Journal of Environmental Management最新文献

As global phosphorus (P) stores rapidly decline, P fed algal blooms continue to threaten critical freshwater resources across the globe. In the Midwestern United States (US), particularly the Corn Belt, biorefineries could play a key role in addressing this issue. By recovering P from the byproducts of ethanol production these facilities could reduce the P content of distillers grain feed, thereby reducing P excreted in manures. This process could potentially divert P away from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and toward renewable P (rP) fertilizer production utilizing the recovered P. To foster the inclusion of P recovery incentives in state nutrient reduction strategies, this study elucidates the cascading benefits of rP recovery from corn biorefineries in watersheds across six Upper Midwestern states. Incentivizing P recovery in watersheds that contain both biorefineries and CAFOs could foster the production of 107,500 metric tons (MT) rP fertilizer while diverting 26,800 MT P from CAFO wastes each year, nearly double the estimated P reduction potential for municipal wastewater in the analysis region. These estimates can inform nutrient reduction analysts and policymakers in determining P load reduction potential. To further guide incentive strategies, four priority watersheds are highlighted to illustrate P reduction and circularity typologies across the region.

Through a natural experiment setting in Hong Kong, this study examines the effects of financial incentives and nudges on consumer choices among three types of coffee cups: bring-your-own-cup (BYOC), shop-provided reusable cups, and disposable cups. Our dataset comprises 223 structured observations of coffee shops with 522 data points. The financial incentive-a direct price instrument set as a discount-is offered exclusively to customers who bring their own cups, while shop-provided (reusable) cups are not eligible. The results indicate that a financial incentive is not associated with a positive change in the behavior of the rewarded consumers: In this study, the discount does not significantly encourage consumers to bring their own cups. However, we find negative effects related to the choice of cup by consumers not rewarded by the incentive: A negative spillover effect emerges: consumers who have not brought their cups and thus who do not qualify for the discount are more likely to choose disposable cups. These findings highlight the limited effectiveness of financial incentives and nudges in reducing disposable cup usage and suggest the need for broader strategies to encourage sustainable consumption.

Due to the recent improved availability of global and regional climate change (CC) models and associated data, the projected impact of CC on urban stormwater management is well documented. However, most studies are based on simplified design storm analysis and unit-area runoff models; evaluations of the long-term, continuous hydrologic response of extensive stormwater control measures (SCM) implementation under future CC scenarios are limited. Moreover, channel stability in response to CC is seldom evaluated due to the input data required to develop a long-term, continuous sediment transport model. The study objective was to evaluate the impact of CC on storm event-based flow regimes and channel stability in a small, urbanized catchment (0.9 km²) in Montgomery County, Maryland, USA. This study employed a previously developed sequential, hierarchical modeling approach, integrating a watershed-scale Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) with the Hydrologic Engineering Center River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) to achieve the study goal. Ensemble modeling results indicate that conclusions related to impacts on SCM performance drawn from simplified, unit area models are not supported by findings from dynamic, continuous simulations that consider the complexities of real urban catchments and SCM interactions. Despite a general decrease in the total rainfall amount of individual storm events for most storm events, there is a noted increase in intensity for nearly all future storm events compared to current climatic conditions. This change in storm event-based rainfall pattern is expected to drive the catchment-scale hydrology to a flashier regime in the future, which in turn is expected to increase the extent of channel erosion compared to the current climate condition. A multicriteria design approach considering the interplay of multiple SCMs and local sediment transport capacity is thus necessary to ensure channel stability under changing climate.

