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Qu M, Guang X, Chen J, Zhao Y, Huang B, Wang M, Wang H, Wang Y. Soil environmental carrying capacity and its spatial high-precision accounting framework. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 938:173620. [PMID: 38815834 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Human activity intensity should be controlled within the carrying capacity of soil units, which is crucial for environmental sustainability. However, the existing assessment methods for soil environmental carrying capacity (SECC) rarely consider the relationship between human activity intensity and pollutant emissions, making it difficult to provide effective early warning of human activity intensity. Moreover, there is a lack of spatial high-precision accounting methods for SECC. This study first established a spatial soil environmental capacity (SEC) model based on the pollutant thresholds corresponding to the specific protection target. Next, a spatial net-input flux model was proposed based on soil pollutants' input/output fluxes. Then, the quantitative relationship between human activity intensity and pollutant emissions was established and further incorporated into the SECC model. Finally, the spatial high-precision accounting framework of SECC was proposed. The methodology was used to assess the SECC for the copper production capacity in a typical copper smelting area in China. The results showed that (i) the average SECs for Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, As and Cr are 427.89, 16.84, 306.41, 376.8, 71.63, and 392.7 kg hm-2, respectively; (ii) heavy metal (HM) concentrations and land-use types jointly influence the spatial distribution pattern of SEC; (iii) atmospheric deposition is the dominant HM input pathway and the high net-input fluxes are mainly located in the southeast of the study area; (iv) with the current human activity intensity for 50 years, the average SECs for Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, As and Cr are 202.31, 1.71, 20.9, 66.15, 36.73, and 3 kg hm-2, respectively; and (v) to maintain the protection target at the acceptable risk level within 50 years, the SECC for the increased copper production capacity is 1.53 × 106 t. This study provided an effective tool for early warning of human activity intensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingkai Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 211135, China.
| | - Xu Guang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 211135, China
| | - Jian Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 211135, China
| | - Yongcun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 211135, China
| | - Biao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 211135, China
| | - Meie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Hongmei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China
| | - Yujun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 211135, China
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Fuzzy-Based Ecological Vulnerability Assessment Driven by Human Impacts in China. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14159166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Human activities have a significant impact on global ecosystems. Assessing and quantifying ecological vulnerability is a fundamental challenge in the study of the ecosystem’s capacity to respond to anthropogenic disturbances. However, little research has been conducted on EVA’s existing fuzzy uncertainties. In this paper, an ecological vulnerability assessment (EVA) framework that integrated the Exposure-Sensitivity-Adaptive Capacity (ESC) framework, fuzzy method, and multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), and took into account human impacts, was developed to address the uncertainties in the assessment process. For the first time, we conducted a provincial-scale case study in China to illustrate our proposed methodology. Our findings imply that China’s ecological vulnerability is spatially heterogeneous due to regional differences in exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indices. The results of our ecological vulnerability assessment and cause analysis can provide guidance for further decision-making and facilitate the protection of ecological quality over the medium to long term. The developed EVA framework can also be duplicated at multiple spatial and temporal dimensions utilizing context-specific datasets to assist environmental managers in making informed decisions.
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Interface Management Performance Assessment Framework for Sustainable Prefabricated Construction. BUILDINGS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/buildings12050631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Prefabricated construction (PC) has been regarded as a sustainable construction method for its inherent advantages such as energy savings, emissions reductions, and cleaner and safer working environments. However, PC development has been hindered by its inherent weaknesses of fragmentation and discontinuity. Effective interface management (IM) is regarded as integral to PC project success for its appropriate management of numerous interfaces with high complexity and uncertainty among the organization, information, and logistics. Although some researchers mentioned the effectiveness of IM for PC projects, systematic assessment methods for IM performance are missing. This study aims to systematically develop a framework to assess the IM performance of PC projects to address this gap. Through a comprehensive literature review, nineteen indicators of IM performance were identified and grouped into four categories. By combining the objective weighting method of an ordered weighted averaging (OWA) operator with the set pair analysis (SPA) method of uncertainty assessment, a nineteen-indicator assessment model was developed. Finally, a case study was constructed using the proposed framework, and the feasibility and applicability of the OWA-SPA model were proved. The assessment results provided by the assessment model could guide project managers for better IM and serve as a valuable reference for researchers in the construction industry.
