Environmental Protection Regulations Research Articles

A cost-benefit analysis of fuel-switching vs. use MGO: A CHINA-Europe container route case

With the increasingly strict environmental regulations, the relationship between supply and demand of ships in the post-epidemic era is tense, and ship operators are under tremendous pressure. In view of the existing strict sulfur emission reduction regulations and ship freight operating at high levels in the post-epidemic era, ship operators must choose cost-effective compliance options to create better environmental benefits. This study uses a cost-effective framework to analyze ship operations Supplier’s fuel switch and marine natural gasoline compliance options, and apply these options to specific liner routes through China’s SECA. We selected an international freight liner as the research object, and calculated the net present value of the compliance option in consideration of the fuel cost of the ship, the installation and operation and maintenance costs of the compliance option. The study mainly considered the influence of the navigation distance in the emission control area on the proportion of the total navigation distance, and also considered the fuel price difference that has a greater impact on ship operating costs. Our results show that in the post-epidemic era, in accordance with the requirements of environmental protection regulations, considering the ratio of SECA and the price difference between MGO and high-sulfur fuels, the use of fuel conversion is a necessary option. We also calculated the emissions of ships, and the results show that with the expansion of the emission control area, the use of MGO can achieve better emission reduction effects. Our results show that in the post-epidemic era, Considering the ratio of SECA and the price difference between low-sulfur and high-sulfur fuels, fuel conversion is the best option. We also calculated the emissions of ships, and the results show that with the expansion of the emission control area, the use of MGO oil can achieve better emission reduction effects.

Environmental Protection Regulations in the Light of Public Law and Social Obligations

Environmental regulation is one of the most important subsets of social regulation. Regulation is a framework for implementing the rules adopted in society, and legal standards guarantee this framework. Thus, if the legislation prohibits the dumping of waste on public waterways and imposes a penalty for its violation, this prohibition can be interpreted as an expression of society's public commitment to environmental protection and public condemnation of polluting behaviors. On the other hand, it can be said that the destruction of the environment is morally wrong, and therefore the legal prohibition of these behaviors can be interpreted as an expression of this moral claim. This research is based on library studies and descriptive-analytical methods and has an innovative approach. The purpose of this study is to explain the role of law as a facilitator of the executive structure of environmental regulation inappropriate conditions in line with social interaction. It also seeks to explain the importance of regulation and regulation. Regulation is one of the most important social standards and guarantees the strong implementation of legal obligations in society. This fundamental standard has been established in public law and seems to be an important approach to protecting the environment and citizens' adherence to environmental obligations.

Prospects for the introduction of the ecological court in Ukraine

Effective legal regulation of environmental protection and protection of environmental relations in modern conditions is a necessary condition for the successful development of human society. Given the specifics of existing environmental problems, the article is devoted to the coverage of various forms and models of specialized environmental courts operating in different countries. The scientific opinions on the organization of activity of ecological courts are covered, the normative-legal acts regulating ecological legal relations are analyzed. The conclusion on prospects of introduction of ecological court in Ukraine is made. To this end, it is necessary to reform the legislation on the judiciary, update procedural legislation to ensure a harmonious combination of private and public interests in the field of environmental relations. Keywords: environmental protection, ecological legal relations, organization, activity, ecological court

Nitrogen and phosphorus trajectories (1998–2030) under regional development strategy of mainland China

A good understanding of the nutrient cycle under a regional development strategy is crucial for nutrient management decision-making. Quantitatively assessment of nutrient flow under the regional coordinated development strategy in mainland China can provide scientific reference for achieving global high-quality coordinated economic and agricultural development. In this study, the characteristics of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) flows of agricultural systems in mainland China from 1998 to 2030 were quantified using nutrient flows in food chain environment and resource (NUFER) model. The results revealed that national N and P surplus intensity were 50.3 and 18.6 kg·hm−2 in 2018, respectively, and there is still space for soil nutrient retention. The national input and output of N and P showed a continuous upward trend over the last two decades. Chemical fertilizer application and livestock rearing are the key points for nutrient management in China's agricultural systems. Under the regional development strategy, considerable geographical variation in N and P surplus intensity was observed across the country. From 1998 to 2013, the regional distribution of N and P surplus intensity was in accordance with regional economic characteristics. Areas with higher N and P surplus intensities were mainly in the eastern and central regions. From 2014 to 2018, equal emphasis on ecology and economy in the Yangtze River Economic Belt allowed development without aggravating the deterioration of the N and P surplus in the region. Over the next 10 years, our simulation predicts that future nutrient footprints tend to decrease, and coordinated governance of regional development and agricultural environment protection are the key to regional sustainable development.

