Annual Fluxes of Heavy Metal Elements in Atmospheric Dry and Wet Depositions in the Pearl River Delta Economic Region, Guangdong Province

There are 158 sampling points to be set up in the Pearl River delta economic region. The collecting period is mostly one year, namely, from July 2007 to July 2008. The eight heavy metal elements of Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn, As, Hg, and Cd in 474 dry and wet deposition samples were tested in terms of the standard procedures. Their average annual fluxes have no obvious difference between dry deposition and wet deposition. So these elements might be at an equilibrium or quasi-equilibrium state between dry deposition and wet deposition.

Regional Geochemical Characteristics and Influence Factors of Soil Elements in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone, China

Soil heavy metal pollution is one of the main environmental problems in Pearl River Delta Economic?Zone of China. Based on multi-purpose regional geochemical survey, regional eco-geochemical assessment, local eco-geochemical assessment and comprehensive appraisal, the eco-geochemical survey and assessment in Pearl River Delta Economic Zone of 41,698 km2?were completed. Samples from soils were collected in accordance with the two-layer grid method. Totally 54 elements and indicators for soils were determined. Compared to deep soils, the sampled surface soils are enriched in OrgC, N, P, Cd, S,Hg, Ag, B, Au, S and poor with As, Ni, I, Co, Cr, V, MgO, Sc, Al2O3, Fe2O3?etc. The characteristics of geochemical reference value of element in soil that inherited soil parent material and regional elements combined features reflected that the elements enriched in the soil was interrelated with acid rock, sandstone and shale. The spatial distribution characteristics of element regional geochemistry were conditional by regional environmental geological conditions,and effected by human activities. The Pearl River Delta plain is a typical geochemical landscape area with regional anomaly of multiple-elements. The north, western and eastern parts of the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone are quite different in geochemical features due to regional geological background, soil parent materials, geomorphic characteristics and human activities. Environment quality evaluation results show that the grade I and grade II soil accounted for 19.9% and 57.3% of the total area. Many samples that widely distributed in the economic developed of Pearl River Delta Plain area reached the third-grade of national soil environment standard. The soil enriched in Cd, Hg, As, and the area ratio accounting for 22.8% of the total area. It is mainly controlled by the geochemical background, the Pearl River Delta formation evolution process, especially the marine transgression process lead to Cd, Cu, Zn and Pb enrichment in Pearl River Delta plain. At the same time, under the influence of higher pressure of human activities, all kinds of exogenous input material carrying heavy metal pollutants on soil environmental quality also could not to ignore.

Significance of Chinese Local Governments in China's Coastal Regional Economic Development:A Comparative Study on the Nine Cities in the Pearl River Delta Economic Region

Chinese local governments play an important role in the local economic development because of the formation of China's regional economic model after the Reform and Opening Policy in 1978. Based on the curiosity on what are the Chinese local governments' roles on the local economic development, I came up the research questions on local governments' role on macro regulation, participation and cooperation. In this paper I will talk about each question in detail.

Spatial and Temporal Variations of Pneumoconiosis in the Pearl River Delta Region in 2006–2015

Pneumoconiosis is a restrictive lung disease mostly caused by occupational exposure to dust,including silica dust,asbestos,and other fibers.Inhalable particles smaller than 10μm can enter the bronchioles,injure lung cells,and induce lung fibrosis.This hard-to-cure disease places a substantial burden on patients and society[1].

Legislation on protection of drinking water sources and local management practices in the Pearl River Delta region of China

The protection of drinking water sources is vital to urban development and public health.In this study,the current situation of the mandatory protection area for drinking water source in the Pearl River Delta region was investigated using a method combining Google Earth with the field survey.The gaps between management practices and legislation requirements were analyzed.Finally,several countermeasures for water resource protection were proposed as follows:to promote delineation in a more scientific way,to safeguard the sanctity of the law,to make better plan on water saving,and to encourage public participation in supervision and management.

