Pub Date : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.3934/environsci.2023023
Kaoutar Mounir, I. La Jeunesse, H. Sellami, Abdessalam Elkhanchoufi
Although the spatiotemporal characterization of droughts is a key step in the design and implementation of practical measures to mitigate their impacts, it is hampered by the lack of hydro-climatic data with sufficient spatial density and duration. This study aimed to assess the trends and spatial patterns of drought occurrence in the Ouergha catchment in northern Morocco, which has been identified as a hot spot for climate change and variability. The study combined data from various sources, including the North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOi); Western Mediterranean Oscillation Index (WeMOi); a meteorological index (SPI), calculated using precipitation data; a hydrological index (SDI), calculated using precipitation data; and satellite images to calculate the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) from 1984/85 to 2016/17. The results showed that the adopted statistical analyses were effective in detecting the linearity and trend of drought in the Ouergha catchment scale. The correlations between various indices were moderate to strong between NAOi and SPI, WeMoi and SPI, as well as SPI and SDI, while the Mann-Kendall tests indicate an increasing trend of drought intensity in the catchment. During dry events, vegetation cover and moisture were maintained due to the presence of dam reserves. Overall, the study provides empirical evidence that confirms the severe drought conditions experienced in the Ouergha catchment. The unique set of data adds to the growing body of knowledge about drought in the region and underscores the urgency of preserving dam resources for sustainable use during future droughts.
{"title":"Spatiotemporal analysis of drought occurrence in the Ouergha catchment, Morocco","authors":"Kaoutar Mounir, I. La Jeunesse, H. Sellami, Abdessalam Elkhanchoufi","doi":"10.3934/environsci.2023023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/environsci.2023023","url":null,"abstract":"Although the spatiotemporal characterization of droughts is a key step in the design and implementation of practical measures to mitigate their impacts, it is hampered by the lack of hydro-climatic data with sufficient spatial density and duration. This study aimed to assess the trends and spatial patterns of drought occurrence in the Ouergha catchment in northern Morocco, which has been identified as a hot spot for climate change and variability. The study combined data from various sources, including the North Atlantic Oscillation Index (NAOi); Western Mediterranean Oscillation Index (WeMOi); a meteorological index (SPI), calculated using precipitation data; a hydrological index (SDI), calculated using precipitation data; and satellite images to calculate the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) from 1984/85 to 2016/17. The results showed that the adopted statistical analyses were effective in detecting the linearity and trend of drought in the Ouergha catchment scale. The correlations between various indices were moderate to strong between NAOi and SPI, WeMoi and SPI, as well as SPI and SDI, while the Mann-Kendall tests indicate an increasing trend of drought intensity in the catchment. During dry events, vegetation cover and moisture were maintained due to the presence of dam reserves. Overall, the study provides empirical evidence that confirms the severe drought conditions experienced in the Ouergha catchment. The unique set of data adds to the growing body of knowledge about drought in the region and underscores the urgency of preserving dam resources for sustainable use during future droughts.","PeriodicalId":45143,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Environmental Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70231684","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 : 2023-01-01DOI: 10.3934/environsci.2023018
A. Fraser-McDonald, C. Boardman, T. Gladding, S. Burnley, V. Gauci
Trees growing in natural and managed environments have the capacity to act as conduits for the transport of greenhouse gases produced belowground to the atmosphere. Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions have been observed from tree stems in natural ecosystems but have not yet been measured in the context of forested former landfill sites. This research gap was addressed by an investigation quantifying stem and soil N2O emissions from a closed UK landfill and a comparable natural site. Measurements were made by using flux chambers and gas chromatography over a four-month period. Analyses showed that the average N2O stem fluxes from the landfill and non-landfill sites were 0.63 ± 0.06 μg m–2 h–1 and 0.26 ± 0.05 μg m–2 h–1, respectively. The former landfill site showed seasonal patterns in N2O stem emissions and decreasing N2O fluxes with increased stem sampling position above the forest floor. Tree stem emissions accounted for 1% of the total landfill N2O surface flux, which is lower than the contribution of stem fluxes to the total surface flux in dry and flooded boreal forests.
