Environmental Assessment Studies Research Articles

Environmental risk assessment and comprehensive index model of disaster loss for COVID-19 transmission.

This paper focuses on the study of environmental risk assessment and comprehensive index model of disaster loss for COVID-19 transmission. Considering the five environmental vectors of carrier vulnerability, environmental instability of pregnancy and disaster, intensity of disaster-causing factors, disaster prevention and mitigation capacity and emergency prevention and control capacity and its 38 indicators, the correlation coefficient matrix and principal component expressions of each vector are established by principal component analysis, respectively, and the index model of each vector is established on the basis. Then, considering the index models of these five vectors, we established the disaster loss composite index model, which was used to conduct environmental risk assessment and disaster loss composite index analysis of the transmission of COVID-19 in Hubei Province during the period of January 21, 2020 to March 18, 2020. The empirical study showed that: (1) the risk index peaked from January 21 to January 23; (2) the risk index was at a low but volatile level from January 24 to March 14; (3) the risk index rose again slightly from March 15 and rose to another peak on March 16. These fluctuating, smooth and fluctuating processes of the comprehensive index of disaster losses of COVID-19 in Hubei Province are basically stable and consistent with the actual situation of the virus outbreak in the early stage, isolation and prevention and control in the middle stage, and resumption of work and production in the late stage. The study in this paper provides a scientific decision-making reference for the prevention and control of COVID-19 as well as emergency prevention and control measures.

The thermal regime modifies the response of aquatic keystone species Daphnia to microplastics: Evidence from population fitness, accumulation, histopathological analysis and candidate gene expression

The water bodies are greatly influenced by chemical contamination and global increasing temperature. As an emerging pollutant, microplastics are widely distributed in the freshwater environment, raising concerns regarding their potential toxicity to organisms. Especially for zooplankton filter feeders, many of microplastics are in similar size as their food. Individually, both microplastics and temperature have profound effects on zooplankton populations and their function in ecosystems. However, the strength and direction of their interactive effects are still not clear. Here, we performed a comprehensive biotoxicity assessment providing empirical evidence that the temperature played a key role in shaping the sensitivity of the zooplankter, Daphnia magna, against microplastic toxicity. We found that exposure to microplastics generally caused negative effects on Daphnia individual fitness, such as increased lethality, declined fecundity and reduced population growth rate. This microplastic toxicity was more prominent at 30 °C than at 20 °C, and was rather minor at 15 °C. Moreover, the warming accelerated the ingestion of microplastics, and triggered abnormal ultrastructure of intestinal epithelial cells. In addition, the expression profiling of candidate genes revealed oxidative damage, fecundity impairment and energy retardation by microplastics were amplified with increasing temperature, which may contribute to the enhancement of microplastic toxicity under warming. Given that high temperature fluctuations are becoming more common and difficult to predict, the interactive effects of microplastics and climate warming on Daphnia population dynamics and biomass production may become increasingly aggravated in nature. Collectively, extrapolation for environmental risk assessment studies conducted under different temperature contexts may broaden our knowledge microplastic toxicity on aquatic organism fitness.

Synthesis of [H-3]- and [C-14]-labeled elagolix.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonists are an important class of compounds designed to block the pituitary gland from synthesizing follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone for the treatment of sex hormone dependent disorders. Elagolix (ABT-620) is currently approved for the treatment of pain associated with endometriosis and as a combination with estradiol and norethindrone acetate is approved for management of heavy menstrual bleeding due to uterine fibroids. In order to support the development of elagolix, we prepared [3 H]elagolix for preclinical metabolism studies and [14 C]elagolix for environmental risk assessment studies.

Heavy Metal and Mineral Composition of Soil, Atmospheric Deposition, and Mosses with Regard to Integrated Pollution Assessment Approach.

