Hasil untuk "Environmental Science"

D. Borcard, F. Gillet, P. Legendre

B. Davies, D. Baulcombe, I. Crute et al.

Kevin C. Jones, P. Voogt

H. Raiffa

F. Fisher

A. Irwin, Brian Wynne

J. Lubchenco

Qingsong Liu, A. Roberts, J. Larrasoaña et al.

David I Miller, D. Halpern

Eva Lövbrand, S. Beck, J. Chilvers et al.

Yang Sun, Feng Zhao, Liya Gao

The accelerating emissions of greenhouse gases—particularly carbon dioxide (CO2)—pose serious challenges to global environmental sustainability, with China being a major contributor due to its rapid economic and financial expansion. This study investigates the nexus between financial development (FD), renewable energy consumption, and CO2 emissions in China over the period 1996–2022. Using advanced time-series econometric methods, including dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS), fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS), canonical cointegration regression (CCR), and Granger causality analysis, this study aims to uncover the long-run relationships and causal directions among economic growth, financial development, renewable energy use, human capital, agricultural productivity, and carbon emissions (CEs). The findings reveal five key results: (1) economic growth is positively associated with CO2 emissions, confirming an environmental trade-off; (2) financial development also significantly increases emissions, indicating potential ecological risks from financial sector expansion; (3) renewable energy consumption significantly reduces CO2 emissions, confirming its role in promoting environmental quality; (4) human capital and agricultural productivity both contribute to emission reduction; and (5) causality tests show unidirectional and bidirectional relationships among variables, highlighting the interdependence of energy, finance, and environmental dynamics. The study concludes that China can reduce carbon emissions without compromising economic growth by accelerating renewable energy adoption, investing in green technologies, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices through targeted environmental and economic policies.

Nawfal Hasan Siam, Nayla Nuren Snigdha

Coccinia grandis (L.) Voigt (ivy gourd) is popularly consumed in South Asia for food and therapeutic purposes. C. grandis acts as a remedy for various ailments, such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, ulcers, diarrhea, jaundice, inflammation, fever, bronchitis, burns, skin eruptions, insect bites, allergies, eye infections, and urinary disorders. Researchers have identified phytoconstituents in diverse chemical classes from this species, including alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarins, esters, ethers, fatty acids, fatty alcohols, terpenoids, and phenolic compounds. Comprehensive research conducted in vitro and in vivo has confirmed the properties of the plant as antidiabetic, anticancer, antiparasitic, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, analgesic, antipyretic, anti-Alzheimer's, anticataract, antileishmanial, anti-anaphylactic, anti-histaminic, and wound-healing agent, as well as being advantageous for cardiovascular health. Most pharmacological findings are derived from studies on the extracts and the subsequent phytoconstituents from this plant species. Nevertheless, the specific phytoconstituents underlying these biological effects and the mechanisms of action involved are yet to be fully identified. Toxicological evaluations indicate that C. grandis is generally safe, although high doses can cause dose-dependent hepatotoxicity. Moreover, the clinical trials focusing on the antidiabetic effects of C. grandis demonstrate promising effects in managing glucose dysregulation. This review aims to provide a comprehensive update on C. grandis, expanding on previous studies by incorporating a broader ethnomedicinal scope, a more extensive phytochemical profile with detailed chemical structures, and additional clinical trial data. Unlike prior publications, this review emphasizes C. grandis as a functional food, highlighting its potential in chronic disease management. By integrating these aspects, this study offers a more in-depth analysis of the therapeutic potential and future applications of this plant. The functional food aspect of C. grandis, rich in bioactive compounds, supports its role in preventing and managing chronic diseases as a regular vegetable.

Jianwei Sun, Mengchan Chen, Jingrou Xiao et al.

