Search Results (14,483)

This article examines how grassroots civic mobilization can drive the transition from solid fuel combustion to low-emission urban heating systems, using the Kraków Smog Alert (KSA) as a case study. Employing the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) framework alongside sociological theories of resource mobilization, frame analysis, and political opportunity structures, the study analyses the mechanisms through which civil society actors can shape energy policy and accelerate emission reduction at the urban scale. The empirical focus is the city of Kraków, Poland, historically one of Europe’s most severely air-polluted cities due to widespread domestic coal and wood combustion for heating. The study draws on documentary analysis, legislative records, stakeholder mapping, and expert interviews conducted within the CO-SUSTAIN research project (Horizon Europe, 2024–2026). The investigation traces KSA’s trajectory from a social media initiative founded in 2012 to the Polish Smog Alert, a national coalition encompassing nearly fifty local groups, culminating in a binding municipal ban on solid fuel combustion in 2019 and a subsequent reduction in PM2.5 concentrations exceeding 60% by 2023. Key strategic mechanisms identified include reactive scaling, health-based reframing of air quality as a public health issue, media amplification, and cooperative institutional engagement with regulatory bodies. An MLP chronological analysis spanning 1945 to 2024 maps landscape, regime, and niche dynamics that enabled the anti-smog energy transition; stakeholder mapping spans actors across NGOs, public institutions, media, and civil society. Findings demonstrate that landscape-level pressure from EU air quality and environmental protection directives alone was insufficient to drive regime change in domestic fuel use without credible, evidence-based niche actors capable of building alliances with institutional stakeholders. The findings offer transferable insights for coal-dependent cities across Central and Eastern Europe seeking to replace solid fuel heating with low-emission alternatives through integrated approaches combining environmental monitoring, energy policy reform, and civic governance. These findings matter for cities across Central and Eastern Europe still reliant on solid-fuel domestic heating, offering evidence-based guidance for civil society organizations and municipal policymakers seeking to accelerate the low-emission transition while protecting public health. Full article

The study was conducted in subalpine karst and in lowland karst in Slovenia—Lake Bohinj, Lake Bled, Mt Komna, Lesce, Rižana Spring, and Malni Spring. Both lakes are karst lakes of glacio-tectonic origin, with Lake Bled being one of the largest tourist attractions in Slovenia. The lakes were sampled along different transects. We also collected two sediment samples from Lake Bohinj and one sediment sample from Lake Bled. On the other hand, we sampled two biggest karst springs in Slovenia that are used as sources of drinking water for up to 120,000 people during the peak tourist season on the Slovenian coast. In the FTIR-ATR analysis of the particles, we found mainly PA polymers in all samples, closely followed by copolymers and resins. Lake samples also contained larger amounts of PP, while the spring samples contained more rubber polymers. Of the two lakes, Lake Bohinj was the most polluted, with 0.684 MPs/m³ being the highest concentration. This is surprising because Lake Bohinj is also located in the Triglav National Park and is a less popular attraction compared to Lake Bled. Malni Spring showed a higher mean MP concentration than Rižana Spring (0.000274 ± 0.000448 vs. 0.0000498 ± 0.0000642 MPs/m³, respectively), and the negative-binomial model indicated a significant site effect (p = 0.046), but the difference could be due to the highly torrential nature of Rižana Spring. Future studies would require longer sampling campaigns under different hydrological conditions to better understand the dynamics of the MP transport in karst environments that will provide a stronger scientific basis for sustainable freshwater management, the protection of drinking-water resources, and the development of effective measures to reduce plastic pollution at the catchment scale. Full article

