Hospital Stakeholders’ Perception on Environmental Effects Related to Biomedical Waste in Togo’s University Hospitals (UHC) in 2021

Introduction: Given its effects, hospital waste is an environmental concern and a threat to health personnel, users of health services and neighboring populations. Our objective was to assess the perception of health care stakeholders on the environmental effects related to biomedical waste produced in Teaching Hospitals (CHU) in Togo in 2021. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study held from June 24 to August 28, 2021. It targeted three university hospitals, 340 health care providers and services selected by a probabilistic method with a simple random technique in 25 services, 72 directors, deputy directors, supervisors and heads of services, 27 collection and incineration agents selected by a non-probabilistic method with a reasoned choice technique, 44 patients and attendants and 36 householders of neighboring residents selected by a non-probabilistic method with an accidental choice technique. Variables such as the spreading of disease vectors, soil, air and water contamination, the presence of unpleasant odors and unsightly living conditions were assessed. Results: According to the respondents, biomedical waste causes the proliferation of vectors (55.3%), an unsightly environment inside the hospital (47.1%), and unpleasant odors (61.2%). Incineration operations disturb hospital residents (52.8%), according to the householders of the residents. During observation, we note deposits of waste that have not been destroyed and wastewater flowing in some places. Conclusion: Biomedical waste in Togo’s university hospitals generates environmental effects and therefore potentially high risks for human health. Improving their management should be a concern for all hospital actors.

Effects of Slow Release Fertilizer on the Yield and Nutrient Use Efficiency of Carnation and Its Environmental Protection Effect

[Objective] The aim was to study the effects of slow release fertilizer on the yield,economic benefit and nutrient use efficiency of carnation and environmental pollution.[Method] Taking carnation（Dianthus caryophyllus）as research object,the application effect and environmental protection effect of slow release fertilizer on carnation were discussed through field plot test.[Result] The main agronomic characters of carnation improved after the application of slow release fertilizer;compared with Conv-F treatment,the yield of carnation with slow release fertilizer increased by 18.67%-20.83%,and its economic benefit increased by 105 500 yuan/hm2,while the ratio of output to input improved by 74.29%;under the same NPK ratio and nutrient amount,the yield,economic benefit and ratio of output to input of carnation after the application of slow release fertilizer increased by 2.11%,14 800 yuan and 16.2%,respectively;besides,the application of slow release fertilizer improved the nutrient use efficiency of carnation,and N,P and K nutrient use efficiency in Opt-F-0.7% treatment increased by 13.88%,8.57% and 30.14% compared with Conv-F treatment.[Conclusion] Slow release fertilizer could not only reduce the waste of fertilizer resources and improve fertilizer use efficiency but also decrease the pollution caused by nutrient loss,which had important practical significance for protecting ecological environment and promoting the sustainable development of agriculture.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Environmental Effects from Land Change in Hotan Oasis,Xinjiang

[Objective] This study aimed to evaluate the environmental effects coming from land changes in Hotan oasis during 1980-2010. [Method] Based on the Driving Force-State-Response model, expert weight method and entropy method were used to determine weight, and then the composite indexes of environmental effects （CIE for short） were calculated. [Result] During the period from 1980 to 2010, CIE had presented a rising trend whether expert weight method or entropy method in the study area, while the CIE presents downtrend basically in lower reaches. [Conclu- sion] It was the arable land expansion in middle reaches that led to serious land degradation in lower reaches, and may endanger ecosystem safety in Hotan River green corridor. Therefore, it is suggested that the agricultural land use should be restructured, such as reducing the sown areas of some crops with large amount of water consumption. Meanwhile, the effective measures should be taken to distribute water resources and utilize them reasonably. In addition, the oasis-desert ecotone, as well as the groundwater resources, should be also protected.

