[Applications of biofilm in environmental pollution control and the related challenges]. / 生物膜在环境污染治理中的应用及挑战.

Biofilm has been used in environmental pollution control in recent years due to its characteristics of adsorption and biodegradation. Beyond the success of its utilization in wastewater treatment, biofilm technique has high application value in the remediation of heavy metals and organic pollutants in soils. With the extensive attention and research of emerging pollutants such as microplastics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), the pivotal role of biofilm can not be overlooked. Here, we presented a comprehensive review of the structure, formation mecha-nism, population, and functional aspects of biofilm, as well as its applications and mechanisms in environmental pollution control in recent years. We emphatically discussed the removal mechanism and application progress of biofilm on heavy metals and organic pollutants. We further expounded some novel environmental challenges posed by biofilm under new circumstances, including the coexistence of various pollutants in plastisphere, the spread of ARGs, and the accumulation of pathogens. Finally, we put forward the gaps of current research and prospects for future research, especially the importance of exploring the interaction relationship and mechanism between biofilm and various pollutants. It is expected to provide theoretical basis for the development of new technology of biofilm remediation.

[Research Progress in Reducing Pollution and Sequestration of Carbon by Carbon Neutral Plants].

Under the dual constraints of economic development and ecological carrying capacity, it is necessary to explore more technical means to achieve carbon neutrality and peak in China. Plants are important carriers of terrestrial and marine carbon sink systems, whereas phytoremediation is also a scientific method to remedy environmental pollution. However, the current studies mostly focus on the single aspect of plant carbon sequestration (including both the reduction of pollutant concentrations in environmental media and degradation of pollutants) or plant pollution reduction, without considering the dual benefits of plant pollution reduction and carbon sequestration. In order to explore the carbon neutral effect of plants, we focused on the pollution reduction and carbon sequestration effect of carbon neutral plants and its progress and evaluated the pollution reduction and carbon sequestration potential of carbon neutral plants and other organisms (such as animals and soil microorganisms) and environmental functional materials. The mechanisms underlying the synergistic coupling of carbon neutral plants and animals, microorganisms, and environmental functional materials and ecosystems in reducing pollution and carbon sequestration were also explored. Finally, we proposed constructive prospects for future research on the effects of carbon neutral plants on pollution reduction and carbon sink.

How public environmental appeals affect the collaborative governance in pollution and carbon reduction: Evidence from spatial effects across Chinese cities.

China has always adhered to the strategy of sustainable development. It is prevalent the public want a good living environment, which requires local governments and businesses to enhance their environmental governance capabilities. Using the panel data from Chinese cities from 2012 to 2019 and econometrics models, we examine the impact mechanisms of public environmental appeals (PEA) on efficiency of collaborative governance in pollution reduction and carbon mitigation (GPC). Results indicate that there is a positive spatial clustering of GPC across cities, with high-high clustering is notably concentrated in the southern regions of China and low-low clustering is prevalent in the northern regions. Spatial econometrics model results reveal that the stronger PEA, the higher GPC. The result of mechanism analysis shows the mediation of environmentally friendly technological innovation is crucial. Subsequent inquiry uncovers that the digital economy positively moderates the impact of PEA on GPC. The Belt and Road policy region exhibits heightened sensitivity to PEA, thereby enhancing the positive impact of PEA on GPC.

The role of planetary health in urologic oncology.

INTRODUCTION: Climate change and global warming are an omnipresent topic in our daily lives. Planetary health and oncology represent two critical domains within the broader spectrum of healthcare, each addressing distinct yet interconnected aspects of human well-being. We are encouraged to do our part in saving our planet. This should include the decisions we make in our professional life, especially in uro-oncology, as the healthcare sector significantly contributes to environmental pollution. AREAS COVERED: There are many aspects that can be addressed in the healthcare sector in general, as there are structural problems in terms of energy consumption, water waste, therapeutic techniques, transportation and drug manufacturing, as well as in uro-oncology specific areas. For example, the use of different surgical techniques, forms of anesthesia and the use of disposable or reusable instruments, each has a different impact on our environment. The literature search was carried out using PubMed, a medical database. EXPERT OPINION: We are used to making decisions based on the best outcome for patients without considering the impact that each decision can have on the environment. In the present article, we outline options and choices for a more climate-friendly approach in urologic oncology.

Potential of metallurgical iron-containing solid waste-based catalysts as activator of persulfate for organic pollutants degradation.

