Environmental Risk Management Research Articles

A Study on the influence of China's green finance development on real estate prices

At present, the importance of green finance in the world market is becoming increasingly prominent. Various kinds of green products have emerged, and auxiliary policies have also come into being. China is one of the world's largest carbon dioxide emissions and the world's largest investor in new energy. In the face of severe environmental problems and challenges of sustainable development, the Chinese government attaches great importance to the development of green finance, and has adopted a series of positive policy documents and guidance, including the establishment of special funds, providing preferential fiscal and tax policies, and the establishment of a green bond market to promote its role in the financial system. In addition, China has set up a set of green financial standards and evaluation system to guide financial institutions and enterprises to be more transparent and sustainable in environmental risk management and green investment.
 The emergence of green finance has brought a certain impact on the real estate industry, a pillar industry of China's economy. At present, many people in China, especially in some central cities, have speculated on housing prices. This behavior has led to a speculative increase in the real estate market, a rapid rise in housing prices, an excessive consumption of resources, and the aggravation of social inequality. This conflicts the concept of sustainable development and environmental friendliness advocated by green finance. At the same time, the investment in green finance will squeeze out a part of the real estate market share. By directing investment in real estate to the flow of green buildings and energy conservation technologies, green finance can also promote the efficient use of resources and sustainable environmental development.
 Therefore, it is of great significance to deeply study the impact of green finance on real estate. By discussing the application of green finance in the real estate field, effective ways can be found to reduce the consumption of resources in the real estate industry, improve the energy efficiency of buildings, promote the development of green buildings, and guide China's real estate market towards the direction of sustainable development in practice. This is of great practical significance for realizing the dual goal of economic growth and environmental protection.
 Previous scholars have discussed a wide range of factors affecting real estate, including the monetary system, consumption level and so on. The related discussion on green finance also focuses on the impact of the ecological environment and some green products on the financial market. No scholar has specifically discussed the impact of green finance on real estate as a whole.
 Therefore, in order to ensure that the regression results are not affected by the economic turbulence during the epidemic period, this paper selects the relevant data of provinces and cities from 2008 to 2020 to regression the fixed effect model panel, conducts a study on the real estate price, and draws the following basic conclusions: green finance has a negative impact on the real estate price.
 The marginal contribution of this paper is the use of various green coefficient to build green financial index, to explore the influence of green finance as a whole, and make up the green finance influence the lack of the real estate research, to solve the current real estate investment market proportion and rising prices put forward new slow problems.
 The chapters of this paper are arranged as follows: the second part is the literature review, the third part is the experimental design and data, the fourth part is the empirical results, the fifth part is the robustness test, and the sixth part is the conclusion and policy suggestions.

Hunting the missing fluorine in aqueous film-forming foams containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances

Since aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) are major sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), understanding the quantity and type of PFAS present in AFFFs is crucial for assessing environmental risk and remediation. We characterized 25 foams from Canada and Europe, including two non-AFFFs and two fluorine-free AFFFs. We used liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) to identify novel PFAS, as well as total oxidizable precursor assays (TOP) and total organofluorine (TOF) measurements for comparison. LC-HRMS showed that the two non-AFFF foams and two PFAS-free AFFFs contained little or no PFAS, confirmed by TOF measurement using combustion ion chromatography (CIC). The PFAS-containing AFFFs, however, spanned a wide concentration range of TOF (2200–45,000 mg F/L) and contained 22 new classes of polyfluoroalkyl substances not previously reported. As a result of identifying new compounds, LC-HRMS was fully able to capture the oxidizable precursors determined by TOP assay in all tested fluorotelomer (FT) AFFFs, while unknown compounds still constituted a significant fraction (19–53 mol%) in most electrochemical fluorination (ECF) AFFFs. A fluorine mass balance was achieved by comparing the amounts of compounds identified by LC-HRMS with those detected by CIC, although LC-HRMS overestimated TOF with a recovery of 127 ± 36%.

