International Journal of Environmental Research最新文献

Abstract

Agriculture is one of the most important production sectors in the world. Water and energy are two essential inputs for food production. The agricultural sector is influenced by climate change the most. In this regard, this research aimed to present a new mathematical programming approach to studying the effects of climate change on the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus. A sustainable WEF nexus was developed for the basin of Kashfrud in Razavi Khorasan province, Iran for 2019–2020. The present approach was modeled in several climatic-hydrological-economic-environmental sectors. Analyzing the outcomes of a hydrological model in the context of climate change scenarios reveals that, given the current state of irrigated land, there will be a 45% increase in net water demand in the future, accompanied by a 13% decrease in crop yields. Consequently, by embracing a holistic approach that considers the nexus of water, food, and energy, the net water demand drops to 71%, the energy allocation to agriculture decreases to 41%, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by 32%, and farmers’ overall profits decrease by 73% in the face of climate change. This approach would also be effective in avoiding the undesirable effects of single-sectoral development policies in addition to improving resource use efficiencies. Since most non-renewable resources are consumed by the agricultural sector, the development of the nexus approach is also important from an environmental perspective in addition to the sustainability of resource use.

Abstract

Land use and land cover change (LUCC) have a significance influence on ecosystem services value. The Yangtze River Basin is an important ecologically sensitive area in China, and has experienced rapid land use change. How to understand the impact of land use change on ecosystem service value is of great significance for the utilization of ecological environment protection. In this study, based on the 2001–2018 land use data in the Yangtze River Basin and the revised ecosystem service value per unit area. The Land use change were analyzed and the ecosystem service value (ESV) were estimated in the Yangtze River Basin, Specifically, the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of ESV and the influence of LUCC on ESV were analyzed by using fishnet method, spatial autocorrelation analysis, high-low clustering, and hotspots methods. The results showed that the Yangtze River basin was dominated by forests, grasslands and croplands, with grasslands covering the largest area, about 60% of the basin. The expansion of urban and construction land was mainly due to the occupation of grassland and farmland around towns. ESV in the Yangtze River Basin increased by about 330.7 billion RMB, with grasslands and forests contributing the most to ESV throughout the study period. ESV in the Yangtze River Basin was mainly contributed by regulating services and supporting services, followed by supply services. The increase of regulating services was mainly due to the increase of wetland area, and the increase of supporting services came from the continuous expansion of forest area. The spatial distribution of ESV in the Yangtze River basin was positively correlated, with spatial aggregation and significant spatiotemporal differentiation of ecosystem service values in the study area. The results of the study can provide a reference for the optimization of land use structure and ecological environmental protection in the Yangtze River basin.

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated that schwertmannite (Sch) exhibits good adsorption performance for Cr(VI). In order to further enhance the ability to remove Cr(VI), this study prepared a novel composite (Fe(II)@Sch) by embedding ferrous iron (Fe(II)) on Sch. The adsorption performance of Cr(VI) on Fe(II)@Sch was investigated by batch adsorption experiments, and a possible removal mechanism was proposed through characterization analysis. The results showed that the optimal Fe/Sch ratio for Fe(II)@Sch preparation was 120 mmol/g. Fe(II)@Sch enabled efficient and rapid adsorption of Cr(VI). The maximum Cr(VI) adsorption capacity of Fe(II)@Sch was 4.17 mmol/g at pH 6.0, which was 69% higher when compared to Sch, and 81% of the maximum adsorption could be achieved within 1 min. The embedding of Fe(II) led to a decrease in the particle size and an increase in the specific surface area (SSA) of Sch, which could be considered favorable for adsorption. After four repeated cycles 93.3% of the original Cr(VI) adsorption capacity was still maintained. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that the interaction between Fe(II)@Sch and Cr(VI) followed an adsorption–reduction mechanism. The results demonstrated that Fe(II)@Sch could be used as an effective material for removing Cr(VI) from wastewater.

In recent years, the safe disposal of used face masks has become troublesome due to their non-biodegradable nature. This study focuses on the reuse potential of used face masks as a reinforcement to enhance the engineering properties of expansive soil treated with biopolymers such as Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum. The face masks were shredded into 5 × 5 mm chips and added to expansive soil at 0.5% by volume. A series of laboratory tests such as Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) Test, Splitting Tensile Test, Free swell Index (FSI) Tests, Swelling Pressure, Swelling Potential Tests, and California—Bearing Ratio (CBR) tests were performed for the evaluation of engineering behaviour of Shredded Face Mask Chips (SFMC) reinforced expansive soil treated with various dosages of Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum. The experimental test results showed that the inclusion of SFMC significantly improved the engineering characteristics of the soil. The maximum compressive strength and tensile strength have been attained at 2% inclusion of Xanthan gum and Guar gum into the expansive soil. The maximum values of compressive strength at optimum biopolymer content of 2% Xanthan gum and Guar gum were 369–437 kPa, respectively. The free swell index percentage for stabilized expansive soils with xanthan gum and guar gum decreased to 73.6–75.9%, respectively. The swell pressure of the treated soil showed up to a reduction of 90.2–94.1%. In all the tests, Guar Gum exhibited greater efficiency when compared to Xanthan Gum. Thus, the investigation results confirmed the efficient use of SFMC in biopolymer stabilization of expansive soil that would lead to the beneficial way for the safe disposal of used face masks.