The fact that there are no real borders between the biosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere means that environmental pollution monitoring studies should not only include one of the environmental spheres. Thus, integrated environmental pollution assessment studies conducted in the biosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere promote the "whole system" approach. In this study, the aim was to determine the pollution in the atmosphere, soil, and plants by taking advantage of the high pollution accumulation characteristics of the mosses. Prevailing wind has the potential to distribute pollutants emitted into the air throughout its path. With this regard, soil, mosses, and atmospheric deposition samples were collected in Çanakkale, Turkey, in two seasons. Concentrations of selected elements were measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry. The enrichment factor of the selected elements in the soil, moss, and deposition samples was calculated. The highest enrichments were found for Lead in atmospheric deposition, Arsenic in soil, and Mercury in moss samples. Cobalt and chromium accumulated more in mosses than in soil. Elevated arsenic levels found in the samples can pose a great risk for public health and agriculture. The study result showed that the elemental composition of the samples was influenced by the enhanced air plume dispersion of anthropogenic pollution sources along the Northeast-Southwest directions due to wind characteristics in the province. As expected, strong correlations were found among the moss, soil, and atmospheric deposition samples indicating the vital interactions between the environmental components.

Integrated process simulation for bioethanol production: Effects of varying lignocellulosic feedstocks on technical performance

Variations in lignocellulosic feedstock composition can influence conversion performance of bioethanol production, but such effects are overlooked in several studies that rely on standard conversion factors. This study investigates the effects of seven lignocellulosic feedstocks (belonging to the categories energy crops, forest and agricultural residues) on mass, carbon, water and energy balances for biochemical bioethanol production, including a comparison of individual process step yields. We find that overall bioethanol yields vary considerably, ranging between 19.0 and 29.0%, 27.3 and 46.2%, and 19.0 and 31.0%, for energy and carbon efficiency, respectively. The highest yields are found for switchgrass, which has the largest carbohydrate content, and the lowest for forest residues (spruce). Feedstock composition also affects water and carbon balances. Overall, the type of biomass influences conversion performances, thereby calling for explicit representation of the effects of biomass types in technical, economic and environmental assessment studies of bioethanol production.

Chlorine (Cl) in rice on the market (study of environmental health risk assessment in Bintoro, Demak Regency)

Chlorine (Cl) in rice on the market (study of environmental health risk assessment in Bintoro, Demak Regency)

Measuring Temporal Instability of Momentary Affect, Subjective Health and Symptom Burden Depending on Environmental Parameters-An Ambulatory Assessment Study in Persons with Hay Fever.

Our ambulatory assessment study explores the impact of the weather on the mental well-being of people with increased susceptibility. Participants with hay fever (n = 28) were assessed three times a day over a period of two weeks. Self-reported assessments covered different indicators of mental well-being, including momentary affect, subjective health as well as symptom burden. Based on tracked time stamps and location information, the data was matched with concurrent observation data from weather stations. We applied multilevel analysis to identify the main effects of selected environmental parameters (temperature, precipitation, wind power, sunshine duration and relative humidity) on all indicators of subjective well-being. Results confirm the main effects of sunshine duration, relative humidity and temperature on momentary affect as well as of sunshine duration, relative humidity and precipitation on subjective health and symptom burden. However, influences of environmental parameters on momentary affect were quite small and do not differ from effects documented in previous research in healthy samples with non-increased susceptibility.

Calculation of biodiversity level between different land-uses to improve conservation outcomes of biodiversity offsetting

The goal of the mitigation hierarchy is to counteract the losses of biodiversity due to development projects by avoiding, reducing and as a last resort, by offsetting these losses. However, the implementation of offset measures is currently very unsatisfactory from a biodiversity perspective, and many development projects do not incorporate them. Here, we proposed a method for comparing biodiversity level between different land-uses to propose a set of alternative offset measures offering the same biodiversity outcomes. Biodiversity level (including both bird and bat communities) was calculated from the variation in biodiversity from each land-uses (fallow, grass strip, bush, grass strip with bushes, hedgerow) compared to crops (control). In order to account for local specificities of environmental assessment studies, we modulated the calculation of the biodiversity level following three examples of scenarios that differed according to the weights assigned to different species. For each scenario, hedgerow was always the land-use that generated the greatest biodiversity level, and was found to be the best alternative in terms of effect size. The advantage of this method and its weighting system is that the opinions of local stakeholders and specificities of species, such as their sensibility level to the development project or their conservation status, can be taken into account, resulting in the results being better appropriated. Thus, offset measures could be implemented more efficiently thanks to multi-taxonomic calculations and weighing possibilities, improving biodiversity outcomes. This method can also be used to compare the residual loss of biodiversity and biodiversity gains from implemented offset measures, using the same biodiversity metric.