Environment Issues and Risk Management in Vietnam Construction Sector and In Industrial Zones

The purpose of this paper is to address ENVIRONMENT ISSUES AND RISK MANAGEMENT in Vietnam CONSTRUCTION SECTOR AND IN INDUSTRIAL ZONES. In this paper, we suggest that Vietnam cities should have policies to encourage and give priority support to production and business establishments that apply clean and environmentally friendly technologies such as gas technology instead of coal technology, firewood in ceramic production, and charcoal production. Also we demand capital, technology... to strongly develop the capital's industry, linking production with the market and labor, and solving the problem of environmental pollution.

Cyanobacterial effects on an aquatic keystone grazer are reshaped by presence of the herbicide atrazine

Abstract As cyanobacterial blooms and herbicide pollution, which are often detected in eutrophic waters, can separately jeopardise zooplankton populations, there is an urgent and on‐going need to understand the strength and direction of their interactive effects. This is a crucial step toward realistic risk‐evaluation of agricultural pollution in eutrophic waterbodies. In this study, we evaluated how the herbicide, atrazine (ATZ), alters the effects of cyanobacterial food on the zooplankter, Daphnia magna. We found survival time of Daphnia decreased with increasing amounts of Microcystis in their diets, and the magnitude of this cyanobacterial effect was independent of ATZ. In contrast, ATZ exposure triggered faster growth and larger body size in Daphnia fed diets containing Microcystis compared to those fed the good‐food diet. Although toxic Microcystis reduced the overall reproductive output of Daphnia, the presence of ATZ, regardless of the type of food treatment, exhibited a masking effect by further significantly decreasing Daphnia's overall reproductive output, resulting in a low level of reproduction. Finally, we found an expression trade‐off at the molecular scale between growth and reproduction genes on one side, and antioxidation gene on the other, which could account in part for ATZ's influence on Microcystis toxicity to Daphnia at maturation stage. These results demonstrated that ATZ can reshape Daphnia's responses to Microcystis, predominantly with effects on growth and reproductive traits. These trait‐dependent responses were found to be closely linked to the regulation of key metabolic pathways. Collectively, our study enhances current knowledge regarding the potential interaction between fundamental trophic levels in cyanobacteria‐dominated lakes around farmlands, and is helpful to achieve more realistic environmental risk management of agricultural pollution in eutrophic waterbodies.

El camino hacia el cero neto, el papel de los planes de transición y los indicadores prospectivos en la gestión de carteras

RationaleThis article offers a general description of the road towards an economy with zero net emissions (net zero), stressing the importance of this process in portfolio management. To this end, it reviews several of the initiatives currently under way, and details the aspects needed to prepare a transition plan and how key metrics in this context are constructed.Takeaways•The transition towards climate neutrality or net-zero goals affects every sector of the economy, including, on the finance side, investment and asset management. Collectively, individual goals will enable the ultimate global goal to be met. This will call for detailed planning, as well as the implementation of strategies integrating climate and environmental risk management.•The process of setting goals and designing transition plans is currently at the stage of development and adoption by the investment and portfolio management sector, as well as by financial institutions and other firms.•The availability of reliable, comparable data is one of the main challenges in this area. This is the key ingredient for defining and setting goals, and also for designing forward-looking metrics to track the progress made in achieving them.

The Impact of Environmental Management Strategies on Firm's Performance in Banking Industry: A Case Study of three Selected Banks (United Bank for Africa, Heritage Bank and Lotus Bank)

The objective of this research is to examine the impact of Environmental Management Strategies (EMS) on the performance of Nigerian banks. The study focuses on three key components of EMS, namely green financing initiatives, environmental risk management practises, and sustainable product offers. The study employed purposive sampling to gather data from high-ranking workers of three well-established institutions, namely United Bank for Africa, Heritage Bank, and Lotus Bank. The study collected both quantitative and qualitative data from study participants. The quantitative data was analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) within the SMARTPLS3 software. On the other hand, thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. Finally, the study used triangulation method to draw comprehensive conclusions. The results indicate that the implementation of green financing initiatives and environmental risk management practises have a noteworthy and favourable impact on the overall performance of banks operating in Nigeria. The inclusion of sustainable product offers has been shown to have a notable and favourable effect on performance, underscoring the strategic significance of aligning financial products with sustainability objectives. The aforementioned findings highlight the significant importance of EMS in augmenting financial performance, protecting reputations, and establishing Nigerian banks as frontrunners in the realm of sustainable banking practises. The study recommends that policy makers should develop or revise regulatory frameworks to incentivize banks to integrate effective environmental management strategies into their operations, aligning with international sustainability standards.

