The diffi culties of "polluter pays" policy in agricultural pollution in UK and methods to improve it

Agricultural wastes poll,tion became serious after great improvement in technology and the encouragement of production for the government since the end of the World Wai Ⅱ. Economists and environmental scholars suggested that ＂polluter pays＂ policy be employed in agricultural pollution control. However, it was hard to implement ＂polluter pays ＂ policy alone in agricultural wastes pollution.In practice, there were two social faCtors which contrih,ted to the improvement of water quality in the southwest of United Kingdom. One method is to communicate with farmers and then give farmers some advice or exhortation on facilities and management. The other method is to set up a telephone hotline for public to report water quality and probable pollution. Therefore, the consideration and combination of social factors in the control of agricultural wastes pollution are necessary, and important. Edueation of basic natural sciences relevant to agricultural pollution, system management of agricultural pollutants and laws relevant to agricultural pollution is suggested to be the third .social factor that British government can consider.

Industrial solid wastes to environmental protection materials for removal of gaseous pollutants:A review

The application of industrial solid wastes as environmentally functional materials for air pollutants control has gained much attention in recent years due to its potential to reduce air pollution in a cost-effective manner.In this review,we investigate the development of industrialwaste-based functional materials for various gas pollutant removal and consider the relevant reaction mechanism according to different types of industrial solid waste.We see a recent effort towards achieving high-performance environmental functional materials via chemical or physical modification,in which the active components,pore size,and phase structure can be altered.The review will discuss the potential of using industrial solid wastes,these modified materials,or synthesized materials from raw waste precursors for the removal of air pollutants,including SO_(2),NO_(x),Hg^(0),H_(2)S,VOCs,and CO_(2).The challenges still need to be addressed to realize this potential and the prospects for future research fully.The suggestions for future directions include determining the optimal composition of these materials,calculating the real reaction rate and turnover frequency,developing effective treatment methods,and establishing chemical component databases of raw industrial solid waste for catalysts/adsorbent preparation.

Use of graphene nanocomposites for air disinfection in dental clinics:A game-changer in infection control

This manuscript features the promising findings of a study conducted by Ju et al,who used graphene nanocomposites for air disinfection in dental clinics.Their study demonstrated that,compared with conventional filters,graphene nanocom-posites substantially improved air quality and reduced microbial contamination.This manuscript highlights the innovative application of graphene materials,emphasizing their potential to enhance dental clinic environments by minimizing secondary pollution.On the basis of the unique antimicrobial properties of gra-phene and the original study’s rigorous methodology,we recommend using gra-phene nanocomposites in clinical settings to control airborne infections.

Microplastic and nanoplastic exposure and risk of diabetes mellitus

The issue of plastic pollutants has become a growing concern.Both microplastics(MPs)(particle size<5 mm)and nanoplastics(NPs)(particle size<1μm)can cause DNA damage,cytotoxicity,and oxidative stress in various organisms.The primary known impacts of microplastic/nanoplastic are observed in the liver and respiratory system,leading to hepatotoxicity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Although research on the effects of MPs and NPs on diabetes is still in its early stages,there are potential concerns.This editorial highlights the risk to diabetics from co-exposure to contaminants and MPs/NPs,supported by evidence from animal studies and the various chemical compositions of MPs/NPs.

Studying and Estimating Visual Pollution in Irbid City (Centre of Irbid City-Case Study)

Despite the global attention towards pollution,it remains a significant global threat and challenge for both developed and developing countries.Urbanization and economic development influence different types of pollution.Visual pollution is considered a new phenomenon referring to the impact of existing and growing mainstream pollution which impairs an individual’s ability to enjoy visits or views.Recently,Jordanian cities have expanded in response to urbanization and ongoing development.Irbid City has the second largest population in Jordan after the capital Amman City highest population density in Jordan.In the modern era,Irbid City dramatically increased in population and dimension.The growth of the demographic population has been significant and has led to overpopulation,rapid urbanization,and unresolved problems associated with spatial planning and infrastructures leading to different types of pollution including visual pollution.The study area focuses on the city center with the most crowded population through field visits and actual observations.The study technique is descriptive and analytical,with a focus on meticulous monitoring and a follow-up-based questionnaire which is a tool for the study,involving data collection,classification,presentation,analysis,interpretation,and exploration to identify new facts and generalizations that can help solve current issues of visual pollution.The study provides recommendations for Irbid Municipal to eliminate visual pollution,in parallel with stricter supervision from the municipality during the building process to ensure proper implementation of the new rules,adopting an integrated policy for the city with the rest of the social,political,sensory,cultural,economic,and functional aspects,so that this policy is in the short and long term.

