Ecological Footprint Research Articles

Integrating fintech in natural resource management: Assessing the EKC hypothesis for sustainable development in E7 countries

The main objective of the study is to examine the impact of green finance, fintech and mineral resources on environmental sustainability is of great importance in the E7 nations namely Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, and Turkey. The E7 countries are selected as these countries are mineral rich countries and account for a major portion of global mineral export. The data of twenty-five years spanning from 1998 to 2022 is used for the analysis. The study has employed the three measures namely carbon dioxide emissions, ecological footprint, green economic growth to conceptualize the sustainable growth. For the data analysis the study has employed the nonlinear auto-regressive distributed lag (NL-ARDL) model. The results of the study highlights that encouraging and promoting the green finance, and fintech in E7 countries promote sustainable growth, by reducing CO2 emission, improving economic growth, and reducing ecological footprints. The results of the study are in line with the proposition of EKC hypothesis. Moreover, the results of the study also highlight that mineral resource abundance have significant impact of environment sustainability. The study suggests that E7 countries should establish dedicated funds or subsidies to help businesses transition to green technologies and practices, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. Fintech is seen as a transformative tool in advancing environmental sustainability by improving financial service efficiency and offering new green investment platforms in E7 countries. This could help mitigate initial costs associated with green technology adoption.

Research on the Accounting and Spatial Effects of Emergy Ecological Footprint and Industrial Green GDP--The Case of Yangtze River Economic Belt

The booming development of industrial enterprises at the cost of ecological resource consumption has inevitably harmed the ecological environment, especially since the phenomenon of water resource pollution is more serious. Exploring the relationship between the ecological environment and the industrial economy is crucial to the green and sustainable development of the region. This study uses the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) to investigate the impact of emergy ecological footprint on the industrial green of gross domestic product (GDP) under the perspective of water resources, based on the panel data of 11 provinces in Chinas Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 2012 to 2021. The results show that first, the overall industrial green GDP of the YREB has increased year by year, and the effect of water resource protection is outstanding. Second, the emergy ecological footprint has a significant positive effect on industrial green GDP, and the spillover effect is also significant. Third, heterogeneity analysis shows that the spatial relationship between emergy ecological footprint and industrial green GDP is different in different regions, and the local effect and neighborhood effect of the high industrial green economic development areas are consistent with those of the YREB, while the relationship between the low industrial green economic development areas is not obvious. This paper is of great significance for the green development of industrial enterprises in the YREB and guides the formulation of sustainable development policies.

Assessing the Environmental Sustainability of UHPC in Modern Construction Practices

A comprehensive examination was undertaken to investigate various aspects related to the development and application of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC). The research explored eco-friendly approaches, such as incorporating supplementary cementitious materials and nanoparticles, optimizing binder systems, and assessing chemical activators. These modifications improved mechanical properties and reduced environmental impact, including embodied CO2 emissions. Additionally, the utilization of waste materials like CRT glass showed energy savings and reduced emissions. Studies focused on optimizing UHPC mix designs, emphasizing a balance between performance and environmental impact. Techniques like statistical mixture design methods and dynamic testing assessed UHPC's environmental and economic impacts, highlighting significant energy savings and reduced CO2 emissions with waste material recycling. Overall, the research contributes valuable insights into UHPC development and its ecological footprint in construction

Application of resource-environmental-economic perspective for optimal water and nitrogen rate under high-low seedbed cultivation in winter wheat