Evaluation of polar phenolic compounds in water samples close to shale exploitation area: a case study

Polar phenolic compounds of anthropogenic sources are widely studied by the scientific community since their effects are considered harmful to aquatic biota. From an environmental point of view, information regarding the presence of these contaminants allows promoting broader studies of environmental assessment. An evaluation of the presence of phenol, o-cresol, m-cresol, p-cresol, and 2,4-dimethylphenol in aqueous samples was carried out, to investigate the possibility of contamination owing to the shale mining activities in the most important Brazilian oil shale reserve, in the region of Sao Mateus do Sul, Parana State, Brazil. Ten water samples were collected near this region and the five mentioned phenolic compounds were preconcentrated using a previously validated liquid-phase microextraction procedure. Their quantitation was realized by liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector. The presence of phenol was estimated in some samples below 3.3 µg L−1 and 2,4-dimethylphenol was determined (4.7 µg L−1) in one sample, whereas the cresols were not found in any sample. To confirm the presence or the absence of the analytes, the samples were spiked with the phenolic compounds, and satisfactory recovery values between 52.2 and 120.5% and relative standard deviations less than 17.2% for triplicate samples of these compounds were observed, suggesting that this chromatographic/extraction method was adequate for quantitation of these compounds in environmental samples and wastewater from shale mining area. The results suggested no contribution of the phenolic compounds as pollutants of the rivers and streams for the studied area owing to the shale activities.

A Critical Review on Advancement and Challenges of Biochar Application in Paddy Fields: Environmental and Life Cycle Cost Analysis

Paddy fields emit considerable amounts of methane (CH4), which is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) and, thereby, causes significant environmental impacts, even as they generate wealth and jobs directly in the agricultural sector, and indirectly in the food-processing sector. Application of biochar in rice production systems will not just help to truncate their carbon footprints, but also add to the bottom-line. In this work, the authors have reviewed the literature on climate change, human health, and economic impacts of using organic residues to make biochar for the addition to croplands especially to rice paddy fields. Biochar-bioenergy systems range in scale from small household cook-stoves to large industrial pyrolysis plants. Biochar can be purveyed in different forms—raw, mineral-enriched, or blended with compost. The review of published environmental life cycle assessment (E-LCA) studies showed biochar has the potential to mitigate the carbon footprint of farming systems through a range of mechanisms. The most important factors are the stabilization of the carbon in the biochar and the generation of recoverable energy from pyrolysis gases produced as co-products with biochar as well as decreased fertiliser requirement and enhanced crop productivity. The quantitative review of E-LCA studies concluded that the carbon footprint of rice produced in biochar-treated soil was estimated to range from −1.43 to 2.79 kg CO2-eq per kg rice grain, implying a significant reduction relative to rice produced without a biochar soil amendment. The suppression of soil-methane emission due to the biochar addition is the dominant process with a negative contribution of 40–70% in the climate change mitigation of rice production. The review of the life cycle cost studies on biochar use as an additive in farmlands demonstrated that biochar application can be an economically-feasible approach in some conditions. Strategies like the subsidization of the initial biochar capital cost and assignment of a non-trivial price for carbon abatement in future pricing mechanisms will enhance the economic benefits for the rice farmers.

