- Các kịch bản giảm tác động môi trường của nền kinh tế quần áo Vương quốc Anh.

- Các chuẩn mực mang tính mô tả được nhận thức củng cố nhận dạng con người toàn cầu - hiệp hội chung về hành vi ủng hộ môi trường: Bằng chứng thực nghiệm từ các nghiên cứu khảo sát.

- Vai trò của sự phức tạp về kinh tế và sự can thiệp của chính phủ đối với sự bền vững của môi trường: Phân quyền có quan trọng không?

- Giao dịch carbon đi kèm với việc tái chế doanh thu làm tăng GDP của Úc: Cách tiếp cận CGE đệ quy động.

- Những thay đổi trong chương trình nghiên cứu thông minh? 100 câu hỏi ưu tiên để thúc đẩy tương lai năng lượng bền vững.

- Tác động không gian-thời gian của việc xây dựng khả năng phục hồi khu vực đối với lượng khí thải carbon: Bằng chứng từ 30 tỉnh của Trung Quốc.

- Hiệu quả môi trường của đầu tư nghiên cứu và phát triển năng lượng sạch: Bằng chứng từ Nhật Bản bằng cách sử dụng hệ số công suất tải.

- Đánh giá tác động kinh tế của các chính sách quốc gia giảm thiểu biến đổi khí hậu đối với các thành phố: Phân tích CGE ở Auckland, New Zealand.

- Tác động của công nghệ công nghiệp 4.0 đến hiệu quả hoạt động của chuỗi cung ứng bền vững: Vai trò trung gian của thực tiễn quản lý chuỗi cung ứng xanh và nền kinh tế tuần hoàn.

- Kế toán cho sự phục hồi môi trường của doanh nghiệp. Một cách tiếp cận mang tính khái niệm.

- Giả thuyết phản ứng lẫn nhau giữa nhiệt độ bề mặt và nồng độ khối lượng khí dung (BC và không BC) được quan sát thấy trong môi trường đô thị.

- Tác động của các vụ cháy rừng cực độ từ Rừng Brazil và đốt mía đến chất lượng không khí của siêu đô thị lớn nhất Nam Mỹ.

- Thành phố thông minh có bền vững hơn không? Một nghiên cứu thăm dò về 103 thành phố của Hoa Kỳ.

- Ô nhiễm không khí làm trầm trọng thêm tình trạng ngưng thở khi ngủ do tắc nghẽn nhẹ bằng cách làm gián đoạn những thay đổi về đêm ở phần cơ thể ở chi dưới: một nghiên cứu cắt ngang được thực hiện ở thành thị phía bắc Đài Loan.

- Giải pháp thông minh để đánh giá rủi ro sức khỏe đô thị: Hệ thống giám sát PM2.5 kết hợp mạng tích chập đồ thị dài hạn ngắn hạn theo không gian và thời gian.

- Làm thế nào không gian xanh có thể giảm thiểu đảo nhiệt đô thị? Phân tích hiệu quả làm mát, cô lập carbon và chi phí nuôi dưỡng ở quy mô đường phố.

- Sự phát triển kết hợp giữa mối liên hệ nước-năng lượng-thực phẩm đô thị: Phân tích có hệ thống về hai siêu đô thị ở khu vực Bắc Kinh-Thiên Tân-Hà Bắc của Trung Quốc.

- Sự xuất hiện, loại bỏ và đánh giá rủi ro của ibuprofen và acetaminophen trong các nhà máy xử lý nước thải đô thị: Đánh giá quan trọng.

- Xả nước thải trực tiếp vào nguồn nước tự nhiên thông qua hệ thống thoát nước mưa đô thị được kết nối trái phép: Một nguồn chất hữu cơ hòa tan bị bỏ qua.

- Đánh giá việc làm giàu và thu hồi P từ xỉ luyện thép: Hướng tới nguồn cung cấp P bền vững và sử dụng toàn diện chất thải rắn công nghiệp.

- Khám phá những thách thức và giải pháp thông minh trong quản lý chất thải công nghiệp: Phương pháp ra quyết định đa tiêu chí mờ do dự tích hợp.

- Giảm thiểu ô nhiễm dầu khí vì môi trường bền vững - Đánh giá quan trọng và triển vọng.

- Chiến lược phát thải CO2 thấp để đạt được mục tiêu số 0 trong ngành xi măng.

- Thu hút các bên liên quan tham gia hợp tác kiểm soát ô nhiễm không khí: Trò chơi tiến hóa ba bên giữa doanh nghiệp, công chúng và chính phủ.

- Cải tiến phương pháp loại bỏ dầu nhũ hóa đối với nước thải nhiệt phân than công nghiệp bằng phương pháp keo tụ dưới áp suất khí quyển CO2.

- Bê tông, xi măng than sinh học hướng tới quá trình khử cacbon và tính bền vững cho xây dựng: Đặc điểm, hiệu quả và quan điểm.

- Nghiên cứu hồ sơ nguồn về phát thải không tổ chức VOC từ các thiết bị thơm điển hình trong ngành hóa dầu.

- Phân hủy quang xúc tác bằng tia cực tím và năng lượng mặt trời các chất ô nhiễm hữu cơ từ nước thải công nghiệp gốm sứ bằng hạt nano ZnS pha tạp Fe.

- Làm sạch thẩm thấu các chất bẩn vô cơ và hữu cơ điển hình trên màng thẩm thấu ngược để xử lý nước thải dệt nhuộm.

- Kiểm soát biến dạng bề mặt và chuyển động quá tải trong khu vực mỏ than bằng phương pháp san lấp bằng xi măng cải tiến sử dụng chất thải khai thác mỏ.

QUẢN LÝ MÔI TRƯỜNG

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 420, 25 September 2023, 138352

Abstract

In the 21st century the carbon emissions, material consumption, and impact on planetary boundaries associated with clothing have increased dramatically, driven in large part by fast fashion. The UK represents a typical, affluent, import-reliant Global North country, with clothing consumption per capita at double the global average and the impacts largely offshored. Progress towards a sustainable, circular clothing economy in the UK has been sluggish, as it has been globally. Here, we develop scenarios exploring how, over the coming two decades, the UK clothing economy could achieve the ambitious reductions in environmental impacts necessary to bring humanity's impact back within planetary boundaries. The scenarios consider the impacts of production- and consumption-focused changes, and the modelling uses material flow analysis to develop an assessment of energy consumption, carbon emissions, water consumption, and land use. We find that cleaner production and recycling alone could provide significant benefits for land and water use, reducing footprints by 60–70% by 2040. But to meaningfully reduce energy use, transformational changes will be required throughout supply chains at consumer and post-consumer stages. The same is true if the UK clothing economy is to be on track for net-zero by 2050, which requires these changes to be well under way within the next decade in order to halve emissions. Given the scale of change required, it seems highly unlikely that current clothing business models are compatible with a sustainable future.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 416, 1 September 2023, 137896

Abstract

Environment-related innovations are widely appreciated as a vital factor in achieving sustainable development goals, and stability in the financial sector can help boost the output of environmental innovations by removing financial constraints. Hence, the primary aim of the analysis is to investigate the impact of financial stability on environmental innovation in China by using the QARDL model over the period 1995Q1-2020Q4. The study's main findings confirm the positive role of financial stability on environmental innovation in both the short and long run. Wald test also confirms the asymmetric impact of financial stability on environmental innovation in the short and long run. Moreover, the long-run impacts of GDP, R&D activities, and environmental policy stringency on environmental innovation are positive. In the short run, the estimates of research and development and environmental policy stringency are positively significant at higher quantiles only. Based on the findings, our research will help policymakers to develop valuable policies for financial stability to enhance environmental innovation.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 418, 15 September 2023, 138134

Abstract

Limiting climate change requires the concerted efforts of all human beings, and thus focusing on global human identification, numerous studies identified a positive association between such a personal identity and pro-environmental behavior. However, the effect sizes of their association varied widely among previous studies, making it difficult to utilize global human identification to improve pro-environmental behavior. The variations in effect sizes indicate that some situational boundary conditions are likely to fluctuate the strength of the association between global human identification and pro-environmental behavior. In order to shed light on the situational factor that may boost the positive effect of global human identification on pro-environmental behaviors, the current research systematically examined the moderating role of perceived descriptive norms in the focal relationship, drawing on the theories regarding social identity and social norms. Specifically, we conducted an online questionnaire survey to measure all the core variables (Study 1) as well as an online survey experimental study to manipulate perceived descriptive norms (Study 2). The results of two studies consistently showed that participants with high global human identification demonstrated more general pro-environmental behavior only when they perceived that others were also behaving in an eco-friendly way. By uncovering the potential of perceived descriptive norms to amplify the facilitating effect of global human identification on general pro-environmental behavior, our findings provide empirical evidence for the social identity model of pro-environmental action and highlight the joint impact of personal and situational factors on eco-friendly behaviors.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 418, 15 September 2023, 138000