High-low seedbed cultivation (HLSC), a targeted agricultural method for increasing land utilization efficiency in North China Plain, has emerged as a key practice in enhancing sustainable agriculture, particularly in the context of the region’s unique ecological challenges and water scarcity. However, comprehensive analysis of resource-environment-economy for water and nitrogen strategy in HLSC-cultivated wheat was limited. A three-year field experiment with four nitrogen rates (360, 300, 240, and 180 kg ha−1, denoted as N1, N2, N3, and N4) and three irrigation quotas (120, 90, and 60 mm, referred to as W1, W2, and W3) was conducted to investigate effects of water and nitrogen rate on water productivity (WP), agronomic efficiency of nitrogen (AEN), energy use efficiency (EUE), carbon footprint (CF), water footprint (WF), nitrogen footprint (NF), and net benefits of HLSC-cultivated wheat. Results showed that the total energy output in moderate water and nitrogen input (i.e., N3W2) was 328.0×103 MJ ha−1, which was significantly increased by 31.8% compared with lower input (i.e., N4W3) but was decreased by 17.1% compared with higher input (i.e., N1W1). The total energy input, water consumption and grain yield in N3W2 was decreased by 22.3%, 14.4 and 4.1%, relative to N1W1, respectively, and increased by 18.2%, 20.8% and 42.2% relative to N4W3, respectively. This may lead to significant increase in EUE, WP, AEN and net income in N3W2. Furthermore, the CF, WF, and NF increased as the water and nitrogen input increased, whereas minimum CF, WF and NF per unit of yield was obtained N3/N4 or W1/W2 level. 240 kg N ha−1 coupled with 90–120 mm irrigation quota was recommended by TOPSIS for the HLSC-cultivated wheat to best trade-off resource use efficiencies, environmental footprints, and net benefits. Future studies are needed to further assess the scalability and adaptability of HLSC-cultivated wheat across different climatic zones and soil types.

The implications of the ecological footprint and renewable energy usage on the financial stability of South Asian countries

This study explores the complex relationships involving ecological footprints, energy use, carbon emissions, governance efficiency, economic prosperity, and financial stability in South Asian nations spanning the period from 2000 to 2022. Employing various methodologies such as cross-sectional dependence tests, co-integration analysis, and first- and second-generation unit-root tests, we use a panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag model, feasible generalized least squares, and Panel Corrected Standard Errors to ensure the robustness of our findings. We find noteworthy positive correlations between several variables, including heightened ecological consciousness, effective governance structures, increased GDP per capita, and amplified CO2 emissions. These relationships suggest potential pathways to strengthen the financial stability of the entire region; they also highlight the latent potential of embracing ecologically sustainable practices to fortify economic resilience. Our results also underscore the pivotal role of appropriate governance structures and higher income levels in bolstering financial stability in South Asian countries. Interestingly, we also find negative coefficients associated with the use of renewable energy, suggesting that escalating the adoption of renewable energy could create financial instability. This finding stresses the importance of diversification in energy strategies, cautioning policymakers to carefully consider the financial ramifications of potentially costly imports of renewable energy sources while seeking to reduce carbon emissions, emphasizing the need to strike a balance between ambitious sustainability goals and the pursuit of sustained economic robustness in the region. In considering the implications of these findings, it is crucial to consider each country’s broader socioeconomic context. Our results offer valuable insights for policymakers in developing renewable energy strategies.

Organic food has lower environmental impacts per area unit and similar climate impacts per mass unit compared to conventional

In recent years, interest in studying the climate and environmental impact of organic food has grown. Here, we compared the environmental impacts of organic and conventional food using data from 100 life cycle assessment studies. Most studies focused on climate impacts, with fewer addressing biodiversity loss and ecotoxicity. Findings revealed no significant differences in global warming, eutrophication potential, and energy use per mass unit. However, organic food showed lower global warming, eutrophication potential, and energy use per area unit, with higher land use. Additionally, organic farming showed lower potential for biodiversity loss and ecotoxicity. Challenges in life cycle assessment include evaluating biodiversity, toxicity, soil quality, and carbon changes. The choice of functional units influences results, highlighting the importance of considering multiple units in assessing organic food’s environmental footprint. This study emphasizes the necessity for comprehensive assessments at both product and diet levels to support informed decisions.

The role of financial inclusion, technology innovation, energy and environmental degradation in determining sustainable growth in Asia

AbstractSustainable growth is a top priority for all economies as they work towards creating a prosperous and resilient future for current and future generations. This study empirically explores the important role of financial inclusion (FI), energy consumption, technological (TECH) innovation and environmental degradation in the economic growth of 13 selected developing Asian countries from 2000 to 2021. The feasible generalized least squares method is used for empirical examinations due to the nature of the data. The study focuses on three dimensions of FI: penetration, usage and availability of financial institutions. The results show that FI, energy consumption and TECH innovation encourage economic growth, whereas ecological footprint discourages economic growth in selected Asian countries. The empirical findings highlight the importance of promoting sustainable growth in Asia through enhanced FI, TECH innovation, sustainable energy practices and environmental conservation. Governments in these countries should prioritize strengthening the financial sector, investing in research and development and implementing effective policies to ensure a clean and green environment. This will lead to inclusive and environmentally responsible development that benefits both current and future generations in the region.

