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Metal(loid) Analysis of Commercial Rice from Malaysia using ICP-MS: Potential Health Risk Evaluation

Navaretnam R, Hassan HN, Isa NM, Aris AZ, Looi LJ

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Aug;30(37):87695-87720.
PMID: 37423935 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28459-z

Rice is a predominant staple food in many countries. It is a great source of energy but can also accumulate toxic and trace metal(loid)s from the environment and pose serious health hazards to consumers if overdosed. This study aims to determine the concentration of toxic metal(loid)s [arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni)] and essential metal(loid)s [iron (Fe), selenium (Se), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co)] in various types of commercially available rice (basmati, glutinous, brown, local whites, and fragrant rice) in Malaysia, and to assess the potential human health risk. Rice samples were digested following the USEPA 3050B acid digestion method and the concentrations of metal(loid)s were analyzed using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Mean concentrations (mg/kg as dry weight) of metal(loid)s (n=45) across all rice types were found in the order of Fe (41.37)>Cu (6.51)>Cr (1.91)>Ni (0.38)>As (0.35)>Se (0.07)>Cd (0.03)>Co (0.02). Thirty-three percent and none of the rice samples surpassed, respectively, the FAO/WHO recommended limits of As and Cd. This study revealed that rice could be a primary exposure pathway to toxic metal(loid)s, leading to either noncarcinogenic or carcinogenic health problems. The non-carcinogenic health risk was mainly associated with As which contributed 63% to the hazard index followed by Cr (34%), Cd (2%), and Ni (1%). The carcinogenic risk to adults was high (>10-4) for As, Cr, Cd, and Ni. The cancer risk (CR) for each element was 5 to 8 times higher than the upper limit of cancer risk for an environmental carcinogen (<10-4). The findings from this study could provide the metal(loid)s pollution status of various types of rice which are beneficial to relevant authorities in addressing food safety and security-related issues.

Matched MeSH terms: China
Comprehensive evaluation of sustainable consumption towards green growth based on an interval valued Neutrosophic TOPSIS approach

Tam PM, Hang DT, Thuy PT, Dat LQ

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Aug;30(38):89838-89858.
PMID: 37460881 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28676-6

Sustainable consumption is crucial in reducing the growing pressure of environmental crises. This study proposes the Technique of Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) approach to evaluate sustainable consumption toward green growth. The proposed approach assesses criteria weights in Interval Valued Neutrosophic Sets (IVNSs) using the Method of Maximizing Deviation. The proposed method evaluates sustainable consumption for ten selected developed and developing countries, including Canada, France, Japan, China, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The evaluation process encompasses four main criteria with eight sub-criteria, namely environment (population density, CO2), energy (total natural resource rents, renewable electricity), economics (value added of agriculture, forestry, and fishing, GDP per capita), and health (fertility rate, mortality rate). The countries are ranked based on the relative closeness coefficient. The results reveal that two economic sub-criteria are pivotal in the sustainable consumption rankings. Canada emerges as the country with the highest degree of green growth, attributed to its extensive land area and potential for renewable energy. Based on the findings, this study proposes some policy implications for Vietnam, including balancing fertility and mortality rates and regulating economic growth and resource exploitation.

Matched MeSH terms: China
Sectoral foreign direct investment and environmental degradation: new insights from diversification of energy mix containing fossil fuels and renewable energy

Solarin SA, Sahu PK

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Aug;30(40):91853-91873.
PMID: 37480530 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28741-0

The objective of the study is to extend the existing literature by investigating the effects of foreign direct investment, gross domestic products and per capita and energy diversification on the nitrogen oxide emissions in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) by using annual data during the period 1992-2019. As per our knowledge, the present study is a first of its kind to examine the impact of a new energy diversification index, based on Herfindahl-Hirschman framework on pollution. This study has adopted a new quantile regression augmented method of moments, which is capable of producing the total impacts of the independent variables across the entire distribution of nitrogen oxides emissions. The findings suggest that an increase in foreign direct investment leads to a decrease in nitrogen oxides emissions at the aggregate level and in both manufacturing and service sectors. We observe that foreign direct investment leads to an increase in nitrogen oxides emissions in the agricultural sector in most of the quantiles. Diversification towards renewable energy causes a decrease in nitrogen oxides emissions in most quantiles at aggregate level, agricultural and manufacturing sectors, whilst diversification leads to an increase in nitrogen oxides emissions in the service sector. The findings also suggest that GDP per capita leads to an increase in NOx emissions in all the quantiles. The study suggests the policy to use and attract more clean energy through foreign direct investment for towards the achievement of sustainable development.