Background: Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), due to its persistent nature and the hazardous effects associated with chlorine content, poses global challenges like accelerated environmental pollution, public health crises and an increased economic burden. Its sustainable decontamination from the environment could be possible with the assistance of bacteria. The current study was initiated to achieve this sustainable goal. PVC-degrading bacteria were isolated via the serial dilution method using minimal salt medium (MSM) supplemented with PVC as a sole carbon source and characterized via 16S RNA gene sequencing analysis, growth curve and PVC strip weight loss assays, antibiotic sensitivity profiling, FTIR and GC–MS-based metabolic profiling. Results: Five isolates, Achromobacter xylosoxidans SBBPVC1, Bacillus licheniformis SBBPVC2, Pseudomonas citronellolis SBBPVC3, P. stutzeri SBBPVC4 and Bacillus flexus SBBPVC5 were identified. All were fast-growing, with PVC degradation efficiency ranging between 20–50% per 30 days. The FTIR spectral comparison with the control clearly indicated peak variations in regions 1100–1250, 1370, 1460 and 1720–1740 cm⁻¹, corresponding to C-O and C-C, CH₃, CH₂ and C=O bond vibrations, validating PVC degradation in the presence of bacteria. GC–MS-based identification of four esters, i.e., 1-methyl heptyl, isooctyl, adipic acid, methyl octyl and octyl myristate esters, along with aliphatic alcohols and aldehydes, confirmed the degradation of PVC and its use as a carbon source by bacteria. Conclusion: Bacteria explored in current study could be used as bioremediating agents for PVC decontamination of the environment. Full article

The analysis evaluated the modelled balance between physical-activity benefits and PM_2.5 -related mortality risks using previously published monitoring data from 162 repeated cycling trips by two commuters in Gliwice, Poland. Each trip defined a hypothetical long-term pattern repeated five days per week, compared with resting for the same duration at the concurrent stationary reference concentration. Observed concentrations and durations were combined with assumed ventilation and published dose–response functions. The analysis propagated epidemiological coefficient uncertainty and alternative ventilation assumptions into net relative risk (RR_NET) and examined illustrative sensor sensitivity and trip-specific break-even concentrations. Under central fixed-ventilation assumptions, median RR_NET was 0.840, corresponding to a modelled 16.0% relative risk reduction. The simulated dataset median was 0.839 (95% uncertainty interval 0.792–0.892) when epidemiological coefficients varied. Alternative ventilation scenarios also yielded favourable conditional balances. Personal-concentration changes of ±10% altered the sign of the dose-equivalent increment for 12 trips without producing central RR_NET ≥ 1. The median modelled break-even concentration was 196.7 µg/m³ with other assumptions fixed. These estimates are not observed health effects, population effects or universal pollution thresholds. Uncalibrated optical measurements and the two-person sample constrain interpretation; larger studies with sensor validation and measured ventilation are needed. Full article

The pollution of aquatic environments by synthetic dyes, especially those from the textile industry, represents a significant environmental challenge. In this work, nanocomposite aerogels based on cashew gum (CG) and pure and aminosilane-modified hydroxyapatite (HAp) were synthesized and characterized for their application in the adsorption of the methylene blue dye. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), CHN elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the materials. Characterization results confirmed the incorporation of HAp into the polymer matrix and its modification, as well as changes in the morphological and thermal properties of the aerogels. The materials exhibited swelling capacity, with a higher degree of swelling observed in basic media. Regarding methylene blue adsorption, equilibrium was reached after 180 min, with varying adsorption capacities among the aerogels. The highest adsorption capacity was observed at pH 12, and kinetic data was best described by the pseudo-first-order model. Equilibrium data showed the best fit to the Langmuir and Dubinin–Radushkevich models, depending on the material. The temperature had no significant effect on the amount of dye adsorbed by the aerogels in the 25 to 55 °C range. The results demonstrate that combining cashew gum with hydroxyapatite, alongside modification of the mineral phase, enables the production of aerogels with tunable structural and adsorptive properties, highlighting their potential for removing cationic dyes from aqueous media. Full article

Addressing the urgent need for air pollution and carbon emission reduction and the uncertainty in local policy implementation under fiscal decentralization, this paper quantifies the intensity of various pollution and carbon reduction policies and examines their effects on carbon–air pollution reduction, as well as their heterogeneity across different dimensions and levels of fiscal decentralization. Findings: (1) Policies overlap significantly, focusing on industry, construction, transport, agriculture, industrial parks, and rural areas. (2) Policies aimed at improving air quality, reducing carbon emissions, managing solid waste, and handling hazardous waste are associated with significant reductions in carbon–air pollution emissions, with carbon emission reduction policies being the most notable. In contrast, water pollution control, soil and groundwater pollution control, and comprehensive policies showed no statistically significant synergistic effects on carbon–air pollution reduction. (3) Fiscal decentralization has a complex moderating role on the carbon–air pollution emissions reduction effectiveness of policies, and this effect varies depending on the dimension of decentralization, the level of decentralization, and the type of policy. Full article