Revisiting Mean Flow and Mixing Properties of Negatively Round Buoyant Jets Using the Escaping Mass Approach (EMA)

The flow formed by the discharge of inclined turbulent negatively round buoyant jets is common in environmental flow phenomena, especially in the case of brine disposal. The prediction of the mean flow and mixing properties of such flows is based on integral models, experimental results and, recently, on numerical modeling. This paper presents the results of mean flow and mixing characteristics using the escaping mass approach (EMA), a Gaussian model that simulates the escaping masses from the main buoyant jet flow. The EMA model was applied for dense discharge at a quiescent ambient of uniform density for initial discharge inclinations from 15° to 75°, with respect to the horizontal plane. The variations of the dimensionless terminal centerline and the external edge’s height, the horizontal location of the centerline terminal height, the horizontal location of centerline and the external edge’s return point as a function of initial inclination angle are estimated via the EMA model, and compared to available experimental data and other integral or numerical models. Additionally, the same procedure was followed for axial dilutions at the centerline terminal height and return point. The performance of EMA is acceptable for research purposes, and the simplicity and speed of calculations makes it competitive for design and environmental assessment studies.

Environmental Risk Assessment in Agriculture: The Example of Pistacia vera L. Cultivation in Greece

In this study, an integrated environmental risk assessment (ERA) study involving frequent monitoring of both water and soil parameters (24 on total), was carried out to assess and compare the environmental risk quality of three pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) fields (two in Aegina island and one in Kilkis) based upon risk categories identified and assessed in terms of quality and quantity. In this context, vertical profiles and risk matrices were created for a 60-month period for the most important soil and water parameters i.e., soil pH, soil organic matter, soil salinity, heavy metals, and irrigation water quality. According to the obtained results, the two pistachio fields in Aegina exhibited reduced overall risk values, i.e., 17% and 27%, respectively after the adoption of sustainable cultivation practices, thus reflecting a transition from “medium to high risk” to “low to medium risk” environmental quality. On the other hand, overall risk values for the pistachio field in Kilkis were reduced by 34% and were lower compared to the ones obtained for the pistachio fields in Aegina. The better environmental profile identified for the entire period in Kilkis ranging from “medium risk” to “low risk” was the result of lower inherent risk associated with irrigation water quality and soil salinity. The proposed methodology can be easily applied in other agricultural areas and for similar cultivations in Greece and other Mediterranean countries.

Variable niche breadth in benthic diatoms: Implications of ecological specialization and generalization for community structure

The mechanisms that regulate the composition and structure of biological communities remain poorly understood. Diatom communities have traditionally been assumed to be a collection of r-selected, ecologically redundant generalist taxa with distributions constrained largely by dispersal limitation. Here, we challenge this notion by presenting a novel model that uses distributional data to estimate ecological specialization for groups of diatom taxa. We further develop this model to evaluate relationships among ecological specialization, taxonomic richness, and species’ abundance using field data collected from ancient Lake Matano and the broader Malili Lakes system (Sulawesi, Indonesia), as well as Mazinaw Lake (Ontario, Canada). We demonstrated that diatom niche breadth is highly variable both at the assemblage scale and among genera within assemblages. Ecologically-specialized genera exhibited higher taxonomic richness than their generalist counterparts, suggesting that ecological specialization serves to support the sympatric coexistence of multiple species by limiting competitive interactions among congeneric taxa. This assertion is further supported by species’ abundance patterns, which suggested that resources are evenly partitioned among taxa within specialist genera, while less-specialized genera are composed of taxa with either exceptionally high or exceptionally low abundances reflective of their relative success in competitive interactions with one another. Our findings indicate that the often-overlooked complement of rare taxa within diatom assemblages are in fact the entities that respond most sensitively to environmental conditions and are worthy of far greater consideration in environmental assessment and paleolimnological studies.

Correct Fish Muscle AChE Extraction for Use in Environmental Risk Assessment and Ecotoxicological Studies Has Been Neglected

Several articles published in the field of ecotoxicology and environmental risk assessment have failed to adequately use fish muscle cholinesterases as biomarkers. This letter seeks to underline the importance of developing and applying correct protocols for the extraction of these enzymes from the tissues of these animals.

