Pub Date : 2025-12-08DOI: 10.1016/j.envc.2025.101386
Juan Carlos Pena Philippides , Kamal A. Alsharif , Luis Humberto Chirif Rivera , Christopher F. Meindl , Shawn M. Landry , Ricardo Izurieta
The rapid increase in population has a considerable influence on the environment and poses a substantial challenge for the development of peri‑urban areas worldwide. These human settlements are becoming increasingly common: shanty towns or peri‑urban areas, where essential services such as direct water supply and sewage systems are often deficient. The need for strategic planning to facilitate urban adaptation to emerging issues and mitigate adverse trends is substantial. This study examines the primary environmental issue of inaccessible direct water distribution and the lack of sanitation affecting peri‑urban metropolitan Lima, which is home to over 1 million residents.
The development in Lima's urban areas and shanty towns reflects a swift transformation in land use due to both regulated and unregulated urbanization. The population of the shantytowns in the peri‑urban region of Lima is generally impoverished. Water quality is a significant issue in the community, as water tanks are exposed to environmental influences and contaminated by various types of pollutants. Therefore, immediate intervention from the government is needed to guarantee that peri‑urban residents have access to safe drinking water: SEDAPAL managing water distribution and overseeing the water quality, and educating the communities on how to preserve water is an essential task. Research methods to ensure a proper analysis included GIS, community surveys, stakeholder interviews, and water sampling assessment by spectrophotometric analysis specifically for heavy metals. These assessments involve establishing accessible and sustainable water and sanitation systems for all communities and citizens. Nonetheless, there is a substantial population of shantytowns in the peri‑urban areas of metropolitan Lima.
{"title":"Water resources management deficiencies from an environmental perspective: An assessment of the shanty towns of Peri-urban Metropolitan Lima","authors":"Juan Carlos Pena Philippides , Kamal A. Alsharif , Luis Humberto Chirif Rivera , Christopher F. Meindl , Shawn M. Landry , Ricardo Izurieta","doi":"10.1016/j.envc.2025.101386","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envc.2025.101386","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rapid increase in population has a considerable influence on the environment and poses a substantial challenge for the development of peri‑urban areas worldwide. These human settlements are becoming increasingly common: shanty towns or peri‑urban areas, where essential services such as direct water supply and sewage systems are often deficient. The need for strategic planning to facilitate urban adaptation to emerging issues and mitigate adverse trends is substantial. This study examines the primary environmental issue of inaccessible direct water distribution and the lack of sanitation affecting peri‑urban metropolitan Lima, which is home to over 1 million residents.</div><div>The development in Lima's urban areas and shanty towns reflects a swift transformation in land use due to both regulated and unregulated urbanization. The population of the shantytowns in the peri‑urban region of Lima is generally impoverished. Water quality is a significant issue in the community, as water tanks are exposed to environmental influences and contaminated by various types of pollutants. Therefore, immediate intervention from the government is needed to guarantee that peri‑urban residents have access to safe drinking water: SEDAPAL managing water distribution and overseeing the water quality, and educating the communities on how to preserve water is an essential task. Research methods to ensure a proper analysis included GIS, community surveys, stakeholder interviews, and water sampling assessment by spectrophotometric analysis specifically for heavy metals. These assessments involve establishing accessible and sustainable water and sanitation systems for all communities and citizens. Nonetheless, there is a substantial population of shantytowns in the peri‑urban areas of metropolitan Lima.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34794,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Challenges","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 101386"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145749314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Decentralizing environmental governance is often cast a route to greater administrative efficiency and local empowerment. Yet its ability to uphold socio-environmental safeguards remains under-scrutinized, particularly when authority is devolved to subnational entities with limited institutional capacity. Brazil faces its most severe regulatory rollback: The environmental legislation reform would dramatically expand municipal autonomy in environmental licensing—including for complex, high-impact projects—while weakening oversight mechanisms, community consultation, and technical safeguards. To evaluate the risks of this institutional shift, we assessed the environmental governance and institutional capacity of 1270 municipalities across all twenty-six Brazilian states. Using a multidimensional framework, we analyzed indicators such as the presence of municipal environmental secretariats, existence of local environmental legislation and councils, and availability of qualified technical staff. Our findings reveal widespread and persistent institutional fragility: most municipalities lack even the minimum structures required to conduct precautionary and effective environmental licensing. These deficits are especially acute in regions with lower Human Development Index (HDI) and in ecologically critical biomes such as the Amazon—home to the planet’s highest biodiversity—and the Caatinga, a uniquely Brazilian semiarid biome of high socioecological vulnerability. We also identify strong associations between territorial, socioeconomic, and environmental profiles of municipalities and their institutional readiness. We argue about the need to strengthen municipal capacity, standardize licensing procedures, and provide intergovernmental technical support before transferring complex projects to local authorities. Without these safeguards, decentralization could undermine Brazil’s environmental protection and its commitments under global frameworks. This study offers a national-scale diagnostic of subnational environmental governance and provides a scalable framework for assessing institutional capacity in countries facing similar deregulatory pressures.
