Environmental Monitoring and Assessment最新文献

Many cities have promoted decarbonized transportation modes to mitigate climate change, reduce air pollution and promote healthy behaviors. However, cyclists may be particularly exposed to higher concentrations of on-road air pollutants than other commuters due to their proximity to traffic, higher breathing rates, and prolonged commutes. In addition, there is scarce information analyzing the geographic exposure levels of cyclists in medium-sized urban agglomerations of Latin American cities. We aimed to assess cyclists' exposure to PM_2.5 at the spatio-temporal level using low-cost sensors in the Mendoza Metropolitan Area, Argentina. We calculated PM_2.5 inhalation doses (IDs) for different routes with distinctive characteristics, considering different age ranges and gender of cyclists. The dose was represented as temporally and spatially disaggregated exposure maps, one of the first to represent it in Latin America using this method. All link types analyzed exhibited significant differences in PM_2.5 concentrations, although the most frequent concentrations were less than 5 µg m⁻³, with secondary peaks of 6.5 and 9 µg m⁻³. As expected, ID increases with age and is greater in males than in females. Our findings further reinforce the fact that route choice (busy vs. quiet) and time of day (peak vs. off-peak) appreciably affect the pollutant exposure of cyclists. All these results could be helpful in the selection of alternative cycling routes with lower PM_2.5 at different hours of day but also enable us to investigate further implications of exposure to PM_2.5 for the health of urban bicycle commuters.

Freshwater salinisation is a growing problem worldwide, affecting surface and groundwater resources. Compared with other global environmental issues, freshwater salinisation has been studied extensively in North America, Australia, and Europe but less so in South America, Asia, and Africa. Both the natural and anthropogenic sources can contribute for freshwater salinisation, through the concentration of dissolved salts in water rising above its normal levels. This review provides a comprehensive assessment of the causes of freshwater salinisation, the impacts on freshwater communities and ecosystem functions, the adaptive mechanisms for survival in an increasingly saline environment, and the management strategies available to control freshwater salinisation. Many human activities contribute to freshwater salinisation, including road salt use, agricultural practices, resource extraction, reservoir construction, and climate change. Aquatic organisms have evolved mechanisms to survive in increasingly saline environments, but excessive salinity can lead to mortality and non-lethal effects. Such effects can have cascading impacts on the structure and function of aquatic communities and ecosystem services. Therefore, monitoring programmes and chemical fingerprinting are needed to identify highly salinised areas, determine how various human activities contribute to freshwater salinisation, and implement management strategies. Furthermore, current research on freshwater salinisation has been limited to a few regions of the world. It is essential to expand the research further into exploring the impacts of salinisation on freshwater resources in unexplored geographic areas of the world that are mainly impacted by climate change scenarios.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a vital raw material used to manufacture various household and commercial goods. However, BPA is a contaminant of emerging concern (CEC) and an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) capable of migrating and bio-accumulating in environmental and biological compartments. At threshold levels, they become toxic causing adverse health and environmental issues. BPA’s occurrence in food, food contact materials (FCMs), beverages, water, cosmetics, consumer goods, soil, sediments, and human/biological fluids across Africa was outlined. Unlike most reviews, it further collated data on BPA remediation techniques, including the human and ecological risk assessment studies conducted across Africa. A systematic scrutiny of the major indexing databases was employed extracting relevant data for this study. Results reveal that only 10 out of 54 countries have researched BPA in Africa. BPA levels in water were the most investigated, whereas levels in cosmetics and consumer goods were the least studied. Maximum BPA concentrations found in Africa were 3,590,000 ng/g (cosmetic and consumer goods), 154,820,000 ng/g (soils), 189 ng/mL (water), 1139 ng/g (food), and 208.55 ng/mL (biological fluids). The optimum percentage removal/degradation of BPA was within 70–100%. The potential health and ecological risk levels were assessed by comparing them with recommended limits and were found to fall within safe/low risks to unsafe/high risks. In conclusion, this study revealed that there is still little research on BPA in Africa. Levels detected in some matrices call for increased research, stricter health and environmental regulations, and surveillance.

Graphical Abstract

This study is the first attempt to assess rice cultivation under alternate wetting and drying (AWD) and continuous flooding (CF) using the latest scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), utilizing AquaCrop Model. Field experiments were conducted during the dry season 2023 to get the model calibration and validation input. We used two shared socioeconomic pathways scenarios (SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5) developed within Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) and projected the rice growth during 2040–2070. The simulation results demonstrated the effectiveness of AquaCrop in capturing crop development across treatments and varieties. This model’s accuracy in simulating canopy cover (nRMSE = 14–32.5%), time series biomass (nRMSE = 22–42.5%), grain yield (Pd = 4.36–24.38%), and total biomass (nRMSE = 0.39–18.98%) was generally acceptable. The analysis of future climate shows an increasing trend in the monthly average temperature by 0.8 °C (Tmin) and 1.3 °C (Tmax) in both scenarios. While ETo values were not anticipated, rainfall was expected to increase with average values of 5.62 mm to 11.25 mm. In addition, the study found that varieties with growing periods longer than 93 days after transplanting (DAT), such as CAR15 and Sen Kra Ob, were most impacted by heat stress conditions, leading to reduced yield, harvest index (HI), and water use efficiency (WUE). In our case, CAR15 and Sen Kra Ob grain yields were reduced by 53% and 8%, respectively. AWD maintains superior WUE compared with CF regardless of the type of varieties, suggesting this technique is a drought-adaptive strategy.