Abstract

While climate change mitigation agenda and energy governance are the central concerns of climatologists and energy-environmental scientists, the mainstream literature seems silent on whether a decentralized governance structure is desirable for complex economic systems and governmental intervention approaches to realize sustainable environments. To frame this critical research gap, we investigate the contribution of fiscal decentralization in moderating the influence of economic complexity and government intervention on energy and carbon efficiency in the presence of real GDP per capita. We employ a panel method of moments quantile regression (MQR) on data from selected seven fiscally decentralized OECD countries over the 1995–2018 period. The empirical results uncovered that economic complexity causes a drop in energy efficiency (at 1, 5, and 10% significance levels), with a more magnified effect in countries with low environmental sustainability levels. Conversely, our findings exerted that government intervention discourages energy and carbon intensity (at diversified significance levels as per probability scores of 0.01, 0.05, and 0.10), with heterogeneous degrees of impact across diversified model specifications. Regarding direct influence, our outcomes exhibited that expenditure and revenue decentralization aid in energy and carbon efficiency. Concerning moderation effects, expenditure and revenue decentralization successfully rejuvenate the environmental sustainability effects of economic complexity and government intervention (at 1 and 5% significance levels). Finally, our study gauged that the EKC phenomenon exists among the sampled OECD members, indicating that economic growth in the region will be the driving force behind the region's long-term environmental sustainability. Estimation results are robust to the alternative dependent variable, carbon intensity and alternative econometric technique, ordinary least squares with Driscoll-Kraay standard errors. A fiscally decentralized paradigm is desirable from a policy standpoint for government intervention in complex economies to realize environmental sustainability goals.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 417, 10 September 2023, 137994

Abstract

Trade drives increased life-cycle carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and carbon leakage from plastics, increasing the environmental burden on the supply chain. Therefore, assessing the characteristics and drivers of plastic carbon emissions will help develop emission reduction strategies from a supply chain perspective. In this study, we present a model framework for life-cycle assessment, optimized input-output analysis, and structural decomposition analysis. Specifically, for the first time, we assess the life-cycle CO2 emissions of plastics in China, the world's largest producer and consumer, and consider the input, production, consumption, and income stages of the plastic supply chain. China's plastic CO2 emissions increased by 38.07% from 2010 to 2021 and, under a business-as-usual path, will consume 4.2–5.4% of the global carbon budget by 2050. From a supply chain perspective, each economic sector assumes different responsibilities for emissions at different stages. Despite increasing emissions, China's economic structure has potentially improved the embodied carbon leakage from the intersectoral and international trade in plastics. Furthermore, regarding socioeconomic factors, the levels of final demand (63%) and primary input (61%) dominated the increase in plastic CO2 emissions from 2012 to 2020, and the intensity of emissions was the key to reducing emissions. The novelty of this study is that the model we proposed can solve the data limitations of the global plastics supply chain and focuses for the first time on the input and income stages and their drivers.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 417, 10 September 2023, 137882

Abstract

Carbon trading is widely used as a carbon finance instrument to promote green transformation. This paper focuses on carbon trading's impact on the bond spread for high-carbon enterprises. Using variation in carbon trading access due to pilot policies in China, we find that bonds issued by high-carbon enterprises participating in the carbon trading pilots have lower spreads. Furthermore, the results suggest that carbon trading reduces bond spreads by encouraging high-carbon enterprises to improve their environmental performance. Another channel is the information asymmetry between bondholders and enterprises. More active carbon markets provide investors with more information about enterprises' motivations for reducing carbon emissions, leading to a greater reduction in bond spreads. In addition, the impact of carbon trading is more significant in local SOEs, high-innovation enterprises, and longer-term bonds. Our research helps us understand the importance of carbon trading in achieving a low-carbon economy.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 417, 10 September 2023, 137851

Abstract

In 2020, the United States produced 4.7 billion metric tons of CO2, making it the world's second-largest polluter. To achieve the SDGs, the United States has committed to reducing net CO2 emissions by 50–52% from 2005 levels by 2030. Therefore, this study examines the co-movement between CO2 and coal efficiency, climate policy uncertainty, green energy, and green innovation using data from 1990 to 2020. To support policymakers in developing sustainable energy policies at various times, we used wavelet cohesion, wavelet correlation, wavelet coherence, and the novel causality in continuous wavelet transform to investigate these connections. The wavelet coherence and wavelet cohesion results revealed that coal efficiency contributes to reducing CO2 emissions at different frequencies and times, while climate policy uncertainty reduces CO2 emissions in the long term. Moreover, green energy consumption and green innovation improve ecological quality by reducing CO2 in the short and medium term. Furthermore, wavelet causality analysis revealed that all indicators could predict CO2 emissions at different frequencies and time periods. Based on the overall findings of this research, we recommend that policymakers in the United States support green energy and energy efficiency initiatives as the most effective ways to reduce CO2 and address other critical climate issues.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 417, 10 September 2023, 138049

Abstract

Under the increasing pressure of global warming, carbon emission reduction has gradually become a consensus. Compared with the developed areas, the underdeveloped regions are at a significant disadvantage, which not only have the urgent need to rapidly improve the economic level, but also shoulder the responsibility of mitigating carbon emissions. That is, try to limit carbon emissions while maintaining rapid economic growth. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate the profile of carbon emissions, reveal the key driving mechanisms, and explore effective ways to achieve efficient and low-carbon development. Therefore, we took Guizhou, a less developed province in southwest China, as research area, calculated the carbon emissions from energy consumption and cement production during 1990–2020, identified the relationship between carbon emissions and economic development, investigated the driver factors using the STIRPAT model, and set up five scenarios to predict the carbon emissions from 2021 to 2035, to provide scientific data support and decision-making suggestions to promote the high-quality and sustainable development of Guizhou and similar regions. The results show the following: (1) The total carbon emissions show a fluctuating growth trend, up from 55.67 million tonnes in 1990 to 306.17 million tonnes in 2020, in which coal consumption contributes more than 80% of the total. (2) The relationship between carbon emissions and economic growth is mainly weak decoupling and gradually shifts to strong decoupling. (3) Energy structure plays a decisive role in carbon emissions, for every 1% increase in the ratio of coal in total energy consumption, carbon emissions will increase by 2.202%. (4) Carbon emissions could be greatly limited under policy scenario, which is 8.01% lower than the baseline scenario. The policy scenario is more likely occurred, while the other three scenarios could provide different direction references for further carbon emission reduction.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 417, 10 September 2023, 138014

Abstract

Energy Internet (EI) is typically characterized by digitalization and clean energy that seeks to revolutionize the energy system and reduce carbon emissions. Even though several scholars conclude that EI accelerates the clean energy transition of energy system, since the controversial relationship between digitalization and energy consumption in academia, current studies on the carbon emission reduction advantages of the EI are still in dispute. This paper employs the effect of EI's construction on the carbon emission peak goal of China's energy system based on the system dynamics model and different scenarios. The simulation results find that: (1) the construction of the EI could enable China's energy system to meet the carbon reduction commitment in 2028, with a carbon emission peak of 11.61 billion tons; (2) As digitalization and clean energy become more extensively employed, rising energy demand is satisfied by the manner of consuming low-carbon electricity energy. This is thought to be the primary factor that could promote China to achieve the carbon peak goal earlier than expected; (3) The advancement of digitalization has further promoted the decoupling of China's economic growth from carbon emissions. It is projected that China's energy system will still achieve the carbon peak goal by 2030 when the expected annual GDP growth rate is increased to 6.32%, 5.75%, and 4.6% for the years 2020–2025, 2026–2030, and 2031–2035, respectively. These findings might provide a new perspective for quantitative research on the environmental outcomes of the EI and the relationship between environmental improvement and economic growth.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 418, 15 September 2023, 138187

Abstract

This study employs the dynamic recursive Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) approach to model Australia's economy. This carbon tax policy is designed based on Australia's economy, starting at A$23/tCO2, increasing over time and imposing uniformly on all industries. This study proposes two carbon tax policies and three revenue recycling approaches, and the prices and GDP variations are estimated during 2020 and 2035. This study confirms introducing a carbon tax policy decreases Australia's carbon emissions and reduces real consumption and GDP if it is not accompanied by a revenue recycling policy.

