Land Pollution Research Articles

The Current Situation and Development Trend of Contaminated Land Restoration

In recent years, the situation of land pollution has become increasingly serious, exacerbating the contradiction between supply and demand of land resources, and seriously threatening the red line of arable land and food security. In order to alleviate conflicts, ensure the red line of arable land, protect food security, and increase construction land, it is necessary to combine government policy guidance and use engineering technology to turn polluted land into usable land. By consulting literature and studying the policy orientation of contaminated land, combined with the engineering and technical experience of contaminated land restoration in recent years, this paper explores and summarizes the current situation of contaminated land, the policy orientation and technical means of contaminated land restoration, and finally looks forward to the development trend of global contaminated land restoration technology.

Identifikasi Karakteristik Mineral Magnetik Berdasarkan Analisis XRF di Lahan Pertanian Sekitar Sungai Biyonga Kabupaten Gorontalo

An analysis of soil chemical elements using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) has been conducted on paddy fields in Dutulanaa Village, Gorontalo Regency, and corn farms in Polohungo Village, Gorontalo Regency. Soil samples were taken at three locations, namely corn location 1 (location I), corn location 2 (location II), and paddy fields (location III). At each location, samples were taken at 2 points to obtain 6 pieces. The distance between sampling points is 10 m. Based on the results of XRF measurements, the elements that dominate in paddy fields and corn include silica (Si), iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), titanium (Ti), potassium (K), and manganese (Mn), where Si is a diamagnetic element, Fe is a ferromagnetic element, and Al, Ca, Ti, and K are paramagnetic elements. The most significant percentage is silica (Si), 60.27% in corn soil 2 points J2T2. The next highest element is iron (Fe), 29.47% in corn soil, 1 point J1T2. The next element is aluminum (Al), 9.10% in corn soil at 1 point J1T1, calcium (Ca) in corn soil at 2 points J2T2 is 10.03 %, titanium (Ti) was 2.31% in paddy fields at ST5 point and potassium (K) was 2.31% in a paddy field at ST5 point, and the lowest value was manganese (Mn) of 0.59% in corn soil 2 points J2T1. Even some heavy metal elements, such as lead (Pb), were found—zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn). The highest heavy metal elements were found in agricultural corn land at 2 J2T2 points, namely lead (Pb) at 158 ppm, zinc (Zn) at 4,555 ppm, and manganese (Mn) at 17,100 ppm, where these results have exceeded the threshold of soil quality standards, resulting in environmental pollution of agricultural land.

An Experimental Study to Mitigate Environmental Impacts by Transforming Waste Plastic Bags into Paving Blocks and Roof Tiles

The world’s plastic bag problem adversely impacts the environment daily. Plastic bags decompose after years, and some may take centuries, leading to pollution. Society relies on plastic bags for every task, which causes many problems for humans and aquatic life. Focusing on Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12), this research used waste plastic bags melted in a boilery to develop plastocrete to cast plastocrete paving blocks and roofing tiles. Compressive and split tensile strength tests were performed on plastocrete paving blocks, while a thermal insulation test was performed on roofing tiles in the Concrete Lab of our Department. The compressive strength test on plastocrete showed that it can easily replace concrete pavement blocks after giving good compressive strengths compared with concrete blocks. Being very low in tensile strength, plastocrete is not recommended for flexure members. The thermal insulation test results indicate that using plastic bags as roofing tiles decreases thermal conductivity compared with a controlled reinforced slab. Hence, it is concluded that plastocrete will help reduce pollution in the terrestrial and aquatic environment and can be an effective waste disposal solution. The plastocrete-led paving blocks and roofing tiles not only help economically but also help preserve nature and the environment from land pollution.

