Environmental Sciences Europe最新文献

Climate change affects the world economy, environment, and human well-being, jeopardizing overall sustainability. The escalating impacts of climate change emphasize the necessity to assess the moderating influence of environmental policy stringency (EPS) on the association of energy transition (ET) and GHG emissions from 1990 to 2020 across 36 OECD countries. Further, this study incorporates the direct impact of energy transition (ET), environmental-related technology (ERTs), green innovation (INV), and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on GHG emission. For this purpose, study employs an extensive range of econometric techniques, including DOLS, FMOLS, CCR, and MMQR approaches to evaluate data attributes. The findings of MMQR demonstrate that interaction of ET*EPS contributes to lower GHG emissions from −0.271% to −0.300% across all quantiles (20th to 80th). This indicates that the implementation of environmental policies fosters adoption of energy transitions to mitigate the negative effects of climate change, particularly to reduce GHG emissions. Further, environmental-related technologies (ERTs) and green innovation (INV) decrease GHG emissions by 0.15%–0.13% and 0.967%–2.049%, respectively, across all quantiles, thus encouraging environmental sustainability. The heterogeneous effect of ERTs is due to varying levels of adoption of environmental technologies in sample countries. The findings highlight the crucial need for integrating environmental policy strictness and energy transition measures to effectively mitigate GHG emissions. It highlights the significance of adaptive, responsive policies that are in line with SDGs 7 & 13, which concentrate on sustainable energy practices and integrated climate action in OECD economies.

Graphical Abstract

Groundwater is a primary source of drinking water for billions worldwide. It plays a crucial role in irrigation, domestic, and industrial uses, and significantly contributes to drought resilience in various regions. However, excessive groundwater discharge has left many areas vulnerable to potable water shortages. Therefore, assessing groundwater potential zones (GWPZ) is essential for implementing sustainable management practices to ensure the availability of groundwater for present and future generations. This study aims to delineate areas with high groundwater potential in the Bankura district of West Bengal using four machine learning methods: Random Forest (RF), Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Voting Ensemble (VE). The models used 161 data points, comprising 70% of the training dataset, to identify significant correlations between the presence and absence of groundwater in the region. Among the methods, Random Forest (RF) and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) proved to be the most effective in mapping groundwater potential, suggesting their applicability in other regions with similar hydrogeological conditions. The performance metrics for RF are very good with a precision of 0.919, recall of 0.971, F1-score of 0.944, and accuracy of 0.943. This indicates a strong capability to accurately predict groundwater zones with minimal false positives and negatives. Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost) demonstrated comparable performance across all metrics (precision: 0.919, recall: 0.971, F1-score: 0.944, accuracy: 0.943), highlighting its effectiveness in predicting groundwater potential areas accurately; whereas, Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) outperformed the other models slightly, with higher values in all metrics: precision (0.944), recall (0.971), F1-score (0.958), and accuracy (0.957), suggesting a more refined model performance. The Voting Ensemble (VE) approach also showed enhanced performance, mirroring XGBoost's metrics (precision: 0.944, recall: 0.971, F1-score: 0.958, accuracy: 0.957). This indicates that combining the strengths of individual models leads to better predictions. The groundwater potentiality zoning across the Bankura district varied significantly, with areas of very low potentiality accounting for 41.81% and very high potentiality at 24.35%. The uncertainty in predictions ranged from 0.0 to 0.75 across the study area, reflecting the variability in groundwater availability and the need for targeted management strategies.

In summary, this study highlights the critical need for assessing and managing groundwater resources effectively using advanced machine learning techniques. The findings provide a foundation for better groundwater management practices, ensuring sustainable use and conservation in Bankura district and beyond.

