International Journal of Environment and Pollution (6 papers in press)

Regular Issues

• Research on immobilisation of heavy metals in karst soil in Guizhou Province under the effect of carbonate  
  by Shaoxia Lin, Mingyang Cui, Zhiqiang Xiao, Changhu Lin 
  Abstract: Yellow soil and limestone soil are two dominant types of agricultural cultivated soil in carbonatite outcropped regions in Guizhou Province. Heavy metals in these soils are characteristic of high background value and low activity. To explore the relationship between high carbonate content and heavy metal activity in soils, this study simulated immobilisation of heavy metals in yellow soil and limestone soil under the existence of different concentrations of carbonates through laboratory experiments. Results showed that CaCO3 can increase the pH of yellow soil up to 7.08 and the limestone soil up to 8.25. CaCO3 is conducive to immobilisation of heavy metals in yellow soils within a certain range. It can relieve bio-availability of heavy metals in soil. In limestone soils, CaCO3 controls activity of heavy metals by adjusting soil pH and thereby influences solubility product constant of metallic compound precipitation. The adsorption kinetics model revealed that adsorption of heavy metals by yellow soil and limestone soil is not a physical adsorption, but a chemical adsorption based on chemical bonds. The rate of adsorption is controlled by heavy metal diffusion in soil particles and liquid film diffusion. High-concentration carbonates in karst soils in Guizhou Province can inhibit activity of heavy metals. Although the background value of heavy metals in soils in Guizhou Province is high, it hasnt shown serious health risks to crops or human beings.
  Keywords: calcium carbonate; heavy metal; yellow soil; adsorption kinetics;.
  
  
• Geographic information system simulation and assessment for environmental impact of overall urban planning  
  by Chuhong Li, Bo Zhou 
  Abstract: In order to achieve the rationality of urban positioning and development direction and the suitability of ecological shadow environment, the environmental impact of overall urban planning based on Geographic Information System (GIS) evaluation method is evaluated. Firstly, a GIS evaluation index system for the environmental impact of urban planning is established, and the regional boundary layer model and the atmospheric motion equation are used to analyze the feasibility of the GIS model. Then, the construction of GIS evaluation model for the environmental impact of overall urban planning is introduced, and spatial division of the planning scheme is carried out. The atmospheric environment and noise environment models of urban planning are established using the land regression method, and the water environment use model is established using the continuous water tank method. Finally, taking X city as an example, the environmental impact of the overall urban planning is evaluated using the GIS evaluation model. The results show that the assessment of environmental impact of urban master planning based on GIS is feasible. In terms of the water quality environment, the GIS model can be used to find out the reasons affecting the water quality environment and provide good guidance for the site selection and planning of factories in cities. In the aspect of atmospheric environment, the congested routes can be found out to provide guidance for urban road planning. In terms of noise environment, the construction site can be selected away from the concentrated residential buildings. The GIS evaluation of urban master plan quantitatively evaluates the atmospheric environment, noise environment, and water environment, which can provide scientific basis for urban master plan. The study provides a good guiding ideology for the overall planning of the city.
  Keywords: environmental impact; overall urban planning; geographic information system; evaluation model.
  
  
• Effects of phosphorus fertiliser type and application rate on leaf traits of sickle lucerne (Medicago falcate L) in a semi-arid environment in Northern China  
  by Bo Xu, Huimin Jiang, Baoyin Taogetao 
  Abstract: By observing the micro-structure of sickle alfalfa (Medicago falcate L.) treated with different phosphorus fertilisers, the adaptive mechanism of sickle alfalfa to structures in different phosphorus application rates can be explained, and a theoretical basis for phosphorus environment adapted by alfalfa can be provided. Six micro-morphological structure indicators from 2012 to 2014, including leaf thickness, palisade tissue thickness, spongy tissue thickness, palisade/spongy ratio, CTR and SR, were measured for sickle alfalfa treated with different phosphorus fertilisers. The results show: (1) with increase of phosphorus application rate, leaf thickness firstly increased and then decreased: it was thickest under moderate phosphorous rate; (2) different phosphorus fertiliser types had less effect on leaf thickness.
  Keywords: phosphorus fertiliser; leaf micro-structural mechanism; allometry.
  
  
• Spatial and temporal analyses of airborne particulate matter in South Marmara region of Turkey  
  by Atilla Mutlu 
  Abstract: In the lengthy time period between 2007 and 2019, airborne particulate matter (PM10) levels from real-time intensive measurements were analysed to determine how the long-term PM10 levels may vary from the effects of both meteorological parameters and different emission sources in the South Marmara region of Turkey. In this study, the main statistical approaches, such as an analysis of variance, correlation analysis, and multiple and quantile regression analyses, were performed to determine how daily measured long-term PM10 levels varied by the influence of local meteorological parameters in the study area. According to the regression models, the significant contributors in the study area were ambient temperature and wind speeds. The local sources, including quarries, crushing and screening facilities, briquette houses and marble workshops, of airborne PM10 levels may be considered the main contributors to the peak PM10 levels in the study area. Therefore, spatial analyses were performed to understand the main contributor to the PM10 episodes when the highest PM10 levels were observed throughout the studied years. Also, the cluster analysis and weighted concentration analysis (CWT) approach showed that the local sources were mostly associated with the higher PM10 levels during the long-term observation of the study area.
  Keywords: PM10; ANOVA; regression analysis; HYSPLIT; cluster; CWT.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2022.10053599
   
  
• Sorption of ivermectin in Nigerian Oxisols and Alfisols: quantitative insights on its environmental fate in tropical soils  
  by Caleb Ojo, Bamidele Olu-Owolabi Iromidayo 
  Abstract: Because of the toxicity of ivermectin, the study of its environmental fate is necessary. Sorption experiments were done in laboratory batch experiments using two tropical soils. There was initial high sorption in the first 120 mins, followed by steady continuous desorption. The pH of the solution had a reciprocal effect on the sorption of ivermectin in both soils. Sorption increased with an increase in ivermectin concentration for Oxisol and Alfisol. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model best describes ivermectin sorption. The adsorption on both soils was explained better by the Freundlich isotherm. An initial increase in the ambient temperature from 25
  Keywords: pharmaceuticals; Langmuir isotherm; Freundlich isotherm; ivermectin; solution pH; Oxisol; Alfisol.
  
  
• Research on comprehensive evaluation on effects of synergistic governance on urban environmental pollution based on the evaluation model of niche suitability  
  by Dengyue Xu, Tao Sun 
  Abstract: Based on research background analysis and literature review, this paper creates the indicator system and three models of niche suitability for evaluating effects of synergistic governance on urban environmental pollution, and defines the grade standards for comprehensive evaluation results and each evaluation indicator. This paper selects the city of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China, as the object of case research, collects the basic data of this city, and comprehensively evaluates the effects of synergistic governance on urban environmental pollution in this city from 2012 to 2020. The evaluation results show that there had been a continuous upward trend for the effects of synergistic governance on urban environmental pollution in this city during this period. Besides, this paper analyses the differences and influencing factors of the evaluation results, demonstrates the effectiveness of the evaluation models, and puts forward some policy suggestions for Wuxi to make further improvement in urban environmental pollution governance.
  Keywords: synergistic governance; effects evaluation; indicator system; the evaluation model of niche suitability.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2023.10058714