TINJAUAN ASPEK FISIK DAN NON FISIK SISTEM DRAINASE ZONA 5 KOTA BANDA ACEH

Based on the results of the Environmental Health Risk Assessment Study, zone 5 of the drainage in Banda Aceh City which includes Syiah Kuala, Ulee Kareng, and Kuta Alam Sub-district, some villages fall into the category of moderate-risk and high risk of inundation. Bandar Baru, Lambaro Skep, Ie Masen Kayee Adang, and Lambhuk are moderate risk villages of inundation. This study aims to evaluate the performance of the drainage system to see how the conditions and functions of the drainage facilities and infrastructure that have been built and the participation of the society. The methodology used in this study is quantitatively supported by descriptive-evaluative. Performance reviews conducted include physical and non-physical aspects. Physical aspects include physical data on infrastructure, the function of drainage system infrastructure, and operating and maintenance conditions for drainage. Non-physical aspects include regulations/institutions, development management, and efforts by the Regional Government to encourage society/private participation. The results of the calculation of drainage performance obtained a value of 81.40 which means the performance is in good condition. Physical aspects value 55.0 and non-physical aspects value 26.4. From the physical aspect of the condition of drainage infrastructure such as drainage canals, pump houses, retention ponds are already in good condition, but some sluice gates are still in a damaged condition that has not been repaired. From the non-physical aspects, some of the shortcomings that must be corrected are the absence of regional regulations for drainage, human resources in agencies that handle drainage are still not optimal, and community participation in managing drainage is still minimal.

Community Movement for Sustainable Use of Natural Resources: Case study of North Kendeng Mountain Area, Central Java, Indonesia

North Kendeng Mountain has abundant limestone potentially utilized for materials of cement, cosmetics, paint, and other commercial products. This area is also a storage for water resources widely used for household and irrigation for local people. The conflict between government and investors on one side preferring this area for utilization for commercial uses and local people supported by influential people and academician choosing it for conservation. Local people pioneered by Sedulur Sikep (Adat or Traditional Community) form a Community Network for Caring North Kendeng Mountain (JMPPK) mobilizing people through cultural events, rally, demonstration, dialog, discussion, and lobby. Sedulur Sikep believes that they must treat the Earth as a mother providing everything for the human being. Human nature must adequately address the Earth. This paper observes the development of conflict over water resources, the way JMPPK defends their right over natural resources. The type of research is descriptive analysis. The data collection techniques include an informal interview, observation, and a literature review. The data is analyzed qualitatively. So far, the interest and aspiration of local people, both expressed through Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) studies and their own opinion aired the government, has not incorporated a variety of events at the revision of spatial planning. They are persistent and continue struggling along with their counterparts. It is required a dialog among relevant stakeholders regarding the area for utilization and conservation to create sustainable management.

Holistic Environmental Approaches and Aichi Biodiversity Targets: accomplishments and perspectives for marine ecosystems.

In order to help safeguard biodiversity from global changes, the Conference of the Parties developed a Strategic Plan for Biodiversity for the period 2011–2020 that included a list of twenty specific objectives known as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. With the end of that timeframe in sight, and despite major advancements in biodiversity conservation, evidence suggests that the majority of the Targets are unlikely to be met. This article is part of a series of perspective pieces from the 4th World Conference on Marine Biodiversity (May 2018, Montréal, Canada) to identify next steps towards successful biodiversity conservation in marine environments. We specifically reviewed holistic environmental assessment studies (HEA) and their contribution to reaching the Targets. Our analysis was based on multiple environmental approaches which can be considered as holistic, and we discuss how HEA can contribute to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets in the near future. We found that only a few HEA articles considered a specific Biodiversity Target in their research, and that Target 11, which focuses on marine protected areas, was the most commonly cited. We propose five research priorities to enhance HEA for marine biodiversity conservation beyond 2020: (i) expand the use of holistic approaches in environmental assessments, (ii) standardize HEA vocabulary, (iii) enhance data collection, sharing and management, (iv) consider ecosystem spatio-temporal variability and (v) integrate ecosystem services in HEA. The consideration of these priorities will promote the value of HEA and will benefit the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity.

