Frontiers in Environmental Science最新文献

{"title":"Heavy metal changes related to land use changes in a karst area: a case study in Changshun, Guizhou Province, China","authors":"Xin Jiang, Xingfu Wang, Yi Liu, Yu Huang, Xianfei Huang","doi":"10.3389/fenvs.2024.1471160","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1471160","url":null,"abstract":"Karst areas are often characterized by fragile ecological systems, and environmental pollution has increased the pressures on people living in such regions. This study aimed to investigate the status of pollution caused by heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Hg, As, and Cu) in soils based on different land uses in Changshun County, a karst area in southwestern China. Soil samples were collected from natural forestlands (NFLs), natural brush lands (NBLs), natural pasture lands (NPLs), artificial forestlands (AFLs), artificial brush lands (ABLs), and artificial pasture lands (APLs) for evaluation. The results suggest that the soil profile characteristics of the heavy metals studied herein vary significantly among different land uses. The heavy metal concentrations in all soil samples collected from NFLs were lower than those in samples from other land uses. Forest trees can protect soil from heavy metal pollution caused by atmospheric deposition; this is especially true for Hg. In cultivated forestlands and brush lands, special attention should be devoted to Cd pollution in the soil, which may be caused by the use of fertilizers. Changing both natural and artificial pastoral lands to forestlands could benefit the local ecosystems as it may reduce Hg contamination.","PeriodicalId":12460,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Environmental Science","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142251184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-term trends in water transparency of Tibetan Plateau lakes and the response to extreme climate events","authors":"Wangming Liu, Huan Xu, Guowei He","doi":"10.3389/fenvs.2024.1450320","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1450320","url":null,"abstract":"Water transparency, as indicated by the Secchi disk depth (Z<jats:sub>sd</jats:sub>), is a key parameter for assessing the quality of aquatic environments, reflecting the ability of light to penetrate through the water column. In the Tibetan Plateau (TP), where lakes are abundant yet remote and challenging to access, remote sensing techniques offer a promising approach for monitoring Z<jats:sub>sd</jats:sub> over large spatial scales. In this study, we used the semianalytical -based Z<jats:sub>sd</jats:sub> algorithm to study the temporal and spatial dynamics of water transparency over TP during the period from 2003 to 2022. The results show that the 173 lakes have a mean value of Z<jats:sub>sd</jats:sub> is 3.64 ± 2.4 m for long term, and generally with the significantly increasing change trends in the past 20 years. In the central Tibetan Plateau (CTP) region, lake transparency showed a positive correlation with lake surface temperature (r = 0.73) and a negative correlation with precipitation (r = −0.54), highlighting the region’s heightened sensitivity to meteorological changes compared to other areas. The spike in water clarity observed in the CTP region may be linked to alterations in lake hydrodynamics driven by the extremely climate events (i.e., El Niño). These results indicated the importance of considering regional climatic factors when interpreting fluctuations in water transparency.","PeriodicalId":12460,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Environmental Science","volume":"198 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142251185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Occurrence, sustainable treatment technologies, potential sources, and future prospects of emerging pollutants in aquatic environments: a review","authors":"Qiqi Zhou, Hongfeng Chen, Guijian Liu, Xiaohui Wang","doi":"10.3389/fenvs.2024.1455377","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1455377","url":null,"abstract":"Emerging contaminants (ECs), such as polyfluorinated compounds, antibiotics, microplastics, and nonylphenol, continue to challenge environmental management practices due to their persistence and bioaccumulation potential. This review articulates the critical pathways and environmental risks posed by these contaminants, setting the stage for an in-depth exploration of innovative removal technologies. We spotlight groundbreaking methods that are reshaping the landscape of ECs remediation: membrane filtration technology, constructed wetlands, adsorptive materials, algae-based systems, biological treatments, and advanced oxidation processes. Each method is evaluated for its efficacy in removing ECs, with particular emphasis on sustainability and economic viability. Our findings reveal that integrating these technologies can significantly enhance removal efficiency, offering new directions for environmental policy and practical applications. This article positions these advanced removal technologies at the forefront of the fight against ECs, advocating for their broader adoption to safeguard environmental and public