Numerous studies have investigated the impacts of ambient fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) on human health. In this study, we examined the association of daily PM₂.₅ concentrations with the number of deaths for the cerebrovascular disease on the same day, using the generalized additive model (GAM) controlling for temporal trend and meteorological variables. We used the data between 2012 and 2014 from Shanghai, China, where the adverse health effects of PM₂.₅ have been of particular concern. Three different approaches (principal component analysis, shrinkage smoothers, and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regularization) were used in GAM to handle multicollinear meteorological variables. Our results indicate that the average daily concentration of PM₂.₅ in Shanghai was high, 55 μg/m³, with an average daily death for cerebrovascular disease (CVD) of 62. There was 1.7% raised cerebrovascular disease deaths per 10 μg/m³ increase in PM₂.₅ concentration in the unadjusted model. However, PM₂.₅ concentration was no longer associated with CVD deaths after controlling for meteorological variables. The results were consistent in the three modelling techniques that we used. As a large number of people are exposed to air pollution, further investigation with longer time period including individual-level information is needed to examine the association.

The application of biosorption operation has gained attention in the removal and retrieval of toxic metal ions from water bodies. Wastewater from industrial activity generally presents great complexity due to the coadsorption of cations to the inactive biomass binding sites. In this work, the competitive biosorption of Cu(II) and Ag(I) ions was studied in batch systems. A kinetic study applying a non-acidified and acidified waste of Sargassum filipendula in equimolar and non-equimolar metal samples was carried out and the acidified biosorbent was selected due to higher removal rates and selectivity of silver ions. The assays were performed with 2 g L⁻¹ of biosorbent concentration at 25 °C for 12 h and pH was controlled at around 5.0. Copper presented higher affinity for the biosorbent and a fast biosorption kinetic profile, while silver equilibrium times exhibited dependence on the copper concentration. External diffusion is the rate-limiting step in Cu(II) ion removal and it might also limit the kinetic rates of Ag(I) ions with intraparticle diffusion, depending on the initial concentration of metal cations. The ion-exchange mechanism is evidenced and complexation and electrostatic attraction mechanisms might be suggested, explained by simultaneous chemisorption and physisorption processes during the operation. Calcium and sodium were released in considerable amounts by the ion-exchange mechanism. Characterization analyses confirmed the role of several functional groups in the competitive biosorption accompanied by a homogenous covering of both metal ions on the surface of the particles. Particle porosity analyses revealed that the material is macroporous and an appreciable amount of macropores are filled with metal cations after biosorption.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of maternal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) on testis development of F1 male mice. The BPA exposure model of pregnant mice was prepared by intragastric administration of BPA at the doses of 0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg/day at gestation day (GD) 0.5–17.5. The testis index of the offspring mice was calculated at postnatal day (PND) 21 and PND 56. The results showed that maternal exposure to 20 mg/kg BPA during pregnancy significantly increased the testicular index of F1 males at PND 21, and 40 mg/kg BPA significantly decreased the testicular index of F1 males at PND 56 (P < 0.01). BPA significantly reduced serum testosterone (T) and estradiol (E₂) levels, and improved testicular ERα and ERβ levels in F1 males at both PND 21 and PND 56. BPA exposure also upregulated transcription of testicular Dnmt1 and inhibited the transcription of testicular Dnmt3A and Dnmt3B in F1 mice at PND 21. BPA reduced the transcriptional level of testicular DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt), increased the expression of testicular caspase-7, caspase-9, and bax, and decreased the expression of bcl-2 in F1 mice at PND 56. Consistent with that, BPA improved the apoptosis rate in the testis at PND 56 (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). Our study indicates that BPA disrupts the secretion of testosterone, estradiol, and estrogen receptors by interfering with the transcription of testicular DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt) in offspring males, which damages testicular tissues and affects the potential reproductive function.

Based on the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis, the aim of this paper is to examine the relationships among per capita CO₂ emissions, per capita real GDP, per capita renewable energy consumption, and urbanization in a panel of five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) from 1992 to 2013. For robustness checking, three estimator techniques reveal no evidence of inverted U-shape EKC consistently. Moreover, renewable energy consumption plays negative impact on emissions, while urbanization plays positive, significantly. The findings of heterogeneous panel causality suggest that there are bidirectional causalities; each other expect no causality from emissions to renewable energy. Finally, some implications, such as developing a small renewable energy project and sustainable urbanization and strengthening in-regional and out-regional cooperation, are given in this region.