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Critical Factors Influencing Interface Management of Prefabricated Building Projects: Evidence from China. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14095418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Recently, interface management has been regarded as the key to the success of prefabricated building projects (PBPs) due to its capabilities to manage numerous interfaces caused by PBPs’ inherent geographical and organizational fragmentation. However, the factors influencing the interface management of PBPs are largely unknown and poorly studied. To compensate for this gap, this study aimed to investigate the critical factors influencing interface management in PBPs with quantitative and qualitative methods. Twenty-seven critical factors influencing the interface management of PBPs were identified through a literature review, questionnaire survey, and face-to-face interviews with professionals in the construction industry. A questionnaire survey was sent out to developers, designers, manufacturers, contractors, and consultants in China, and 66 completed questionnaires were received. Results showed the top five critical factors influencing the interface management of PBPs were (1) accuracy of design, (2) timeliness of information communication, (3) timeliness of component production and supply, (4) standardization of design, and (5) definition of work content and scope. The 27 influencing factors of PBPs were further categorized into seven groups via exploratory factor analysis, namely: (1) information communication, (2) trust and cooperation, (3) technical and management capability, (4) organizational integration, (5) standardization, (6) technical environment, and (7) contractual management. Improving these issues will contribute to the successful implementation of PBPs. Finally, combined with relevant literature and expert interviews, the impact of these seven clusters on the interface management of PBPs was discussed. The findings may contribute to deepening the understanding of interface management, reducing unnecessary conflicts and difficulties, and promoting the sustainable development of prefabricated building (PB).
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Yang X, Wang Y, Chen D, Tan X, Tian X, Shi L. Does the "Blue Sky Defense War Policy" Paint the Sky Blue?-A Case Study of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182312397. [PMID: 34886123 PMCID: PMC8657255 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Improving air quality is an urgent task for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region in China. In 2018, utilizing 365 days' daily concentration data of six air pollutants (including PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, CO and O3) at 947 air quality grid monitoring points of 13 cities in the BTH region and controlling the meteorological factors, this paper takes the implementation of the Blue Sky Defense War (BSDW) policy as a quasi-natural experiment to examine the emission reduction effect of the policy in the BTH region by applying the difference-in-difference method. Results show that the policy leads to the significant reduction of the daily average concentration of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, O3 by -1.951 μg/m3, -3.872 μg/m3, -1.902 μg/m3, -7.882 μg/m3 and CO by -0.014 mg/m3, respectively. The results of the robustness test support the aforementioned conclusions. However, this paper finds that the concentration of NO2 increases significantly (1.865 μg/m3). In winter heating seasons, the concentration of SO2, CO and O3 decrease but PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 increase significantly. Besides, resource intensive cities, non-key environmental protection cities and cities in the north of the region have great potential for air pollutant emission reduction. Finally, policy suggestions are recommended; these include setting specific goals at the city level, incorporating more cities into the list of key environmental protection cities, refining the concrete indicators of domestic solid fuel, and encouraging and enforcing clean heating diffusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Yang
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China; (X.Y.); (Y.W.); (D.C.); (X.T.)
| | - Yue Wang
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China; (X.Y.); (Y.W.); (D.C.); (X.T.)
| | - Di Chen
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China; (X.Y.); (Y.W.); (D.C.); (X.T.)
| | - Xue Tan
- Energy Strategy and Planning Research Department, State Grid Energy Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing 102209, China;
| | - Xue Tian
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China; (X.Y.); (Y.W.); (D.C.); (X.T.)