Matched MeSH terms: China
Fulltext Overweight and obesity: The serious challenge faced by Chinese children and adolescents

Zhu Z, Yin P

J Glob Health, 2023 Jul 21;13:03036.
PMID: 37469286 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.13.03036
Matched MeSH terms: China/epidemiology
Fulltext Determinants of gastric cancer screening attendance in Southeastern China: a cross-sectional study

Huang Z, Hu Z, Wong LP, Lin Y

BMJ Open, 2023 Jul 20;13(7):e073925.
PMID: 37474189 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073925

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the determinants of gastric cancer screening attendance among individuals aged 40 years in a region with high gastric cancer in China.
DESIGN: An anonymous, cross-sectional survey was conducted between October 2021 and March 2022.
SETTING: A self-administered online survey was conducted in Fujian Province in Southeastern China.
PARTICIPANTS: People aged 40 years living in five selected cities in Fujian Province with no history of cancer.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Gastric cancer screening attendance was measured with the question 'Have you ever been screened for gastric cancer in the past'.
RESULTS: In total, 2547 complete responses were obtained. The mean age of respondents was 47.72±7.20 years, and 59.8% were men. A total of 42.6% of participants reported that they had undergone gastric cancer screening. The result of multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that participants with a first-degree relative affected with gastric cancer (OR=2.02, 95% CI: 1.58 to 2.59) and high perceived susceptibility of gastric cancer (OR=2.03, 95% CI: 1.58 to 2.59) were the strongest facilitators for screening attendance. Other factors positively associated with screening attendance were age 51-60 years (OR=1.69, 95% CI: 1.31 to 2.18), living in urban regions (OR=1.27, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.55), friends/neighbours/colleagues with gastric cancer (OR=1.30, 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.58), history of chronic gastric disease (OR=1.90, 95% CI: 1.57 to 2.30), perceived high cost (OR=1.28, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.61) and physician recommendation (OR=1.71, 95% CI: 1.36 to 2.16). On the other hand, factors negatively associated with screening attendance included perceived barriers, namely screening is only necessary when symptoms present (OR=0.71, 95% CI: 0.58 to 0.87) and perceived appointment for gastroscopy screening is difficult and time-consuming (OR=0.75, 95% CI: 0.60 to 0.94). No significant association was found between knowledge level and participation in screening.
CONCLUSION: This study highlights important individual-level factors and barriers to gastric cancer screening. Strategies targeting under-screened populations and eliminating patient-perceived barriers to gastric cancer screening are essential.

Matched MeSH terms: China
Fulltext Extreme precipitation patterns in the Asia-Pacific region and its correlation with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

An D, Eggeling J, Zhang L, He H, Sapkota A, Wang YC, et al.

Sci Rep, 2023 Jul 08;13(1):11068.
PMID: 37422491 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38317-0

In the Asia-Pacific region (APR), extreme precipitation is one of the most critical climate stressors, affecting 60% of the population and adding pressure to governance, economic, environmental, and public health challenges. In this study, we analyzed extreme precipitation spatiotemporal trends in APR using 11 different indices and revealed the dominant factors governing precipitation amount by attributing its variability to precipitation frequency and intensity. We further investigated how these extreme precipitation indices are influenced by El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) at a seasonal scale. The analysis covered 465 ERA5 (the fifth-generation atmospheric reanalysis of the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) study locations over eight countries and regions during 1990-2019. Results revealed a general decrease indicated by the extreme precipitation indices (e.g., the annual total amount of wet-day precipitation, average intensity of wet-day precipitation), particularly in central-eastern China, Bangladesh, eastern India, Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia. We observed that the seasonal variability of the amount of wet-day precipitation in most locations in China and India are dominated by precipitation intensity in June-August (JJA), and by precipitation frequency in December-February (DJF). Locations in Malaysia and Indonesia are mostly dominated by precipitation intensity in March-May (MAM) and DJF. During ENSO positive phase, significant negative anomalies in seasonal precipitation indices (amount of wet-day precipitation, number of wet days and intensity of wet-day precipitation) were observed in Indonesia, while opposite results were observed for ENSO negative phase. These findings revealing patterns and drivers for extreme precipitation in APR may inform climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction strategies in the study region.