Prospects for the introduction of the ecological court in Ukraine

Effective legal regulation of environmental protection and protection of environmental relations in modern conditions is a necessary condition for the successful development of human society. Given the specifics of existing environmental problems, the article is devoted to the coverage of various forms and models of specialized environmental courts operating in different countries. The scientific opinions on the organization of activity of ecological courts are covered, the normative-legal acts regulating ecological legal relations are analyzed. The conclusion on prospects of introduction of ecological court in Ukraine is made. To this end, it is necessary to reform the legislation on the judiciary, update procedural legislation to ensure a harmonious combination of private and public interests in the field of environmental relations.

Recent advances in performances and mechanisms of cerium-based oxide catalysts for catalytic combustion of soot particles released from diesel engines

<p indent=0mm>With the increasingly strict environmental protection regulations and the improvement of people’s awareness of environmental protection, the serious environmental pollution caused by soot particles from diesel vehicle exhaust has attracted people’s attention. Catalytic purification technology is one of the most effective ways to eliminate soot particles and the research and development of highly effective catalysts is one of the key factors for determining the application of this technology. In recent years, cerium-based oxide catalysts have been widely used for catalytic combustion of diesel soot particles due to their excellent oxidation-reduction performance, suitable surface acidity, and high oxygen storage/release capacity. The researches focusing on highly active essence of the cerium-based oxide catalysts in soot combustion are helpful to understand the fundamental theories of catalytic processes of soot combustion and provide scientific guidances for the optimization of existing catalysts and design of new-type catalysts. In this review, the recent research progress of cerium-based oxide catalysts for diesel soot combustion is summarized, including single cerium oxide catalyst and cerium-based oxide catalysts modified by rare earth metals, transition metals, noble metals and alkali (alkaline earth) metals. Meanwhile, the reaction mechanisms of above-mentioned catalysts are also summarized. Finally, the problems and development directions of cerium-based oxide catalysts for soot combustion are proposed and prospected.

Assessing Matching Characteristics and Spatial Differences between Supply and Demand of Ecosystem Services: A Case Study in Hangzhou, China

Ecosystem services (ESs) is a term used to describe the foundations of the well-being of human society, and several relevant studies have been carried out in this area. However, given the fact that the complex trade-offs/synergy relationships of ESs are a challenging area, studies on matching mechanisms for ES supply and demand are still rare. In this study, using the InVEST model, ArcGIS, and other professional tools, we first mapped and quantitatively evaluated the supply and demand of five ES types (water yield, soil conservation, carbon retention, food supply, and leisure and entertainment) in Hangzhou, China, based on land use, meteorology, soil, and socio-economic data. Then, we analyzed the matching characteristics between the supply and demand of these ESs and analyzed the complex trade-offs and synergy between the supply and demand of ESs and factors affecting ESs. The results of this analysis indicate that although the ES supply and demand of carbon retention tended to be out of balance (supply was less than demand), the supply and demand of the other four ES types (i.e., water yield, soil conservation, food supply, and leisure and entertainment) were in balance (supply exceeded demand). Finally, the spatial heterogeneity of the supply and demand of ESs in Hangzhou was significant, especially in urban areas in the northeast and mountainous areas in the southwest. The supply of ESs was based on trade-offs, whereas the demand of ESs was based on synergy. Our results further show that the supply and demand of ESs in the urban area in Hangzhou were out of balance, whereas the supply and demand of ESs in the western region were coordinated. Therefore, the linkage of ES flows between this urban area and the western region should be strengthened. This innovative study could provide useful information for regional land use planning and environmental protection.

Impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown on air pollution at regional and urban background sites in northern Italy

Abstract. The COVID-19 lockdown measures gradually implemented in Lombardy (northern Italy) from 23 February 2020 led to a downturn in several economic sectors with possible impacts on air quality. Several communications claimed in the first weeks of March 2020 that the mitigation in air pollution observed at that time was actually related to these lockdown measures without considering that seasonal variations in emissions and meteorology also influence air quality. To determine the specific impact of lockdown measures on air quality in northern Italy, we compared observations from the European Commission Atmospheric Observatory of Ispra (regional background) and from the regional environmental protection agency (ARPA) air monitoring stations in the Milan conurbation (urban background) with expected values for these observations using two different approaches. On the one hand, intensive aerosol variables determined from specific aerosol characterisation observations performed in Ispra were compared to their 3-year averages. On the other hand, ground-level measured concentrations of atmospheric pollutants (NO2, PM10, O3, NO, SO2) were compared to expected concentrations derived from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service Regional (CAMS) ensemble model forecasts, which did not account for lockdown measures. From these comparisons, we show that NO2 concentrations decreased as a consequence of the lockdown by −30 % and −40 % on average at the urban and regional background sites, respectively. Unlike NO2, PM10 concentrations were not significantly affected by lockdown measures. This could be due to any decreases in PM10 (and PM10 precursors) emissions from traffic being compensated for by increases in emissions from domestic heating and/or from changes in the secondary aerosol formation regime resulting from the lockdown measures. The implementation of the lockdown measures also led to an increase in the highest O3 concentrations at both the urban and regional background sites resulting from reduced titration of O3 by NO. The relaxation of the lockdown measures beginning in May resulted in close-to-expected NO2 concentrations in the urban background and to significant increases in PM10 in comparison to expected concentrations at both regional and urban background sites.

Spatiotemporal Changes of Ecosystem Service Value Determined by National Land Space Pattern Change: A Case Study of Fengdu County in The Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China.

Exploring the spatiotemporal change characteristics of ecosystem service value (ESV) under the influence of national land space pattern (NLSP) changes is of great significance for promoting the rational use of land resources and the optimization of ecosystems. In this study, Fengdu County in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area was selected as a case study. We analyzed the changes in NLSP using land use data from 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2018. Then, we used the equivalent factor method and exploratory spatial data analysis method to explore the spatiotemporal change characteristics of the ESV of Fengdu County. The results show that: (1) From 1990 to 2018, the changes in NLSP in Fengdu County generally manifested in the transformation of agricultural space into urban space and ecological space; (2) The spatiotemporal change of ESV is a process that positively responds to the increase in ecological space and negatively responds to the expansion of urban space. From 1990 to 2018, the total ESV of Fengdu County showed a trend of continuous growth, with a total increase of CNY 11.10 × 108, and the change rate was 9.33%. The ESV gain area is mainly located along the Yangtze River and the southernmost part of the county, and the loss area is mainly located near the south bank of the Yangtze River; (3) ESV and its changes in Fengdu County have a significant positive spatial autocorrelation. The cold and hot spots of ESV change are mainly distributed along the Yangtze River and to the south of the Yangtze River. Therefore, it is suggested to integrate ESV as an important indicator into the decision-making of national land space planning. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the intensive use of urban space and protect the important ecological space from decreasing. Our study results provide useful insights for the development of regional NLS management and environmental protection policies. However, it is worth noting that the results of this paper are more applicable to areas where the terrain is dominated by mountains.

Why Is Green Hotel Certification Unpopular in Taiwan? An Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) Approach

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that discouraged Taiwan hoteliers from applying for green hotel certification. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method was used to perform a weighted analysis that comprehensively identified important hindering factors based on information from hotel industry, government, academic, and consumer representatives. Overall, in order of importance, the five dimensions of hindering factors identified by these experts and scholars were hotel internal environment, consumers’ environmental protection awareness, environmental protection incentive policy, hotel laws and regulations policy, and hotel external environment. Among the 26 examined hindering factor indices, the three highest-weighted indices overall for hoteliers applying for green hotel certification were as follows: environmental protection is not the main consideration of consumers seeking accommodations, lack of support by investment owners (shareholders), and lack of relevant subsidy incentives. The major contribution of this study is that hoteliers can understand important hindering factors associated with applying for green hotel certification; therefore, strategies that can encourage or enhance the green certification of hotels can be proposed to improve corporate image in the hotel industry, implement social responsibility in this industry, and obtain consumers’ approval of and accommodation-willingness for green hotels.