The elevated concentration of suspended particulate matter in the atmosphere is closely associated with the morbidity and mortality of human diseases. In northwest China, fine particulate matter pollution has persistently affected local health, production, and daily life due to climatic factors and economic development. This paper first examines the distribution and variation of PM_2.5 concentrations in northwest China from 2013 to 2022 to understand changes in PM_2.5 exposure levels, as well as their associated health and economic benefits since the implementation of the “Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan.” Second, we estimated the number of premature deaths in the research region under various control scenarios based on PM_2.5 concentrations recorded in 2013 and 2021, utilizing existing epidemiological studies for reference. Finally, we calculated the financial benefits resulting from variations in PM_2.5 concentrations within this region. Results indicated that (1) from 2013 to 2022, the Tarim Basin exhibited the highest PM_2.5 concentration among all studied areas, while northern Xinjiang and Qinghai Province had notably lower levels. Additionally, wintertime concentrations were consistently higher than those observed during summer months; however, there has been a general trend toward reduced PM_2.5 content over the past decade. (2) A significant inverse relationship was found between premature mortality rates and PM_2.5 concentrations; specifically, fluctuations in PM_2.5 levels exerted a more pronounced impact on premature deaths attributable to cardiovascular diseases compared to respiratory conditions within this northwest region. (3) Males were disproportionately affected by increases in PM_2.5 concentration relative to females—experiencing two to three times more early fatalities than their female counterparts did. (4) Over a 9-year period within this research area, fiscal benefits derived from interventions targeting PM_2.5 treatment increased by approximately 891 million yuan.

Lake ecosystems in northern Pakistan are the most critical resources that maintain and regulate water flow for downstream agricultural, domestic, industrial, and ecological processes. One consequence of these processes is that ecosystems deposit heavy metals (HMs), where lake stagnant conditions result in high vulnerability of water resources. For this purpose, the present study examined HMs such as cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) concentrations in high-altitude lakes (HAL) sediments of Mansehra district, northern Pakistan. Sediment samples were collected from the five HAL. This study used HM concentrations in lake sediments for the pollution factors such as contamination factor (C_f), pollution load index (PLI), sediment pollution index (SPI), ecological risk assessment (ERA), and risk index (RI). Among HMs, Fe showed the uppermost levels of 1410 mg/kg in lake sediment, while Cd with lowermost levels of 1.05 mg/kg. Results revealed that most HM concentrations in HAL sediments were within the threshold of sediments quality guidelines (SQGs), except for Cd. Among lakes, the sediments of Siri Lake showed higher contamination of HMs than others. Siri Lake sediments also showed higher C_f, PLI, ERA, and RI values than others. The majority of HMs in HAL sediments showed no contamination, except for Cd (considerable) and Pb (moderate) levels to the exposed aquatic ecosystem. This study revealed that 95% of sediment samples in HAL were noted low to medium-level risks to the exposed aquatic communities. Statistical and geospatial analyses revealed that geogenic sources of contamination are a significant contributor to HM contamination of HAL sediments compared to others.

In an attempt to create economically feasible and sustainable wastewater treatment “green” techniques, Malva parviflora leaf water extract was used for biosynthesizing silver nanoparticles (Malva-AgNPs). Fourier transform infrared, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis), scanning electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used for the characterization of Malva-AgNPs. UV–Vis and DLS analysis revealed the stability of the Malva-AgNPs at a wavelength of 420 nm and an average size of 100 nm ± 1 nm. A zeta potential of − 26.4 mV provides additional support for the stability of the material. The removal studies were conducted using atrazine and methylene blue (MB) in a single or mixed liquid state. The adsorbent dose, pH, incubation time, and pollutant concentration in the adsorption process were investigated. The optimal removal for 500 mg L⁻¹ of atrazine and MB at the adsorbent dosage of 450 mg, when incubated for 5 min, was found to be 99.5% and 82.03% for atrazine and MB, respectively. Also, Malva-AgNPs eliminated more than 95% and 50% of the atrazine and MB mixture, respectively, in 5 min. The kinetics study showed that the pseudo-second-order kinetics model was a better fit for explaining the experimental adsorption experiments for atrazine and MB. The obtained equilibrium adsorption data were examined using the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, which indicate that atrazine and MB have maximum adsorption capacities of 434.78 mg g⁻¹ and 400 mg g⁻¹, respectively.