Background

Transport, accumulation, and degradation of microplastics (MiPs) in the aquatic environment represent a significant concern to the researchers and policy-makers, due to the detrimental impact on biota and human health through food ingestion. Although consistent investigations and research data are available worldwide, comparing the results is still challenging due to the need for more regulations regarding the sampling methods, analysis, and results reporting. The European regulatory efforts include studies on the MiPs transport in the western basin of the Danube River developed with active nets-based multipoint sampling methods from suspended sediments and proposed for standardization. In this context, the present study aimed to address for the first time the transport of MiPs in the Romanian sector of the Danube, starting after entering the country (Moldova Veche) and before the formation of the Danube Delta (Isaccea).

Results

The multipoint nets sampling procedure facilitated the collection of suspended sediments in the water columns as deep as 0.0–0.6 and 3.0–3.6 m depths and near riverbed sediments (autumn 2022 sampling) during an extensive spatio-temporal study from spring 2022 until spring 2023. The estimate of the maximum annual transport of 46–51 and 93–100 t·y⁻¹ for MiPs and total (micro–meso–macroplastics) MPs at Moldova Veche was based on 135 collected and processed samples using 2021 water flow data. Polyethylene (58–69%) and polypropylene (21–33%) were the main polymer components in the separated fragments, foils, microfibers, and different colors spheroids of MiPs ( < 5 mm), and the foils and fibers of meso–macroplastics (5–100 mm). Advanced investigations highlighted various microstructural degradations of the plastic fragments at the micro- and nanoscale and attached minerals (clays) and heavy metals.

Conclusion

This paper presents the first comprehensive data set for microplastic annual transport in the "Low Danube", filling the need for a complete transport assessment in one of the most significant European rivers. 4–5 times lower values were measured before the entrance to the Danube Delta than those from Moldova Veche. The investigations should continue, including flooding events, and the sampling points should be expanded to deeper water column layers during all the campaigns for further validation.

Graphical Abstract

Background

PM₁₀, comprising particles with diameters of 10 µm or less, has been identified as a significant environmental pollutant associated with adverse health outcomes in European cities. Understanding the temporal variation of the relationship between PM₁₀ and geographical parameters is crucial for sustainable land use planning and air quality management in European landscapes. This study utilizes Conditional Inference Forest modeling and partial correlation to examine the impact of geographical factors on monthly average concentrations of PM₁₀ in European suburban and urban landscapes during heating and cooling periods. The investigation focuses on two buffer zones (1000 m and 3000 m circle radiuses) surrounding 1216 European air quality monitoring stations.

Results

Results reveal importance and significant correlations between various geographical variables (soil texture, land use, transportation network, and meteorological) and PM₁₀ quality on a continental scale. In suburban landscapes, soil texture, temperature, roads, and rail density play pivotal roles, while meteorological variables, particularly monthly average temperature and wind speed, dominate in urban landscapes. Urban sites exhibit higher R-squared values during both cooling (0.41) and heating periods (0.61) compared to suburban sites (cooling period R-squared: 0.39; heating period: R-squared: 0.51), indicating better predictive performance likely attributed to the less heterogeneous land use patterns surrounding urban PM₁₀ monitoring sites.

Conclusion

The study underscores the importance of investigating spatial and temporal dynamics of geographical factors for accurate PM₁₀ air quality prediction models in European urban and suburban landscapes. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and environmental scientists, guiding efforts toward sustainable and healthier urban environments.

Background

Biodiversity loss is particularly pronounced in agroecosystems. Agricultural fields cover about one-third of the European Union and are crucial habitats for many species. At the same time, agricultural fields receive the highest pesticide input in European landscapes. Non-target species, including plants and arthropods, closely related to targeted pests, are directly affected by pesticides. Direct effects on these lower trophic levels cascade through the food web, resulting in indirect effects via the loss of food and habitat for subsequent trophic levels. The overarching goals of the European pesticide legislation require governments to sufficiently consider direct and indirect effects on plants and arthropods when authorising pesticides. This publication provides an overview of a workshop's findings in 2023 on whether the current pesticide risk assessment adequately addresses these requirements.

