Environmental Monitoring and Assessment最新文献

To maximize energy recovery in waste-to-energy (WTE) systems, the High Heating Value (HHV) of municipal solid waste (MSW) must be accurately estimated. To forecast the HHV of MSW, this study proposes a unique method that combines an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model with Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS), with a focus on Solan City, Himachal Pradesh, India. In the present study, the elemental characteristics of waste have been used to deal with uncertainty and to find the suitable parameters responsible for the HHV of the MSW. Initially, Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) has been used to deal with uncertainty in the elemental composition of MSW, which includes carbon (C), hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), and oxygen (O) content. This elemental composition has been used as input parameters to the ANN model for predicting the HHV of MSW. The network 5–28-5–1 offered a minimum MAPE value of 2.18%, MSE, RMSE and R² values are 0.012, 0.107 and 0.767, respectively. Thereafter, a synaptic weight approach was used to find the most significant parameters responsible for HHV in MSW. It was observed that carbon is the most suitable parameter for HHV of MSW. By dealing with the uncertainty in MSW characteristics, the integration of LHS strengthens the robustness of the model. The results offer an accurate and economical approach for HHV estimation, which will be useful for improving the MSW management and WTE conversion procedures.

Human activities have significant influence on soil erosion in karst areas. The spatial and temporal evolution of soil erosion in Guizhou Province was evaluated using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), which revealed an increasing trend in the initial data analysis for the soil erosion modulus. To disclose the impact of human activities on regional soil erosion, the soil erosion in 2000, 2010, and 2020 was analyzed. The results show the following: (1) The average values of the soil erosion modulus in the study area for 2000, 2010, and 2020 were 4.479, 4.945, and 5.806 t·hm⁻²·a⁻¹, respectively; when considering human activities without the influence of rainfall erosivity, these values were 4.679, 4.963, and 4.799 t·hm⁻²·a⁻¹. The influence of human activities on soil erosion is gradually becoming a positive force. (2) According to the Spearman regression analysis, the top four factors related to soil erosion in 2000 and 2010 were soil loss risk (E, 0.721 and 0.737), anti-erosion factors (Pr, − 0.236 and − 0.221), rock exposure rate (0.222 and 0.279), and altitude (0.210 and 0.195). In 2020, the top four factors were Pr (0.725), land surface temperature (LST, 0.268), NDVI (− 0.232), and E (0.186). In the first two stages, soil erosion is closely related to natural factors, while in 2020, soil erosion is more closely related to human activities. (3) The geographically weighted regression (GWR) showed the highest range of regression coefficients for Pr (150), followed by E and NDVI (25), rock exposure rate (10), and land surface temperature (LST) (1.5). The rainfall erosivity is increasing annually as a consequence of global climate change. This rise in rainfall erosivity has resulted in a corresponding increase in soil erosion in the study area, which obscures the positive impact of human activities in the reduction of soil erosion.

The amalgamation of Himalayan and Indo-Burmese biodiversity has made the state of Manipur, India, a unique ecosystem. In addition, the region is a strategic place for the country to establish an economic corridor to Southeast Asia. In recent times, the region has witnessed tremendous infrastructural/road development. Subsequently, forest fragmentation related to urbanization and road expansion has emerged in the Himalayan foothills. The development of roads brought rapid changes in land use and land cover (LULC) and thus subsequent environmental degradation. The current study attempts to understand how the development of road networks has impacted the natural cover in Manipur, India. A spatio-temporal analysis was performed to assess the relationship between the development of road networks and LULC changes using the Landsat satellite images over a decade (2012–2022). The results showed significant changes in the area coverage of LULC categories such as agricultural land, built-up areas, forest, and water bodies with the increase in road density. To have a holistic view, the study area was segregated into three functional zones based on their urban land use pattern, i.e., urban center, peri-urban, and urban peripheral fringes. Urban sprawl in the urban center has led to the rapid conversion of forested lands into built-up areas and agricultural lands in the peri-urban and urban peripheral fringes, respectively. The decline of forest areas to urbanization in peri-urban and urban peripheral fringes calls for conservation and restoration initiatives. The study also emphasizes how different stakeholders can be involved and empowered to strengthen public–private partnerships for conservation and restoration in such sensitive ecosystems. Urban planners and developers should be critical in making informed decisions through understanding ecological concerns in tandem with infrastructural development.

