Pollution In Rural Areas Research Articles

Air pollution and cause-specific mortality: A comparative study of urban and rural areas in China

Air pollution increases the risks of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality and respiratory mortality across China. However, the urban-rural differences in the associations between air pollution and mortality have not been clearly identified. In this study, a distributed lag nonlinear model was used to examine whether the air pollutants-mortality associations vary between urban and rural areas. Then, we used logistic regression analyses to evaluate the air pollutants-mortality relations. Also, generalized additive models were simulated to evaluate the nonlinear curves. Our results showed that the relative risks of air pollution-related mortality were generally higher in rural areas, where PM2.5 pollution was the dominant factor (p-value < 0.05). Mortality risks for all-cause, cardiovascular and respiratory will increase when average annual PM2.5 concentrations exceed approximately 38 μg/m3, 41 μg/m3 and 41 μg/m3, respectively, all of which exceed the annual Grade II standards. In urban areas, PM10-2.5 and NO2 were associated with mortality (p-value < 0.05). We proposed some area-specific strategies for controlling the NO2 pollution and PM10-2.5 pollution in urban areas and the PM2.5 pollution in rural areas to eliminate the gaps. Our findings identify that rural residents are more sensitive to air pollution than urban residents in China, and this result challenges previous assumptions about the more adverse effects of urbanization on residents’ health in developing countries.

Assessing the role of advanced cooking technologies to mitigate household air pollution in rural areas of Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract The problem of household air pollution (HAP) due to the use of inefficient cooking devices continues to affect the rural population of India. With the ongoing efforts to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) through intervention of clean cooking options it is imperative to assess these interventions in real world conditions before large scale rollouts. The present study is an attempt to assess the impact of three clean cooking solutions - induction stove (IS), forced draft cookstove (FDC) and a traditional cookstove with hood (TCH) in rural area of Solan, Himachal Pradesh in India. Using a cross-sectional study design mean 24 h kitchen area concentration of PM2.5 and PM1, carbon monoxide (CO) along with cooking time black carbon (BC) were measured. A significant (p 70% in mean 24 h and cooking time concentrations of all the pollutants was observed in all three clean cooking interventions compared to the traditional cookstove. However, in case of IS the reduction in mean 24 h PM2.5 and PM1 concentrations were 72% and 74% respectively which were much lower than nearly 100% reduction in CO and BC. Low cost interventions such as TCH were also found to improve IAQ significantly. However, higher BC fraction in PM in FDC indicated a scope for technological improvement in design of such stoves and a need for integrating BC as a stove performance indicator was also realized. Additionally, a comparative analysis using IAQ data from related studies highlighted the role of kitchen geometry and ambient air quality in causing variation in IAQ. So, for large scale community programs and initiatives that aim to mitigate HAP it is important to have multi-pronged approach that takes into cognizance factors other than cookstove which impact IAQ.

Characteristics of indoor and personal exposure to particulate organic compounds emitted from domestic solid fuel combustion in rural areas of northwest China

Household solid fuel combustion for heating in winter is a substantial source of air pollution in rural areas of northwest China. The present study investigated the concentration characteristics and health risks of particulate matter (PM) and its organic compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs), and phthalate esters (PAEs). Indoor air and housewives' personal exposure (PE) samples were collected in Guanzhong Basin, among rural households relying on various solid fuels for heating in winter. Indoor PM primarily comprised fine PM (PM2.5, 76%), and its organic compounds were identified in particular abundance in households that used coal as the only domestic fuel (Group C, 96% in PM2.5). The mean concentration of PE to PM2.5 was 307 ± 120 μg·m−3, which was 2.4-times higher than the indoor concentration (130 ± 103 μg·m−3) because of the housewives' short-term exposure to high-concentration pollution emitted by solid fuel combustion. Organic compounds exhibited the same pattern, with PE samples having a 44% higher concentration than indoor samples. The correlation of PM2.5-bound organics between indoor and PE samples in Group C (R2 = 0.9) was higher than that in the group using coal and biomass (Group M, R2 = 0.6), indicating the stronger correlation of single-fuel heating method. The PE/indoor ratio of high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs in Group C (2.5) was higher than that of the other organic compounds (1.3) because HMW PAHs emitted through coal combustion had a larger effect on PE. This further led to higher incremental lifetime cancer risks (ICLRs) via inhalation pathway among housewives in Group C (2.4- and 1.2-times higher risk for PAHs and PAEs, respectively) than among those in Group M. However, inhalational ILCR values of Group M were still 2.1–340-times higher than the international safety standard (10−6). Therefore, the upgradation of domestic fuels and heating ways is urgently needed in rural area of northwest China to reduce indoor air pollution and health risks.

