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The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) initiatives of Child-Friendly Cities have operated in more than 3000 cities around the world. However, the concept of making the city child-friendly has not been extensively recognized in China. This article aims to report a regeneration project in a migrant workers' community, the Mingdong, and is used to illustrate the reactions of residents to youth participation (youth civic engagement) and the project through an international workshop. The article concludes with a discussion of how social workers help in the social development of migrant communities by promoting youth participation, community social awareness and social cohesiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing child-friendly streetscapes is a pragmatic and effective approach to addressing the limited outdoor play spaces and social exclusion experienced by migrant children living in vulnerable residential areas. However, the existing research and guidelines on streetscape design lack specificity for migrant workers' communities and fail to provide full-cycle design process guidance for real-world practices. By taking a social–ecological perspective and synthesizing the existing literature, this paper develops an integrated design framework with seven indicators to guide three stages of child-friendly streetscape regeneration in migrant workers' communities. The effectiveness of this framework was validated by application in a case project in a typical migrant workers' community in Ningbo, China. The results show that the social–ecological design framework can help maximize opportunities for various children's activities on the street with limited spatial resources. It also contributes to creating inclusive streetscapes to promote social cohesion by integrating social and cultural elements, children's participation, and place-making activities. However, institutional barriers, cultural norms, and limited resources impede children's participation and sustainable operations, which calls for more attention to be paid to "software" building. The new framework and research findings serve as a valuable guide and reference for practitioners in the field of child-friendly environmental design, especially in the context of marginalized communities in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban management under public health emergencies is an issue that has been increasingly highlighted since the outbreak of COVID-19. Although the spatial inequities that exist within Community Health Facilities (CHFs) is a growing public health concern worldwide, no single study has yet identified the potential issues which constrain the utilisation of CHFs under public emergency scenarios within China. This study uses a quantitative case study approach to investigate the correlations between CHFs and development intensity in Yinzhou, Ningbo. Data, including OpenStreetMap, LocaSpace Viewer (LSV) and satellite images, was collected and analysed via Geographic Information System (GIS). The results of this study show that there is an urban–rural division in the development of CHFs, and that facilities possess limited accessibility where they border different administrative districts. We suggest that the 'boundary effect' of CHFs has been caused by changing standards in the building of CHFs and a lack of financial support in rural areas. It is subsequently recommended that a climate of collaborative governance should be established to reconcile the interests of investing in CHFs in different districts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring spatiotemporal changes in tidal wetlands under the disturbance of human activities provides a strong basis for coastal wetland protection and restoration. Long-term serial remote sensing images and other historical data were collected and analysed to investigate the distribution of tidal wetlands of Yueqing Bay in 1969, 1981, 1993, 2003, 2013, and 2021, a case study across the past 50 years. The data revealed that human activities cumulatively caused the net loss of approximately 59.62 km2 in area of tidal wetlands during the observation period. Firstly, between 1969 and 1993, reclamation primarily accounted for the variation of the tidal wetlands. Furthermore, between 1993 and 2013, the invasion of Spartina alterniflora and mudflat aquaculture also became important influencing factors. Between 2013 and 2021, development activities eased, and mangrove planting area increased. Over the analysis period, the overall results revealed that the tidal wetlands in Yueqing Bay underwent a transformation process from the relatively simple effects of exploitation by reclamation to the collective influence of combined exploitation and restoration, increasing the overall diversity of Yueqing Bay tidal wetlands over the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In early 2021, roughly 