Stormwater ponds (SWPs) are an increasingly common management tool for flood control and water quality protection in urban areas. They are designed to buffer the impacts to downstream environments caused by altered hydrologic, chemical, biological, and ecological processes in developed watersheds. While small in size, they can have disproportionately large impacts on watersheds because they store, transform, and release inputs of carbon (C) and nutrients, mainly nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). In this review, we discuss how SWPs are not passive conveyances of nutrients and C, where minimal internal processing occurs. Rather, they are active hotspots of biogeochemical processing, with implications for downstream water quality protection. We highlight how processes of assimilation, sedimentation, erosion, filtration, remineralization and remobilization, gaseous transformations, and the activities of living organisms all transform nutrients and C in SWPs, sometimes making ponds net exporters of nutrients, rather than net sinks or removers, as is often believed. There are numerous unaccounted challenges in SWP management, such as in-pond processes that decouple pond effluent and influent quality; that sedimentation often fails as a proxy indicator for nutrient removal; how optimizing for removal of one nutrient (nitrogen or phosphorus) may reduce removal efficiencies of the other; or how nutrient removal strategies may be at odds with strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from SWPs. Our goal is to show that SWPs play large roles in constraining and mediating the fluxes of materials and energy in urban ecosystems and that their effluent water quality is driven not only by inflowing water quality but largely also by in-pond processes that warrant increased future research.

Microbial coalescence plays a crucial role in shaping aquatic ecosystems by facilitating the merging of neighboring microbial communities, thereby influencing ecosystem structure. Although this phenomenon is commonly observed in natural environments, comprehensive quantitative comparative studies on different lifestyle bacteria involved in this process are still lacking. The study focuses on 16S rRNA Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) at the Jinsha River hydropower stations (Wudongde [WDD], Baihetan [BHT], Xiluodu [XLD], Xiangjiaba [XJB]), specifically examining free-living (FL) and particle-attached (PA) bacteria. Minimal differences in microbial composition were observed across water layers (surface, middle, and bottom). Analyses of overlapping ASVs, Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, and the SourceTracker algorithm revealed a significant difference in the coalescence ability of FL and PA bacteria, particularly in the surface water of XJB (FL: 31.1% ± 2.0%, PA: 27.6% ± 2.5%, p < 0.05). The coalescence of FL bacteria was primarily influenced by the mixing of adjacent water layers, while PA bacteria exhibited significant geographical variations across water layers (p < 0.05), displaying lower coalescence compared to FL bacteria. Using a cohesion metric, 12 keystone species in PA bacteria were identified and 7 in FL bacteria. Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the most abundant phyla at the keystone species in PA and FL bacteria, respectively. The abundance of keystone ASVs decreased with distance in PA bacteria, whereas FL bacteria showed the opposite trend. At the genus level, Brevundimonas and Chryseobacterium were identified as keystone species in both lifestyles. Moreover, the impact of community coalescence on the stability tends to exhibit differences downstream in cascade stations. This study provides novel insights into the dynamic variations of microbial communities with diverse lifestyles in stratified aquatic environments and assesses the impact of dam construction on microbial coalescence and the alteration of keystone species.

Strengthening the rule of law is the cornerstone of ecological environmental protection. In the context of sustainable development, countries generally recognize the key role of the legal system in the protection of the ecological environment. Based on the perspectives of management, economics, and jurisprudence, this paper explores the impact and internal mechanism of the ecological legal system represented by the environmental protection court on the green innovation of enterprises. The study revealed that the ecological rule of law elevates enterprises' green innovation. The cost of environmental investment and enterprise strategy adjustment both reinforce the impact of the ecological rule of law on enterprises' green innovation. In the external environment of enterprises, the ecological rule of law on enterprises' green innovation has a more pronounced influence when Officials' appraisal pressure is high, and both the public and the government attach great importance to the environment. Within the internal environment of the enterprise, the ecological rule of law exerts a weaker force on the green innovation of the enterprise when the executives possess a low level of education, exhibits weak environmental awareness, and has a low shareholding ratio. The outcomes of this study might offer valuable insights for policymakers and enterprise managers in implementing environmental policies and in planning long-term green innovation for enterprises. Contribute to the strengthening of the legal system for ecological environmental protection in all countries.