Characterization of outdoor air pollution from solid fuel combustion in Xuanwei and Fuyuan, a rural region of China

Outdoor air pollution is a growing public health concern, particularly in urban settings. However, there are limited epidemiological data on outdoor air pollution in rural areas with substantial levels of air pollution attributed to solid fuel burning for household cooking and heating. Xuanwei and Fuyuan are rural counties in China where the domestic combustion of locally sourced bituminous (“smoky”) coal has been associated with the highest lung cancer rates in China. We previously assessed indoor and personal air pollution exposures in this area; however, the influence of indoor coal combustion and household ventilation on outdoor air pollution has not been assessed. Therefore, we measured outdoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5), species of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) including naphthalene (NAP) and the known carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) over two consecutive 24-h sampling periods in 29 villages. Just over half of the villages were revisited two to nine months after the initial sampling period to repeat all measurements. The overall geometric mean (GM) of outdoor PM2.5, BaP, NAP, and NO2 were 45.3 µg/m3, 9.7 ng/m3, 707.7 ng/m3, and 91.5 µg/m3, respectively. Using linear mixed effects models, we found that burning smoky coal was associated with higher outdoor BaP concentrations [GM ratio (GMR) = 2.79] and lower outdoor SO2 detection rates (GMR = 0.43), compared to areas burning smokeless coal. Areas with predominantly ventilated stoves (> 50% of stoves) had higher outdoor BaP (GMR = 1.49) compared to areas with fewer ventilated stoves. These results show that outdoor air pollution in a rural region of China was associated with the type of coal used for cooking and heating indoors and the presence of stove ventilation. Our findings suggest that efforts of household stove improvement to reduce indoor air pollution have resulted in higher outdoor air pollution levels. Further reducing adverse health effects in rural villages from household coal combustion will require the use of cleaner fuel types.

Risk associated with the water infrastructure in rural water suppliers in Turrialba Cartago, Costa Rica

Having enough and good quality drinking water is essential for a country’s socioeconomic development. Drinking water supply indicators in urban areas of Costa Rica are acceptable; in fact, health has not yet been compromised. The management of water supply in rural areas has been delegated to community associations, which have neither the technical preparation nor the financial resources to deal with proper management to sustainability water supply. In a short term, the deficiencies mentioned before, will increase the risk of water supply. This article presents the risk associated with water infrastructure of some rural water suppliers. Also provides some recommendations for improving their performance. To determine the possible contamination of water, the components of the water supply systems were evaluated in four rural water suppliers in Turrialba canton Cartago (6070 inhabitants) Costa Rica. The risk was determined using the “official risk control surveillance instrument of the Ministry of Health”. It was determined that 45% of the storage tanks have a high risk of contamination. Only one of the four water suppliers had a chlorination system, and this was classified as high risk. All the infrastructure studied was more than 30 years old. There is an urgent to improve the infrastructure and management of these water suppliers, to avoid a crisis of water scarcity or pollution in rural areas. The main improvements opportunities for water suppliers are promoting a system of preventive maintenance of the reservoirs, installing chlorination systems, implementing a control of water demand, training technical and administrative staff.