Correlation between international and national law rules in the Russian Federation concerning to environmental protection of the Caspian Sea

The adoption of the 2018 Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea is of great importance for the protection of the Caspian environment, as it establishes a clear legal status of the Caspian Sea. At the same time, the provisions of the Convention of 2018 and the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea of 2003 (Tehran Convention) require further addition, primarily in the form of additional protocols to the Tehran Convention. In addition, the development of international legal norms should facilitate the harmonization of applicable national legislation in the Caspian States. To study the relationship between international legal norms on environmental protection of the Caspian Sea and Russian national legislation and the possibility of supplementing the international legal regime with domestic norms. Methods: methods of analysis and synthesis, empirical methods of comparison, description, interpretation; legal-dogmatic and method of interpretation of legal norms. Results: The author shows that while the provisions of the Tehran Convention, its protocols and the applicable legal acts of the Russian Federation generally comply, the national legislation establishes more detailed approaches to environmental protection of the Caspian region in certain aspects. In conclusion, the legislation of the Russian Federation may help to fill a number of gaps in regional international legal regulation of the Caspian environmental protection. In particular, it is relevant in terms of legal protection from oil spill damage, as well as in the area of river runoff regulation (within the context of the basin approach to the management of the Caspian Sea resources).

Международно-правовые принципы охраны окружающей среды в применении к формированию международной природоохранной организации Каспийского моря

Introduction: in the paper, the author aims to analyze the content and legal significance of the international legal principles of environmental protection in the context of the prospects for the formation of an international environmental organization in the Caspian region. The author focuses on the principles that have already been enshrined in the international legal treaties concluded by the Caspian Sea States: the precautionary approach, the “polluter pays” principle, the principle of accessibility of information on marine pollution, and the principle of the ecosystem approach. Methods: the methodological framework for the study is the methods of analysis and synthesis, the empirical methods of comparison, interpretation, as well as such specific scientific methods as the legaldogmatic method and the method of interpretation of legal norms. Results: the results of the study show that the development of the regional environmental protection institutions in the Caspian region should take into account the international legal principles of environmental protection. In particular, based on the analysis of the abovementioned international legal principles, the author justifies the need to give a possible regional interstate environmental organization the functions of monitoring, tracking the causes of harm, the function of a center for collecting, processing and distributing information, as well as coordinating the activities of all existing international and national structures to improve the efficiency of their cooperation. Discussion and conclusions: the development of the regional environmental institutions is impossible without taking into account the international legal principles enshrined in the regional international treaties. The author concludes that it is necessary to apply the content of such principles in the formation of a regional interstate environmental organization.

From paper institutions to bureaucratic autonomy: Institutional change as a resource curse remedy

Abstract Over the last three decades, drawn by international influence and local discontent, mineral-dependent Peru has progressed in the acquisition of environmental protection regulations and policies for its mining industry. However, for regulations and policy announcements to matter, in face of power asymmetries and economic dependence, there must be bureaucratic autonomy. The cases of Hualgayoc and Pasco, scenarios of long and distinct processes of environmental damage and contention regarding mining in the Peruvian Andes, show fairly limited progress in environmental protection. This study on institutional change begins at the 1990s domestic-neoliberalism-meets-global-environmentalism juncture. The triumphant policy ideology of liberal boosting of the economy structured newborn environmental functions of the state for its mining industry. We show that pressures from above —the greened international political economy— and below —grassroots activism and protest— are contextual conditions enabling formal institutional change: they compel a resource-dependent developing country to carry out institutional reform to protect the environment from extractive industries. However, accretion of formal rules does not bring on their own bureaucratic autonomy for environmental protection.