6 months after the H7N9 H7‐Re3 and H7N9 rLN79 vaccine strains were introduced into China, we monitored a number of H7N9 subtype avian influenza viruses, which could have escaped vaccine‐induced immunity in live poultry markets (LPMs) in Yunnan, Hebei, Shanxi and Guangdong provinces, China. To investigate whether these viruses were a novel H7N9 variant of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus and whether they had the potential for further spread, we characterized the genetic evolution, antigenic divergence and pathogenicity of the viruses in the context of vaccine immunity. The results show further diversification in the HA gene of newly isolated HPAI H7N9 viruses compared with antigenic variants that emerged after the period of 2017–2019. There were clear antigenic differences between current vaccines and these viruses, and SPF broilers under vaccine protection could not resist virus challenges. Our study demonstrates that the current vaccine has insufficient protective capacity against the novel H7N9 variants under experimental conditions. A novel H7N9 immune escape virus has emerged. Faced with potential outbreaks, we should strengthen surveillance and update vaccine strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the influence of urbanization and globalization, many villages in China are transforming from traditional agricultural villages into postproductive villages. Changes in the industrial structures of these villages have caused corresponding environmental problems, which restrict rural sustainable development. Village planning is an important public policy instrument that is used to guide and regulate the construction and governance of villages and, therefore, it is an important tool to realize sustainable development in rural areas. Based on the problems that are experienced by these villages and the goal of rural sustainable development, this paper will use the village planning compilation as the framework, the Delphi method, and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to construct an operable and evaluable planning indicator system and uses Xufu village, which is a typical postproductive village in the Yangtze River Delta, China as an example for the analysis. The case study has proven that the indicator system has guiding significance for the compilation of village sustainable development planning, and the relative evaluation method objectively reflected the sustainable development trend of villages before and after the compilation and implementation of planning. This paper will create a tool for the quantitative evaluation of the compilation and implementation of village planning. The results could provide a reference for planning and developing strategies for sustainable village development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public value is gaining prominence from both academics and politicians with regards to China's rural development. However, rural planning authorities and practitioners showed limited confidence on public, which manifests as few public perceptions were integrated into the planning documents. This study explores the potential role of residents' experiences in illustrating local economic development within the context of coastal villages in which economic and industries are rapidly transforming. Two case studies from within the locale of the Greater Hangzhou Bay Rim Area are used in this article to examine the gap between residents' experiences and the actual economic development that has occurred. The main findings suggest that rural residents can directly reflect upon both current and historic trends of local economic development. Moreover, household income satisfaction (HIS) is a comprehensive notion of residents' experiences, and indicates social and economic sustainability of industrial transformation, or "thriving business", that have been highlighted in coastal villages. Public experiences could therefore act as a valid and accessible evidence for planners in rural economic planning in China and other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patterns of sustainable development have varied dramatically in the last five decades in China with a growing relevance of investments in 'eco-cities' being embedded within this discourse by politicians, planning professionals and academics (Qiu, 2009; Li, X., 2012; Li, H. L., 2012). However, the current status of eco-city programmes in China remains dynamic after ten years of development. This article critically examines the development of eco-city programmes in China through an evaluation of the lessons and challenges experienced. The Tianjin eco-city and Dongtan eco-city developments are used in the article to synthesise the present gaps with respect to political, economic, socio-cultural and environmental dimensions of eco-city programmes. Furthermore, it highlights the barriers to collaboration and communication within China, which are constraining