Application of environmental biomonitoring in environmental risk management of the fuel and energy complex

On the analysis basis of Ukraine fuel and energy complex priority problems, the key role of the introduction of international standards ISO 14000, ISO 9000 series and HSE policy to create conditions for the prevention of technological effects on environmental components and the formation of prerequisites for a safe environment, both for personnel and for the population of the surrounding territories, are determined. Deterioration of natural resources quality and ecosystems degradation and possible levels of natural environments pollution are used as parameters for environmental risk assessing in the conditions of the fuel and energy complex operation. The concept of environmental risk management in this field is presented. The biomonitoring uses to assess the factors influence of the industry enterprises is proposed. Biomonitoring of the territory around the Burshtyn thermal power plant is carried out, taxonomic characteristics of phytoobjects are given, and the indicative prospects of plants, their diversity and classes of permanence are evaluated. A literature analysis is carried out regarding the convenience, ease of use and phytoindicative suitability of plants under the conditions of the man-made environment complex impact. The highest species representativeness in Asteraceae family, represented by 17 species, Fabaceae and Poaceae – by 5 plant species, is established within the study area. The highest phytoindicative potential of Cichorium intybus L. and Achillea millefolium L. under the influence of Burshtyn thermal power station is revealed, which indicates the possibility of effective use of these plants as sensitive monitors of the fuel and energy complex enterprises ecological state.

The Influence of Return on Equity, Environmental Risk Management and Stock Performance on Corporate Sustainability Performance

The Influence of Return on Equity, Environmental Risk Management and Stock Performance on Corporate Sustainability Performance

The impact of financial technology and risk management practices on corporate financial system profitability: evidence from Kuwait

A vital element of the stability of banking institutions is the presence of an effective risk management system, as well as the financial stability of the corporate sector of the economy in terms of the fulfilment of assumed credit obligations. This study investigates the relationship between financial technology (Fintech) adoption, risk management practices and corporate profitability in Kuwait. The object of the study was 62 industrial enterprises registered on the stock market of Kuwait as of 2022. Methods of descriptive statistics, least squares method for estimating regression model parameters, and correlation analysis served as methodological tools of this study. This study aims to overcome the gaps in theoretical justification and empirically prove the existence of a relationship between the implementation of financial technologies and risk management methods. The results showed a positive correlation between the development of financial technologies and return on assets (correlation coefficient 0.6540), which indicates that implementing innovative financial technologies will contribute to improving the efficiency of banking institutions. The strong and positive correlation between the effectiveness of risk management and the profitability of business entities emphasizes the importance of responsible risk management practices for increasing banking institutions’ profitability. Based on the results of building a regression model, it was established that fintech has a significant impact on indicators of the return on equity of economic entities (р<0.050, t = 1.7700). The originality of this study lies in its focus on Kuwait and the Middle East as a whole and in its exploration of the relationship between corporate financial system profitability, risk management strategies and Fintech adoption. The use of innovative technologies (advanced analytics, artificial intelligence and blockchain) increases the effectiveness of risk management, which contributes to rational decision-making and a better understanding of the banking institution’s potential risks and development opportunities. This study contributes significantly to the existing literature by highlighting the relationships between financial technology innovation adoption, risk management and business financial performance in a market environment in the Middle East.

The Construction of Seaports in the Arctic: Prospects and Environmental Consequences

The Arctic zone of the Russian Federation is of strategic importance for the country. Considering the fragility of Arctic ecosystems, special attention needs to be paid to the sustainable development of transport and related infrastructure within the framework of the “blue economy” concept, which is relevant for Arctic waters. At the same time, it is necessary to identify the main factors and tasks of creating transport and port infrastructure, building a modern fleet, and organizing fisheries and tourism in an environmentally sound manner. The purpose of the study is to consider the problems of anthropogenic influence for seaport facilities and to create a conceptual model of an environmental risk management system. The existing problems of Arctic ports and infrastructure are analyzed and existing business processes are considered, taking into account the peculiarities of their functioning in Arctic conditions. To systematize environmental assessments and establish dependencies between the main indicators describing the impact of port activities on elements of the natural environment, ontological domain engineering is proposed. It systematizes the basic terminology used within different subject areas of ecology and risks and allows one to visualize the relationships between elements of the natural environment, objects, port systems, their parameters and impact factors to assess the impact of the seaport on the natural environment. The results of ontological engineering (design and development of ontologies) in the field of risk management are presented. Future research will be aimed at developing the applied aspect of applying the results of ontological engineering in terms of specific engineering studies related to the assessment of anthropogenic load on the Arctic territory using simulation modeling.

