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The Upper Hunter Valley is a major coal mining area in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Due to the ongoing increase in mining activities, PM10 (air-borne particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 micrometres) pollution has become a major air quality concern in local communities. The present study was initiated to quantitatively examine the spatial and temporal variability of PM10 pollution in the region. An earlier paper of this study identified two air quality subregions in the valley. This paper aims to provide a holistic summarisation of the relationships between elevated PM10 pollution in two subregions and the local- and synoptic-scale meteorological conditions for spring and summer, when PM10 pollution is relatively high. A catalogue of twelve synoptic types and a set of six local meteorological patterns were quantitatively derived and linked to each other using the self-organising map (SOM) technique. The complex meteorology–air pollution relationships were visualised and interpreted on the SOM planes for two representative locations. It was found that the influence of local meteorological patterns differed significantly for mean PM10 levels vs. the occurrence of elevated pollution events and between air quality subregions. In contrast, synoptic types showed generally similar relationships with mean vs. elevated PM10 pollution in the valley. Two local meteorological patterns, the hot–dry–northwesterly wind conditions and the hot–dry–calm conditions, were found to be the most PM10 pollution conducive in the valley when combined with a set of synoptic counterparts. These synoptic types are featured with the influence of an eastward migrating continental high-pressure system and westerly troughs, or a ridge extending northwest towards coastal northern NSW or southern Queensland from the Tasman Sea. The method and results can be used in air quality research for other locations of NSW, or similar regions elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main global problems related to the environment is air pollution which not only affects the environment and the ecosystem but also affects human health. Many countries of the world did research on how to reduce air pollution so that the concentrations do not exceed the permissible thresholds which are set at that level so that neither human health nor the environment are exposed to further damage. One of the issues regarding air pollution is the concentrations of PM particles 2.5 and 10, PM particles are a big problem in developing countries such as the Republic of North Macedonia. The research paper was focused in processing the data that has been collected for daily averages of PM 2,5 and PM10 particles that contribute in air pollution. All analyzes and processing of the results are done in compliance with the current laws of the Republic of North Macedonia and with Directive 2008/50/EC, all for µg/m3. In the city of Skopje, numerous exceedances of the permissible thresholds of PM particles 2.5 and 10 were recorded at the two measurement stations where the results were obtained for the months of January, February, March, April, May and June of 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We need energy. But what are potential solutions to achieving net zero? This paper presents a Christian perspective and overview of nuclear energy in the UK, and other countries, within the context of government policies to achieve net-zero emissions while ensuring national security. The growth of renewables is well-known but nuclear energy’s positive contribution is often unrecognised in our energy mix for producing electricity. Nuclear provides clean, low-carbon baseload electricity and has its place alongside variable renewables in tackling climate change. Besides large reactors, small modular reactors (SMRs) are being considered within energy strategies. Beyond electricity generation, future nuclear plants offer cogeneration. Furthermore, nuclear plants do not create the air pollution associated with fossil-fuel emissions. This paper encourages people to become more informed about the place of nuclear energy by looking at an evidence-based approach and encourages discussion in an open, honest, and respectful way about its merits in protecting people and our planet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric air can be polluted as a result of the ingress of various chemicals into it, which have a harmful effect on human health, causing an exacerbation of cardiovascular, airborne diseases, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and the endocrine system, and exceeding the norms of dust content in the air leads to an increase in incidence of allergies and bronchial asthma. The relevance of the subject under study lies in the investigation of the sources of air pollution, as they lead to an increase in the degree of morbidity and mortality among the population. This, in turn, requires a radical change in the way people live, as well as the adoption of specific measures to ensure the reduction of air pollution. In this regard, the objective of this study was to perform a comprehensive analysis of the ecological and hygienic conditions of atmospheric air and evaluate its impact on human health due to pollution. The study incorporated empirical research methods such as empirical description and comparison to analyze emissions of pollutants, assess population morbidity rates, and conduct correlation and regression analyses. Official data from the State Committee of Uzbekistan on Statistics and scientific papers were utilized, alongside statistical analysis techniques and logical reasoning to investigate atmospheric air pollution and its impact on public health. The study analysed the indicators of emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere in the Republic of Uzbekistan as a whole and by regions. Furthermore, the paper provides a detailed analysis of the general morbidity of the population of the Republic of Uzbekistan and indicators of the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, based on which a correlation and regression analysis was performed. In addition, the morbidity rates of the population with diseases of the respiratory system and eye diseases throughout the Sirdaryo Region were analysed. The study revealed that Uzbekistan experiences high levels of environmental pollution, with a direct correlation found between atmospheric pollutants and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, respiratory organ issues, and eye conditions. To protect the atmosphere, reducing pollutant emissions and implementing sustainable development principles, such as industrial modernization and the use of alternative energy sources, are necessary. The results highlight the importance of identifying pollutant types, their properties, and release conditions for effective pollution assessment. The practical significance of this study is to optimize the data of environmental monitoring of urban air pollution in the Republic of Uzbekistan, where in general there is a high level of pollutants in the atmosphere, which affects the health of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates externalities generated by air transportation pollution on health. As a source of exogenous variation, we use an unannounced 5-month trial that reallocated early morning aircraft landings at London Heathrow Airport. Our measure of health is prescribed medications spending on conditions known to be aggravated by pollution, especially sleep disturbances. We observe a significant and substantial decrease in prescribed drugs for respiratory and central nervous system disorders in the areas subjected to reduced air travel between 4:30 am and 6.00 am compared with the control regions. Our findings suggest a causal influence of aviation on health conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic growth, air pollution, and forest fires in some states in the United States have increased the concentration of particulate matter with a diameter less than or equal to 2.5 μm (PM2.5). Although previous studies have tried to observe PM2.5 both spatially and temporally using aerosol remote sensing and geostatistical estimation, they were limited in accuracy by coarse resolution. In this paper, the performance of machine learning models on predicting PM2.5 is assessed with linear regression (LR), decision tree (DT), gradient boosting regression (GBR), AdaBoost regression (ABR), XGBoost (XGB), k‐nearest neighbors (K‐NN), long short‐term memory (LSTM), random forest (RF), and support vector machine (SVM) using PM2.5 station data from 2017 to 2021. To compare the accuracy of all the nine machine learning models, the coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), Nash‐Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), root mean square error ratio (RSR), and percent bias (PBIAS) were evaluated. Among all nine models, the RF (100 decision trees with a max depth of 20) and support vector regression (SVR; nonlinear kernel, degree 3 polynomial) models were the best for predicting PM2.5 concentrations. Additionally, comparison of the PM2.5 performance metrics displayed that the models had better predictive behavior in the western United States than that in the eastern United States. Key Points: We present the prediction of PM2.5 concentrations over the United States using various machine learning (ML) algorithmsWe show ML as a new approach for analyzing large data sets due to the computational speed and easy implementation for massive amounts of dataThe study is important for improving our understanding of the differences among ML algorithms for Earth Science research [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite decades of literature and practice with community-engaged research along with advancements in the recognition of environmental injustices, the application of equity-/justice-based and collaborative approaches between government agencies and community-based