Matched MeSH terms: China
Fulltext Geochemical fractionation, mobility of elements and environmental significance of surface sediments in a Tropical River, Borneo

Nagarajan R, Eswaramoorthi SG, Anandkumar A, Ramkumar M

Mar Pollut Bull, 2023 Jul;192:115090.
PMID: 37263028 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115090

Miri River is a tropical river in Borneo that drains on flat terrain and urbanised area and debauches into the South China Sea. This paper documents the environmental status of this river, and provides an insight into the provenance using bulk chemistry of the sediments, and brings out the geochemical mobility, bioavailability, and potential toxicity of some critical elements based on BCR sequential extraction. The sediments are intense to moderately weathered and recycled products of Neogene sedimentary rocks. The hydrodynamic characteristics of the river favoured an upstream section dominated by fine sand, while the downstream sediments are medium silt. Based on the bulk geochemistry, the Miri River sediments are moderate to considerably contaminated by Cu, Mo, and As in the upstream and by Sb, As and Cu in the downstream. The potential ecological risk values are low except Cu and a significant biological impact is expected in downstream due to Cu, As, Zn and Cr. The mobility, bioavailability and Risk Assessment Code values for Zn and Mn are higher and thus may pose moderate to very high risk to aquatic organisms. Though a high bulk concentration of Cu is observed, the association of Cu with the bioavailable fraction is low.

Matched MeSH terms: China
Mapping the field of microalgae CO2 sequestration: a bibliometric analysis

Ren H, Zhou D, Lu J, Show PL, Sun FF

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Jul;30(32):78030-78040.
PMID: 37311860 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27850-0

Microalgae CO2 sequestration has gained considerable attention in the last three decades as a promising technology to slow global warming caused by CO2 emissions. To provide a comprehensive and objective analysis of the research status, hot spots, and frontiers of CO2 fixation by microalgae, a bibliometric approach was recently chosen for review. In this study, 1561 articles (1991-2022) from the Web of Science (WOS) on microalgae CO2 sequestration were screened. A knowledge map of the domain was presented using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. It visually demonstrates the most productive journals (Bioresource Technology), countries (China and USA), funding sources, and top contributors (Cheng J, Chang JS, and their team) in the field of CO2 sequestration by microalgae. The analysis also revealed that research hotspots changed over time and that recent research has focused heavily on improving carbon sequestration efficiency. Finally, commercialization of carbon fixation by microalgae is a key hurdle, and supports from other disciplines could improve carbon sequestration efficiency.

Matched MeSH terms: China
Fulltext Study on the influence of Chinese traditional culture on corporate environmental responsibility

Huang S, Huat KT, Liu Y

Math Biosci Eng, 2023 Jun 29;20(8):14281-14305.
PMID: 37679136 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2023639

In accordance with the theory of informal institutions, culture exerts a crucial influence on the enactment of corporate social responsibility. Based on the two core variables of Chinese traditional culture and corporate environmental responsibility, we designed a panel data model to investigate the impact of Chinese traditional culture on corporate environmental responsibility and its heterogeneity. The findings indicate the following: 1) Chinese traditional culture can promote the performance of corporate environmental responsibility. 2) Chinese traditional culture has a heterogeneous influence on the environmental responsibility of enterprises that depends on the ownership difference of enterprises; that is, the influence of traditional culture on the environmental responsibility of state-owned enterprises is stronger than that of non-state-owned enterprises. 3) Chinese traditional culture has a heterogeneous influence on the environmental responsibility of enterprises according to the difference in industrial pollution levels; that is, traditional culture has a positive correlation with the environmental responsibility of enterprises in heavily polluting industries and a negative correlation with non-heavily polluting industries. 4) Chinese traditional culture has a heterogeneous influence on corporate environmental responsibility according to geographical differences; that is to say, traditional culture promotes the development of corporate environmental responsibility in the central and western regions, and vice versa in the eastern regions.