{"title":"Environmental deregulation by design: Institutional capacities and the perils of Brazil’s new environmental licensing law","authors":"José Amorim Reis-Filho , Yram Lecht Fiterman , Tommaso Giarrizzo , Eurico Mesquita Noleto-Filho","doi":"10.1016/j.envc.2025.101383","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envc.2025.101383","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Decentralizing environmental governance is often cast a route to greater administrative efficiency and local empowerment. Yet its ability to uphold socio-environmental safeguards remains under-scrutinized, particularly when authority is devolved to subnational entities with limited institutional capacity. Brazil faces its most severe regulatory rollback: The environmental legislation reform would dramatically expand municipal autonomy in environmental licensing—including for complex, high-impact projects—while weakening oversight mechanisms, community consultation, and technical safeguards. To evaluate the risks of this institutional shift, we assessed the environmental governance and institutional capacity of 1270 municipalities across all twenty-six Brazilian states. Using a multidimensional framework, we analyzed indicators such as the presence of municipal environmental secretariats, existence of local environmental legislation and councils, and availability of qualified technical staff. Our findings reveal widespread and persistent institutional fragility: most municipalities lack even the minimum structures required to conduct precautionary and effective environmental licensing. These deficits are especially acute in regions with lower Human Development Index (HDI) and in ecologically critical biomes such as the Amazon—home to the planet’s highest biodiversity—and the Caatinga, a uniquely Brazilian semiarid biome of high socioecological vulnerability. We also identify strong associations between territorial, socioeconomic, and environmental profiles of municipalities and their institutional readiness. We argue about the need to strengthen municipal capacity, standardize licensing procedures, and provide intergovernmental technical support before transferring complex projects to local authorities. Without these safeguards, decentralization could undermine Brazil’s environmental protection and its commitments under global frameworks. This study offers a national-scale diagnostic of subnational environmental governance and provides a scalable framework for assessing institutional capacity in countries facing similar deregulatory pressures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34794,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Challenges","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 101383"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145749823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-07DOI: 10.1016/j.envc.2025.101387
Abubakar Umar , Mohamad Syazwan Mohd Sanusi
Cesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs) poses heightened radiological risks in tropical and subtropical ecosystems due to environmental conditions that enhance its mobility. Yet, a diagnostic bibliometric analysis of 38 empirical studies (2005–2024) reveals that knowledge production is shaped by epistemic asymmetry rather than ecological need. We find a reactive research agenda, thematic overemphasis on soil systems, and a stark productivity–impact decoupling: Brazil and India produce 60 % of studies but receive only 22 % of citations, reflecting systemic inequities in visibility and authority. High-risk regions including Malaysia and Central Africa remain absent from authorship and discourse. These patterns constrain the validity of region-specific risk assessments. We propose three evidence-based shifts: (1) IAEA-coordinated tropical-specific radioecological protocols; (2) targeted funding for underrepresented ecosystems; and (3) equitable international collaboration through co-leadership and open data sharing. All data are publicly archived (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17529451).