organizations has been limited. The toxic legacies of environmental racism, redlining, displacement, and segregation combined with the accelerating human-caused climate crisis warrant an increased need for consultation and collaboration between frontline communities and power brokers to markedly improve quality of life and health outcomes in environmental justice neighborhoods. This paper describes the processes and progress to date from a community-led collaboration between local community-based organizations and the Enforcement Division of the California Air Resources Board to assess and address air pollution in South Stockton, particularly from heavy-duty diesel trucks. South Stockton is one of the most polluted neighborhoods in California's San Joaquin Valley, one of the most disparate and polluted regions in the United States. Some of the most significant components integrated into this project thus far include taking an equity-, justice-, and youth-oriented approach to community development that intentionally emphasizes a historical understanding of root causes of social and environmental injustices and provides pathways to workforce development. Including these elements has been essential in building the trust necessary to transform disparate power relations between the state and environmental justice communities, and to put multiple ways of knowing into conversation with each other to co-learn and co-power solutions to air pollution in South Stockton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution usually accumulates on the surface of the insulator rapidly on high‐speed electric multiple units (EMUs) under operation condition, and the flashover can occur frequently, especially when the EMUs is running on a high‐altitude line. To solve the problem, this paper proposes the calculation method of insulator withstand voltage under the condition of non‐uniform fouling distribution of high‐speed airflow based on the characteristics of high altitude of Lanzhou‐Xin Line in China, and gives the design and test verification of insulator support insulator for 3500‐km altitude. The design and test verification of the supporting insulator of the rolling stock applicable to 3500 km altitude are presented. The result shows that the insulator should be reliable operation on 4430‐km high altitude area if the insulator structure height is 430 mm, the creep distance is 1250 mm. The anti‐pollution performance is fine in high‐speed wind if the radiuses of the large and small shed of the insulator are 196 and 145 mm, respectively, and the shed spacing is 45 mm. The 50‐Hz withstand voltage of the developed insulator is 131 kV and the light impulse voltage is 228 kV which is suitable for lines running on 3500 m. This research provides a theoretical basis and data to support the safety of high‐speed rolling stock in high‐altitude areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental externalities of place‐based policy have generally been overlooked despite their welfare consequences. This paper studies the air‐pollution effect of development zones in urban China using a geo‐coded data set of 2720 counties from 1998 to 2016. By adopting the generalized difference‐in‐difference framework to resolve the problem of endogenous locational selection for place‐based policies, we find that development zones reduce ambient PM2.5 concentration by around 1.8%, leading to a total social gain of $7.75 billion USD. The environmental benefit varies by the zone's dominant industry, geographical region, administrative affiliation and time of establishment. We further show that development zones are comparably cleaner due to the incentives of central and local governments, manifested by the desire to administratively promote development zones, the attempt to satisfy residential demands for higher quality‐of‐life cities, and the employment of the national environmental monitoring system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variation of PM2.5 concentration in the atmosphere is closely related to the variation in weather patterns. The change in weather pattern is accompanied by the corresponding change in atmospheric circulation characteristics. It is necessary to explore the relationship between PM2.5 concentration changes and atmospheric circulation characteristics during pollution periods. In this paper, Lamb-Jenkinson objective classification method is applied to classify daily atmospheric circulation. The pollution periods are calculated and the atmospheric circulation variation rule is obtained. Combined with the physical parameter field (humidity, potential temperature, and potential height), a typical pollution period is analyzed. Additionally, the influence of atmospheric circulation type variation on PM2.5 concentration and transport channel during the pollution period was obtained. The results show that atmospheric circulation types in the study period are dominated by A-type (anticyclonic), N-type (north), and NE-type (northeast), indicating obvious seasonal differences, and the proportion of C-type (cyclonic) circulation was increased significantly in summer. During the pollution period analysis from 2 to 4 January 2019, atmospheric circulation type changed from N-type to NE-type (northeast), the wind direction changed from southeast wind, and the change of pressure gradient was consistent with the trend of the wind field. Moreover, the physical parameter field assisted in verifying the process of the pollution period from the conducive to the accumulation of PM2.5 to conducive to the deposition of pollutants and external transport. The research results would provide theoretical support for PM2.5 prediction during the pollution period and also supply a theoretical and technical basis for the establishment of ecological compensation standards for air pollution and atmospheric environmental control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the prerequisites for a regulatory-driven transition toward radically lower air and water pollution in industry. This is achieved in the empirical context of the Swedish mining and metals industry, and by investigating the environmental licensing processes during two regulatory systems. The paper derives an analytical framework that explores under what circumstances such licensing processes can result in radical emissions reductions without seriously jeopardizing the competitiveness of the industry. Archived material covering six environmental licensing processes, three during each system, is used to illustrate the various design and implementation issues. The results suggest that regulatory-driven green transitions benefit from trust-based bargaining procedures in which companies are involved in repeated interactions with regulatory authorities, and which extended probation periods permit tests of novel abatement technologies (including innovation). The findings also illustrate the importance of abstaining from simplified normative notions about policy instrument choice (e.g. taxes versus standards). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, in the rotary kilns of cement plants, various amounts of combustible waste are burned, which would otherwise end up in municipal landfills. The paper first analyzes the literature on the co-processing of waste in cement manufacture and its influence on the environment and human health. Then, it shows how the combustion components of co-processed waste can influence the final characteristics of clinker and cement. The main objective of the paper is to determine the level of emissions of the resulting pollutants (total dust and flue gases: NOx, SO2, and CO) at the outlet of the chimney of the clinker kiln and flour mill to meet the requirements of the Integrated Environmental Permit (EIA) from Romania and present an estimation of the level of atmospheric air pollution using the climatological model of pollutant dispersion. Following these assessments (data shown), the cement factories will establish measures to reduce the pollution, if necessary, to comply with the regulations in force for the cement industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the accelerating urbanization process in China, the extensive economic growth model with high energy consumption and high pollution aggravates atmospheric environmental pollution and restricts the sustainable development of the social economy. The Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region has the most severe haze pollution and the most acute contradiction between resources, environment and economic development. Based on the physical coupling theory, this paper constructs a coupling coordination degree model of the economy, environment and high haze pollution industries, such as the thermal power industry. Through literature analysis and expert investigation of the economic, industrial and environmental data of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region from 2006 to 2018, the coordinated development of the economy, environment and high haze pollution industries, such as the thermal power industry, in the above region, was dynamically monitored. The monitoring results show that the development level of the Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei region is significantly different, and the three subregions have not entered the stage of coordinated development. Moreover, since 2015, they have been in a bottleneck period of development and have not achieved a higher level of progress. The three subregions have different advantages and restraining factors. For example, the backward level of Hebei's economy and high haze pollution industries, such as the thermal power industry, restrict the coordinated development of the region as a whole. Only by accelerating the high-quality development of the Hebei economy can we break through the bottleneck of the development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the topic of CO2 emissions has been a subject of intensive debate. There is a significant policy push toward reducing emissions that cause air