Management diagnostics of the security of economic recovery of Ukraine: Priorities of international cooperation

The article is devoted to the topical issue of management diagnostics of the security of economic recovery. The priorities of international cooperation in secure economic development and economic recovery of the country in postwar times are focused. The peculiarities of the economy and business environment of the country, which influence the international cooperation of post-war restoration of the country and are updated from the standpoint of further regulatory impact, including: asymmetry in the placement of productive forces of the country, presence of old industries and imperfect technologies; destruction of the industrial complex of regions of the East and the Center of the country; innovative degradation and loss of scientific potential; destruction of cities and towns, infrastructure and logistics; ecological and chemical pollution of land, reservoirs; economic and social instability, lack of state strategy of post-war recovery, are systematized. Key conditions of post-war economic recovery in Ukraine, namely: completion of hostilities in the territory of the country, formation of international rules and security guarantees for Ukraine; return of the population from abroad and its adaptation to living conditions in the country; international support and targeted restoration funding; institutional and legal consolidation of the action of projects and programs of international assistance; restoration of the functioning of market mechanism in the overwhelming part of the economy; the issue of ownership, its preservation from the standpoint of compliance with national economic interests, are considered. It is noted that to ensure the security of economic recovery in the country it is necessary to create an effective management system for this process. Key elements of such a system are outlined. The importance of management diagnostics of the security of economic recovery is substantiated. Key stages of management diagnostics of the security of economic recovery of Ukraine are determined. The requirements for management diagnostics of the security of economic recovery are outlined. Functional burden of management support of the security of economic recovery, which gives an opportunity to expand the initiatives of international cooperation agents in the formation of a security field of activity and balance of the interests of all interested participants in the process, is determined

Assessment of herbaceous ornamental plant species as potential remediation agents for cadmium contaminated environments

Industrial development has led to the pollution of lands with Cadmium (Cd), resulting in the contamination of edible crops and posing significant health risks to humans and animals. To address this issue, the selection of non-edible ornamental plants has been considered. In this study, a lab-scale experiment was conducted using five different ornamental plant species: Tabermaeontana divaricata L., Syngonium podophyllum Schott, Asparagus setaceus (Kunth) Jessop, Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don. and Portulaca grandiflora Hook. These plant species were treated 100 mL of 5 mg L−1 CdSO4 solution, continuing for 30 days in hydroponic medium with replenishment with same solution on every 3rd day. The main objective was to identify ornamental plant species with high tolerance and remarkable Cd translocation and accumulation power. The plants were evaluated based on their Tolerance Index (TI), Translocation factor (TF) and Bioaccumulation Factor (BAF) toward Cd in the hydroponic medium. P. grandiflora exhibited high tolerance to Cd with 95 % TI and S. podophyllum (TI – 85 %) and T. divaricata (TI – 62 %) showed limited tolerance while C. roseus and A. setaceus were found to be more sensitive. Moreover, Cd presence was also found to induce a hormetic response in P. grandiflora, T. divaricata, and S. podophyllum. Based on their TF and BAF values, P. grandiflora (TF-5.45; BAF-0.86) and S. podophyllum (TF-4.49; BAF-0.85) were identified as potential candidates for phytoextraction, while T. divaricata (TF-0.007; BAF-4.34) showed potential as a phytostabilizer of Cd. These findings propose for the utilization of these ornamental plants for the remediation of the Cd-contaminated soil and water, with the harvested biomass potentially serving as bio-ore for recovery of Cd.

Approaches to the Assessment of Environmental Risks of Investment Activity

The article discusses the impact of environmental risks on the results of investment activities. The initial premise of the study uses an ESG approach to the management of investment and construction activities, which takes into account the influence of environmental and social factors on the effectiveness of investments and recognized by researchers as the most relevant to the current stage of economic development. The urgency of the problem is determined by the need to include environmental and social factors in the process of making investment decisions to reduce the impact of project risks. The purpose of the study was to identify such approaches to the ecological and economic assessment of investments that allow taking into account the environmental component when determining the required amount of one-time and current costs. Also provide information to solve the problem of choosing «prevention or elimination» of the consequences of the influence of negative environmental factors. It is shown that one of the problems of environmental risk assessment is an unfavorable «risk — return ratio». This is the basis for making investment decisions in a risk environment. Getting any type of effect from a project (financial, social, general economic) is always associated with uncertainty. The possibility of setting a task in relation to environmental risks as a comparison of the costs of liquidation or prevention of damage is substantiated. The authors analyzed the general trends in the direction of investments in environmental protection measures at the regional level. An example of calculating the cost of compensation for damage from land pollution is given.