But following a revenue-neutral policy and redirecting the carbon tax revenue into the economy through reducing income taxes and investing in research and development (R&D) projects leads to economic growth. This study confirms the implementation of a carbon tax associated with a suitable revenue recycling approach benefits Australia both economically and environmentally.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 419, 20 September 2023, 137946

Abstract

Energy transitions are at the top of global agendas in response to the growing challenges of climate change and international conflict, with the EU positioning itself as playing a pivotal role in addressing climate risks and sustainability imperatives. European energy transition policies identify ‘smart consumption’ as a key element of these efforts, which have previously been explored from a predominantly technical perspective thus often failing to identify or address fundamental interlinkages with social systems and consequences. This paper aims to contribute to interdisciplinary energy research by analysing a forward looking ‘Horizon Scan’ research agenda for smart consumption, driven by the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH). Reflecting on an extensive systematic Delphi Method exercise surveying over 70 SSH scholars from various institutional settings across Europe, we highlight what SSH scholars see as future directions for smart consumption research. Building from seven thematic areas (under which are grouped 100 SSH research questions), the study identifies three key ‘shifts’ this new smart research agenda represents, when compared to previous agendas: (1) From technological inevitability to political choice, highlighting the need for a wider political critique, with the potential to open up discussions of the instrumentalisation of smart research; (2) From narrow representation to diverse inclusion, moving beyond the shortcomings of current discourses for engaging marginalised communities; and (3) From individual consumers to interconnected citizens, reframing smart consumption to offer a broader model of social change and governance. Social Sciences and Humanities scholarship is essential to address these shifts in meaningful (rather than tokenistic) ways. This agenda and the shifts it embodies represent key tools to enable better interdisciplinary working between SSH and teams from the technical and natural sciences.

Science of The Total Environment, Volume 887, 20 August 2023, 164109

Abstract

In response to the threat of rapidly rising carbon emissions, a variety of measures are being implemented to achieve carbon reduction. Resilience construction offers a fresh approach to improving the regional anti-interference ability to cope with various risks, and it is worth considering its impact on carbon emissions. The objective of this study is to investigate the spatio-temporal impacts of resilience construction (RCI) on carbon intensity (CI) in 30 Chinese provinces from 2010 to 2019. The relation pattern between RCI and CI is thoroughly examined after developing a hybrid model by integrating gray correlation analysis (GRA) and coupled coordination degree (CCD). Using the GTWR model, the coefficients reveal the spatio-temporal pattern of the influence of each variable on CI. Furthermore, this study pioneeringly blends GTWR regression results with the K-Means approach to identify areas with homogeneity and heterogeneity of the pattern. Firstly, the findings indicate that there is a significant link between CI and all dimensions -economic resilience (RE), social resilience (RS), and ecological resilience (REn). The relation between REn and CI is the greatest, although it has been declining recently while relations of RS, REn, and CI have all been steadily rising. Secondly, according to the results of CCD, resilience construction and carbon reduction are progressively reaching orderly development but there are still some provinces at low levels of CCD. Thirdly, the study area is divided into four clusters, and the structure of spatial grouping tends to become stable. Moreover, we analyze each cluster's features and suggest appropriate policy measures. The findings aid in the scientific planning of the direction of resilience construction with the goal of collaborative management of carbon emissions.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 416, 1 September 2023, 137972

Abstract

In environmental economics, the load capacity factor has recently been empirically studied to demonstrate how human actions degrade the environment and how nature compensates for this damage. Therefore, the improvement of the load capacity factor by countries is a critical indicator for achieving Sustainable Development Goals. The study therefore examines the environmental effects of research and development investments in renewable and nuclear energy. In doing so, the study covers Japan; applies Fourier-based time series models (i.e., FMOLS as the base model and DOLS and CCR for the robustness); and uses data between 1974 and 2018. The estimation results present that (i) renewable energy research and development investments support the environment; (ii) economic growth and financial development degrade the environment; and (iii) nuclear energy research and development investments have no effect on the environment. Thus, the study recommends that Japan should contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by concentrating its research and development investments on renewable energy sources instead of nuclear energy.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 418, 15 September 2023, 138150

Abstract

Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) models have proven to be instrumental in the climate policy literature. Although their use at the sub-national level has increased, their application to assess the implications of national climate policies on cities is scarce due to the low availability of city-level economic and environmental data. Cities could play an instrumental role in the fight against climate change as they are home to more than half of the world population, generate more than 80% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and are responsible for 75% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. National CGE assessments of climate policies overlooking cities could result in missing major opportunities to achieve ambitious reduction targets considering that cities are centres of innovation and wealth. Hence, the objective of this study is to fill that gap in the literature by developing and using a recursive dynamic, multi-regional CGE model to link a city's economy to the rest of the nation to assess the direct and indirect economic impacts from national GHG emissions reduction pathways. The city of Auckland, New Zealand (NZ) has been used as a case study due to the city's proactive climate mitigation plans. The model and scenarios used resemble the ones developed by the New Zealand Climate Change Commission (CCC) to inform national policy advise provided to the government. Additional scenarios were developed to incorporate Auckland's growth and climate strategies. The results showed that in contrast to the rest of New Zealand, the impacts on the Auckland economy are more pronounced as reflected by the more drastic percent changes (with respect to baseline) of the regional GDP (−6% for Auckland and −1% for NZ) and consumer welfare (−5% for Auckland and 1% for NZ). The more pronounced impacts on Auckland are due to the difference in profile emissions (e.g., urban versus rural sectors), fewer low-emission technological alternatives (e.g., rural technologies do not cater to urban sectors' needs), and indirect impacts from importing agricultural products with a higher price tag due to rising GHG prices. This study's contribution in the climate policy literature is to serve as evidence and precedent to carefully evaluate the nuances encountered in complex urban systems when developing national climate policies considering that the number of countries establishing legally binding reduction targets is continually increasing.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 419, 20 September 2023, 138249

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Industry 4.0 technologies and sustainable supply chain practices gained momentum in building a modern and sustainable supply chain. The pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war presented challenges to emerging economies, emphasizing the need for advanced technologies to ensure continuity and improve performance. While previous studies have examined the direct impact of advanced technologies on performance, the integrated effects of these technologies and sustainable practices, as well as their mediating role between Industry 4.0 and sustainable supply chain performance, remain unexplored. To address this gap, a second-order hierarchical component model was developed and tested using partial least square-based structural equation modeling. Construct dimensions and measurement items were determined through literature review and expert input from Bangladesh's readymade garment industries. A survey collected data from experts and supply chain professionals in various readymade garment industries in Bangladesh. The findings indicate that the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies significantly and positively impacts sustainability performance. Additionally, green supply chain management and circular economy practices mediate the influence of Industry 4.0 technologies, contributing to sustainable supply chain performance. This study stands out as one of the few attempts to examine the impact of Industry 4.0 technologies on sustainable supply chain performance, specifically in the context of Bangladeshi readymade garment industries with the application of green supply chain management and circular economy practices. The valuable insights from this study will guide industrial managers and regulatory authorities in implementing advanced technologies and aligning manufacturing practices with sustainable approaches, thus promoting environmental and socio-economic performance.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 419, 20 September 2023, 138175

Abstract

Rebound effects exist when improvements achieved through environmental efficiency initiatives are diminished or even overcompensated, as a result of having encouraged other forms of wastefulness or inefficiency. Extant literature focuses attention on industry and national level rebounds, commonly concluding that related effects are significant. However, despite corporate level claims to comprehensive environmental management practices, less is understood about how rebounds at this level can be measured and managed. A key rebound concern is that the financial savings corporations achieve from environmental efficiency initiatives, might be spent in ways which create further (and possibly greater) environmental damage. This paper argues that adequate accounting approaches are needed to inform management about potential rebounds, and to enable pursuit of cleaner production and sustainable development. A conceptual approach is offered to enable accounting for environmental rebounds, at both the corporate and consumer level. The rebound accounting approach proposed here, offers management opportunities for continuous improvement, through mapping environmental achievements against subsequent rebounds, and documenting and measuring on-going responses to those rebounds.

MÔI TRƯỜNG ĐÔ THỊ

Science of The Total Environment, Volume 889, 1 September 2023, 164202

Abstract

Ultra fine particles (UFP) cover the size range of both nucleation mode particles (NUC, Dp < 25 nm) and Aitken mode particles (AIT, 25 nm < Dp < 100 nm), and play important roles in radiative forcing and human health. In this study, we identified new particle formation (NPF) events and undefined events, explored their potential formation mechanism, and quantified their contributions to UFP number concentration (NUFP) in urban Dongguan of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. Field campaigns were carried out in four seasons in 2019 to measure particle number concentration in the size range of 4.7–673.2 nm, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), gaseous pollutants, chemical compositions in PM2.5, and meteorological parameters. The frequency of the occurrence of NPF, as indicated by a significant increase in NUC number concentration (NNUC), was 26 %, and that of the undefined event, as indicated by substantial increases in NNUC or AIT number concentration (NAIT), was 32 % during the whole campaign period. The NPF events mainly occurred in autumn (with a frequency of 59 %) and winter (33 %) and only occasionally in spring (4 %) and summer (4 %). On the contrary, the frequencies of the undefined events were higher in spring (52 %) and summer (38 %) than in autumn (19 %) and winter (22 %). The burst periods of the NPF events mainly occurred before 11:00 Local Time (LT), while those of the undefined events mainly occurred after 11:00 LT. Accompanied to NPF events were low concentrations of VOCs and high concentrations of O3. The undefined events by NUC or AIT were associated with the upwind transport of newly formed particles. Source apportionment analysis suggested that NPF and undefined events were the largest contributor to NNUC (51 ± 28 %), NAIT (41 ± 26 %), and NUFP (45 ± 27 %), while coal combustion and biomass burning, and traffic emission were the second largest contributor to NNUC (22 ± 20 %) and NAIT (39 ± 28 %), respectively.