Abstract

The adsorption to container walls, syringes, injectors and analytical columns by strongly hydrophobic organics in aqueous media presents challenges in accurate estimation of sorption parameters of chemicals such as chlorpyrifos (CPF). To minimize this phenomenon, mixed solvents and Teflon-lined centrifuge tubes were used. The study aimed at investigating the sorption kinetics and equilibrium parameters in tropical soils. In addition, the persistence and leaching potential of CPF under submerged and field capacity moisture conditions were studied. Batch sorption studies utilizing the Solvophobic theory revealed time-dependent kinetics on Teflon container walls, where CPF sorption diminished exponentially with increasing methanol fraction. Sorption parameters for soils showed diverse kinetics and equilibrium times across soils and methanol fractions. The Solvophobic theory was used to predict the soil-sorption coefficients K^W and K_OC. Chlorpyrifos sorption exponentially decreased with increasing methanol fraction, reaching equilibrium in 4–8 h. Container wall K^W measured was 0.19 mL/g, while soil K^W values ranged from 46.53 to 56.71 mL/g. Chlorpyrifos K_OC values varied from 1551 to 1890. The degradation studies under submerged and field capacity conditions indicated microbial and abiotic influences on chlorpyrifos persistence, resulting in half-lives ranging from 18 to 52 days in submerged conditions and 18 to 33 days at field capacity. The Groundwater Ubiquity Index suggested no leaching potential in the examined soils. This study represents the first investigation of chlorpyrifos sorption kinetics only Teflon-lined centrifuge tube container walls, revealing that chlorpyrifos sorption is not instantaneous but rather time-dependent. Future analyses should explore CPF's environmental fate, considering microbial interactions and organic matter content, to contribute to a comprehensive understanding and develop sustainable pest management strategies in tropical regions.

Graphical Abstract

Water contamination with hazardous dyes is a serious environmental issue that concerns humanity. A green technology to resolve this issue is the use of highly efficient photocatalysts under visible light to degrade these organic molecules. Adding composite and modifying shape and size on semiconductor materials are attempts to improve the efficacy of these compositions. The optical, microstructural and photocatalytic features of the compositions were investigated by several characterization procedures such as XRD, XPS, SEM, and TEM. Here, modifies Scherrer equation, Williamson–Hall (W–H), and Halder–Wagner method (H–W) have been used to investigate the crystal size and the micro-strain from the XRD peak broadening analysis. The average crystal size according to Modified Scherrer’s formula was 6.04–10.46 nm for pristine CdS and CdS/Gd2O3@GO, respectively. While the micro-strain (ɛ) corresponds to 3.88, 4.63, 4.03, and 4.15 for CdS, Gd₂O₃, CdS/Gd₂O₃, and CdS/Gd₂O₃@GO. It was also shown that the modest difference in average crystal size acquired by the Modified Scherrer and Halder–Wagner (HW) forms was related to differences in average particle size classification. As a result, the Halder–Wagner method was accurate in estimating crystallite size for the compositions. The average roughness is slightly changed from 4.4 to 4.24 nm for CdS/Gd₂O₃ and CdS/Gd₂O₃@GO, respectively. A kinetics investigation further revealed that the photocatalytic degradation of MB dyes was accompanied by a Langmuir isotherm and a pseudo-second-order reaction rate. The highest adsorption capacity (qe) determined for (type 1) CdS, Gd₂O₃, CdS/Gd₂O₃, and CdS/Gd₂O₃@GO adsorption was 5, 0.067, 0.027, and 0.012 mgg⁻¹, respectively. The R² values originated from the pseudo-second-order (type 2) for CdS, Gd₂O₃, CdS/Gd₂O₃, and CdS/ Gd₂O₃@GO were 0.904, 0,928, 0.825, and 0.977. As a result, the initial sorption rate (h) is altered between types 1 and 2. In type 2, the pseudo-second-order rate constant (k2) ranges from 0.005 for CdS to 0.011 for CdS/Gd₂O₃@GO. The Langmuir Hinshelwood and pseudo-second-order kinetic models describe the photodegradation process. The results demonstrate that the developed compositions can be used as a long-term substance for dye removal.