Water environment management in industrial parks within river basins faces dual pressures from advancing industrialization and the protection of basin ecological environments, necessitating a shift from traditional management models toward more efficient, intelligent, and risk-coordinated approaches. Industrial parks in the Yellow River Basin contribute over 60% of the region’s economic output, yet they commonly suffer from low water use efficiency, low wastewater recycling rates, and high water environment risks, creating a structural contradiction between economic growth and ecological protection. To address this challenge, this study systematically reviews domestic and international practices, identifies development trends, and constructs a theoretical model for industrial park water environment management based on the “Three Waters and One Risk” (water use, pollution control, recycling, and risk prevention) framework, driven by organizational and technical management with smart empowerment as an integrative link. This forms a closed-loop feedback mechanism aimed at the synergistic goals of water conservation, pollution reduction, carbon reduction, and risk mitigation. Unlike existing studies that tend to focus on a single dimension, the model adopts a dual “park-basin” perspective. Furthermore, in contrast to purely theoretical models or single-park case studies, this study conducts an empirical analysis of the Baotou Industrial Park in the Yellow River Basin. It identifies key problems in management systems, policy instruments, and technical pathways, and proposes integrated, context-specific solutions covering organizational optimization, policy improvement, and technical systems for water conservation, treatment, and reuse. The model’s validity is examined through field data validation and comparative validation against the park’s existing management practices, confirming its accuracy in capturing actual conditions and its practical applicability. In conclusion, this study provides both theoretical references and practical guidance for enhancing integrated water environment governance in industrial parks within river basins, with the Baotou case offering a transferable framework for similar parks across the Yellow River Basin. Future research should further validate and refine the model through comparative studies across multiple parks and diverse policy contexts. Full article

The low-carbon transition is crucial for achieving long-term enterprise development. Using panel data on Chinese A-share listed energy firms from 2014 to 2022, this study examines the impact of low-carbon transition on corporate resilience at the firm level. We further explore the mechanisms through which low-carbon transition affects corporate resilience. The findings show that low-carbon transition is significantly associated with higher corporate resilience. More importantly, the mechanism analysis provides suggestive evidence that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance and financing constraints may serve as two potential mediating channels linking low-carbon transition to corporate resilience. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the resilience-enhancing effect of reducing carbon emission intensity is more pronounced among non-state-owned firms and heavily polluting firms. This study provides micro-level evidence on the relationship between low-carbon transition and corporate resilience among Chinese energy firms and offers practical implications for energy firms and policymakers seeking to align environmental strategy with long-term stability. Full article

Risk perception regarding air pollution in Andean urban environments poses significant challenges to psychological well-being, highlighting the emergence of climate anxiety. Despite this, evidence on how cognitive appraisals of environmental and health risks predict this distress in vulnerable communities remains scarce. This study analyzed the explanatory capacity of environmental risk perceptions and perceived health effects on the variance of climate anxiety among residents of hillside communities in an Andean region of Peru. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional, and analytical design, 205 participants selected by quota sampling were assessed. Validated scales were applied to measure risk perception (individual and social), perceived health effects, climate anxiety, and sociodemographic factors. Hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed that individual risk perception, perceived symptoms and discomfort, as well as health concerns and the adoption of preventive measures, exhibited positive and statistically significant associations with climate anxiety, demonstrating greater explanatory power than sociodemographic variables. The final model explained 34.3% of the variance in climate anxiety (R² = 0.343; adjusted R² = 0.316), representing a moderate explanatory capacity. Furthermore, significant differences were identified based on gender, educational level, and type of residence (native vs. migrant). It is concluded that climate anxiety in vulnerable urban communities is not an abstract concern, but rather an internalized emotional response. This distress is intensified by immediate somatic experience, the proximal interpretation of atmospheric threats, and the subjective experience of risk at the individual level. Full article