Science of The Total Environment, Volume 891, 15 September 2023, 164391

Abstract

Black carbon (BC) has a significantly negative impact on air quality, climate and human health. Here we investigated the sources and health effects of BC in urban area of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) based on online data measured by Aerodyne soot particle high-resolution time of flight aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS). In urban PRD, BC particles mainly came from vehicle emissions especially heavy-duty vehicle exhausts (contributing 42.9 % of total BC mass concentration), long-range transport (27.6 %), and aged biomass combustion emissions (22.3 %). Indicated by source analysis using simultaneous aethalometer data, BC associated with local secondary oxidation and transport may also be originated from fossil fuel combustion, especially traffic sources in urban and surrounding areas. Size-resolved BC mass concentrations provided by SP-AMS, for the first time to our best knowledge, were used to calculate BC deposition in the human respiratory tract (HRT) of different populations (children, adults, and the elderly) by the Multiple-Path Particle Dosimetry (MPPD) model. We found that submicron BC was deposited more in the pulmonary (P) region (49.0–53.2 % of the total BC deposition dose), while less in the tracheobronchial (TB, 35.6–37.2 %) and head (HA, 11.2–13.8 %) regions. Adults suffered the highest BC deposition (1.19 μg day−1) than the elderly (1.09 μg day−1) and children (0.25 μg day−1). BC deposition rate was greater at night (especially 18:00–24:00) than during the daytime. The maximum deposition in the HRT was found for BC particles around 100 nm, mainly in deeper respiratory regions (TB and P), which may cause more serious health effects. Adults and the elderly group are confronted with the notable carcinogenic risk of BC in the urban PRD, up to 29 times higher than the threshold. Our study emphasizes the need to control BC pollution in the urban area, especially nighttime vehicle emissions.

Science of The Total Environment, Volume 887, 20 August 2023, 164048

Abstract

The mutual response between near surface aerosol concentration and surface temperature works in a complicated manner. A recent study has introduced a hypothesis of mutual response between surface temperature and near surface black carbon (BC) mass concentration which states that ‘more fall in morning hour surface temperature (T) contribute to the enhancement of BC fumigation peak after the sunrise which positively impacts the extra rise in mid-day temperature over a region during the day time’. Morning hour surface temperature is proportionally linked with the strength of the night time near surface temperature inversion which contributes to the enhancement of the fumigation peak of BC aerosols after the sunrise and the enhanced fumigation peak can impact the degree of the mid-day surface temperature rise by influencing the instantaneous heating. However, it didn't mention the role of non-BC aerosols. Further, the hypothesis was drawn based on the co-located ground-based observations of surface temperature and BC concentration at a rural location of peninsular India. Though, it was mentioned that the hypothesis can be tested independently of locations, but was not thoroughly validated for an urban environment where the loading of both BC and non-BC aerosols are high. In this context, the first objective of the present work is to methodically test the BC –T hypothesis over an Indian metropolitan city, Kolkata, using the suite of measurements obtained from Kolkata Camp Observatory of NARL (KCON) along with other supporting data. In addition, the validity of the hypothesis for the non-BC fraction of PM2.5 aerosols over the same location is also tested. Besides ascertaining the above-mentioned hypothesis over an urban location, it is found that the enhancement of non-BC PM2.5 aerosols peak after the sunrise can negatively influences the mid-day temperature rise over a region during the day time.

Science of The Total Environment, Volume 888, 25 August 2023, 163439

Abstract

Recently, extreme wildfires have damaged important ecosystems worldwide and have affected urban areas miles away due to long-range transport of smoke plumes. We performed a comprehensive analysis to clarify how smoke plumes from Pantanal and Amazon forests wildfires and sugarcane harvest burning also from interior of the state of São Paulo (ISSP) were transported and injected into the atmosphere of the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP), where they worsened air quality and increased greenhouse gas (GHG) levels. To classify event days, multiple biomass burning fingerprints as carbon isotopes, Lidar ratio and specific compounds ratios were combined with back trajectories modeling. During smoke plume event days in the MASP fine particulate matter concentrations exceeded the WHO standard (>25 μg m−3), at 99 % of the air quality monitoring stations, and peak CO2 excess were 100 % to 1178 % higher than non-event days. We demonstrated how external pollution events such as wildfires pose an additional challenge for cities, regarding public health threats associated to air quality, and reinforces the importance of GHG monitoring networks to track local and remote GHG emissions and sources in urban areas.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 416, 1 September 2023, 137901

Abstract

Scientific analysis and prediction of carbon-neutral pathways can help rationalise the advancement of carbon neutrality goals, but how to apply simulation scenario system modelling to analyse the optimal pathways to achieve carbon neutrality in cities needs further research. By constructing the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP)-Shanghai model and simulating different future policy scenarios based on policy costs and carbon emission constraints, this work proposes an optimal path to achieve carbon neutrality, providing a new perspective for city-level carbon neutrality research. The results show that energy intensity policies and energy structure transformation policies have a significant impact on achieving carbon neutrality, with a synergistic effect when the two policies are combined. Carbon sink policies coupled with energy intensity and energy structure transformation policies also play a significant role. Various policy combinations could lead to a carbon-neutral Shanghai by 2060, with the optimal scenario being a 3.5% average annual reduction in energy intensity and a 6.5% average annual reduction in carbon emissions per unit of energy consumption. The key to achieving carbon neutrality lies in the rapid transition of the tertiary sector, promoting the advancement and application of clean energy technologies, advancing the transformation of nonelectric energy sources to electric energy sources, and promoting biomass energy and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 416, 1 September 2023, 137986

Abstract

Cities play a vital role in tackling sustainability challenges. Smart cities have emerged as solutions to urban sustainability. However, whether smart city practices lead to environmental, economic, and social sustainability outcomes is still not clear. This is due to a lack of thorough knowledge of how local governments have deployed the smart city notion, as well as a lack of holistic evaluation of sustainability outcomes achieved by smart cities. To fill in this gap, this research evaluates whether local implementation of smart cities is associated with sustainability outcomes at the city level. We studied 103 US cities by integrating a sustainability assessment conducted by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network and text mining of city official websites. Our analysis shows that more than 80% of the 103 cities have smart city statements on their websites. In addition, smart cities generally score higher on sustainability outcomes than non-smart cities. Furthermore, when controlling for population size and geographic region, smart city mentions are positively associated with economic sustainability outcomes. However, the relationship between smart city mentions and environmental and social sustainability is not statistically significant. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the prevalence of local governments’ deployment of smart cities, which is scarce at present, and gives novel insight into the relationship between the use of technologies and urban sustainability.

Volume 416, 1 September 2023, 137964, Journal of Cleaner Production

Abstract

This study examines the effect of centralization on firm pollution emissions. Using the datasets of firm-level emission and exploring the city–county merger policy (CCM) in China, we find that as CCM transfers much power from county to city, the pollution emissions of firms located in counties have reduced by 48%. This conclusion is still valid under multiple identification and robustness tests. Further analysis suggests that the vertical reform of the environmental protection agency (direct effect) and the change in county government's targets (indirect effect) are two important mechanisms. Additionally, firm pollution emissions will reduce more in counties that easily implement this policy. Our findings have important policy suggestions. First, to effectively solve the negative externalities of environmental pollution, government should reform the EPA. Power centralization of environmental regulation promotes environmental protection. Second, the central government should add more environmental protection factors in local officials' promotion evaluation system. Thus, the local officials will be aware that they should focus more on protecting the ecological environment while developing the economy.