QTL Mapping for Wheat Flour Color with Additive,Epistatic,and QTL×Environmental Interaction Effects

To investigate genetic factors affecting wheat flour color traits,a linkage map was constructed using a recombinant inbred line （RIL） population derived from Jing 771×Pm 97034.Main,epistatic and QTL×environment （QE） interaction effects of quantitative trait loci （QTLs） controlling wheat flour color were studied by the mixed linear modeling of data collected from wheat RIL plants under three different environmental conditions.13 QTLs with additive effects and 55 pairs of QTLs with epistatic effects were detected for wheat flour color traits.The additive-additive interactions （AA） involved all of the wheat chromosomes except 3D.Epistasis accounted for more of the observed phenotypic variation than did the main effect QTLs （M-QTLs）.Our results suggested that dual-locus interactions are widespread in the wheat genome and play a critical role in determining wheat flour color characteristics.In this study,3 QTLs were identified to have QE interaction effects,one of them showing significant QE interaction in E2 environment.

Environmental Effects of Returning Rice and Wheat Straw to Fields

Based on advances in returning rice and wheat straw to fields at home and abroad, environmental physical, chemical and ecological effects of returning rice and wheat straw to fields were analyzed. The results show that returning straw to fields can enhance soil porosity, reduce soil bulk density, and increase the ca- pacity of soil to preserve water, fertilizer and temperature. Besides, it can improve the content of organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in soil, of which the increase of potassium content is the most obvious. Meanwhile, it can provide energy and nutrients for microorganisms in soil and change the activity of soil enzymes, of which it affects invertase most greatly and enhances the activity of ure- ase but has no effect on neutral phosphatase. In addition, it can enhance the total quantity of microorganisms in soil obviously, and the increase correlates positively with the quantity of straw returning to fields. Finally, returning straw to fields can promote the sustainable development of agriculture.

Environmental and Health Effects Associated With Harmful Algal Bloom and Marine Algal Toxins in China

The frequency and scale of Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) and marine algal toxin incidents have been increasing and spreading in the past two decades, causing damages to the marine environment and threatening human life through contaminated seafood. To better understand the effect of HAB and marine algal toxins on marine environment and human health in China, this paper overviews HAB occurrence and marine algal toxin incidents, as well as their environmental and health effects in this country. HAB has been increasing rapidly along the Chinese coast since the 1970s, and at least 512 documented HAB events have occurred from 1952 to 2002 in the Chinese mainland. It has been found that PSP and DSP toxins are distributed widely along both the northern and southern Chinese coasts. The HAB and marine algal toxin events during the 1990s in China were summarized, showing that the HAB and algal toxins resulted in great damages to local fisheries, marine culture, quality of marine environment, and human health. Therefore, to protect the coastal environment and human health, attention to HAB and marine algal toxins is urgently needed from the environmental and epidemiologicalview.

The causes and environmental effects of land use conversion during agricultural restructuring in Northeast China

During the last decade of the 20th century, extensive conversion inagricultural land use took place in Northeast China. The goal of this study is to ascertain itsspatial distribution and regional differentiation, determine its causes, and analyze itsenvironmental impact. Especially we attempt to elucidate how institutional constraints havefacilitated the change at a time of agrarian restructuring when newly emerging free market washybridized with the former planned economy. Information on six categories of land use was mappedfrom interpretation of Landsat TM images recorded in 1990, 1995 and 2000. Most of land use changestook place during the first half of the decade, coinciding with abrupt and chaotic changes ingovernment directives. Farmland was changed mainly to woodland, water body and built-up areas whilewoodland and grassland were converted chiefly to farmland. Spatially, the change from farmland towoodland was restricted to the west of the study area. The change from grassland to farmland tookplace in the grazing and farming interlocked west. These chaotic and occasionally conflictingchanges were largely caused by lack of stability and consistency in agricultural land use policiespromulgated. They have exerted adverse impacts on the local environment, including land degradation,increased flooding, and modified climate regime.

Weathering-pedogenesis of Carbonate Rocks and Its Environmental Effects in Subtropical Region