Matched MeSH terms: China
Vegetation restoration effects on soil carbon and nutrient concentrations and enzymatic activities in post-mining lands are mediated by mine type, climate, and former soil properties

Yuan C, Wu F, Wu Q, Fornara DA, Heděnec P, Peng Y, et al.

Sci Total Environ, 2023 Jun 25;879:163059.
PMID: 36963687 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163059

Vegetation restoration is a widely used, effective, and sustainable method to improve soil quality in post-mining lands. Here we aimed to assess global patterns and driving factors of potential vegetation restoration effects on soil carbon, nutrients, and enzymatic activities. We synthesized 4838 paired observations extracted from 175 publications to evaluate the effects that vegetation restoration might have on the concentrations of soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, as well as enzymatic activities. We found that (1) vegetation restoration had consistent positive effects on the concentrations of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, ammonia, nitrate, total phosphorus, and available phosphorus on average by 85.4, 70.3, 75.7, 54.6, 58.6, 34.7, and 60.4 %, respectively. Restoration also increased the activities of catalase, alkaline phosphatase, sucrase, and urease by 63.3, 104.8, 125.5, and 124.6 %, respectively; (2) restoration effects did not vary among different vegetation types (i.e., grass, tree, shrub and their combinations) or leaf type (broadleaved, coniferous, and mixed), but were affected by mine type; and (3) latitude, climate, vegetation species richness, restoration year, and initial soil properties are important moderator variables, but their effects varied among different soil variables. Our global scale study shows how vegetation restoration can improve soil quality in post-mining lands by increasing soil carbon, nutrients, and enzymatic activities. This information is crucial to better understand the role of vegetation cover in promoting the ecological restoration of degraded mining lands.

Matched MeSH terms: China
Incidence and mortality trends of neglected tropical diseases and malaria in China and ASEAN countries from 1990 to 2019 and its association with the socio-demographic index

Liu Q, Yan W, Qin C, Du M, Wang Y, Liu M, et al.

Glob Health Res Policy, 2023 Jun 23;8(1):22.
PMID: 37349771 DOI: 10.1186/s41256-023-00306-1

BACKGROUND: People in China and the countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are affected by neglected tropical diseases and malaria (NTDM). In this study, we aimed to assess the current status and trends of NTDM burden from 1990 to 2019 in China and ASEAN countries, and also explore the association of NTDM burden with socio-demographic index (SDI).
METHODS: The data from the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2019 (GBD 2019) results were used. Absolute incidence and death number, and age-standardized incidence and mortality rate (ASIR and ASMR) of NTDM in China and ASEAN were extracted. The estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) and join-point regression in the rates quantified the trends. Nonlinear regression (second order polynomial) was used to explore the association between SDI and ASRs.
RESULTS: The ASIR of NTDM increased in China, Philippines, Singapore and Brunei, at a speed of an average 4.15% (95% CI 3.83-4.47%), 2.15% (1.68-2.63%), 1.03% (0.63-1.43%), and 0.88% (0.60-1.17%) per year. Uptrends of ASIR of NTDM in recent years were found in China (2014-2017, APC = 10.4%), Laos (2005-2013, APC = 3.9%), Malaysia (2010-2015, APC = 4.3%), Philippines (2015-2019, APC = 4.2%), Thailand (2015-2019, APC = 2.4%), and Vietnam (2014-2017, APC = 3.2%, all P China and ASEAN countries was still huge and affects vulnerable and impoverished populations' livelihoods, including children under the age of 5 and people aged 60 and older. Facing with the large burden and complex situation of NTDM in China and ASEAN countries, regional cooperating strategies are needed to reduce the burden of NTDM, so as to achieve the goal of elimination in the world.