{"title":"Nitrous oxide emissions from trees planted on a closed landfill site","authors":"A. Fraser-McDonald, C. Boardman, T. Gladding, S. Burnley, V. Gauci","doi":"10.3934/environsci.2023018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/environsci.2023018","url":null,"abstract":"<abstract> <p>Trees growing in natural and managed environments have the capacity to act as conduits for the transport of greenhouse gases produced belowground to the atmosphere. Nitrous oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O) emissions have been observed from tree stems in natural ecosystems but have not yet been measured in the context of forested former landfill sites. This research gap was addressed by an investigation quantifying stem and soil N<sub>2</sub>O emissions from a closed UK landfill and a comparable natural site. Measurements were made by using flux chambers and gas chromatography over a four-month period. Analyses showed that the average N<sub>2</sub>O stem fluxes from the landfill and non-landfill sites were 0.63 ± 0.06 μg m<sup>–2</sup> h<sup>–1</sup> and 0.26 ± 0.05 μg m<sup>–2</sup> h<sup>–1</sup>, respectively. The former landfill site showed seasonal patterns in N<sub>2</sub>O stem emissions and decreasing N<sub>2</sub>O fluxes with increased stem sampling position above the forest floor. Tree stem emissions accounted for 1% of the total landfill N<sub>2</sub>O surface flux, which is lower than the contribution of stem fluxes to the total surface flux in dry and flooded boreal forests.</p> </abstract>","PeriodicalId":45143,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Environmental Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70232013","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 : 2022-01-01DOI: 10.3934/environsci.2022029
Ewelina Nerek, B. Sokołowska
Nowadays in worldwide agriculture, sustainable strategies are implemented to reduce negative effects on ecosystems created by conventional practice, mainly environmental pollution caused by intensive use of fertilizers and chemical plant protection products. Bacteria from the genus Pseudomonas can be considered biocontrol and plant growth-promoting agents due to their various plant beneficial traits e.g., siderophores production, phytohormones synthesis, antagonism against phytopathogenic fungi. This is a reason for increasing researchers' interest in improving of existing or elaborating new technologies that enable the effective application of these bacteria in agriculture. Pseudomonads are non-sporulating bacteria and it is a major constraint for creating bioformulation for commercial use with a sufficiently high stable number of viable cells during shelf-life. Therefore, scientists are making efforts to improve techniques of bioformulations to enable large-scale production and use of pseudomonads under field conditions. The aim of this review is to describe traits of Pseudomonas spp. which are useful in plant protection and growth-promotion and to highlight examined techniques for preparing bioformulations containing pseudomonads with sufficiently long shelf life.
{"title":"Pseudomonas spp. in biological plant protection and growth promotion","authors":"Ewelina Nerek, B. Sokołowska","doi":"10.3934/environsci.2022029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/environsci.2022029","url":null,"abstract":"Nowadays in worldwide agriculture, sustainable strategies are implemented to reduce negative effects on ecosystems created by conventional practice, mainly environmental pollution caused by intensive use of fertilizers and chemical plant protection products. Bacteria from the genus Pseudomonas can be considered biocontrol and plant growth-promoting agents due to their various plant beneficial traits e.g., siderophores production, phytohormones synthesis, antagonism against phytopathogenic fungi. This is a reason for increasing researchers' interest in improving of existing or elaborating new technologies that enable the effective application of these bacteria in agriculture. Pseudomonads are non-sporulating bacteria and it is a major constraint for creating bioformulation for commercial use with a sufficiently high stable number of viable cells during shelf-life. Therefore, scientists are making efforts to improve techniques of bioformulations to enable large-scale production and use of pseudomonads under field conditions. The aim of this review is to describe traits of Pseudomonas spp. which are useful in plant protection and growth-promotion and to highlight examined techniques for preparing bioformulations containing pseudomonads with sufficiently long shelf life.","PeriodicalId":45143,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Environmental Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70231273","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 : 2022-01-01DOI: 10.3934/environsci.2023004