pollution and other environmental concerns. The aim of this paper is to analyze the CO2 emissions as well as economic growth along with renewable energy use and the level of urbanization in the selected World countries in the period of 1995-2018. In general, almost all of the Northern part of the World was characterized by a high level of CO2 emissions, while the majority of African territory was the least polluted. The empirical result shows that the growth rate of air pollution is much higher in countries that initially had a low level of CO2 emissions, so the convergence process occurred. Conditioning convergence with the renewable energy use and the urbanization level indicates that its speed is higher. Club convergence analysis has proved that well-developed regions in terms of GDP per capita are able to improve the ecological situation despite further economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of air pollution control policies targeting key polluting enterprises, highlighting a strategic shift towards precision pollution control that concentrates on high-emission, high-risk businesses. The paper explores the efficacy of these policies and their potential spatial spillover effects, utilizing panel data from 259 Chinese cities from 2013 to 2021. Employing the difference-in-differences (DID) model and spatial Durbin model, the study analyzes both the direct local effects and the broader spatial consequences of these regulatory measures on air quality. The findings indicate a significant reduction in air pollutant concentrations in urban areas, attributing this improvement to factors such as industrial restructuring, increased investment in science and technology, and economic growth. Spatial econometric analysis further reveals a substantial positive correlation in air quality among Chinese cities. However, estimates of the spillover effect indicate that while such policies successfully reduce pollution locally, they could unintentionally degrade air quality in adjacent areas. The study highlights the need for nuanced policy strategies to mitigate unintended spatial spillovers and enhance overall effectiveness. It recommends tailored policies that integrate environmental and socioeconomic objectives, national and regional coordination for consistent enforcement, technology-driven compliance strategies, and incentives for sustainable enterprise practices. • Assessed impact of policies on key polluters in 259 Chinese cities. • Employed DID and spatial Durbin models for in-depth policy impact analysis. • Found significant reduction in urban air pollution from policies. • Revealed spatial spillover effects, aligning with "pollution haven" hypothesis. • Proposed nuanced approaches for local and spatial policy impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution caused by particulate matter (PM) is a current problem in many cities. With the introduction of strict emission limits and electric cars, lower particle production is expected in the future. However, there are sources of particles that cannot be easily influenced. These include resuspension, where particles deposited on surfaces re-enter the air, causing pollution multiple times. Resuspension can account for up to 18% of the total emissions in some cases. The present paper focuses on the use of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools to describe the flow in a street canyon where resuspension by wind occurs. Based on the calculated flow, a resuspension model is applied to see where resuspension occurs and how far the particles can travel. The shear stresses on the surfaces and the character of the flow field in the boundary layer are evaluated. Different building configurations and flow parameters are tested using a simple 2D model. The model makes it possible to see in which parts of the street canyon resuspension can occur. It shows that the particles leave the street canyon only from the surfaces where the conditions are suitable for resuspension. These particles then enter the mainstream. However, most of the particles stay in the canyon, which can cause resuspension to pollute the air repeatedly. This effect can have a severe impact on human health. The total dispersion of particles in the urban environment is evaluated. The results may be useful for cities that clean the streets, as it is clear which areas will benefit most from the cleaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the global increase in air pollution and its crucial role in human health, as well as the steep rise in prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which environmental pollution may influence MetS is imperative. Exposure to air pollution is known to impact DNA methylation, which in turn may affect human health. This paper comprehensively reviews the evidence for the hypothesis that the effect of air pollution on the MetS is mediated by DNA methylation in blood. First, we present a summary of the impact of air pollution on metabolic dysregulation, including the components of MetS, i.e., disorders in blood glucose, lipid profile, blood pressure, and obesity. Then, we provide evidence on the relation between air pollution and endothelial dysfunction as one possible mechanism underlying the relation between air pollution and MetS. Subsequently, we review the evidence that air pollution (PM, ozone, NO2 and PAHs) influences DNA methylation. Finally, we summarize association studies between DNA methylation and MetS. Integration of current evidence supports our hypothesis that methylation may partly mediate the effect of air pollution on MetS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the first observation of airborne trace elements using Barbula Indica moss in Hai Phong city, one of the two largest seaport cities in Vietnam. A total of 39 moss samples were collected at 39 different locations in January 2020 in Hai Phong. Neutron activation analysis method was used to analyze the concentration of 36 chemical elements in the collected moss samples and the obtained data were compared with the data obtained in other regions of Vietnam, China and Europe. The level of chemical elemental contamination in the air of Hai Phong was categorized and the possible sources of pollutant emissions were identified by applying principal component analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aims to present aspects related to the main sources of environmental pollution that exist in the Western Region, as well as the impact of pollution on the health of the inhabitants, in order to ensure a healthy living environment for all the inhabitants of the region. Industrial activities located in this delimited area, sometimes very close or even in human settlements, lead to the appearance of intense sources of environmental pollution with effects on the health of the inhabitants. The short- and medium-term effects of air pollution are detrimental to human health and harm ecosystems and the economy. Long-term pollution affects the environment through: the effect of greenhouse gases, the destruction of the ozone layer, the presence of heavy metals, dust and suspended particles. The greenhouse gases specified in one of the annexes to the Kyoto Protocol are: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide. Heavy metals (mercury, cadmium, lead) are now well ahead of well-known pollutants such as carbon dioxide and sulfur and are predicted to be considered more dangerous than nuclear and solid waste. Heavy metal contamination is associated with their widespread use in industrial production, coupled with poor cleaning systems, as a result of which heavy metals enter the environment. Among all pollutants, suspended particles, nitrogen oxides, especially nitrogen dioxide, and ozone pose the highest risk to human health. Air pollution is potentially the most serious short- and medium-term health problem. Polluted air is the most difficult to avoid, and its effects penetrate everywhere and harm the health of the population. The Western Region has numerous sources of pollution such as the steel industry, the electricity and thermal energy production industry, the construction materials industry and the extractive industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the Covid-19 pandemic increased exponentially across the globe, it has threatened the human lives and uprooted the economy of various cities and nations, besides having a major impact on the environment. In a matter of a few months, the world has transformed its way of living. The global disruption caused by the Covid-19 has brought about several effects on the environment and climate. Hence, a scientometric study of the India's publications in impact of Covid-19 on environment has been conducted to identify the emerging research trends in this field. Methods: The study downloaded India's publications on this topic from the Scopus database using a well-defined research strategy, which was based on using all keywords related to Covid-19 in "Keyword" and "Title" search tags of Scopus database. The search was subsequently restricted to "Environmental Sciences" subject, and limited to "India" yielding 805 records. Results: The 805 Indian publications were published on 'Covid-19 and Environmental Sciences" as searched in Scopus database and these have received 8275 citations, averaging 10.28 citations per paper. The 30.19% and 36.64% share of India's publications received external funding support and involve international collaboration. Among India's foreign collaborating partner countries, USA contributed the largest share (27.80%), followed by U.K. (21.02%), China and Saudi Arabia (14.24% each) and Australia (13.9%). Among 380 participating organizations, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, New Delhi contributed the largest number of papers (31, 26 and 26 papers) and Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi (47.5 and 4.68), Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences (28.29 and 2.79) and Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar (19.75 and 1.95) registered the largest citation impact. Among 945 participating authors, M. Kumar, S. Gautam and R. Kumar contributed the largest number of papers (25, 13 and 10 papers) and A. Narayanasamy (61.17 and 6.03), S. Gautam. (30.46 and 3.0) and M. Joshi (27.29 and 2.69) registered the largest citation impact. Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Science of the Total Environment and Environmental Science and Pollution Research contributed the largest number of papers (76, 60 and 45 papers) and Environmental Pollution (12.0), Aerosol and Air Quality Research (11.12), Modeling Earth Systems and Environment (10.50) registered the largest citation impact of paper. The most significant keywords associated with "Covid-19 and Environmental Science" along with their frequency are: Air Quality (124), Air Pollution (96), Particulate Matter (91), Atmospheric Pollution (65), Environmental Monitoring (52), etc. Conclusion: The results of the present study are focused on evaluation of the India's contribution, focusing on both national and international issues using quantitative and qualitative methods. Such a study has allowed us to visualize the research trends that emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic and will facilitate the researchers to identify significant hotspots and latest trends in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 20th century, the resources and environment in Northeast China have changed, and it is one of the typical regions that have short-term or high-intensity environmental impacts in the world. However, due to the excessive consumption of regional resources and strong environmental pollution to the atmospheric environment, development is being greatly affected. Maintaining the natural ecological environment has become a very urgent task. This paper studies the important ecological environment problems in Northeast China from the perspective of double carbon goals. The study points out that there are ecological problems in Northeast China, such as the lack of forest resources, the aggravation of desertification, the decline of black soil quality, and the shrinkage of wetlands, which are severe urban environmental protection problems. At the same time, affected by the trend of world environmental change, policy drivers in Northeast China, and some relatively new environmental pollution problems, the natural environmental quality of Northeast China will still have a significant decline in the future. The future development of Northeast China will be based on the perspective of double carbon goals, constantly improve the ecological environment monitoring system, strengthen the research of scientific and technological system, strengthen innovation, and vigorously develop circular economy and further improve the construction of basic systems. Through a series of ecological environment governance and the coordinated development of economy and ecological environment, the dual growth of economy and ecological environment in Northeast China will be realized, and the overall revitalization of the old industrial zone in Northeast China will be realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green plants can effectively retain atmospheric particle pollution and purify the air. As an important part of the campus ecosystem, they have a significant effect on absorbing atmospheric pollutants and improving the quality of the campus air environment. Six common greening plants were selected as the object in Xiangnan University. The dust retention capacity of plant leaves, leaf micro-structure, and leaf contact angle were measured. The results show that the highest amounts of dust removed by Osmanthus fragrans Lour was 3.451 g/m2, and the least amounts of dust removed by Magnolia denudata Desr. was 1.005 g/m2, and the maximum is 4.148 times of the minimum. The micro-structure of the plant leaf surface affects the amount of dust retention. The plant dust retention capacity with gully of the leaf surface and fluff, stomata, and sawtooth structure is relatively strong; The plant dust retention capacity with smooth, wax layer, leathery, and gully is relatively weak. The leaf contact area of a plant is related to its dust retention ability, that is, when the measured leaf contact angle is <90°, the leaf dust retention ability of the plant is strong. When the blade contact angle is >90°, the dust retention capacity is weak. Many studies have found that green plants can effectively retain atmospheric particle pollution and purify the air. As an important part of the campus ecosystem, few people specially study the campus ecosystem. Many scholars focus on the research on urban street trees and different districts of the city. The object of this study is more in-depth and targeted. Through the analysis of the difference of dust retention ability between common plants in campus, this paper compares and analyzes the influencing factors of the difference of dust retention ability among plants, which is not only related to the external environment but also closely related to the micro-structure characteristics of plant leaves. The research on the dust retention ability of different plants will help to better control dust and atmospheric environmental pollution, improve air quality, and select plants with strong dust retention ability as green plants on campus, which will play an important role in reducing dust pollution on campus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a knowledge gap on how ground-level particulate pollution affects labor productivity in emerging nations due to a lack of study, especially when it comes to outdoor work settings like couriers in the express delivery industry. Combining findings from two research projects, this paper examines the socioeconomic consequences of particulate matter and ground-level particulate pollution. Special panel dataset from China's express delivery companies are used, we study how particulate pollution affects courier productivity. The instrumental variable of our analysis was built by particulate pollution data from upwind towns. Moreover, a comparable rise in particulate levels during the 30 days caused a significant 23.7% decline in worker productivity. This draws attention to a neglected area of the economic effects of particulate pollution, especially in underdeveloped countries. Our results also highlight the wider health hazards connected to outdoor activities in high-pollution locations, drawing comparisons on outdoor exercisers and particulate matter concentrations. The critical need for coordinated policy attention addressing both ground-level Particulate and particle matters in developing nations is highlighted by the increased risk of lung function impairment among outdoor exercisers owing to excessive particulate matter concentrations. The interrelated risks that air pollution poses to public health and economic productivity are clarified by this Comprehensive viewpoint. • Examines the socioeconomic consequences of particulate matter and ground-level ozone pollution. • Using a special panel dataset from one of China's top express delivery companies. • Air pollution poses to public health and economic productivity are clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing expansion of China's coal mine production leads to the increased storage pressure in current coal silos. Most of these coals are stored in open-air coal pile. Therefore, those coal piles have caused a series of environmental pollution problems, which includes endangering workers' health and aggravating air pollution in the surrounding natural environment. Therefore, it is urgent to study and prevent the dust flying problem of coal pile. This paper, based on a single chemical dust suppressant, optimizes a new type of composite binder. This composite binder has advantages of dust suppression effect, relatively simple preparation process and the environmentally friendly agent. This paper is mainly divided into two parts: the study on the influencing factors of dust wetting and the development and application of related spraying systems. Through the energy spectrum analysis of scanning electron microscope and reverse osmosis method, it explores the dust wetting and suppression characteristics of the composite binder with different physical and chemical properties. The optimal application range of the composite binder are obtained. Finally, an automatic spraying system for dust suppression is designed. The composite binder developed in this paper is applied in the open-air coal yard and the results show that the composite binder studied in this paper has a good effect of dust suppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution is an inevitable negative environmental externality in the process of industrialization and urbanization in countries around the world. Land misallocation in the process of urbanization and industrialization and the resulting urban sprawl exacerbates the above problems. As a major country in the stage of rapid urbanization and industrialization, China also faces severe air pollution problems. Therefore, this paper will systematically study the impact of land misallocation and urban sprawl on air pollution. We first set up the utility maximization problem of each economic entity in the process of land misallocation in the mathematical model, and form a general equilibrium theory model to analyze the relationship between land misallocation, urban sprawl and air pollution, and then put forward the research hypotheses. We further use the big data of land market transactions of China Land Market Network and LandScan global population data to build the land misallocation index and urban sprawl index respectively, and use an extended mediating effect model to empirically test the hypotheses. The results suggest that the effect of land misallocation on air pollution is significantly positive, and the impact of land misallocation on urban sprawl largely depends on the return rate of land relative to labor (RRIRL). When the RRIRL is relatively