Investigation of a NO_(x) emission from coal power plants in Texas, United States and its impact on the environment

Texas is the largest state by area in the US after Alaska,and one of the top states in the production and consumption of electricity with many coal-fired plants.Coal-fired power plants emit greater than 70% of pollutants in the energy sector.When coal is burned to produce electricity,nitrogen oxides(NO_(x))are released into the air,one of the main pollutants that threaten human health and lead to a large number of premature deaths.The key to effective air quality management is the strict compliance of all plants with emission standards.However,not all Texas coal plants have the environmental equipment to lower pollutant emissions.Nitrogen dioxide(NO2)observations from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument(TROPOMI)were used to evaluate the emissions for Texas power plants.Data from both the Emissions and Generation Resource Integrated Database(EGRID)and the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research(EDGAR)were used to examine emissions.It was found that NOx emissions for Texas power plants range from 1.53 kt/year to 10.99 kt/year,with the Martin Lake,Limestone and Fayette Power Project stations being the top emitters.WA Parish and Martin Lake stations have the strongest NOx fluxes,with both exhibiting significant seasonal variability.Comparisons of bottom-up inventories for EDGAR and EGRID show a high correlation(r=0.956)and a low root mean square error(0.766).A more reasonable control policy would lead to much reduced NOx emissions.

How Should Polluters Be Prosecuted?

From November 2007 to February 2009, despite knowing that it was illegal, Hu Wenbiao and several other heads of Biaoxin Chemical Co. Ltd. in Yancheng, east China’s Jiangsu Province, ordered to discharge indus-

An improved GCN−TCN−AR model for PM_(2.5) predictions in the arid areas of Xinjiang,China

As one of the main characteristics of atmospheric pollutants,PM_(2.5) severely affects human health and has received widespread attention in recent years.How to predict the variations of PM_(2.5) concentrations with high accuracy is an important topic.The PM_(2.5) monitoring stations in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,China,are unevenly distributed,which makes it challenging to conduct comprehensive analyses and predictions.Therefore,this study primarily addresses the limitations mentioned above and the poor generalization ability of PM_(2.5) concentration prediction models across different monitoring stations.We chose the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains as the study area and took the January−December in 2019 as the research period.On the basis of data from 21 PM_(2.5) monitoring stations as well as meteorological data(temperature,instantaneous wind speed,and pressure),we developed an improved model,namely GCN−TCN−AR(where GCN is the graph convolution network,TCN is the temporal convolutional network,and AR is the autoregression),for predicting PM_(2.5) concentrations on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains.The GCN−TCN−AR model is composed of an improved GCN model,a TCN model,and an AR model.The results revealed that the R2 values predicted by the GCN−TCN−AR model at the four monitoring stations(Urumqi,Wujiaqu,Shihezi,and Changji)were 0.93,0.91,0.93,and 0.92,respectively,and the RMSE(root mean square error)values were 6.85,7.52,7.01,and 7.28μg/m^(3),respectively.The performance of the GCN−TCN−AR model was also compared with the currently neural network models,including the GCN−TCN,GCN,TCN,Support Vector Regression(SVR),and AR.The GCN−TCN−AR outperformed the other current neural network models,with high prediction accuracy and good stability,making it especially suitable for the predictions of PM_(2.5)concentrations.This study revealed the significant spatiotemporal variations of PM_(2.5)concentrations.First,the PM_(2.5) concentrations exhibited clear seasonal fluctuations,with higher levels typically observed in winter and differences presented between months.Second,the spatial distribution analysis revealed that cities such as Urumqi and Wujiaqu have high PM_(2.5) concentrations,with a noticeable geographical clustering of pollutions.Understanding the variations in PM_(2.5) concentrations is highly important for the sustainable development of ecological environment in arid areas.

A POLLUTER'S PARADISE?