Groundwater contamination in chemical industrial parks (CIPs) poses a significant global threat due to complex pollutant compositions, high source intensity, and accidental release risks. Traditional manual monitoring methods often fail to capture transient contamination pulses or incipient leakages, necessitating a transition toward intelligent, real-time surveillance. This review comprehensively synthesized the state-of-the-art in intelligent online monitoring and early warning systems for CIP groundwater. First, integrated sensing architectures for high-frequency data acquisition were evaluated, and their capacity to resolve spatiotemporal data gaps within highly heterogeneous industrial environments was critically assessed. Analysis of online early warning platforms demonstrated that integrating fundamental hydrogeological principles and advanced data analytics within Digital Twin platforms significantly enhanced predictive reliability and enabled real-time risk quantification. Furthermore, this integration effectively overcame the inherent limitations of purely data-driven black-box models. Field-scale case studies demonstrated the practical efficacy of these systems in improving early warning precision and source tracking across diverse industrial sites. Finally, the persistent technical bottlenecks of sensor fouling and data silos were identified as primary drivers for proposed future research advancing autonomous self-healing hardware and federated learning protocols. This study provided a comprehensive scientific framework to support proactive, data-driven groundwater protection in high-risk CIPs. Full article

Extreme rainfall events significantly affect groundwater systems by altering hydrogeological conditions and accelerating the migration of pollutants, exacerbating the ecological vulnerability of over-exploited areas. However, there is a lack of systematic research on the ecological response mechanisms of microbial communities under extreme rainfall. This study focuses on the over-exploited area in the western North China Plain. Based on 16S rRNA sequencing analysis of 49 groundwater samples collected from the typical alluvial–diluvial plain in the study area impacted by extreme precipitation induced by Typhoon Doksuri, we revealed the effects of rainfall on the taxonomic composition, assembly mechanisms, and environmental drivers of groundwater microbial communities. We found that extreme rainfall influenced the distribution of dominant genera in groundwater and enriched tolerant bacterial communities, further causing a decline in groundwater microbial diversity. Our study confirmed that abundant subcommunities displayed strong microbial collaborations, while rare subcommunities exhibited higher sensitivity and evolved toward opportunistic groups after extreme rainfall. Rainfall influenced the composition of rare taxa, while enhancing the influence of stochastic processes to the assembly of subcommunities. Functionally, confined water favored anaerobic carbon fixation, methanogenesis and dissimilatory sulfate reduction, whereas the Calvin–Benson–Bassham pathway, nitrification, and denitrification were enriched in phreatic water. Additionally, abundant taxa exhibited significantly responses to carbon nutrients in shallow groundwater, whereas rare taxa were governed by mineral ions in deep confined aquifers after rainfall. This study expanded our knowledge of the groundwater microbiome driven by extreme rainfall events and was of great significance to the assessment of ecological stability in the western North China Plain. Full article

This study analyzes nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) concentrations in several European capital cities with the aim of assessing the risk of population exposure and comparing pollution levels across urban environments. NO₂ is a major air pollutant in Europe, largely emitted by road traffic and industrial activities, and is associated with adverse respiratory and cardiovascular health effects. Despite existing European air quality regulations, exceedances of recommended limits continue to occur, particularly during high-pollution episodes. Risk measures are estimated using extreme value theory, which enables inference on the tail behavior of the underlying distributions and allows extrapolation beyond the observed data. This approach is especially suitable for evaluating rare but potentially harmful pollution events that are not adequately captured by standard summary statistics. By focusing on extremes, the proposed methodology provides a robust framework for quantifying high NO₂ concentrations and their associated risks. The results highlight differences in exposure risk across European capitals and emphasize the importance of incorporating extreme value analysis into air quality assessments. Such studies are crucial for supporting evidence-based environmental policies and for identifying the need for targeted mitigation measures to reduce exposure and protect public health. Full article

