacts the effectiveness of GF in reducing CE. Specifically, fintech has a statistically significant impact in the central and western regions, whereas its significance is absent in the eastern region. Lastly, our mechanism analysis reveals that fintech plays a vital role in enhancing GF's capacity to mitigate CE, which is achieved through channels of promoting green technology innovation (GTI), alleviating corporate financing constraints (FC), and optimizing energy structure (ES). These findings provide compelling evidence for the positive effect of fintech on the environment and offer justification for promoting the development of fintech and GF., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Air quality issues, exacerbated by wildfire smoke and excessive ozone that is worsened by climate change, pose significant health risks to outdoor workers, who are often overlooked in regulatory protection and communication efforts. This study examined how outdoor worker demographics, risk perceptions, and efficacy beliefs predict air quality protective actions and information seeking. Additionally, it investigates the sources of information that this population relies on for understanding air quality., Method: A survey was conducted with 256 outdoor workers in Colorado, a state regularly affected by wildfire smoke and ozone. Measures included demographics, perceived risk, efficacy beliefs, air quality actions, and information seeking behavior., Results: Both perceived risk and efficacy beliefs influenced health-protective actions during poor air quality events. Interestingly, efficacy beliefs were found to be a more reliable predictor of air quality information seeking than perceived risk. The top sources of air quality information among outdoor workers were local news media, The Weather Channel, mobile apps, state public health authorities, and the National Weather Service., Conclusions: These findings enhance our understanding of how perceived risk and efficacy beliefs promote health-protective behaviors among outdoor workers. They lay the groundwork for future research and initiatives to improve air quality communication and promote health-protective actions for this population group. Promoting the efficacy of health-protective actions and seeking information are important components of air quality communication.

To control the diffusion of high concentrations of coal dust during tunnel boring and minimize the threat to the life and health of coal miners, theoretical analysis, numerical simulations, and field measurements were combined in this study. First, computational fluid dynamic simulation software was used to simulate the generation of dust particles and their transport pattern in the tunnel. Subsequently, an innovative orthogonal test was performed to study the effect of four ventilation parameters [the pressure airflow rate (Q), distance between the air duct center and heading face (L A ), distance between the air duct center and tunnel floor (L B ), and distance between the air duct center and nearest coal wall (L C )] on dust diffusion. According to the orthogonal test results, the optimal ventilation parameters for effective dust control are as follows: Q = 1400 m 3 /min, L A  = 7 m, L B  = 2.8 m, and L C  = 1 m. The optimized set of ventilation parameters was applied to the Wangpo 3206 working face. The results show that dust diffusion in the tunnel was effectively controlled and that the air quality was sufficiently improved., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

China's carbon emission trading policy plays a crucial role in achieving both its "3060" dual carbon objectives and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13) on climate action. The policy's effectiveness in reducing pollution and mitigating carbon emissions holds significant importance. This paper investigated whether China's carbon emission trading policy affects pollution reduction (PM 2.5 and SO 2 ) and carbon mitigation (CO 2 ) in pilot regions, using panel data from 30 provinces and municipalities in China from 2005 to 2019 and employing a multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) model. Furthermore, it analyzed the heterogeneity of carbon market mechanisms and regional variations. Finally, it examined the governance pathways for pollution reduction and carbon mitigation from a holistic perspective. The results indicate that: (1) China's carbon emission trading policy has reduced CO 2 emissions by 18% and SO 2 emissions by 36% in pilot areas, with an immediate impact on the "carbon mitigation" effect, while the "pollution reduction" effect