| | - Lei Shi
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China; (X.Y.); (Y.W.); (D.C.); (X.T.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-10-82502696
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Meng M, Zhou J. Has air pollution emission level in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region peaked? A panel data analysis. ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS 2020; 119:106875. [PMID: 32904456 PMCID: PMC7455150 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region is one of the important economic centers of China, but it suffers from severe air pollution. Based on the panel pollution-related data of 2013-2017, this research adopted a Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology (STIRPAT) equation to fit the relationship between pollution emission level and its related socio-economic indicators. The pollution emission level of the BTH region was fitted and projected by using the entropy evaluation method to measure the emission levels, the partial least squares algorithm to estimate the STIRPAT equation parameters, and the hybrid trend extrapolation model to forecast the future development of the above socioeconomic indicators. Empirical analysis showed that the fitting curve to air pollution emission level reached the peak in 2015 and then decreased with a fluctuating and slow process. The air pollution emissions in 2025 will decrease to the level of 2007. With regard to the impacts on the change of the air emission pollution level, industrial waste gas emissions play a decisive role. The influence of soot (dust) emissions is considerably smaller but still larger than that of SO2 emissions. Besides, the slowing down of the economic development in the future will contribute to air quality improvement. However, the rapid growth of population in Hebei and Tianjin would hinder such improvement. Empirical analysis also implied that governments in this region should specially monitor the operation of building material industries to ensure the steady improvement of air quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Meng
- Department of Economics and Management, North China Electric Power University, Baoding, Hebei 071003, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Energy and Low-Carbon Development, Changping, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Jin Zhou
- Department of Economics and Management, North China Electric Power University, Baoding, Hebei 071003, China
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Coupling Relationship Analysis between Quality Infrastructure and Ecological Environment Quality for Policy Implications. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17207611. [PMID: 33086632 PMCID: PMC7589060 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17207611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Long-term improvement of ecological environment quality (EEQ) is a hotspot and urgent topic in the context of high-quality and sustainable development. It is urgent to look for methods that could support EEQ improvement in a high-quality and sustainable way. Owing to its natural supporting and guaranteeing functions for enhancing quality, quality infrastructure (QI) is a fundamental and critical element in promoting EEQ, but a neglected one. In this paper, we analyzed the coupling structure between QI and EEQ and applied an improved coupling model to recognize contributed and weakened indicators that affected the coupling relationship. We also examined this coupling relationship in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) from 2012 to 2017, which proved the current situation where QI construction cannot satisfy the practical needs of EEQ improvement. Results showed that the important supporting role of QI in EEQ improvement should be valued for long-term sustainable development. Meanwhile, equilibrium and consistency of indicators in the QI and EEQ systems determined the coupling state. EEQ improvement countermeasures were also provided according to the coupling relationship analysis results. This study provided a scientific basis and guidance for EEQ improvement and sustainable development.
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Toxicity of Exhaust Fumes (CO, NOx) of the Compression-Ignition (Diesel) Engine with the Use of Simulation. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11082188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Nowadays more and more emphasis is placed on the protection of the natural environment. Scientists notice that global warming is associated with an increase of carbon dioxide emissions, which results inter alia from the combustion of gasoline, oil, and coal. To reduce the problem of pollution from transport, the EU is introducing increasingly stringent emission standards which should correspond to sustainable conditions of the environment during the operation of motor vehicles. The emissivity value of substances, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), as well as solid particles, was determined. The aim of this paper was to examine, by means of simulation in the Scilab program, the exhaust emissions generated by the 1.3 MultiJet Fiat Panda diesel engine, and in particular, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides (verified on the basis of laboratory tests). The Fiat Panda passenger car was selected for the test. The fuels supplied to the tested engine were diesel and FAME (fatty acid methyl esters). The Scilab program, which simulated the diesel engine operation, was the tool for analyzing the exhaust toxicity test. The combustion of biodiesel does not necessarily mean a smaller amount of exhaust emissions, as could be concluded on the basis of information contained in the subject literature. The obtained results were compared with the currently valid EURO-6 standard, for which the limit value for CO is 0.5 g/km, and for NOx − 0.08 g/km, and it can be seen that the emission of carbon monoxide did not exceed the standards in any case examined. Unfortunately, when analyzing the total emissions of nitrogen oxides, the situation was completely the opposite and the emissions were exceeded by 20–30%.