Water pollution in China is a serious and systemic problem, lacking effective control mechanisms The 60-year-old man, surnamed Chen, faces an awkward situation. He lives by the Huaihe River, a major river in central China, but two or three times a month he has to fetch water for washing clothes and cooking from a place miles away. The reason is simple: the Huaihe River,

Severe Global Environmental Issues Caused by Canada’s Record-Breaking Wildfires in 2023

Due to the record-breaking wildfires that occurred in Canada in 2023,unprecedented quantities of air pollutants and greenhouse gases were released into the atmosphere.The wildfires had emitted more than 1.3 Pg CO_(2)and 0.14 Pg CO_(2)equivalent of other greenhouse gases(GHG)including CH4 and N_(2)O as of 31 August.The wildfire-related GHG emissions constituted more than doubled Canada’s planned cumulative anthropogenic emissions reductions in 10 years,which represents a significant challenge to climate mitigation efforts.The model simulations showed that the Canadian wildfires impacted not only the local air quality but also that of most areas in the northern hemisphere due to long-range transport,causing severe PM_(2.5)pollution in the northeastern United States and increasing daily mean PM_(2.5)concentration in northwestern China by up to 2μg m-3.The observed maximum daily mean PM_(2.5)concentration in New York City reached 148.3μg m-3,which was their worst air quality in more than 50 years,nearly 10 times that of the air quality guideline(i.e.,15μg m-3)issued by the World Health Organization(WHO).Aside from the direct emissions from forest fires,the peat fires beneath the surface might smolder for several months or even longer and release substantial amounts of CO_(2).The substantial amounts of greenhouse gases from forest and peat fires might contribute to the positive feedback to the climate,potentially accelerating global warming.To better understand the comprehensive environmental effects of wildfires and their interactions with the climate system,more detailed research based on advanced observations and Earth System Models is essential.

GAMYB transcription factor LoMYB65 from lily plays a vital role in pollen development

Lily(Lilium spp.)is an important horticultural crop,but its use is limited due to serious pollen contamination problems.There are many studies on pollen development in model plants,but few on flower crops such as lilies.Gibberellin(GA)is a large class of hormones and plays an important role in plant vegetative growth and reproductive development.GAMYB is a group of the R2R3-MYB family upregulated by gibberellin,and plays an important role in anther development.Here,we isolated a novel GAMYB,named LoMYB65,from lily,which was closely related to the AtMYB65 and AtMYB33 in Arabidopsis.Fluorescence quantitative PCR results showed that LoMYB65 was mainly expressed in lily anthers.LoMYB65 could be activated by 288μmol·L^(-1)GA3treatment and the LoMYB65 protein was located in the nucleus and cytoplasm,and had transactivation in yeast and tobacco leaf cells.The conserved motif within 226 amino acids of the C-terminal of LoMYB65 contributed to its transactivation.Overexpression of LoMYB65 caused dwarf phenotype,unnormal tapetum development,less seeds of siliques in transgenic Arabidopsis plants,the transgenic plants showed partly male sterile.Simultaneously,silencing of LoMYB65 with VIGS(Virus Induced Gene Silencing)in lily anthers caused unnormal pollen development and reduced the pollen amount.Overexpression of LoMYB65 in Arabidopsis and silencing of LoMYB65 in lily resulted in decreased pollen counts,so we speculate that LoMYB65 may be dose-dependent.Overall,these findings suggest that LoMYB65 may play an important role in anther development and pollen formation in lily.LoMYB65 may provide a useful candidate gene for pollenless breeding of lily.

2D S-Scheme Heterojunction Photocatalyst

The application of photocatalytic technology in H_(2) production,CO_(2) reduction,H_(2)O_(2) production,and pollutant degradation provides a promising approach to the alleviation of energy shortage and environmental issues 1-3.However,hindered by the easy recombination of electron-hole pairs,single-component photocatalysts usually exhibit inferior performance.Constructing heterojunction photocatalysts is a valid method which can improve charge separation and attain high catalytic efficiencies4.

Remote sensing of air pollution incorporating integrated-path differential-absorption and coherent-Doppler lidar

An innovative complex lidar system deployed on an airborne rotorcraft platform for remote sensing of atmospheric pollution is proposed and demonstrated.The system incorporates integrated-path differential absorption lidar(DIAL) and coherent-doppler lidar(CDL) techniques using a dual tunable TEA CO_(2)laser in the 9—11 μm band and a 1.55 μm fiber laser.By combining the principles of differential absorption detection and pulsed coherent detection,the system enables agile and remote sensing of atmospheric pollution.Extensive static tests validate the system’s real-time detection capabilities,including the measurement of concentration-path-length product(CL),front distance,and path wind speed of air pollution plumes over long distances exceeding 4 km.Flight experiments is conducted with the helicopter.Scanning of the pollutant concentration and the wind field is carried out in an approximately 1 km slant range over scanning angle ranges from 45°to 65°,with a radial resolution of 30 m and10 s.The test results demonstrate the system’s ability to spatially map atmospheric pollution plumes and predict their motion and dispersion patterns,thereby ensuring the protection of public safety.