{"title":"Global imbalances in tropical Cesium-137 bioaccumulation research: A PRISMA-guided bibliometric assessment of geographic and methodological disparities","authors":"Abubakar Umar , Mohamad Syazwan Mohd Sanusi","doi":"10.1016/j.envc.2025.101387","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envc.2025.101387","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs) poses heightened radiological risks in tropical and subtropical ecosystems due to environmental conditions that enhance its mobility. Yet, a diagnostic bibliometric analysis of 38 empirical studies (2005–2024) reveals that knowledge production is shaped by epistemic asymmetry rather than ecological need. We find a reactive research agenda, thematic overemphasis on soil systems, and a stark productivity–impact decoupling: Brazil and India produce 60 % of studies but receive only 22 % of citations, reflecting systemic inequities in visibility and authority. High-risk regions including Malaysia and Central Africa remain absent from authorship and discourse. These patterns constrain the validity of region-specific risk assessments. We propose three evidence-based shifts: (1) IAEA-coordinated tropical-specific radioecological protocols; (2) targeted funding for underrepresented ecosystems; and (3) equitable international collaboration through co-leadership and open data sharing. All data are publicly archived (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17529451).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34794,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Challenges","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 101387"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cyanide contamination from industrial and mining effluents poses a serious environmental and public health risk. This study reports the synthesis, characterization, and parametric optimization of copper-modified low-silica X (Cu-LSX) zeolite for efficient cyanide ions (CN⁻) removal. The adsorbent was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis and copper ion exchange, and characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). The results show that Cu-LSX possesses a higher surface area (432.1 m²/g) than unmodified LSX (285.2 m²/g), along with improved porosity, stability, and a preserved crystalline structure. SEM image confirmed the formation of a porous morphology, which is suitable for adsorption. The equilibrium adsorption isotherm analysis for CN⁻ on the Cu-LSX zeolite showed that the Langmuir model (R² = 0.9975) provided a slightly better fit than the Freundlich model (R² = 0.9930). This suggests that CN⁻ adsorption proceeds predominantly via monolayer coverage on a homogeneous surface, indicating the Langmuir isotherm as the more appropriate model for describing the adsorption process. Optimization of process parameters using response surface methodology (RSM) (central composite design (CCD)) revealed an optimal CN⁻ removal efficiency of 96.7 %. The two-factor interaction (2FI) model provided the best fit (R² = 0.997), confirming the reliability of the predictions. These findings demonstrate that Cu-LSX zeolite is a robust, high-capacity adsorbent with significant potential for industrial wastewater treatment applications.
{"title":"Synthesis, characterization, and response surface methodology-based parametric optimization of copper-modified LSX zeolite for efficient cyanide ion removal","authors":"Leta Dereje Wilessa, Abdi Nemera Imana PhD, Abdisa Jabesa PhD, Gadissa Tokuma Gindaba","doi":"10.1016/j.envc.2025.101385","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envc.2025.101385","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cyanide contamination from industrial and mining effluents poses a serious environmental and public health risk. This study reports the synthesis, characterization, and parametric optimization of copper-modified low-silica X (Cu-LSX) zeolite for efficient cyanide ions (CN⁻) removal. The adsorbent was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis and copper ion exchange, and characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). The results show that Cu-LSX possesses a higher surface area (432.1 m²/g) than unmodified LSX (285.2 m²/g), along with improved porosity, stability, and a preserved crystalline structure. SEM image confirmed the formation of a porous morphology, which is suitable for adsorption. The equilibrium adsorption isotherm analysis for CN⁻ on the Cu-LSX zeolite showed that the Langmuir model (R² = 0.9975) provided a slightly better fit than the Freundlich model (R² = 0.9930). This suggests that CN⁻ adsorption proceeds predominantly via monolayer coverage on a homogeneous surface, indicating the Langmuir isotherm as the more appropriate model for describing the adsorption process. Optimization of process parameters using response surface methodology (RSM) (central composite design (CCD)) revealed an optimal CN⁻ removal efficiency of 96.7 %. The two-factor interaction (2FI) model provided the best fit (R² = 0.997), confirming the reliability of the predictions. These findings demonstrate that Cu-LSX zeolite is a robust, high-capacity adsorbent with significant potential for industrial wastewater treatment applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34794,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Challenges","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 101385"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145749832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-06DOI: 10.1016/j.envc.2025.101384
Nanda Dulal Kundu , Md. Taj Uddin , Andrila Sarker Shama , M. Nahid Sattar , Monoj Kumar Majumder , Md. Touhedul Islam Tushar , Md. Monirul Islam
Pulse crops are an important source of income, nutrition, and soil fertility for smallholders in coastal Bangladesh; however, their productivity remains low due to limited adoption of improved technologies. Evidence on how these technologies influence farm performance in climate-stressed environments remains scarce. This study assesses the adoption of improved pulse crop technologies (PCTs) and examines their effects on farm profitability and production efficiency across three major pulse crops. A multistage random sampling approach was used to select 360 farmers (120 mungbean growers, 120 grasspea growers, and 120 cowpea growers) from four coastal districts. The adoption index results show that the overall adoption rate of PCTs is moderate, with the highest adoption rate (0.73) driven by the high uptake of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) Mung-6. Adoption is significantly influenced by education level, access to credit & training, market connectivity, and whether farming is the main occupation. A comparative profitability analysis reveals that adopters consistently achieve higher yields, as well as higher gross and net returns and benefit-cost ratios, across all pulse crops. Stochastic frontier analysis estimates show that adopters are more technically efficient than non-adopters. Causal estimates through propensity score matching confirm that adoption leads to meaningful improvements in productivity and profitability, highlighting the economic benefits of using improved PCTs in coastal farming systems. These findings underscore the need for policies that strengthen extension services, increase access to credit and quality inputs, and support the wider dissemination of climate-adaptive PCTs to enhance the resilience and livelihoods of smallholder farmers in vulnerable coastal regions.