Arsenic (As) pollution poses serious threats to soil ecosystems and plant growth. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have been confirmed to enhance As tolerance in host plants, making mycorrhizal-assisted phytoremediation a promising and practical strategy for remediating As-contaminated soils. Populus tomentosa Carr. (Chinese white poplar) is a native fast-growing woody species suitable for phytoremediation in East Asia. However, comprehensive transcriptomic analyses focusing on the molecular mechanisms by which AMF improve As tolerance in this species remain limited. In this study, a pot-based experiment was performed on P. tomentosa seedlings using a two-factor experimental design with four treatments: non-inoculated seedlings under non-As stress (CK0), non-inoculated P. tomentosa seedlings under As stress (CK100), Rhizophagus irregularis-inoculated seedlings under non-As stress (Ri0), and R. irregularis-inoculated seedlings under As stress (Ri100). Plant-growth measurements, root morphological assessment, and Illumina RNA-seq transcriptomic analysis were applied to characterize seedling responses. Our results revealed that As stress significantly inhibited AMF colonization rate, suppressed seedling growth, and disrupted root morphological architecture. Nevertheless, R. irregularis inoculation substantially alleviated As-induced growth repression, increasing plant height, shoot and root dry biomass, as well as key root morphological parameters under As exposure. Transcriptome profiling identified large sets of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) triggered by AMF symbiosis and As stress. Functional enrichment indicated that signal transduction of jasmonate (JA) biosynthesis and metabolism represented the dominant response pathways. AMF symbiosis dynamically rewrote the transcriptional patterns of core JA biosynthesis and metabolism genes in P. tomentosa seedlings under As stress. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis further highlighted hub transcription factors, including GATA5 and WRKY57, which were tightly co-expressed with JA-synthesis-related genes and potentially bridged mycorrhizal symbiotic signals and downstream defense responses. These findings illustrated that AMF enhanced As tolerance in P. tomentosa seedlings by reprogramming JA-associated transcriptional regulatory networks. This study provided novel mechanistic insights for understanding AMF-wood plant-As interactions, and offered theoretical support for developing AMF-assisted poplar phytoremediation technology in As-contaminated soils. Full article

Background: Managing hazardous waste in India is a complex environmental and public health issue that raises legal questions regarding the source of pollution, routes of contamination, and legal liability. Forensic environmental auditing is an approach that combines chemistry, environmental science, and legal principles to address such issues. Objective: This review discusses the application of environmental forensics in the management of hazardous waste, with emphasis on audit techniques, source identification through chemical and isotope analysis, digital waste monitoring, scientific evidence in the Indian legal system for judicial purposes, and is updated with recent legislative modifications, including the Environment Audit Rules, 2025. Methods: An integrative narrative review of scientific literature in peer-reviewed scientific journals (2000–2026), environmental legislation in India, regulatory inventories by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and landmark decisions made by the Supreme Court of India and the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Results: The review highlights the following four thematic threads at the technical-legal interface: (i) deficiencies in institutional and methodological standardization of environmental forensics in regulatory enforcement practice; (ii) technical advantages and limitations of GC × GC–TOFMS, MC-ICP-MS, and machine learning models as source discrimination tools; (iii) legal obstacles in scientific data transformation into judicial proof under the framework of the absolute liability principle and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023; (iv) disruptive potential and physical-digital boundaries (‘oracle problem’) of IoT, AI, and blockchain technologies in waste traceability. Conclusions: Effective hazardous waste regulation in India requires implementing the newly adopted Environment Audit Rules, 2025, accrediting forensic laboratories in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025, and introducing unified evidentiary standards for NGT proceedings to shift from retroactive dispute settlement to proactive, evidence-based enforcement of liabilities. Full article

Based on the data of Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listed enterprises in China from 2013 to 2022, this study investigates the impact of data element utilization on enterprise green transformation. Furthermore, this study analyzes the mediating role of green technology innovation and the moderating roles of data element marketization, corporate social responsibility, and public environmental concern. This study finds that data element utilization has a positive impact on enterprise green transformation, which is confirmed by a series of robustness tests. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that this positive role is significant for enterprises located in the eastern and central regions, as well as for low-competition industry enterprises and low-pollution enterprises. Conversely, the impact is not statistically significant for enterprises in the western region, high-competition industry enterprises, or high-pollution enterprises. Green technology innovation plays a partial mediating role in the impact of data element utilization on enterprise green transformation. Additionally, data element marketization and corporate social responsibility play positive moderating roles in the relationship between data element utilization and enterprise green transformation, whereas public environmental concern exhibits a U-shaped moderating role. Full article