环境科学与生态学最新文献

The recycling of paper and board (PB) yields economic and environmental advantages compared to primary paper production. However, PB from lightweight packaging (LWP) waste is currently not comprehensively reintegrated into the paper value stream. To develop an adapted recycling process for PB from LWP, PB quantities, qualities, and fluctuations ranges in LWP are required. Currently, no sufficient database is available. Therefore, we developed a methodical approach and conducted a case study to access the PB potential in LWP sorting plants using manual analysis and sensor-based material flow monitoring. Differences resulting from seasonal variations, materials from different settlement structures, and fluctuation ranges in LWP composition over two weeks have been investigated. PB contents in the input of 6.5 wt% (ww) and 5.9 wt% (ww) were determined for winter and summer sampling campaigns, respectively. The PB product stream amounted to 5.7 wt% (ww, winter) and 4.8 wt% (ww, summer). Around 45 wt% (ww) of PB from the PB product stream was classified as misplaced by the consumer and should have been discarded in separate paper collections. Based on the determined PB quantities and qualities, a potential of usable and in the PB product stream available PB in LWP was determined. The technically available and usable PB potential in German LWP waste amounts to 89,000 to 100,000tons per year (average PB yield of around 65 wt% (ww)). The methodical approach can be adapted for sorting plant balances. The results can contribute to developing an adapted recycling process for PB from LWP.

There are numerous studies dealing with olive oil management from ancient civilizations to the mid last century, but they are limited on the historical value of information. At the same time, much knowledge is widely available and accessible on the contemporaneous production of olive oil, the necessary inputs (water and energy) and outputs (by-products) of the production process. The present study aims to shed light on olive oil extraction management from antiquity to present and to bridge the gap between archaeological and modern agricultural, engineering, and environmental disciplines. For the purposes of this study, Crete, Greece, a well-known and traditional olive oil producing region is investigated. This study is dedicated to unveil practices concerning: (a) the processing of the olives, (b) the various energy aspects per era, (c) the role of water and energy at each stage of the extraction process, and (d) management of by-products per era. The main findings support that: (a) the evolution of the extraction processes was relatively slow and remained almost the same from Minoan times until the middle of the 20th century, (b) the importance of water has been demonstrated from the beginning in the efficient extraction of the maximum amount of olive oil, (c) wastewater was first reported during the Hellenistic-Roman period due to the increased quantities produced, (d) by-product management was only considered in the previous century for environmental purposes, (e) olive oil production has been a human-based process for centuries and was greatly increased by the introduction of animals, and (f) olive oil production was further increased with the utilization of mechanical and electrical energy. It can be therefore clearly concluded that past practices have both similarities and differences with the present ones, which in turn have been optimized in terms of energy sources, water uses, olive mill equipment, and environmental considerations, to result in maximum olive oil production with minimum environmental impacts. Based on this work, important lessons can be drawn that show the historical evolution of extraction and management practices.

Agricultural liming improves acidic soils productivity and is considered a lever for mitigating nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from soils. However, the benefit of liming in reducing soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions depends on the evolution of carbon from the calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), and on the evolution of soil organic carbon (SOC) after CaCO₃ application. The literature, based on limited field data, presents contrasting effects of liming on inorganic- and SOC-derived CO₂ emissions, raising concerns that the reduction in N₂O emissions could be offset by increased CO₂ emissions. Therefore, this study aimed to monitor N₂O and CO₂ emissions following the application of lime materials to an acidic soil. In situ, we monitored the effect of two liming products (SC = synthetic CaCO₃ and MC = marine CaCO₃) on soil CO₂ emissions and compared this with control plots, during the growing season of a winter rye, using the static chamber method. Soil pH, N₂O emissions, mineral nitrogen concentrations, soil moisture and temperature were measured during the experiment, as were plant biomass and SOC (stock and composition) on the day of harvest. Lime addition increased soil pH from 5.7 to around 7.0, kernel yield from 320 to >400 g m^-2 and resulted in a significant reduction in soil CO₂ emissions by approximately 40 % for both liming materials while it slightly increased N₂O emissions, that had nevertheless remained very low during the experiment. SOC at harvest was not significantly affected, while an increase in dissolved organic and inorganic carbon in the soil was observed. Further investigations is needed to clarify the mechanisms explaining these observations and to define conditions where liming application could act as a potential lever for carbon storage. Our results suggest that the IPCC principles, predicting increased CO₂ emissions from lime-derived C, may need to be re-examined in the future.

Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pose potential risks to human health. In real-world settings, humans are exposed to various PFAS through numerous pathways.

Objectives: This study evaluated the associations between co-exposure to PFAS and obesity and its comorbidities, along with the mediating roles of inflammation and oxidative stress.

Methods: We analyzed 11,090 participants from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2003-2018. Linear regression, logistic regression, and generalized additive models were used to assess the individual effects of PFAS exposure on obesity and its comorbidities. The environmental risk score (ERS) was calculated using the adaptive elastic-net model to assess the co-exposure effects. Linear and logistic regression models explored the associations between ERS and obesity and its comorbidities. Mediation analyses explored the roles of inflammatory (neutrophils, lymphocytes, and alkaline phosphatase) and oxidative stress (gamma-glutamyl transferase, total bilirubin, and uric acid) markers in the associations between ERS and obesity and its comorbidities.

Results: For each unit increase in ERS, the odds of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) increased 3.60-fold (95 % CI: 2.03, 6.38) and 1.91-fold (95 % CI: 1.28, 2.86), respectively. For each unit increase in ERS, BMI increased by 2.36 (95 % CI: 1.24, 3.48) kg/m², waist circumference increased by 6.47 (95 % CI: 3.56, 9.37) cm, and waist-to-height ratio increased by 0.04 (95 % CI: 0.02, 0.06). Lymphocytes, alkaline phosphatase, and total bilirubin were significantly associated with both ERS and obesity, with mediation proportions of 4.17 %, 3.62 %, and 7.37 %, respectively. Lymphocytes, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, and uric acid were significantly associated with both ERS and T2DM, with the mediation proportions of 8.90 %, 8.74 %, 29.73 %, and 38.19 %, respectively.

Conclusions: Co-exposure to PFAS was associated with obesity and T2DM, and these associations may be mediated by inflammation and oxidative stress. Further mechanistic and prospective studies are required to verify these associations.

A bimetallic FeCu/NC core-shell catalyst, consisting in nanoparticles where zero-valent Fe and Cu atoms, slightly oxidized on their surface, are encapsulated by carbon has been successfully prepared by modifying the synthesis route of MIL(Fe)-88B. FeCu/NC possessed well-balanced textural and electrochemical properties. According to voltammetric responses, in-situ Fe(III) reduction to Fe(II) by low-valent Cu was feasible, whereas the high double-layer capacitance confirmed the presence of a great number of electroactive sites that was essential for continuous H₂O₂ activation to ^•OH via Fenton's reaction. Electrochemical impedance and distribution of relaxation times (DRT) analysis informed about the strong leaching resistance of FeCu/NC. To validate the promising features of this catalyst, the advanced oxidation of the antihypertensive lisinopril (LSN) was investigated for the first time. The heterogeneous electro-Fenton (HEF) treatment of 16.1 mg L^-1 LSN solutions was carried out in a DSA/air-diffusion cell. At pH 3, complete degradation was achieved within 6 min using only 0.05 g L^-1 FeCu/NC; at near-neutral pH, 100 % removal was also feasible even in actual urban wastewater, requiring 60-75 min. The FeCu/NC catalyst demonstrated high stability, still maintaining 86.5 % of degradation efficiency after 5 cycles and undergoing low iron leaching. It outperformed the monometallic (Fe/NC and Cu/NC) catalysts, which is explained by the Cu(0)/Cu(I)-catalyzed Fe(II) regeneration mechanism that maintains the Fenton's cycle. LC-MS/MS analysis allowed the identification of two main primary LSN by-products. It can then be concluded that the FeCu/NC-based HEF process merits to be further scaled up for wastewater treatment.