the process of consultation with public and private stakeholders, plan-making and implementation. The article concludes with a discussion of how these issues influence the delivery of the eco-city programme and their impact on the future development of the programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the characteristics and the bearing capacity of water surge disasters in Boao Bay, a typical estuarine lagoon. The Danish Hydraulic Institute's (DHI's) MIKE 21 modeling suite was used to numerically simulate the water surges from flood, storm, and combined flood and storm processes. The results show that, in Boao Bay, the peak water surge level caused by the combination of flooding and storm surges is very similar to the level caused by flooding or storm surges alone. Additionally, the storm surge bearing capacity is much greater than the flood bearing capacity. When there is only one entrance, the bay's flood bearing capacity increases with the entrance width, but when the entrance width exceeds 550 m, the flood bearing capacity stabilizes rapidly. However, opening an additional entrance to the south can further increase the flood bearing capacity. Based on hydrometeorological forecasts, this study suggests that the risk of water surge disasters can be reduced by proactively modifying the shape of the entrance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural plastic greenhouse (PG) production can extend the growing season of crops to satisfy domestic consumption in countries such as China. Workers in PGs have potential higher phthalate exposure risks than the general population as phthalate accumulation has been observed in greenhouse soil, air, and crops. To date, biomonitoring tests of phthalates for the working population have not been carried out. To address this shortage, we conducted a pilot study in Shaanxi Province, China, among 35 healthy PG workers by follow-up recording their seasonal dietary habits and work activities and urine sample collection and measurement between 2018 and 2019. The objectives were to uncover the association between phthalate metabolites and the population characteristics, seasonal and diurnal variations and causes, and to estimate exposure risks and contributions of exposure pathways from PG production systems. A total of 13 phthalate metabolite concentrations (Σ 13 phthalate metabolites) ranged from 102 to 781 (5th-95th) ng/mL (median: 300 ng/mL). Mono-n-butyl phthalate (MNBP) made up 51.3% of Σ 13 phthalate metabolites, followed by the sum of four di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) metabolites (24.2%), mono-2-isobutyl phthalate (MIBP) (13.4%), and mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP) (9.8%). The concentrations of MNBP and MIBP in summer were significantly higher than the levels in winter (p < 0.0001). A total of 62.3% of the PG worker population was shown to have exposure risks, and the proportion was as high as 79.4% in summer. Phthalate exposure of the workers from PG production systems constituted over 20% of the total creatinine-based daily intake, and consuming vegetables and fruit planted in PGs and inhalation in PGs were the two largest exposure pathways. Our findings demonstrate that it is important to protect workers in PGs from phthalate exposure risks, and phasing out the use of plastic materials containing phthalates in PGs is imperative, to guarantee food safety in PGs. [Display omitted] • We recorded seasonal urinary phthalates in the workers in plastic greenhouses (PGs). • The workers exhibited higher MNBP concentrations than the levels in general adults. • The MNBP concentrations in summer were significantly higher than the level in winter. • Over 60% of the workers was shown phthalate exposure risks, nearly 80% in summer. • Phthalate exposure from PG systems constituted over 20% of the total daily intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phthalate pollution in soil and vegetables in plastic agricultural greenhouses has attracted wide concern. Investigating airborne phthalates in this environment can improve understanding of air-soil or air-vegetable phthalate migration. However, studies of phthalates in plastic agricultural greenhouse air are rare. To fill this gap, 25 gas-phase and 23 particle-phase samples were collected from 12 typical plastic greenhouses in Shaanxi. 