Net anthropogenic nitrogen and phosphorus inputs in the Yangtze River economic belt: spatiotemporal dynamics, attribution analysis, and diversity management

Excess production of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) by human activities poses a severe threat to water quality. Therefore, quantitative evaluations of regional nutrient inputs and contributions from the main driving factors are necessary. This study aims to identify the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the net anthropogenic N and P inputs (NANI and NAPI) in China’s Yangtze River economic belt and explore the environmental effects, influencing factors, and diversity management through the NANI and NAPI model and statistical models. The results reveal that (1) NANI and NAPI first increase and then decrease during 2000–2017, with average values of 7,292 kg N km−2 yr−1 and 2,306 kg P km−2 yr−1, respectively; (2) the spatial variation of NANI and NAPI exhibits a decreasing trend from east to west and north to south, which is strongly related to the distribution of urban agglomerations and land-use patterns; (3) the higher net anthropogenic inputs of N and P are associated with the higher N and P concentrations in rivers and lakes, which show the spatial pattern of a banded distribution and local concentration; and (4) changes in economic factors contribute the most to the changes in NANI and NAPI, with average contributions of 74.1% and 74.3%, respectively, followed by land-use factors, with average values of 19.5% and 19.3%, respectively; social factors are less impactful to changes in NANI and NAPI (6.4% for each). Based on results, a nutrient diversity management mechanism was constructed, which provides a scientific reference for regional environmental protection and policy formulation.

Solving a new robust reverse job shop scheduling problem by meta-heuristic algorithms

The growing concerns of companies to economic savings, optimal utilization of resources, and increased environmental protection regulations prompt the manufacturers to be more focused on the recycling of the products that are at the end of their useful life. This study considers a job shop scheduling problem with reverse flows under uncertainty. Since the main parameter of the model (i.e., the processing time of operations) is tainted with a great degree of uncertainty in real-world applications, a robust programming approach is utilized. This paper proposes a computationally efficient model. Due to the complexity and difficulty of solving the presented model, an exact solution method for small-sized instances and simulated annealing (SA) and discrete harmony search (DHS) algorithms for medium- and large-sized instances are proposed. The model performance is evaluated by comparing the computational results with the literature. Furthermore, the performance of the proposed meta-heuristic algorithms is evaluated by comparing the resulted solutions with the exact method for small-sized instances and with three other meta-heuristics algorithms, such as discrete particle swarm optimization (DPSO) and invasive weed optimization (DIWO), and iterated greedy (IG) algorithms, for medium- and large-sized instances. The satisfying results show that the presented model and proposed algorithms ensure good quality solutions within a reasonable time for all test problems and the SA algorithm outperforms the DIWO, DPSO, DHS, and IG algorithms in most cases.

A procedure to assess the environmental, social and economic benefits wasted in the paper and cardboard fraction of the unsorted residual waste

The main aim of this study was to define a procedure useful to evaluate the potential environmental, social and economic benefits contained in paper and cardboard (or other recyclables), which are wasted in the unsorted fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW). To give a practical example, the procedure was applied to the 550 municipalities of the Campania region, in Southern Italy, but the developed procedure is applicable in any context in an ‘urban mining’ perspective. The procedure consists of five phases and uses two methodologies: one for the estimation of the composition analysis of the unsorted residual waste and another for the calculation of sustainability indicators able to measure the benefits wasted in the unsorted residual MSW. Six indicators were defined: two for the environment (carbon footprint and ecological footprint), two for the society (health footprint and occupational benefits) and two for the economy (economic profit and economic saving). The first methodology was developed by the regional environmental protection agency to update the MSW regional management plan. The second methodology is based on the use of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) through which it was possible to calculate the reference parameters useful for the calculation of the impacts (i.e., loss of benefits) for recycling, mechanical and biological treatment (MBT), incineration and landfilling of paper and cardboard contained in the unsorted residual waste. The obtained results confirmed the presence of such an enormous deposit of recyclable materials contained in the unsorted residual waste, which is a potential source, but not exploited, of environmental, social and economic benefits. For instance, the paper and cardboard ‘urban mine’ of Naples was greater than 16 million of euro (economic profit + economic saving), with a potential saving of around 11.4 million of kgCO2eq. (carbon footprint), 207 million of m2 (ecological footprint), 44 Disability Adjusted Life Years (health footprint), with a creation of 30 job positions in the waste management sector (occupational benefits).