Rock glaciers (RGs) provide significant water resources in mountain areas under climate change. Recent research has highlighted high concentrations of solutes including trace elements in RG-fed waters, with negative implications on water quality. Yet, sparse studies from a few locations hinder conclusions about the main drivers of solute export from RGs. Here, in an unprecedented effort, we collected published and unpublished data on rock glacier hydrochemistry around the globe. We considered 201 RG springs from mountain ranges across Europe, North and South America, using a combination of machine learning, multivariate and univariate analyses, and geochemical modeling. We found that 35 % of springs issuing from intact RGs (containing internal ice) have water quality below drinking water standards, compared to 5 % of springs connected to relict RGs (without internal ice). The interaction of ice and bedrock lithology is responsible for solute concentrations in RG springs. Indeed, we found higher concentrations of sulfate and trace elements in springs sourcing from intact RGs compared to water originating from relict RGs, mostly in specific lithological settings. Enhanced sulfide oxidation in intact RGs is responsible for the elevated trace element concentrations. Challenges for water management may arise in mountain catchments rich in intact RGs, and where the predisposing geology would make these areas geochemical RG hotspots. Our work represents a first comprehensive attempt to identify the main drivers of solute concentrations in RG waters.

Cement production and its air pollutant and carbon dioxides (CO₂) emissions in China will be relocated greatly as a joint effect of diverse development of industrial economy and implementation of environmental policies for different regions. The future pathway and spatial pattern of emissions are important for policy making of air quality improvement and CO₂ emission abatement, as well as coordinating regional development. In this study, we developed an artificial neural network (ANN) model to predict cement production at the county level and to calculate the associated emissions of air pollutants and CO₂ at the county level till 2060. Results show that the cement production will decline from 2327 million metric tons (Mt) in 2015 to 704 Mt. in 2060 under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways 1 (SSP1). Counties closer to provincial capital will experience greater retirement of cement industry. Likewise, the emissions of air pollutants and CO₂ will experience a steady downward trend driven by the declining cement production and the improvement of pollution control technologies. There will be a more significant regional heterogeneity in the reduction of production and emissions at city level compared to the province level. With the clearance for nearly two-thirds of counties, future cement production and emissions will be more intensively distributed in a few cities. The shares of emissions in southwestern regions will grow from 2015 to 2060 while those of eastern regions will continue decreasing. The comparison between the changing spatial distributions of emissions and gross domestic product (GDP) indicates a positive effect of existing policies in reconciling regional economic development and air pollution controls. The outcome could support the analyses on the impact of industrial development on air quality and public health, and the method can be applied widely for other industrial sectors for a more comprehensive understanding of future emission relocation.

The northwestern half of the Chinese Loess Plateau (i.e., the examined area) is reported to have been sensitive to the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) and might have also been exposed to the influence of the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) during the Holocene. This study utilizes the already reported pollen data from four high-resolution fossil pollen sequences to quantitatively reconstruct the Holocene mean annual precipitation (Pann) in the examined area. It also incorporates those quantitative precipitation reconstructions from the same area reported by others to delineate the regional Pann patterns. It finally brings the regional Pann patterns into the perceived forcing contexts to explore the underlying mechanisms. Our delineation shows that the Holocene Pann exhibits different temporal trends between the western part and the northern part of the Chinese Loess Plateau. That is, the "higher-than-average" Pann occurred in the early mid-Holocene from ~10.0 to ~5.5 cal. kyr BP in the western part and the "higher-than-average" Pann occurred in the late mid-Holocene from ~8.0 to ~2.5 cal. kyr BP in the northern part. We propose that the Pann differences between the western part and the northern part might have been associated with two mechanisms: (1) differences in the thermal sensitivity to the solar insolation between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, and (2) differences in terms of the relative importance of precipitable water vapor transports either from the ISM or from the EASM between the western part and the northern part.

Knowledge of the number of people present in a catchment is fundamental for the assessment of spatio-temporal trends in wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). Accurately estimating the number of people connected to wastewater catchments is challenging however, because populations are dynamic. Methods used to estimate population size can significantly influence the calculation and interpretation of population-normalised wastewater data (PNWD). This paper systematically reviews the reporting of population data in 339 WBE studies. Studies were evaluated based on their reporting of population size, the source of population data, the population calculation methods, and the uncertainties in population estimates. Most papers reported population size (96 %) and the source of population data (60 %). Fewer studies reported the uncertainties in their population data (50 %) and the methods used to calculate these estimates (28 %). This is relevant because different methods have unique strengths and limitations which can affect the accuracy of PNWD. Only 64 studies (19 %) reported all four components of population data. The reporting of population data has remained consistent in the past decade. Based on the findings, we recommend generalised reporting criteria for population data in WBE. As WBE is further mainstreamed and applied, the clear and comprehensive reporting of population data will only become increasingly important.