{"title":"Does the adoption of improved pulse technologies increase farm profitability in the face of climate risk? Evidence from coastal Bangladesh","authors":"Nanda Dulal Kundu , Md. Taj Uddin , Andrila Sarker Shama , M. Nahid Sattar , Monoj Kumar Majumder , Md. Touhedul Islam Tushar , Md. Monirul Islam","doi":"10.1016/j.envc.2025.101384","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envc.2025.101384","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pulse crops are an important source of income, nutrition, and soil fertility for smallholders in coastal Bangladesh; however, their productivity remains low due to limited adoption of improved technologies. Evidence on how these technologies influence farm performance in climate-stressed environments remains scarce. This study assesses the adoption of improved pulse crop technologies (PCTs) and examines their effects on farm profitability and production efficiency across three major pulse crops. A multistage random sampling approach was used to select 360 farmers (120 mungbean growers, 120 grasspea growers, and 120 cowpea growers) from four coastal districts. The adoption index results show that the overall adoption rate of PCTs is moderate, with the highest adoption rate (0.73) driven by the high uptake of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) Mung-6. Adoption is significantly influenced by education level, access to credit & training, market connectivity, and whether farming is the main occupation. A comparative profitability analysis reveals that adopters consistently achieve higher yields, as well as higher gross and net returns and benefit-cost ratios, across all pulse crops. Stochastic frontier analysis estimates show that adopters are more technically efficient than non-adopters. Causal estimates through propensity score matching confirm that adoption leads to meaningful improvements in productivity and profitability, highlighting the economic benefits of using improved PCTs in coastal farming systems. These findings underscore the need for policies that strengthen extension services, increase access to credit and quality inputs, and support the wider dissemination of climate-adaptive PCTs to enhance the resilience and livelihoods of smallholder farmers in vulnerable coastal regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34794,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Challenges","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 101384"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145749830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Agroecological practices are a promising strategy for improving the productivity of mango-based farming systems sustainably. However, their adoptions among farmers in Ethiopia remain low and inconsistent. Despite their potential benefits, little is known about the extent of adoption, the interdependent nature of these practices, and the determinants associated with the farmers' decisions to adopt multiple agroecological practices. Hence, this investigation explores the determinants associated with the adoption of agroecological practices in mango-based farming systems in southern Ethiopia. The study employed a mixed-methods design using 395 randomly selected households. The multivariate probit and Poisson regression models were used for data analysis. Findings showed that crop diversification (90.63 %), integrated pest management (55.7 %), canopy management (53.16 %), organic fertilizer application (48.1 %), and topworking (27.09 %) of mango trees were the most commonly implemented agroecological practices that have significant complementarity. The multivariate probit model showed that farmers’ adoption of agroecological practices was positively associated with education, access to training, farmer experience, tree density, awareness of pest information, access to credit, and farm inputs. The Poisson regression analysis also indicated that older farmers tended to adopt fewer agroecological practices, whereas education, tree density, training, farm experience, and farm input use were positively associated with farmers' intensity to adopt the agroecological practices. Therefore, the study suggests that the extension program should focus on introducing context and site-specific agroecological practices and support farmers with relevant skill and knowledge training as well as input supplies. Moreover, policies and support programs should prioritize the dissemination of best agroecological practices and lessons learned elsewhere to smallholder farmers.