POLUIÇÃO ATMOSFÉRICA ASSOCIADA AO MATERIAL PARTICULADO NO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO: ANÁLISE BASEADA EM DADOS DE SATÉLITE

A poluição atmosférica gerada pelas atividades antrópicas afeta tanto o equilíbrio climático quanto a qualidade do ar. O Material Particulado (MP) é reconhecidamente o poluente atmosférico com maior impacto na saúde humana. No estado de São Paulo, as principais fontes de MP são as emissões veiculares, nas áreas urbanas, e a queima de biomassa, nas áreas rurais. Com o objetivo de mitigar a poluição nas áreas rurais, em 2007 foi assinado o protocolo agroambiental entre o estado de São Paulo e o setor sucroalcooleiro, o qualtrata da redução e da eliminação gradual do uso da queima como prática de colheita de cana até 2017. A análise da tendência nos níveis dos poluentes atmosféricos no estado é fundamental para a avaliação dos resultados do protocolo. Entretanto, apesar de apresentar a maior rede de monitoramentode qualidade do ar no Brasil, São Paulo não tem monitoramento da poluição atmosférica na maioria dos seus municípios. Nesse contexto, visando avaliar o impacto do protocolo agroambiental, o presente estudo analisou a distribuição espacial e temporal da profundidade óptica do aerossol (AOD) no estado entreos anos de 2007 (quando o protocolo foi assinado) e 2017. AOD é um indicador óptico da abundância do MP na atmosfera, derivado das medidas de radiância espectral do sensor MODIS a bordo do satélite Terra. Os resultados revelaram que, quando a influência do transporte de fumaça das regiões Norte e Centro-Oeste do Brasil é removida, os dados de satélite identificam adequadamente as regiões mais poluídas no estado: as áreas metropolitanas de São Paulo, de Campinas e da Baixada Santista e as porções central e norte, que são dominadas pelas plantações de cana-de-açúcar. Em relação à tendência depoluição, nas áreas a oeste e noroeste do estado, onde ocorreu expansão do cultivo de cana nos últimos anos, apesar das limitações impostas para queima pelo protocolo agroambiental, observou-se tendência significativa de aumento da poluição. Já nas áreas de tradicional cultivo de cana, nas porçõescentro e norte do estado, embora se tenha percebido tendência de redução da poluição associada ao MP, ela não foi significativa.

Integration of air pollution data collected by mobile measurement to derive a preliminary spatiotemporal air pollution profile from two neighboring German-Czech border villages

Generally, there are only a few fixed air quality monitoring stations installed in villages or rural areas and only a few studies on small-scale variations in air pollution have been described in detail, which make it difficult to estimate human exposure in such environments and related adverse health effects. Moreover, biomass combustion can be an important source of air pollution in rural areas, comparable to vehicle and industrial emissions in urban planning. And their air pollutants are mainly affected by local sources. For this reason, a survey on rural air pollution was carried out in this study. Therefore, portable, battery-powered monitoring devices were used to measure particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5, PM1, particle number concentration, and black carbon) in order to study air quality in rural communities. The focus of the investigations was to explore the application of mobile monitoring equipment in small-scale environments, compare the differences in rural air pollutants between two neighboring villages in two countries, and the identification of pollution hotspots. The measurements were carried out in November 2018 in two villages on the German-Czech border. Over a period of four days, 21 mobile measurements along fixed routes were carried out simultaneously at both locations. The analysis of the data revealed significant differences in PN and PM concentrations in rural air pollutants between the two countries. The spatial and temporal distribution of air pollution hotspots in the Czech village was higher than that in the German village. The relationships between the measurement parameters were weak but highly significant and the meteorological parameters can effect air pollution. Overall, the results of this study show that mobile measurements are suitable for effectively recording and distinguishing spatial and temporal characteristics of air quality.