16 types of phthalates were measured by a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry system (GC-MS) to analyse their pollution features and variations. Results showed that in the air of the plastic greenhouses, the median concentration of the sum of sixteen type phthalates (∑ 16 phthalates) was 5305 ng m−3, with 5th-95th value of 1214–9616 ng m−3. Phthalates in gas-phase samples were over 100 times higher than the levels in particle-phase samples. Air phthalate concentrations in the plastic greenhouses were higher than those in the control groups (P < 0.05). Air bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) accounted for 66.9% and 29.3% of total ∑ 16 phthalate concentrations, respectively. Air phthalate concentrations in the plastic greenhouses in winter were 1.1–5.3 times higher than the levels in summer respectively (P < 0.05). Gas-particle partition coefficients (K P) values of DEHP in summer (median of 1.52 × 10−4 m3 μg−1) were higher than K P values of DnBP in summer (0.60 × 10−4 m3 μg−1). Log-transformed K P values of DnBP and DEHP were linear correlated to the reciprocal of air temperatures, respectively (P < 0.05). Image 1 • We studied 16 types of phthalates in plastic greenhouse (PG) air. • Phthalates in gas-phase samples were over 100 times of those in particle-phase. • The sum of DEHP and DnBP was over 90% of total Σ 16 phthalates in air of PGs. • Phthalates in PG air in winter were 1.0–6.7 times higher than those in summer. • Log K P values of air DEHP and DnBP were linear correlated to 1/ T (P < 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive accumulation of soil heavy metals (HMs) result in the deterioration of soil quality and reduction of agricultural productivity and safety. The accumulation status, temporal change, and sources of soil HMs were determined by large-scale field surveys in 2014 and 2019 in rapid urbanization and industrialization area along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China. Eighty-two surface soil samples were collected in 2014 and ninety-five surface soil samples and seven soil profiles (0–100 cm) were collected in 2019. The mean concentrations (in, mg kg−1) of As (10.17), Cd (0.33), Cr (86.38), Cu (38.22), Hg (0.11), Ni (37.67), Pb (43.95), and Zn (113.15) were greater than the corresponding background values. The concentrations of these 8 HMs significantly varied with site-specific distributions depending on nearby landscape patterns with decreasing order: agricultural soil around industrial > agricultural soil > fallow soil. Cd and Hg were found to be priority pollutants due to their greater accumulations in this study area. Combined analyses of principal component analysis and positive matrix factorization model addressed source apportionment of soil HMs. Industrial activities, parent materials, and agricultural and traffic activities were three major sources and their contributions were 35.56%, 35.20%, and 29.23%, respectively. The concentrations of soil As, Cd, Cr and Pb increased with time. This study elucidates how changes in land uses and time affect soil HMs and provides reasonable suggestions for the effective reduction of HM contamination in economically and industrially developed areas of China, and elsewhere. [Display omitted] • Cd and Hg were soil priority pollutants along the lower reaches of the YRD, China. • Hot-spot areas of higher heavy metal concentration were distributed in the upper reaches. • The concentration of soil As, Cd, Cr, and Pb increased from 2014 to 2019. • Industrial activities primarily increased the degree of heavy metal accumulation in soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lake sediment is a natural sink for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAH sedimentation characteristics and their impact factors of Chinese lakes have mainly been qualitative assessed. However, quantitative impacts of PAH sedimentation from different factors have not been well analyzed. To fill this gap, we screened PAH sedimentation records from the literature, for 51 lakes in China and other regions of the world, to identify historical concentration variation and the impact factors of PAHs in different regions, in lake sediment. The results show that PAH concentrations in the sediment core in the selected Chinese lakes (478 ± 812 ng/g dry weight (dw)) were significantly lower than those in North America (5518 ± 6572 ng/g dw) and Europe (3817 ± 4033 ng/g dw). From 1900 to 2015, most of the lakes in China showed an increasing trend of PAH sedimentation concentrations, with the lakes in Southeastern China showed a decreasing trend of PAH concentration in the period of 2001–2015, which was later than the peak times shown in Western countries (1941–1970). The 2-3-ring PAHs were the main components in the sediment core of Chinese lakes, but the proportion to the total PAHs decreased from 72% in 1900–1940 to 55% in 2001–2015. Generalized additive modeling (GAM) was adopted to simulate the associations between PAH sedimentation records and the impact factors. There are large regional variations of economic and industrial development in China. The impact factors of PAH accumulation in the lake sediments differ in different regions. However, population and the consumption of coal, pesticides, and fertilizer were identified to be the most important impact factors influencing PAH sedimentation. The Chinese government needs to strengthen control measures on pollutant discharge to reduce the anthropogenic impact of PAH sedimentation in lakes. [Display omitted] • PAH variations in lake