Science of The Total Environment, Volume 892, 20 September 2023, 163867

Abstract

Artificial sweeteners (ASs) are emerging contaminants in the environment, primarily derived from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents. In this study, the influents and effluents of three WWTPs in the Dalian urban area, China, were analyzed for the distribution of 8 typical ASs to investigate their seasonal fluctuations in the WWTPs. The results showed that acesulfame (ACE), sucralose (SUC), cyclamate (CYC), and saccharin (SAC) were both detected in the influent and effluent water samples of WWTPs, with concentrations ranging from not detected (ND) to 14.02 μg·L−1. In addition, SUC was the most abundant ASs type, accounting for 40 %–49 % and 78 %–96 % of the total ASs in the influent and effluent water, respectively. The WWTPs revealed high removal efficiencies of CYC, SAC, and ACE, while the SUC removal efficiency was poor (26 % ± 36 %). The ACE and SUC concentrations were higher in spring and summer, and all ASs showed lower levels in winter, which may be caused by the high consumption of ice-cream in warmer months. The per capita ASs loads in the WWTPs were determined in this study based on the wastewater analysis results. The calculated per capita daily mas loads for individual ASs ranged from 0.45 g·d−1·1000p−1 (ACE) to 2.04 g·d−1·1000p−1 (SUC). In addition, the relationship between per capita ASs consumption and socioeconomic status showed no significant correlation.

Science of The Total Environment, Volume 887, 20 August 2023, 163969

Abstract

Background

Few studies have explored the role of body composition linking air pollution to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Objective

To estimate the effects of air pollution on body composition and OSA, and that of body composition on OSA.

Methods

This study included 3550 individuals. A spatiotemporal model estimated personal exposure. Nocturnal changes in body composition were assessed through bioelectric impedance analysis. OSA was diagnosed using polysomnography. A generalized linear model was used to evaluate the absolute nocturnal changes in body composition associated with an interquartile range (IQR) increase in pollutants. A generalized logistic model was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) of mild-OSA compared to non-OSA. Association between body composition and apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) was investigated through partial least squares (PLS) regression.

Results

Nocturnal changes in lower-limb body composition were associated with NO2 and PM2.5 in all patients. In participants with AHI <15, both short- and long-term NO2 exposures affected body composition and mild-OSA, while PM2.5 was not associated with either outcome. In a PLS model incorporating eight NO2-associated lower-limb parameters, the variable importance projection scores (VIP) of left leg impedance (LLIMP), predicted muscle mass (LLPMM), fat-free mass (LLFFM), and right leg impedance (RLIMP) exceeded 1; the corresponding coefficients ranked in the top four for AHI prediction. The adjusted OR (mild vs. non-OSA) was 1.67 (95 % CI: 1.36–2.03) associated with an IQR increase in prediction value estimated from body compositions. Notably, the two-pollutant model investigating the effects of pollutants on body compositions revealed associations of four parameters (LLIMP, LLPMM, LLFFM, and RLIMP) with NO2 in all lags, which indicates their indispensability in the association between NO2 and AHI.

Conclusions

NO2 exacerbates mild-OSA by disrupting nocturnal changes in lower-limb body composition of patients with AHI <15. PM2.5 was associated with nocturnal changes in lower-limb body composition but not with mild-OSA.

Science of The Total Environment, Volume 887, 20 August 2023, 164144

Abstract

Small playgrounds situated within residential communities are popular recreational areas. However, heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) in soil or equipment dust may pose a public health risk. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the health risk associated with HMs exposure at residential playgrounds in cities, a field that has not been thoroughly investigated previously. 70 soil and 70 equipment dust samples were collected from 30 urban and 40 suburban playgrounds in Beijing. Results indicated significant enrichment of Cu, As, and Ni in the soil with Enrichment Factors (EFs) >5 from both anthropogenic and lithogenic sources. Correlation analyses showed that the levels of Be, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni in soil and Be, Mn, As, Cd in dust were positively correlated with the distance to the nearest highway, with p-values < 0.01. Enrichment and correlation analyses contributed to a better understanding of the sources and transport pathways of HMs in urban environment. Based on a site-specific Conceptual Site Model (CSM), the carcinogenic risks (CRs) and Hazard Quotients (HQs) were quantified for residents as the ratio of HMs exposure to reference doses. Risk assessment indicated the mean predicted CR for children and adults exposed to soil was 3.75 × 10−6 and 5.29 × 10−6, respectively, while that at dust exposure scenarios was lower, at 2.47 × 10−6 and 3.49 × 10−6, respectively, all of which were at the upper end of U.S. EPA's acceptable criteria of 1 × 10−6 to 1 × 10−4. Among the HMs, As and Ni were identified as the priority control contaminants due to significant contribution to CRs. Furthermore, the spatial distribution revealed an increasing trend in health risk from the urban center to the suburbs. This study emphasizes the need for effective measures to mitigate potential health risk and enhance the safety of recreational areas, particularly for susceptible individuals.

Chemosphere, Volume 335, September 2023, 139071

Abstract

Current spatial-temporal early warning systems aim to predict outdoor air quality in urban areas either at short or long temporal horizons. These systems implemented architectures without considering the geographical distribution of each air quality monitoring station, increasing the uncertainty of the forecasting framework. This study developed an integrated spatiotemporal forecasting architecture incorporating an extensive air quality PM2.5 monitoring network and simultaneously forecasts PM2.5 concentrations at all locations, allowing the monitoring of the health risk associated with exposure to these levels. First, this study uses a graph convolutional layer to incorporate the spatial relationship of the neighboring stations at their current state with real-time measurements. Then, it is coupled to a deep learning temporal model to form the long- and short-term time-series graph convolutional network (LSTGraphNet) model, anticipating high pollutant concentration events. This work tested the proposed model with a case study of an existing ambient air quality monitoring network in South Korea. LSTGraphNet model showed prediction performances of PM2.5 at multiple monitoring stations with a mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.82 μg/m3, 4.46 μg/m3, and 4.87 μg/m3 for forecasting horizons of one, three, and 6 h ahead, respectively. Compared to conventional sequential models, this architecture was superior among the state-of-the-art baselines, where the MAE decreased to 41%, respectively. The results of the study showed that the proposed architecture was superior to conventional sequential models and could be used as a tool for decision-making in smart cities by revealing hotspots of higher and lower PM2.5 concentrations in the long term.

Chemosphere, Volume 334, September 2023, 139001

Abstract

To understand the characteristics, source apportionment, and regional transport of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ozone (O3) in a typical city with severe air pollution in central China, we observed and analyzed 115 VOC species at an urban site in Zhengzhou from 29 July to 26 September 2021. During this period, observation- and emission-based approaches revealed that Zhengzhou was in a VOC-limited regime. The average concentration of total VOCs (TVOCs) was 162.25 ± 71.42 μg/m3, dominated by oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs, 34.49%), alkanes (24.29%), and aromatics (19.49%). Six VOC sources were identified using positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, including paint solvent usage (25.32%), secondary production (24.11%), industrial production (19.22%), vehicle exhaust (16.18%), biogenic emission (8.87%), and combustion (6.30%). To assess the regional contribution and source apportionment of VOCs and O3, Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions (CAMx) with the Ozone Source Apportionment Technology (OSAT) was used for simulation. Results showed that the VOCs were significantly affected by local emissions (about 70%), while O3 was mainly attributed to regional and super-regional transport. Regarding multi-directional regional transport of VOCs and O3, dominant contributions were from the northeast and east-northeast directions, and O3 contributions were also predominantly from the east and east-southeast directions. In terms of source apportionment, the transportation and industrial sectors (including solvent usage) were the major contributors to O3 and VOCs. To alleviate VOCs and O3 pollution, transportation and industrial emission reduction should be strengthened, and regional coordination, especially from the northeast to east-southeast directions, should be emphasized in addition to local management.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 419, 20 September 2023, 138230

Abstract

Rapid urbanization has contributed to urban heat islands, which can potentially lead to increased energy consumption and carbon emissions, further worsening global warming. The U-shaped street canyon is one of the leading causes of urban heat islands, which may block air circulation and lead to urban heat accumulation. The canyon heat issues can be usually mitigated by nature-based solutions, such as street trees. It is important to increase the greenery space benefits (e.g., cooling effect of trees) with limited canyon space. However, there is an absence of refined greenery space design strategy in various street canyons. This work explored the quantitative design of greenery space (e.g., tree spacing) in different street canyons with complex morphological characteristics, in order to effectively improve co-benefits of trees and mitigate urban heat islands. Eighteen morphological types were considered, including symmetrical & asymmetrical shallow, ideal, and deep street canyons. Co-benefit considering cost of different tree spacings were analyzed, to maximize the benefits of cooling effect and carbon sequestration at minimal nurturing cost. Compared with street canyons without trees, ideal street canyon with tree spacing of 0.2W (W is canyon width) achieved the maximum temperature reduction of 6 °C. The positive correlation between tree spacing and co-benefits was found. The maximum co-benefits of street canyon trees occurred at tree spacing of less than 0.7W, which was largely increased by about 14% compared with 0.2W. This work can provide the guideline for efficient greenery space design, which is crucial for mitigating urban heat islands by nature-based solutions.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 419, 20 September 2023, 138051

Abstract

Promoting the coupled development of water, energy, and food (WEF) subsystems is a critical step to enhance synergies and increase efficiencies in the WEF nexus. However, the evolution and obstacles of coupled development are largely ignored. This study developed a framework dividing links in the nexus to select indicators and integrated models for the degree of coordination and obstacle diagnosis to explore the coupled development of the WEF nexus from 2000 to 2020 in the water-scarce megacities of Beijing and Tianjin. The results show that the average coordination degree of the WEF nexus in Beijing (0.315) and Tianjin (0.317) is at a low level, indicating a limited interaction between the WEF subsystems, while the coordinated development degree of the WEF nexus is increasing. The order degree of the WEF subsystems shows a two-level hierarchical structure, indicating that both similarities and differences are included in place-specific characteristics. Furthermore, obstacle factors are identified from water and energy subsystems, in which environmental water use (W3) and the energy consumption per gross domestic production unit (E4) played the most significant roles and require a higher priority in policy response. The results in this paper complement obstacle factor analysis in WEF nexus practice, and provide operational indicators for nexus governance.