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Zhang Y, Shen J, Li Y. An atmospheric vulnerability assessment framework for environment management and protection based on CAMx. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2018; 207:341-354. [PMID: 29182979 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.11.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2017] [Revised: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents an atmospheric vulnerability assessment framework based on CAMx that should be helpful to assess potential impacts of changes in human, atmospheric environment, and social economic elements of atmospheric vulnerability. It is also a useful and effective tool that can provide policy-guidance for environmental protection and management to reduce the atmospheric vulnerability. The developed framework was applied to evaluate the atmospheric environment vulnerability of 13 cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region for verification. The results indicated that regional disparity of the atmospheric vulnerability existed in the study site. More specifically, the central and southern regions show more atmospheric environment vulnerability than the northern regions. The impact factors of atmospheric environment vulnerability in the BTH region mainly derived from increasing population press, frequently unfavorable meteorological conditions, extensive economic growth of secondary industry, increased environmental pollution, and accelerating population aging. The framework shown in this paper is an interpretative and heuristic tool for a better understanding of atmospheric vulnerability. This framework can also be replicated at different spatial and temporal scales using context-specific datasets to straightly support environmental managers with decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- Resources and Environmental Research Academy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Jing Shen
- Resources and Environmental Research Academy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Yu Li
- Resources and Environmental Research Academy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China.
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He L, Shen J, Zhang Y. Ecological vulnerability assessment for ecological conservation and environmental management. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2018; 206:1115-1125. [PMID: 30029345 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.11.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Identifying ecological vulnerable regions is a significant aspect in ecological conservation and environmental management. This paper presents a first attempt to provide a prototype framework that can assess ecological vulnerability and evaluate potential impacts of natural, social, economic, environmental pollution, and human health elements on ecological vulnerability with integrating spatial analysis of Geographic Information System (GIS) method and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). A general ecological vulnerability index was constructed to describe the vulnerability status in an ecological hotspot of China. The assessment results of this study confirm the poor ecological vulnerability in China that only 1.32% of the China's population lives in not vulnerable ecosystem. A very high percentage (98.68%) of Chinese with 1.34 billion people lives in vulnerable and highly vulnerable area. This situation is mainly caused by increasing population pressure, exhausted nature resources, extensive economic growth, severe environmental pollution, insufficient environmental protection investment, and accelerating population aging. The spatial comparison indicates that spatial disparity existed in China with the central and northwestern provinces showing higher ecological vulnerability than the northeastern and southern provinces. The results of ecological vulnerability assessment can support effective guidance for mid- or long-term ecologic management. The developed framework can be replicated at different spatial and temporal scales using context-specific datasets to support ecological managers and government with decision-making. With available robust climate change models, future research might incorporate climate change into the ecological vulnerability framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li He
- School of Renewable Energy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Jing Shen
- School of Renewable Energy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China; Resources and Environmental Research Academy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China.
| | - Yang Zhang
- Resources and Environmental Research Academy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
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Zhang Y, Shen J, Li Y. Atmospheric Environment Vulnerability Cause Analysis for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Metropolitan Region. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:E128. [PMID: 29342852 PMCID: PMC5800227 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15010128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 01/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Assessing and quantifying atmospheric vulnerability is a key issue in urban environmental protection and management. This paper integrated the Analytical hierarchy process (AHP), fuzzy synthesis evaluation and Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial analysis into an Exposure-Sensitivity-Adaptive capacity (ESA) framework to quantitatively assess atmospheric environment vulnerability in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region with spatial and temporal comparisons. The elaboration of the relationships between atmospheric environment vulnerability and indices of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity supports enable analysis of the atmospheric environment vulnerability. Our findings indicate that the atmospheric environment vulnerability of 13 cities in the BTH region exhibits obvious spatial heterogeneity, which is caused by regional diversity in exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indices. The results of atmospheric environment vulnerability assessment and the cause analysis can provide guidance to pick out key control regions and recognize vulnerable indicators for study sites. The framework developed in this paper can also be replicated at different spatial and temporal scales using context-specific datasets to support environmental management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- Resources and Environmental Research Academy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China.
| | - Jing Shen
- Resources and Environmental Research Academy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China.
| | - Yu Li
- Resources and Environmental Research Academy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China.
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Mapping Social Vulnerability to Air Pollution: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta Region, China. SUSTAINABILITY 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/su9010109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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