Sediment cores from 12 Chinese lakes were analyzed to investigate the historical inputs of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE) during the past few decades. Concentrations of ΣPBDE₁ (sum of tri- to hepta-BDEs), ΣPBDE₂ (sum of nona- to deca-BDEs) and DBDPE in the surface sediments were 0.02–0.29 ng g⁻¹, 0.46–46.6 ng g⁻¹ and 1.02–3.64 ng g⁻¹, respectively. The temporal trends of PBDEs and DBDPE followed a general increase from the bottom to the surface. The calculated fluxes for ΣPBDE₁, ΣPBDE₂ and DBDPE were 0.001–0.09, 0.03–4.24, and 0.05–0.31 ng cm⁻² yr⁻¹, and the inventories were 0.09–7.86, 0.91–461, and 3.83–24.6 ng cm⁻², respectively. The urbanization and industrialization are highly related to the contamination of PBDEs and DBDPE in sediments. The DBDPE input in recent years was still lower than ΣPBDE₂ but the temporal trends indicated that the contamination would increase with the increasing usage of DBDPE in the future.

Socio-economic factors have significant influences on air quality and are commonly used to guide environmental planning and management. Based on data from 85 long-term daily monitoring cities in China, air quality as evaluated by AOFDAQ-A (Annual Occurrence Frequency of Daily Air Quality above Level III), was correlated to socio-economic variable groups of urbanization, pollution and environmental treatment by variation partitioning and hierarchical partitioning methods. We found: (1) the three groups explained 43.5% of the variance in AOFDAQ-A; (2) the contribution of “environmental investment” to AOFDAQ-A shown a time lag effect; (3) “population in mining sector” and “coverage of green space in built-up area” were respectively the most significant negative and positive explanatory socio-economic variables; (4) using eight largest contributing individual factors, a linear model to predict variance in AOFDAQ-A was constructed. Results from our study provide a valuable reference for the management and control of air quality in Chinese cities.

Despite restrictions in emissions, heavy metals may remain a major environmental issue due to their numerous sources and their persistence. Here, we assessed current levels of 4 metals (Copper, Cadmium, Lead, Zinc) in the feathers of 91 feral pigeons (Columba livia) from 7 sites in the urbanized region of Paris. Elements were detected in all pigeons, indicating that metals persist in urbanized areas. The ratio between metal concentrations in the feathers vs. in the environment calculated using data from other studies was 2–90 times higher for cadmium than for other metals, underlying its ecological importance. Concentrations in the feathers depended on locality, suggesting that pigeons remain in local habitats at this restricted scale, as expected from previous observations. Overall, our study suggests that urban feral pigeons may represent a good model system for metal biomonitoring.

Diastereoisomers and enantiomers of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) were determined in muscle and stomach contents of three terrestrial passerine birds from e-waste, urban and rural locations in South China. The highest HBCD concentration was found at the urban site, followed by the e-waste site, suggesting that HBCD was linked to urbanization and industrialization, as well as e-waste recycling activities. Trophic magnification for α-HBCD was observed in the terrestrial food chain. Diastereisomeric pattern in birds showed the predominance of α-isomer, with a minor contribution of γ-isomer. The enantiomeric analysis revealed a preferential enrichment of (−)-α-HBCD and (+)-γ-HBCD. The similarity in enantiomeric fractions of HBCD isomers between muscle and stomach contents of birds suggested that dietary uptake may be responsible for the observed nonracemic distribution of HBCD isomers in the studied birds although in vivo enantioselective biotic processes cannot be ruled out.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and pentabromotoluene (PBT) were investigated in light-vented bulbul (LVB), long-tailed shrike (LTS) and oriental magpie-robin (OMR) collected from seven sampling sites in South China. ∑PBDEs, DBDPE, PBB 153, and PBT levels ranged from 35 to 15 000, no detected (nd)-130, nd-6800, and nd-6.8 ng/g lipid weight, respectively. Positive correlations were found between δ¹⁵N values and brominated flame retardant (BFR) concentrations. The BFR geographic pattern indicated that PBDEs were linked to e-waste recycling and local industry activities as well as urbanization; PBB 153 was derived from e-waste; DBDPE was mainly come from local industry activities; and no specific source was observed for PBT. PBDE congener profiles were found to be depended on bird species and sampling sites with relatively high abundances of lower brominated congeners in e-waste site and significantly higher abundance of BDE153 in LTS and OMR than in LVB.