Resampling the same satellite image to conduct a multi-scale assessment of desertification can be accompanied by distortion of terrestrial objects and spectral information, which can lead to uncertainty in the generated information. To address this, this study assesses desertification severity in an area of arid and semi-arid climate in the Eastern Mediterranean (Jordan) that is characterised by cloudless scenes using multi-sensor data of the same scene at the same time. To this end, Sentinel-2 at 10 m and 60 m, Landsat-8 at 30 m and MODIS at 250 m and 500 m were collected to extract albedo and modified soil adjusted vegetation index (MSAVI), and subsequently to construct albedo-MSAVI feature space. Using the negative correlation between albedo and MSAVI, desertification degree index (DDI) was generated. The resulting multi-scale DDI maps bear a relative resemblance in terms of spatial distribution, patterns, and proportions. The DDI maps indicate that extremely serious and serious desertification are widespread, accounting for 50% of the study area, primarily in the eastern portions. However, finer DDI maps (10 m, 30 m and 60 m) are essential for detecting small-scale desertification characteristics due to their ability to capture local spatial variabilities, while coarser ones (250 m and 500 m) are better suited for capturing broad-scale desertification patterns driven by climatic factors, in which MODIS data exhibit a relatively higher positive correlation with seasonal average precipitation. Although finer DDI maps show higher accuracy compared to coarser ones, the accuracy of DDI maps of MODIS has shown an increase within a homogeneous landscape. Accordingly, synchronised multi-scale assessment of desertification severity is not only influenced by the spatial resolution but also by the landscape heterogeneity and the type of satellite sensor utilised. The multi-scale approach applied in this study can provide insights on scale-dependent desertification that help in devising overarching mitigation strategies.

This study investigated a pressing environmental concern: the presence, distribution, sources, and ecological implications of sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the left-bank canals of Kotri barrage—Akram, Pinyari, and Phuleli of the Indus River in Pakistan. These vital waterways, crucial for industrial, domestic, and agricultural activities, are experiencing contamination threats from anthropogenic sources, particularly PAHs. The study collected three water and two sediment samples from each canal in pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. Then the EPA’s liquid–liquid extraction method and gas chromatography determined the concentrations of PAHs. The findings of this study reveal alarming contamination levels, with pre-monsoon concentrations ranging from 22.256 to 836.455 ng/L in water and 1,459.941 to 43,179.243 ng/g in sediments. The post-monsoon concentrations ranged from 60.352 to 5663.058 ng/L in water and 2976.770 to 15,238.335 ng/g in sediments. The diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis (PCA) identified multiple sources of contamination, including industrial and domestic wastewater discharge, solid waste burning, vehicular emissions, biomass combustion, and petroleum residues. Furthermore, the assessment of the toxic equivalency factor (TEF) underscored the heightened carcinogenic potential of certain PAHs, notably benzo(a)pyrene and benzo(a)anthracene. Thus, the high levels of PAH contamination pose severe health risks to both human populations and aquatic ecosystems, emphasizing the urgency of addressing this issue. Stricter regulations governing industrial and domestic waste discharge, advocacy for cleaner fuel technologies, and the implementation of effective waste management practices must be initiated as crucial strategies in safeguarding the environmental integrity of the left-bank canals and the health of the surrounding communities.

The enhancement of natural radioactivity in groundwater, specifically in natural mineral water, is related to the lithological formations through which water bodies or courses pass. Although natural mineral waters are exempt from monitoring for radioactive substances according to Council Directive 2013/51/EURATOM, this study focuses on the radiological characterization of natural mineral water under Spanish Royal Decree 3/2023. The water studied was taken from Catalan aquifers with different lithological characteristics (sedimentary, metamorphic or granitic) and is sold on local markets. Moreover, radiological data on the water was correlated with its lithological origin and the health risk for different age groups was assessed. Our results showed that of the 26 natural mineral waters studied, 10 exceeded gross alpha screening value (100 mBq/L), all from granitic aquifers. Further research on natural individual radionuclides was conducted on these ten samples. ²³⁴U and ²³⁸U were at around 1100–1600 mBq/L. In addition, ²¹⁰Pb was found in two samples, which also presented the highest ²²⁶Ra activity, associated with granitic bedrock and the presence of ²¹⁰Po. The annual effective dose was 179.0 µSv/year and 145.9 µSv/year, exceeding 100 µSv/year mainly due to the contribution of ²¹⁰Pb > ^234,238U > ²¹⁰Po > ²²⁶Ra, in this order. After assessing the lifetime cancer risk, these two samples were determined not to pose a health risk due to ingestion. Although no radiological monitoring is required for natural mineral water, further surveillance is recommendable.

The present study revealed that various non-dietary items like pan masala, chewing tobacco, betel nuts, and toothpaste may contribute to the fluoride burden of the human body. In this line, an attempt was made to analyze the fluoride content of non-dietary items collected from Panipat City of Haryana. The study depicts that intake of pan masala, chewing tobacco, betel nuts, and toothpaste expose the consumers to 21.0 to 56.80, 18.00 to 36.20, 7.45 to 77.40, and 21.10 to 1118.20 µg fluoride/g respectively. The demand for these non-essential edible items is increasing daily, and people are unaware of the detrimental health effects of these products. The people of the study area are advised to prohibit these products as they contain an appreciable amount of fluoride.