Science of The Total Environment, Volume 891, 15 September 2023, 164600

Abstract

Ibuprofen and acetaminophen as two anti-fever agents have been widely used in human. Due to lack of full understanding, this work firstly summarized their occurrence and fate in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) across 30 countries. The respective influent concentrations of ibuprofen and acetaminophen were not detected (ND)-39,830,000 and ND-66440000 ng/L, while their corresponding respective effluent concentrations were ND-58710 and ND-90500 ng/L. The removal efficiencies of ibuprofen and acetaminophen in municipal WWTPs were 6.5–100 % and 14.3–100 % with respective average removal efficiencies of 87.6 % and 94.7 %. There have been many batch studies on ibuprofen biodegradation with kbio values available, while such investigation for acetaminophen was very limited. The theoretically calculated removal efficiency of ibuprofen with kbio agreed well with that of the observed average removal efficiency of on-site investigations on full-scale WWTP, which was quite different from natural estrogens and some other emerging contaminants. One possible reason is that conjugated ibuprofen could be easily cleaved and the cleavage step gives little effect on the biodegradation of ibuprofen. Due to extremely high concentrations of ibuprofen and acetaminophen in influent of municipal WWTP, their concentration levels in effluent likely high enough to pose adverse effects on some aquatic organisms. To protect water environment, advanced treatment is necessary to further remove residue ibuprofen and acetaminophen in the effluent. To the best of our knowledge, this is the systematical summarization on the occurrence and fate of ibuprofen and acetaminophen in municipal WWTP as well as their potential effect on aquatic organisms, which addressed known knowledge and unknowns to be further investigated.

Science of The Total Environment, Volume 890, 10 September 2023, 164248

Abstract

The illicit connection of sewage pipes to stormwater pipes commonly occurs in urban stormwater systems. This brings problems that sewage might be directly discharges into natural water and even drinking water sources without treatment, posing risks to ecological safety. Sewage contains various unknown dissolved organic matter (DOM), which could react with disinfectants and lead to the formation of carcinogenic disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Thus, understanding the impacts of illicit connections on downstream water quality is of significance. This study firstly investigated the characteristics of DOM using fluorescence spectroscopy and the formation of DBPs after chlorination in an urban stormwater drainage system in the case of illicit connections. The results found that the concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and dissolved organic nitrogen ranged from 2.6 to 14.9 mg/L and from 1.8 to 12.6 mg/L, respectively, with the highest levels occurring at the illicit connection points. Concerning DBP precursors, pipe illicit connections introduced considerable precursors of highly toxic haloacetaldehydes and haloacetonitriles into the stormwater pipes. Furthermore, illicit connections introduced more contents of tyrosine-like and tryptophan-like aromatic proteins, which may be related to foods, nutrients, personal care products, etc. in the untreated sewage. This indicated that the urban stormwater drainage system was a significant input source of DOM and DBP precursors to natural water. The results of this study are of great significance for protecting the security of water sources and promoting the sustainability of urban water environment.

MÔI TRƯỜNG KHU CÔNG NGHIỆP

Science of The Total Environment, Volume 891, 15 September 2023, 164578

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) is one of the desirable nutrient elements for the growing of crops and is a non-renewable resource. The over-exploitation of high-grade phosphate rocks makes finding alternative P sources urgent for a sustainable and stable P supply. Steelmaking slag has been considered a potential P source due to its huge production and the increasing P content in slag with the utilization of low-grade iron ores. If the efficient separation of P from steelmaking slag is achieved, the obtained P can be used as the raw material for phosphate products, and the P-removal steelmaking slag can be reused as a metallurgical flux in steel plants, realizing the comprehensive utilization of steelmaking slag. To better understand the separation method and mechanism of P from steelmaking slag, this paper reviews: (1) the enrichment mechanism of P in steelmaking slag, (2) the methods of the P-rich phase separation from slag and P recovery, and (3) facilitating the enrichment of P in the mineral phase by cooling treatment and modification. Furthermore, some industrial solid wastes were selected as modifiers for steelmaking slag, which not only provided several valuable components but also significantly reduced treatment costs. Hence, a collaborative processing of steelmaking slag and other P-bearing industrial solid wastes is proposed, providing a new solution for P recovery and the comprehensive utilization of industrial solid wastes, achieving the sustainable development of steel and phosphate industries.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 420, 25 September 2023, 138327

Abstract

Industrial waste encompasses all types of waste generated from industrial, manufacturing, and mining activities. To minimize adverse environmental impacts, industrial waste can be effectively managed through implementingsmart technologies. The present study aimed to identify the challenges of industrial waste management and propose smart solutions to effectively manage these challenges. The findings derived from a systematic literature review indicate that the challenges of industrial waste management can be classified into five dimensions within the STEEGO model. By evaluating the weights of each dimension using the HF-BWM method, the "organizational” dimension, with a weight of 0.27, was found to be the severest challenge, while the "technological” dimension, with a weight of 0.347, was considered to be the most probable challenge. Furthermore, the findings from conceptual modeling, using the TISM method, show that the primary challenges in industrial waste management include: "a lack of culture for effective waste management”, "insufficient training on legal waste drainage and proper waste digestion”, and "a lack of specific technical instructions for refining and recycling." To overcome these challenges, smart solutions have been proposed. The result of the HF-QFD method indicate that the most important solution is "constructing smart infrastructure for proper waste management”, with a score of 0.27.

The novelty of this study lies in the theoretical development of the model for the challenges of industrial waste management by applying the "organizational” dimension, considering both biological and physical aspects in the "environmental” dimension, identifying smart solutions to overcome the challenges for cleaner industrial waste systems, as well as using smart industrial waste management technologies in different industries.

Our results emphasize that, given the type of waste, industry managers should employ specific smart technologies for disposing and recycling industrial waste. This approach can prevent the loss of raw materials and protect the environment from various types of waste.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 416, 1 September 2023, 137863

Abstract

The oil and gas (O&G) industry generates pollutants from the exploration, refining, transportation, storage, and consumption of crude oil products that potentially pollute soil, aquatic environments, and ecosystem. They produce high quantities of gas pollutants, produced water, and other complex organic contaminants. These pollutants are associated with environmental risks, disrupt the well-being of humans, and are fatally hazardous. In fact, the release of pollutants leads to the displacement of animals and the loss of arable land for agricultural purposes. In addition, their influence on the surrounding environment is detrimental to global safety, as described by the World Health Organization (WHO). Controlling these pollutants below the standard emission limits set by global environmental regulations to achieve a safe and sustainable environment is crucial. Herein, the policies related to oil and gas pollution and the harmful effects of O&G pollutants have been reviewed. Also, the applications of catalytic and adsorption technologies in removing O&G pollutants have been discussed. Notably, the roles of novel catalysts and adsorbents in activating and converting harmful O&G pollutants into environment-friendly and value-added products have been highlighted. In addition, this review discusses the prospects of renewable energy technologies in mitigating waste pollutants related to O&G. Moreover, future research directions and useful scientific recommendations have been provided to stimulate further progress aimed at mitigating the harmful effects of O&G pollutants.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 417, 10 September 2023, 137855