exhibits a time lag. (2) Higher carbon trading prices lead to stronger "carbon mitigation" effect, and larger carbon market scales are associated with greater "pollution reduction" effects on PM 2.5 . Governance effects on pollution reduction and carbon mitigation vary among pilot regions: Carbon markets of Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, and Tianjin show significant governance effects in both "pollution reduction" and "carbon mitigation", whereas Guangdong's carbon market exhibits only a "pollution reduction" effect, and Hubei's carbon market demonstrates only a "carbon mitigation" effect. (3) Currently, China's carbon emission trading policy achieves pollution reduction and carbon mitigation through "process management" and "end-of-pipe treatment". This study could provide empirical insights and policy implications for pollution reduction and carbon mitigation, as well as for the development of China's carbon emission trading market., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ecological well-being performance (EWP), a novel concept in sustainable development research, diverges from traditional ecological efficiency in terms of perspectives, core content, and driving factors. However, research on EWP remains insufficiently comprehensive, particularly the corresponding theoretical and methodological investigations into driving pathways. To address this gap, this study develops an "economy-environment-health" framework, incorporating air pollution and associated health losses into the evaluation system, and employs a two-stage Super-NSBM and Window DEA model for reevaluating EWP. The study further investigates the primary pathways of EWP, focusing on environmental regulations, technological innovation, and structural adjustments through both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative spatial econometric analysis reveals that factors such as market-driven environmental regulations, green invention patents, and industrial and energy consumption structures significantly enhance EWP. While examining the "net effects" contributions of individual variables using spatial econometric models, the fsQCA method is employed to identify four effective driving paths for EWP from a configurational perspective. These paths are 1) technological innovation and structural adjustment under environmental regulations with public participation; 2) a combination of environmental regulation, technological innovation, and structural adjustment; 3) structural adjustment with minimal influence from environmental regulations and technological innovation; and 4) structural adjustment directed by market-incentive environmental regulations., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare that we do not have any commercial or associative interest that represents a conflict of interest in connection with the work submitted., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Facing the dual pressures of the exacerbation of global climate change and the deterioration of the domestic environment caused by pollution, China has clearly adopted environmental regulatory measures to improve the climate environment. One measure is the carbon emissions trading scheme (CETS), which serves as a notable example of the country's efforts to improve the climate environment. We gathered panel data from 285 prefecture-level cities in China from 2005 to 2018 and used the Difference-in-Differences (DID) model to empirically examine the synergistic effects of the CETS on carbon emissions and air pollution. The results indicate that CETS have been effective in reducing urban carbon emissions by approximately 9.8%. Additionally, the schemes have caused a simultaneous reduction in particulate matter (PM) 2.5 emissions by 11.7% and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) emissions by approximately 9.7%, mitigating urban air pollution in China. It demonstrates that the scheme has significant synergistic effects on carbon emissions and air pollution. To achieve synergistic effects of CETS, effective measures include reducing energy intensity and upgrading the industrial structure. The implementation of CETS had heterogeneity in different conditions, and the synergistic effect of the scheme is more significant in eastern regions, large cities, and the final industrial stage. Our findings offer innovative solutions for the integrated management of carbon emissions and air pollution and provide valuable insights for policymakers to enhance China's CETS. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:1112-1124. © 2023 SETAC., (© 2023 SETAC.)