Urbanization is an important process that alters the regional and global nitrogen biogeochemistry. In this study, we test how long-term urbanization (1952–2004) affects the nitrogen flows, emissions and drivers in the Greater Shanghai Area (GSA) based on the coupled human and natural systems (CHANS) approach. Results show that: (1) total nitrogen input to the GSA increased from 57.7 to 587.9 Gg N yr⁻¹ during the period 1952–2004, mainly attributing to fossil fuel combustion (43%), Haber–Bosch nitrogen fixation (31%), and food/feed import (26%); (2) per capita nitrogen input increased from 13.5 to 45.7 kg N yr⁻¹, while per gross domestic product (GDP) nitrogen input reduced from 22.2 to 0.9 g N per Chinese Yuan, decoupling of nitrogen with GDP; (3) emissions of reactive nitrogen to the environment transformed from agriculture dominated to industry and human living dominated, especially for air pollution. This study provides decision-makers a novel view of nitrogen management.

The rapid urbanisation of many cities in south and south-east Asia has increased the demand for bricks, which are typically supplied from brick kilns in peri-urban areas. We report visible foliar damage to mango, apricot and plum trees in the vicinity of traditional Bull’s Trench brick kilns in Peshawar, Pakistan. Visible injury symptoms, hydrogen fluoride concentrations in air, and foliar fluoride concentrations were all greater in the vicinity of brick kilns than at more distant sites, indicating that fluoride emissions from brick kilns were the main cause of damage. Interviews with local farmers established the significant impact of this damage on their livelihoods. Since poorly regulated brick kilns are often found close to important peri-urban agricultural areas, we suggest that this may be a growing but unrecognised environmental problem in regions of Asia where emission control in brick kilns has not been improved.

Using a process-based Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model, we assessed carbon dynamics of urbanized/developed lands in the Southern United States during 1945–2007. The results indicated that approximately 1.72 (1.69–1.77) Pg (1P = 10¹⁵) carbon was stored in urban/developed lands, comparable to the storage of shrubland or cropland in the region. Urbanization resulted in a release of 0.21 Pg carbon to the atmosphere during 1945–2007. Pre-urbanization vegetation type and time since land conversion were two primary factors determining the extent of urbanization impacts on carbon dynamics. After a rapid decline of carbon storage during land conversion, an urban ecosystem gradually accumulates carbon and may compensate for the initial carbon loss in 70–100 years. The carbon sequestration rate of urban ecosystem diminishes with time, nearly disappearing in two centuries after land conversion. This study implied that it is important to take urbanization effect into account for assessing regional carbon balance.

Ecological risks of heavy metals in urban soils were evaluated using Beijing, China as an example. Cadmium, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr and Ni contents of 233 surface soils sampled by 1 min latitude × 1 min longitude grid were used to identify their spatial distribution patterns and potential emission sources. Throughout the city, longer the duration of urbanization greater was the accumulations of heavy metals especially, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn. The soil Zn mainly came from the wears of vehicular tires. Point source emissions of heavy metals were few and far in the downwind south–east quadrant of Beijing. The calculated risk indices showed potential median eco-risks in the ancient central city. No potential high eco-risk due to soil-borne heavy metals was found. The potential medium eco-risk areas in Beijing would expand from the initial 24 to 110 km² if soil pH were to reduce by 0.5 units in anticipation.

The distribution of six priority phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in suburban farmland, vegetable, orchard and wasteland soils of Tianjin were obtained with gas chromatography-mass spectrometer analysis in 2009. Results showed that total PAEs varied from 0.05 to 10.4 μg g⁻¹, with the median value as 0.32 μg g⁻¹. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and di-n-butyl phthalate are most abundant species. PAEs concentrations for the four types of soils exhibited decreasing order as vegetable soil > wasteland soil > farmland soil > orchard soil. PAEs exhibited elevated levels in more developed regions when compared with other studies. The agricultural plastic film could elevate the PAEs contents in soils. Principal component analysis indicated the emission from cosmetics and personal care products and plasticizers were important sources for PAEs in suburban soils in Tianjin. The higher PAEs contents in wasteland soils from suburban area should be paid more attention owing to large amounts of solid wastes appeared with the ongoing urbanization.