Abreham Birhane Kassay, Abraham Woldemichael Tuhar, Mihret Dananto Ulsido and Markos Mathewos Godebo
{"title":"Statistical-based spatial analysis on urban water management under changing environments: a case study of Hawassa, Ethiopia","authors":"Abreham Birhane Kassay, Abraham Woldemichael Tuhar, Mihret Dananto Ulsido and Markos Mathewos Godebo","doi":"10.1088/2515-7620/ad59f3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad59f3","url":null,"abstract":"Hawassa characterizes a typical developing city in Ethiopia, owning to rapid urban growth and demographic trends. The combined effect of climate change and urban expansion is increasing the challenge to the environment and the services it provides. Relating changing environments with urban water management (UWM) is required to build resilience in the urban environment. This research analyzed local climate change and urban growth and linked it to UWM. The historical period 1990–2021 of daily rainfall, temperature variables, four satellite imageries, and DEM were analyzed. Changes in rainfall (annual and daily maximum) and temperature (maximum and minimum) trends are detected and projected to 2051 using a statistical-based model. With geospatial techniques sub-watersheds are delineated, and the urban cover change is quantified. The trend detection result implies an upward trend of annual and daily maximum rainfalls however a significance is insufficient (p > 0.05) to associate it with climate change during the study period. Maximum and minimum temperatures change indicate a positive and significant trend. The forecasting result suggests an increment of both temperatures (0.5 °C–1.5 °C) to the projected period compared to historical scenario. The land cover analysis results show the built-up area changed from 11.6 km2 (7.2%) to 42.5 km2 (26.5%) during the historical period, where the rate varies spatially. The surface runoff increased by 30.7% in the urban watersheds. With a growth rate of 8.9% built-up, the urban area will cover 73.6 km2 (45.9%) for the predicted period. The research finding justifies the potential to reorganize the relationship between the spatial effect of climate change and urban growth on UWM. Considering distinct characteristics of urban watershed, exposure to flooding risk, access to water demand and resilient to climate change have spatial variation. Thus, a local-specific planning approach will support effective UWM and climate adaptation for sustainable city development.","PeriodicalId":48496,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Communications","volume":"80 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141518684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Nguyen Xuan Tong, Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao and Le Hung Anh
{"title":"Assessment of water quality, heavy metal pollution and human health risks in the Canal system of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam","authors":"Nguyen Xuan Tong, Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao and Le Hung Anh","doi":"10.1088/2515-7620/ad5ad7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad5ad7","url":null,"abstract":"This study was conducted to determine the surface water quality and health risks in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) canals. 180 water samples and 180 sediment samples were collected from 15 canal locations in HCMC in 2021 and 2022. The Water Quality Index (WQI) assessment results indicated that the water quality in 2021 ranged from unsuitable to good, with a trend towards improvement in 2022, where good quality water was predominant. TMs PCA/FA identified domestic and agricultural wastewater from HCMC residents as influencing the water quality. Most TMs detected in surface water were within the limits the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment allowed, except for Pb in 2022 (> 0.02 mg l−1). For sediments, TMs concentrations were higher than in water samples but showed a decreasing trend over the survey period in the order of Hg < Cd < As < Pb < Cu. The findings show that sediments are more strongly affected by TMs than surface water, with the main sources being industrial and agricultural human activities. The non-cancer risk assessment showed that children are more exposed to TMs than adults, mainly through ingestion. Additionally, the cancer risk assessment (CR) identified As in sediments as posing an unacceptable cancer risk (TCR > 1 × 10−4). Therefore, it is necessary to establish high-frequency monitoring policies to analyze and reduce TMs concentrations in water and sediments of the canals to protect human health.","PeriodicalId":48496,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Communications","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141518685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Shanshan Zhao, Ying Li, Dajun Zhao and Yundi Jiang