Aerosol Optical Properties and Radiative Impacts in the Pearl River Delta Region of China during the Dry Season

Aerosol optical properties and direct radiative effects on surface irradiance were examined using seven years （2006-2012） of Cimel sunphotometer data collected at Panyu--the main atmospheric composition monitoring station in the Pearl River Delta （PRD） region of China. During the dry season （October to February）, mean values of the aerosol optical depth （AOD） at 550 nm, the Angstrom exponent, and the single scattering albedo at 440 nm （SSA） were 0.54, 1.33 and 0.87, respectively. About 90% of aerosols were dominated by fine-mode strongly absorbing particles. The size distribution was bimodal, with fine-mode particles dominating. The fine mode showed a peak at a radius of 0.12 μm in February and October （- 0.10 μm3 μm-2）. The mean diurnal shortwave direct radiative forcing at the surface, inside the atmosphere （FATM）, and at the top of the atmosphere, was -33.4± 7.0, 26.1 ± 5.6 and -7.3 ±2.7 W m-2, respectively. The corresponding mean values of aerosol direct shortwave radiative forcing per AOD were -60.0 ±7.8, 47.3 ± 8.3 and -12.8 ±3.1 W m-2, respectively. Moreover, during the study period, FATM showed a significant decreasing trend （p 〈 0.01） and SSA increased from 0.87 in 2006 to 0.91 in 2012, suggesting a decreasing trend of absorbing particles being released into the atmosphere. Optical properties and radiative impacts of the absorbing particles can be used to improve the accuracy of inversion algorithms for satellite-based aerosol retrievals in the PRD region and to better constrain the climate effect of aerosols in climate models.

The Middle-aged and Knowledge Workers: Demographic and Economic Changes in the Pearl River Delta, China

Demographic and economic development can be seen as two sides of one coin in the process of regional development.This article deals with how economic and demographic changes influence the settlement structure and development of the Pearl River Delta(PRD)and lead to regionalization processes within the large agglomerations.The aim of the study was to understand the interrelation between the three aspects:economic change,demographic change and change of spatial structures.Based on population age and occupational data,spatial changes in demographic structure and economic activities from 2000 to 2010 were analyzed.It was found that the demographic and economic change reflected changing spatial patterns between the urban centers and the hinterland in the PRD.Two processes were apparent during the studied period in the hinterlands and the high-density areas of the PRD.On one hand,the hinterlands in the PRD attracted more manufacturing activities,while the inner high-density areas experienced a decrease in manufacturing,associated with an increase in young labor in regions where workplaces that only required limited education expanded.On the other hand,specialization in knowledge-intensive business services increased in the inner high-density areas,which also saw an increased share in the older population.This finding suggests that increasing knowledge-intensive work correlates with higher age structures due to the longer formal education required and also the benefits knowledge workers accrue through experience and gained knowledge over time.Therefore,based on a transformation process,we tentatively conclude that the populations in high-density areas in the PRD became more middle-aged and were represented by more knowledge workers.

The regional nature of nitrate-dominant haze pollution during autumn over the Pearl River Delta area

China has experienced severe haze and visibility degradation problems in recent years because of rapid urbanization and industrialization.In this study,daily atmospheric fine-aerosol samples were concurrently collected at three sites over the Pearl River Delta(PRD)region during 1–29 October 2014.PM2.5 samples were analyzed for organic carbon and elemental carbon using a thermal/optical carbon analyzer.Major water-soluble inorganic ions including F−,Cl−,NO3−,SO42−,Na+,NH4+,K+,Mg2+,and Ca2+were analyzed by ion chromatography.The results show that the temporal variations of PM2.5 concentration at the three sites were highly parallel,with particle pollution events simultaneously observed during 13–19 October(EP1)and 23–27 October(EP2),suggesting that pollution events in the PRD region are usually regional.This can most likely be attributed to the significant influences of synoptic conditions,which regionally facilitate or block diffusion of air pollutants.The chemical compositions of PM2.5 at the three sites were also found to be similar,dominated by organics and sulfates.The results indicate that accumulation of traffic emissions seems to play important roles in particle pollution for the PRD region,leading in this case to elevated nitrate contributions during both EP1 and EP2 at the three sites.Moreover,the authors found that locally emitted aerosols from biomass burning only markedly influenced the air condition at one site,Nanhai,during EP1,while regionally transported biomass burning aerosols from eastern and northern Guangdong Province influenced all three sampling sites when the PRD was dominated by polluted air from these directions during EP2.