low, the impact is weak, or even has a negative effect to some extent. At this time, low transportation costs are conducive to reducing air pollution. On the contrary, when the RRIRL is relatively high, land misallocation has a significant role in promoting urban sprawl. At this time, high traffic costs are conducive to reducing air pollution. In addition, we also find that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between urban sprawl and air pollution. When the urban sprawl level is low, its impact on air pollution increases with the increase of its level, but once it exceeds a specific node, the impact will decrease. Based on the characteristics of the relationship among land misallocation, urban sprawl and air pollution under different RRIRL, we summarize four environmentally friendly urban development paths. We bring the land bid rent theory and environmental pollution research into a same theoretical model framework, which provides a modeling idea and research perspective with a micro-foundation for subsequent research on land misallocation. We integrate the research conclusions of existing literature and unify them under the research frameworks concerning different RRIRL in the empirical results, which greatly improving their applicability. The four urban development paths summarized in this paper will also provide inspiration for future researchers and policy makers. • We posit that urban sprawl is an important intermediate mechanism by which land misallocation affects air pollution. • We build a general equilibrium framework. • Land misallocation leads to an increase in air pollutant concentrations. • Land misallocation has a nonlinear impact on air pollution by restraining urban sprawl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the atmospheric environmental corrosion grade of substations in 11 prefecture level cities in Shanxi Province is evaluated through a metal hanging sheet experiment. Combined with the main environmental factors, such as temperature, relative humidity, and the concentration of main pollution factors, such as SO2, Cl−, dust, etc., the influence of various factors on the corrosion of transmission and transformation equipment is analyzed, and the corresponding anti-corrosion measures are put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the global increase in air pollution and its crucial role in human health, as well as the steep rise in prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which environmental pollution may influence MetS is imperative. Exposure to air pollution is known to impact DNA methylation, which in turn may affect human health. This paper comprehensively reviews the evidence for the hypothesis that the effect of air pollution on the MetS is mediated by DNA methylation in blood. First, we present a summary of the impact of air pollution on metabolic dysregulation, including the components of MetS, i.e., disorders in blood glucose, lipid profile, blood pressure, and obesity. Then, we provide evidence on the relation between air pollution and endothelial dysfunction as one possible mechanism underlying the relation between air pollution and MetS. Subsequently, we review the evidence that air pollution (PM, ozone, NO2 and PAHs) influences DNA methylation. Finally, we summarize association studies between DNA methylation and MetS. Integration of current evidence supports our hypothesis that methylation may partly mediate the effect of air pollution on MetS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem that atmospheric particulate matter has become the primary pollutant with serious harm and complex sources in recent years, this paper proposes an accurate identification method of pollution sources based on a receptor model to obtain the contribution rate of each pollution source category. This method takes the 75-day measured environmental receptor data of an area under the artificial intelligence cloud model as the basic data, uses the normrnd () function to expand the receptor data, and uses the positive definite matrix factor analysis (PMF) and principal component analysis (PCA) models to verify the rationality of the data expansion. The results are as follows: the number of extended simulated receptor component spectra has a certain effect on the PCA analysis results, but the effect is smaller than the extended range. All relative errors are less than 14%, and the relative error is the smallest when the six simulated receptor component spectra are expanded, that is, the PCA analysis results of the expanded data are most consistent with the measured data; the number of expanded simulated receptor component spectra has a certain influence on the PMF analysis results. But the relative error is less than 40%. When extending the spectrum of six simulated receptor components, the relative error is the smallest, that is, the PMF analysis results of the extended data are most consistent with the measured data. It is proven that this method provides a more direct basis for the targeted treatment of pollution sources that are more harmful to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution caused by coal burning not only increases the cost of environmental pollution but also harms human health. It is urgent for China to change the practice of coal-fired central heating. Therefore, the effectiveness and sustainability of the Coal to Gas and Electricity policy have become the focus of all sectors of society. In this paper, eight cities in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region were taken as the experimental groups and the other eleven cities as the control groups. Based on the PSM-DID model and the time-varying DID model, a quasi-natural experimental analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of the policy of coal to gas and electricity to improve air quality in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region from 2015 to 2020 and to test the sustainability of the policy. Three research conclusions are shown below: First, during the implementation of the policy, especially in 2019, the AQI index decreased significantly. Although there was a rebound thereafter, it was still lower than before. This shows that the Coal to Gas and Electricity policy has indeed improved the air quality in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei during its implementation. Second, the policy had a great impact on SO2 and PM10 but was relatively weak on PM2.5 and CO. Therefore, there is an urgent need to formulate scientific and accurate policies to control different air pollutants. Third, the time-varying DID model was used to identify the dynamic sustainability effect of the Coal to Gas and Electricity policy. The results showed that the policy had a strong impact in the initial stage, but its effect was greatly reduced at the end of the implementation or near the end, when it was far less obvious than in the initial stage of the policy. Therefore, in formulating relevant measures to reduce air pollution, it is necessary to fully consider the sustainability of the policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road transport has become the major source of environmental pollution and it is also one of the biggest environmental risks in the EU countries. Good air quality is very important for population as pollutants have negative impacts on human health. The paper deals with relationship between air pollutants generated by road transport and the life expectancy in EU countries. At the beginning of the paper the main pollutants from motor vehicles are described and impact on human health is summarized too. We use regression analysis of panel data to analyse the relationship between chosen air pollutants and life expectancy. Our results show negative impacts of nitrogen oxide and sulphur oxide, specifically reduction in life expectancy by 1.49 years for nitrogen oxides and 0.28 years for sulphur oxides with an increase of the pollutant by 1%. So according to our findings economic policy makers should focus primarily on the reduction of nitrogen and sulphur oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing expansion of China's coal mine production leads to the increased storage pressure in current coal silos. Most of these coals are stored in open-air coal pile. Therefore, those coal piles have caused a series of environmental pollution problems, which includes endangering workers' health and aggravating air pollution in the surrounding natural environment. Based on a single chemical dust suppressant, this paper optimizes a new type of composite binder. The Composite binder has advantages of forming the crust on surface of coal pile. The artificial wind erosion simulation method is used to test the dust solidifying characteristics of the composite binder with different physical and chemical properties and the optimal application range of the composite binder is selected. Finally, the composite binder developed is applied in an open-air coal pile and the results show that the composite binder studied in this paper has a good effect of dust solidifying. Unlabelled Image • Wind erosion simulator is designed. • Effect of dust carbon content on dust consolidation is studied. • Effect of Binder Adhesion on Consolidation of Dust is studied. • Stability Analyses of Dust Consolidation have been done. • The composite binder has a good effect of dust suppression and dust solidifying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution is harmful to human physical health and wellbeing. What is less well established is the relationship between adolescent mental health – a growing public health concern – and pollution. In response, we systematically reviewed studies documenting associations between pollution and mental health in adolescents. We searched Africa Wide, Medline, PsycArticles, PsycInfo, PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC, SciELO, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection for studies published up to 10 April 2020 that investigated exposure to any pollutant and symptoms of