{"title":"Assessing hotspot for tropical cyclone compound rainstorms from a disaster perspective: a case study in Guangdong, China","authors":"Shanshan Zhao, Ying Li, Dajun Zhao and Yundi Jiang","doi":"10.1088/2515-7620/ad53a6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad53a6","url":null,"abstract":"In Guangdong Province, China, known as a hotspot for tropical cyclone (TC) and rainstorm disasters, investigating the role of hazard factors for both TC and rainstorm disasters is of great scientific and operational importance. Daily observational data from meteorological stations along with rainstorm/TC disaster loss data at the county level in Guangdong during 2001–2020 were analyzed to compare the characteristics of rainstorm and TC disasters. During the study period, although non-TC rainstorm rainfall in Guangdong was generally greater than TC rainstorm rainfall, TC disaster losses were double those of rainstorm disasters. Non-TC rainstorms and their losses predominantly occurred during the first flood season, whereas TC disaster primarily occurred in the second flood season. Although regional-average TC rainstorm rainfall was similar to non-TC rainstorm rainfall during the second flood season in Guangdong, it was greater than non-TC rainstorm rainfall in western Guangdong. Additionally, the coastal areas were frequently affected by TC strong winds, resulting in greater TC disaster losses than rainstorm disaster losses. The maximum daily precipitation was significantly correlated with rainstorm disaster losses. In areas influenced by both TC strong winds and rainstorms, TC disaster losses exhibited a significant positive correlation with the daily maximum wind speed, and the combined effect of strong winds and rainstorms led to greater disaster losses than with TC rainstorms alone. These findings emphasize the effects of TC strong wind and storm surges, besides those of heavy rainfall, in coastal areas of China when assessing the risks related to TC disasters.","PeriodicalId":48496,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Communications","volume":"165 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141508185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Maximilian Schulte, Ragnar Jonsson, Torun Hammar, Jeannette Eggers, Johan Stendahl and Per-Anders Hansson
{"title":"Climate change mitigation from increased paper recycling in Sweden: conserving forests or utilizing substitution?","authors":"Maximilian Schulte, Ragnar Jonsson, Torun Hammar, Jeannette Eggers, Johan Stendahl and Per-Anders Hansson","doi":"10.1088/2515-7620/ad5930","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad5930","url":null,"abstract":"Climate change mitigation by increased paper recycling can alleviate the two-sided pressure on the Swedish forest sector: supplying growing demands for wood-based products and increasing the forest carbon sink. This study assesses two scenarios for making use of a reduced demand for primary pulp resulting from an increased paper recycling rate in Sweden, from the present 72% to 78%. A Conservation scenario uses the saved primary pulp to reduce pulplog harvests so as to increase the forest carbon sink concomitant with constant overall wood product supply. In contrast, a Substitution scenario uses the saved primary pulp to produce man-made cellulosic fibers (MMCF) from dissolving pulp replacing cotton fiber, implying increased overall wood product supply. Our results suggest that utilizing efficiency gains in paper recycling to reduce pulplog harvests is better from a climate change mitigation perspective than producing additional MMCF to substitute cotton fiber. This conclusion holds even when assuming the use of by-products from dissolving pulp making and an indirect increase in MMCF availability. Hence, unless joint improvements across the value chain materialize, the best climate change mitigation option from increased paper recycling in Sweden would seemingly be to reduce fellings rather than producing additional MMCF.","PeriodicalId":48496,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Communications","volume":"213 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141518608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Jaswant Moher, Soumi Dutta, Vimlesh Pant and Sagnik Dey
{"title":"Contrasting temporal trends in low-level clouds and mid- and high-level clouds over the Indian Ocean in the last four decades (1979–2018)","authors":"Jaswant Moher, Soumi Dutta, Vimlesh Pant and Sagnik Dey","doi":"10.1088/2515-7620/ad5250","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad5250","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding the climatic trends in cloud fraction (fc) and its drivers is critical in climate science. Here, we analyzed 40 years (1979–2018) of hourly fc data at 0.25° × 0.25° spatial scale from ERA5 to examine the trends in the 3D distribution of fc over the oceanic region adjacent to the Indian Subcontinent in view of its drivers. We found that the mid-level fc (MCF) and high-level fc (HCF) have increased by 0.05 and 0.05–0.12 fraction in the last four decades in this region. On the contrary, the low-level fc (LCF) decreased by 0.04 fraction, resulting in a net marginal increase in total fc. The observed contrasting trends in LCF, MCF and HCF are manifestations of the changes in sea surface temperature and meteorological conditions. Although LCF showed a regionally averaged declining trend, it has increased over the south-southwestern part of the domain. The increasing trend of MCF and HCF can be attributed to the increase in natural convection due to surface warming. Our results suggest that the observed contrasting trends might have resulted in positive radiative feedback on the Indian Ocean