Risk management analysis of environmental investment in economic security


 
 
 Biodiversity loss is irreversible and demands investment in organizational measures for environmental protection and effective risk management of relevant financial investments to ensure national economic security. This research analyzes the directions of investment support for economic security based on rational interaction between society and ecosystems. The goal of this article is to identify the main directions of anthropogenic impact on the environment and the interdependence of improving ecological indicators through investment activities in the corresponding direction to ensure economic security. The study examines investment directions in environmental protection within the LIFE program projects to prevent negative cause-and-effect effects from the implementation of natural innovations. The maximization of the EU’s efforts in ecosystem restoration and protection is identified to mitigate investment risks by promoting the adoption of innovations across a wider range of societal spheres. It is estimated that during the period from 2018 to 2022, there was an increase in investment in environmental protection by approximately 18%, resulting in areduction in emissions intensity by 22.9% by economic activity types from 2016 to 2021, and the average CO2 emissions indicator contributed to a decrease by 1.1%. Investing in the environment requires continuous adaptation to changing external conditions and requires adjustments to reduce risk threats, such as unforeseen consequences of financial investments in certain economic sectors, shifts in societal behavior, and unexpected ecosystem impacts. However, effective management of investment risks is a potential for the development of environmental investment activities, such as the implementation and support of sustainable innovations (transition to eco-friendly construction, reforestation, raw material certification).
 
 

Leaching behaviour and mechanism of U, 226Ra and 210Pb from uranium tailings at different pH conditions

A large number of radionuclides remain in uranium tailings, and U, 226Ra and 210Pb leach out with water chemistry, causing potential radioactive contamination to the surrounding environment. In this paper, uranium tailings from a uranium tailings pond in southern China were collected at different depths by means of borehole sampling, mixed and homogenised, and analysed for mineral and chemical composition, microscopic morphology, U, 226Ra and 210Pb fugacity, static leaching and dynamic leaching of U, 226Ra and 210Pb in uranium tailings at different pH conditions. The variation of U, 226Ra and 210Pb concentrations in the leachate under different pH conditions with time was obtained, and the leaching mechanism was analysed. The results showed that the uranium tailings were dominated by quartz, plagioclase and other minerals, of which SiO2 and Al2O3 accounted for 65.45% and 13.32% respectively, and U, 226Ra and 210Pb were mainly present in the residue form. The results of the static leaching experiments show that pH mainly influences the leaching of U, 226Ra and 210Pb by changing their chemical forms and the particle properties of the tailings, and that the lower the pH the more favourable the leaching. The results of dynamic leaching experiments during the experimental cycle showed that the leaching concentration and cumulative release of U, 226Ra and 210Pb in the leach solution were greater at lower pH conditions than at higher pH conditions, and the leaching of U, 226Ra and 210Pb at different pH conditions was mainly from the water-soluble and exchangeable states. The present research results are of great significance for the environmental risk management and control of radioactive contamination in existing uranium tailings ponds, and are conducive to ensuring the long-term safety, stability and sustainability of uranium mining sites.

