Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mehran Hekmatnia, Amir Isanezhad, Ahmad Fatahi Ardakani, Mohammad Ansari Ghojghar, Narges Dahmarde Ghaleno
Summary: International trade in agricultural products involves significant virtual water flow, but there is currently no global framework for managing virtual water usage. This study aims to fill this research gap by developing an international policy framework for sustainable water use through shared responsibility agreements. A global assessment of virtual water trade in wheat from 2002 to 2021 reveals that water abundance in exporting countries does not correlate with global sustainability of freshwater resources.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Wenjun Xia, Xiaohong Chen, Chao Song, Alejo Perez-Carrera
Summary: Water resources distributed through international trade affect the water supply and consumption of each country. This study calculates the virtual water volume of grain crops traded between China and countries along the Belt and Road, and investigates the impact of natural and socioeconomic factors on virtual water trade. The results show that GDP and exchange rate are positively correlated with virtual water inflow, while per capita water resources, arable land, distance, and population hinder virtual water import. The development of transportation industry reduces the contribution of distance, while economic globalization increases the contribution of GDP and exchange rate. Therefore, the trade structure of agricultural products should be modified based on the characteristics of virtual water flow.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Pari Teymouri, Reza Dehghanzadeh
Summary: The systematic review examined the trade of virtual gray water (VGW) and its impact on freshwater pollution, identifying research gaps and calling for international cooperation to mitigate environmental impacts. Articles covering VGW trade on global, international, and national scales were critically appraised, revealing the need for further studies and collaborative efforts to address the issues surrounding VGW trade.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Min Zhu, Qianwen Yu, Lina Zhang
Summary: This study investigates the pricing model of water rights trading and combines it with ecological compensation to balance the benefits of both parties. The results show that through adjusting price variables, the transaction volumes and economic benefits among users can be optimized in a typical water-shortage region like Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China. Therefore, this study provides a valuable reference for decision-makers in water-shortage regions.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Bo Cheng, Huaien Li
Summary: This study quantitatively analyzes the significant contribution of agricultural irrigation water-saving measures to the protection of river ecological base flows in water shortage areas of Northwest China. By constructing a quantitative calculation model, the study presents a basis for reasonable safeguard measures for rivers' ecological base flows in the region.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sujata Kulkarni, Raviraj Dave, Udit Bhatia, Rohini Kumar
Summary: This study analyzes the trade flows of agricultural and non-agricultural commodities between different states in India and finds that agricultural trade is becoming more self-reliant, while non-agricultural trade is increasingly dependent on production hubs. These findings are important for devising appropriate policy interventions for sustainable development.
Article
Environmental Studies
Jiangfeng Hu, Zhao Wang, Qinghua Huang, Mengjia Hu
Summary: The study found that China's supply shocks have a stable inhibitory effect on agricultural carbon emissions in Belt and Road economies, while China's demand shocks only increase the share of agricultural carbon emissions in all economies.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REVIEW
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Lunzheng Zhou, Guangji Tong, Jiaguo Qi, Lu He
Summary: This study examines the fluctuation factors of agricultural trade between China and countries along the Belt and Road using modified multi-country multi-product CMS models. The results show that recent fluctuations in agricultural trade are mainly driven by demand effects, with Southeast Asia playing a major role in trade. Animal products, fruits and vegetables, and food processing products are primarily influenced by competitiveness.
Article
Agronomy
Aymen Frija, Amine Oulmane, Ali Chebil, Mariem Makhlouf
Summary: Climate change is expected to have serious economic and social impacts on Tunisian rural farmers, depending largely on political and structural adaptations. Evaluating the effect of increasing water shortages on agricultural income and employment, this study also analyzes structural adaptation strategies implemented by farmers. Results suggest that improving water use efficiency at farm and perimeter levels, as well as offering more attractive producer prices, can mitigate and potentially reverse these negative impacts.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenpeng Du, Huimin Yan, Yanzhao Yang
Summary: The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aims to enhance economic and trade cooperation by establishing an international trade network among countries along the Belt and Road. This study examines the impact of BRI on ecological product trade using net primary productivity (NPP) as a measure. The findings reveal significant changes in the trade scale and spatial distribution pattern of ecological products in the B&R region.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Jiajun Tian, Youjin Liu
Summary: This study discusses the factors influencing grain industry investment in countries along the Belt and Road and analyzes the impacts on bilateral economic distance, institutional environments, and farmland resources of host countries. The findings show that farmland resources have a positive impact on China's overseas farmland investment, and there are significant variations in the location characteristics of the Belt and Road countries. It is recommended that China focus on regional comparative advantages, engage in differentiated cooperation in farmland investment, and strengthen resource conservation and livelihood protection in underdeveloped regions, while ensuring food security in developing countries and emphasizing the distribution and sales of agricultural products in developed regions.
FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xuerong Li
Summary: Under the influence of extreme climate, South China frequently experiences seasonal water shortages, which threatens local food and water security. This study identifies key determinants of farmers' agricultural water-saving behavior and confirms that collecting water fees can promote agricultural water-saving. Policy measures should be taken to improve water charges policies, strengthen irrigation services, and increase the publicity of agricultural water-saving policies.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Minghua Dai, Guanwei Wang, Jiaqiu Wang, Yuhan Gao, Quanzhen Lu
Summary: This study investigates the developing mechanism and influencing factors of agricultural product circulation efficiency in provinces along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) within the framework of green total factor productivity. The study finds that the green total factor productivity of agricultural product circulation in provinces along the BRI shows a negative growth trend, with foreign investment having a positive impact and environmental regulations, government support, and industrial structure having negative impacts. Additionally, there is a positive spatial spillover effect on the green total factor productivity of agricultural product circulation.
Article
Economics
Yasir Khan, Hana Oubaih, Taimoor Hassan
Summary: This paper empirically investigates the association between carbon emissions, economic growth, energy depletion, and energy import in the Belt and Road Initiatives. The findings confirm the co-integrating relationships among the variables and support the causal linkage among them. The study highlights the significance of restructuring policies to contain the consequences of carbon emissions and curb energy utilization, with energy depletion and energy import being significant drivers of CO2 emissions in Belt and Road countries. The results emphasize the need for sustainable energy policies and investments to reduce energy depletion and promote renewable energy use.
JOURNAL OF THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
(2023)
Article
Mathematics
Fengjie Xie, Xiaoxiao Yin, Ruifen Sun
Summary: This paper defines the weighted super adjacency matrix and constructs a trade multilayer network by combining the trade network, competitive network, and complementary network. Analytical methods are proposed to identify key trading countries and prioritize trade development, and policy recommendations are offered for agricultural trade along the Belt and Road in the western region.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Toshimi Nakajima, Mao Kuragano, Makoto Yamada, Ryo Sugimoto
Summary: This study compared the contribution of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) to river nutrient budgets at nearshore and embayment scales, and found that SGD-derived nutrients become more important at larger spatial scales.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fan Liu, Lei Zhang, Chongyang Zhang, Ziguang Chen, Jingguang Li
Summary: NO2 emissions from wall-mounted gas stoves used for household heating have become a significant source of indoor pollution in Chinese urban areas. The high indoor concentration of NO2 poses potential health risks to residents. It is urgently necessary to establish relevant regulations and implement emission reduction technologies to reduce NO2 emissions from wall-mounted gas stoves.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Letter
Environmental Sciences
Hans Peter H. Arp, Raoul Wolf, Sarah E. Hale, Sivani Baskaran, Juliane Gluege, Martin Scheringer, Xenia Trier, Ian T. Cousins, Harrie Timmer, Roberta Hofman-Caris, Anna Lennquist, Andre D. Bannink, Gerard J. Stroomberg, Rosa M. A. Sjerps, Rosa Montes, Rosario Rodil, Jose Benito Quintana, Daniel Zahn, Herve Gallard, Tobias Mohr, Ivo Schliebner, Michael Neumann
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Philomina Onyedikachi Peter, Binessi Edouard Ifon, Francois Nkinahamira, Kayode Hassan Lasisi, Jiangwei Li, Anyi Hu, Chang-Ping Yu
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between dissolved organic matter (DOM) and Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in sediments from Yundang Lagoon, China. The results show four distinct fluorescent components, with protein-like substances being the most prevalent. Additionally, the total fluorescence intensity and LREE concentrations exhibit a synchronized increase from Outer to Inner to Songbai Lake core sediments. The findings demonstrate a strong correlation between DOM content and pollution levels.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Surya Gupta, Pasquale Borrelli, Panos Panagos, Christine Alewell
Summary: The objective of this study is to incorporate soil hydraulic properties into the erodibility factor (K) of USLE-type models. By modifying and improving the existing equations for soil texture and permeability, the study successfully included information on saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) into the calculation of K factor. Using the Random Forest machine learning algorithm, two independent K factor maps with different spatial resolutions were generated. The results show that the decrease in K factor values has a positive impact on the modeling of soil erosion rates.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jesmin Akter, Wendy J. M. Smith, Yawen Liu, Ilho Kim, Stuart L. Simpson, Phong Thai, Asja Korajkic, Warish Ahmed