sediment cores in China were analyzed by the literature data. • PAH contents in China's lake sediment were 9 times lower than in Western lakes. • PAH concentrations in most lake sediment cores in China increased from 1900 to 2015. • The share of 2–3 ring PAHs in lake sediment changed from 72% in 1900 to 55% in 2015. • Population and coal & agricultural use mainly impact the PAH sedimentation records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Transboundary soil HM pollution along China and South Korea coasts were investigated. • Soil HMs greatly varied within region and cross the districts in this coastal area. • Industrial activities are main driving factors influencing HMs spatial variations. • Potential ecological risk was highest in Bohai Sea coast indicating hot spot. • Bilateral cooperation for HMs pollution control requires international perspective. Soils in coastal areas of the land-sea interface are vulnerable to heavy metal (HM) accumulation and subsequently to human health risk. However, few studies have investigated the HM pollution and risk in soils along the coastal areas of the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME), in an international perspective. This study is the first comprehensive work in the YSLME encompassing 122 coastal locations along the Bohai Sea (BS), Yellow Sea of China (YSC), and Yellow Sea of South Korea (YSK). Soil HM pollution showed great spatial variations cross the regions and countries. Accumulations of As, Cu, Pb, and Zn in the YSK were significantly higher than those in the BS and YSC (p < 0.05). Whilst the elevated Cd, Hg, and Ni in soils were found in the BS and YSC compared to those in the YSK (p < 0.05). Meantime, the assessment of ecological risk posed by HMs indicated higher potential risk in the BS than other coastal areas. In specific, Cd and Hg posed a higher risk in the BS and YSC, while As showed relatively high risk in the YSK, indicating site-dependent accumulation of HMs in soils. Soil pH and organic matter were found to be important factors affecting the HM accumulation in the study areas. Industrial activities are the major driving factors influencing spatial distributions of HMs, and such activities exhibited different degrees of influence across the sampling sites. Altogether, the results of present study first identified the bilateral characteristics of soil HM pollution along the entire coasts of the YSLME in a comprehensive manner in several aspects: (1) sources, (2) hot spots, (3) priority chemicals of concern, and (4) site-specific potential risk of the soil HMs. Overall, this study provides references and backgrounds for future environmental management strategies and aids in developing a bilateral government policy towards coastal pollution management of HMs from an international scale and perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastic records from lake cores can reconstruct the plastic pollution history. However, the associations between anthropogenic activities and microplastic accumulation are not well understood. Huguangyan Maar Lake (HML) is a deep-enclosed lake without inlets and outlets, where the sedimentary environment is ideal for preserving a stable and historical microplastic record. Microplastic (size: 10-500 μm) characteristics in the HML core were identified using the Laser Direct Infrared Imaging system. The earliest detectable microplastics appeared unit in 1955 (1.1 items g -1 ). The microplastic abundance ranged from n.d. to 615.2 items g -1 in 1955-2019 with an average of 134.9 items g -1 . The abundance declined slightly during the 1970s and then increased rapidly after China's Reform and Opening Up in 1978. Sixteen polymer types were detectable, with polyethylene and polypropylene dominating, accounting for 23.5 and 23.3% of the total abundance, and the size at 10-100 μm accounted for 80%. Socioeconomic factors dominated the microplastic accumulation based on the random forest modeling, and the contributions of GDP per capita, plastic-related industry yield, and total crop yield were, respectively, 13.9, 35.1, and 9.3% between 1955-2019. The total crop yield contribution further increased by 1.7% after 1978. Coarse sediment particles increased with soil erosion exacerbated microplastics discharging into the sediment.