Using the quantitative ion character-activity relationships (QICAR) model to predict the solid-liquid release of metals in soil

Dissolved metals in the soil’s liquid phase are more easily absorbed by biological tissues, thus posing potential risks to living organisms. Therefore, studying the solid-liquid partition coefficient (Kd) of metals in the soil helps understand their environmental risks. We collected 102 Kd data of metals in soil from the literature to build a quantitative ion character-activity relationship model (s-QICAR) based on the metals’ physicochemical properties. Correlation analysis showed ten elemental physicochemical properties related to Kd, including covalent bond index, atomic mass, and first hydrolysis constant, with R2 = 0.502–0.989. Through comparative screening, 39s-QICAR models were finally established, including covalent bond index and first hydrolysis constant. The established s-QICAR model predicted the Kd values of Mo, Sb, and La in the 39 soil samples, ranging from 21 to 19978. Finally, a coupling analysis was conducted between Kd-metal and soil physicochemical properties. The s-QICAR model with covalent bond index as the independent variable was mainly affected by soil pH and cation exchange capacity, while the s-QICAR model with first hydrolysis constant was influenced primarily by clay content. Therefore, this study established a predictive model for soil Kd, providing a basis for soil environmental risk assessment and management. Environmental ImplicationDissolved metals present in the soil liquid phase are more easily absorbed by biological tissues, thus posing potential risks to living organisms. Therefore, studying the solid-liquid partition coefficient (Kd) of metals in the soil helps understand their environmental risks. Common Kd values are obtained by measuring the content of soil solid and liquid phase metals. However, this method is time-material consuming. We study the relationship between element properties and their Kd, then establish a model that does not rely on measured data to predict Kd of soil elements, providing a basis for soil environmental risk assessment and management.

Geoinformatics and Machine Learning for Comprehensive Fire Risk Assessment and Management in Peri-Urban Environments: A Building-Block-Level Approach

Forest fires can result in loss of life, damage to infrastructure, and adverse environmental impacts. This study showcases an integrated approach for conducting high-detail fire risk assessment and supporting strategic planning and management of fire events in peri-urban areas that are susceptible to forest fires. The presented methodology encompasses fire hazard modeling, vulnerability and exposure assessment, and in situ observations. Numerous fire hazard scenarios were tested, simulating the spatiotemporal spread of fire events under different wind characteristics. The vulnerability of the studied areas was assessed by combining population data (density and age) and building characteristics, while the exposure parameter employed land value (EUR/m2) as an indicator for qualitatively estimating potential economic effects in the study area. Field campaigns facilitated the identification and recording of critical areas and points, including high-risk buildings and population gathering areas, which subsequently informed the mitigation and fire management planning suggestions. Moreover, field recordings acted as an iterative process for validating and updating the fire risk maps. This research work utilizes state-of-the-art techniques to achieve an analysis of fire risk at a building-block level. Overall, the study presents an applied and end-to-end methodology for effectively addressing forest fire risk in peri-urban areas.

An alkali-enhanced subcritical water treatment strategy of short-chain chlorinated paraffins: Dechlorination and hydrocarbons recovery

As persistent organic pollutants, short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) have attracted wide attention in the field of environmental health risk and hazardous waste management. Efficient dechlorination of high content of SCCPs in plastic waste is the committed step for its detoxification and safety treatment. In this study, a high-efficiency and low-temperature process for dechlorination and hydrocarbons recovery from typical SCCPs (52#SCCPs) by subcritical water (SubCW) with alkali enhancer was developed. The introduction of alkali enhancer in the SubCW process had significantly enhanced effect on the dechlorination of 52#SCCPs, and the order of the enhanced effect of alkali enhancer for the dechlorination was NaOH > Na2CO3 > NaHCO3 > NH3·H2O > KOH. The dechlorination behaviors of 52#SCCPs in the NaOH-enhanced SubCW process were studied systematically under different conditions including temperature, residence time, alkali concentration, and volume ratio. The results showed that high-efficiency dechlorination (100 %) of 52#SCCPs could be achieved by the NaOH-enhanced SubCW process at low temperature for a short time (250 °C, 5 min). All of the chlorine released from the molecular chain of 52#SCCPs was transferred to the aqueous phase in the form of inorganic chlorine. The continuous HCl elimination reaction was the primary dechlorination mechanism for 52#SCCPs in the NaOH-enhanced SubCW process. After the dechlorination of 52#SCCPs, high value-added hydrocarbons such as 2,4-hexadiyne (31.74 %) could be obtained. The alkali-enhanced SubCW process proposed in this study is believed to be an environmentally friendly and high-efficiency method for dechlorination/detoxification and resource recovery of SCCPs.