{"title":"Determinants of agroecological practices adoption in mango-based farming systems: Evidence from southern Ethiopia","authors":"Fasikaw Belay Mihretu , Melkamu Alemayehu , Mengistie Mossie , Yayeh Bitew , Tadele Tefera","doi":"10.1016/j.envc.2025.101382","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envc.2025.101382","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Agroecological practices are a promising strategy for improving the productivity of mango-based farming systems sustainably. However, their adoptions among farmers in Ethiopia remain low and inconsistent. Despite their potential benefits, little is known about the extent of adoption, the interdependent nature of these practices, and the determinants associated with the farmers' decisions to adopt multiple agroecological practices. Hence, this investigation explores the determinants associated with the adoption of agroecological practices in mango-based farming systems in southern Ethiopia. The study employed a mixed-methods design using 395 randomly selected households. The multivariate probit and Poisson regression models were used for data analysis. Findings showed that crop diversification (90.63 %), integrated pest management (55.7 %), canopy management (53.16 %), organic fertilizer application (48.1 %), and topworking (27.09 %) of mango trees were the most commonly implemented agroecological practices that have significant complementarity. The multivariate probit model showed that farmers’ adoption of agroecological practices was positively associated with education, access to training, farmer experience, tree density, awareness of pest information, access to credit, and farm inputs. The Poisson regression analysis also indicated that older farmers tended to adopt fewer agroecological practices, whereas education, tree density, training, farm experience, and farm input use were positively associated with farmers' intensity to adopt the agroecological practices. Therefore, the study suggests that the extension program should focus on introducing context and site-specific agroecological practices and support farmers with relevant skill and knowledge training as well as input supplies. Moreover, policies and support programs should prioritize the dissemination of best agroecological practices and lessons learned elsewhere to smallholder farmers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34794,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Challenges","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 101382"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145749831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-03DOI: 10.1016/j.envc.2025.101380
Avinash Bhagat , Sunil Kumar , Som Nath Kundal , Irfan Ahmad Wani , Isha Devi , Nafees Ahmad , Neha , Jatin S. Manhas , Ambili Anoop , Praveen K Mishra
The present study assesses the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic effects of HMs in the Tawi River, with a focus on seasonal (December – S1, and July - S2) and altitudinal variation. The seasonal comparison showed higher Al and Fe concentrations in July (season 2) samples, suggesting intensified monsoon-induced weathering. However, Hg concentrations were consistently higher (in both seasons) at higher altitudes, suggesting the influence of atmospheric deposition and “cold trapping” processes. Further, the non-carcinogenic effects measured through hazard quotient (HQ) show minimal risk from all metals. The hazard index (HI) values for selected metal lie below 1 (HI<1), except for arsenic (in seasons 1 and 2) and Hg (in season 2 only). This reflects a seasonal weathering-induced mobilisation of arsenic during the monsoon. The carcinogenic risk (CR) analysis indicated that the samples collected during S1 showed a low to very low risk for Cr, Ni, Cd and Pb, whereas As falls into the medium-risk category, with children being more vulnerable than adults to HM exposure. Similarly, for the samples collected during S2, CR values for Cr, Ni, and As fall in the medium risk category, whereas Cd and Pb represent the very to low-risk category.
These findings emphasise the urgent need for better water quality management and a focus on regular monitoring of seasonal HM measurements and increased public awareness concerning the Tawi River in the Jammu region.