Sedimentary records of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and phthalates could reflect energy consumption and industrial production adjustment. However, there is limited knowledge about their effects on variations of PAH and phthalate compositions in the sediment core. The PAH and phthalate sedimentary records in Huguangyan Maar Lake in Guangdong, China were constructed, and random forest models were adopted to quantify the associated impact factors. Sums of sixteen PAH (∑ 16 PAH) and seven phthalate (∑ 7 PAE) concentrations in the sediment ranged from 28.8 to 1110 and 246-4290 μg/kg dry weight in 1900-2020. Proportions of 5-6 ring PAHs to the ∑ 16 PAHs increased from 32.0 %-40.7 % in 1900-2020 with increased coal and petroleum consumption, especially after 1980. However, those of 2-3 ring PAHs decreased from 30.7 % to 23.6 % due to the biomass substitution with natural gas. The proportions of bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate to the ∑ 7 PAEs decreased from 52.3 %-29.1 % in 1900-2020, while those of di-isobutyl phthalate increased (13.7 % to 42.3 %). The shift from traditional plasticizers to non-phthalates drove this transformation, though the primary plastic production is increasing. Our findings underscore the effectiveness of optimizing energy structures and updating chemical products in reducing organic pollution in aquatic environments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The native saltmarsh species Scirpus mariqueter (hereafter S. mariqueter) and the exotic species saltmarsh cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora Loisel., hereafter S. alterniflora), have been found commonly in regional saltmarsh ecosystems which received a large amount of sediment inputs from Yangtze River, eastern coasts of China. For the purpose of saltmarsh restoration and invasive species management, it is important to understand the response of vegetation species to various sediment inputs. This study investigated and compared the effects of sediment addition on S. mariqueter and S. alterniflora through laboratory experiment using vegetation samples collected from a natural saltmarsh with a high sedimentation rate (12 cm a -1 ). Plant growth parameters over their growth period, including survival rate, height and biomass were measured against sediment addition gradient (0 cm, 3 cm, 6 cm, 9 cm, and 12 cm in thickness). The results showed that sediment addition significantly affected the growth of vegetation but this effect varied between two species. Compared with the control group, the growth of S. mariqueter was promoted with sediment addition of 3-6 cm, but it turned to inhibition when the sediment thickness exceeded 6 cm. The growth of S. alterniflora was increased with increasing sediment addition till 9-12 cm, but the survival rate of each group kept stable. Overall, against a gradient sediment addition, S. mariqueter was found to benefit from low to moderate sediment addition (3-6 cm) but higher addition showed inhabitation effects. S. alterniflora benefited from increasing sediment addition to a point. When facing high sediment inputs, S. alterniflora was found to be more adaptable than S. mariqueter. These results have important implications for further studies on saltmarsh restoration and interspecific competition against a high sediment input background., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Although reports of human infection with influenza A(H5N6) increased in 2021, reports of similar H5N6 virus infection in poultry are few. We detected 10 avian influenza A(H5N6) clade 2.3.4.4b viruses in poultry from 4 provinces in China. The viruses showed strong immune-escape capacity and complex genetic reassortment, suggesting further transmission risk.

Phthalate pollution in plastic greenhouses (PGs) has aroused concerns. However, mechanisms and factors of vegetables planted in PGs (VPGs) accumulating phthalates from soil and air are unclear. To fill the gap, 19 PGs in Shaanxi, the largest vegetable production province in northwestern China, were selected to probe this issue. 35 soil samples, 48 air samples, and 26 VPG samples were collected in winter and summer. Medians of sum of 7 phthalate concentrations (∑ 7 PAEs) in PG soil, air, and VPGs were 73.9 μg kg -1 , 5300 ng m -3 , and 1053 μg kg -1 dry weight, respectively. ∑ 7 PAE concentrations in PG environmental media in winter were higher than summer, with the significant difference in VPGs. Sum concentrations of bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) accounted for 76.8% and 82.3% of the ∑ 7 PAEs in soil and VPGs. DnBP and DEHP concentrations in VPGs were significantly correlated to those in air and soil, with correlation coefficients (R) of 0.89 and 0.96 to air and 0.68 and 0.59 to soil. Log-transformed soil-air partition coefficient (log K SA ) and fugacity fraction (log ff) of DnBP decreased while log K SA and log ff of DEHP increased from winter to summer, though DnBP in soil volatilized to air while DEHP in air sank to soil within the year. These issues were caused by air temperature changes and the application of plastic films. Furthermore, DnBP concentrations in VPGs were positively correlated to K SA values of DnBP (R = 0.87) while those of DEHP were negative (R = -0.82). Therefore, VPGs could uptake more phthalates from air than from soil, especially for edible parts of leafy and solanaceous VPGs. Applying phthalates free agricultural films and precision management such as adjusting air temperature in PGs could be considered to ensure VPG safeties., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)