Environmental pollution in Vietnam’s craft villages

The environment and environmental protection in Vietnam in general and in craft villages in particular are an issue that get concerned by the Party, the Government and the entire population in society. The development of craft villages has contributed significantly to socio-economic development, helping to raise incomes and improve the lives of local people. However, the environmental pollution in craft villages is at an alarming rate. According to the verification report of the National Assembly’s Committee on Science, Technology and Environment, only 26.7% of craft villages currently collect industrial wastewater and 20.9% of craft villages collect industrial solid waste. This is a big problem in dealing with environmental pollution in rural areas, especially in traditional craft villages. In this article, the author focuses on issues such as: Actual situation of environmental pollution in craft villages; causes of pollution and proposals of measures to reduce pollution and help sustainable development of craft villages.

The seasonal distribution and concentration of antibiotics in rural streams and drinking wells in the piedmont of North Carolina

The present study investigated 16 residential, rural well sites and respective nearby streams in the Piedmont of North Carolina over three different seasons to determine antibiotic presence and concentration. Fifteen antibiotics were detected in stream surface water, groundwater, and stream sediment compartments. Antibiotics detected representing penicillin, sulfonamide, macrolide, aminoglycoside, lincosamide, and quinolone groups. Sulfamethoxazole (SMX), sulfamerazine (SMR), danofloxacin (DAN), and erythromycin (ETM) were the most commonly detected among samples throughout the sampling period. Concentrations reported in the study ranged from 0 to 1740 ng/L in surface water and groundwater, and 0t378 μg/kg in stream sediment. There was a seasonal influence on antibiotic concentrations in each environmental compartment. Fall had the highest antibiotic concentrations for surface water and stream sediments overall, and groundwater concentrations were highest in the winter. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to assess the correlation between environmental variables. Antibiotic concentrations correlated with groundwater pH, surface water pH, and surface water temperature. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), used to display seasonal and environmental compartment data, demonstrated no discernible trend in the distribution of antibiotics over time. Human health risk assessments based on risk quotients (RQs). RQs from groundwater assessment shown no risk to children 6–11 years old, or adults 18 years old or older. Results from this study illustrate that the occurrence of antibiotics in streams and groundwater in the Piedmont of North Carolina is widespread and provide a basis for future studies investigating the occurrence of antibiotics in rural areas, especially where animal density is high. This work is important because it contributes to the paucity of information on antibiotic pollution in rural areas, and because it illustrates the importance of using a combined targeted and non-targeted approach to antibiotic pollution in streams and groundwater.

Study of Lead (Pb) Distribution in Soil of Jetis District, Mojokerto Regency

The increase in the percentage of land pollution in rural areas in East Java Province in 2011 to 2014 was caused by various factors. One of the factors that led to an increase in the percentage of land pollution was the increase in industrial activities in rural areas which made population growth and activity also increase.

Increased risk of carotid atherosclerosis for long-term exposure to indoor coal-burning pollution in rural area, Hebei Province, China

Smoky coal burning is a predominant manner for heating and cooking in most rural areas, China. Air pollution is associated with the risk of atherosclerosis, however, the link between indoor air pollution induced by smoky coal burning and atherosclerosis is not very clear. Therefore, we designed a cross-sectional study to evaluate the association of long-term exposure to smoky coal burning pollutants with the risk of atherosclerosis. 426 and 326 participants were recruited from Nangong, China and assigned as the coal exposure and control group according to their heating and cooking way, respectively. The indoor air quality (PM2.5, CO, SO2) was monitored. The association between coal burning exposure and the prevalence of atherosclerosis was evaluated by unconditional logistic regression analysis, adjusted for confounding factors. The inflammatory cytokines mRNAs (IL-8, SAA1, TNF-α, CRP) expression in whole blood were examined by qPCR. People in the coal exposure group had a higher risk of carotid atherosclerosis compared with the control (risk ratio [RR], 1.434; 95% confidence interval [95%CI], 1.063 to 1.934; P = 0.018). The association was stronger in smokers, drinkers and younger (<45 years old) individuals. The elevation of IL-8 (0.24, 95%CI, 0.06–0.58; P < 0.05), CRP (0.37, 95%CI, 0.05–0.70; P < 0.05), TNF-α (0.41, 95%CI, 0.14–0.67; P < 0.01) mRNAs expression in whole blood were positively related to coal exposure. Our results suggested long-term exposure to smoky coal burning emissions could increase the risk of carotid atherosclerosis. The potential mechanism might relate that coal burning emissions exposure induced inflammatory cytokines elevation which had adverse effects on atherosclerotic plaque, and then promoted the development of atherosclerosis.