Greening the BRICS: How Green Innovation Mitigates Ecological Footprints in Energy-Hungry Economies

The escalating energy consumption seen in the BRICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, presents a substantial environmental problem, resulting in the depletion of resources, amplified carbon emissions, and endangering the well-being of ecological systems. The study examines the potential of green innovation to alleviate these adverse effects. By combining green technology with strong institutions and responsible energy consumption, we argue that the BRICS nations can significantly reduce their ecological footprint. This research, encompassing data from 1995 to 2022, employs Driscoll–Kraay and panel quantile regression to analyze the complex interplay of institutional quality, energy consumption, green innovation, and ecological footprints across the BRICS countries. Our findings reveal that green innovation is crucial in mitigating the ecological footprint, particularly when combined with resilient institutional quality and controlled energy use. Conversely, factors like high energy consumption, natural resource rent, and urbanization contribute to an increased ecological footprint. Notably, the study emphasizes the critical role of both institutional quality and renewable energy consumption in effectively reducing the ecological burden within the BRICS nations. These findings suggest that prioritizing investments in green technology and institutional development, even amidst high energy demands, represents a viable strategy for the BRICS nations to achieve sustainable growth and environmental responsibility.

China’s ecological footprint via biomass import and consumption is increasing

As China’s economic and population demands grow, the need for biomass imports rises, presenting challenges for sustainable development and global ecosystem protection. Here we examine China’s increasing influence on global ecosystems through its biomass product consumption and trade using the Human Appropriation of Net Primary Productivity framework, analyzing data from 2004 to 2017 with projections until 2050. In 2017, China was the world’s largest biomass consumer, consuming approximately 1.75 petagrams of carbon per year, projected to rise by 317.6% by 2050, highlighting China’s major role in global ecosystem stress. Our findings also show an increase in biomass imports from lower-middle-income and low-income countries between 2004 and 2017, and these imports are expected to continue increasing by 402.9% in 2050. The analysis reveals that domestic product demand and changes in foreign production efficiency are key drivers of this trend, suggesting the need for China to shift towards more efficient trade practices and support cleaner production methods internationally.

Unlocking value: circular economy in ngos' food waste reduction efforts in Brazil and Togo

This article delves into the intriguing realm of food waste valorization conducted by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in two distinct locales—Brasilia, Brazil, and Lomé, Togo. The primary focus of this exploration is the lens of the Circular Economy (CE), a concept that emphasizes the sustainable utilization of resources within closed loops. The discourse is further enriched by introducing the notion of upcycling, a complementary force to the Circular Economy, particularly within the intricate web of food supply chains. The ReSOLVE framework, a strategic approach for managing food waste, is a guiding light in this research. Upon dissecting the outcomes, noteworthy limitations come to the forefront, shedding light on the challenges of aligning NGOs from both countries with the principles of the Circular Economy in their food waste management endeavors. These challenges assume heightened significance against the backdrop of the intricate global food security landscape, effectively underlining the intricacies of harmonizing the Circular Economy's ambitions with the pragmatic goal of diminishing food waste. The overarching objective of this study is to galvanize circular-oriented initiatives that can effectively curtail and prevent food wastage on a global scale, with a particular emphasis on developing nations. This pursuit is underscored by the triad of benefits such initiatives confer: economic advancement, social amelioration, and a positive ecological footprint. In an era where sustainability stands as a paramount concern, this research advocates for concerted efforts to harmonize the noble ideals of the Circular Economy with the pressing need for food waste reduction, especially within regions striving for holistic growth and development.

