Environmental Protection Research Articles

Evaluating Health Risks Associated With Fluoride and Nitrate Contaminants in Drinking Water to Residents Living in the Chikkaballapur Taluk of Karnataka, India

ABSTRACTAddressing fluoride and nitrate contamination in groundwater is crucial for safeguarding public health. Fluoride contamination in groundwater can cause dental and skeletal fluorosis, along with potential neurotoxic effects. Nitrate contamination can lead to methemoglobinemia in infants and increase cancer risk due to the formation of nitrosamines. The major goal of this study was to examine groundwater quality in the Chickkaballapur urban (CBU) and Chikkaballapur rural (CBR) parts of the Chikkaballapur taluk (CBT), Karnataka, and to investigate the potential health hazards associated with the presence of fluoride and nitrate contaminants. Hazard quotient and total hazard index (THI) calculation methods, as suggested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, were used in the present study to evaluate non‐carcinogenic risks for individuals of various age categories, including men, women, and children (MWC). A total of 112 samples from rural areas and 41 samples from urban areas of Chikkaballapur taluk were collected during the post‐monsoon season. According to the study's findings, groundwater samples from CBU and CBR surpassed acceptable fluoride concentration limits by 41% and 40%, respectively, while samples from CBR exceeded acceptable nitrate limits by 17%, set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (1 mg/L for fluoride and 45 mg/L for nitrate). All CBU samples remained within the acceptable nitrate limits. The total non‐carcinogenic health risks for MWC ranged from 0.34 to 2.18, 0.40 to 2.58, and 0.46 to 2.95, respectively, for CBU, and from 0.16 to 6.51, 0.19 to 7.69, and 0.21 to 8.80, respectively, for CBR. Furthermore, a significant percentage of the groundwater samples that were collected in CBU (60.98%, 68.29%, and 75.61%) and CBR (48.21%, 62.50%, and 73.21%) exceeded the THI limit for MWC (THI = 1). Hence, based on the health risk assessment, it is evident that children in the study area have greater health risks than men and women.

Application of wet carbon black masterbatch in green mining radial tires

AbstractIn the context of environmental protection and energy consumption reduction, reducing the rolling resistance of mining machinery tires is one of the important methods to achieve the goal of green mining. This study probes the effects of wet mixing with a wet carbon black masterbatch on the rolling resistance and grounding performance of wide‐body vehicle tire treads by investigating the cross‐linking structure, rubber–filler (R–F) interaction force, and physicomechanical properties of the wet mixing rubber compounded with a wet carbon black masterbatch. The results indicate decreases in the maximum torque‐minimum torque difference, cross‐link density, and R–F interaction of the wet mixing rubber and increased filler–filler (F–F) interaction and carbon black dispersion. Meanwhile, the tensile elongation of the wet mixing rubber increases, its DIN abrasion property improves, and its Tanδ decreases at 60°C. A numerical method to estimate tire steady‐state rolling resistance is also developed. Finite element simulation analysis reveals that the steady‐state rolling resistance of the wet mixing rubber is reduced by 7.04% at 100% standard load, and its grounding performance is enhanced. By proposing a method to reduce the rolling resistance of tires, this study also provides a reference for the development of wide‐body vehicle tires.Highlights Explored the filler interaction of wet mixing rubber. Explained the low energy loss of wet mixing rubber. Proposed a new finite element method for calculating tire rolling resistance.

Explaining state efforts to create Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) agreements

AbstractObjectivesWith the rejuvenated emphasis on nonpoint pollution under the Water Quality Act (WQA) of 1987, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began to face an onslaught of lawsuits designed to pressure the EPA to enforce the requirements of Section 319 of the WQA to address nonpoint pollution. Known as Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) agreements, the purpose of these plans was to limit the amount of polluted runoff reaching a state's waterways. While some states took a proactive stance on these plans, other states resisted the implementation of Section 319. This article seeks to understand state choices in the development and implementation of TMDL agreements.MethodsUtilizing a data set spanning state‐level data from 2000 to 2020, we test a novel cross‐sectional time series model employing the number agreements entered into by a state as the dependent variable.ResultsWe find that both political and need explanations are generally supported, while policy need explanations are somewhat more promising.ConclusionsTaken together, the models offer several insights into state choices around TMDL creation. The political model is the weakest, suggesting that TMDLs are not overtly political. Policy needs seem to play a more critical role in the preponderance of TMDL agreements than partisan politics.