Individual exposure to particulate matter in urban and rural Chinese households: estimation of exposure concentrations in indoor and outdoor environments

According to the World Health Report, an estimated 540,000 people in China died prematurely due to indoor air pollution in 2009. The major source of indoor air pollution is the burning of solid fuels, such as coal and biomass, for household heating and cooking. To understand the current state of indoor air pollution in China, we quantified the total domestic energy consumption and exposure concentrations of pollutants in indoor environments. We investigated domestic energy consumption by fuel type and energy use in both urban and rural areas in 31 provinces in China and modified a microenvironmental exposure model to estimate the exposure concentrations of particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5). Our results revealed that in urban areas, the main source of indoor PM2.5 pollution was inflow from outdoor pollution sources. In contrast, the main source of indoor pollution in rural areas was the combustion of coal and biomass. Men who spent more time in heated indoor environments were exposed to higher PM2.5 concentrations than women. However, in rural areas, women were exposed to twice the PM2.5 concentrations than men, as they spent more time cooking and heating water.

Ecological ditch system for nutrient removal of rural domestic sewage in the hilly area of the central Sichuan Basin, China

Domestic sewage is a key source of surface water pollution in rural areas of developing countries, especially in China, where a large amount of highly concentrated nutrients is directly discharged into the receiving waters. Therefore, in this study, a set of ecological ditch systems was designed to remove nutrients from rural domestic sewage in the hilly area of the central Sichuan Basin, China. The results show that the total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiencies range from 14.87% to 84.24%, with an average of 47.97%, and the total phosphorus (TP) removal efficiencies range from 13.93% to 86.22% with an average of 49.79%. The highest daily TN and TP removal rates are 13.06 and 1.30 g m−2 d−1, respectively, and the average removal rates are 3.19 g m−2 d−1 for TN and 0.28 g m−2 d−1 for TP. Our results indicate that the ecological ditch system to treat rural domestic sewage with high nutrient concentrations can be used in the study area or areas with similar topography. Furthermore, we found that the nutrient removal efficiencies exhibit considerable seasonal variations and are sensitive to the hydraulic flow rates. The nutrient removal capacity of the ecological ditch system is therefore somewhat limited. Based on our findings, the use of winter-hardy wetland plants and increase of the size of the filter unit are recommended to make the ecological ditch system more efficient and maintain high nutrient removal rates year-round. Furthermore, we suggest that regular mowing of plants and the removal of accumulated sediment are necessary to manage the ecological ditch system.