warming.","PeriodicalId":48496,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Communications","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141518609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"An application of the graph approach to life-cycle optimisation of vehicle electrification","authors":"Shohei Tokito, Yuya Nakamoto and Tesshu Hanaka","doi":"10.1088/2515-7620/ad4513","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad4513","url":null,"abstract":"Although durable goods with low energy consumption are being promoted to achieve a decarbonised society, from the perspective of life-cycle assessment, the choice of new durable goods may increase CO2 emissions. To address this problem, research has been conducted on product replacement based on life-cycle optimisation (LCO), a method for identifying a replacement life span that minimises life-cycle CO2 emissions. However, several additional assumptions complicate the analysis of replacement patterns of products and conditional formulas because cumulative emissions do not increase linearly when considering energy mix and technology improvement, and it is difficult to extend the model to optimisation methods in previous LCO studies. This study developed a new LCO approach by applying the shortest path problem to graph theory. Our methodology can contribute to the following: (i) it is computationally inexpensive; (ii) it is intuitively easy to add complex conditions, such as various policy scenarios and parameter changes; and (iii) once the graph of replacement patterns is defined, the optimal solution can be derived using existing solution methods, such as the Dijkstra algorithm. As a case study, we focused on vehicle replacement, which is a major source of CO2 emissions and is being electrified. In particular, we identified vehicle switching paths that minimise life-cycle CO2 emissions by considering changes in Japan's energy mix and alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) characteristics. We determined that the optimal vehicle replacement path method to reduce CO2 emissions is to switch first to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and then to battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Thus, we suggest that the transition to electric vehicles requires a step-by-step process. This methodology is not only conducive to AFV deployment for decarbonisation but can also be applied to other products, such as air conditioners and lighting. Thus, various transition policies could be formulated using our methodology.","PeriodicalId":48496,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Communications","volume":"86 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141192432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Air pollution impact on forecasting electricity demand utilizing CNN-PSO hyper-parameter optimization","authors":"Ramiz Gorkem Birdal","doi":"10.1088/2515-7620/ad484b","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad484b","url":null,"abstract":"Electricity consumption is expected to increase considerably in the next few years, so forecasting and planning will become more important. A new method of forecasting electricity loads based on air pollution is presented in this paper. Air pollution indirect effects are not incorporated in current evaluations since they rely primarily on weather conditions, historical load data, and seasonality. The accuracy of electricity load forecasting improved by incorporating air pollution data and its potential effects, especially in regions where air quality heavily impacts energy consumption and generation patterns. This robust prediction model is capable of capturing the complex interactions between air pollution and electricity load by integrating innovative environmental factors with historical load data, weather forecasts, and other features. As part of the second contribution, we use metaheuristic algorithms to optimize hyper parameters, which provide advantages such as exploration capability, global optimization, robustness, parallelization, and adaptability making them valuable tools to improve machine learning models' performance and efficiency. The study found that the correlation coefficient (R) between predicted and real electricity demand and supply was high, at 0.9911. Beyond that this approach reduces MAPE by up to 19.5% when CNN and particle swarm optimization are combined with utilizing innovative air pollution variables. As a result, the optimization results were robust compared to state-of-the-art results based on statistical metrics such as RMSE and MAPE. Lastly, we emphasize the importance of factoring in air pollution effects when forecasting and managing electricity loads; future research directions include developing integrated modeling frameworks that reflect the dynamic interaction between air quality, energy consumption, and renewable energy generation.","PeriodicalId":48496,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Communications","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141192095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Rapid shoaling of aragonite saturation horizon in the northern Indian Ocean","authors":"B Sridevi and V V S S Sarma","doi":"10.1088/2515-7620/ad45c1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad45c1","url":null,"abstract":"Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) penetrates up to 1000 m of water column in the Indian