Satisfaction and green finance continuance behaviour at Ho Chi Minh City commercial bank

Customers are displaying heightened awareness and involvement in their banking arrangements, and they are actively assessing and remembering information to make informed decisions regarding the allocation of their financial resources towards environmental protection solutions such as clean energy, sustainable construction, climate change control and social protection. Based on the current theoretical gap of factors influencing customer satisfaction and thereby encouraging continued engagement in green finance initiatives, this study aims to identify the factors influencing customer satisfaction as a means of fostering greater participation in green finance amongst customers of commercial banks in Ho Chi Minh City. Using data from a survey of 479 individuals who are customers at commercial banks in Ho Chi Minh City, this study analyses and evaluates the impact of factors influencing customer satisfaction and the role of customer satisfaction in green finance continuance behaviour. Combining basic analysis techniques in quantitative research such as statistics, evaluation of Cronbach’s alpha reliability, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), measurement models and Partial Least Squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) from SPSS and SMART PLS software. the results of this research indicate that: (1) Green Banking initiative (GB), Information Support (IS) and Emotional Support (ES) positively impact Customer Satisfaction (SA); (2) Customer Satisfaction (SA) positively impacts Green Finance Continuance Behaviour (GF).

System dynamic model of water, energy and food nexus for policy implementation

In this study, a spatiotemporal disaggregated simulation model was developed based on water–food–energy (WFE) nexus approach to assess water and food supply security considering ecosystem provisioning services. The main components of the developed model in this study (SD-WFE model) are population, water, agriculture, and energy modules. The model, which was developed using system dynamics (SD) approach, was utilized to simulate effectiveness of sectoral municipal, industrial, and agricultural water and energy consumption management and environmental protection policies in improving ecosystem provisioning services during a 20-year period. Through sensitivity analysis utilizing the Monte Carlo model, the study addresses the formulation of sustainable water resource policies across four main categories: water demand management, water supply management, food resource management, and energy resource demand management. Additionally, it explores the integration of policies within an optimal framework. The simulation of proposed solutions revealed that a combination of water demand management and food resource management yielded the most promising outcome. Specifically, the recommended solution entails enhancing water irrigation efficiency by 18% through the expansion of pressurized irrigation network coverage, adjusting cropping patterns by 14%, reducing agricultural product losses by 8% via improved food supply management, minimizing food demand by 9% due to reduced food consumption losses, and achieving an annual 10% increase in crop performance. These selected policies form the foundation for sustainable water resource management strategies.

Performance evaluation of marine ecological compensation in coastal cities of China via a novel two-stage bargaining game DEA with imprecise data

To alleviate the pressure of economic development on the marine environment, the Marine Ecological Compensation (MEC) has become a major policy tool for the Chinese government to reconcile the contradiction between economic development and the marine environment. In this paper, we propose a novel two-stage bargaining game data envelopment analysis (DEA) model to evaluate the performance of MEC under the cooperative structure. The proposed model considers the link between marine economic development (MED) and marine environmental protection (MEP). Meanwhile, the equivalent form, Nash equilibrium solution, sensitivity and stability of the model are as well documented to further analyze MED and MEP. Eventually, a case study of 30 coastal cities in China serves to verify the practicable effectiveness of the foregoing model combined with numerical simulation and support key insights as below: (i) According to the results evaluated by the decentralized DEA model, we find that if one party of MED and MEP takes priority, the efficiency score of the other party will be severely affected; (ii) the evaluation results of sensitivity and stability demonstrate that inputs and outputs have different impact degrees on the efficiency scores of MED and MEP, which provide directions for improving the efficiency of both systems; (iii) The proposed model addresses the limitation of the conventional two-stage DEA model that cannot handle uncertain variables, thus revealing the influence of uncertainty on MEC efficiency. The compelling evidence presented in the case study solidifies the effectiveness of the proposed model, establishing its promising prospects for application in evaluating the performance of DMUs with a two-stage structure.

