Search Results (739)

Stormwater runoff from areas with specific industrial, agricultural or logistic land use comprises a significant source of water pollution, yet research on its specific composition remains limited compared to urban stormwater pollution. This review synthesizes findings from different studies to analyze sampling methods, types of pollution parameters and their associated concentration ranges across various non-urban land use types, including industrial and commercial zones, transportation infrastructure (ports, airports, highways, railways) and agricultural areas. Studies differed in sample strategy, investigated phase (water, sediment) and analyzed chemical parameters. The latter can be grouped into sum parameters (e.g., total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD)), metals (e.g., nickel, copper, zinc, lead), nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus), organic micropollutants (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA)) and microbial contaminants. Results indicate that pollutant loads vary widely depending on land use, with industrial and railway areas showing the highest metal contamination, while agricultural and livestock farming areas exhibit elevated nutrient and microbial concentrations. The heterogeneity of the sampling, analysis and subsequent data processing hindered the statistical condensation of data from different studies. The findings underscore the need for standardized monitoring methods and tailored stormwater treatment strategies to mitigate pollution impact effectively. Full article

Citizen science (CS) is increasingly recognized as a complementary approach for addressing soil health challenges—including erosion, pollution, nutrient imbalances, and biodiversity loss—by harnessing public participation to broaden spatial and temporal data collection. This review synthesizes findings from the following: (i) a systematic analysis of peer-reviewed literature and grey sources, (ii) a database of 96 CS initiatives compiled by the European PREPSOIL project, and (iii) questionnaire surveys and workshops conducted in five Living Labs across Europe. Our analysis indicates that volunteer-driven monitoring can enhance the volume and granularity of soil data, providing critical insights into parameters such as organic carbon content, nutrient levels, and pollutant concentrations. However, persistent challenges remain, including inconsistencies in data validation, volunteer attrition, and concerns regarding digital literacy and data privacy. Despite these challenges, ongoing efforts to standardize protocols, integrate remote sensing and sensor-based validation methods, and employ feedback mechanisms improve data reliability and participant engagement. We conclude that sustained capacity-building, transparent data governance, and stakeholder collaboration, from local communities to governmental bodies, are essential for fully realizing the potential of citizen science in soil conservation. This work is framed within the context of the European Soil Mission, and CS is demonstrated to meaningfully support sustainable land management and evidence-based policymaking by aligning public-generated observations with established scientific frameworks. Full article

Inland saline wetlands in the Ebro Basin (Spain) are protected by international regulations but are also threatened by the expansion of animal farms. We studied the input–output budgets of N from animal farms in four catchments of wetlands in the central Ebro Basin designated as Nitrate Vulnerable Zones. We used the N produced in animal farms as inputs and the N extracted by the crops on which manures and slurries are applied as outputs in each catchment. The balances considered the regulations concerning the slope of land where animal excreta may be applied and the doses of application. At a detailed scale, we applied the Water Erosion Prediction Program (WEPP) to the Farnaca catchment to assess the runoff and nutrients arriving to its wetland. While the Bujaraloz-Sástago basin showed a high excess of N load, in the Gallocanta basin, N extraction by crops was significantly higher than the N produced by the animal farms. Despite this lack of surplus of N from animal excreta, the groundwaters in the Gallocanta catchment are polluted by nitrates. The emphasis on N from animal farms in plans to prevent water pollution is missing the role of mineral fertilizers as the sources of pollution in basins with small N loads from animal farms. Agricultural plots in the Farnaca catchment produce significant amounts of sediments and nutrients that eventually pollute the wetland. Modelling approaches at detailed scales are required to assess the flows of materials to individual wetlands. Full article

This study focused on microplastic pollution in the Bohai Sea, employing bibliometric analysis and meta-integration methods to systematically analyze its pollution characteristics and ecological risks. The results indicated that microplastics primarily originated from land-based inputs (62%) and marine activities (23%). Microplastic concentrations in the Bohai Sea’s coastal areas were significantly higher than in deep waters, and the abundance of microplastics in aquaculture sediments was three to five times that in non-aquaculture areas. Bioaccumulation demonstrated a significant trophic magnification effect, with top predators containing much higher microplastic concentrations than plankton. The combined toxicity of microplastics and pollutants severely impacted key species, leading to a 92% decrease in Chinese shrimp populations and a significant reduction in benthic biodiversity. To address this issue, a “four-in-one” prevention and control system was proposed, encompassing source reduction, intelligent monitoring, targeted treatment, and regional collaboration, with measures including policy, technological innovation, and ecological restoration. This aims to provide scientific evidence for Bohai Sea ecological security management and offer a reference for microplastic management in globally semi-enclosed seas. Full article