The Hidden Hazard of Household Air Pollution in Rural China

Air pollution in Chinese cities has become a major topic of public debate and political concern. At the same time, few rural areas are subjected to measurements of ambient air quality, and policy documents and media rarely discuss the health and environmental risks caused by household air pollution (HAP) produced by the use of biomass for cooking and heating. Between 2014 and 2017 a cross-disciplinary team carried out a joint study of air quality and perceptions of air pollution in one of China’s richest provinces, Zhejiang. We found that the ambient PM2.5 concentration in the rural villages was similar to that in the urban areas. Moreover, the 24-hour mean personal exposure to particulate pollution (PM2.5) was similar for urban and rural participants in total. However, we found indications of enhanced exposure levels in certain sub-groups, such as biomass users, women, and family cooks. We found that while villagers were strongly concerned about risks of air pollution coming from nearby factories, they were largely unaware of the problem of HAP. In this article, we analyse to what extent HAP contributes to the air pollution exposure in the areas studied, and we discuss possible reasons why it has largely remained a hidden hazard. In the conclusion, we suggest that air pollution in rural areas should receive more attention from media, environmental organizations and policy makers; furthermore, that HAP in particular should be incorporated into air pollution policies to a greater extent, and its contribution to air pollution exposure in rural areas be made more publicly known.

Residential coal combustion as a source of primary sulfate in Xi'an, China

Sulfate is a major component of atmospheric fine particulate matter in the troposphere. Globally, observed sulfate concentrations are generally high in summer and low in winter. Current air quality models fail to reproduce high winter sulfate concentrations observed during substantial pollution episodes in northern China. From ambient measurement data, it was reported that contrary to current belief, sulfate, that is normally considered as a secondary species, was actually largely primary. The present study presents direct evidence of primary sulfate emissions from residential coal combustion (RCC) by testing particulate matter (PM) emissions from briquettes and chunk coal burned in a household stove. Sulfate accounted for 16.6 ± 7.7% and 29.2 ± 8.7% of PM2.5 mass emissions from this stove burning coal briquettes and chunk coal, respectively. Using the 2014 emissions inventory, 1215 tons of PM10 sulfate were estimated to have been emitted from RCC in Xi'an, a megacity that continually experiences severe PM pollution in northern China. The RCC contribution was also estimated using a constrained positive matrix factorization in which RCC accounted for averages of 26% and 32% of ambient PM2.5 mass during the heating season at urban and rural sites in Xi'an, respectively. The winter contributions were higher than that during non-heating season. PM2.5 emissions from RCC during heating season were 1.5–4.0 times those during non-heating season for the urban sites, and 2.5 to 6.8 times those for the rural sites. Thus, severe PM pollution in rural areas resulted from intense household coal combustion for space heating. Primary sulfate from RCC was responsible for a large fraction of ambient sulfate during heating season, on average contributing 38.9% and 49.2% of ambient sulfate mass in PM2.5 at urban sites and rural sites, respectively. These results highlight the fact that RCC is an important primary source of atmospheric sulfate during the heating season, and provides information that will improve air quality models and support development of more effective abatement strategies for atmospheric particles.

People’s perception and awareness on air pollution in rural and urban areas of Mymensingh Sadar upazila

The present study was conducted to investigate peoples’ perception level and awareness of air pollution in some selected areas of Mymensingh sadar upazila. The relationship of independent variables (age, educational qualification, family size, residence and communication exposure) with the peoples’ perception level and awareness of air pollution (dependent variable) was done to understand the objectives of the study. Six Hundreds (600) respondents were selected randomly from six study sites under Mymensingh sadar upazila for collecting data during the period of Jan 2016-April, 2017. Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficients were computed to examine the relationship between the concerned variables. The findings revealed that about half (46.67 percent) of the peoples had medium perception and awareness, 31.67 percent had low and 21.67 percent had high perception and awareness about air pollution. In rural areas, 43.33 percent respondents had low, 50.00 percent had medium and only 6.67 percent had high perception and awareness of air pollution. In urban areas, 20.00 percent respondents had low, 43.33 percent had medium and 36.67 percent had high perception and awareness of air pollution. Majority of the respondents (93.33 percent) were lacking of proper awareness of air pollution in rural areas while 63.33 percent in urban areas. Out of five independent variables, three variables such as educational qualification, residence and communication exposure had positive and significant relationship, age had negative and significant relationship and family size had no relationship with their perception and awareness of air pollution.Progressive Agriculture 29 (1): 22-32, 2018

Use of full-scale hybrid horizontal tubular photobioreactors to process agricultural runoff