Environmental risk thresholds and prediction models of Cd in Chinese agricultural soils

Soil environmental risk threshold of cadmium (Cd) is an important index in formulating soil protection policy. Environmental risk threshold refers to the maximal allowable critical concentration of hazardous substances in the environment. Although there is less study on how to determine soil Cd environmental risk threshold, it is a crucial indicator in formulating soil conservation policies and a key factor in assessing soil environmental quality. The main research content of the study is deducing the environmental risk threshold, aiming to provide scientific basis for the study of environmental quality standards of agricultural land and provide technical support for the protection of Cd pollution of agricultural land. The hazard concentration of 5 % species (HC5, which protects 95 % of species) was determined here using different toxicological data of Cd from 23 test endpoints, interspecific extrapolation using the species sensitivity distribution (SSD) method, and a prediction model was created on the basis of several soil parameters. According to the findings, Cd effective concentration (EC10) (Cd concentration which blocks 10 % of an endpoint's bioactivity) varied from 0.109 to 221 mg·kg−1, and the hormetic response induced by Cd reached 118 % displaying in the dose-response curve of Lolium perenne L.. Toxicology data was rectified by the aging factor considering biogeochemical processes of the newly added pollutants prior to SSD curves fitting. After that, the prediction model was created with the equation of LogHC5 = 0.147 pH + 0.067 OC -1.616. The field test properly validated the prediction model, demonstrating its ability to forecast Cd toxicity levels for various soil conditions. This study offers a scientifically sound methodology for determining the environmental risk limitation for Cd and identifies critical paths for the preservation of environmental species.

Integrated Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analyses of Low-Nitrogen-Stress Tolerance and Function Analysis of ZmGST42 Gene in Maize.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the major staple crops providing human food, animal feed, and raw material support for biofuel production. For its growth and development, maize requires essential macronutrients. In particular, nitrogen (N) plays an important role in determining the final yield and quality of a maize crop. However, the excessive application of N fertilizer is causing serious pollution of land area and water bodies. Therefore, cultivating high-yield and low-N-tolerant maize varieties is crucial for minimizing the nitrate pollution of land and water bodies. Here, based on the analysis of the maize leaf transcriptome and proteome at the grain filling stage, we identified 3957 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 329 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) from the two maize hybrids contrasting in N stress tolerance (low-N-tolerant XY335 and low-N-sensitive HN138) and screened four sets of low-N-responsive genes and proteins through Venn diagram analysis. We identified 761 DEGs (253 up- and 508 down-regulated) specific to XY335, whereas 259 DEGs (198 up- and 61 down-regulated) were specific to HN138, and 59 DEGs (41 up- and 18 down-regulated) were shared between the two cultivars under low-N-stress conditions. Meanwhile, among the low-N-responsive DAPs, thirty were unique to XY335, thirty were specific to HN138, and three DAPs were shared between the two cultivars under low-N treatment. Key among those genes/proteins were leucine-rich repeat protein, DEAD-box ATP-dependent RNA helicase family proteins, copper transport protein, and photosynthesis-related proteins. These genes/proteins were involved in the MAPK signaling pathway, regulating membrane lipid peroxidation, and photosynthesis. Our results may suggest that XY335 better tolerates low-N stress than HN138, possibly through robust low-N-stress sensing and signaling, amplified protein phosphorylation and stress response, and increased photosynthesis efficiency, as well as the down-regulation of 'lavish' or redundant proteins to minimize N demand. Additionally, we screened glutathione transferase 42 (ZmGST42) and performed physiological and biochemical characterizations of the wild-type (B73) and gst42 mutant at the seedling stage. Resultantly, the wild-type exhibited stronger tolerance to low N than the mutant line. Our findings provide a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying low-N tolerance during the maize grain filling stage and reveal key candidate genes for low-N-tolerance breeding in maize.

Estimation and Spatial Analysis of Agriculture Plastic Waste Case Study: Karangdowo Subdistrict, Klaten Regency, Central Java Indonesia

Plastic waste is well known as generated from domestic activities; however, agricultural activities, including fertilizing, spraying pesticides, and soil covering, have the potential to generate plastic waste. Many studies indicated that agricultural plastic waste (APW) can cause pollution of agricultural land, impacting soil health, biodiversity, and productivity. Therefore, this study aims to estimate the loading rate of APW and its potential for recycling. The data was collected from farmers in Karangdowo district, Klaten City, Central Java province, Indonesia, based on clustering and random samples. Data on land area, crop type, planting frequency, pesticide and fertilizer application was determined to estimate APW loading rate. Mapping of the estimation of the loading rate of APW and plastic-type in each village was processed using QGIS software. The results show four types of plastic with a total estimation per year: plastic sacks (949.6 kg/year), plastic bottles (182.9 kg/year), plastic bags (697.0 kg/year), and mulch (12913.6 kg/year). There were three types of plastics: High Density polyethylene (HDPE), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), and polypropylene (PP). Although the horticulture area was less than 10% of total agricultural area in each village, it generated the highest LDPE from the use of mulch. Ringinputih village has the highest estimation of recycle potential HDPE, LDPE, and PP compared with the other villages due to having the most significant horticultural area and variation of crops.