Results

Effects due to in-field exposure to pesticides are currently not assessed for plants and inadequately assessed for arthropods, resulting in an impairment of the food web support and biodiversity. Deficiencies lie within the risk assessment, as defined in the terrestrial guidance document from 2002. To overcome this problem, we introduce a two-step assessment method feasible for risk assessors, that is to determine (i) whether a pesticide product might have severe impacts on plants or arthropods and (ii) whether these effects extend to a broad taxonomic spectrum. When each step is fulfilled, it can be concluded that the in-field exposure of the pesticide use under assessment could lead to unacceptable direct effects on non-target species in-field and thus subsequent indirect effects on the food web. While our primary focus is to improve risk assessment methodologies, it is crucial to note that risk mitigation measures, such as conservation headlands, exist in cases where risks from in-field exposure have been identified.

Conclusions

We advocate that direct and indirect effects caused by in-field exposure to pesticides need to be adequately included in the risk assessment and risk management as soon as possible. To achieve this, we provide recommendations for the authorities including an evaluation method. Implementing this method would address a major deficiency in the current in-field pesticide risk assessment and ensure better protection of biodiversity.

During the July 2021 European floods approximately eight million empty dairy packaging (buttertubs) were flushed from a dairy processing facility in Belgium into the Vesdre river. Some were transported further downstream, into the Ourthe river and eventually the Meuse river. There are many unknowns when it comes to plastic transport in rivers, especially in response to floods. We therefore used this incident as an unique opportunity to study these buttertubs as a tracer for plastic transport dynamics in a riverine environment in response to an extreme flood event. Normally, it is unknown when and where individual plastic items found on riverbanks entered the environment. In this case, however, the ID stamps on the buttertups allowed for them to be traced back to the flooding of the factory. We studied the transport and deposition of these buttertubs in the Dutch Meuse over 2 years following the flood. We also collected buttertubs at different points in time to investigate their fragmentation and mass loss. Within 3 weeks of the flood, the buttertubs were transported up to 328 km from the spilling location. Overall, the majority (78%) of buttertubs we found within the first 3 weeks were deposited within less than 100 km of the point of emission. Over the following 2 years, the mean transport distance of the found buttertubs moved downstream from 100 km in July/August 2021, to 153 km in July 2023. The buttertubs average transport velocity decreased from 11.7 km/d within the first 3 weeks, to 0.2 km/d by July 2023. Based on the 89 buttertubs we collected and analyzed in detail over the 2 years, we did not find a significant mass loss. Of all 89 buttertubs found, 47 showed cracks and only 12 appeared to have pieces missing. This study shows that even during extreme flood events, the majority of spilled plastic litter is retained within a limited distance after being emitted into the river. The findings of this study can be utilized to improve plastic transport modelling, and overall better understand plastic transport in the freshwater environment.

Pesticides applied to soil surface are subject to photodegradation if the parent molecule is sensitive to UV-light absorption. Photodegradation studies are therefore mandatory for the registration of plant protection products to provide data on the degradation rate and on the nature of photoproducts formed. In general, sunlight is simulated in these studies with xenon lamps, e.g., a Suntest® device. Surface application on very thin soil layers followed by direct irradiation is common practice, but the control of the boundary conditions, i.e. soil temperature and moisture, to maintain the structure and viability of the soil is challenging. A homogeneous and stable soil microclimate is crucial to compare the degradation data of the test item from the irradiated soil samples to the dark controls as well as to the results from the aerobic soil metabolism study. After trying different scale-up test systems with the UV-sensitive herbicide imazamox as comparative test item, a new soil photolysis test system was developed which is manageable in the laboratory and enables a more favorable management of the boundary conditions, especially with regard to the soil moisture and temperature. For this, the solar simulator SolarConstant® 1200, equipped with metal halide lamps Radium HRI-TS 1000W/D/S/PRO, was installed by Atlas Ametek (Germany) in a temperature controllable walk-in incubation chamber with aluminum racks and reflectors to minimize diffuse light and to maintain a homogenous temperature of 22(± 1)°C within the irradiated soil. Borosilicate glass vessels with an inner diameter of 10 cm and a maximum height of 9 cm, covered by quartz glass, were used for the incubation of the applied soil under light. Contrary to the imazamox degradation half-lives obtained with the Suntest® test system, where an unusual slower degradation was observed under light compared to the dark controls, the results from the new SolarConstant® study design showed the expected faster degradation under light. Hence, it can be concluded that the experimental boundary conditions of the new test system are more suitable to maintain the viablity of the irradiated soil. Since no adjustments of the soil water content were needed, compared to daily water adjustments for thin soil layers incubated under a Suntest®, drying–wetting cycles are eliminated and microbial-induced soil processes are maintained.