THE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE PEARL RIVER DELTA IN NEW TERM

Since China opening to outside world,the economy in the Pearl(Zhujiang)River Delta(PRD)has been dou-ble digit growth.It has been known as one of mature fast growth areas in the world and become the model and hope of Chi-nese reformand opening to outside wo rld.The regional development in PRD is the outcome of polarization effects .The polar-ization effects actually are extension of international regional divis ion and a combination of Hongkong’s i nfluence and re-form and open-door policies on the ma inland.Since the 1990s,driven by knowledge-based economy,the PRD has f urther adjusted the industrial structure a nd achieved good progress in upgradi ng industrial structure.Its high te chnology industry has developed quickly and the econom ic internationalization has deepen ed,meanwhile,the region is going th rough transforma-tion and some new trends have begun to appear,which include:university t owns springing up,industrial globalization and the construction of Hi-tech develop ment zones.The paper suggests that w ith the economic growth changing fro m relying on the low level production elements to relying on high level production ele ments,the regional policies in Guan gdong Province should develop correspondingly:1)make a plan to prohibite the blind con struction in innovative spatial con struc-tions;2)make measures to attract the overseas talents to establish a pool of talen t;3)work out the favorable policies for absorbing larger capital;4)formulate the policy of attracting a cluster of industries to speed up the upgrade of industrial development.

Assessment of Spatial Distribution and Submerged Scope for Storm Surge in the Pearl River Delta Region

The aim of this study was to explore the spatial distribution and submerged scope for storm surge in the Pearl River Delta(PRD) region.Based on the data of storm surges in the PRD region in the past 30 years,the return periods of 12 tide-gauge stations for storm surges were calculated separately with the methods of Gumbel and Pearson-III.The data of another six tide-gauge stations in Guangdong Coast was quoted to depict the overall features of storm surges in Guangdong.Using least-square method,the spatial distribution models of storm surges in different return periods were established to reveal the distribution rule of the set-up values of storm surges.The spatial distribution curves of storm surges in different return periods in the PRD Region were drawn up based on the models and the terrain of Guangdong Coast.According to the curves,the extreme set-up values of storm surges in 1 000,100,10 a return periods were determined on each spot of Guangdong Coast.Applying the spatial analysis technology of ArcGIS,with the topography data of the PRD Region,the submerged scopes of flood caused by storm surge in 1 000,100,10 a return periods were drawn up.The loss caused by storm surges was estimated.Results showed that the storm surges and the topography of PRD region jointly led to the serious flood in the PRD region.This assessment would be useful for the planning and design department to make decision and provide government scientific basis for storm surge prediction,coastal engineering designing and the prevention of storm surge disaster.

Analysis of the Higher Education Research in the Chengdu-Chongqing Region:A Comparative Perspective Based on Three Major Economic Circles in China

Drawing on literature regarding higher education research retrieved from the CNKI database from 1997 to 2021,this paper used CiteSpace to analyze the current status of higher education research in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.By comparing it with that in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region,the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area,and the Yangtze River Delta,this paper concluded that the level of higher education research within a region is in line with the level of the region’s economic and social development.As higher education research in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle draws more and more attention,its research areas and topics are becoming increasingly diversified.However,by comparison,the research in this region features a late start and lower participation of researchers and research institutions,resulting in insufficient research in both quantity and quality.Therefore,it is essential to encourage more experts and scholars to participate in higher education research in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.Efforts should also be made to strengthen academic exchanges and cooperation between scholars in Chengdu and Chongqing and establish a long-term cooperation mechanism for higher education research between the two cities.Improved higher education research will definitely facilitate the construction of first-class universities,thus providing human capital and intellectual support for the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.

Arsenic distribution and source in groundwater of Yangtze River Delta economic region, China

This thesis focuses Arsenic(As) distribution and occurrence in groundwater of Yangtze River Delta economic region, East China. 2019 groundwater samples were collected to analyze 26 chemical compositions, including As. The Principal Component Analysis(PCA) was used to find out As source in groundwater. The results show that average As concentration in groundwater of this study is 9.33 μg/l, and maximum As concentration is up to 510 μg/l. The variation coefficient is 314.34%. High arsenic phreatic water(>10 μg/l) distributes along the Yangtze River and its estuary. Weak hydrodynamic conditions, wide p H value variation range and deteriorating environment are dominating factors, especially in Yangtze River Delta. The PCA suggests that arsenic in phreatic water is mainly of natural origin. Part of arsenic may directly originate from sediment organics and be related to organics decomposition.