{"title":"Seasonal contamination of heavy metals in Tawi River - Sources, fate, and health implications","authors":"Avinash Bhagat , Sunil Kumar , Som Nath Kundal , Irfan Ahmad Wani , Isha Devi , Nafees Ahmad , Neha , Jatin S. Manhas , Ambili Anoop , Praveen K Mishra","doi":"10.1016/j.envc.2025.101380","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envc.2025.101380","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present study assesses the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic effects of HMs in the Tawi River, with a focus on seasonal (December – S1, and July - S2) and altitudinal variation. The seasonal comparison showed higher Al and Fe concentrations in July (season 2) samples, suggesting intensified monsoon-induced weathering. However, Hg concentrations were consistently higher (in both seasons) at higher altitudes, suggesting the influence of atmospheric deposition and “<em>cold trapping</em>” processes. Further, the non-carcinogenic effects measured through hazard quotient (HQ) show minimal risk from all metals. The hazard index (HI) values for selected metal lie below 1 (HI<1), except for arsenic (in seasons 1 and 2) and Hg (in season 2 only). This reflects a seasonal weathering-induced mobilisation of arsenic during the monsoon. The carcinogenic risk (CR) analysis indicated that the samples collected during S1 showed a low to very low risk for Cr, Ni, Cd and Pb, whereas As falls into the medium-risk category, with children being more vulnerable than adults to HM exposure. Similarly, for the samples collected during S2, CR values for Cr, Ni, and As fall in the medium risk category, whereas Cd and Pb represent the very to low-risk category.</div><div>These findings emphasise the urgent need for better water quality management and a focus on regular monitoring of seasonal HM measurements and increased public awareness concerning the Tawi River in the Jammu region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34794,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Challenges","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 101380"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1016/j.envc.2025.101374
Mohammad M. Hamed , Suhaib R. DarMusa , Saralees Nadarajah
Traditional economic models do not account for the complex relationships between residents' environmental goals, barriers to participation in municipal recycling programs, and payment behaviors. This paper presents a framework that examines the three related areas: household intentions to join recycling programs, perceived obstacles, and willingness to pay (WTP) for recycling services. The methodology in this paper adopts the Grouped Random Parameters Bivariate Probit Models with a four-tier pricing structure. The results show that unobserved differences greatly influence multiple WTP decisions, supporting the bivariate models’ use. Both engagement intentions and perceived barriers are important predictors of payment behavior. The joint probability estimates indicate that 93 % of households reject both lower pricing tiers. Only 7 % accept fees of USD 1 to 3 but turn down those between USD 4 to 6, indicating a clear ceiling on WTP. Households that report a lack of bin availability are 0.131 times less likely to accept even the lowest fees, showing the negative effect of infrastructure issues. The results also show that 69.9 % of high-income households (earning over USD 2800 monthly) accept fees in the USD 11 to 14 range, while middle-income households (USD 700 to 1400) consistently reject the USD 4 to 6 tier. Service frequency emerges to influence payment behavior more than environmental motivation. Our findings suggest that recycling programs relying on user fees may struggle financially without additional funding sources. This study supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 by providing practical suggestions for creating fair, effective, and context-sensitive recycling policies.
{"title":"Environmental determinants of household recycling behavior: An econometric analysis of participation barriers and willingness-to-pay","authors":"Mohammad M. Hamed , Suhaib R. DarMusa , Saralees Nadarajah","doi":"10.1016/j.envc.2025.101374","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envc.2025.101374","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Traditional economic models do not account for the complex relationships between residents' environmental goals, barriers to participation in municipal recycling programs, and payment behaviors. This paper presents a framework that examines the three related areas: household intentions to join recycling programs, perceived obstacles, and willingness to pay (WTP) for recycling services. The methodology in this paper adopts the Grouped Random Parameters Bivariate Probit Models with a four-tier pricing structure. The results show that unobserved differences greatly influence multiple WTP decisions, supporting the bivariate models’ use. Both engagement intentions and perceived barriers are important predictors of payment behavior. The joint probability estimates indicate that 93 % of households