Global environmental pollution and rapid climate change have become a serious matter of concern. Remarkable spatial and seasonal variations have been observed due to rapid industrialization, urbanization, different festive occasions, etc. Among all the existing pollutants, the fine airborne particles (varvec{PM}_{varvec{2.5}}) (with aerodynamic equivalent diameter (varvec{le 2.5mu m})) and (varvec{PM}_{varvec{10}}) (with aerodynamic equivalent diameter (varvec{le 10mu m})) are associated with chronic diseases. This leads to carry out the study regarding the varying relationship between (varvec{PM}_{varvec{2.5}}) and other associated factors so that its concentration level might be under control. Existing literature has explored the geographical association between the pollutants and a few other important factors. To address this problem, the present study aims to explore the wide spatio-temporal relationships between the particulate matter ((varvec{PM}_{varvec{2.5}})) with the other associated factors (e.g., socio-demographic, meteorological factors, and air pollutants). For this analysis, the geographically weighted regression (GWR) model with different kernels (viz. Gaussian and Bisquare kernels) and the ordinary least squares (OLS) model have been carried out to analyze the same from the perspective of the four major seasons (i.e., autumn, winter, summer, and monsoon) in different districts of India. It may be inferred from the results that the local model (i.e., GWR model with Bisquare kernel) captures the spatial heterogeneity in a better way and their performances have been compared in terms of (varvec{R}^{varvec{2}}) values ((varvec{>0.99}) in all cases) and corrected Akaike information criterion ((varvec{AIC}_{varvec{c}})) (maximum value (varvec{-618.69}) and minimum value (varvec{-896.88})). It has been revealed that there is a strong negative impact between forest coverage and PM pollution in northern India during the major seasons. The same has been found in Delhi, Haryana, and a few districts of Rajasthan during the 1-year cycle (October 2022–September 2023). It has also been found that PM concentration levels become high over the specified period with the temperature drop in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, etc. Moreover, a strong positive association is visible in PM pollution level with the total population.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of deteriorated physicochemical conditions in the river Jhelum on parasitic infestations and to investigate the potential of fish parasites as bioindicators of water quality. All the physicochemical parameters exhibited statistically significant differences based on both site and season (p < 0.01). The interaction term (Site × Season) was also kept in the model since it was statistically significant (p < 0.01). A parasitological survey of 360 schizothoracine fish revealed a 30.3% prevalence (109/360) of endohelminth infection. The study identified four predominant parasitic taxa across two distinct classes: Cestoda, including Adenoscolex oreini and Schyzocotyle acheilognathi, and Acanthocephala, comprising Pomphorhynchus kashmirensis and Neoechinorhynchus manasbalensis. For the assessment of parasitic load, we calculated the prevalence, mean intensity, mean abundance, and index of infection for each sampling period. Correspondence analysis identified associations between parasite occurrence and specific water quality parameters. Regression analysis, including R² and p values, demonstrated a positive correlation between the number of parasites and both the proportion of infected fish and the ratio of infected to examined fish. Given that parasitic load is significantly influenced by a range of water quality parameters, fish parasites can serve as a robust indicator of declining water quality. Fish parasites are highly sensitive to water quality changes such as pollutants, toxins, and fluctuations in pH, temperature, and oxygen levels. Deteriorating water quality can stress fish, compromising their immune systems and increasing their susceptibility to parasitic infections. Additionally, complex life cycles of parasites can be disrupted by poor water conditions, making them indicators of water quality issues.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) constitute a typical example of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that have been detected globally in most environmental media. Soil serves as a critical reservoir for PCBs. This research is aimed at evaluating the potential exposure and associated health risks posed by soil-laden PCBs to humans during outdoor activities on public playgrounds and parks within the southern zone of Ghana where limited studies have been undertaken. Surface soils collected from 56 sites were processed and analyzed for seven indicator PCBs in soil particle sizes less than 63 µm. A multi-residual analytical approach for the simultaneous analysis of PCBs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) via gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was utilized. The results indicated that the concentration of PCBs ranged from 0.26 to 24.00 µg/kg with an average total concentration of 1.86 ± 3.23 µg/kg which is below the environment guideline threshold of 1.3 mg/kg stipulated by the Canadian Council of Ministers for residential playgrounds/parkland soils. Multivariate analysis showed that the sources of the PCBs could be attributed predominantly to historical release, atmospheric transfer, and deposition. The excess lifetime cancer risks posed to children and adults are less than 10⁻⁶ thereby implying the existence of low carcinogenic health risk to the human populace within the southern zone of Ghana. Thus, the conduct of outdoor activities at the public playgrounds/parks within these highly populated areas poses no significant risk to human health.