Summary: The choice of workflow in wastewater surveillance has a significant impact on SARS-CoV-2 concentrations, while having minimal effects on HF183 and no effect on HAdV 40/41 concentrations. Certain components in the workflow can be interchangeable, but factors such as buffer type, chloroform, and homogenization speed can affect the recovery of viruses and bacteria.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yu Luo, Xueting Yang, Diwei Wang, Hongmei Xu, Hongai Zhang, Shasha Huang, Qiyuan Wang, Ningning Zhang, Junji Cao, Zhenxing Shen
Summary: Atmospheric PM2.5, which can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), is associated with cardiorespiratory morbidity and mortality. The study found that both the mass concentration of PM2.5 and the DTT activity were higher during the heating season than during the nonheating season. Combustion sources were the primary contributors to DTT activity during the heating season, while secondary formation dominated during the nonheating season. The study also revealed that biomass burning had the highest inherent oxidation potential among all sources investigated.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Erin L. Murphy, Leah R. Gerber, Chelsea M. Rochman, Beth Polidoro
Summary: Plastic pollution has devastating consequences for marine organisms. This study uses a trait-based framework to develop a vulnerability index for marine mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles in Hawai'i. The index ranks 63 study species based on their vulnerability to macroplastic pollution, providing valuable information for species monitoring and management priorities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kenji Maurice, Amelia Bourceret, Sami Youssef, Stephane Boivin, Liam Laurent-Webb, Coraline Damasio, Hassan Boukcim, Marc-Andre Selosse, Marc Ducousso
Summary: Growing pressure from climate change and agricultural land use is destabilizing soil microbial community interactions. Little is known about microbial community resistance and adaptation to disturbances, hindering our understanding of recovery latency and implications for ecosystem functioning. This study found that anthropic disturbance and natural disturbance have different effects on the topology and stability of soil microbial networks.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yunhao Li, Yali Feng, Haoran Li, Yisong Yao, Chenglong Xu, Jinrong Ju, Ruiyu Ma, Haoyu Wang, Shiwei Jiang
Summary: Deep-sea mining poses a serious threat to marine ecosystems and human health by disturbing sediment and transmitting metal ions through the food chain. This study developed a new regenerative adsorption material, OMN@SA, which effectively removes metal ions. The adsorption mechanism and performance of the material for metal ion fixation were investigated.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Antonio Medici, Margherita Lavorgna, Marina Isidori, Chiara Russo, Elena Orlo, Giovanni Luongo, Giovanni Di Fabio, Armando Zarrelli
Summary: Valsartan, a widely used antihypertensive drug, has been detected in high concentrations in surface waters due to its unchanged excretion and incomplete degradation in wastewater treatment plants. This study investigated the degradation of valsartan and identified 14 degradation byproducts. The acute and chronic toxicity of these byproducts were evaluated in key organisms in the freshwater trophic chain.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiang Lin, Lianbao Chi, Qing Yuan, Busu Li, Mingbao Feng
Summary: This study investigated the photodegradation behavior and product formation of two representative pharmaceuticals in simulated estuary water. The study found that the formed transformation products of these pharmaceuticals have potential toxicity on marine organisms, including oxidative stress and damage to cellular components.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hua Fang, Dongdong Jiang, Ye He, Siyi Wu, Yuehong Li, Ziqi Zhang, Haoting Chen, Zixin Zheng, Yan Sun, Wenxiang Wang
Summary: This study revealed that exposure to lower levels of air pollutants led to decreased pregnancy rates, with PM10, NO2, SO2, and CO emerging as the four most prominent pollutants. Individuals aged 35 and above exhibited heightened susceptibility to pollutants.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ali Shaan Manzoor Ghumman, Rashid Shamsuddin, Amin Abbasi, Mohaira Ahmad, Yoshiaki Yoshida, Abdul Sami, Hamad Almohamadi
Summary: In this study, inverse vulcanized polysulfides (IVP) were synthesized by reacting molten sulfur with 4-vinyl benzyl chloride, and then functionalized using N-methyl D-glucamine (NMDG). The functionalized IVP showed a high mercury adsorption capacity and a machine learning model was developed to predict the amount of mercury removed. Furthermore, the functionalized IVP can be regenerated and reused, providing a sustainable and cost-effective adsorbent.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rita Bonfiglio, Renata Sisto, Stefano Casciardi, Valeria Palumbo, Maria Paola Scioli, Erica Giacobbi, Francesca Servadei, Gerry Melino, Alessandro Mauriello, Manuel Scimeca
Summary: This study investigated the presence of aluminum in human colon cancer samples and its potential association with biological processes involved in cancer progression. Aluminum was found in tumor areas of 24% of patients and was associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell death. Additional analyses revealed higher tumor mutational burden and mutations in genes related to EMT and apoptosis in aluminum-positive colon cancers. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of aluminum toxicity may improve strategies for the management of colon cancer patients.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)