health.","PeriodicalId":12460,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Environmental Science","volume":"165 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142250858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The green development effect of science and technology financial policy in China","authors":"Xuxin Zou, Jiadi Min, Shuang Meng","doi":"10.3389/fenvs.2024.1463679","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1463679","url":null,"abstract":"Green development, as a key link in the philosophy of new development, is the only way to achieve sustainable development. However, how science and technology (S&amp;amp;T) finance affects green development remains unclear. Based on panel data of 284 cities in China from 2007 to 2020, the multi-time-point difference-in-differences (DID) model and the mediation model were utilized to analyze the influencing mechanisms and paths of the S&amp;amp;T financial pilot policy on green development. The results show that S&amp;amp;T financial policy can significantly promote green development, for which green innovation (GI) capability, industrial structure advancement (ISA), and industrial structure rationalization (ISR) are important paths. Moreover, the effects of S&amp;amp;T financial policy on green development are heterogeneous: the policy exerts a stronger effect on the central region than on the eastern and western regions, a stronger effect on large cities than on small- and medium-sized cities, and a stronger effect on key cities than on general cities. Therefore, relevant governmental departments should continually optimize S&amp;amp;T financial policy; pay more attention to cities in the western region, small- and medium-sized cities, and general cities; actively foster GI capability; facilitate industrial structure transformation and upgrading; and vigorously support cross-regional exchange and cooperation to jointly realize green development. This study sheds new light on how the S&amp;amp;T finance related policy reform promotes sustainable growth and socio-economic welfare in developing countries.","PeriodicalId":12460,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Environmental Science","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142251191","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatial-temporal variation and influencing factors of ecological environment quality in Jilin Province (China)","authors":"Feiyu Wang, Yang Han, Yaping Xu, Ruifei Zhu, Chunmei Qu, Peng Zhang, Stanton Martin, Lijuan Zhuang, Zhuxin Liu, Jiani Zhang, Fang Huang","doi":"10.3389/fenvs.2024.1446313","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1446313","url":null,"abstract":"Jilin Province is a crucial region of interest for agricultural and forestry development in China. The deterioration of its ecological environment could have a severe impact on agricultural production and ecological conservation. A systematic assessment of ecological environment quality in Jilin Province is essential for its sustainable development. In this study, we utilized Landsat data from 1990 to 2020 (every 5 years) to construct the Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI) for Jilin Province. We applied the Sen’s slope estimator and the Mann-Kendall trend test to examine the spatiotemporal changes in ecological environment quality over a 30-year period. Additionally, we employed the Geo-detector to explore the socioeconomic and natural factors influencing ecological environment quality. The results revealed: 1) From 1990 to 2020, the average RSEI index in Jilin Province ranged from 0.586 to 0.699, indicating overall good ecological environment quality. Spatially, ecological environment quality gradually declined from east to west. 2) The RSEI in Jilin Province exhibited an initial increase, followed by a decrease, and then another increase trend. This improvement can be attributed to the implementation of government policies, which reversed the expansion of saline-alkali land. Ecological environment quality significantly improved in the western region of Jilin Province over the 30-year period. 3) Socioeconomic and natural factors both influence ecological environment quality in Jilin Province. Among these factors, vegetation coverage has the most significant impact on the ecological environment quality in the study area, with natural factors exerting a more significant influence than socioeconomic factors. Our research can provide relevant data support for policy-making in Jilin Province.","PeriodicalId":12460,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Environmental Science","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142251187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental regulation, industrial transformation, and green economy development","authors":"Huimin Shao, Qiong Peng, Fei Zhou, Walton Wider","doi":"10.3389/fenvs.2024.1442072","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1442072","url":null,"abstract":"BackgroundGreen development, which is crucial because of the escalating ecological and environmental issues, is largely driven by industrial transformation and environmental legislation.PurposeThe paper aims to examine the combined effects of environmental regulations and