TRÁFICO ILICITO DE ANIMAIS SILVESTRES

Animal trafficking has been gaining momentum in Brazil and, as a result of this crime, it has become one of the main causes of threats to animals, endangered species and biodiversity. The illegal trade in these animals is the third largest trafficking, behind only arms and drug trafficking, with exorbitant numbers of animals exploited, with approximately 38 million animals being removed from Brazil each year. It is estimated that for every 10 animals stolen from their natural habitat, 9 do not survive due to the precarious conditions they are subjected to during transportation, which is one of the main reasons for the threat to biodiversity. Since this is a crime that produces several negative effects and occurs mostly to satisfy human desires, stricter laws need to be regulated to reduce this crime, considering that in addition to the low routine imposed, sometimes the penalty is not properly applied, leaving the crime unpunished so that the act continues and more animals become victims of this situation. The topic of animal trafficking involves several fields, going beyond the possible loss of biodiversity, such as violation of animal welfare, ecology, law, biology, public health, mistreatment, ethics, among others, thus offering a possible opportunity for comprehensive and multidisciplinary research, enriching academic knowledge and bringing more visibility to the subject. The study of this topic contributes to the understanding and awareness about environmental protection, in addition to affecting not only ecosystems, but also social, economic and public health consequences. In view of the facts mentioned, investigating this problem can help identify solutions to mitigate its negative impacts on society.

Spatiotemporal changes and driving factors of alpine land cover in Tianshan world natural heritage sites

Alpine natural heritage sites hold significant value due to their unique global resources. Studying land cover changes in these areas is crucial for maintaining and preserving multiple their values. This study takes Kalajun-Kuerdening, one of the components of Xinjiang Tianshan World Natural Heritage Site, as an example to analyze land cover changes and their driving factors in alpine heritage sites. Highlights include: (1) Between 1994 and 2023, Forest and Grassland increased by 55.96 km2 and 18.16 km2, with notable forest growth from 2007 to 2017. Trends in Forest changes align with forest protection policies, and a substantial amount of Bareland converted to Grassland indicates an increase in vegetation cover. (2) Elevation, precipitation, temperature, and evapotranspiration are key drivers of land cover changes, as validated by Random Forest algorithm and Geodetector model. (3) Favorable conditions for Grassland to Forest transition include annual precipitation between 275 and 375 mm, annual temperature between −2 and 3 °C, annual evapotranspiration between 580 and 750 mm, elevation between 1800 and 2600 m, and aspect between 0 to 110° and 220 to 259.9°. Continuous monitoring of land cover changes and their driving factors in mountain heritage sites contributes to the protection of the ecological environment and provides data and information support for addressing climate change, resource management, and policy making.

The Challenges of Environmental Protection in Outer Space Following Russia’s Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Weapon Test Activities

The Challenges of Environmental Protection in Outer Space Following Russia’s Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Weapon Test Activities

Identification of High-Quality Vegetation Areas in Hubei Province Based on an Optimized Vegetation Health Index

This research proposes an optimized method for identifying high-quality vegetation areas, with a focus on forest ecosystems, using an improved Vegetation Health Index (VHI). The study introduces the Land Cover Vegetation Health Index (LCVHI), which integrates the Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) and the Temperature Condition Index (TCI) with land cover data. Utilizing MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) satellite imagery and Google Earth Engine (GEE), the study assesses the impact of land cover changes on vegetation health, with particular attention to forested areas. The application of the LCVHI demonstrates that forests exhibit a VHI approximately 25% higher than that of croplands, and wetlands show an 18% higher index compared to grasslands. Analysis of data from 2012 to 2022 in Hubei Province, China, reveals an overall upward trend in vegetation health, highlighting the effectiveness of environmental protection and forest management measures. Different land cover types, including forests, wetlands, and grasslands, significantly impact vegetation health, with forests and wetlands contributing most positively. These findings provide important scientific evidence for regional and global ecological management strategies, supporting the development of forest conservation policies and sustainable land use practices. The research results offer valuable insights into the effective management of regional ecological dynamics.

Function and watershed‐based stream mitigation: Lessons from a program development and implementation odyssey in the Western United States

AbstractTo improve the quality and success of compensatory mitigation under Clean Water Act Section 404, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency jointly promulgated regulations in 2008. These regulations promote the use of function assessments to determine appropriate compensatory mitigation to replace functions and services lost due to permitted impacts to aquatic resources and require a watershed approach to mitigation. The Oregon Removal‐Fill law, administered by the Department of State Lands, has similar requirements. Despite higher level policy, there is a paucity of scientific focus at the practical level needed to improve the tools and practices required for regulatory program implementation to achieve better mitigation outcomes, contributing to an implementation gap. By describing key challenges and specific solutions, we share lessons from a 15‐year interagency effort to develop and implement an integrated, function, and watershed‐based stream compensatory mitigation program in Oregon. We highlight the importance of an intentional process of engagement and change management and identify outstanding science and policy needs to improve stream compensatory mitigation programs and field‐scale outcomes.