Spatial Distribution of Al, Zn, Fe, As, Pb, Mn, Cr, and Cu in Surface Waters of the Urumqi River Basin, China, and Assessment of Risks to Ecosystems and Human Health

The study of pollution and risk assessment of surface water in watersheds is important for the use and management of surface water, as well as for the stability of ecosystems and human health. This study focused on a typical watershed in an arid zone, the Urumqi River basin; divided the basin into upper, middle, and lower reaches according to the main uses of the surface water in the region; and collected surface water samples from the basin. We collected 41 surface water samples from the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the Urumqi River Basin, a typical arid zone watershed. The characteristics and spatial distribution of metal elements in the surface waters of the basin were analysed, the pollution status was evaluated, and risk assessments of the effects of these metal elements on natural ecosystems and human health were carried out. The results showed that (1) the average concentration of the metal element Al in the surface water of the Urumqi River Basin was 663.73 µg·L−1, which was 3.3 times that of the standard limit value (200 µg·L−1), with an exceedance rate of 100%, and the standard deviation value was 136.05 µg·L−1, with a large difference in spatial distribution. Spatial distributions for Al, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, and Zn were higher upriver and midstream than downriver, and for Pb and As, they were higher upriver, midstream, and downriver than downriver. (2) The values of the single-factor pollution index of the metal elements Zn, As, Pb, Mn, Cr, and Cu in the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the watershed were all less than 1, which is within the safe range. The integrated pollution indexes of 0.03~0.27 were all less than 0.7, which is within the safe range, and the integrated pollution of the upper reaches was significantly greater than that of the middle and lower reaches. (3) The total ecological risk of the basin ranged from 0.09 to 13.72, which is much lower than the low-risk indicator value of 150, and the ecological risk of the upper reaches was higher than that of the middle and lower reaches. (4) The health risk assessment showed that the total health risks of the eight metal elements to adults and children showed an upstream > downstream > midstream pattern, all of which exceeded the ICRP recommended value (10−5). The average annual total health risks of the carcinogenic metal elements chromium and arsenic to adults and children were 10−6 and 10−5 a−1, respectively, with arsenic concentrations exceeding the ICRP recommended value (10−5). Arsenic and lead in the surface waters of the Urumqi River Basin are important indicators of health risk and need to be prioritised as indicators for environmental risk management.

Management of environmental risks in highway construction projects in Sri Lanka

Purpose Environmental risks (ERs) are critical to any highway construction project (HCP). One of the main contracting parties responsible for ERs is the contractor. Hence, it has been crucial to look into ways to control ERs in HCPs from the contractor’s perspective. This study aims to investigate how ERs can be managed in HCP in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research approach with three rounds of Delphi was used. Statistical techniques were used to analyse and validate the ERs, the parties to whom the risks were to be allocated, and risk management measures identified from the empirical data collection. Findings The study reveals the 11 most significant ERs for HCP. Further, the most significant ERs in HCP were mainly found to be the responsibility of contractors in Sri Lanka. Twenty-four most appropriate risk response measures were determined; 13 were found to be common measures that could be used to manage two or more risks, while the remaining 11 were unique to specific risks. Originality/value Overall, this research determines the most significant ERs in HCP, the best risk allocation among the parties and appropriate risk-handling strategies and measures for each significant ERs. Additionally, the study addresses the demand for ERs management in HCP.

Management of Operational Risk in the Context of Financial Performance of SMEs

Owners and managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have changed their perspective on risk management due to the current global negative threats in the business environment. If they want to be successful and ensure the financial performance of their business, they must adopt a proactive approach to reducing strategic risks in connection with operational risks. The aim of the article is to identify and quantify the differences in operational risk management and its effect on the financial management of SMEs between four Central European countries. The statistical sample of SMEs consisted of 1090 owners and top managers. Data collection was carried out through a questionnaire in the period December 2022–January 2023. Statistical hypotheses were evaluated with the application of correlation analysis and linear regression modelling. Empirical findings have confirmed that operational risk management has a significant positive impact on improving the profitability of the enterprise and on reducing the enterprise’s indebtedness, as well as in the context of reducing the enterprise’s inability to pay its obligations. However, there are disparities in the perception of this influence between owners/managers with regard to the country in which they carry out their business activities. The findings are important for both national and multinational organizations and entities dealing with risk management in the business environment of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Pollution Characteristics and Source Analysis of Heavy Metals in Soils in Yellow River Cultural Park Based on APCS-MLR and PMF Receptor Model