Ocean resulting in acidification and corrosion of aragonite skeletal material. The shallowest aragonite saturation horizon (ASH) was observed in the Bay of Bengal (BoB; 219 ± 10 m) within the tropical Indian Ocean. The ASH shoaled at the rate of 6.3 ± 5 and 4.4 ± 3 m yr−1 in the past four decades in the BoB and Arabian Sea respectively. As a result, an increase in total alkalinity (TA) was observed at the rate of 0.5 ± 0.3 and 0.25 ± 0.2 μmol kg−1 yr−1 at the depth of ASH in the BoB, and Arabian Sea respectively. While the shoaling rate of ASH remained the same in the Arabian Sea over the past four decades, in contrast, rapid shoaling was observed in the BoB in the recent decades due to higher accumulation of anthropogenic CO2 in the upper ocean associated with an increase in river discharge and decomposition of riverine organic matter. These two processes decreased the pH resulting in corrosion of aragonite skeletal material and increased TA at the depth of ASH in the BoB. Under a business-as-usual scenario, aragonite-secreting organisms will be seriously affected by the middle of this century in the BoB.","PeriodicalId":48496,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Communications","volume":"162 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141058704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Unraveling the environmental consequences of trade openness in South Africa: a novel approach using ARDL modeling","authors":"Wang Lanhui and Abubakar Sadiq Ibrahim","doi":"10.1088/2515-7620/ad46ef","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad46ef","url":null,"abstract":"Free trade and environmental sustainability are currently top economic and environmental research priorities. While numerous theories connect trade openness with environmental quality, empirical evidence often fails to support these claims. Using data spanning from 1980 to 2020, our study examines the effect of trade openness on CO2 emissions in South Africa. By employing a novel ARDL modeling framework, our analysis confirms the presence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis in South Africa. Our findings reveal that while GDP square enhances environmental quality, trade openness and economic growth have a degrading effect over time. Additionally, the study identifies that energy consumption, FDI, and value-added activities all contribute to environmental degradation. Findings also highlights the influence of institutional quality on the environment, demonstrating that political stability and control of corruption lead to increased CO2 emissions, while the rule of law reduces CO2 emissions. The research suggested that the potential of green economies should be leveraged in developing renewable energy, sustainable development, the recycling industry, and green financing sectors. A shift in economic activity in this direction will thus foster long-term economic growth and sustainable development.","PeriodicalId":48496,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Communications","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140935761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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":"Management of eutrophication using combined the ‘flock & sink’ mitigation technique and submerged plants restoration: a mesocosm study","authors":"Yutian Liu, Jinfu Liu, Yuwei Chen, Taotao Dai, Wei Li, Jinying Xu, Xiaoliang Zhang, Linsen Tang, Fangwen Zheng and Jiayou Zhong","doi":"10.1088/2515-7620/ad45c0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad45c0","url":null,"abstract":"Currently, the issue of eutrophication and cyanobacterial blooms persists in water bodies worldwide, prompting the exploration of various treatment methods. This study conducted a comparative analysis of eutrophic water bodies using ferric chloride-modified zeolite (FMZ) and calcium hydroxide-modified zeolite (CMZ) combined with Elodea nuttallii (E. nuttallii) for removal and purification effects. The results revealed that the addition of E. nuttallii had a sustained inhibitory effect on phosphorus release, maintaining stability with lower Turbidity(Tur) and stabilized pH within the range of 8.5–9. FMZ demonstrated rapid reduction in dissolved phosphorus concentration, achieving a removal rate of 96% within 3 days. The combined plant group of CMZ and FMZ exhibited synergistic effects with E. nuttallii, achieving an impressive total phosphorus (TP) removal rate of 80.13% and a total nitrogen (TN) removal rate of 48.77%. Additionally, chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration decreased from 100.74 ± 24.72 μg l−1 to 49.96 ± 2.08 μg l−1. The phytoplankton community composition indicated that diatoms thrived in low temperatures and high NH4 conditions. Under the same low Total Nitrogen to Total Phosphorus (TN:TP) ratio, high TP concentrations were associated with cyanobacteria dominance, while green algae dominated in other scenarios. This comprehensive approach demonstrates the potential efficacy of CMZ and FMZ combined with E. nuttallii in addressing eutrophic water bodies and mitigating cyanobacterial blooms.","PeriodicalId":48496,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Research Communications","volume":"112 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140935756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}