Assessing the ecological security of the Three Gorges reservoir complex ecosystem based on the improved three-dimensional emergy ecological footprint model

The ecological security (ES) of the reservoir complex ecosystem (RCE) is one of the critical components of watershed water security and sustainable development. Hence, accurately assessing the ES of the RCE is of utmost importance. This study proposed a novel ecological security assessment model based on the improved three-dimensional emergy ecological footprint (ESM-IEEF3D), which integrated various emergy flows during the RCE's construction and operation into a three-dimensional emergy ecological footprint (EEF3D) calculation account. The Three Gorges Project (TGP) is selected as a case study to evaluate the ES from 1993 to 2022 comprehensively. The results showed that the Three Gorges RCE mainly showed an ecological remainder state, and the inflow runoff enormously promoted the TGP's sustainability. The EEF3D indicated a fluctuation decrease trend with a mean value of 7.18 × 102 ha, illustrating that TGP's ecological security and sustainability levels are gradually improving. Regarding the ES evaluation indicators, the TGP's resource dependency and ecological pressure on the natural ecosystem and the external socio-economic system are steadily relieved. Furthermore, the Three Gorges RCE's resource utilization condition is safe, the structural characteristics are healthy, and the eco-economic coordination degree is continuously enlightening. Finally, applicable policy implications for improving the ecological security of Three Gorges RCE were provided. This study helps to understand the complex relationship between humans and ecosystems. It provides a novel framework to be used as an evaluation index and policy insights for hydropower ecological security and sustainable development.

Advanced and sustainable manufacturing methods of polymer-based membranes for gas separation: a review

The fabrication of membranes for gas separation presents challenges that hinder their deployment as a truly sustainable technology. This review systematically explores the evolution and advancements in materials and manufacturing methods of polymer-based membranes, with a keen emphasis on sustainability and efficiency. The review delineates a broad spectrum of manufacturing techniques, ranging from traditional methods to cutting-edge approaches such as layer-by-layer assembly, and green synthesis, highlighting their implications for environmental sustainability, performance enhancement, scalability, and economic viability. Key findings indicate a significant shift towards greener solvents, bio-based polymers and processes that reduce waste and costs. Critical analysis uncovers a growing focus on understanding the life cycle of membranes and developing strategies for end-of-life such as recycling and the use of biodegradable materials, underscoring the commitment of the community to minimizing environmental footprints.

Digital Light Processing Route for 3D Printing of Acrylate-Modified PLA/Lignin Blends: Microstructure and Mechanical Performance

In this study, digital light processing (DLP) was utilized to generate 3D-printed blends composed of photosensitive acrylate-modified polylactic acid (PLA) resin mixed with varying weight ratios of lignin extracted from softwood, typically ranging from 5 wt% to 30 wt%. The microstructure of these 3D-printed blends was examined through X-ray microtomography. Additionally, the tensile mechanical properties of all blends were assessed in relation to the weight ratio and post-curing treatment. The results suggest that post-curing significantly influences the tensile properties of the 3D-printed composites, especially in modulating the brittleness of the prints. Furthermore, an optimal weight ratio was identified to be around 5 wt%, beyond which UV light photopolymerization experiences compromises. These findings regarding acrylate-modified PLA/lignin blends offer a cost-effective alternative for producing 3D-printed bio-sourced components, maintaining technical performance in reasonable-cost, low-temperature 3D printing, and with a low environmental footprint.

Exploring Carbon Disclosure Research for Future Research Agenda: A Bibliometric Analysis

Globally, people are becoming more interested in the issue of climate change, particularly as it relates to carbon emissions. Stakeholders are putting pressure on firms to disclose more details about their ecological footprints and greenhouse gas emissions. Finding authors, publications, journals, and discoveries in the literature on emission carbon disclosure is the aim of this endeavor. To do this, we employ a review methodology that makes use of the bibliometric study technique to pinpoint a few pertinent elements found in the literature. Utilizing tools such as VOSviewer and biblioshiny from RStudio, we examine output by year, authors, articles, and publications that have received more citations. We outline the key developments in the field of carbon disclosure together with the most widely applied ideas. Furthermore, we formulate the notion of carbon disclosure as suggested by Borghei (2021), concentrating on six domains and primary patterns within the field: Provide answers to the following questions: strategic climate, carbon disclosure determinants, carbon disclosure guarantee, quality of carbon disclosure, and carbon disclosure consequences. The incorporation of sustainability dimensions into the reporting system has replaced the evaluation techniques of the disclosures as the research issue. It is discovered that a number of factors influence the corporation's choice to release its environmental accounting information. Based on its findings and analysis of current research trends and themes, this study offers suggestions for further investigation.