In this work, the photocatalytic degradation of amoxicillin (AMX), tetracycline(TCH), and diclofenac sodium(DCF) was studied using TiO₂ and Sn/Zn/Fe-doped TiO₂ as photocatalyst under ultraviolet (UV) and visible light. Photocatalysts were synthesized by sol–gel method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Box–Behnken design (BBD) was used to achieve maximum %degradation by optimizing different parameters like the feed concentration (50–100 mg/L), feed pH (3–11), and the catalyst dosing (0.5–1.5 g/l). The study revealed that the Zn-doped TiO₂ photocatalyst (band gap of 3.23 eV) was the most effective which showed 90–95% degradation of all compounds within 90 min under UV radiation. Fe-doped TiO₂ (2.1 eV) and Sn-doped TiO₂(2.92 eV) showed the best results in the presence of visible light as it needs lower energy. To achieve maximum degradation efficiency under UV radiation, H₂O₂ (550 mL/L) was used along with Zn-doped photocatalyst under acidic conditions (at pH 3) for AMX, DCF, and basic conditions (at pH 11) for TCH. COD analysis was carried out before and after the experiment. COD removal efficiencies were found to be between 70–80% and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) analysis was performed to identify intermediate compounds formed during degradation.

Pesticides are being discharged into the environment at an increasing rate, particularly into water resources, as agricultural productivity increases. These contaminants need to break down and mineralize as soon as possible since they are extremely dangerous to aquatic life and human health. The advanced oxidation method based on sulfate radicals (SR-AOP) has gained popularity recently for treating organic pollutants like pesticides because of its great efficacy and low environmental impact. This article goes into detail about the many ways for activating persulfate (PS) and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for pesticides degradation, such as UV light, carbon-based materials, TMs, ultrasonic, electrochemical, heat, microwave, photoelectrons, alkali, and hybrid activation. The mechanisms of pesticide the degradation by SR-AOP, as well as the detection of reactive oxygen species (ROS), are also addressed. The effect of operational parameters such as PS/PMS concentration, catalyst dose, pH, pesticide starting concentration, and organic and inorganic matter on pesticide degradation by SR-AOP is also discussed. The toxicity of the degraded intermediates, as well as enhancing pesticide total mineralization under SR-AOP, was also investigated. Finally, prospects for future research and application of SR-AOP in pesticides removal from water are highlighted.

Graphical Abstract

This study investigates the effect of climate change on crop production in Turkey using time series data from 1980 to 2019. Our model covers both climatic and non-climatic factors, including average precipitation, average temperature, cultivation area, fertilizer use, and gas-diesel consumption. After checking the results of our preliminary tests, we used the Toda–Yamamoto causality test and the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) cointegration approach to analyze causality and long-run relationships among variables. The outcomes of the ARDL bounds test confirm the cointegration between crop production with climatic and non-climatic factors. The long-run estimation results demonstrate that a 1% increase in precipitation, cropland, fertilizer consumption per cropland, and agricultural gas-diesel oil use per cropland increases production by 0.59%, 0.43%, 0.33%, and 0.07%, respectively. Furthermore, a 1% temperature increase reduces production by 0.19% in the long run. Through causality analysis, we found multiple unidirectional causal relationships between variables. While average temperature is the Granger cause of cropland and gas-diesel use, cropland is the Granger cause of crop production. Given these concerning results regarding the detrimental impact of climate change on crop production, it is evident that governments should prioritize their efforts to tackle the causes of climate change. Furthermore, implementing adaptation strategies such as promoting drought-resistant cultivars and adopting efficient irrigation techniques is crucial.

Despite growing concern about microplastic contamination in terrestrial ecosystems, there have been few researches on the possible consequences of various microplastics on terrestrial plants. In this study, the toxicity of Polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) with different concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00%) to tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) were studied. Results showed a concentration-dependent negative impacts on the physiological, biochemical, growth, yield attributes and fruit quality of tomatoes. Amongst various concentrations, the maximum effect was observed with 0.75 and 1.00% PE-MPs and among the various growth stages studied (vegetative, flowering, fruiting and harvest), the highest impact was observed during the fruiting stage. Besides exhibiting a deleterious effect on physiological traits, it was also confirmed that PE-MPs could exert oxidative stress in plants thereby delaying the days to first flowering. Moreover, exposure to PE-MPs at 1.00% recorded the maximum reduction in the number of flowers per cluster (17.67%), number of flower clusters per plant (18.27%), number of fruits per cluster (32.76%), number of fruits per plant (56.33%) and single fruit weight (47.57%). Furthermore, 1.00% PE-MPs exposure was also observed to significantly reduce the fruit quality like titrable acidity, ascorbic acid and lycopene content by 22.32, 21.09 and 23.96% respectively. Additionally, the application of 1.00% PE –MPs decreased the soil bulk density, available phosphorus and potassium; whereas, the EC, organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon (8%), NO₃–N (22%), NH₄–N (23%) significantly increased. Moreover, the presence of PE-MPs in soil also had a significant influence on the soil enzyme activities. Metagenomic analysis (16 s) reveals that control had higher diversity, richness and evenness, compared to rhizosphere soil with 1.00% PE-MPs. These results can provide a theoretical basis and data support for further investigation on the toxicity of microplastics to tomatoes, and contribute to understanding the type specificity of microplastics’ toxic effects on plants.