Trace elements and oxidative stress in the Ark shell Arca noae from a Mediterranean coastal lagoon (Bizerte lagoon, Tunisia): are there health risks associated with their consumption?

The current study examined the concentrations of ten trace elements (TE) (nickel, chromium, cadmium, iron, zinc, manganese, aluminum, copper, selenium and lead) in the edible tissue of the Ark shell Arca noae (L. 1758) from a Mediterranean coastal lagoon, the Bizerte lagoon during 2013-2014. The analysis of several redox status biomarkers, metallothioneins (MTs), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), reduced glutathione (GSH) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), was monitored as a response to TE bioaccumulation and environmental parameters variability. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed between mean seasonal TE concentrations in A. noae soft tissue. The highest TE concentrations in A. noae soft tissues were recorded during summer, which coincided with the increase of body dry weight (BDW) and the gonad index (GI). During this season, biomarker responses were enhanced, revealing significant increases of MTs, MDA and GSH levels as well as GPx activity in A. noae tissues, while a decrease of AChE activity was observed. The levels of TE analyzed in A. noae and several parameters used to assess the potential human risk (estimated weekly intake, target hazard quotient and target hazard risk) were lower than the permissible limits for safe seafood consumption. Consequently, this shellfish can be considered safe for human consumption. This preliminary study presents prospects for the valorization of this seafood product in Tunisia's food sector. It also gives basal information for future environmental assessment studies in which A. noae could be used as early warning tools in the field of biomonitoring programs and confirms the usefulness of biomarkers to monitor the health status of aquatic organisms.

Advances in catching fruit butterflies for quick inventory

The family Nymphalidae comprises frugivorous butterflies that are frequently used as bioindicators in environmental assessment studies. The collection of these lepidopterans is easily made with traps filled with fruit baits. The most frequently used bait is a mixture of banana and sugarcane juice, though other mixtures are also attractive. Hence, the objective of the present study was to assess the attractiveness and aging effect of baits used to capture fruit-feeding butterflies. All tested baits contained fructose, glucose, and sucrose but it was not possible to determine an optimal capture period in terms of bait aging, as sugar concentrations varied throughout the fermentation process.

Multidimensional assessment of passenger cars: Comparison of electric vehicles with internal combustion engine vehicles

In the pursuit of transforming the transportation sector towards sustainability, a technological shift in vehicle drive systems is being promoted worldwide. Conventional gasoline or diesel fueled cars powered by internal combustion engines (internal combustion engine vehicle, ICEV) are to be replaced with alternative cars that are electrically driven (electric vehicle, EV) and powered by a battery, which is either externally charged (battery-electric vehicle, BEV) or internally charged via a hydrogen fuel cell (fuel cell electric vehicle, FCEV). However, whether or not EVs are superior to ICEVs throughout their entire life cycle is still subject to debate. Though considerable numbers of environmental life cycle assessment (eLCA) studies and—to a much lesser extent—life cycle costing (LCC) and social life cycle assessment (sLCA) studies have already been conducted, their individual results alone do not allow decision-makers to draw conclusions concerning the overall sustainability performance of the various vehicle technologies. Therefore, we are presenting a novel approach to analyze ICEV-, BEV-, and FCEV-type passenger cars on a multidimensional basis. This approach is based upon and combines existing studies about eLCA, LCC, sLCA, and further assessments to carry out a comprehensive meta-analysis by using multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods. Through a transparent and differentiated presentation of the results, the adopted approach furthermore enables decision-makers to identify specific aspects influencing the overall performance of each vehicle technology and to take measures that allow for the implementation of sustainable vehicle concepts. © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NCND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 27th CIRP Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) Conference.