O. Oloruntobi, Safizahanin Mokhtar, M. Z. Shah, Kasypi Mokhtar
Tourists' preferences for public transport at destinations are homogeneous, while the choice of private transport services is heterogeneous. This paper examined several facets of the existing public transport system to understand tourists' disapproval of the mode choice for pleasurable holiday travel in Lagos, Nigeria. The urban transport services were adjudged based on tourists' perceptions of satisfaction with service features related to mode choice. Statistical and structured analyses were used to explore the association between usage decisions and satisfaction with public transport services. The link between mode choice tolerability and usage decisions was identified using Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis. The principal component analysis (PCA) identified three (3) main factors comprising 16 service dimensions influencing the choice of public transport. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) and Barlett tests confirmed the sampling adequacy for each variable in each factor and the combined elements. The analyses quantified the association between variables and tourists' usage decisions. The relationship between satisfaction and the variables explained the variation in satisfaction with the quality aspects of public transportation. Thus, the findings expressly explained tourists' usual dissatisfaction with Lagos public transport system for leisure excursions.
{"title":"Significant factors affecting public transport use for leisure travel and tourism","authors":"O. Oloruntobi, Safizahanin Mokhtar, M. Z. Shah, Kasypi Mokhtar","doi":"10.3934/environsci.2023004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/environsci.2023004","url":null,"abstract":"Tourists' preferences for public transport at destinations are homogeneous, while the choice of private transport services is heterogeneous. This paper examined several facets of the existing public transport system to understand tourists' disapproval of the mode choice for pleasurable holiday travel in Lagos, Nigeria. The urban transport services were adjudged based on tourists' perceptions of satisfaction with service features related to mode choice. Statistical and structured analyses were used to explore the association between usage decisions and satisfaction with public transport services. The link between mode choice tolerability and usage decisions was identified using Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis. The principal component analysis (PCA) identified three (3) main factors comprising 16 service dimensions influencing the choice of public transport. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) and Barlett tests confirmed the sampling adequacy for each variable in each factor and the combined elements. The analyses quantified the association between variables and tourists' usage decisions. The relationship between satisfaction and the variables explained the variation in satisfaction with the quality aspects of public transportation. Thus, the findings expressly explained tourists' usual dissatisfaction with Lagos public transport system for leisure excursions.","PeriodicalId":45143,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Environmental Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70231674","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 : 2022-01-01DOI: 10.3934/environsci.20220010
P. Kanchanapiya, Supachai Songngam, T. Tantisattayakul
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is one of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that have increasingly attracted concerns due to their global distribution in environment, persistence, high bioaccumulation and toxicity. It is important to study the effective treatment to remove PFOA from contaminated water. The feasibility of using commercial coconut shell activated carbon produced in Thailand to remove PFOA from water was investigated with regard to their adsorption kinetics and isotherms of powder activated carbon (PAC-325) and granular activated carbon (GAC-20x50). Adsorption kinetic results show that the adsorbent size significantly affected the adsorption rate of PFOA, and GAC-20x50 required at least 100 h to achieve the equilibrium, much longer than 3 h for PAC-325. Two kinetic models were fitted to the experimental data, and the pseudo-second-order model well described the adsorption of PFOA on both PAC-325 and GAC-20x50. PAC-325 trended to adsorb PFOA faster than GAC-20x50 and testing with the shortest adsorption times (5 min) still yielded substantial PFOA removal (~80% for PAC-325). The adsorption isotherms show that the adsorption capacity of PAC-325 was 0.80 mmol/g, which is 83 % higher than that for GAC-20x50 (0.13 mmol/g), according to the Langmuir fitting.