Many refugee camps exist for decades but associated infrastructure needs are only planned for the very short term, including provision of power. This study advocates a shift in approach to sustainable electrification of essential services in refugee camps for lighting, refrigeration, health, water, education, alongside camp operations. Qualitative and quantitative surveys were conducted in refugee camps in Uganda and Bangladesh which assessed the electrical supply needs across such categories. A range of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems (Solar Home Systems, AC/DC mini grids) and their emission mitigation potential were modelled based on survey data. Proposed designs were compared with presently-used diesel systems in terms of applicability, environmental impact and economics. Results indicate significant cost savings are achievable through the PV systems deployment for different areas in two major refugee camps. Estimated savings range from USD31,000-140,000 and USD166,000-653,000 for five-year and twenty-year project lifetimes respectively. These savings apply to sub-areas of much larger camps, with potential savings increasing substantially if scaled to the whole camp. Results indicate that PV-battery systems were more cost-effective than diesel, even for five-year projects, with investments recoverable in second year of operation. Furthermore, replacing the existing 50 kW diesel generator in Bidi-bidi camp with a 40kWp PV-battery system would result in a reduction of 2.4 MtCO₂e over a 20-year project lifetime. Adopting presented approaches will enhance humanitarian service provisions, reducing both cost and emissions. These findings are applicable to many refugee camps in Africa and Asia that have similar solar resource and lack of grid access.

Waste pile substrates from Fe mining may carry potentially toxic elements (PTE). Rehabilitation efforts must maintain soil vegetation cover effectively, avoiding the dispersion of particulate matter and reducing the risk to the environment and human health. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the pseudo-total and extractable contents, perform chemical fractionation, and assess the bioaccessibility and risk of PTE in waste piles of Fe mining in the Eastern Amazon. Soils were sampled from waste piles in different stages of environmental rehabilitation and from non-rehabilitated and native forest areas. The waste materials exhibit mean pseudo-total concentrations of Zn, Ni, Cr, and Cu that exceed the Brazilian soil quality threshold. However, they do not surpass reference values for human health safety. In addition, these elements are predominantly associated with the residual fraction, suggesting low availability. Among the 11 PTE evaluated, only Al, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn presented concentrations that were bioaccessible to the gastrointestinal tract. At the same time, Al, Fe, and Mn showed lung bioaccessibility. Soil properties limiting PTE extractability and bioaccessibility include pH and base saturation. Considering only elements above threshold levels, no environmental risk was observed, and the human health risk was considered insignificant for adult oral and inhalation exposure routes. Finally, the results show that high pseudo-total PTE contents in the analyzed Fe waste piles do not necessarily indicate high risks. However, substrate properties should be monitored over time to better understand their potential impacts and the main factors influencing their bioavailability.

Plastic's incredible versatility drives its continuous production growth, contributing to 4.5% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. With an unsustainable 4% annual production growth rate, plastics' environmental impact is significant. Our study, using climate and economic models, assesses the effects of a voluntary plastic levy imposed on the top 100 resin producers. The results suggest a potential 70% reduction in global plastic production emissions by 2050, lowering emissions from business-as-usual levels to 1.62 Gt CO₂e. The proposed USD 82.5 billion levy over 25 years could fund recycling initiatives, increasing recycling rates by 73%. To align with the Paris Agreement target of 1.5 °C, plastic production growth would need to drop to approximately 2.9%-3.1% annually, achieving a 25% decrease by 2050. Implementing this levy could significantly enhance recycling and reduce emissions, mitigating climate change.

This study employs a novel biodiversity risk measure, developed through textual analysis, to examine how biodiversity risk affects socially responsible investment (SRI) and commodity markets. Biodiversity-related financial risks, arising from ecosystem degradation, represent an emerging and underexplored dimension of market risk, particularly for investors seeking sustainability-aligned portfolios. Our analysis reveals that both SRI equity and commodity indices consistently exhibit negative time-varying correlations with biodiversity risk, with correlations as low as -0.62 for the FTSE4Good US 100 and -0.53 for the FTSE4Good Global 100. Similarly, commodities like silver, gold, crude oil, and wheat also show negative correlations with biodiversity risk. These findings indicate that neither asset class serves as a reliable hedge against biodiversity-related shocks. Furthermore, biodiversity risk has a significant long-term spillover effect on SRI equity and commodity market returns. As biodiversity risk increases, it strengthens the connectedness between these markets, thereby amplifying the transmission of risk across them. These findings highlight the need for new risk management strategies and regulatory frameworks that account for biodiversity risk, opening new research pathways in finance and environmental sustainability.