Renewable energy and sustainable development goals: Insights from latent dirichlet allocation thematic and bibliometric analysis

AbstractThis research conducts a comprehensive analysis of the intricate relationship between renewable energy and the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Employing diverse methodologies including latent dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling, bibliometrics, citation analysis, and regression modeling, the study explores the evolving landscape of renewable energy research and its implications for SDGs. The analysis identifies a pronounced scholarly interest in renewable energy, reflected in the escalating publication volumes and citations across environmental sciences, green technology, and energy studies. Through meticulous examination, it uncovers interconnected research themes; encompassing policy uncertainty, Environmental Kuznets Curve, and ecological footprint, elucidating the multifaceted impact of renewable energy on the SDGs. Geographical distributions underscore diverse regional focuses, emphasizing the need for nuanced, context‐specific approaches. Regression analysis highlights influential factors like carbon dioxide emissions and gross domestic product (GDP) growth, delineating their pivotal roles in shaping scholarly attention toward renewable energy research. Furthermore, the study delves into the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of renewable energy's influence. It reveals its contributions to employment generation, sustainable production, energy access, and infrastructure development while navigating challenges related to climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. This comprehensive investigation offers crucial insights into the complex interplay between renewable energy and the SDGs. It predicts future research directions and highlights the urgency for interdisciplinary collaboration, international cooperation, and policy innovations to harness renewable energy's transformative potential for global sustainable development.

The Impact of Fossil Fuel Energy, Technological Innovation and Globalization on Tourism Inflows of Top Ten Most Visited Countries

Increased uses of fossil fuel consumption, globalization, and tourism activities have significant adverse effects on the sustainability of our ecosystem. The present study takes into account the top 10 most visited nations by tourists to examine the impact of fossil fuel energy consumption, technological innovation, foreign direct investment (FDI), economic growth, and globalization on tourism inflows from 2008 to 2022.. Choice of appropriate technique for empirical testing is based on the PP-Fisher, ADF Fisher, IPS, and LLC unit root tests. Due to mixed order of integration of variables, the Panel ARDL is more reliable for econometric investigation. The findings of Panel ARDL reveal that the most significant contributing factors towards growth in tourism are technological innovation, the globalization index, growth in gross domestic product, and use of fossil fuels as an energy source. These results imply that advancements in technology, increased globalization trends, and economic growth are facilitating the growth in tourism activities. Likewise, non-renewable energy consumption is significantly linked to tourism growth in these countries which exhibits that these governments are relying upon fossil fuel consumption to meet the energy demand for tourism activities and to fuel economic growth. Though, FDI is having a detrimental effect on tourism inflows in the top 10 most frequently visited nations. This outcome entails that expanded industrialization and economic footprint negatively influence the ecological environment which adversely affects tourism inflows. The policy implications of this research assert that the development of clean and renewable energy technologies is essential for the promotion of sustainable economic growth, promote eco-tourism in these countries. Similarly, smart manufacturing and environment friendly production can alleviate the negative effects of ecological footprint on tourism inflows.

Geopolymer-Based Materials for the Removal of Ibuprofen: A Preliminary Study

Every year, new compounds contained in consumer products, such as detergents, paints, products for personal hygiene, and drugs for human and veterinary use, are identified in wastewater and are added to the list of molecules that need monitoring. These compounds are indicated with the term emerging contaminants (or Contaminants of Emerging Concern, CECs) since they are potentially dangerous for the environment and human health. To date, among the most widely used methodologies for the removal of CECs from the aquatic environment, adsorption processes play a role of primary importance, as they have proven to be characterized by high removal efficiency, low operating and management costs, and an absence of undesirable by-products. In this paper, the adsorption of ibuprofen (IBU), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug widely used for treating inflammation or pain, was performed for the first time using two different types of geopolymer-based materials, i.e., a metakaolin-based (GMK) and an organic–inorganic hybrid (GMK-S) geopolymer. The proposed adsorbing matrices are characterized by a low environmental footprint and have been easily obtained as powders or as highly porous filters by direct foaming operated directly into the adsorption column. Preliminary results demonstrated that these materials can be effectively used for the removal of ibuprofen from contaminated water (showing a concentration decrease of IBU up to about 29% in batch, while an IBU removal percentage of about 90% has been reached in continuous), thus suggesting their potential practical application.