Trace element levels in the circulation (blood, serum, plasma) are believed to play a role in the pathophysiologic processes of Alzheimer’s disease (AD); however, there is heterogeneity in the available findings. This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of trace elements (including: copper (Cu), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), and magnesium (Mg)) in AD patients and controls to assess the variation of trace elements in the circulation of AD patients. By systematically screening case–control studies on circulatory trace element levels in AD patients from 2000 to the present in the PubMed, Web of Science, and MEDLINE databases, 52 studies were included in the final meta-analysis. The results of the random-effects model showed significantly elevated circulatory levels of Cd (SMD = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.35, 1.24), Hg (SMD = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.03, 1.16), and Cu (SMD = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.37, 1.04) in AD patients, while levels of Fe (SMD = − 0.58, 95% CI: − 1.03, − 0.13), Se (SMD = − 0.53, 95% CI: − 0.85, − 0.21), and Zn (SMD = − 0.99, 95% CI: − 1.52, − 0.46) were significantly lower. The database formed in this study provides reliable population-based research evidence for exploring changes in circulating trace element levels in AD patients. Monitoring and stabilization of circulatory trace element levels in the elderly may be a potential preventive target for AD.

Background

The herbicide glyphosate is the most widely used active ingredient in pesticides globally. Residues have been found in people, livestock, food and animal feed, and in the environment, but little is known about glyphosate residue in manure-based fertilizer. We describe a feed-feces-fertilizer route of glyphosate contamination with negative impacts for horticultural production. This exposure can harm sensitive plants, such as tomato, and pose a risk to effective waste disposal and nutrient cycling along principles of the circular economy.

We review the use and history of glyphosate and present a mixed methods research based on a real-world case from Finland where glyphosate residue in poultry manure fertilizer was suspected of inhibiting commercial organic tomato production. To test the fertilizer, we grew 72 ‘Encore’ variety tomato plants for 14 weeks in a climate-controlled greenhouse according to the practices of the commercial grower. To ascertain awareness and potential contamination mitigation measures, we contacted five fertilizer companies with sales of biogenic fertilizer in Finland, two farming organizations, a feed company, and two government organizations working on nutrient cycling and agricultural circular economy.

Results

The total harvest of tomatoes grown with fertilizer with the higher content of glyphosate residue was 35% smaller and the yield of first-class tomatoes 37% lower than that of the control, with lower glyphosate concentration. Two of the five fertilizer companies identified poultry manure as a source of glyphosate contamination. Companies with awareness of pesticide residues reported interest in establishing parameters for pesticide residues.

Conclusions

The extent of glyphosate contamination of recycled fertilizers is unknown, but this study shows that such contamination occurs with negative impacts on crop production. Lack of testing and regulation to ensure that recycled fertilizers are free from harmful levels of glyphosate or other pesticides creates risks for agricultural producers. The issue is particularly acute for certified organic producers dependent on these products, but also for sustainable transitions away from mineral fertilizers in conventional farming. The example from Finland shows that a model of co-production between fertilizer producers and state regulatory agencies to establish safe limits can benefit both fertilizer producers and their customers.