We investigated the weathering-pedogenesis of carbonate rocks and its environmental effects in subtropical regions of China. The investigation demonstrated that the weathering- pedogenesis of carbonate rocks is the process of a joint action of corrosion and illuviation and metasomatism in subtropical region. It is characterized by multi-stage, multi-path and multi-style. With the persisting development of weathering-pedogenesis of carbonate rocks, metasomatic pedogenesis progressively became the main process of the weathering-pedogenesis and the dominant style of formation of minerals. And it proceeds through the whole process of evolution of the weathering-pedogenesis of carbonate rocks. The stage evolution of weathering-pedogenesis of carbonate rocks and the fractionation evolution of newly produced minerals are characterized by obvious vertically zoning structures and the rules of gradation of elements geochemical characteristics in the carbonate rocks weathering profiles. The geochemical process of weathering-pedogenesis of carbonate rocks can be divided into three geochemical evolution stages, i.e., the Ca, Mg-depletion and Si, Al-enrichment stage; the Fe, Mn enrichment stage and the Si-depletion and Al-enrichment stage in the subtropical regions. Consistent with the three geochemical evolution stages, the sequence of formation and evolution of minerals can be divided into the clay mineral stage; the Fe, Mn oxide and the gibbsite stage. The influence of weathering-pedogenesis of carbonate rocks on the chemical forms of heavy elements is mainly affected via newly produced components and minerals in the process of weathering-pedogenesis, e.g., iron oxide minerals and organic matters. The important mechanism for the mobilization, transport and pollution of F and As is affected the selective adsorption and desorption of F and As on the surface of iron oxide minerals in the subtropical karst zones, i.e., the selective adsorption and desorption on mineral surfaces of newly produced minerals in the process of weathering-pedogenesis control the geochemical behavior of elements on the Earth＇s surface and environmental quality in subtropical regions.

Research progress on behaviors and environmental effects of mercury in the cryosphere of the Tibetan Plateau:a critical review

The behavior and fates of environmental pollutants within the cryosphere and the associated environmental impacts are of increasing concerns in the context of global warming.The Tibetan Plateau(TP),also known as the"Third Pole",represents one of the most important cryospheric regions in the world.Mercury(Hg)is recognized as a global pollutant.Here,we summarize the current knowledge of Hg concentration levels,pools and spatio-temporal distribution in cryospheric environments(e.g.,glacier,permafrost),and its transfer and potential cycle in the TP cryospheric region.Transboundary transport of anthropogenic Hg from the surrounding heavily-polluted regions,such as South and Southeast Asia,provides significant sources of atmospheric Hg depositions onto the TP cryosphere.We concluded that the melting of the cryosphere on the TP represents an increasing source of Hg and brings a risk to the TP environment.In addition,global warming acts as an important catalyst accelerating the release of legacy Hg from the melting cryosphere,adversely impacting ecosystems and biological health.Furthermore,we emphasize on the remaining gaps and proposed issues needed to be addressed in future work,including enhancing our knowledge on some key release pathways and the related environmental effects of Hg in the cryospheric region,integrated observation and consideration of Hg distribution,migration and cycle processes at a key region,and uses of Hg isotopic technical and Hg models to improve the understanding of Hg cycling in the TP cryospheric region.

Environmental effects induced by excavation

Based on 3D Biot’s consolidation theory and nonlinear Duncan-Chang’s model, a 3D FEM (finite element method) program is developed considering the coupling of groundwater seepage and soil skeleton deformation during excavation. The comparison between the analysis result considering the variation of water head difference and that without considering it shows that the porewater pressure distribution of the former is distinctly different from that of the latter and that the foundation pit de- formations of the former are larger than those of the latter, so that the result without considering the variation of water head dif- ference is unreliable. The distribution rules of soil horizontal and vertical displacements around the pit and excess porewater pressure are analyzed in detail in time and space, which is very significant for guiding underground engineering construction and ensuring environment safety around the pit.

Episodes of volcanic activity and their environmental effects in the Okinawa Trough during the last 150 ka

A piston core Z14-6 was used in this study. The core, 896 cm long, was collected from eastern slope of the Okinawa Trough （27°07＇N, 127°27＇E, water depth 739m）. The δ^18O and δ^13C values of the sediment bearing planktonic foraminifera G. sacculifer and N. dutertrei were determined; and the abundance of volcanic glass was analyzed. The volcanic glass content high occurred in early stage of polar ice-sheet growth period, or the beginning of cold climate periods corresponding to Milankovitch cycles （Peak Ⅰ, Ⅱ and V are corresponding to the beginnings of oxygen isotopic stages 2, 4 and 6, and Peak Ⅲ and Ⅳ are matching oxygen isotopic stage 5b-5d.）. It might be possible that volcanic episodes and climate changes were responding to orbital forcing in the Okinawa Trough in late Quaternary. The δ^18O difference between N. dutertrei and G. sacculifer shows no clear correlation to the volcanic glass content high, which suggests that the volcanic eruptions did not influence the structure of upper water column. However, the low δ^13C difference between G. sacculifer and N. dutertrei is coeval with the volcanic glass high or sub-high content. This fact suggests that volcanic eruptions might influence the reduction in vertical nutritional gradient and carbon cycle process in upper water column. A possible mechanism is that huge quantity of ash and dust had weakened the light intensity, resulting in photosynthesis reduction, productivity decrease, and biological pumping.