With the development of urbanization and industrialization worldwide, soil heavy metal pollution has become a critical and pressing environmental problem in urban areas. Soil heavy metals exhibit complex and varying spatial aggregation and diffusion processes within diverse urban landscapes, especially in different urban areas with varying urbanization levels. However, many existing experimental methods and conventional models overlook the crucial aspects of spatial autocorrelation and heterogeneity between soil heavy metals and influencing factors. This neglect poses significant environmental concerns, as rapid monitoring of soil heavy metals and accurate identification of their determinants become imperative. This study investigated four environmentally sensitive and potentially harmful soil heavy metals, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb), in two urban areas in China with varying urbanization levels. Enshi (a prefecture-level city) and Wuhan (a provincial capital city) were selected for comparison of the spatially variable relationships between soil heavy metals and their influencing factors. We employed a global stepwise linear regression (STR) model and a local spatial model-geographically weighted regression (GWR) to map the spatial distribution of soil heavy metals based on 121 auxiliary variables, including terrain, geophysical, socioeconomic factors, and remote sensing data. Our results showed that: (1) soil heavy metals exhibited strong spatial aggregation in the prefecture-level city (Enshi) but, nonetheless, have strong spatial heterogeneity in the provincial capital city (Wuhan) due to elevated anthropogenic disturbances; (2) GWR accurately mapped the spatial distributions of As (<i>r</i> = 0.47 and 0.66), Cd (<i>r</i> = 0.74 and 0.53), Cu (<i>r</i> = 0.60 and 0.54), and Pb (<i>r</i> = 0.44 and 0.50) based on auxiliary variables in different cities and also can clearly reveal the spatially variable relationships with main influence factors; (3) human activities were the primary driving factors influencing As and Pb, while natural environment variables were identified as the main potential sources of Cd and Cu. This study demonstrates a methodology to explore spatially variable characteristics of soil heavy metals and their spatial varying relationships with influence factors. The comparative analysis between two cities provides insights that can greatly enhance quantitative source apportionment and support sustainable management strategies for controlling soil heavy metal pollution across varied urban environments.

Gustav Cederlöf

N/A

Alejandro Acosta-Rodríguez, Sandra A. Reza-López, César R. Aguilar-Torres et al.

ObjectiveExternal ear anomalies may lead to conductive hearing loss with significant childhood disability, psychological distress, anxiety, social avoidance, and behavioral problems. The aim of this study is to compile and review published literature on the frequency of isolated and non-isolated external ear anomalies, their associated factors, and associated malformations/deformations in non-isolated cases.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct searching for any type of article (excluding reviews and meta-analyses) reporting isolated and non-isolated external ear anomalies in humans. Two authors extracted the information according to the main variables of interest according to PICO criteria. Details of studied population and main findings were also obtained (malformation type, unilateral or bilateral malformations and associated factors).ResultsTwenty-six studies met eligibility criteria to be included in this review. Anotia/microtia was the most reported malformation, more frequently found in males, mostly unilateral; being the right ear the most affected, and more frequent in Hispanic population. Associated factors for external ear anomalies included parental age, maternal education, multiple pregnancies, high maternal body mass index and diabetes, pregnancy, and perinatal complications (low birth weight, prematurity, threatened abortion, etc.), twining, and chemical/drug exposure. The most reported malformations and syndromes associated with congenital external ear defects included: skull/face anomalies, cleft lip/palate, congenital heart defects, musculoskeletal malformations of skull, face and jaw, Treacher-Collins, OAVS (oculo-auriculo-vertebral spectrum), and trisomy 18, 13 and 21.ConclusionCongenital external ear anomalies can occur isolated or associated with other malformations or syndromes. Environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural factors may partially explain the variation across populations for congenital external ear anomalies. Depending on their type and severity, they can lead to speech impediments and childhood disability, particularly in bilateral cases, highlighting the relevance of early detection and repair to avoid childhood disability.

Weijie Xu, Dong Huang, Dubin Dong et al.

Cadmium (Cd(II)), one of the most toxic heavy metals in paddy soils, poses a major threat to food security. In this study, the effects of biochar derived from maize straw (MB), peanut shells (PB), and their copyrolysis (MPB) on soil properties, Cd(II) immobilization, microbial communities, and rice production were evaluated. MPB exhibited superior physicochemical properties relative to mono-feedstock biochars, including higher porosity, higher cation exchange capacity, and greater enrichment of oxygen-containing functional groups (e.g., CO, CC). XRD and SEM analysis showed that MPB had an amorphous carbon structure with decreased crystallinity and a honeycomb-like porous network, providing abundant adsorption sites. Application of MPB significantly increased soil pH, organic carbon, and available K, whereas it decreased CaCl2-extractable Cd(II) by 51.79 % and shifted Cd(II) from the labile to residual fractions. MPB also increased bacterial α diversity, promoted the abundance of beneficial taxa such as Anaerolineaceae and Vicinamibacterales, and strongly reshaped community and environmental relationships. In rice tissues, compared with the control, MPB reduced Cd(II) accumulation by 19.42 % in roots, 23.32 % in stems, 47.18 % in leaves, and 45.56 % in grain, ensuring that Cd(II) levels in grain remained below the national safety threshold. Moreover, MPB improved rice yield (+2.55 %), milling quality, and amylose content. These findings demonstrate that copyrolyzed biochar provides an integrated strategy to simultaneously mitigate Cd(II) risk and increase rice productivity in contaminated paddy soils.