Heavy metal, salinity and azo dye tolerant, Cr (VI) reducing, plant growth-promoting Pseudomonas aeruginosa R32 reverses Cr (VI) biotoxic effects in Vigna mungo

Hexavalent chromium [Cr (VI)], derived from various industries, including fly ash from coal-based Thermal Power Plants, can be a source of toxic pollution of land and water bodies. This study aimed to bioremediation of such pollutant dump sites using bacteria capable of both Cr(VI) reduction and plant growth-enhancing substance production. The bacteria were isolated from the rhizospheric fly ash of a Thermal Power Plant, Kanpur. One of the rhizospheric isolate, Pseudomonas aeruginosa R32 showed high minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for Cr(VI) (1250 µg/ml), heavy metal tolerance (ZnCl2, CdCl2, Pb(NO3)2) up to 100 µg/ml, Acid Red 249 (AR) tolerance and halotolerance (6% NaCl). The isolate R32 also produces plant growth-promoting (PGP) hormones in the absence or presence of Cr (VI). R32 could completely reduce Cr(VI) at a tested dose of 100 and 500 μg/ml after 24h and 72h, respectively. However, decolorization of AR was observed after 48 hours at an initial concentration of 100 µg/ml and confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. Vigna mungo seed inoculation with isolate R32 showed increased rootling growth compared to shoot after 7 d treatment with 0, 100, 500, and 1000 μg/ml of Cr(VI) concentrations, respectively. Root length tolerance index in Cr(VI) treated V. mungo seedlings was reduced to 56%, 35%, and 29%, respectively, when treated with 100, 500, and 1000 μg/ml Cr(VI) in comparison to control. Cr(VI) sub-MIC concentrations can affect the plant growth-promoting properties of rhizospheric bacteria. Herein, we report the isolation of rhizospheric bacteria P. aeruginosa R32 showing concurrent PGP substance production and Cr(VI) bioreduction capabilities in the presence of PGP inhibitory Cr(VI) concentrations.

How digital finance affects environmental pollution management: evidence from China.

Due to people's insufficient anticipation of the negative impact of highly developed industries and the lack of prevention, global environmental pollution has occurred. These pollutants include air pollution, water pollutants, and land pollution, which not only cause direct damage and impact the ecosystem but also endanger the health of urban residents and economic development. Therefore, researching environmental pollution management is necessary to help solve these imminent environmental problems. In addition, digital finance, based on digital technology, can identify bottlenecks in environmental pollution management, formulate more effective governance strategies, and reduce environmental pollution at the source. In this context, this study uses the environmental pollution data of 287 cities in China from 2011 to 2021. It uses the fixed-effects and mediation effect models to analyze digital finance's role in environmental pollution management. The research shows that digital finance can promote environmental pollution management and play a promoting role through two channels of influence: green technology innovation and government green subsidies. At the same time, the effect of this promotion is more significant in cities in the Midwest and in resource-based cities. The research results propose strategies for government organizations in environmental pollution management, and alleviate current resource and environmental problems, in addition to realizing sustainable urban development.