Matched MeSH terms: China/epidemiology
The asymmetric relationship between public-private partnerships investment in energy and environmental degradation for sustainable development: new evidence from quantile-on-quantile regression approach

Guoyan S, Khaskheli A, Raza SA, Ali S

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Jun;30(26):68143-68162.
PMID: 37120502 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27136-5

According to the United Nations Agenda, the 2023 sustainable environment is necessary to secure this planet's future; public-private partnerships investment in energy is crucial to sustainable development. The research examines the quantile association between public-private partnership ventures in energy and environmental degradation in ten developing nations, and data is used from January 1998-December 2016. The advanced econometrics quantile-on-quantile regression approach is used to control the issues of heterogeneity and asymmetric relationship. According to the quantile-on-quantile approach, there is a strong positive association between public-private partnerships in energy and environmental degradation in Argentina, Brazil, Bangladesh, and India. But the negative relationship is observed on different quantiles of China, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Thailand, and the Philippines. The findings suggest that the world needs to act as a single community and divert its resources toward renewable energy sources to control climate change; also, to accomplish the UN 15-year road map of Agenda 2023 with 17-SDGs; out of these 17 sustainable goals, SDG-7 is related to affordable and clean energy, SDG-11 is about sustainable cities and communities, and SDG-13 focuses on climate action for sustainable development.

Matched MeSH terms: China
Fulltext Can the carbon emissions trading improve the enterprise environmental responsibility?

Chen H

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Jun;30(29):73361-73371.
PMID: 37184784 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27520-1

Carbon emission trading is an important environmental policy tool to promote carbon emission reduction. With the panel data of carbon emissions trading (CET) pilots, this paper used the spatial difference-in-difference model (SDID) to test whether CET can affect the enterprise environmental responsibility and the spatial spillover effect of carbon emissions trading. The study found that CET can significantly improve the environmental responsibility level of enterprises in pilot areas. The environmental responsibility level of enterprises in surrounding areas are also improved driven by CET. In the time dimension, the role of CET in improving the enterprise environmental responsibility is gradually increasing. The impact of CET on enterprise environmental responsibility has significant heterogeneity in the dimension of ownership attributes and environmental regulation. Promoting corporate environmental protection investment is the main path for CET to improve the enterprise environmental responsibility.

Matched MeSH terms: China
Spatio-temporal changes in fractional vegetation cover and the driving forces during 2001-2020 in the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains, China

He X, Zhang F, Cai Y, Tan ML, Chan NW

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Jun;30(30):75511-75531.
PMID: 37222898 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27702-x

This study aims to understand the factors and mechanisms influencing the spatio-temporal changes of fractional vegetation cover (FVC) in the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains. The MOD13Q1 product data between June and September (peak of plants growing) during the 2001-2020 period was incorporated into the pixel dichotomy model to calculate the vegetation cover changes. Then, the principal component analysis method was used to identify the primary driving factors affecting the change in vegetation cover from the natural, human, and economic perspectives. Finally, the partial correlation coefficients of FVC with temperature and precipitation were further calculated based on the pixel scale. The findings indicate that (1) FVC in the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains ranged from 0.37 to 0.47 during the 2001-2020 period, with an obvious inter-annual variation and an overall upward trend of about 0.4484/10 a. Although the vegetation cover had some changes over time, it was generally stable, and the area of strong variation only accounted for 0.58% of the total. (2) The five grades of vegetation cover were distributed spatially similarly, but the area-weighted gravity center for each vegetation class shifted significantly. The FVC under different land use/land cover types and elevations was obviously different, and as elevation increased, vegetation coverage presented a trend of a "∩"-shape change. (3) According to the results of principal component analysis, human activities, economic growth, and natural climate were the main driving factors that caused the changes in vegetation cover, and the cumulative contribution of the three reached 89.278%. In addition, when it came to climatic factors, precipitation had a greater driving force on the vegetation cover change, followed by temperature and sunshine hours. (4) Overall, precipitation and temperature were correlated positively with FVC, with the average correlation coefficient values of 0.089 and 0.135, respectively. Locally, the correlations vary greatly under different LULC and altitudes. This research can provide some scientific basis and reference for the vegetation evolution pattern and ecological civilization construction in the region.