Rapid socio-economic transition is often accompanied by intensive anthropogenic activities, leading to a significant build-up of heavy metals within farmland soils. However, this unwanted outcome may not be fully uniform but exhibit spatial variability, particularly involving different land uses. Based on 1839 topsoil samples from China’s Sunan Economic Region, this study estimated the contamination profiles and associated ecological risks posed by five heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Hg) across cash-crop and cereal-crop soils. Further, we applied a combination of geostatistics and positive matrix factorization (PMF) model to identify the targeted zones, priority pollutants, and their underlying sources to pave the way for formulating detailed and fine-scale risk-mitigation strategies. Our results revealed that heavy metal pollution in Sunan displayed significant spatial variability, predominantly influenced by localized Hg and Cd accumulation, with more severe contamination observed in cash-crop soils compared to cereal-crop soils. The 232,532 ha of agricultural land could be designated as the targeted zones in which excessive Hg and Cd accumulation can be identified as the priority pollutants contributing to potential ecological risk. PMF modeling also suggested that within targeted zones, Cd accumulation was predominantly driven by intensive agrochemical application, whereas multiple sources simultaneously determined Hg accumulation. Our findings offer valuable guidance for optimizing land management strategies aimed at mitigating agricultural soil degradation driven by intensive anthropogenic activities. In addition, the integrated approach highlighted the crucial values in aspects to spatially identify risk-targeted zones and priority pollutants. Full article

Heavy metal pollution refers to the presence of excessive levels of heavy metal elements in soil beyond their natural background concentrations, posing serious threats to human health and ecological systems. Several factors are involved in the contamination disparity in agriculture soils from various terrains, demanding extra care. An examination of the topographical HM dispersions in farmland soils from the Licheng District was conducted to reveal spatial changes in pollution levels and sources and to establish an empirical framework to develop targeted remediation strategies and promote sustainable land management practices. Cd and As had over-standard rates of more than 50% in the low-lying area, whereas the HMs in the high-lying area had over-standard rates of more than 50%. Also, the rates of HMs in high terrain were higher than in low terrain. Using the single-factor pollution index, only low-lying Cu, Ni, Pb, and Hg contamination levels were clean in low-lying and high-lying areas. The overall decline in HM pollution occurred from high to low terrain, triggered by soil physicochemical properties and human interventions. Meanwhile, strong anthropogenic influence fell in high terrain for pollution. Nevertheless, low levels of HM-integrated contamination prevailed in both topographies. Natural and anthropogenic processes gave rise to environmental pollution, such as soil formation, fertilization, metal smelting, and traffic emissions. Overall, the district held a low risk for HMs. The results highlight that strong anthropogenic interventions resulted in increased HM contamination, in addition to natural processes. It is possible to further reduce HM pollution and risk by promoting scientific agricultural techniques, new energy vehicles, and cleaner production. Full article

With the acceleration of urbanization, the diffusion mechanism of urban non-point source (NPS) pollution caused by extreme rainfall is not clear, which leads to high cost and difficulty in water environment treatment. In view of the shortcomings of dynamic diffusion simulations of mesoscale pollution, this paper proposes a simulation framework based on cellular automata, GIS geographic technology, and a two-dimensional shallow water model. Taking the 500 m × 500 m grid as the unit, we explore the migration laws of nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants and the response relationship between pollutant diffusion and land use under extreme rainfall scenarios. The results show that (i) the pollution risk increases significantly with diffusion, with the maximum pollution load in high-risk areas increasing by 181%, and the diffusion rate is positively correlated with the rate of change in rainfall intensity; (ii) forest land has the highest grid pollution load loss rate, whereas the water grid has the highest accumulation rate; (iii) this method can accurately identify the hot spots of pollution diffusion, providing a basis for the precise control of high-risk areas. This study can support the targeted governance of pollution sources and land planning optimization in urban storm and flood management, and help reduce environmental health risks in extreme climates. Full article

Microplastic (MP) occurrence is a growing concern in environmental research, with significant attention focused on its presence in various ecosystems worldwide. While much research has centered on large lakes and water bodies, remote alpine lakes remain relatively unexplored in terms of microplastic occurrence. Studying microplastic occurrence in remote alpine lakes is important to understand the global spread of pollution, assess its impact on pristine ecosystems, and inform conservation efforts in these vulnerable environments. This study investigates microplastic presence in the sediment of Lake Cadagno, a remote alpine lake situated in the Piora Valley of southern central Switzerland. The lake has no effluents, and its meromictic nature means that the water on the bottom is not mixed with the water above, which can potentially lead to an enhanced accumulation of microplastics in the sediments that perpetuate in the lake system. Through sediment core sampling and analysis, we aim to identify the sources and deposition trends of microplastics in this pristine alpine environment. Our findings reveal the presence of microplastic within Lake Cadagno: in total, 186 MP particles were extracted from 756 cm³ of processed sediment (0.24 MP/cm³) with an average of 19.5 MP/sample (SD ± 11.8 MP/sample). Our results suggest that microplastics are predominantly attributable to localized sources associated with nearby human activities. The absence of synthetic fibers and the limited polymer types detected suggest a minimal contribution from atmospheric deposition, reinforcing the significance of local anthropogenic influences. Spatial clustering of microplastic particles near potential sources underscores the impact of surrounding land use activities on microplastic distribution. Overall, this study highlights the importance of addressing microplastic contamination even in remote and relatively unmodified ecosystems like Lake Cadagno, to elucidate the need for strict adherence to waste management and correct disposal actions to reduce the impacts of microplastic contamination. Full article