This study addresses the pressing need for cost-effective emission reduction strategies that maximize co-benefits in terms of air pollution and carbon emissions. Our research contributes to the literature by accurately measuring these co-benefits, thereby facilitating their prompt realization in different regions. We employ an input-output framework that integrates carbon emissions and air pollution, allowing us to calculate marginal abatement costs using the shadow price of undesired output. Through this approach, we quantify the co-benefits and analyze the factors influencing them at both spatiotemporal and factor levels using spatial kernel density and geographical detectors. Our findings reveal several key insights: (1) under joint emission reduction efforts, we observe average annual reduction rates of 6.46% for marginal pollution and 6.10% for carbon reduction costs. Importantly, we document an increase in co-benefits from 0.50 to 0.86, characterized by an initial fluctuation followed by a linear increase. (2) the marginal cost difference for carbon emission and pollution reduction in western China was 179.45 and 155.08 respectively, compared to 321.51 and 124.70 in the Northeast, highlighting the crucial role of regional differences in shaping co-benefit outcomes. (3) we identify a negative spatial spillover effect between provinces, which diminishes over time, leading to heterogeneous effects when local provincial co-benefits exceed a threshold of 0.9. (4) during the adjustment period, we find that the industrial structure exerts significant single and interactive effects on co-benefits. Additionally, we highlight the critical role of environmental governance investment and government intervention as drivers of co-benefits in the current era. By offering the quantification of co-benefits under the marginal abatement costs, our study provides valuable scientific insights for planning and implementing effective synergy strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

It is important to ensure energy security and achieve carbon-haze collaborative management for sustainable development. Reducing imported energy dependence is necessary to maintain energy security, while its impact on environmental quality remains unclear. From the perspective of biased technological progress, this paper estimates the level of biased technological progress towards self-sufficient energy by a heterogeneous stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) function, and then empirically examines whether self-sufficient energy biased technological progress has a dampening effect on haze pollution and carbon emissions. It is found that: (1) Self-sufficient energy biased technological progress can effectively reduce haze pollution and carbon emissions, achieving a synergistic effect between energy security and carbon-haze collaborative management. (2) "Efficiency enhancement" and "quality improvement" are the essential mechanisms for the synergistic effect. (3) Environmental regulation, abundant resource and technology endowments can enhance the haze reduction effect. And the lower dependence on foreign trade and stable global economic policy environment are more conducive to achieving carbon-haze collaborative control. (4) In the Eastern and Western regions, self-sufficient energy biased technology can be sped up to alleviate haze pollution. The findings can enrich the research exploring pollution control from the perspective of biased technological progress, and provide policy recommendations for promoting high-quality development., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Government governance reform is not only a vital motivation for high economic quality but also an important factor in stimulating the government's environmental governance responsibility. The article empirically examines the fiscal Province-Managing-County (PMC) pilot reform on the synergic governance of haze and carbon reduction and its mechanism. The results show that the policy helps to realize the synergic governance of haze and carbon reduction, and the reform of fiscal Province-Managing-County promotes regional haze and carbon reduction mainly through structural effect, innovation effect, and fiscal expenditure responsibility effect. The heterogeneity analysis shows that the policy has an asymmetric effect on haze and carbon reduction under different administrative structures, economic structures and levels of government intervention. Further analysis shows a policy linkage effect between this policy and the Green Fiscal Policy. The policy has the situation of blood-sucking in the provincial capital city and leads to an increase in financial funds. The above results prove that the policy can help to realize haze and carbon reduction and provide practical ideas for the further expansion of the policy. At the same time, it provides the direction for the local government to realize the double-carbon goal., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Exploring whether informal environmental regulations (INER) can achieve carbon reduction in the context of pollution reduction and carbon reduction, as well as how to achieve carbon reduction, can help solve the dual failures of the market and government in environmental protection. Based on the polycentric governance theory and considering the characteristics of social subject environmental participation, the Stackelberg game is used to demonstrate the impact mechanism of INER on CO 2 . In addition, using the panel data of China's 30 provinces from 2003 to 2018, this paper validates the effectiveness of INER by Pooled Ordinary Least Square (POLS) and threshold panel model. Then, the mediating effect model is used to test the mechanism of INER's effect on carbon reduction. The results show that corruption is not conducive to CO 2 reduction. The reduction effect of INER on CO 2 exhibits heterogeneity with changes in other non-greenhouse gas pollutants. While INER effectively reduces local corruption, its more substantial indirect impact on CO 2 reduction is prominent when levels of other pollutants are lower. Comparative analysis reveals that there are still biased governance behaviors to cope with INER's pressure in some regions nowadays. The findings show that for countries facing the dual task of pollution control and carbon reduction, the key to leveraging the supervisory role of INER should be focused on mitigating information asymmetry caused by the characteristics of CO 2 . Therefore, in the process of environmental protection, the public environmental participation system should be improved, and the process of disclosing polluters' carbon information should be accelerated., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)