A Thirty-Year Record of PTE Pollution in Mangrove Sediments: Implications for Human Activities in Two Major Chinese Metropolises, Shenzhen and Hong Kong

Sediment cores from four mangroves in two Chinese metropolises, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, were studied to determine historic trends in regional pollution with potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Physicochemical properties, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb contents, and their enrichment factors were determined. Correlation analyses and principle component analyses were conducted to investigate natural influences on PTE distribution, while comparisons between PTE trends and industrial activities in the individual regions were conducted to understand anthropogenic influences over the last thirty years in Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Results indicate that grain size composition and organic matter are the main natural factors affecting PTE distribution laterally and vertically. The relationship between PTE pollution and economic development supports the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis. For example, higher PTE levels in developed regions such as the mangroves of Fu Tian and Mai Po are consistent with an early stage of the EKC, where the environment deteriorates due to increased industrial activity. However, sites where PTE levels have decreased in recent years reflect later stages of the EKC, where environmental quality has improved despite continued economic growth. These insights should allow the development of better policies and regulations for environmental protection and sustainable development of coastal cities.

Land suitability assessment for supporting transport planning based on carrying capacity and construction demand.

With the rapid global urbanization, the unlimited increasing transportation infrastructure has met the needs of urban expansion, but it has caused a series of ecological problems lacking consideration of ecological conservation. The land suitability assessment for supporting transport planning based on carrying capacity and demand for construction is an effective way to promote urban socioeconomic development and ecological conservation. Therefore, we constructed a logical framework of resources and environment supporting, traffic construction demand driving, and ecological protection red line and basic farmland constraining, and applied the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), GIS, three-dimensional magic cube method, and gravity model to evaluate the suitability of expressway development in Sichuan Province, China. The results showed that the spatial difference in the carrying capacity of resources and environment and the demand for expressway construction was relatively high in Sichuan, and those in eastern cities were even higher. The land suitability for supporting transport planning was relatively high, and the suitable areas with a grade from 8 to 10, accounted for 20.77% of the total study area, which could almost meet the demand for transportation infrastructure construction. The land suitability performed a circle structure with Chengdu as the core and gradually decreasing to the periphery. Overall, this study adds new insights to transport planning reform in other similar regions around the world and can provide important references for regional development planning and environmental protection.

Research on the Regional Environmental Protection and Imbalance of Economic Development in Qinghai Province

Due to differences in economic foundation, natural and geographical environment, and other factors, the regional economic development of Qinghai Province is unbalanced, and regional environmental protection is problematic. This paper uses the location entropy method and the coupling coordination model to evaluate the economic development and environmental protection of eight regions in Qinghai Province. Finally, combining the characteristics of economic development and natural environment in the main areas of Qinghai Province, corresponding countermeasures and suggestions are put forward.

Beam loss monitoring with unfolding techniques

Since the first particle accelerator’s construction in 1931, an exponential spread of these machines occurred worldwide, in different kinds of applications. Nowadays, these are mainly used for industrial (60%) and medical (35%) purposes and for scientific research (5%). High energy secondary mixed fields produced by the particle beams interaction with matter imply a complex environmental dosimetry and special radiation protection regulations able to guarantee workers and population safety. In the medical field, this aspect is particularly emphasized in hadrontherapy centres, where high energy charged particles such as protons and carbon ions modify environmental doses, with a significant increase in the neutron contribution. This work proposes a technique to identify points of losses of the primary particle beam around an acceleration ring and has been developed within the radiation protection section at the National Centre for Oncological Hadrontherapy situated in Pavia. In the first part, the radiation field produced by protons and carbon ions interactions with structural materials at different energies was investigated. The main instrument of analysis is the Monte Carlo code for particle transport FLUKA, supported by experimental measurements in the treatment room carried out with the rem counter LUPIN, designed for pulsed neutron fields dosimetry. This first step allowed an analysis of both the angular and energetic instrumental response and a comparison of experimental results with simulations. The second part proposes a description of the technique for beam loss positions reconstruction around the acceleration ring at CNAO based on the application of unfolding codes.