anxiety; depression; disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders; neurodevelopmental disorders; psychosis; or substance abuse in 10–24-year-olds (i.e., adolescents as per expanded and more inclusive definition of adolescence). This identified 2291 records and we assessed 128 papers for inclusion. We used a narrative synthesis to coalesce the studies' findings. This review is registered on PROSPERO, CRD42020176664. Seventeen studies from Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America were included. Air and water pollution exposure was associated with elevated symptoms of depression, generalised anxiety, psychosis, and/or disruptive, impulse control and conduct disorder. Exposure to lead and solvents was associated with neurodevelopmental impairments. Most studies neglected factors that could have supported the mental health resilience of adolescents exposed to pollution. Notwithstanding the limited quality of most reviewed studies, results suggest that pollution exposure is a risk to adolescent mental health. High-quality research is urgently required, including the factors and processes that protect the mental health of pollution-exposed adolescents. Studies with adolescents living in low- and lower middle-income countries and the southern hemisphere must be prioritized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• NO 2 Protocol of Madrid establishes vehicle restrictions in the event of high pollution episodes. • We analyze travelers' behavior of a commuting corridor when restrictions are applied. • Modal choice in suburban trips is influenced by the mobility restrictions. • The impact on promoting a modal shift from private to public transport modes is scarce. • Stronger policy measures are needed to foster more environmentally-friendly transport modes. With the increasing concern about environmental problems in metropolitan areas, policy-makers are establishing restrictions on private vehicles in city centers to mitigate air pollution levels. Like many other European cities, Madrid fails to fulfill repeatedly the legal limits on pollutant concentrations established by the European Commission. Accordingly, in order to comply with acceptable air quality levels, Madrid City Council passed a protocol to address high NO 2 pollution episodes. This paper aims at gaining deeper insight into how emission abatement plans foster a more sustainable mobility in suburban trips. To that end, a discrete choice analysis is conducted to explore the influence of the different restriction stages on modal share in a commuting corridor. Based on traffic counts and transit entrances, two multinomial grouped logit models are calibrated. Moreover, differences across trip frequencies are studied in order to determine to what extent a modal shift from private vehicles to more environmentally-friendly modes of transport occurs. The paper concludes that modal choice in suburban trips is influenced by the mobility restrictions adopted. Nevertheless, this effect shows to be fairly limited in the case of the Madrid NO 2 Protocol. Therefore, more severe measures should be implemented to achieve a greater modal shift towards more sustainable transport modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For air quality and health professionals it is clear that air pollution is a serious concern and that air quality in many locations globally must be understood and controlled to minimise its devastating impacts. The widespread understanding of air pollution impacts relies on identifying key information to be communicated which should be relevant, impactful and easily understood. This includes air quality index, health impacts and typical exposure levels. This information must be communicated effectively to the public and decision makers - the method of communication (i.e. technical web-based reports versus newspapers) and format of content (i.e. graphicalbased or written) are key considerations. The control of impacts also relies on effective communication - behavioural changes can be influenced by achieving widespread awareness and education. We are not currently observing significant changes towards air pollution reductions, suggesting effective communication is not being achieved and must be a focus for air quality professionals. This paper explores methods which are being used globally to effectively communicate implications of air pollution on human health and how these may be implemented in Australia. This paper also details how low-cost particle sensors can be used to establish relevant and relatable pollution exposure levels - data is presented for a case study completed in South Australia, providing an understanding of peak and average PM2.5 concentrations recorded at specific times and locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution presents a serious public health risk globally, particularly in fast industrializing countries such as China. Effectiveness of local air pollution control measures is influenced by external forces such as atmospheric emission transport and interprovincial trade. However, there is lack of research on comparison of these two indicators and local indicators (e.g. per capita income and emissions) determines the responsibility allocation in pollution control. In this paper, cross-provincial air pollution is stimulated via atmospheric transport (atmospheric linkage indicator) based on Weather Research and Forecasting/Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions (WRF/CAMx) model. The air pollutants embodied in interprovincial trade (trade linkage indicator) was studied by using the latest multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model. This study revealed the significant influence of atmospheric transport on neighboring provinces. However, transport of trade-induced embodied emissions affects both neighboring areas and larger areas. According to aggregation analysis of these two indicators, in most provinces of China, direction of atmospheric transport contradicts to that of the trade-induced transport. These findings are used to analyze the rationality of regional differences in environmental tax rate in the new environmental protection tax law of China. By comparing the local and interregional linkage indicators, we found the current environment tax for air pollutants was mainly affected by per capita income whereas other environment and linkage indicators show little correlation. Therefore, we integrated environment and linkage indicators to propose adjusted provincial environment tax rates plan for air pollutants as a cost sharing mechanism. The results of this paper provide novel perspective for central government to adjust fairness environmental responsibility between provinces of China by tax policy. Image 1 • Cross-provincial air pollution via atmospheric transport was simulated by WRF/CAMx. • Interprovincial air pollution embodied in trade was traced using MRIO model. • The influence range via trade is greater than that of atmospheric transport. • The environmental tax rate is advised to be adjusted base on linkage indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Little is known about the gender and age differences associated with the effects of economic fluctuations on hospitalization for cardiovascular diseases. This paper investigates the impact of economic fluctuations on hospitalization for ischemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, and hypertension by age and gender between January 1996 and December 2012 in Taiwan. Methods: We adopted a multiple-input time series analysis to examine the strength of the immediate and latent effects of the 17-year quarterly unemployment rates (UR), air pollution exposure (APE), gross domestic product (GDP), per capita consumption expenditure in cigarette and alcohol (ECA), and per capita healthcare expenditure (HE) on the adjusted quarterly incidence rate of hospitalization. The data used in this paper were retrieved from the National Health Insurance Research Database and the website of the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS), Executive Yuan. Results: Our findings indicate that higher UR increased IHD hospitalization in young men and women and middle-aged women but reduced stroke hospitalization in young men. Higher APE increased IHD hospitalization in young men but reduced it for young women, increased stroke hospitalization in old men and middle-aged women but reduced it for young men, and increased hypertension hospitalization in middle-aged men and young women. Higher ECA reduced IHD hospitalization in middle-aged men, increased stoke hospitalization in middle-aged and old men and middle-aged women. Higher HE reduced IHD hospitalization in old men, young and old women, reduced stroke hospitalization in old women, and reduced hypertension hospitalization in young and middle-aged women. Conclusions: Overall, we found that the economic fluctuations caused increased harmful effects in certain population subgroups but also brought some soothing effects to some groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we investigate the relationship between participation in global value chains and the environment from a spatial perspective. By drawing on an original dataset on global value chain participation, emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides, and green patents for European regions, we present novel evidence about the relationship between global value chains, green technologies and air pollution at the regional level. Our findings suggest that although participation in global value chains may lead to lower polluting emissions, this effect largely depends on the capacity of regions to exploit the green knowledge deriving from participation and on the specific form of participation. When European regions are integrated with backward linkages (i.e., importing inputs to produce exports) they record lower levels of air pollution; conversely, participation through forward linkages (i.e., exporting inputs for other places' exports) leads to an increase