Abstract

Technological innovation is an important solution that can help improve environmental efficiency. However, the role of technological renovation in enhancing environmental efficiency has been ignored. This study provided initial evidence of the effects of cleaner production audits in China on manufacturing firms' environmental efficiency, which was measured by the emissions of sulfur dioxide and chemical oxygen demand per total output. Cleaner production audits were used as exogenous shocks. Their impact was estimated using the staggered difference-in-difference method combined with samples of ever-treated or never-treated firms using propensity score matching. The findings showed that firms that conducted cleaner production audits (vs. those that did not) experienced 4.7% and 11.9% reductions in the emission intensities of sulfur dioxide and chemical oxygen demand, respectively. Cleaner production audit implementation significantly improved firms' environmental efficiency. Additionally, a heterogeneous analysis showed that non-heavy polluters, small and medium-sized firms, and non-state-owned firms demonstrated the most improvement in environmental efficiency. Finally, the mechanism analysis results showed that firms' technological renovation in the production process is the main solution for improving environmental efficiency. This is a feasible and cost-effective way of reducing resource consumption and pollutant emissions. Accordingly, a cleaner production audit plan for different countries should be formulated with a focus on technological renovation in the production process. It should entail clean-cut incentives to stimulate firms to perform technological innovation, thereby continuously improving firms' environmental efficiency. This study sheds light on the environmental impact of cleaner production audits and regulated firms’ choices between technological renovation and innovation.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 417, 10 September 2023, 137466

Abstract

Cement industry is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions accounting for about 7% of global CO2 emission. As global cement demand continues to rise exponentially, the industry is taking numerous effective steps to meet net-zero emission targets by limiting global warming to 1.5 °C by the end of the century and improve the ecological system. Worldwide, about 2.9 billion tons of CO2 were emitted in 2021 from cement production and the industries are expected to achieve the net-zero target by 2050. The reduction of CO2 emission remains a major challenge for the cement industry as the manufacturing processes and the current infrastructure allow little margin for the reduction in CO2 emission, considering the age-old and conventional Portland cement chemistry. To achieve a net-zero emission target, several effective measures are being explored to mitigate CO2 emissions from cement industries, viz., use of alternative fuels, reducing clinker-to-cement ratio, improving energy efficiency, carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) techniques etc. Apart from these, production of low-carbon cement different from Portland clinker chemistry has the potential to make a big difference in mitigating CO2 emission. Carbonatable calcium silicate-based cement, is found to be a promising alternative to OPC and reduces about 70% of total CO2 emission from cement production. This paper thoroughly reviews the different low-carbon emission approaches (both direct and indirect) such as reducing clinker factor, lowering the clinkerization temperature by using fluxes and mineralizers (such as CaF2, BaO, SnO2, P2O5, Na2O, NiO, ZnO etc), producing low temperature clinker, use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in concrete and capturing the emitted CO2 through mineral carbonation, direct air capture (DAC) etc for future alternative low-carbon cements. Various commercialized technologies for reducing CO2 emissions (CarbonCure, Solidia, Heidelberg, Novacem, Carbicrete and CO2-SUICOM) with their technology readiness levels (TRLs) are also discussed.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 418, 15 September 2023, 137918

Abstract

The carbon peaking and carbon neutrality strategy have become China's national strategy. Given the significant regional differences in China, the Chinese government has proposed "one policy for one province” guiding principle for carbon emission reduction. This study takes Tianjin as a representative of "a province-level city with high degree of industrialization and prominent emerging industries”, and Gansu Province a representative of "a province with a low degree of industrialization but the potential for green energy”. Using the integrated modeling frameworkthis study conducts a comparative analysis of the hidden flows generated by inter-provincial inward and outward transfers and extracts a feasible model for carbon neutrality transformation. The study also focuses on carbon emission, GDP changes, carbon hidden flow change in trade and carbon emission reduction path. By comparing the results, this study identifies the mechanism of the industrial spillover effect and carbon emission spillover effect between the two regions. Then it concludes the "cross-regional transfer mode of high-carbon industries” of industrial carbon neutral transformation: more carbon emission allowances are allocated to developing regions represented by Gansu Province, implement regionally differentiated carbon emission reduction constraint policies, and achieve industrial spatial transfer through more inter-provincial transfer. The paper found that in implementing a regionally differentiated carbon emission reduction constraint policy (DE scenario), the transfer of high-carbon industries can achieve the "superposition effect” through inter-provincial transfer. Accordingly, three carbon policy mechanisms for cross-regional transfer of high-carbon industries are summarized.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 418, 15 September 2023, 138112

Abstract

Environmental regulation, as a safe line of defense for the ecological environment, is an important practical exploration to guide green innovation and to promote high-quality development of enterprise. This research examines the impact of environmental regulation on high-quality development of enterprise and the realization path based on the data of Chinese A-share listed enterprises from 2010 to 2020. The fixed-effect model reveals a significant positive correlation between environmental regulation and high-quality development of enterprise. Moreover, the chain intermediation model is used to examine the realization path. Specifically, environmental regulation hinders enterprises' green management innovation and thus has a negative impact on high-quality development of enterprise, which is manifested as a masking effect. Environmental regulation has a positive impact on the high-quality development of enterprise through enhancing green technology innovation or the intermediation chain of "promoting green technology innovation - driving green management innovation". Heterogeneity analysis reveals that environmental regulation has a facilitating effect on the high-quality development of enterprises for non-state-owned enterprises, and enterprises within the carbon emission trading pilot areas. In addition, environmental regulation has the strongest promoting effect on high-quality development of enterprise in the mature stage, followed by the growth stage. The research provides actionable paths for the government to optimize the institutional system of ecological environment construction and accelerate the modernization process of environmental governance.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 418, 15 September 2023, 138166

Abstract

The linkages between CO2 and air pollutant mitigations in the steel industry, including synergies and trade-offs, have significant spatial heterogeneities. Previous research has only investigated the linkages at the industrial level and overlooked the spatial heterogeneity features, which hinders the precise decision making on mitigation strategies. This study quantifies the linkages between CO2, SO2, NOx, and PM mitigations across cities in China's steel industry. A database of 3689 steel production units is established to calculate the emissions. Then, the linkages of mitigation targets of each city are quantified by setting the tailored mitigation pathways in 2019–2035. The results show that the emissions are highly spatially heterogeneous, as the top five contributing cities account for 27.7–33.2% of the total emissions of China's steel industry, but their emission efficiencies are not necessarily worse than the average. The mitigation pathways cause two-sided relationships, as 138 cities will earn mitigation co-benefits to varying degrees, but other 11 cities show the trade-offs. In addition, the mitigation pathway will lead to the highest economic costs as 51.2 billion CNY/a, bringing heavy economic burdens to some cities. This study enriches the co-mitigation management theory and supports the formulation of spatially differentiated mitigation targets and measures.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 418, 15 September 2023, 138074

Abstract

In the current context of air pollution control, inconsistent interest demands from various stakeholders hinder efficient cooperative governance. This study developed a tripartite evolutionary game model to examine the decision-making mechanism of enterprises, the public, and the governments involved in China’s air pollution control process. Using theoretical and simulation analysis, the study identifies critical factors of stakeholders' strategies and propose possible evolution paths for achieving collaborative air pollution control. The results showed that collaborative governance among the three stakeholders is the optimal path for air pollution control in China, which evolves through four stages: government regulation, enterprises' pollution control, public participation, and government withdrawal. Currently, China is currently in a transitional period from public participation to government withdrawal and should focus on introducing subsidy policies to encourage green technology innovation among enterprises, strengthen environmental information disclosure, and establish and improve public participation mechanisms. In the future, China should prioritize the construction of public participation channels, incentivize green technology innovation, and focus on synergistic effect of carbon emission reduction among enterprises. This will help achieve the possible government withdrawal stage where joint governance of the public and enterprises can effectively control air pollution, allowing the government to shift focus to other important environmental issues such as carbon emission reduction.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 418, 15 September 2023, 138213

Abstract

Coal pyrolysis wastewater pretreatment suffers from equipment fouling and inferior mass transfer efficiency brought by low emulsified oil removal efficiency. This paper comprehensively analyzed the properties of emulsified oil and found this inadequacies attribute to its high stability and penetrability derived from high ζ potential of −33.1 mV and tiny average particle size of 114.7 nm in initial condition. H3O+ adjustment is developed to compress diffusion layer thickness and facilitate natural coalescence of emulsified oil droplets. Results of H2SO4 acidification present the peaks of average particle size sustainably stabilized between 782.9 and 1009.0 nm and emulsified oil was mostly coagulated and subsequently settled/floated without further treatment. CO2 was selected as a suitable donor of H3O+ to improve application potential, and flocculants was coupled with pressurized dissolved CO2 to intensify emulsified oil removal whose optimal efficiency achieved 93.82 wt% by changing flocculant types and operation conditions. Response surface analysis results introduced emulsified oil removal efficiency reached 95.17 wt% at PAC concentration of 1065 mg/L, CPAM concentration of 20 mg/L and operating pressure of 0.67 MPag. For renovation projects with limitations, the optimal emulsified oil removal efficiency achieved 94.33 wt% at PAC concentration of 1032 mg/L, CPAM concentration of 21 mg/L and operating pressure of 0.60 MPag. Process simulation of sour gas and ammonia stripper signified that CO2 addition has little effect on current industrial process. By comparison, the proposed approach performs high efficiency, low impact to wastewater, strong feasibility, and great prospect in pretreatment.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 419, 20 September 2023, 138219