Non-point source (NPS) pollution in agricultural land continues to rise despite urbanization in South Korea. NPS pollution management in rural areas has been conducted using Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce NPS pollution in rural areas. Among them, nature-based facilities are commonly used to reduce runoff NPS pollution. To design such facilities, it is necessary to determine the Water Quality Volume (WQv), which serves as a key indicator for evaluating the performance of pollution reduction facilities, as well as the estimation of the design rainfall intensity. These are critical factors for the design of the delineation of catchment areas and NPS pollution reduction. However, conventional methods for capacity estimation often rely on total area rather than considering the specific land use distribution, leading to lower pollution reduction efficiency and excessive project costs. Therefore, this study uses actual monitoring data from existing nature-based facilities, and an analysis was performed to establish a method for determining their optimal capacity while accounting for land use characteristics. A regression analysis was conducted based on the land use area ratio, and the results demonstrated that the proposed method yields similar or improved outcomes in terms of water quality improvement and economic feasibility compared to conventional capacity estimation methods. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating diverse land use distributions into capacity estimation for improving NPS pollution management efficiency by enhancing water quality and reducing project costs. Full article

The United Kingdom has had a series of unsuccessful attempts at securing land value capture in 1909, 1947, 1967, and 1975. The 1909 land duties would have taxed increases in land values irrespective of the source. The latter three combined public bodies, acquiring development land with levies on developers. For them, value uplift was limited to that arising from the granting of planning consent. None of the measures were fully implemented and were reversed by incoming governments. One of the key problems with value capture policies has been the lack of political consensus. Since 1979, consensus has developed around the use of three types of value capture instruments. Development corporations have been created for the regeneration of local areas by acquiring development land and improving it. Local authorities have been able to use planning obligations and community infrastructure levies to oblige developers to mitigate externalities. Governments have made it clear that these are not to be used as value capture devices and therefore are really applications of the polluter pays principle. Thirdly, there are national taxes that fall on increases in the value of land, namely, business rates, stamp duty land tax, capital gains tax, and inheritance tax. Full article

Dechlorane Plus (DP), an emerging type of persistent organic pollutant (POP), poses potential harmful effects on plants, animals, and humans alike, garnering increasing attention. Urban surface soil is easily accessible to urban residents, and its environmental conditions have a more significant impact on urban residents. However, there are few studies on related DP contamination. In this study, the contamination of DP in surface soil from Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, China, was investigated. Soil samples were collected from 33 different locations in May and June 2023. The total DP (∑DP), anti-DP, and syn-DP were determined by gas chromatography and ranged from not detected (ND) to 77.80 ng/g, from ND to 61.50 ng/g, and from ND to 16.30 ng/g, respectively. The mean values were 33.60 ± 18.93 ng/g, 27.01 ± 14.32 ng/g, and 8.57 ± 4.55 ng/g. The findings indicate that anti-DP is more readily detectable than syn-DP, attributable to the lower proportion of syn-DP in the overall DP production and the distinct physicochemical properties of DP isomers. The fsyn [syn-DP/(anti-DP + syn-DP)] is 0.14–0.40, with a mean value of 0.22. This aligns closely with the values observed in commercial DP formulations, suggesting that the primary sources are derived from commercial DP products. Contour maps show that DP concentrations are influenced by urban land use and DP production. Based on the Tyson polygon method, the DP inventory was calculated at approximately 1.18 tons, with the unit area load exceeding previously reported values. The results also show that the health risks of DP are minimal, but children are more susceptible to the impacts of DP than adults, and oral ingestion is a more critical exposure pathway. Full article