{"title":"The Adsorption of Perfluorooctanoic Acid on Coconut Shell Activated Carbons","authors":"P. Kanchanapiya, Supachai Songngam, T. Tantisattayakul","doi":"10.3934/environsci.20220010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/environsci.20220010","url":null,"abstract":"Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is one of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that have increasingly attracted concerns due to their global distribution in environment, persistence, high bioaccumulation and toxicity. It is important to study the effective treatment to remove PFOA from contaminated water. The feasibility of using commercial coconut shell activated carbon produced in Thailand to remove PFOA from water was investigated with regard to their adsorption kinetics and isotherms of powder activated carbon (PAC-325) and granular activated carbon (GAC-20x50). Adsorption kinetic results show that the adsorbent size significantly affected the adsorption rate of PFOA, and GAC-20x50 required at least 100 h to achieve the equilibrium, much longer than 3 h for PAC-325. Two kinetic models were fitted to the experimental data, and the pseudo-second-order model well described the adsorption of PFOA on both PAC-325 and GAC-20x50. PAC-325 trended to adsorb PFOA faster than GAC-20x50 and testing with the shortest adsorption times (5 min) still yielded substantial PFOA removal (~80% for PAC-325). The adsorption isotherms show that the adsorption capacity of PAC-325 was 0.80 mmol/g, which is 83 % higher than that for GAC-20x50 (0.13 mmol/g), according to the Langmuir fitting.","PeriodicalId":45143,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Environmental Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70231278","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 : 2022-01-01DOI: 10.3934/environsci.2022026
Goshu Desalegn, A. Tangl, M. Fekete-Farkas
The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential opportunities and challenges of plastic products in Ethiopia. The study is qualitative in nature and a descriptive research design with the in-depth interview was used. The study employed both primary and secondary sources of data to investigate the study on hand. More specifically purposive sampling techniques were used to select the respondents for the interview. Discourse analysis was used in the study to recognize discursive interaction as a valuable tool for determining opinions, ideas, and facts about plastic products in Ethiopia. The study developed two different storylines regarding the opportunities and challenges of plastic products. As a result, the first storyline (S1) used taxing plastic products as an alternative strategy. The second storyline (S2) used banning plastic products as opoosing strategy. The study finding implies that having a tax on plastic products could provide more opportunities for the country than banning them. More specifically, taxing plastic products will be more appropriate for the generation of revenue, employment, industrial process, construction process, and recycling in Ethiopia. On the other hand, a lack of proper collection systems, separation of the source of disposal, a properly designed operating system, clear authorities and sanitation rules, organizational capacity, and unreliable collection services were found to existing challenges of plastic products. Governments and policymakers shall play a critical role in developing the necessary legislative framework to encourage mitigation actions that contribute to the reduction of plastic waste at the source, as well as encouraging the cleanup of plastic pollution on coastlines. Public discussion on alternative packaging than the one-time use of plastic products is also needed. Public awareness is required to change customer attitudes, and separation of organic and non-organic waste across the cities.