reject both lower pricing tiers. Only 7 % accept fees of USD 1 to 3 but turn down those between USD 4 to 6, indicating a clear ceiling on WTP. Households that report a lack of bin availability are 0.131 times less likely to accept even the lowest fees, showing the negative effect of infrastructure issues. The results also show that 69.9 % of high-income households (earning over USD 2800 monthly) accept fees in the USD 11 to 14 range, while middle-income households (USD 700 to 1400) consistently reject the USD 4 to 6 tier. Service frequency emerges to influence payment behavior more than environmental motivation. Our findings suggest that recycling programs relying on user fees may struggle financially without additional funding sources. This study supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 by providing practical suggestions for creating fair, effective, and context-sensitive recycling policies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34794,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Challenges","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article 101374"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145623818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1016/j.envc.2025.101373
Heli A. Arregocés , Roberto Rojano , Martha L. Castellanos
We assessed the additional value of the NEX-GDDP-CMIP6 (NEX ensemble) temperature models compared with that of their original CMIP6 models across seven climatic sub-regions in South America from 1950 to 2014, aiming to identify the best-performing models with the smallest biases. Using ERA5 data, the 22 NEX ensemble temperature models and an equivalent number of native CMIP6 models were evaluated. All models and reanalysis data were remapped to a standard latitude-longitude grid with a spatial resolution of 0.25° × 0.25° using bilinear interpolation. Model performance was evaluated at seasonal and annual timescales, with metrics computed separately for each aggregation period and then averaged regionally. We applied six complementary performance metrics—mean bias, correlation coefficient, mean absolute error, root mean square error, modified Kling–Gupta efficiency, and Taylor skill score—to quantify accuracy and consistency. The comparison between NEX and CMIP6 models was conducted at the ensemble mean level to identify systematic differences in skill. The NEX ensemble model consistently demonstrates a tendency to overestimate temperatures, particularly within the NWS, NSA, SAM, and SES sub-regions, with observed biases reaching up to 1.84 ± 2.3°C. Contrastingly, the 22 native CMIP6 model showed mixed biases, exhibiting significant underestimations in the NES and SSA. Statistical comparisons using a two-tailed t-test (p < 0.05) demonstrate that improvements in the NEX ensemble are significant in various high-altitude regions. The NEX model exhibits enhanced performance in estimating annual temperature in high-altitude areas with average MAE reductions of 4.50 ± 3.1°C, whereas the native CMIP6 ensemble model displays greater accuracy in select low-altitude regions with MAE reductions of 3.70 ± 2.8°C. Our findings emphasize the need to improve future climate projections derived from both the NEX ensemble and the native CMIP6 datasets. It will help identify temperature biases in the models and evaluate their performance across various regions. Such insights are essential for conducting climate change research, including drought forecasts, forest fire evaluations, and other studies where temperature plays a critical role.
我们评估了NEX- gdp -CMIP6 （NEX集合）温度模型与原始CMIP6模型在1950年至2014年间在南美洲7个气候分区域的附加价值，旨在确定偏差最小且表现最佳的模型。利用ERA5数据，对22个NEX系综温度模式和等效数量的本地CMIP6模式进行了评估。采用双线性插值将所有模型和再分析数据重新映射到空间分辨率为0.25°× 0.25°的标准经纬度网格。模型性能在季节和年度时间尺度上进行评估，每个聚合期分别计算指标，然后进行区域平均。我们应用了六个互补的绩效指标——平均偏差、相关系数、平均绝对误差、均方根误差、修正克林-古普塔效率和泰勒技能分数——来量化准确性和一致性。NEX和CMIP6模型在整体平均水平上进行比较，以确定技能的系统性差异。NEX集合模式一致显示出高估温度的趋势，特别是在NWS、NSA、SAM和SES子区域，观测到的偏差高达1.84±2.3°C。相比之下，22个本地CMIP6模型表现出混合偏差，在NES和SSA中表现出显著的低估。使用双尾t检验（p < 0.05）的统计比较表明，NEX集合的改善在各个高海拔地区都是显著的。NEX模型在估算高海拔地区年气温方面表现出更好的性能，平均MAE降低4.50±3.1°C，而本地CMIP6集成模型在部分低海拔地区表现出更高的精度，MAE降低3.70±2.8°C。我们的发现强调了改进基于NEX集合和本地CMIP6数据集的未来气候预测的必要性。它将有助于识别模型中的温度偏差，并评估它们在不同地区的表现。这些见解对于开展气候变化研究至关重要，包括干旱预测、森林火灾评估和其他温度起关键作用的研究。
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Pub Date : 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1016/j.envc.2025.101377
Margaret M. Sugg , Quinn Keefer , Sophia C Ryan , Michael R. Desjardins , Jennifer D. Runkle
Background
Firearm violence and climate change represent intersecting public health crises in the United States. While temporal associations between temperature and violence have been established, critical gaps remain in understanding the spatial dimensions, underlying mechanisms, and differential impacts of both heat and cold extremes on firearm violence patterns.
Objective
To identify and characterize spatial clusters of firearm violence during extreme temperature events across the continental United States from 2014 to 2024, and to examine how incident characteristics, temporal factors, and contextual circumstances vary across these clusters.