Matched MeSH terms: China
The effect of the digital economy on carbon emissions: an empirical study in China

Wang C, Qi F, Liu P, Ibrahim H, Wang X

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Jun;30(30):75454-75468.
PMID: 37219774 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27742-3

Under the new development model, the digital economy has become a new engine to promote the green development of the economy and achieve the goal of "double carbon." Based on panel data from 30 Chinese provinces and cities from 2011 to 2021, the impact of the digital economy on carbon emissions was empirically studied by constructing a panel model and a mediation model. The results show that firstly, the effect of the digital economy on carbon emissions is a non-linear inverted "U" shaped relationship, and this conclusion still holds after a series of robustness tests; secondly, the results of the benchmark regression show that economic agglomeration is an essential mechanism through which the digital economy affects carbon emissions and that the digital economy can indirectly suppress carbon emissions through economic agglomeration. Finally, the results of the heterogeneity analysis show that the impact of the digital economy on carbon emissions varies according to the level of regional development, and its effect on carbon emissions is mainly in the eastern region, while its impact on the central and western regions is weaker, indicating that the impact effect is primarily in developed regions. Therefore, the government should accelerate the construction of new digital infrastructure and implement the development strategy of the digital economy according to local conditions to promote a more significant carbon emission reduction effect of the digital economy.

Matched MeSH terms: China
The application of chemometrics in metals source of identification in Brunei Bay surface sediment

Ong MC, Yong JC, Shaari H, Joseph B, Shazili NAM, Pradit S, et al.

Environ Geochem Health, 2023 Jun;45(6):3777-3787.
PMID: 36574138 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-022-01456-w

Brunei Bay is a unique ecosystem which offers a vast biodiversity. This study was carried out to define the source of metals in the surface sediment of Brunei Bay to ensure the bay's health. The secondary data were analysed using chemometrics analysis to verify the possible factors that influence metals distribution in Brunei Bay sediment. Samples were collected several times during 2013 to 2014 using Ponar grab at 16 stations within the bay. Samples were then dried, pre-treated, digested and analysed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS) in the laboratory. Overall, the mean concentration of metal, sediment pH and clay fraction were significantly changed during different sampling periods, as the changes were presumed affected by seasonal changes. The Pearson correlation has pointed that metals were dominantly derived by natural input; however, the total organic carbon was proven to be derived by anthropogenic sources. Moreover, the principal component analysis has verified that the distribution of metals in the bay's sediment was dominantly influenced by natural processes. However, the utilization and manipulation of marine resources are slightly affecting the bay's ecosystem which may deteriorate the ecosystem health soon.

Matched MeSH terms: China
The Dynamic Nexus Between International Tourism and Environmental Degradation in Top Twenty Tourist Destinations: New Insights From Quantile-on-Quantile Approach

Ozturk I, Sharif A, Godil DI, Yousuf A, Tahir I

Eval Rev, 2023 Jun;47(3):532-562.
PMID: 36632679 DOI: 10.1177/0193841X221149809

Tourism is one of the important factors that can affect the environmental and economic situation of any economy. This study investigates the relationship between tourist arrivals and CO2 emission in the top 20 tourist destinations using data from quarterly observations from 1995 to 2018. A unique technique via quantile-on-quantile regression and Granger causality in quantiles was used. In particular, how the quantiles of tourist arrivals impact quantiles of CO2 emission was analyzed. The empirical results suggest a combination of both positive and negative effects of tourist arrivals and CO2 emission in most tourist destinations. Predominantly, at both high and low tails, in the USA, Spain, Hong Kong, and Austria, tourist arrival has a positive effect on CO2 emission, whereas in the case of Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, and Malaysia, the association was negative. On the other hand, China, Greece, Russia, Japan, Italy, South Korea, Thailand, and Turkey have both positive and negative effects of tourism on CO2 emissions at low and high tails. Tourism can be an important factor while formulating policy for environmental and climate aspects.

Matched MeSH terms: China
Morphological redescription of Simulium takahasii (Rubtsov), the first species of the subgenus Wilhelmia Enderlein (Diptera: Simuliidae) recognized in East Asia