{"title":"Greening through taxation: assessing the potential opportunities and challenges of plastic products in Ethiopia","authors":"Goshu Desalegn, A. Tangl, M. Fekete-Farkas","doi":"10.3934/environsci.2022026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/environsci.2022026","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential opportunities and challenges of plastic products in Ethiopia. The study is qualitative in nature and a descriptive research design with the in-depth interview was used. The study employed both primary and secondary sources of data to investigate the study on hand. More specifically purposive sampling techniques were used to select the respondents for the interview. Discourse analysis was used in the study to recognize discursive interaction as a valuable tool for determining opinions, ideas, and facts about plastic products in Ethiopia. The study developed two different storylines regarding the opportunities and challenges of plastic products. As a result, the first storyline (S1) used taxing plastic products as an alternative strategy. The second storyline (S2) used banning plastic products as opoosing strategy. The study finding implies that having a tax on plastic products could provide more opportunities for the country than banning them. More specifically, taxing plastic products will be more appropriate for the generation of revenue, employment, industrial process, construction process, and recycling in Ethiopia. On the other hand, a lack of proper collection systems, separation of the source of disposal, a properly designed operating system, clear authorities and sanitation rules, organizational capacity, and unreliable collection services were found to existing challenges of plastic products. Governments and policymakers shall play a critical role in developing the necessary legislative framework to encourage mitigation actions that contribute to the reduction of plastic waste at the source, as well as encouraging the cleanup of plastic pollution on coastlines. Public discussion on alternative packaging than the one-time use of plastic products is also needed. Public awareness is required to change customer attitudes, and separation of organic and non-organic waste across the cities.","PeriodicalId":45143,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Environmental Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70231429","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}
While millions of people around the world die from natural water infections per day because of insufficient wastewater collection systems to cover all communities, 80 percent of used water is still released to the river in Thailand nowadays. As a result, the wastewater management (WWM) behavior of people is critical to water conservation. WWM, on the other hand, was fraught with high expenses and inconvenient installation, and earlier research had paid little attention to it. Thus, this research aims to study the socio-economic, cognition, opinions, and perception of information factors for analysis further of the factors affecting the WWM of people in urban areas, Thailand. This study applied multiple regression analysis from questionnaires survey of nine communities in Krathum Baen municipality, Samut Sakhon Province which is a semi-industrial area, crowded settlement, and risen wastewater unexpectedly along the Tha Chin River. The findings reveal that people in study areas have a moderate level of cognition and opinion toward WWM behavior. Perception of information was the best variable to describe the people's WWM behaviors in urban areas. Addressing the empirical results could contribute to water conservation planning, people engagement, and appropriately promoting WWM behaviors related to urban people.
{"title":"Exploration of wastewater management behavior for enhancing water conservation in urban area, Thailand","authors":"Wanjai Lamprom, Surasak Jotaworn, Nuttakit Iamsomboon, Pimnapat Bhumkittipich, I. Siramaneerat, Anong Rukwong","doi":"10.3934/environsci.2022005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/environsci.2022005","url":null,"abstract":"While millions of people around the world die from natural water infections per day because of insufficient wastewater collection systems to cover all communities, 80 percent of used water is still released to the river in Thailand nowadays. As a result, the wastewater management (WWM) behavior of people is critical to water conservation. WWM, on the other hand, was fraught with high expenses and inconvenient installation, and earlier research had paid little attention to it. Thus, this research aims to study the socio-economic, cognition, opinions, and perception of information factors for analysis further of the factors affecting the WWM of people in urban areas, Thailand. This study applied multiple regression analysis from questionnaires survey of nine communities in Krathum Baen municipality, Samut Sakhon Province which is a semi-industrial area, crowded settlement, and risen wastewater unexpectedly along the Tha Chin River. The findings reveal that people in study areas have a moderate level of cognition and opinion toward WWM behavior. Perception of information was the best variable to describe the people's WWM behaviors in urban areas. Addressing the empirical results could contribute to water conservation planning, people engagement, and appropriately promoting WWM behaviors related to urban people.","PeriodicalId":45143,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Environmental Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70231435","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 : 2022-01-01DOI: 10.3934/environsci.2022009
F. Sgroi
The circular economy represents a form of corporate production with respect to environmental resources. In the past, these production systems were widespread on the basis of the non-removability of the production factors. The advent of economic growth, in capitalist economies, has led to the deconstruction of production cycles resulting to a food product being produced in one part of the world, whilst the raw materials and processing phases are carried out in several parts of the world, due to the low production costs there. While these economic systems, on the one hand, have led to a growth in the global economic system, on the other hand they have determined the impoverishment of the territory as many companies, at least the uncompetitive ones, have disappeared. In this work, starting from examining the circular economy models, we analyze a development and growth scenario from a circular business perspective. The work highlights that the adoption of circular economy models has higher costs for the companies that implement them and therefore, to become long-term production systems, they need either cooperation among several companies to reduce the average total cost or a potential public contribution in their starting phase. The results of this study highlight that the adoption of circular economy models results in advantages at the microeconomic level. In the event that the cost of the investment cannot determine an advantage at a microeconomic level, one could think of solutions envisaging several companies that adopt a common logic of making the investment in a circular economy. The positive effects occur at the company, family and local levels.