industrial change on the green economy, based on their separate effects.MethodsWe use a fixed-effects regression on panel data covering 30 provinces in China in 2010–2020.ResultsWe reach the following conclusions: environmental regulations and rationalization of the industrial structure both support growth in the green economy, but advancement in the industrial structure hinders it. The combined effect of environmental regulations and advancement and rationalization in the industrial structure has a significantly positive impact on growth in the green economy; it is most pronounced in regions with higher resource endowments and economic development.DiscussionBy providing specific empirical facts, this study clarifies the effects of industrial transformation and environmental regulations on growth in the green economy, contributing to enriching the literature and helping to pave the way to sustainable development.","PeriodicalId":12460,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Environmental Science","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142251188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Supply chain carbon abatement under different power structures: impact of consumers’ low-carbon preference and carbon tax policy","authors":"Guozhi Li, Mengying Jiang, Yidan Yuan, Xunuo Chen, Dandan Fu","doi":"10.3389/fenvs.2024.1376970","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1376970","url":null,"abstract":"Supply chain carbon abatement is an important way to promote low-carbon transformation of the social economy and address global climate change. This paper analyzes the issue of supply chain carbon abatement under different power structures, as well as the effect of consumers’ low-carbon preference and carbon tax rate on the optimal decisions. This paper constructs five different models, namely ML-NO model, ML-CS model, RL-NO model, RL-CS model and VI model. The research finds that VI model is the most ideal model for promoting supply chain carbon abatement. The optimal abatement efforts, market demand, and total profits in the VI model are all the largest among the five models. Whether the supply chain leader is the manufacturer or the retailer, cost sharing contract can enhance optimal abatement efforts, market demand, and profits of both parties. In any model, the leader in Supply chain earns higher profits than the follower. When consumers’ low-carbon preference increases, the optimal abatement efforts, market demand, and profits of both parties will all increase, and the growth rate is gradually accelerating. For the manufacturer with high carbon emissions, when the carbon tax rate increases, the optimal abatement efforts first increase and then decrease. For the manufacturer with low carbon emissions, when the carbon tax rate increases, the optimal abatement efforts will also increase.","PeriodicalId":12460,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Environmental Science","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142251186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Testing woodchips for their efficiency in stimulating aquatic nutrient uptake at different experimental and spatial scales","authors":"Elmira Akbari, Tjaša Matjašič, Anna-Lisa Dittrich, Katrin Attermeyer, Rebecca Hood-Nowotny, Gabriele Weigelhofer","doi":"10.3389/fenvs.2024.1419413","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1419413","url":null,"abstract":"IntroductionWoodchips as a source of particulate organic carbon (POC) are proposed as a nature-based solution to enhance nutrient uptake and retention in agricultural streams. However, the effective implementation of woodchips for nutrient removal in streams requires an advanced understanding of their potential and limits, considering their performance under various environmental conditions. This study tested the efficiency of woodchips on the uptake of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and ammonium (N-NH<jats:sub>4</jats:sub>) across different experimental scales and complexity. We investigated whether the presence of woodchips can increase SRP and N-NH<jats:sub>4</jats:sub> uptake in laboratory flumes under controlled conditions, outdoor flumes under semi-controlled conditions, and agricultural streams. Additionally, we examined how the effects of woodchips will change over time via a 6-week incubation in the outdoor flumes.MethodsThe woodchips were pre-colonized for four weeks to allow the growth of biofilms. We performed short-term nutrient additions without (control) and with (treatment) woodchips in all three experimental setups. Uptake parameters were determined via concentration changes over time in the laboratory flumes and concentration changes over travel distance in the outdoor flumes and the stream channels. The effects of woodchips on SRP and N-NH<jats:sub>4</jats:sub> uptake rates were analyzed using an effect size model.ResultsWe found positive effects of woodchips on nutrient uptake only in the laboratory flumes but no or even negative effects in the outdoor flumes and the agricultural streams. Over the 6-week incubation in the outdoor flumes, we did not observe significant changes in the effects of woodchips on nutrient uptake.DiscussionThese