Graphical Abstract

The lower Chao Phraya River Basin (CPRB) in Thailand, a major rice-producing area, is grappling with increased water scarcity alongside more frequent floods and droughts, necessitating effective adaptation strategies to sustain agricultural productivity. This study assesses the impacts of climate change on rice yield and irrigation water use, using the DSSAT-CERES-Rice model. Based on these findings, potential genotype- and management-based adaptation strategies were recommended. The model was calibrated and evaluated using the data from field experiments conducted at the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand during 2017–2018 and 2021–2022. The grain yield and irrigation water use between baseline (2010–2022) and future climate periods (early-century: 2023–2040, mid-century: 2041–2070, and late-century: 2071–2100) were compared. Future climate projections were based on five Global Climate Models (GCMs) from the NEX-GDDP-CMIP6 project under three scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, and SSP585). The model calibration and evaluation demonstrated very good performance statistics, with a d-index of 0.85 during both calibration and evaluation. The model simulations indicated that the maximum and minimum temperatures in the lower CPRB are projected to increase by ~ 2 °C and ~ 4 °C in the late century under SSP245 and SSP585, respectively. Consequently, rice yields are projected to decline by up to 33%, and irrigation water usage to increase by 53% under SSP585 by the late century. Based on the findings, the following major genotype- and management-based adaptation strategies are recommended: (1) Developing heat-tolerant rice cultivars to mitigate yield losses under future climate scenarios, (2) Developing rice cultivars with extended grain-filling duration to enhance both irrigation water use and yield, (3) Shifting the planting date 1–2 weeks earlier (from baseline planting date of 20 July), and shifting fertilizer application date 1–2 weeks earlier (from baseline fertilizer application date of 20 September) for the panicle initiation stage to improve yield, and (4) Optimizing irrigation thresholds (remaining soil water at which to irrigate) to reduce irrigation water use without compromising yield. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of genotype improvement and adaptive management practices in mitigating the adverse effects of climate change on rice production in the lower CPRB.

This study collected ten treated wastewater samples from Vinh Long General Hospital to determine their physicochemical characteristics and antibiotic properties. All treated wastewater samples collected during the monitoring periods complied with national regulations. In addition, these samples did not contain bacteria such as Salmonella, Shigella, and Vibrio cholerae. The investigation yielded a total of 25 Escherichia coli isolates. The E. coli isolates exhibied highest antibiotic resistance rate to ampicillin (100%), followed by ciprofloxacin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and cefazolin (96%, 92%, and 92%, respectively). The resistance rate to fosfomycin was 88%, whereas 80% of the isolates were resistant to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. The resistance rate to gentamicin was 72%, whereas that to imipenem and tetracycline was 52%. In addition, 44% isolates were resistant to chloramphenicol, and 32% of isolates were colistin-resistant. Among analyzed isolates, three were resistant to 10 of 11 tested antibiotics but only displayed intermediate resistance to imipenems (carbapenems). Surprisingly, 23 out of 25 isolates showed a positive ESBL phenotype. Eleven of them had both the bla_TEM and bla_CTX-M-1 group structural genes, while twelve only had the bla_CTX-M-1 group gene. Furthermore, none of the isolated E. coli isolates exhibited the bla_SHV gene. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of colistin exceeded 4 μg/mL in 8 out of 25 (32%) isolates. Seven of eight isolates (87.5%) carried the mcr-1 gene, while one (12.5%) carried the mcr-8 gene. None of the other mcr (mcr-2 to mcr-9) genes were found.

Bivalve mollusks may be affected by numerous infectious diseases, which cause high mortality rates and economic burdens for producers. Another challenge for bivalve aquaculture is the protection of farms from human contamination, such as sewage and stormwater discharges. Ilha Grande Bay (IGB), located in Rio de Janeiro state, is the largest Brazilian producer of scallops (Nodipecten nodosus). This region has recently suffered a mass mortality of mollusks, and several environmental contaminants have been reported in the area. To contribute to the elucidation of scallop collapse and better characterize the human impacts, this study assessed the circulation of mollusk (Ostreid herpesvirus-1 [OsHV-1]) and human (mastadenovirus [HAdV] and norovirus GII) viral pathogens in waters and animals produced at IGB. Neither water nor animals were positive for OsHV-1. However, of the 7 points analyzed, 5 points showed contamination by HAdV or norovirus. HAdV and norovirus were detected in 5.5 and 6.9% of the analyzed water samples, respectively, in concentrations ranging from 2.39 × 10³ to 1 × 10⁵ genome copies/L. One scallop sample was positive for norovirus (4.5%). These results demonstrate human contamination in the region, presenting a risk of consumer contamination, and a non-association between OsHV-1 and the mass mortality described in scallops.