{"title":"Circular economy and environmental protection","authors":"F. Sgroi","doi":"10.3934/environsci.2022009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/environsci.2022009","url":null,"abstract":"The circular economy represents a form of corporate production with respect to environmental resources. In the past, these production systems were widespread on the basis of the non-removability of the production factors. The advent of economic growth, in capitalist economies, has led to the deconstruction of production cycles resulting to a food product being produced in one part of the world, whilst the raw materials and processing phases are carried out in several parts of the world, due to the low production costs there. While these economic systems, on the one hand, have led to a growth in the global economic system, on the other hand they have determined the impoverishment of the territory as many companies, at least the uncompetitive ones, have disappeared. In this work, starting from examining the circular economy models, we analyze a development and growth scenario from a circular business perspective. The work highlights that the adoption of circular economy models has higher costs for the companies that implement them and therefore, to become long-term production systems, they need either cooperation among several companies to reduce the average total cost or a potential public contribution in their starting phase. The results of this study highlight that the adoption of circular economy models results in advantages at the microeconomic level. In the event that the cost of the investment cannot determine an advantage at a microeconomic level, one could think of solutions envisaging several companies that adopt a common logic of making the investment in a circular economy. The positive effects occur at the company, family and local levels.","PeriodicalId":45143,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Environmental Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70231542","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 : 2022-01-01DOI: 10.3934/environsci.2022013
Mahidin, A. Gani, Saiful, M. Irham, Wulan Windari, Erdiwansyah
Contaminants from microplastics in the soil can pose a huge and potential risk to global ecological systems. Microplastic contaminants have become an issue since the source and potential risks have gained a point of great concern. This problem is due to the lack of a comprehensive and systematic analysis system for microplastics. Thus, a comprehensive review of microplastic knowledge is carried out to detect its potential risks, occurrences, sources, and characteristics. The study results show that microplastics have been found everywhere, as shown in the global matrix. However, with the advancement of increasingly sophisticated technology, the microplastics found in the soil can be reduced. The difficulties of analytical systems inherent in particles in even complex matrices can be overcome with technology. Research on the distribution and emergence of microplastics is still very slow in several countries, including Indonesia, the United States, and Africa. The composition and characteristics of microplastics in soil and the environment shows their consistency still indicates a change in source. Microplastics in the soil have extensive and diverse sources, leading to high accumulation. This study also discusses the potential risks and effects of microplastics on soil ecosystems. The interaction and combination of contaminants from adsorbed microplastics can lead to soil fertility and migration systems in the food chain. The impact of microplastics on soil depends on chemical components, natural factors, and morphology. Thus, regional quantification and estimation of emissions from microplastics have a huge gap. In addition, the concentration of microplastics and the masking of microplastics to store carbon in the soil can be influenced by natural factors and require various efforts.