THE MAIN DIRECTIONS OF DEVELOPMENT OF ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF LANDS IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

On the basis of testing various varieties of ecological and economic assessment of lands on the territory of the Russian Plain, their systematization was carried out both from the standpoint of the ratio of profi t and loss associated with nature management, and the attribution of these varieties to the areas of economic science that diff erently determine the role of human economic activity in ecological systems.Th e predominance in the Russian Federation of those techniques and methods of ecological and economic assess-ment, which are associated with the defi nition of damage/ harm from pollution, degradation and cluttering of land plots, is shown. Th e results of the approbation of the «Methodology for determining the extent of damage from soil and land degradation» (1994) for agricultural farms located in various regions of the Russian Federation — in the Volgograd, Belgorod, Kaliningrad and Penza regions are presented. It has been established that the damage caused to agricultural lands in all the studied regions is due to the low level of agrotechnical measures carried out here — mainly insuffi cient application of organic and mineral fertilizers, liming of acidic soils (for example, in the Kaliningrad region) and gypsum of saline soils (in the Volgograd region).Methods where the comparison of income and losses is carried out (methodology Y. von Braun, adjusting the value of land based on information about their ecological condition), are the most diffi cult to implement, but the most promising from a practical point of view. Th e results of the adjustment of the cadastral value of the lands of the West-ern Administrative District of Moscow based on the calculation of the indicator of loss of ecological quality of soils are presented. In some cases, the decrease in the cadastral value of land plots was 71% compared to the initial value.It has been established that the assessment of environmental damage refers to the direction of «environmental economics», the assessment of ecosystem services of soils and lands, the adjustment of the value of land based on information about their ecological condition, the assessment of environmental tax/environmental payments, — to the direction of «ecological economics», the methodology of J. von Braun and the assessment of environmental risks of pollution, degradation and littering of land — towards the direction of «green economics».

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in long-term biosolid-applied rehabilitation land: An overlooked pathway for microplastic entry into terrestrial ecosystems in Australia

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) efficiently eliminate over 98% of microplastics (MPs) from wastewater discharge, subsequently accumulating them in sludge. This sludge is frequently employed as fertilizer in agricultural practices or land rehabilitation. While there is significant research on biosolid application in agriculture, the discussion regarding its application in rehabilitating industrial zones and MPs contamination is limited. The current study investigates the abundance, distribution, and composition of MPs in rehabilitation land with long-term biosolid-application in Australia. Three minesite fields (designated 1–3), each with distinct biosolid application histories since 2011, 2012, and 2017, and a control field without any biosolid application history, were chosen for this study. The abundances of MPs in biosolid-applied fields 1–3 (6.04 ± 1.92 x 102 MP kg−1; 4.94 ± 0.73 x 102 MP kg−1; 2.48 ± 0.70 x 102 MP kg−1) were considerably higher compared to non-biosolid-applied field (0.70 ± 0.63 x 102 MP kg −1). This indicates that the application of biosolids significantly contributes to the presence of MPs in the soil. Moreover, the results suggest that with each successive application, the abundance of MPs increases. The abundance and size of MPs in both biosolid and non-biosolid soils decreased as the soil depth increased. Microbeads were dominant in soils where biosolids were applied (up to 61.9%), while fibres were dominant in non-biosolid soils (accounting for 85.7%). The distribution of plastic polymer types varied among fields and soil depths. Most MPs were microbeads of polyamide (PA), fragments of polyethylene (PE), foam of polystyrene (PS), and fibres of rayon. This research presents evidence that the extended utilization of biosolids results in elevated MP pollution in minesite rehabilitation land, highlighting a frequently overlooked origin of MP contamination in terrestrial settings. Additional evaluations needed to understand ecological risks of MPs in soil ecosystems affected by biosolid application.

Ecological Impetus of COVID- 19 Pandemic on the Other Creation: A Reflection on the Biblical Jubilee

The 2019 outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic left significant adjustments in various aspects of human life, including its relationship with non-human creations in the physical environment. The paper considered the ecological impetus of the COVID-19 pandemic on the other creation with theological reflection on the biblical Jubilee. The method employed was interaction with literary materials and critical analysis of biblical-theological arguments. It, therefore, discussed general views of the COVID-19 pandemic, analysed the concept of biblical Jubilee, identified the ecological impetus of COVID-19 on the other creation, and discussed the theological reflection of the biblical Jubilee. Although the pandemic originated in China through animals, it was discovered that humans and other creations felt the effect globally due to the lockdown measure to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ecological impetus of COVID-19 brought a significant reduction in air, water, and land pollution. The biblical-theological reflection of the Jubilee affirmed that the experiences of COVID-19 resulted in a decrease in air, water and land pollution, indicating that nature was positively affected as it naturally and by divine order for the creation observed a jubilee as a result of the lockdown measure to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic. The conclusion is that God allowed the COVID-19 pandemic as a measure for all creations in nature to experience its Jubilee or rest from human ecological exploitations and abuses. It was recommended that humankind should be more responsible in the care of the environment, seek the protection of the other creation in nature and avoid overuse of land resources to ensure the necessary ‘rest’ it deserves for preservation.