findings highlight that considering experimental scales and influencing environmental conditions is crucial when testing the application of woodchips as nature-based solutions to mitigate nutrient loads in agricultural streams.","PeriodicalId":12460,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Environmental Science","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142250862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The interaction between China’s economic recovery and environmental governance: a comprehensive analysis of energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and resource management","authors":"Yuting Duan","doi":"10.3389/fenvs.2024.1459483","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1459483","url":null,"abstract":"To gain a deeper understanding of the intrinsic dynamic relationship between energy consumption and economic growth in China. This study employs panel cointegration and causality models, utilizing the SYS-GMM technique to assess the factors influencing economic growth in China’s green finance sector from 2002 to 2022. The research explores the interactions among multiple variables related to the Chinese economic context, including economic growth, carbon dioxide emissions, total natural resource rents, energy consumption, and environmental impact. While considering key factors that may cause structural disturbances in the time series analysis. The findings indicate the existence of long-term cointegration relationships among these variables, with positive correlations between economic growth and total natural resource rents, energy consumption, energy quantity, and ecological footprint. Results also show a bidirectional causal relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption and a unidirectional correlation between energy consumption and GDP growth. Additionally, energy intensity (EI) improvements supported by green finance are linked to a significant reduction in CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> emissions, with a coefficient of −1.933 (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.05), underscoring the role of technological innovation. Further evaluations suggest that investments in renewable energy can promote economic growth, create job opportunities, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Energy-saving measures and green finance-supported technological innovations play crucial roles in improving energy intensity and reducing CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> emissions. The study also underscores the importance of economic diversification to reduce dependence on natural resources and enhance economic stability. Future research should further explore the economic feasibility and environmental benefits of emerging technologies such as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), providing deeper insights into sustainable energy practices.","PeriodicalId":12460,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Environmental Science","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142251189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microplastics in indoor dust at Dhaka city: unveiling the unseen contaminants within our homes","authors":"Md. Rashedul Haque, Wahida Ahmed, Md. Rayhanul Islam Rayhan, Md. Mostafizur Rahman","doi":"10.3389/fenvs.2024.1437866","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1437866","url":null,"abstract":"Indoor environments, considered sanctuaries from external pollutants, are increasingly recognized as reservoirs for microplastics (MP). This research employed a comprehensive approach, combining dust sampling from diverse indoor spaces, density separation method, and microscopic observation to quantify and characterize microplastic particles. This is the first initial study worldwide that incorporated MP identification in indoor dust from different indoor environments along with factor analysis, health, and ecological risk assessment. The average MP concentration in the indoor environment was 4333.18 ± 353.85 MP/g. The MP distribution pattern was in institutional areas &amp;lt; residential areas &amp;lt; industrial areas &amp;lt; and commercial areas. Black color, fiber, &amp;lt;0.5 mm size was the dominant color, morphology, and size, respectively, among the detected MP from the studied samples. In addition, the polymer types of the MP were detected by Fourier Transform-Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and ten types of polymers were detected while PET was in high abundance. Population number, architectural features of habitat, human activities, urban topography, and particle residence time were determined as responsible factors for MP abundance in indoor areas. The estimated daily intake (EDI) value via ingestion was higher than the inhalation of MP. Infants are highly susceptible to MP exposures. According to Polymer Hazard Index (PLI) and Polymer Hazard Index (PHI) values, the exposure risk was in the minor and extreme risk categories.","PeriodicalId":12460,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Environmental Science","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142251190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}