Islam Sayah, Ibtissem Chakroun, Claudio Gervasi et al.

Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) has gained considerable interest over the last decade due to its unique properties and versatile applications. However, the low yield and the high production cost significantly limit its industrial scalability. The proposed study explores the isolation of new BNC producers from date palm sap and the use of date waste extract as a sustainable carbon source to improve BNC productivity. Results revealed three potential BNC producers identified as <i>Komagataeibacter</i> sp. IS20, <i>Komagataeibacter</i> sp. IS21, and <i>Komagataeibacter</i> sp. IS22 with production yield of 1.7 g/L, 0.8 g/L and 1.8 g/L, respectively, in Hestrin-Schramm (HS) medium. The biopolymer characterization indicated the presence of type I cellulose, a high thermal stability, and a highly dense network made of cellulose nanofibrils for all BNC samples. The isolate IS22, showing the highest productivity, was selected for an optimization procedure using a full factorial design with date waste extract as a carbon source. The BNC yield increased to 6.59 g/L using 4% date waste extract and 2% ethanol after 10 days of incubation compared to the standard media (1.8 g/L). Two probiotic strains, including <i>Bacillus subtilis</i> (BS), and <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i> (LP) were successfully encapsulated into BNC matrix through a co-culture approach. The BNC-LP and BNC-BS composites showed antibacterial activity against <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>. BNC–probiotic composites have emerged as a promising strategy for the effective delivery of viable probiotics in a wide range of applications. Overall, this study supports the use of date waste extract as a sustainable carbon source to enhance BNC productivity and reduce the environmental footprint using a high-yielding producer (IS22). Furthermore, the produced BNC demonstrated promising potential as an efficient carrier matrix for probiotic delivery.

Bo Wu, Ruihu Lu, Chao Wu et al.

Abstract Employing electrochemistry for the selective functionalization of liquid alkanes allows for sustainable and efficient production of high-value chemicals. However, the large potentials required for C(sp 3)-H bond functionalization and low water solubility of such alkanes make it challenging. Here we discover that a Pt/IrO x electrocatalyst with optimized Cl binding energy enables selective generation of Cl free radicals for C-H chlorination of alkanes. For instance, we achieve monochlorination of cyclohexane with a current up to 5 A, Faradaic efficiency (FE) up to 95% and stable performance over 100 h in aqueous KCl electrolyte. We further demonstrate that our system can directly utilize concentrated seawater derived from a solar evaporation reverse osmosis process, achieving a FE of 93.8% towards chlorocyclohexane at a current of 1 A. By coupling to a photovoltaic module, we showcase solar-driven production of chlorocyclohexane using concentrated seawater in a membrane electrode assembly cell without any external bias. Our findings constitute a sustainable pathway towards renewable energy driven chemicals manufacture using abundant feedstock at industrially relevant rates.

Witchakorn Charusiri, Naphat Phowan, Tharapong Vitidsant

Anna Kozajda, Emilia Miśkiewicz, Karolina Jeżak

This review is aimed at summarizing the current state of knowledge about the relationship between environmental exposure to the bioaerosol emitted by intensive livestock farming and changes in the microbiome of people living in livestock farm vicinity. The PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched by crossing keywords from the following 3 groups: a) “livestock,” “animal farms,” “animal breeding”; b) “microbiome,” “resistome”; c) “livestock vicinity,” “farm vicinity,” “neighborhoods and health” in 2010–2022. Literature screening did not reveal any paper related to the full microbiome composition in the population studied. In the study, the authors included 7 papers (5 from the Netherlands, 1 from the USA, and 1 from China). The studies confirmed the carriage of Staphylococcus aureus , including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), livestockassociated MRSA (LA-MRSA MC398) and multidrug-resistant S. aureus (MDRSA) in the nasal microbiome of adults and children living within 500–2000 m from a livestock farm. Clostridium difficile , including LA-ribotype RT078 carriage, was detected in the intestinal microbiome of adults living within 500–1000 m. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing Enterobacteriaceae were confirmed in the intestinal microbiome of adults living within 500–6200 m. Knowledge on the composition of the microflora of people living in livestock farm vicinity is insufficient to conclude about changes in the microbiome caused by the environmental emission of bioaerosol. The carriage prevalence of the LA-bacteria, including both strains with antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial resistance genes, confirms the presence of zoonotic bacteria in the human microflora in populations without occupational contact with animals. It cannot be ruled out that zoonotic bacteria, as a component of the microbiome, have a negative impact on people’s health. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2024;37(2):138–52