The rapid pace of urbanization has led to excessive resource consumption and worsening environmental pollution, particularly in resource-based cities, where prolonged exploitation of mineral resources has resulted in dual challenges of ecological degradation and economic imbalance. Using Fushun, a resource-exhausted city still struggling with its transformation, as a case study, this research develops a progressive analytical framework that integrates the InVEST model, optimal parameter geographic detector, and multi-scale geographically weighted regression. This framework, comprising a sequence of analytical steps—single-factor analysis, interaction-factor analysis, global regression analysis, and geographically weighted regression analysis—enables a comprehensive exploration of the driving mechanisms behind ES changes in Fushun from 2000 to 2020. The results indicate the following: (1) Significant changes in ecosystem services were observed, with water yield and soil conservation showing a fluctuating upward trend, while carbon storage and habitat quality experienced slight declines. (2) Over time, the dominant drivers transitioned from primarily socio-economic factors to a synergistic influence of natural and human activities. GDP and land use intensity increasingly contributed to explaining ecosystem services through their interaction effects. (3) At the street scale, driving mechanisms exhibited spatial heterogeneity. For instance, the negative effects of built-up land and cultivated land were more pronounced in urban–rural transition zones, while elevation and NDVI had a more positive impact in ecological source areas. This framework provides systematic and targeted recommendations that offer data-driven insights to guide policies prioritizing regional ecological sustainability. Furthermore, it provides practical reference points for improving the ecological quality of other coal resource-exhausted cities undergoing incomplete transformations. Full article

Tianjin is a typical industrialized city of 13.64 million people, and the urbanization rate is 85.49%. The risk of heavy metals in the soils of the typical agricultural land around Tianjin poses a significant challenge to the sustainability of the ecosystem’s health and human health. Different heavy metals in different land-use types in Tianjin have all accumulated in the soils, and the vegetable base had the highest total of accumulated heavy metals. This study took the surface soil of farmland Xiqing District—the main vegetable and crop area in Tianjin—as the research object, and the concentrations of eight heavy metals were analyzed. The geo-accumulation index (I_geo), principal component analysis (PCA), absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS–MLR), positive definite matrix factorization (PMF), and health risk assessment model were used to evaluate the degree, sources, and health risks (to adults and children) of heavy metal pollution. This study compares the APCS–MLR model with the PMF model. The results showed that Cd and Hg pollution were the most severe among the eight heavy metals in agricultural soil, with the average values exceeding the background by 151.9% and 324.1%, respectively. About 15% of the sites were at moderate to severe pollution levels. The PMF model can better analyze the sources of heavy metals in the study area, showing that the main sources of heavy metal pollution include natural source, mixed source of agriculture and transportation, coal combustion source, and pesticide source. The total carcinogenic risk index (TCR) of natural source is the highest, with Cr being the main contributor to maximum total non-carcinogenic risk indices (HI) and TCR for children; Hg contributes the most to HI in the coal combustion source, while Cu and Zn contributes most in the mixed source of agriculture and transportation. Full article

Atmospheric intermediate volatile organic compounds (IVOCs) are important precursors of secondary organic aerosols (SOAs), and in-depth research on them is crucial for atmospheric pollution control. This review systematically synthesizes global advancements in understanding IVOC sources, emissions characterization, compositional characteristics, ambient concentrations, SOA contributions, and health risk assessments. IVOCs include long-chain alkanes (C₁₂~C₂₂), sesquiterpenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phenolic compounds, ketones, esters, organic acids, and heterocyclic compounds, which originate from primary emissions and secondary formation. Primary emissions include direct emissions from anthropogenic and biogenic sources, while secondary formation mainly results from radical reactions or particulate surface reactions. Recently, the total IVOC emissions have decreased in some countries, while emissions from certain sources, such as volatile chemical products, have increased. Ambient IVOC concentrations are generally higher in urban rather than in rural areas, higher indoors than outdoors, and on land rather than over oceans. IVOCs primarily generate SOAs via oxidation reactions with hydroxyl radicals, nitrate radicals, the ozone, and chlorine atoms, which contribute more to SOAs than traditional VOCs, with higher SOA yields. SOA tracers for IVOC species like naphthalene and β-caryophyllene have been identified. Integrating IVOC emissions into regional air quality models could significantly improve SOA simulation accuracy. The carcinogenic risk posed by naphthalene should be prioritized, while benzo[a]pyrene requires a combined risk assessment and hierarchical management. Future research should focus on developing high-resolution online detection technologies for IVOCs, clarifying the multiphase reaction mechanisms involved and SOA tracers, and conducting comprehensive human health risk assessments. Full article

Reliable identification of river hydrograph separation is crucial for prioritizing water source areas to be protected from pollution. A field study was carried out in a hilly catchment with diverse land uses, located in Southwest China. A novel water-tracing method, combining the ratio of two conservative fluorescent components of dissolved organic matter, two ion ratios, and oxygen-18, was proposed for river hydrograph separation with MixSIAR. During a rain event with the longest preceding no-rain period, a set of four tracers were found to be applicable to drainage areas with diverse land uses. Notably, a drier antecedent soil moisture condition could favor the occurrence of more tracers qualified for distinguishing multiple water sources of river flow. Full article