in air pollution. Backward participation also come out to support the development of green technologies that mediate the effects of global value chains on the environment posited by the "Pollution Haven" hypothesis. Overall, the relationship between global value chains participation and air pollution will depend on the type of participation and on the capacity of territories to profit it for the development of green technologies. • Our research provides new evidence on the relationship between Global Value Chains (GVCs) and the environment by using an original dataset on EU NUTS-2 regions. • GVC integration may lead to lower polluting emissions. This effect largely depends on the green knowledge deriving from GVC participation. • Regions integrated through backward linkages record lower levels of polluting emissions and higher capacities to develop green technologies. • Integration through forward linkages is associated with higher level of polluting emissions but not with green technologies. • We propose a Technological Heaven Hypothesis for EU regions that would contrast the Pollution Haven Hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peroxyl radicals (RO 2) are important components of atmospheric radical cycling and generation, but their formation, distribution and evolution mechanisms in the atmospheric environment have not been investigated. In this paper, we propose a novel atmospheric RO 2 radical trapping membrane that can trap low carbon number (Rc ≤ 5) RO 2 radicals and identify their R-group structures by fluorescence spectroscopy and chromatography. We also analyzed the composition and evolution mechanism of RO 2 species under different meteorological conditions in the atmospheric environment of Lanzhou, China, to provide scientific support for the treatment and research of atmospheric chemical pollution. [Display omitted] • A novel furan-based fluorescent probe was prepared. • Developed an atmospheric RO 2 free radical capture membrane. • Measured the species distribution of RO 2 radicals in the urban atmosphere. • The distribution of peroxyl radicals under different weather was compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on dust resuspension from solid waste landfills are unavailable in transition countries. Due the complex dust composition, its resuspension could cause serious health effect on surrounding inhabitants. In this paper, influence of resuspended dust from solid waste landfill in medium side city in Serbia on surrounding were modeled. Emission factor for dust resuspension were calculated according to the resent research and dispersion in air were simulated using ADMS Urban modeling software. According to the obtained results, modeled concentration in selected receptors were below limit values for dust defined by EU Directives. Even though simulation could be starting point for indication of pollution levels, systematic measurement around landfill is imperative in Serbia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution of chemical industrial parks (CIPs) is becoming increasingly severe, which has major impacts on the health of local residents. Therefore, source term estimation (STE) is of high importance to find the source locations and back-calculate the source emission rates based on the ambient concentration measurements and meteorological information. However, the number of the ambient sensors is far less than the one of pollution sources for CIPs. This issue of sensor deficiency makes the unknown source parameters untraceable. In this paper, the concept of traceability is introduced to propose a condition to explain when the STE problem has a unique solution. Then an approach using measurements at multiple time points for estimating the emission rate of each source is proposed. In order to satisfy the condition of traceability, the coefficient matrix can be expanded by augmenting measurement samples collected at different time instances with different wind directions when the emission rates keep unchanged. Furthermore, based on the rank of the coefficient matrix, the problem can be classified as fully traceable, partially traceable, and untraceable. Then, the regularized least squares method is applied to estimate the source rates in real-time. Some test results with a simulated scenario demonstrate that the source rate can be reliably estimated with the method proposed. Finally, the limitations and conclusions of the method are stated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers empirical insights into the trade-off between local air pollution and traffic accidents by exploiting an annual studded tyre ban in Norway. Studded tyres offer superior traction on icy roads, but also contribute to harmful particulate matter pollution. The use of studs is therefore restricted to certain dates which, due to its dependence on Easter, can differ by over a month from one year to another. I exploit this variation in a type of regression discontinuity in time design. The findings suggest that the use of studded tyres does not decrease the number of traffic accidents. Moreover, there is no evidence that studded tyres increase particulate matter pollution. As studded tyres increases road wear and tear and appears to not contribute to road safety, this paper raises the question of whether North-American and European countries where studded tyres are widely used should revisit their traffic safety policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tackling air pollution has become of utmost importance since the last few decades. Different statistical as well as deep learning methods have been proposed till now, but seldom those have been used to forecast future long-term pollution trends. Forecasting long-term pollution trends into the future is highly important for government bodies around the globe as they help in the framing of efficient environmental policies. This paper presents a comparative study of various statistical and deep learning methods to forecast long-term pollution trends for the two most important categories of particulate matter (PM) which are PM2.5 and PM10. The study is based on Kolkata, a major city on the eastern side of India. The historical pollution data collected from government set-up monitoring stations in Kolkata are used to analyse the underlying patterns with the help of various time-series analysis techniques, which is then used to produce a forecast for the next two years using different statistical and deep learning methods. The findings reflect that statistical methods such as auto-regressive (AR), seasonal auto-regressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) and Holt–Winters outperform deep learning methods such as stacked, bi-directional, auto-encoder and convolution long short-term memory networks based on the limited data available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of the high-speed railway (HSR) has dramatically reduced transportation costs in China and reshaped the economic geography. Provided that the HSR increased the mobility of production factors, industrial firms and their pollution emissions may also be reallocated between cities. This paper collects firm-level microdata and utilizes an adjusted spatial econometric model to study the spatial spillovers of air and water pollution via the HSR network. We find that a firm's pollution level is increased by the decline of pollution from firms located in the HSR-connected neighboring cities. Further investigations suggest that the spillover of Total Factor Productivity (TFP) via the HSR network is a possible mechanism through which the pollution are transmitted between cities. We also show evidence that the magnitude of pollution spillovers is highly correlated with regional economic growth, environmental investment, the number of industrial firms, and per capita rail length in a province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photo-catalysis has shown a prominent and effective role for the degradation of textile dyes and organic compounds on large scale to keep environment and water reservoirs clean and usable. Photo-catalysts produce hydrogen through water splitting which is an eco-friendly source of renewable energy. Photo-catalysts are used for solar cells construction. Photo-catalysis generates an electron–hole (e−–h +) pair due to light interaction. The electron–hole (e−–h +) pair produces ⋅OH and O 2 • − , which play the main role in degradation process; it leads to redox reaction and oxidizes organic pollutants to H2O and CO2. Major causes of water, air and soil pollution are organic pollutants, heavy metals and non-biodegradable dyes released by different industries. These pollutants especially phenols and dyes have seriously affected the water reservoirs. This paper gives a critical review on visible and solar light photo-catalysis and techniques used for the photo-degradation of hazardous pollutants. A systematic study has been carried out from the published literature on photo-degradation of organic pollutants, factors effecting the photo-degradation and the various operating parameters. The role of semiconductors/nano-catalysts for eco-friendly renewable energy sources, such as hydrogen and solar cells production is also elaborated for future energy crises. The published data has shown that different parameters, such as pH of the system, light intensity, catalyst amount, initial concentration and amount of photo-catalysts play a crucial role for the degradation of various dyes and organic pollutants. Photo-catalysis has also shown significant results for remediation of volatile organic pollutants and acid gases from air. This review has focused to find an efficient, low cost and result oriented photo-catalyst and the effective environment for reaction. The concluded data has shown that photo-catalysis is economically suitable and fit for the treatment of waste water, industrial effluents and energy production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seaborne trade exhibits a continual expansion with technological