The production of solid wastes in the metallurgical industry has significant implications for land resources and environmental pollution. To address this issue, it is crucial to explore the potential of recycling these solid wastes to reduce land occupation while protecting the environment and promoting resource utilization. Steel slag, red mud, copper slag and steel picking waste liquor are examples of solid wastes generated during the metallurgical process that possess high iron content and Fe species, making them excellent catalysts for persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes (PS-AOPs). This review elucidates the catalytic mechanisms and pathways of Fe2+ and Fe0 in the activation PS. Additionally, it underscores the potential of metallurgical iron-containing solid waste (MISW) as a catalyst for PS activation, offering a viable strategy for its high-value utilization. Lastly, the article provides an outlook towards future challenges and prospects for MISW in PS activation for the degradation of organic pollutants.

Enhancing resource utilization: A novel method for effective separation of residual film and impurities in cotton fields.

This study addresses the challenge of incomplete separation of mechanically recovered residual films and impurities in cotton fields, examining their impact on resource utilization and environmental pollution. It introduces an innovative screening method that combines pneumatic force and mechanical vibration for processing crushed film residue mixtures. A double-action screening device integrating pneumatic force and a key-type vibrating screen was developed. The working characteristics of this device were analyzed to explore the dynamic characteristics and kinematic laws of the materials using theoretical analysis methods. This led to the revelation of the screening laws of residual films and impurities. Screening tests were conducted using the Central Composite Design method, considering factors such as fan outlet, fan speed, vibration frequency of the screen, and feeding amount, with the impurity-rate-in-film (Q) and film-content-in-impurity (W) as evaluation indexes. The significant influence of each factor on the indexes was determined, regression models between the test factors and indexes were established, and the effect laws of key parameters and their significant interaction terms on the indexes were interpreted. The optimal combination of working parameters for the screening device was identified through multivariable optimization methods. Validation tests under this optimal parameters combination showed that the impurity-rate-in-film was 3.08% and the film-content-in-impurity was 1.94%, with average errors between the test values and the predicted values of 3.36% and 5.98%, respectively, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method. This research provides a novel method and technical reference for achieving effective separation of residual film and impurities, thereby enhancing resource utilization.

Path to pollution and carbon reduction synergy from the perspective of the digital economy: Fresh evidence from 292 prefecture-level cities in China.

The digital economy is a crucial focus for realizing the transformation of old and new kinetic energy in China. It is widely integrated with various fields of the economy and society, constantly providing a new dynamic mechanism with synergetic control of environmental pollution and carbon emissions (SCEPCE). Based on panel data from 292 prefecture-level cities in China from 2011 to 2021, this study discusses the spatial effects and mechanisms of the digital economy on the coordinated control of pollutants and carbon emissions. The study found that: (1) The digital economy has direct and indirect influences on the coordinated control of pollutants and carbon emissions. The digital economy can drive reductions in pollutants and carbon dioxide emissions by upgrading industrial structures and transforming energy structures. (2) Green innovation plays an active regulatory role in the digital economy and structural optimization, particularly in the context of SCEPCE. This interference helps mitigate the impact of the digital economy on pollution and carbon emissions. (3) The digital economy has a significant spatial spillover effect on the coordinated control of pollutants and carbon emissions. (4) The influence mechanism of the digital economy on pollution reduction and carbon reduction synergy exhibits geographical heterogeneity, resource endowment heterogeneity. To enhance the synergy of pollution reduction and carbon reduction, it is essential to bolster support and optimise the digital economy at various levels. This includes reinforcing regional balance, considering spatial spillover effects, and enhancing the leading role of developed cities in the region.

A study on the "Porter Hypothesis" effect of the regulatory measures of the environmental protection tax law in the post-pandemic era.

The implementation of the Environmental Protection Tax Law was a significant milestone in China's environmental tax reform. The implementation of this law was influenced throughout the three-year period of epidemic prevention and control (from early 2020 to the end of 2022). Heavily polluting enterprises are the primary focus of regulations under the Environmental Protection Tax Law. This study conducts an empirical analysis using a structural equation model, leveraging sample data obtained from heavily polluting enterprises in China. The findings indicate that during the three-year period of epidemic prevention and control, the Porter Hypothesis effect was realized in terms of tax fairness but not in terms of tax rationality. Therefore, environmental tax law reforms should be pursued and tax authorities in China should make vigorous efforts to enhance the rationality of environmental taxation. This would improve the comprehensiveness of the "Porter Hypothesis" effect, fully harnessing the dual functions of environmental protection and the economic driving force embodied by the Environmental Protection Tax Law.

Fiscal decentralization, leader localization, and reduction of pollution and carbon emissions -empirical evidence from China's fiscal "province-managing-county" reform.