Takaoka H, Otsuka Y, Fukuda M, Low VL, Ya'cob Z

Trop Biomed, 2023 Jun 01;40(2):266-272.
PMID: 37650416 DOI: 10.47665/tb.40.2.020

Simulium takahasii (Rubtsov), which was originally described from Japan, and recorded from Korea and China, is the first among the 19 species of the subgenus Wilhelmia Enderlein recorded from East Asia. It is striking in mating, blood-feeding and ovipositing in captivity and in experimentally transmitting Dirofilaria immitis (Leidy) and Brugia pahangi (Buckley & Edeson), and it is a severe biter of cattle and horses, rarely of humans. Nevertheless, updated information about its morphological characteristics was lacking, making comparisons with related species described from China difficult, since species of the subgenus Wilhelmia are almost indistinguishable from one another, in particular, in their female terminalia, male genitalia and most of larval features. In this study, as many morphological characteristics as possible of S. takahasii based on specimens from Japan are redescribed. New information about many features of this species including the length of the female sensory vesicle against the third palpal segment, number of male upper-eye (large) facets, arrangement of the eight pupal gill filaments, presence or absence of tiny dark setae on the dorsum of the larval abdomen and the number of rows and hooklets of the larval posterior circlet will be useful in evaluating the species status of several Wilhelmia species in China including the species regarded as S. takahasii.

Matched MeSH terms: China
Spatiotemporal variation of vegetation cover in mining areas of Dexing City, China

Yu H, Zahidi I, Liang D

Environ Res, 2023 May 15;225:115634.
PMID: 36889570 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115634

Dexing City is an important mining city in China, abounding in copper ore, lead ore, zinc ore, and other metal resources, and there are two large open-pit mines in its territory, Dexing Copper Mine and Yinshan Mine. The two open-pit mines have been expanding their mining production scale since 2005, with frequent mining activities; and the expansion of the pits and the discharge of solid waste will undoubtedly increase the land use and cause the destruction of vegetation. Therefore, we plan to visualize the change in vegetation cover in Dexing City from 2005 to 2020 and the expansion of the two open-pit mines by calculating changes of the Fractional Vegetation Cover (FVC) in the mining area using remote sensing technology. In this study, we calculated the FVC of Dexing City in 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020 using data from NASA Landsat Database via ENVI image analysis software, plotted the FVC reclassified maps via ArcGIS, and conducted field investigations in the mining areas of Dexing City. In this way, we can visualize the spatial and temporal changes of vegetation cover in Dexing City from 2005 to 2020, and appreciate the situation of mining expansion and its solid waste discharge in Dexing City. The results of this study showed that the vegetation cover of Dexing City remained stable from 2005 to 2020, as the expansion of mining scale and mine pits was accompanied by active environmental management and land reclamation, setting a positive example for other mining cities.

Matched MeSH terms: China
Underestimation of biomass burning contribution to PM2.5 due to its chemical degradation based on hourly measurements of organic tracers: A case study in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, China

Li Q, Zhang K, Li R, Yang L, Yi Y, Liu Z, et al.

Sci Total Environ, 2023 May 10;872:162071.
PMID: 36775179 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162071

Biomass burning (BB) has significant impacts on air quality and climate change, especially during harvest seasons. In previous studies, levoglucosan was frequently used for the calculation of BB contribution to PM2.5, however, the degradation of levoglucosan (Lev) could lead to large uncertainties. To quantify the influence of the degradation of Lev on the contribution of BB to PM2.5, PM2.5-bound biomass burning-derived markers were measured in Changzhou from November 2020 to March 2021 using the thermal desorption aerosol gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TAG-GC/MS) system. Temporal variations of three anhydro-sugar BB tracers (e.g., levoglucosan, mannosan (Man), and galactosan (Gal)) were obtained. During the sampling period, the degradation level of air mass (x) was 0.13, indicating that ~87 % of levoglucosan had degraded before sampling in Changzhou. Without considering the degradation of levoglucosan in the atmosphere, the contribution of BB to OC were 7.8 %, 10.2 %, and 9.3 % in the clean period, BB period, and whole period, respectively, which were 2.4-2.6 times lower than those (20.8 %-25.9 %) considered levoglucosan degradation. This illustrated that the relative contribution of BB to OC could be underestimated (~14.9 %) without considering degradation of levoglucosan. Compared to the traditional method (i.e., only using K+ as BB tracer), organic tracers (Lev, Man, Gal) were put into the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model in this study. With the addition of BB organic tracers and replaced K+ with K+BB (the water-soluble potassium produced by biomass burning), the overall contribution of BB to PM2.5 was enhanced by 3.2 % after accounting for levoglucosan degradation based on the PMF analysis. This study provides useful information to better understand the effect of biomass burning on the air quality in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Matched MeSH terms: China

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