advancement, reportedly 10.7 billion tons in 2017, with a 3.8% growth annually. It is forecast to double in the next two decades (UNCTAD, 2018). The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is persistently heading to stricter regulatory amendments to steer shipping towards a greener and more sustainable future. Therefore, green shipping has drawn enormous interest from both academia and researchers. This paper summarizes a comprehensive bibliometric analysis aiming to understand the development of research trends in this area and suggest future research. Most of the research is focused on air pollution, practical operation or technical measures, recycling for GSP in the shipping sector. The theoretical approach to GSP and its concept is yet to be crystalline for the marine industry. According to existing research, further study is required to establish a GSP construct and propose pollution abatement technical solutions with a comprehensive evaluating tool. Besides, scholars from different territories may collaboratively suggest setting up standards and legislation of GSP for the life cycle of the ship to achieve an ever-sustainable maritime transport industry worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Biotrickling filtration gains importance as a sustainable air deodorization method. • Selected microbial species and modified liquid phase improve biofiltration efficacy. • Enhanced removal of hydrophobic compounds in two-phase partitioning biofilters. • On-line monitoring of biofiltration performance with e-nose is proposed. Abstract Odour nuisance, resulting mainly from the presence of the compounds containing osmophore group and characterized by low olfactory threshold, is associated with danger and may be the cause of negative psychosomatic symptoms. Among different methods of malodorous air treatment, biological methods are of importance, mainly due to reduced operating costs, high purification efficiency of voluminous gas streams characterized by low concentrations of odorants and minute secondary pollution. Recently, biotrickling filtration has been one of the most attractive biological technique of air deodorization. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art on biotrickling filtration and special attention is paid to the methods for evaluation of the process performance. The review presents the range of odorous chemical compounds that may be removed from air in BTFs, highlighting the strategies for the removal of hydrophobic odorous air pollutants. The paper is focused on the literature references regarding biotrickling filtration for the years 2010–2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is focusing on particulate matter (PM10) as the one of the main pollutants in the urban environments, and the one of the main sources of PM emissions are small household furnaces. This paper shows a part of the results of the research related to measurements of the ambient concentrations of aerosols and definition of the sources of the pollution in one part of Banja Luka city area, with dominant private households. Spatial and seasonal variability of concentrations indicates a significant contribution of biomass and fossil fuel burning as well as specific meteorological conditions. By using positive matrix factorization, technique chemical composition data for PM10 were analysed in order to identify the possible sources and estimate their contribution to PM mass. A biomass combustion devices were identified as the one of dominant PM10 emission sources during the winter season, because highly determined correlation between PM10 and potassium content. From the other side, the results of the project "Typology of Residential Buildings in Bosnia and Herzegovina", were used as a tool for prediction and quantification of influence of the household's appliances on the pollution as well as for definition of the possible measures for reduction for this specific location. This approach took in consideration spatial distribution of buildings, but also their type, which can give the opportunity to estimate their present energy needs and predict improvements, which can lead to reduction of the PM10 pollution at the end. On that base, some recommendations for the improvements were analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L'existence d'un lien entre urbanicité et trouble psychotique est une donnée maintenant clairement établie avec l'existence d'une relation dose–effet : plus le taux d'urbanicité est élevé, plus le risque de psychose est important. Pour expliquer cette association, plusieurs hypothèses ont été proposées. La plupart des études ont évalué le rôle de facteurs psycho-sociaux comme le niveau socio-économique, le surpeuplement des logements, les inégalités sociales, le capital social pour expliquer ce lien. L'ensemble de ces facteurs ont pour dénominateur commun une exposition répétée au stress, responsable d'une neuro-toxicité susceptible de faire le lit des décompensations psychotiques. Plus récemment, des études suggèrent un rôle de la pollution de l'air. L'exposition aux polluants atmosphériques augmente la neuro-inflammation, le stress oxydatif, l'activation de la microglie, causant des dommages cérébraux et favorisant secondairement le développement des troubles psychotiques. Ces facteurs restent pour l'heure insuffisamment explorés et nécessitent des investigations plus poussées, ce d'autant que contrairement à beaucoup d'autres facteurs étiologiques (environnementaux ou génétiques), les stress psycho-sociaux et la pollution atmosphérique présentent l'avantage d'être accessibles à des interventions et des mesures de prévention susceptibles de réduire l'incidence de la maladie. A growing body of evidence suggests that urbanicity contributes to the development of psychosis, with elevated risks being associated with growing up or living in environments with a higher level of urbanization. This article aims to provide a review of the scientific literature studying the link between urbanicity and psychosis in order to identify the concepts used so far to clarify this issue and the hypotheses that have emerged from them. Taken together, the findings reviewed in this paper confirm that urbanicity is associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia and other non-affective psychosis. However, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unclear. The impact of urbanicity may result from a wide range of factors from air pollution to stressful impact of social life leading to "urban stress". Indeed, the main underlying putative causes explored that may underpin this association are the social environment and air pollution. The role of psychosocial stressors such as neighborhood fragmentation, low social cohesion and social capital, deprivation, social adversities have been singled out by several studies. These different factors could lead to several pathways, possibly unified by dopaminergic hyperactivity in mesocorticolimbic system. Urbanicity could also potentially be related, at least in part, to environmental pollution which has been largely neglected compared to some of the other non-genetic environmental risk factors. The findings from our review show that recent studies link environmental pollution and especially air pollution exposure, to an increased risk of schizophrenia. There are feasible biological mechanisms involving neuro-inflammation processes by which some of the specific pollutants could affect brain development in a way that could increase risk for schizophrenia. Further research – from the cellular to epidemiological levels – is clearly needed. To fully understand the causal role of the environmental risk factors, the integration of genomics with large-scale epidemiological studies is warranted. Moreover, new studies on urbanicity should therefore be more interdisciplinary, bridging knowledge from different disciplines (psychiatry, epidemiology, human geography, urbanism, etc.) in order to enrich research methods. The fact that more than 50% of the World population lives in cities, a proportion likely to increase in the future, makes the resolution of this question an urgent matter. If causation is proven, enhancements of policy intended to reduce human exposure to environmental stressors and pollution could reduce the burden of schizophrenia and possibly other mental illnesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing concern over air pollution and community health, demands a comprehensive understanding of the political nature of transport-related emissions. This paper approaches how structures of power influence travel behaviour and, consequently, how they shape emissions from mobility in Barcelona. To comprehend how the intersection of gender, age, and migration background influences air pollution, we use a travel survey to build a set of models that are known to theoretically engage with intersectionality studies. Results show that identities tied to structures of power promote a greater contribution to air pollution than other mechanisms. That is, middle-aged European-born men have the most NO x -intensive mobility practices. In contrast, people that embody intersectional experiences of oppression such as misogyny, racism, or ageism, have lower emission levels. Considering these results, we argue that policies which acknowledge the unequal distribution of responsibilities present an opportunity to reduce emissions from transportation, while guaranteeing fairness and advancing environmental justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies industrial activities, other than mining, which are carried out on the Jiu Valley and how they affect the environment especially the air. The level of air pollution in the work areas depends on the methods of ensuring clean air as well as the type of pollution source. The study was conducted in 2021 and highlighted the lack of technical equipment and legal measures needed to ensure a clean working environment that does not have negative effects on life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]