As an important renewable energy source, wind power plays a key role in mitigating climate change and has become one of the fastest growing clean energies globally. In China, wind energy development has been a vital component of national energy transformation strategy. Over the years, the Chinese government has introduced a series of policies to promote the development of wind power and also to regulate this emerging industry. Base on examining all the key policy documents on wind power issued by the Chinese government over the last 30 years, we find that China has built up a comprehensive policy system, and summarized the current framework of Chinese wind power policy systematically. Then, we analyze the policy objectives, policy tools, major measures, their results in each development stage, and the characteristics and trends of China’s wind power policies. Finally, we discuss the limitations of the current policy and put forward corresponding suggestions.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a key endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) in the manufacturing industry. It is found in the structure of compounds such as polycarbonate and epoxy in combination with other chemicals. Our objective was to investigate the effect of BPA on rat ovaries. A total of 32 female rats were divided into four equal groups: In group 1 (control), vehicle was administered; in group 2, BPA 50 μg/day was administered intraperitoneally; in group 3, BPA 100 mg/kg/day was administered intraperitoneally; and in group 4, BPA 100 mg/kg/day and vitamin C (50 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally, while vitamin E (50 mg/kg) was administered intramuscularly. Thirty days after the treatment, the effects of BPA on the ovaries were evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase [TdT]-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. There was no difference in the number of apoptotic cells between group 2 and group 4. In addition, there was no significant difference between control group and group 2, 4. However, the number of apoptotic cells per unit area was significantly increased in group 3 compared with all groups (p < 0.01, p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study showed that high doses of BPA (100 mg/kg/day) have a toxic effect on the ovaries. The fact that the number of apoptotic cells in the group administered with high dose of BPA + 50 mg/kg/day vitamin C + 50 mg/kg/day vitamin E was lower than that of the high-dose BPA-administered group shows that these vitamins may have a protective effect.

Noise is one of the most significant sources of environmental pollution in metro cities. Traffic noise plays an important role to contribute to ambient noise pollution. Noise pollution monitoring was carried out using sound level meter mounted on the cycle with the help of mould fixed on it. Cycle is a noiseless mode of transport and therefore, it was used for noise monitoring over 700 locations in Nagpur City. Noise levels were recorded at each location for 5 min during peak rush hours of traffic in the morning and in the evening at an interval of 1 s leading to around 300 readings each. Noise indices like Lₑq, L₉₀, L₁₀, Lₘₐₓ and Lₘᵢₙ were calculated for noise level data analysis. TNI was also determined for analysis of traffic noise on intersections of roads. Equivalent noise levels were transferred into the Geographic Information System (GIS) and spatial analysis tool was used to create spatial and strategic noise maps. Based on the maps, it is revealed that noise levels are exceeded all over the city with respect to ambient noise standards. It was experienced that intersections of roads during peak rush time are very noisy due to honking. The study recommends the noise monitoring through cycle-mounted sound level meter since it covers unapproachable sites, more coverage in the city that helps in identifying hotspot area of concern for noise abatement strategies and planning.

This study aims to examine the stochastic convergence of per capita carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 21 OECD countries and 19 emerging market economies. After approximating both sharp and smooth breaks, the panel unit root tests are performed to test the convergence. The empirical results suggest stochastic convergence for the two groups of countries. However, the results are different when tests for individual countries are conducted separately. Specifically, CO2 emissions of only four OECD countries and four emerging market economies show evidence of convergence if smooth breaks are not considered. With the inclusion of both sharp and smooth breaks, convergence is observed for 11 OECD countries and 10 emerging market economies. These findings may have implications for climate change policy making in selected economies.

The paper investigates the effect of financial development and institutional quality on the environment in South Asia. Other determinants of environmental quality included are economic growth, energy consumption, FDI, trade openness and institutional quality. For empirical analysis, panel data is used for the period 1984 to 2015. The estimated results indicate that Environmental Kuznet Curve (EKC) hypothesis holds in South Asia, i.e., environment first deteriorates with economic development and then it starts improving. Empirical results reveal that 1% increase in economic growth worsens environment by 1.709%. However, further increase in economic growth improves environment by 0.104%. Energy consumption has deteriorating effect on environment. Financial development has degraded the environment in the region, which indicates that South Asian countries have used financial development for capitalization and not to improve technology. The estimated results show that 1% increase in financial development deteriorates environment by 0.147%. FDI, which is a measure of financial openness, has mitigating effect on pollution. In turn, trade openness has worsened the environmental quality in the region. Institutional quality has significant negative effect on carbon emissions. It also has significant negative moderating effects on carbon emissions. The findings show that 1% improvement in institutional quality will decrease pollution by 0.114%. The study suggests that South Asian countries should focus more on technology effect and not on scale effect of financial development.

While the application and discharge of carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) increased rapidly, the research on the environmental safety of CNMs is also increasing. The high dispersity and mobility of modified CNMs in environmental media may have impacts on the environmental behavior of heavy metals. This work mainly studied the effect of fullerol nanoparticles (C₆₀(OH)ₙ) on Cu²⁺ transport, sorption, and release in water-saturated porous media. The results showed that due to the strong adsorption capacity of C₆₀(OH)ₙ for Cu²⁺, the transport of Cu²⁺ could be facilitated. However, with the pre-existence of C₆₀(OH)ₙ in porous media, the transport of Cu²⁺ was also slightly enhanced. In addition, when loaded into the pre-contaminated porous medium, the C₆₀(OH)ₙ also enhanced the release of retained Cu²⁺, which implies a high environmental risk of C₆₀(OH)ₙ.