Ordered mesoporous materials for water pollution treatment:Adsorption and catalysis

To meet the growing emission of water contaminants,the development of new materials that enhance the efficiency of the water treatment system is urgent.Ordered mesoporous materials provide opportunities in environmental processing applications due to their exceptionally high surface areas,large pore sizes,and enough pore volumes.These properties might enhance the performance of materials concerning adsorption/catalysis capability,durability,and stability.In this review,we enumerate the ordered mesoporous materials as adsorbents/catalysts and their modifications in water pollution treatment from the past decade,including heavy metals(Hg^(2+),Pb^(2+),Cd^(2+),Cr^(6+),etc.),toxic anions(nitrate,phosphate,fluoride,etc.),and organic contaminants(organic dyes,antibiotics,etc.).These contributions demonstrate a deep understanding of the synergistic effect between the incorporated framework and homogeneous active centers.Besides,the challenges and perspectives of the future developments of ordered mesoporous materials in wastewater treatment are proposed.This work provides a theoretical basis and complete summary for the application of ordered mesoporous materials in the removal of contaminants from aqueous solutions.

Cell Wall Fixation,Translocation,and Vacuolar Detoxification of Cadmium Contribute to Differential Grain Cadmium Accumulation in Two Rice Cultivars

Cadmium(Cd)toxicity in rice is a major concern for human health and the environment,as it can accumulate in rice grains when grown in Cd-contaminated soils.To mitigate the risk of Cd toxicity,it is crucial to cultivate rice varieties with low grain Cd accumulation.In the summers of 2021 and 2022,we conducted Cd analysis on two rice cultivars,Tianyouhuazhan(TYHZ)and Xiushui 14,grown in fields with varying Cd pollution levels.These cultivars were also subjected to hydroponic treatment with or without 1μmol/L Cd for 7 d to assess Cd accumulation,nitric oxide(NO)production。

Identifying the Hydrochemical Characteristics,Genetic Mechanisms and Potential Human Health Risks of Fluoride and Nitrate Enriched Groundwater in the Tongzhou District,Beijing,North China

Fluoride and nitrate enriched groundwater are potential threats to the safety of the groundwater supply that may cause significant effects on human health and public safety,especially in aggregated population areas and economic hubs.This study focuses on the high F^(−)and NO_(3)^(−)concentration groundwater in Tongzhou District,Beijing,North China.A total of 36 groundwater samples were collected to analyze the hydrochemical characteristics,elucidate genetic mechanisms and evaluate the potential human health risks.The results of the analysis indicate:Firstly,most of the groundwater samples are characterized by Mg-HCO_(3) and Na-HCO_(3) with the pH ranging from 7.19 to 8.28 and TDS with a large variation across the range 471-2337 mg/L.The NO_(3)^(−)concentration in 38.89%groundwater samples and the F^(−)concentration in 66.67%groundwater samples exceed the permissible limited value.Secondly,F^(−)in groundwater originates predominantly from water-rock interactions and the fluorite dissolution,which is also regulated by cation exchange,competitive adsorption of HCO_(3)−and an alkaline environment.Thirdly,the effect of sewage disposal and agricultural activities have a significant effect on high NO3-concentration,while the high F^(−)concentration is less influenced by anthropogenic activity.The alkaline environment favors nitrification,thus being conducive to the production of NO_(3)^(−).Finally,the health risk assessment is evaluated for different population groups.The results indicate that high NO_(3)^(−)and F^(−)concentration in groundwater would have the largest threat to children’s health.The findings of this study could contribute to the provision of a scientific basis for groundwater supply policy formulation relating to public health in Tongzhou District.

Tb^(3+)-nucleic acid probe-based label-free and rapid detection of mercury pollution in food

Mercury is a threatening pollutant in food,herein,we developed a Tb^(3+)-nucleic acid probe-based label-free assay for mix-and-read,rapid detection of mercury pollution.The assay utilized the feature of light-up fluorescence of terbium ions(Tb^(3+))via binding with single-strand DNA.Mercury ion,Hg^(2+)induced thymine(T)-rich DNA strand to form a double-strand structure(T-Hg^(2+)-T),thus leading to fluorescence reduction.Based on the principle,Hg^(2+)can be quantified based on the fluorescence of Tb^(3+),the limit of detection was 0.0689μmol/L and the linear range was 0.1-6.0μmol/L.Due to the specificity of T-Hg^(2+)-T artificial base pair,the assay could distinguish Hg^(2+)from other metal ions.The recovery rate was ranged in 98.71%-101.34%for detecting mercury pollution in three food samples.The assay is low-cost,separation-free and mix-to-read,thus was a competitive tool for detection of mercury pollution to ensure food safety.