Analysis of the negative effects of groundwater exploitation on geological environment in Asia

This paper summarizes the negative effects on geological environment caused by groundwater exploitation and its distribution. There are seven main types of the geological environment negative effects, which are generally as follows:(1) Constant decrease of groundwater level is mainly distributed in China(East Asia), India(South Asia), Tajikistan(Central Asia) and Saudi Arabia(West Asia);(2) land subsidence occurs mainly in eastern plains of East Asia and west Siberian Plain of North Asia;(3) seawater intrusion occurs mainly in China, Japan and South Korea in East Asia, Philippines and Indonesia in Southeast Asia, the Indian coastal areas in South Asia;(4) groundwater level decline caused by groundwater exploitation in oil fields;(5) mining collapse is mainly in 50° to 70° north latitude band;(6) the total area of karst collapse in China of East Asia is as much as 197.05 km^2; and(7) ground fracture is mainly distributed in the North China Plain, Fenwei Plain and the Yangtze River Delta. Asia can be divided into 6 zones in terms of the geological environment negative effect caused by groundwater exploitation. According to analysis, with the increasing intensity of human activities, geological environment issues become more and more serious, therefore it is vital to control the human activities within the scope of 5× 10~5 people/km^2 to 9.9× 10~5 people/km^2 for the effective control of the size of the affected area by geological environment problems.

The Effects of the Enriched Environment on Sympathetic Skin Response in Pentylenetetrazol-Kindled Rats

Epilepsy is a neurodegenerative disease that interrupts the normal electrical activity of the brain and promotes abnormal wiring in this organ.Epileptic seizures are often associated with significant changes in the functioning of the autonomic nervous system(ANS).

Environmental Effects of Foreign Trade and Its Spatial Variations in Mid-eastern Provinces and Cities of China

The studies on environmental effects of foreign trade and its spatial variations are helpful to design and implement environmental protection countermeasures.In order to eliminate the adverse effects of insufficient observation values on the accuracy of regression results and dynamic information quantity of fitting equation during empirical study,panel data of the mid-eastern provinces and cities of China from 1985 to 2007 were selected based on the adjustment of classical regression model in this paper.Panel unit root test and panel cointegration analysis method were applied to investigating the environmental effects of foreign trade and its spatial variations in the mid-eastern provinces and cities of China and its three groups divided by foreign trade dependence.The results show that all scale effects are positive,while all technical effects are negative and unable to counteract positive scale effects.Foreign trade development is regarded as an important cause for outstanding eco-environmental problems in the mid-eastern provinces and cities of China.Total effects and structural effects are significantly different among different groups because of spatial variations in environmental policies,export destinations,source of FDI,etc.Following the principle of′coordinating generality and considering differences comprehensively′,it is essential to issue a series of policies and countermeasures corresponding to differences in regional environmental effect of foreign trade,in order to coordinate the relationship between foreign trade development and eco-environment in each region.

Research Progress of Maternal Environmental Effects in Resource-based Regions

Heavy metal pollution is common in resource-based regions.However,the morphological,physiological and biochemical mechanisms of plants transmitting environmental information to their offspring in environments polluted by heavy metals have not been studied yet.Taking soybean,an annual self-pollinated plant in Huang-Huai-Hai region,as the research object,the morphological,physiological and biochemical indexes and heavy metal enrichment and distribution characteristics of plants under heavy metal stress were monitored continuously for about three generations,and the trans-generational differences of soybean reproduction,vegetative growth,stress resistance and life cycle in heavy metal stress environment were elucidated.The results will be helpful to better understand the long-term adaptive strategy of plants to heavy metal stress and provide the theory basis for ecological security of soybean and other crops under heavy metal stress.

