Urban-rural and regional inequalities in PCDD/F exposure across China's urban agglomerations: Insights from a multimedia food-chain model with cooking bioaccessibility.

Evaluating carbon reduction policy implementation in the Yangtze River Delta in China: A Smith model approach

Ecological compensation (EC) is crucial for balancing ecological protection and economic growth, particularly in river basins. However, existing studies often overlook regional disparities and ecosystem service (ES) supply-demand dynamics. This study integrated remote sensing and geospatial data into a ‘source-flow-sink’ framework, simulating ES flows using the D8 algorithm for water yield and wind-flow models for carbon sequestration. An ecological-economic synergistic compensation model (EESCM) assessed EC ratios in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) from 2000–2020. Results showed carbon sequestration supply declined by 1.83%, while demand surged 191.95%, causing mismatches in 85% of high-demand areas. Water-yield gaps peaked, forming dual-core networks around Yangtze River–Taihu Lake (57%) and Chaohu Lake–Xin’an River (29%). Spatial polarization was evident: the Huanghuai Plain, bearing only 23.15% of ecological compensation intensity, received 74.75% of funds; the Dabie Mountains, generating 89.67% of carbon sinks, received just 18%, revealing a vast gap. Atmospheric transport redirected 60% of carbon sinks downstream, intensifying spillover-compensation conflicts. The proposed EC framework can offer scientific guidance for sustainable regional development.

Mapping the dietary exposure risk of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from seafood consumption in Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration, China.

Accurate characterization of the subsurface thermal environment (STE) is crucial for sustainable geothermal energy and urban heat management, yet it remains challenged by pronounced subsurface heterogeneity at the city scale. Conventional approaches, which primarily rely on deterministic numerical modeling based on sparse observations, fail to capture the heterogeneity and spatial distribution of the subsurface thermal environment (STE). Here, we introduce an integrated modeling framework that synergistically combines geostatistics, physics-based modeling, and Bayesian inference to reconstruct the STE under steady-state thermal conditions and quantify its uncertainty. Applied to Changzhou in the densely populated Yangtze River Delta, our framework probabilistically reveals the distribution of key factors (lithology, upper temperature, basal heat flow, thermal conductivity, Darcy flux, and subsurface temperature). A key finding from the sensitivity analysis identifies the upper temperature boundary as the dominant source of modeling uncertainty. We estimate the shallow geothermal potential of Changzhou to be approximately 2.7 × 104 GWh, sufficient to meet its winter heating demand and highlighting its potential as a sustainable energy source for the Yangtze River Delta. Our scalable and uncertainty-aware framework offers a pathway for the global assessment and management of subsurface thermal resources.

Transitioning from landfill to cross-regional centralized recycling: Uncovering the mechanisms and potentials of hard-to-treat hazardous waste through medical waste incineration fly ash recycling.

Terrestrial aquatic ecosystems may constitute substantially underestimated sources of atmospheric H2, an indirect greenhouse gas with growing significance as the hydrogen economy expands. We conducted a 22 month observational campaign across three sites in China's Yangtze River Delta: a regional background station (LAN), a site with extensive lakes (LK), and a paddy field and a wetland-dominated site (PF-WL). Mean H2 concentrations at LK and PF-WL (1454 and 1503 ppb) were all 2.5-2.6 times higher than the global average. Critically, ΔH2/ΔCO ratios at LK (1.22) and PF-WL (1.98) substantially exceeded the conventional combustion range (0.27-0.9), while strong H2-CH4 correlations (Pearson's r = 0.33-0.44) identified flooded ecosystems as potential H2 sources. At LAN, soil processes dominated with summer peaks driven by temperature-precipitation interactions. LK appeared to reflect mixed anthropogenic and lake sediment influences, whereas PF-WL was more strongly influenced by a combination of anthropogenic emissions and emissions from rice paddies and wetlands. Our findings suggest that aquatic ecosystem emissions may represent an important but previously underappreciated component of regional H2 budgets and that excluding them could introduce substantial uncertainty into hydrogen inventories in monsoon-affected subtropical regions.

Childbirth readiness is an important strategy in maternal and child health. Current research on the factors influencing childbirth readiness has focused primarily on resource-poor settings to reduce mortality rates. However, in resource-rich areas, emphasis is placed on the experience and quality of childbirth. Based on Meleis' transition theory, this study examines the factors affecting childbirth readiness in China's economically active Yangtze River Delta region from multiple perspectives. This cross-sectional study was conducted from March to May 2023, using convenience sampling to select 350 pregnant women in late pregnancy at a tertiary level A maternity hospital in Wuxi, China. Outcomes were assessed based on the General Information Questionnaire, along with the Childbirth Readiness Scale (CRS), eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), Fear of Birth Scale (FOBS), and Family Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection, and Resolve Index (Family APGAR Index) scores. An independent samples t-test or ANOVA was used for one-way analysis, and multiple linear regression was used for multifactorial analysis to determine the factors influencing childbirth readiness. The statistical results showed that the total mean scores of the CRS, eHEALS, FOBS, and Family APGAR Index were 74.60 ± 8.97, 32.36 ± 6.18, 43.94 ± 24.42, and 8.41 ± 2.10, respectively. According to the multivariate linear regression analysis, abortion (p = 0.033); parity (p < 0.001); attending maternity school (p = 0.048); and eHEALS (p < 0.001), FOBS (p = 0.015), and Family APGAR Index (p = 0.046) scores were the main factors affecting childbirth readiness. Current research indicates that pregnant women have moderate-to-high levels of childbirth readiness. Pregnant women with a history of abortion and multiparity and those who attended maternity schools have relatively high levels of childbirth readiness. Family care support and e-health literacy are positive factors, whereas fear of birth is a negative factor for childbirth readiness. Therefore, the government and healthcare institutions can provide personalized childbirth readiness services to pregnant women based on the individual characteristics mentioned above.