Research on the Relationship Between Environmental and Economic Coupling Systems in Bohai Bay Area Based on a Vector Autoregression(VAR)Model

This study analyzed the impact of land-based contaminants and tertiary industrial structure on economic development in the selected Bohai Bay area,China.Based on panel data spanning 2011-2020,a vector autoregressive(VAR)model is used to analyze and forecast the short-run and long-run relationships between three industrial structures,pollutant discharge,and economic development.The results showed that the environmental index had a long-term cointegration relationship with the industrial structure economic index.Per capital chemical oxygen demand(PCOD)and per capita ammonia nitrogen(PNH_(3)N)had a positive impact on delta per capita GDP(dPGDP),while per capita solid waste(PSW),the secondary industry rate(SIR)and delta tertiary industry(dTIR)had a negative impact on dPGDP.The VAR model under this coupling system had stability and credibility.The impulse response results showed that the short-term effect of the coupling system on dPGDP was basically consistent with the Granger causality test results.In addition,variance decomposition was used in this study to predict the long-term impact of the coupling system in the next ten periods(i.e.,ten years).It was found that dTIR had a great impact on dPGDP,with a contribution rate as high as 74.35%in the tenth period,followed by the contribution rate of PCOD up to 3.94%,while the long-term contribution rates of PSW,SIR and PNH3N were all less than 1%.The results show that the government should support the development of the tertiary industry to maintain the vitality of economic development and prevent environmental deterioration.

Implications of the extremely hot summer of 2022 on urban ozone control in China

Frequent occurrences of extreme heat are causing severe ozone pollution over China.This study examined the driving factors of urban ozone pollution in China during the extremely hot summer of 2022 and the impact of emission control strategies using surface measurements and the GEOS-Chem model.The results show that ozone pollution was extremely severe in summer 2022,with a significant rebound by 12-15 ppbv in the North China Plain(NCP),Yangtze River Delta(YRD),and Sichuan basin(SCB),compared to 2021.Especially over the NCP,the MDA8(maximum daily 8-hourly average)ozone exceeded 160 ppbv,and the number of ozone exceedances was over 42 days.Based on an IPR(integrated process rate)analysis,the authors found that the net chemical production was the dominant factor contributing to the strong ozone increase in summer 2022.For example,in June over the NCP,the net chemical production resulted in an increase by 3.08 Gg d^(−1)(∼270%)in ozone mass change.Sensitivity simulations showed that both NO_(x)(nitrogen oxides)and VOC(volatile organic compound)reductions were important over the NCP,and NO_(x)reductions were more important than VOCs over southern China.To keep the ozone of 2022 at the same level as 2021,a joint reduction of NO_(x)and VOCs by at least 50%-60%would have been required.This study highlights the urgency to develop effective ozone management since extreme heat will become more frequent.

An Integrated Analysis on the Synergistic Reduction of Carbon and Pollution Emissions from China’s Iron and Steel Industry

Decarbonization and decontamination of the iron and steel industry(ISI),which contributes up to 15%to anthropogenic CO_(2) emissions(or carbon emissions)and significant proportions of air and water pollutant emissions in China,are challenged by the huge demand for steel.Carbon and pollutants often share common emission sources,indicating that emission reduction could be achieved synergistically.Here,we explored the inherent potential of measures to adjust feedstock composition and technological structure and to control the size of the ISI to achieve carbon emission reduction(CER)and pollution emission reduction(PER).We investigated five typical pollutants in this study,namely,petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants and chemical oxygen demand in wastewater,particulate matter,SO_(2),and NO_(x) in off gases,and examined synergies between CER and PER by employing cross elasticity for the period between 2022 and 2035.The results suggest that a reduction of 8.7%-11.7%in carbon emissions and 20%-31%in pollution emissions(except for particulate matter emissions)could be achieved by 2025 under a high steel scrap ratio(SSR)scenario.Here,the SSR and electric arc furnace(EAF)ratio serve critical roles in enhancing synergies between CER and PER(which vary with the type of pollutant).However,subject to a limited volume of steel scrap,a focused increase in the EAF ratio with neglection of the available supply of steel scrap to EAF facilities would lead to an increase carbon and pollution emissions.Although CER can be achieved through SSR and EAF ratio optimization,only when the crude steel production growth rate remains below 2.2%can these optimization measures maintain the emissions in 2030 at a similar level to that in 2021.Therefore,the synergistic effects between PER and CER should be considered when formulating a development route for the ISI in the future.