INCORPORATING OF WASTE FROM SUGAR INDUSTRY AND CEMENT INDUSTRY IN CONCRETE

<p>As the production of biomass waste from agroindustry grows across the world, a large amount of agro-based ashes ends up in polluting land. India produced 405.4 million tones of sugarcane in 2019, with a capacity of 105.4 million tonnes of bagasse and 2.5 million tonnes of SBA. The utilization of such ashes as SCMs contributes to a fixing of issues related to CO2 emissions from cement industry and land pollution in agro-based industry. Although many research has been performed on the utilization of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash (SBA) and limestone in concrete, research on their combined usage in the concrete is limited. As a result, the current work involves the performance evaluation of a ternary blended concrete incorporating SBA and limestone. The blended concrete's workability properties, compressive strength, water absorption, RCPT, Sorptivity, water permeability and electrical resistivity are examined in this paper. It was observed that a minimum of 10-15% limestone along with 10% SBA was adequate to increase the concrete performance, however exceeding 15 percent had a detrimental impact on concrete properties. In summary, utilization of SBA and limestone powder reduces cement consumption, reduce environmental impact due to SBA and cement, improves the economy, and increases the sustainability of concrete production. It improves the compressive strength and durability properties of ternary blended concrete.</p>

Silicon dioxide nanoparticles suppress copper toxicity in Mentha arvensis L. by adjusting ROS homeostasis and antioxidant defense system and improving essential oil production

Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient for plants; however, the excessive accumulation of Cu due to various anthropogenic activities generates progressive pollution of agricultural land and that causes a major constraint for crop production. Excess Cu (80 mg kg−1) in the soil diminished growth and biomass, photosynthetic efficiency and essential oil (EO) content in Mentha arvensis L., while amplifying the antioxidant enzyme's function and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Therefore, there is a pressing need to explore effective approaches to overcome Cu toxicity in M. arvensis plants. Thus, the present study unveils the potential of foliar supplementation of two distinct forms of silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) i.e., Aerosil 200F and Aerosil 300 to confer Cu stress tolerance attributes to M. arvensis. The experiment demonstrated that applied forms of SiO2 NPs (120 mg L−1), enhanced plants' growth and augmented the photosynthetic efficiency along with the activities of CA (carbonic anhydrase) and NR (nitrate reductase), however, the effects were more accentuated by Aerosil 200F application. Supplementation of SiO2 NPs also exhibited a beneficial effect on the antioxidant machinery of Cu-disturbed plants by raising the level of proline and total phenol as well as the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR), thereby lowering ROS and electrolytic leakage (EL). Interestingly, SiO2 NPs supplementation upscaled EO production in Cu-stressed plants with more pronounced effects received in the case of Aerosil 200F over Aerosil 300. We concluded that the nano form (Aerosil 200F) of SiO2 proved to be the best in improving the Cu-stress tolerance in plants.

Exploring the ecological protection impacts of cultivated land transfer: Explanation based on fertilizers and pesticides

The ecological protection of cultivated land (EPCL) is of great significance for enhancing its sustainable use and is also a practical material vehicle for maintaining national food security. Using data from a sample of 7,473 rural households from the 2015 China Household Finance Survey, this paper applies an endogenous switching regression model and Fields decomposition method to assess the impact of cultivated land transfer (CLT) on EPCL (i.e., fertilizer and pesticide input intensity, abbreviations is FPII). The empirical results show that farmers' participation in CLT can significantly reduce FPII. When it is assumed that households not participating in CLT participate in CLT, their FPII would be reduced by 52.39% and 17.56% respectively. The study further confirms that CLT has a positive effect on EPCL, contributing 5.74% and 7.47% to the reduction of FPII, respectively. In addition, agricultural subsidies, cultivated land titling, the size of cultivated land, the use of large-scale machinery, pollution of cultivated land, and farm income all positively affect farming households’ participation in CLT. Therefore, based on CLT, promoting large-scale and mechanized cultivated land management and deepening EPCL with the goal of reducing fertilizer and pesticide use are important approaches for enhancing the sustainable use of cultivated land.