Genetic and Environmental Effects on the Bone Development of the Hand and Wrist in Chinese Young Twins

We assessed genetic and environmental effectson bone development of the hand and wrist, andon key anthropometric measures in Chinese youngtwins. In total, 139 monozygotic and 95 dizygotictwin pairs aged from 5 to 18 years were recruited.The twin correlations of total hand and wrist scoresfor monozygotic （MZ） and dizygotic （DZ） twins were0.71 and 0.36, respectively. Bivariate modelanalysis showed moderate genetic correlations onlyfor total skeletal maturity vs. weight and totalskeletal maturity vs. waist circumference （r, 0.51and 0.46, respectively）. Our findings demonstratedthat genetic factors played important roles in bonedevelopment of the hand and wrist in Chineseyoung twins, and that these genetic effects mightbe distinct from those influencing anthropometricmeasures.

Environmental effects of export trade in the Yangtze River Delta, 2003-2006

Economic globalization has promoted the formation of global production network, and correspondingly the high-quality environmental factors are reconfigured behind the physical commodities exchange. Export trade not only drives China＇s economic growth, promotes industrial upgrading and technological progress, but also may have a negative impact on the environment. After reviewing and summarizing the existing relevant literatures, tire paper collects the required statistic data from 2003 to 2006 and uses the panel data model to measure the environmental effects of export trade in the Yangtze River Delta. The results show that the export trade of Yangtze River Delta has a negative impact on the environment. When the variables of economic scale, economic structure areftxed, with the export trade growth of 1%, the industrial sulfur dioxide emission and industrial waste water emtsston will increase by 0.12% and 0.23% respectively. So we must pay serious attention to the negative effects, and promote regional sustainable development rapidly through adjusting the export structure and strengthening environmental regulations.

The effects of the environmental factors on Laminaria disease caused by alginic acid decomposing bacteria

-The rot disease of Laminaria occurs often in nurseries of sporeling and commercial cultivation in the sea and results in economic loss greatly. Usually the disease outbreaks accompanied with massive multiplication of alginic acid decomposing bacteria. From the section of the decaying Lamuutria which resulted from the inoculation of alginic acid decomposing bacteria, it was observed that the bacteria invaded the epiderm of the Laminaria surface at first, then entered the ex-odermis, endodermis and pith. In addition, there were a great amount of bacteria in the intercellular region and a lot of free cells of the algae in the decaying areas. The wall of some free cells was decomposed, which led to soft tissue or disintegration. Alginic acid decomposing bacteria are normal epiphytic microorganisms growing on Lamuutria surface. These bacteria do not cause disease at normal environmental conditions. The experiments showed that the unfavourable conditions, e. g. , wounding, overcrowding, high temperature reduced the ability of antibacterial activity and made the algae more susceptible to the pathogens and favoured the multiplication of alginic acid decomposing bacteria and finally led to the disease outbreak. The unfavourable environmental factors which resulted from a variety of reasons were the main cause of the disease.

Current state of research on microplastics in the marine- atmosphere environment of the Arctic region

Microplastics,plastic particles smaller than 5 mm in size,are a growing source of environmental pollution.Microplastic pollution has been observed in situ in the remote Arctic,where it has been found in the land,sea,cryosphere,and atmosphere.This review summarizes the sample pretreatment techniques and analytical methods commonly used in microplastic research,as well as the pollution status of microplastics in the Arctic,their sources,and their effects on the environment.In the Arctic,the size distribution of microplastics is more inclined to small-scale aggregation,the shape of microplastics is mostly fibrous,with the proportion of fibers often accounting for more than 70%.There are marked differences among studies in terms of abundance and polymer composition,but polyester is generally dominant in seawater.Many microplastic particles are transported to the Arctic by ocean currents and rivers,but atmospheric transport and deposition are slowly being recognized as an important transport route.Sea ice is particularly important for the temporary storage,transport,and release of Arctic microplastics.The average storage of microplastics in sea ice was estimated to be approximately 6.1×108 items.Given their properties,microplastics can affect glacier melting,sea surface temperature changes,and even the carbon cycle.Urgent measures must be taken to improve research standards and overcome sampling difficulties in the Arctic region to achieve time continuity and large-scale distribution patterns of Arctic microplastics.