{"title":"An overview of the potential risks, sources, and analytical methods for microplastics in soil","authors":"Mahidin, A. Gani, Saiful, M. Irham, Wulan Windari, Erdiwansyah","doi":"10.3934/environsci.2022013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/environsci.2022013","url":null,"abstract":"Contaminants from microplastics in the soil can pose a huge and potential risk to global ecological systems. Microplastic contaminants have become an issue since the source and potential risks have gained a point of great concern. This problem is due to the lack of a comprehensive and systematic analysis system for microplastics. Thus, a comprehensive review of microplastic knowledge is carried out to detect its potential risks, occurrences, sources, and characteristics. The study results show that microplastics have been found everywhere, as shown in the global matrix. However, with the advancement of increasingly sophisticated technology, the microplastics found in the soil can be reduced. The difficulties of analytical systems inherent in particles in even complex matrices can be overcome with technology. Research on the distribution and emergence of microplastics is still very slow in several countries, including Indonesia, the United States, and Africa. The composition and characteristics of microplastics in soil and the environment shows their consistency still indicates a change in source. Microplastics in the soil have extensive and diverse sources, leading to high accumulation. This study also discusses the potential risks and effects of microplastics on soil ecosystems. The interaction and combination of contaminants from adsorbed microplastics can lead to soil fertility and migration systems in the food chain. The impact of microplastics on soil depends on chemical components, natural factors, and morphology. Thus, regional quantification and estimation of emissions from microplastics have a huge gap. In addition, the concentration of microplastics and the masking of microplastics to store carbon in the soil can be influenced by natural factors and require various efforts.","PeriodicalId":45143,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Environmental Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70231587","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 : 2022-01-01DOI: 10.3934/environsci.2022035
Laksanee Boonkhao, Satayu Phonkaew, S. Kwonpongsagoon, Pongsak Rattanachaikunsopon
Farmers in Khi Lek Subdistrict, Muang District, Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand have been known to persistently use pesticides, especially carbofuran, in their agricultural fields. This indeed poses a risk to farmers' health and ecosystem. However, there has been no report pointing out this problem. The purpose of this study was to determine carbofuran residues in soil in four villages in Khi Lek Subdistrict, Muang District, Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand, where pesticides were widely used for vegetables. The quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) method was used to extract the samples, which were then analyzed utilizing high-performance liquid chromatography with a mass spectrometry detector. The health risks of carbofuran exposure through soil ingestion among 485 farmers were investigated by using the hazard quotient (HQ). The concentration of carbofuran in 10 soil samples was less than 0.01 mg/kg. The overall average of the farmers' daily dose of carbofuran in Villages 5, 8, 9 and 10 ranged from 3.9×10-9 mg/kg-day to 5×10-9 mg/kg-day, and the hazard quotient (HQ) indicated an acceptable level for health risks. However, this study found that 98.97% of the farmers ate food and 97.53% drank water while farming. As a result of this, they may still be exposed to pesticides. Since the factors contributing to human health risks include the length of exposure, frequency of exposure, and farmer body weight, this study suggests that the government should be concerned because the current pattern of pesticide use still poses an immediate health risk to the farmers. While The farmers should be trained in safe pesticide usage while safe pesticide practice should also be promoted.
{"title":"Carbofuran residues in soil and consumption risks among farmers growing vegetables in Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand","authors":"Laksanee Boonkhao, Satayu Phonkaew, S. Kwonpongsagoon, Pongsak Rattanachaikunsopon","doi":"10.3934/environsci.2022035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3934/environsci.2022035","url":null,"abstract":"Farmers in Khi Lek Subdistrict, Muang District, Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand have been known to persistently use pesticides, especially carbofuran, in their agricultural fields. This indeed poses a risk to farmers' health and ecosystem. However, there has been no report pointing out this problem. The purpose of this study was to determine carbofuran residues in soil in four villages in Khi Lek Subdistrict, Muang District, Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand, where pesticides were widely used for vegetables. The quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) method was used to extract the samples, which were then analyzed utilizing high-performance liquid chromatography with a mass spectrometry detector. The health risks of carbofuran exposure through soil ingestion among 485 farmers were investigated by using the hazard quotient (HQ). The concentration of carbofuran in 10 soil samples was less than 0.01 mg/kg. The overall average of the farmers' daily dose of carbofuran in Villages 5, 8, 9 and 10 ranged from 3.9×10-9 mg/kg-day to 5×10-9 mg/kg-day, and the hazard quotient (HQ) indicated an acceptable level for health risks. However, this study found that 98.97% of the farmers ate food and 97.53% drank water while farming. As a result of this, they may still be exposed to pesticides. Since the factors contributing to human health risks include the length of exposure, frequency of exposure, and farmer body weight, this study suggests that the government should be concerned because the current pattern of pesticide use still poses an immediate health risk to the farmers. While The farmers should be trained in safe pesticide usage while safe pesticide practice should also be promoted.","PeriodicalId":45143,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Environmental Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70231817","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}