Diffuse pollution in rural areas due to agricultural run-off is a widespread and difficult problem to address due to the vast areas affected. Drainage channels do receive these polluted waters, but its introduction in the conventional treatment network is unfeasible. Within this context, microalgae-based treatment systems could be used as alternative treatment plants. In this study, a new design of semi-closed (hybrid) tubular horizontal photobioreactor (HTH-PBR) with low energy requirements has been evaluated for microalgae cultivation at full-scale (8.5 m3), using agricultural runoff as feedstock. This novel system was tested in batch and continuous mode during a total of 4 and 135 days. Considering a full-scale application in an agricultural context, a batch test was carried out to evaluate the performance of the system. An increase of 22% in the biomass concentration in 4 days was registered, and all nutrients were consumed during the first two days. In the continuous experiment (December- April), a productivity between 2-14 g TSS/m3d was reached in winter, whereas values up to 76.4 g TSS/m3d were reached at the end of the study in spring, despite the low nutrients concentration in the feedstock. The elimination of emerging contaminants was also evaluated, obtaining the highest removals for the fragrances tonalide and galaxolide (73% and 68%), and the antiinflamatory diclofenac (61%).

Characteristics and sources of aerosol pollution at a polluted rural site southwest in Beijing, China

Annual average PM2.5 concentration in south Beijing was 30% and 40% higher than the whole Beijing city in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Few studies have been conducted to investigate what leads to the characteristics and sources of heavy pollution in the south rural area of Beijing. This study conducted an observation with Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) at a southwest rural site (Liulihe) in Beijing during 2014–2016, to investigate the seasonal aerosol characteristics and their sources. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) algorithm was used to distinguish different components of organic aerosol measured by ACSM. Biomass burning is an important pollution source, mainly due to the open burning after harvest season in autumn, regional transport in spring, and local residential biofuel use in winter. Coal consumption is the largest primary organic aerosol source in winter. Heavy duty diesel trucks contributed significantly to organic aerosol at night-time in the rural area. Results of this study show residential solid fuel burning is the most important source of aerosol pollution in the rural area of Beijing and the results focusing on urban Beijing might have underestimate the contribution from residential emissions in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Use of full-scale hybrid horizontal tubular photobioreactors to process agricultural runoff

Diffuse pollution in rural areas due to agricultural runoff is a widespread and difficult problem to address due to the large areas affected. Drainage channels receive polluted water, but its introduction into conventional treatment network is often unfeasible. Within this context, microalgae-based treatment systems could be used as alternative treatment plants. A new design of semi-closed (hybrid) tubular horizontal photobioreactor (HTH-PBR) with low energy requirements has been evaluated for microalgae cultivation at full-scale (8.5 m3), using agricultural runoff as feedstock. This novel system was tested in batch and continuous mode over 4 and 135 d. Considering a full-scale application in an agricultural context, a batch test was carried out to evaluate the performance of the system. An increase of 22% in the biomass concentration in 4 d was registered, and all nutrients were consumed during the first two days. In the continuous experiment carried out over winter (December–April), productivity was between 2 and 14 g g [TSS] m−3 d, but values up to 76.4 g [TSS] m−3 d were reached at the end of the study in spring, despite the low nutrients concentration in the feedstock. Elimination of emerging contaminants was also evaluated, obtaining the highest removals for the synthetic musk fragrances tonalide and galaxolide (73% and 68%), and the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac (61%).

Investigation and Control Mode of Domestic Pollution in Rural Areas of Guangxi Province

Due to the unbalanced economic development and scattered residence in rural areas, it was difficult to adopt a centralized approach in rural environmental governance. Based on the survey results of the present situation of rural environment in Guangxi and the analysis of the pollution characteristics in rural areas, the control mode of domestic pollution suitable for rural areas was obtained. Based on this research, a demonstration project of Guangxi’s administrative village was selected.