Dose assessment from exposure to uranium and radon in groundwater in Safi province, Morocco

ABSTRACT In this study we evaluate the uranium and radon concentrations in groundwater from the Province of Safi. The samples were collected from 58 wells across five communes and analyzed using the LR-115 type II detector. Results indicate that uranium concentrations ranged from the Limit of Detection (LLD) to 3.73 µg/l, with a mean of 0.72 µg/l, well below the World Health Organization’s safe limit of 30 µg/l. Radon levels varied from LLD to 2.39 Bq/l, with an average of 0.60 Bq/l, also below the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s limit of 11 Bq/l. The estimated total annual effective dose due to uranium and radon ranged from 3.47 to 18.84 µSv/y, with an average of 7.54 µSv/y, which is significantly lower than the European Commission’s recommended limit of 100 µSv/y. This investigation represents the first study of uranium and radon levels in groundwater in the Province of Safi, providing valuable data for future research and public health.

Striking a balance between water use and environmental protection in an oasis—A case study of Ganzhou District, China

AbstractArid regions in Northwestern China, such as Ganzhou District, are crucial for agriculture but face challenges due to water scarcity. This study employs a coupling coordination model to analyse the environmental impact of agricultural water use in Ganzhou District and dissect the tension between agricultural development and ecological concerns. Despite an overall positive trend, the study reveals relatively poor coordination between water use and environmental protection, along with uneven spatial distribution. Examining the tension between agricultural expansion and its environmental repercussions, this study offers a reference for efforts to promote sustainable practices in agriculture and environmental management in oases.

Forecasting of Electricity Consumption by Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average Model in Assam, India

Sustainable electricity consumption, which is about balancing economic growth, social development and environmental protection are the core principles of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). Accurate forecasting of electricity consumption is very important for attaining SDG - 7 which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Through this paper, attempt is made to forecast monthly electricity consumption in Assam. For this purpose, one of the most widely used time series techniques, viz., Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) is applied by considering the time period April, 2013 to February, 2023 to study the seasonal influence on the electricity consumption in Assam. By applying Augmented Dickey Fuller test, it is observed that the data series becomes stationary at first order difference and the result of Canova Hansen test reveals that no seasonal differencing is required for our considering time period. SARIMA (1,1,1) (1,0,1)12 has been selected for forecasting purpose by following the results of Akaike Information Criterion. By analyzing the model statistics, residual ACF and PACF plots of the selected model, it is found that SARIMA (1,1,1) (1,0,1)12 can be effectively recommended for forecasting of monthly electricity consumption in Assam with Mean Absolute Percentage Error as 3.12%.

Towards Sustainable Environment in Somalia: The Role of Urbanisation and Energy Consumption

In this study, we investigated the role of the urban population and energy consumption on environmental degradation in Somalia. The study used the ARDL model and Granger causality test with time-series data from 1989 to 2021. The study found that increasing the urban population and domestic investment positively influenced environmental degradation in the short and long run. If the urban population increases, environmental damage will increase as they use more carbon dioxide emissions. Similarly, increasing domestic investment also contributes to environmental degradation. The study also found a causal effect between the urban population and domestic investment, while the urban population and energy consumption caused domestic investment. Moreover, there was a bidirectional causal effect between urbanization and energy consumption. Based on these results, policymakers are recommended to prioritize the development of urban planning and regulatory institutions that focus on environmental consciousness to guide sustainable urban growth. This should include measures to control pollution, preserve green spaces, and promote energy-efficient practices. Furthermore, targeted policies are needed to support domestic investment while ensuring it aligns with environmental preservation goals. Incentives for adopting eco-friendly industries and technologies can be explored to balance economic growth with environmental protection.

Analyzing the Dynamics: Asymmetric Effects of Economic Growth, Technological Innovation, and Renewable Energy on Carbon Emissions in Africa

This study examines the interactions among economic growth, technological innovation, renewable energy consumption, and carbon emissions in Africa using advanced econometric methods. Panel data analysis reveals both symmetric and asymmetric impacts on carbon emissions, showing how economic and technological variables contribute to environmental outcomes. The augmented mean group (AMG) and common correlated effects mean group (CCEMG) estimators address cross-sectional dependence and heterogeneity, ensuring robust results. Findings indicate that positive economic growth increases emissions, while economic downturns significantly reduce emissions. The study underscores the need for strategic policies that leverage technological innovations and renewable energy to promote sustainable development in African economies, balancing economic growth with environmental protection.