Distributional characteristics and sources of elements in soil from typical area of Pearl River Delta economic zone, Guangdong Province, China

Dongguan City, located in the Pearl River Delta economic zone of China, is famous for its rapid developing township-enterprises in the past 30 years. A total of 759 composite soil samples, including 606 surface soil samples and 153 deep soil samples, have been collected in the city. These samples have been analyzed for 13elements(Al, As, Cu, Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Si,and Zn) and other parameters(p H values and organic matter) to evaluate the influence of anthropic activities on the soil environmental quality and to identify the spatial distribution of heavy metals and their possible sources. The results indicate that the average concentrations of heavy metals in soil were significantly lower than the threshold of the second grade of the Soil Environment Quality Standard in China(GB15618-1995) and the soil environmental quality in this area is comparatively good. But in comparison with local soil geochemical baseline values, As,Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn have accumulated remarkably.Specifically, the average concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, and Hg in the small part samples of the west plain and central areas are higher than the national second-grade quality standard, indicating some level of contamination. Multivariate and geostatistical methods have been applied to differentiate the influences of natural processes and human activities on the concentration of heavy metals in surface soils in the study area. Cluster and factor analyses result in the grouping of Al, As, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Si into factor F1; Co, Mn, Pb, and Zn into F2; and Cd and Hg into F3.The spatial pattern of the three factors may be well demonstrated by geostatistical analysis. It is shown that the first factor could be considered as a natural source controlled by parent material. The second factor could be referred to as ‘‘industrial and traffic pollution sources' '. The source of the third factor is mainly controlled by long-term anthropic activities, including agricultural activities, fossil fuel consumption, and atmospheric deposition.

FORGING ASIA′S GLOBAL TRANSPARK IN THE PEARL RIVER DELTA AT ZHUHAI

The main purpose of the paper is to introduce the concept of the Global TransPark (GTP). It is a critical time to develop air logistics infrastructure in the New Economy. The paper also presents a brief review of the air cargo industry in the Asian-Pacific region and China,in particular China’s development in the industry as its economy has grown rapidly and globalized in the past two decades. The paper argues that China needs to develop a GTP to support its future growth,and explains why the Pearl River Delta-Hong Kong-Macao city-region or Extended Metropolitan Region (EMR) is the best location. Finally,it proposes that Zhuhai Airport,one of the five airports in the EMR,is the best site for the GTP. New policies from Chinese government as well as close cooperation between local governments of Guangdong and the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao will be needed to make the establishment of the GTP possible.

Spatial Structure and Land Use Control in Extended Metropolitan Region of Zhujiang River Delta,China

The Zhujiang (Pearl) River Delta is one of the most developed Extended Metropolitan Regions (EMR) in China.With the rapid urbanization,the agglomeration of population and industries has emerged,which has led to dramatic changes of spatial structure and land use in this region.With data of high resolution TM remote sensing images and Google Earth maps,this paper identified and analyzed the spatial pattern of the Zhujiang River Delta EMR using Envy and ArcGIS tools.It was found that 1) the industrial land uses were expanding substantially,particularly on the bank sides of the Zhujiang River estuary;2) large-scale housing developments were concentrated in the fringe of metropolitan areas such as those of Guangzhou and Shenzhen;3) a regional transportation network with the spatial pattern of ″1 circle +2 pieces + 3 axes″ had significantly affected the location choice of manufacture enterprises.At the same time,both highly specialized land use and severely mixed land use patterns were identified.As a consequence of the latter,land use efficiency of the whole EMR areas was reduced.Moreover,ecologic and environmental problems were severe.Based on the above analysis,suggestions were given from the viewpoint of spatial safety,land use efficiency,and the reorganization of spatial structure in the Zhujiang River Delta EMR.

Materializing the “Urban Region” Concept by Integrating Ecological Networks and Central Place Theory

This paper attempts to integrate urban development and ecological conservation by applying and syncretizing the “urban region” concept from landscape ecology and the “city-region” concept from socioeconomics. First, various concepts pertaining to regions are discussed and then, the integration of ecological conservation and urban development on a regional scale is introduced. Subsequently, the Greater Pearl River Delta, in China, is used as a case study area and landscape ecology’s “urban region” concept is applied to produce a landscape spatial arrangement framework for an urban region. This framework is achieved through the following steps: conceiving the study area as a region that consists of two urban regions, arranging ecological conservation landscapes by establishing a regional ecological network within the urban-region rings;and formulating an urban development strategy using central place theory. The resulting landscape spatial arrangement solution includes natural protection areas that cover half of the study area, several key strategic urbanizing locations, and suggestions for the strict protection of certain agricultural land-use areas. We believe that this framework facilitates a feasible exploration of land-use planning on a regional scale, although more in-depth studies are required to refine this approach.