With open spaces and good ecological environments, urban parks have become the first choice for the leisure and entertainment of many people. Therefore, the quality of park soil environments has gradually attracted the extensive attention of scholars. In this study, we take the Yellow River Cultural Park, a typical human disturbance area in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, as the research area to discuss the characteristics and sources of heavy metal pollution in the soil. Thirty-three soil surface samples were collected from the Yellow River Cultural Park, and the contents of seven heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and As) were determined using an inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) and an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The geo-accumulation index and geo-statistics method were used. Meanwhile, the absolute factor analysis-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) receptor model and positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis model were employed to reveal the sources of soil heavy metals. The results showed that the average contents of heavy metals (Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb, and As) in the surface soil of the study area were 4.62, 1.78, 1.41, 1.08, and 1.03 times higher than the background values of soil elements in the tidal soil area of the lower reaches of the Yellow River, respectively. Except for Zn, the contents of other elements were lower than the corresponding values of soil elements in different regions along the Yellow River Basin. Among the seven heavy metal elements, the coefficients of variation of Cd and As were greater than 50%, showing obvious spatial variability. The decreasing trend of the accumulation index of the seven elements was Cd>Zn>Cu>Ni>Pb>As=Cr, and the element Cd belonged to the middle pollution category, which was obviously accumulated in the surface soil. The spatial distribution of heavy metals in the soil differed:the high contents of Cr, Cu, and Ni were distributed in the southwest and northeast, and the high-value areas of Cd and Pb were consistent with the areas of human activity intensity. The high-value areas of Zn and As were located in the center of lacustrine sediments. The combined results of the APCS-MLR and PMF models suggested that the first pollution source of soil heavy metal elements in the Yellow River Cultural Park could have been a natural source, the second pollution source may have been a transportation source, and the third source of pollution was judged as a mixed source. Human activities such as transportation sources and mixed sources were the main sources of heavy metal soil pollution, and Cr, Cu, and Ni were affected by natural factors. The contribution rates of APCS-MLR were 46.67%, 24.11%, 16.12%, and 13.10%, respectively, and the contribution rates of PMF were 35.50%, 35.48%, and 29.02%, respectively. This research can provide a basis for improving the ecological environment quality of the park and improving the health level of the population and can also provide support for the ecological environment risk management and comprehensive management along the Yellow River.

The Tourist Exploitation of the Cultural Landscape of Ocna Mureș - as a Factor of Socio-Economic Well-Being and an Alternative to the Major Impact Consequences Induced by Floods in the Anthropocene

"Human society, as an integral part of the environment, is subject to the consequences of the various specific natural phenomena and processes. Similarly, human intervention exerts its own impact on the environment, the influences being reciprocal. In the Anthropocene, the current geological period of Earth’s existence, some phenomena, through their way of manifestation, can produce dramatic changes in certain environments, consequently being categorized as dangerous by humans. In the temperate zone, these include: earthquakes, landslides, large-scale storms, floods, prolonged droughts, fires, pollution, epidemics, etc., with various causes, from natural to anthropogenic or mixed. In the context of the increasingly significant phenomena related to climate change, the concerns in the field of the cultural landscape were naturally joined by those related to the study of the impact of various risks within it. As a research area, the surface of the city of Ocna Mureș, closely linked to the middle course of the Mureș River, lends itself to the investigation of the impact of these types of risks connected with the evolution of the local cultural landscape. Numerous floods have occurred over time causing immense damage to the city and, at the same time, brought substantial changes to the elements of the environment and the cultural landscape as a whole. The perpetual decline of the local economy, especially of the mining and processing industry, starting from the 1990s until recently, can facilitate the emergence of the opportunity for tourism capitalization of the cultural landscape, marked to a large extent by the existence of the salt resource; all this in accordance with the principles of sustainable development and careful management of potential environmental risks. These basic aspects regarding the risk of floods and the opportunity for the tourism exploitation of the local cultural landscape, stated previously, shall be analysed, argued and highlighted in the paper. Keywords: cultural landscape, Ocna Mureș, floods, tourism exploitation, Anthropocene."