Unveiling the green path: How urban openness reduces pollution and paves the way to sustainability

This study investigates the relationship between openness and pollutant emission intensity across 286 Chinese cities from 1990 to 2019, aiming to evaluate the potential environmental benefits of open economy strategies. The findings indicate that enhanced urban openness significantly lowers pollutant emission intensity. To ensure the robustness of our findings, we make an innovative attempt to employ high-speed rail connection and motorway density as instrumental variables to address potential endogeneity issues, corroborating the reliability of the results through various robustness tests. Moreover, we also find the heterogeneous effects of urban openness on pollution emissions, highlighting the moderating influences of trade complexity, urbanization level, and environmental regulatory intensity. Lastly, the study elucidates the mechanisms through which urban openness diminishes pollution emissions, namely fostering green innovation capacity and enhancing public environmental awareness. This research makes theoretical contributions on understanding the nexus between open economies and environmental protection while offering practical insights to inform governmental environmental policy formulation.

Enterprise environmental performance under China's framework for Central Environmental Protection Inspection: Quasi‐natural experimental evidence

AbstractIn 2016, China launched the Central Environmental Protection Inspection (CEPI) to address environmental pollution. Using a triple‐difference method with data from China's A‐share listed companies between 2010 and 2019, we find that CEPI significantly improves the environmental performance of firms. The improvements are driven by increased environmental awareness, stricter enforcement and greater investment in environmental protection. Fiscal and environmental decentralization positively reinforce the policy's effectiveness. Regions with high public participation, media attention, and visibility experience greater benefits. This research highlights the importance of combining policy initiatives with active public and media engagement to achieve significant environmental improvements.

Relationship Between Green Finance Availability and Purchase Intentions in Generation Z and Millennials: Moderating Role of Consciousness

This study examines how the availability of green finance influences the purchasing intentions of Generation Z and Millennials, with consciousness as a moderating factor. A structured questionnaire was deployed to collect the data to measure five reflective constructs: purchase intention, Gen Z and Millennials’ green finance, environmental consciousness, future consciousness and status consciousness. The valid responses of 500 participants working at various levels in the information technology industry were subjected to normality tests, factor analysis, and structural equation modeling analysis. The data were normally distributed (Shapiro‒Wilk statistic p>0.05), and the survey instrument maintained internal consistency and reliability, as revealed by the Cronbach’s alpha values (>0.70). The structural equation modeling results revealed an excellent model fit, and the Gen Z and Millennials’ financial availability, future consciousness and status consciousness constructs were statistically significant and impacted the purchasing intentions of Gen Z and Millennials. Slope analysis reveals that consciousness is statistically significant and moderates the relationship between Gen Z and Millennial financing availability and purchase intentions. Consciousness strengthens the positive relationship between Gen Z and millennial finance availability and purchase intentions. The article reports novel findings that affect the purchase intentions of customers regarding the availability of green financing to Generation Z and Millennials. This is a new empirical study in which Generation Z and Millennials. This empirical study highlighted the environmental, social and managerial implications for green finance providers. Green finance opportunities need to be provided to Gen Z and Millennials so that they can make a habit of engaging in green finance practices. This will promote environmental protection, increase greener consumption options, and ensure social equity and sustainable economic development. If the green financing opportunities promoted to Gen Z and Millennials, more businesses can opt for greener options, greener products and greener marketing.

The influence of addition of fly ash from biomass combustion on selected properties of red building ceramics

The paper characterizes waste in the form of fly ash generated in a power plant during the combustion of biomass in a fluidized bed in terms of its possible use in the ceramic building materials industry. This is important from the point of view of environmental protection. In order to assess the possibility of using ash in the production of red ceramics (e.g. bricks), two different clay raw materials (Clay I and Clay II) were selected to prepare the raw material sets. First of all, the investigated fly ash was subjected to thermogravimetric TG-DTG analysis and its basic chemical composition was determined. Then the specific density was determined for all the raw materials, XRD analysis was also performed and finally characteristic temperatures were determined by means of a high-temperature microscope. The basic raw material sets included clayey raw material and fly ash in various contents: 5 wt%, 10 wt% and 15 wt%. Samples were pressed from the ready sets and fired at the temperature of 1000℃. Afterwards, the obtained samples were subjected to XRD and microstructural tests, then selected physical properties were determined, i.e. water absorption, porosity, apparent density, and compressive strength. Based on the research and analysis of the results, it was found that the introduction of fly ash from biomass combustion into the raw material set in the range of 5–15 wt% has a positive effect on the insulating properties of red ceramics. In addition, the density of the red ceramics decreases with the increase in the addition of fly ash, while its porosity and water absorption increase. Furthermore, the addition of fly ash decreases the compressive strength and visually brightens the microstructure of the products.