珠三角地区近20年城镇化与景观生态安全耦合协调分析

针对城镇化进程加快导致的珠三角地区生态景观胁迫程度日趋严峻,亟需加强区域生态保护的现状,构建新型城镇化与景观生态安全的耦合协调模型,定量测度2000—2020年珠三角地区城镇空间扩展与景观生态安全耦合协调时空格局以及发展状态,运用多元回归分析和灰色预测模型揭示其驱动机理,并预测2040年城镇空间扩展和景观生态安全耦合的发展趋势。结果表明:珠三角地区9市城镇化与景观生态安全的耦合协调度在20年间呈现缓慢波动上升的趋势,耦合协调度由2000年的0.305~0.436升至2020年的0.385~0.545,现处于拮抗耦合阶段,未来20年将继续向着协调同步、有序发展的方向前进。珠三角地区经济发展不平衡,城镇开发建设和生态环境保护难以同步发展,景观生态状况不乐观,生态环境滞后型的地市逐渐增多,尚未全面形成良好的协调发展状态。对外开放程度、经济发展水平、科技投入水平等因素对耦合协调度的影响较为显著(P<0.05),今后对于区域可持续发展需要加强耦合协调的机理研究,持续关注城镇空间拓展与景观生态安全的协调发展趋势及特征。

京津冀与珠三角产业协同发展比较研究

2024年是京津冀协同发展战略实施10周年,产业协同发展取得显著成效,但仍存在一些现实困难。与珠三角进行对比分析,有助于进一步明确京津冀产业协同发展的差距短板,明晰下一步发展的方向。运用量化分析、复杂网络等方法,对京津冀与珠三角的产业协同特征、产业链和创新链融合、数字产业发展等状况进行对比分析,发现京津冀产业协同发展存在以下亟待解决的问题:基于主导产业的区域产业链分工格局尚未形成,数字经济发展不均衡,产业链和创新链融合不足等。基于此,提出以下对策建议:加快构建具有首都特点的现代化产业体系,加强区域产业链供应链协同联动,强化创新协同,协同打造数字经济新优势,促进基本公共服务均等化,助力京津冀打造中国式现代化建设的先行区、示范区。

区域经济一体化对企业劳动力成本粘性的影响——基于长三角城市群的视角

中国区域经济发展不平衡已引发劳动力供需失衡和劳动力资源错配等问题,如何矫正劳动力市场扭曲现象、提高劳动力资源配置效率,值得深入研究。文章以长三角城市群为例,实证检验区域经济一体化对企业劳动力成本粘性的影响效果及作用机制。研究发现,区域经济一体化主要通过增加企业劳动力需求来降低企业劳动力成本粘性;进一步研究发现,位于扩容城市、高学历员工和技术员工占比较高、资本密集型、成熟期以及中小规模的企业,区域经济一体化对劳动力成本粘性的影响更加显著。研究结论为推动城市群经济一体化建设和加强企业劳动力成本管控提供政策参考。

Urban shrinkage and growth: Measurement and determinants of economic resilience in the Pearl River Delta

In the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2008, China witnessed gradual shrinkage of cities in the Pearl River Delta(PRD). In this study, we introduce the concept of economic resilience to analyse urban growth and shrinkage in the context of a rapidly-urbanising region. Multiple regression analysis is performed to explore the determinants of economic resilience in the PRD. By measuring resistance in the shrinking phase and recoverability in the growing phase in a group of cities in the PRD, this study distinguishes four scenarios and investigates their characteristics from a spatial perspective. The results demonstrate that the financial crisis had a severe and asymmetric influence on this area, indicating more than 15% of cities are faced with shrinking. The spatial distribution of economic resilience indicates a centre-periphery pattern, that is, high economic resilience in the inner ring and low economic resilience in the outer ring of the PRD. The service economy is found to play a significant role in promoting urban economic resilience. Results imply that sound economic policies for enhancing resilience: both poor local financial status and a high degree of export concentration adversely impact resistance, while upgrading the manufacturing economy and stimulating of industrial innovation are conducive to improve recoverability.