Synergistic and competitive adsorption of NOx and SO2 using a microwave-assisted approach with industrial waste materials fly ash and carbide slag as sorbents

A novel catalytic adsorption approach for microwave-assisted synergistic utilization of coal fly ash (FA) and carbide slag (CS) as adsorbents and Na2O/Na2O2 as a catalyst was proposed as an efficient and low-cost De-SO2 and De-NOx technology. The highest SO2 and NOx adsorption capabilities under these circumstances were 0.55 and 0.06 mg/g under 2% Na2O/FA-CS adsorbent at 150 °C respectively. The experimental results shows that the loaded Na2O2 as adsorbent in the Na2O2/FA-CS was strongly oxidized and decomposed into reactive oxygen (O∗), in which the conversion behavior of NOx (ads) and SOx (ads) contributed to the catalytic activation and adsorption performance. In the synergistic adsorption process, both NOx (ads) and SOx (ads) were present on the adsorption interface of the X% Na2O/FA-CS adsorbent, which also facilitated the production of unstable nitrogen and sulfur compounds. In the competitive adsorption process, NOx and SOx readily occupied the active adsorption spots of CaO used as an adsorbent in FA-CS while also contaminating the active catalytic spots of the coexisting Na2+/Na1+ ions, thus reducing the activity and efficiency of the adsorbent.Environmental implications: Coal fly ash is the main solid waste discharged from coal-fired power stations. The large amount of coal fly ash occupies land resources, while solid fine particles and heavy metals pollute the surrounding air. In addition, calcium carbide slag is a kind of industrial waste slag mainly comprising calcium hydroxide. Calcium carbide slag exhibits the characteristics of high humidity and alkalinity, leading to stockpiling and land pollution. To achieve resource utilization and high-value utilization, synergistic microwave-assisted utilization of industrial waste materials coal fly ash and carbide slag was assessed for high-efficiency desulfurization and denitrification.

Environmental Protection and Economic Development in Zimbabwe

The main objective of the paper is to assess the implications of the business expansion approach to economic development in Zimbabwe on the quality of the environment. In terms of the research methodology, the research adopted a mixed methodology and utilized a parallel semantic convergent research design. The study gathered data using questionnaires, interviews, and observations from the 600 randomly selected businesses from the agriculture, entrepreneurship, and small-scale mining sectors. Data were analyzed using STATA. The paper hypothesized that there is no significant relationship between entrepreneurship, mining, and agricultural activities under Zimbabwe’s expansion business approach and environmental protection. The findings have highlighted that Zimbabwe is dominated by illegal entrepreneurship, peri-urban agriculture, and artisanal mining activities. Such illegal activities negatively affect the quality of the environment in Zimbabwe. There is a lot of environmental degradation and land pollution associated with the expansion of nonformal and illegal business activities in Zimbabwe. However, the paper concluded that illegal agricultural, mining, and entrepreneurial activities which have been expanding since 2008 in Zimbabwe are affecting the quality of the environment. In terms of policy implications, it is necessary to put in place institutional instruments and enforcement mechanisms to protect the environment under the Zimbabwe expansion business approach.

Structural, Morphological and Physical Characterization of Carbon Fly Ash

Carbon fly ash (CFA) is the principal industrial waste byproduct from the burning fossil fuel (coal combustion) for the thermal generation of electricity. CFA is a gray or black powdery solid that is constituted mostly metal oxides (Al, Si Fe and Ca), unburned carbon (UC) and other inorganic substance. The management of fly ash has thus been a matter of concern given the requirement of the large area of land for its disposal and potential of causing pollution of air, water, land and effects on human health. Physical and chemical characteristics of fly ash is important, as these characteristics influence its subsequent use and disposal. X-ray diffraction, and fluorescence, scanning microscopy with an energy dispersive spectroscopy, FTIR, BET was the common techniques employed to characterize FA. Characterization by XRD analysis identified the presence of quartz, mullite and sillimanite phases; while the FTIR results allowed the identification of vibrational bands, characteristic of Si-O-Si and Si-O bonds. The EDS analysis coupled to SEM allowed verifying that the composition of the samples is consistent with the results sought and that the morphological characteristics validate the proposed methodology. Surface area analyses (BET) showed that the fly ash possess an active area of 6.02 m2 · g-1.