Abstract

Biochar has been increasingly used in the production of cementitious materials due to its low cost, low-carbon emission, and environmental benefits. This study provides a comprehensive review on the effect of biochar on the performance of cementitious composites, focusing on mechanical properties, durability properties, and carbon-sequestration capacity. It has been observed that the use of biochar can improve the mechanical strength, thermal, and electromagnetic performance of hardened biochar-cement composites. The optimum cement replacement with biochar is 1–2 wt% (by weight) for enhancing the compressive and flexural strength. Additionally, the addition of biochar can improve the resistance to sulphate attacks, chloride-induced corrosion, shrinkage, and permeability of biochar-cement composites. Biochar also has the potential to reduce the permeability of concrete, and no significant differences were observed in permeability reduction for biochar processed at different pyrolysis temperatures. The positive effect of biochar (up to 5 wt%) on durability improvement is attributed to enhanced hydration and physical filling, resulting in a denser microstructure that prevents the penetration of ions and water. This study also discusses the impact of biochar on carbon sequestration capacity, demonstrating its ability to enhance the carbon-sequestration capacity of biochar-based concrete. In conclusion, while the mechanical properties of concrete with biochar have been extensively investigated, future research is needed to explore the long-term durability properties under different environmental conditions. Moreover, there is a growing demand for low-carbon concrete that utilizes carbon-negative materials to enhance performance and resilience.

Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 419, 20 September 2023, 138105

Abstract

A simulation model for water treatment plant sludge management was proposed, based on the system dynamics approach. This model can be extended to the sludge management of a sanitation system (WTP + WWTP). The model is useful for the selection of the best destination for the sludge generated in treatment plants based on the various changes that a decision can have throughout the operation of the sanitation system. The applicability of the proposed model was tested in a case study of WTPs 3 and 4 and the Anhumas Wastewater Treatment Plant located in Campinas, the main city of the Piracicaba, Capivari and Jundiaí river basin, an important area of water resource management in Brazil. The developed model can be used by treatment plants to: select the best final destination option according to treatment technologies; select the best location for final disposal, considering transport, disposal and storage costs; verify the influence on treatment costs to adapt to a pre-defined final destination for joint management; or compare beneficial disposal costs with landfill disposal costs. The model was developed to allow for gradual increase in acceptance of the residue over time. By establishing this variable, slightly lower final costs were observed in the scenario of sending the sludge with aluminum coagulant to ceramic industries, compared to sending it to landfill, in the case study used for model development. Despite the interesting results, these values should be considered only indicative. Therefore, it can be stated that the major challenge to using the SD model is the accurate and appropriate data collection for correct simulation, as well as its historical series, for accurate evaluation of the viability of the model. The proposed simulation methods showed greater sensitivity to treatment costs, highlighting the importance of beneficial use of the proposed sludge to the technologies employed for water and sludge treatment.

Science of The Total Environment, Volume 889, 1 September 2023, 164098

Abstract

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are significant pollutants generated during the processes of petroleum refining and chemical production. Aromatic hydrocarbons, in particular, pose a great risk to human health. Nevertheless, unorganized emissions of VOCs from typical aromatics units remain poorly studied and reported. Therefore, it is vital to achieve precise control over aromatic hydrocarbons while managing VOCs. In this study, two typical aromatics production devices in petrochemical enterprises, namely aromatics extraction devices and ethylbenzene devices, were selected. The fugitive emissions of VOCs from the process pipelines in the units were investigated. Samples were collected and transferred using the EPA bag sampling method and HJ 644 and analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The results indicated that a total of 112 VOCs were emitted during the six rounds of sampling in the two types of devices, with alkanes (61 %), aromatic hydrocarbons (24 %), and olefins (8 %) being the primary types of VOCs emitted. The results also revealed the unorganized emissions characteristic substances of VOCs in the two types of devices, with slight differences in the types of VOCs emitted. The study found significant differences in the detection concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbons and olefins, as well as the types of detected chlorinated organic compounds (CVOCs), between the two sets of aromatics extraction units in distinct regions. These differences were closely related to the processes and leakages in the devices and can be effectively controlled by enhancing leak detection and repair (LDAR) and other measures. This article offers guidance for compiling VOCs emission inventories and improving the management of VOCs emissions in petrochemical enterprises by refining the source spectrum at the device scale. The findings are significant for analyzing VOCs unorganized emission factors and promoting safe production in enterprises.

Chemosphere, Volume 336, September 2023, 139208

Abstract

UV and solar-based photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) as an organic contaminant in ceramics industry wastewater by ZnS and Fe-doped ZnS NPs was the focus of this research. Nanoparticles were prepared using a chemical precipitation process. The cubic, closed-packed structure of undoped ZnS and Fe-doped ZnS NPs was formed in spherical clusters, according to XRD and SEM investigations. According to optical studies, the optical band gaps of pure ZnS and Fe-doped ZnS nanoparticles are 3.35 and 2.51 eV, respectively, and Fe doping increased the number of carriers with high mobility, improved carrier separation and injection efficiency, and increased photocatalytic activity under UV or visible light. Doping of Fe increased the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes and facilitated charge transfer, according to electrochemical impedance spectroscopy investigations. Photocatalytic degradation studies revealed that in the present pure ZnS and Fe-doped ZnS nanoparticles, 100% treatment of 120 mL of 15 mg/L phenolic compound was obtained after 55- and 45-min UV-irradiation, respectively, and complete treatment was attained after 45 and 35-min solar light irradiation, respectively. Because of the synergistic effects of effective surface area, more effective photo-generated electron and hole separation efficiency, and enhanced electron transfer, Fe-doped ZnS demonstrated high photocatalytic degradation performance. The study of Fe-doped ZnS's practical photocatalytic treatment capability for removing 120 mL of 10 mg/L 2,4-DCP solution made from genuine ceramic industrial wastewater revealed Fe-doped ZnS's excellent photocatalytic destruction of 2,4-DCP from real industrial wastewater.

Chemosphere, Volume 336, September 2023, 139162

Abstract

Reverse osmosis (RO) is one of the most fundamental membrane technology because it has higher salt rejections, which suffers from the issue of membrane fouling, as the membrane is inevitably exposed to foulants during the filtration process. For different fouling mechanisms of RO membrane, physical and chemical cleaning are widely used in the control of RO membrane fouling. The present study investigated the performance and water flux recovery using osmotic cleaning to clean the typical inorganic and organic foulants on RO membrane for textile printing and dyeing wastewater treatment. The effects of operation conditions (i.e., the concentration of cleaning solution, the filtrating time and cleaning time, and the flow rate of cleaning solution) on relative water flux recovery were examined. The results show that a highly water flux recovery (98.3% for cleaning of inorganic fouling and 99.6% for cleaning of organic fouling) was achieved under optimal operation of the concentration and flow rate of cleaning solution and the filtrating and cleaning time. Moreover, the experiment of repeated "filtrating-cleaning” cycles indicated that the osmotic cleaning has highly performance of recoverability of water flux (over 95.0%) can be extended in a relatively long time. The experimental results and changes on SEM and AFM images of RO membrane confirmed the successful development and application of osmotic cleaning for inorganic and organic fouling of RO membrane.

Science of The Total Environment, Volume 891, 15 September 2023, 164693

Abstract

Caving mining method could lead to massive waste rocks hauled to surface while leaving a large void in underground. This would eventually result in the surface subsidence and damage to the environment and surface infrastructures. In this study, we proposed three different backfilling methodologies to minimise the surface subsidence being 1) 100 % mining and 100 % backfilling (method 1); 2) leaving one slice of coal between two backfilled slices (method 2) and 3) leaving one slice of coal between one backfilled slice (method 3). The backfilling materials are made of waste rock, fly ash and cement and the optimal ratio has been found through the test program designed based on the orthogonal experiment design method. The strength of the backfilling paste is 3.22 MPa at the axial strain 0.033. The mine scale numerical simulation has also been conducted and it was concluded that the method 1 would lead to 0.098 m roof deformation in underground roadway whereas the method 2 and method 3 only induced a roof deformation around 32.7 % and 17.3 % of that induced by the method 1, respectively. All three methodologies have been approved to minimise the roof deformation and disturbance to the rock by mining operations. At last, the surface subsidence has been scientifically evaluated based on the probability integration method of surface movement. It indicated that the surface subsidence, horizontal movement, inclined movement and curvature of rock surrounding the panel void were all below the minimum value required by regulation. This confirmed that the selected backfilling mining is able to ensure the integrity of the surface infrastructures. This technology provides a new way to control the surface subsidence caused by coal mining.