Assessing the influence of research and development, environmental policies, and green technology on ecological footprint for achieving environmental sustainability

Recently, there has been rising global concern regarding the importance of achieving environmental sustainability. Consequently, researchers and policymakers have focused on identifying and evaluating the various elements that contribute to an individual's ecological footprint and environmental consequences. Therefore, this study provides an in-depth understanding of the roles of green technology, research and development (R&D), and environmental policies that help attain environmental sustainability in Ghana. The present study utilized both the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) techniques to evaluate the long and short-run relationships between explanatory variables from 1990 to 2022. The study compares the results of NARDL and ARDL techniques. The findings reveal that the NARDL (0.999) analysis had a greater impact on the ecological footprint in Ghana than the ARDL (0.996) analysis. Under the ARDL technique, green technology has a negative impact on ECF in both the short and long run, and R&D also decreases ecological footprint (ECF) in the long run. Environmental policies had a negative impact on ECF in both the short and long run. Based on the NARDL approach, an adverse change in GT had a negative impact (0.004) on the ECF in both the short and long run. In contrast, a negative change in R&D has a negative impact (0.007) on the ECF in the short run, and a positive change in R&D negatively affects the ecological footprint in the long run. Notably, a positive change in environmental policies had a significant negative impact (0.040) on the ECF in the short and long run. This study suggests that policymakers should encourage and support the adoption and application of green technology and the development of robust environmental policies, as these measures can significantly contribute to decreasing the ecological footprint and fostering environmental sustainability.

The impact of food production on ecological footprint in Turkey: an analysis across agriculture, livestock, and aquaculture

AbstractThe ecological footprint (ECF), which has been frequently examined recently, offers a comprehensive analysis of the environment and has started to be used in Turkey. However, although it is a significant area of study in the world, food production, that raise the ECF the most, has not been the subject of much research in Turkey. In the present analysis, food production’s impacts on the ECF in Turkey are analyzed with yearly statistics for the period 1961–2018. Within the frame of this analysis, both food production as a whole and agriculture, livestock, and aquaculture production, which are the components of food, were analyzed individually. In this context, four different models were constructed, and the Autoregressive Distributed Lag method was used to analyze. According to the outcomes of the analysis, food, agriculture, and livestock production raise the ECF while aquaculture production diminishes. The largest coefficient among the three sub-sectors belongs to the agriculture sector. In addition, while the use of fertilizers, agricultural land, GDP, population, and life expectancy at birth increases the ECF, the age dependency ratio decreases, and the effect of rural population differs in the models.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF COVID-19 HOSPITALS AND ARCHITECTURAL REMEDIES

Pandemics, with their potential for widespread devastation and global impact, have historically been a critical concern for public health and society. the historical impact of pandemics on the environment underscores the interconnectedness of human lives and health, societal systems, and the environment, highlighting the need for holistic approaches to public health and environmental management. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant changes in healthcare facilities worldwide, particularly in hospitals designated for COVID-19 patients to counter and serve the impact on humans which universally led to the rapid establishment of specialized hospitals to manage the surge in patients. However, such hospitals not only posed significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide but also highlighted the need for sustainable practices in designing and operating healthcare facilities along with their significant environmental impacts. In response to these challenges, architects, designers, and healthcare professionals have explored innovative architectural and other remedies to mitigate the environmental impacts of COVID-19 hospitals. This paper explores these potential environmental impacts and proposes architectural planning strategies that include sustainable practices and green design principles through which, by implementing, COVID-19 hospitals or similar hospitals can minimize their environmental footprint and contribute not only to a more sustainable healthcare system but also create healthier and more sustainable environments for patients, healthcare workers, and the community at large. KEYWORDS: Hospital Environmental Impact, Hospital Environment Relation, COVID-19 Hospital Impact on Environment, COVID-19 Hospital Impact, Environmental Impact of Pandemics, Pandemic Hospital Impact on Environment