Methods
We analyzed 427,312 firearm violence incidents from the Gun Violence Archive and temperature data from NOAA's ClimGrid dataset between 2014 and 2024. Using county-specific thresholds for heat and cold (95th and 5th percentiles), we identified extreme temperature events (1-day, 2-day, and 3-day) using a 31-day moving window approach. Purely spatial Bernoulli models in SaTScan detected statistically significant clusters of firearm violence during temperature extremes. We employed logistic regression to identify predictors of cluster membership and used natural language processing to extract contextual patterns from incident narratives.
Results
During heatwaves (≥95th percentile), we identified three high-risk clusters: central Florida (relative risk [RR] = 1.59, p < 0.001), southern Texas ( RR = 1.47, p < 0.001), and the New York City area (RR = 1.33, p < 0.001). Three low-risk clusters emerged in the Midwest and Southeast (RR = 0.71–0.79, p < 0.001). During cold extremes (≤5th percentile), high-risk clusters appeared in Arkansas/Oklahoma/Missouri (RR=1.65, p < 0.001) and Kansas/Missouri/Nebraska (RR=1.65, p < 0.001), while low-risk clusters concentrated in Florida (RR=0.54–0.58, p < 0.05). Heat-related violence showed increased outdoor incidents, public space violence, and criminal activity, while cold-related violence demonstrated elevated domestic violence, substance-related incidents, and defensive gun use. Weekend and holiday effects varied by cluster type, with holidays amplifying the risk of cold-related violence.
Conclusions
Firearm violence during temperature extremes exhibits distinct spatial clustering patterns, with regional variations suggesting differential vulnerability to climate-violence interactions. The contrasting mechanisms between heat and cold extremes,with heat increasing opportunistic outdoor violence and cold elevating planned domestic violence,necessitate differentiated prevention strategies. These findings support the integration of geographically targeted interventions that combine violence prevention with climate adaptation strategies.
枪支暴力和气候变化代表了美国交叉的公共卫生危机。虽然温度和暴力之间的时间关联已经确立，但在理解空间维度、潜在机制以及极端高温和极端低温对枪支暴力模式的不同影响方面仍存在重大差距。目的确定2014 - 2024年美国大陆极端温度事件中枪支暴力的空间集群特征，并研究事件特征、时间因素和背景环境在这些集群中的变化。方法：我们分析了2014年至2024年间来自枪支暴力档案的427,312起枪支暴力事件和NOAA ClimGrid数据集的温度数据。使用各县特定的冷热阈值（第95和第5百分位），我们使用31天移动窗口法确定了极端温度事件（1天、2天和3天）。SaTScan中的纯空间伯努利模型在极端温度期间检测到具有统计意义的枪支暴力集群。我们使用逻辑回归来识别聚类隶属度的预测因子，并使用自然语言处理从事件叙述中提取上下文模式。结果在热浪（≥95百分位）期间，我们确定了三个高风险集群：佛罗里达州中部（相对风险[RR] = 1.59, p < 0.001），德克萨斯州南部（RR = 1.47, p < 0.001）和纽约市地区（RR = 1.33, p < 0.001）。中西部和东南部出现了三个低风险集群（RR = 0.71-0.79, p < 0.001）。在极寒期（≤5百分位），高危聚集群出现在阿肯色州/俄克拉荷马州/密苏里州（RR=1.65, p < 0.001）和堪萨斯州/密苏里州/内布拉斯加州（RR=1.65, p < 0.001），低危聚集群集中在佛罗里达州（RR= 0.54-0.58, p < 0.05）。与高温相关的暴力表现出户外暴力、公共场所暴力和犯罪活动的增加，而与寒冷相关的暴力表现出家庭暴力、物质相关事件和防御性枪支使用的增加。周末和假期的影响因集群类型而异，假期会增加与感冒相关的暴力的风险。结论极端温度期间的枪支暴力表现出明显的空间聚类模式，区域差异表明对气候暴力相互作用的脆弱性存在差异。极端炎热和极端寒冷之间的不同机制，高温增加机会性户外暴力和寒冷增加有计划的家庭暴力，需要有区别的预防策略。这些发现支持将地理上有针对性的干预措施与气候适应战略相结合。
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