ABSTRACT The study takes 27 core cities in the Yangtze River Delta from 2014 to 2023 as samples, uses a super efficiency data envelopment analysis model considering unexpected output to measure efficiency, combines Gini coefficient and Theil index to analyze regional differences, and uses spatial autocorrelation analysis and spatial Durbin model to reveal spatial effects. The results show that the water resource utilization efficiency in Shanghai increased from 1.23 in 2014 to 1.78 in 2023, and the Gini coefficient of water resource utilization efficiency in the Yangtze River Delta decreased from 0.321 in 2014 to 0.259 in 2023. Research has shown that there are significant regional differences and positive spatial autocorrelation in the water resource utilization efficiency of cities in the Yangtze River Delta, with obvious spatial spillover effects. This provides a scientific basis for optimizing the allocation and collaborative management of water resources, which helps promote regional sustainable development.

AIS-based spatiotemporal carbon emission reduction potential of coastal shipping in China.

ABSTRACT This paper takes China’s Yangtze River Delta region as a case study. Building upon Ellison, Gläeser, and Kerr (2007), it constructs an industrial agglomeration index and employs a more scientifically rigorous spatial econometric methodology to systematically examine the impact of synergistic agglomeration between manufacturing and business services on two-way foreign direct investment (FDI), along with its heterogeneity. Research confirms that, overall, the separate agglomeration of manufacturing and productive services significantly inhibits outward foreign direct investment (OFDI), whereas synergistic agglomeration exerts a positive effect on OFDI, with no significant impact on inward foreign direct investment (IFDI). The synergistic agglomeration of manufacturing and productive services primarily influences OFDI through the degree of government intervention and the sophistication of the labour market. The impact of manufacturing and productive services agglomeration on bilateral FDI exhibits significant heterogeneity across geographical location, transport conditions, urban political status, historical openness, and clan culture. By examining the relationship between manufacturing and productive services agglomeration and two-way FDI, this study bridges the interaction between industrial agglomeration and urban openness, offering insights for economic policy formulation at the meso-level.

Tracing trade-driven nitrogen transfers in the Yangtze River Delta: city-level evidence for eco-compensation

How does AI literacy empower decision-making quality? The mediating role of employee-AI collaboration and the moderating role of AI trust.

Clean energy technology collaboration and urban carbon intensity: Regional heterogeneity and spatial spillover effects.

This study examines the pivotal role of artificial intelligence (AI) in advancing the urban green transition (UGT), with a particular focus on the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) Urban Agglomeration. Drawing on panel data from 40 cities in the YRD between 2012 and 2024, the research utilizes benchmark regression, non-linear effect analysis, and spatial econometric models to investigate how AI influences UGT through production, consumption, and agglomeration channels. The main findings are as follows: (1) AI exerts a significant positive effect on UGT. (2) UGT exhibits strong spatial autocorrelation, whereas AI's impact is characterized by robust local promotion but limited spatial spillover. (3) The influence of AI displays marked heterogeneity, varying by urban hierarchy, geographic location, resource endowment, and levels of institutional and market development. (4) The effects of AI on UGT are mediated by fixed capital stock, industrial structure upgrading, and consumption levels. Additionally, digital infrastructure, green consumption awareness, and digital industry agglomeration serve as moderating factors. AI's influence also exhibits nonlinear diminishing marginal effects at specific thresholds in productive services and agricultural agglomeration. These results highlight the multifaceted mechanisms through which AI drives sustainable urban development and offer policy implications for fostering green transformation in metropolitan regions.

Occupational health risks and abatement trade-offs of VOCs in key industries of the Yangtze River Delta: Insights for a shift from concentration-based compliance to reactivity- and toxicity-driven management.

Optimization of recycling networks for EV batteries: Location strategy and dynamic evolution in the Yangtze River Delta.

Ozonolysis of alkenes produces stabilized Criegee intermediates (sCIs), whereas the atmospheric oxidation contribution of sCIs remains poorly quantified. In this study, an observation-constrained box model coupled with the RACM2-LIM1 mechanism was used to quantify the concentrations and source-sink processes of sCIs during an autumn field campaign in the Yangtze River Delta. Model reliability was evaluated by comparison with observed OH concentrations and further cross-validated using steady-state estimates of sCIs. The simulated peak concentrations of major monomeric sCIs ranged from 2.1 × 104 to 1.5 × 105 molecules cm-3. Source-sink analysis demonstrated species-specific behavior: CH2OO was primarily removed through reaction with the water dimer, while CH3CHOO and CH3CCH3OO were more strongly coupled to SO2. During heatwaves, the sCIs + SO2 pathway produced H2SO4 at rates comparable to OH+SO2 and remained active at night. Including sCI oxidation increased the maximum secondary sulfate formation rate by 0.5 μg m-3 h-1, accounting for 46.2% of total sulfate production. Gas-phase oxidation contributed 80-90% of secondary sulfate production. A comparison of sulfate formation pathways showed a humidity-dependent shift between gas-phase and aqueous-phase oxidation. These results indicated that neglecting sCI oxidation under heatwaves systematically underestimated sulfate production and regional oxidation capacity.

Contrasting 2001 and 2020 land cover states: Impacts on heterogeneous HONO chemistry and nitrate formation in China.

Regional mapping of soil heavy metals via a novel deep learning approach: A case study in the Yangtze River Delta, China.