The fiscal system plays an important role in the government's environmental governance efforts. There is currently no consensus on how fiscal structure adjustments impact pollution and carbon reduction. This paper uses China's fiscal "province-managing-county" reform (FPMCR) implemented in 2004 as a quasi-natural experiment, utilizing panel data from 1670 counties in China from 2000 to 2020 to investigate the impact of fiscal decentralization on reduction pollution and carbon emissions (RPCE), as well as its underlying mechanisms. The results show that (1) from 2000 to 2020, China's RPCE shows an overall trend of fluctuating increase, with its value turning positive after 2013. China's RPCE exhibits a spatial pattern characterized by "lower in the north, higher in the south; higher in the east, lower in the west". (2) After implementing FPMCR, the RPCE levels in reformed counties decreased by -1.44%, showing that reformed county-level governments prioritize economic development over environmental protection. (3) The mechanism analysis found that after implementing FPMCR, reformed counties experienced a 9.16% increase in nighttime light intensity (NLI), and a 3.99% and 4.34% increase in the number of large-scale industrial enterprises (NLIE) and industrial agglomeration (IA), respectively. This suggests that FPMCR leads to radical urbanization and rapid industrialization in counties, which is detrimental to the improvement of RPCE levels. (4) The spatial heterogeneity analysis found that FPMCR's impact coefficient on RPCE levels in the eastern regions is -1.96%, while in the western regions it is -1.16%. This indicates that reformed counties in the eastern regions are more likely to invest expanded fiscal resources in economic development projects, leading to a decrease in RPCE levels. (5) The temporal heterogeneity analysis found that after the promulgation of the "Three-Year Action Plan to Win the Blue Sky Defense Battle" in 2018, the adverse impact of FPMCR on RPCE is completely reversed, leading to a 1.76% increase in RPCE levels. (6) Further analysis reveals that localizing leaders can slow down the promotion of county-level urbanization and industrialization by the FPMCR, benefiting the improvement of RPCE levels. In other words, "the outsider monk will not recite scriptures as well as a local one". This study has clarified the causal relationship and underlying mechanisms between fiscal decentralization and environmental governance, providing reliable theoretical support for optimizing grassroots fiscal systems and reducing environmental pollution in other transitional economies. It enriches the field of environmental economics related to fiscal decentralization.

Emerging environmental contaminants: Sources, effects on biodiversity and humans, remediation, and conservation implications.

Ecosystems, biodiversity, and the human population all depend on a quality or uncontaminated environment. Quality environment provides people and wildlife access to nutrition, medications, dietary supplements, and other ecosystem services. The conservation of biodiversity-that is, species richness, abundance, heredities, and diversity-as well as the control of climate change are facilitated by such an uncontaminated environment. However, these advantages are jeopardized by newly emerging environmental chemical contaminants (EECCs) brought on by increased industrialization and urbanization. In developing countries, inadequate or poor environmental policies, infrastructure, and national standards concerning the usage, recycling, remediation, control, and management of EECCs hasten their effects. EECCs in these countries negatively affect biodiversity, ecological services and functions, and human health. This review reveals that the most deprived or vulnerable local communities in developing countries are those residing near mining or industrial areas and cultivating their crops and vegetables on contaminated soils, as is wildlife that forages or drinks in EECC-contaminated water bodies. Yet, people in these countries have limited knowledge about EECCs, their threats to human well-being, ecosystem safety, and the environment, as well as remediation technologies. Besides, efforts to efficiently control, combat, regulate, and monitor EECCs are limited. Thus, the review aims to increase public knowledge concerning EECCs in developing countries and present a comprehensive overview of the current status of EECCs. It also explores the sources and advancements in remediation techniques and the threats of EECCs to humans, ecosystems, and biodiversity.

How does China's green credit policy affect the innovation of high-polluting enterprises? From the perspective of innovation quantity and quality.

Employing the "Green Credit Guidelines" implemented in 2012 as the basis for a quasi-natural experiment, this study applies the method of Difference-in-Differences(DID) to investigate the influence of the Green Credit Policy on both the quantity and quality of enterprise innovation. The outcomes of our analysis reveal that the policy has significantly boosted both the quantity and quality of innovation among enterprises identified as heavy polluters. It is noteworthy that the policy's positive impact on innovation quantity surpasses its positive effect on innovation quality. This substantiates that the Green Credit Policy effectively generates incentivizing outcomes for innovation among the heavy polluters, thereby verifying Porter's hypothesis within the domain of green credit in China. Furthermore, we find that the positive impact is more significant for enterprises with lower innovation capabilities, large-scale enterprises, state-owned enterprises, and those situated in both the Eastern and Western regions. Through these findings, this study illuminates a novel perspective on the interplay between the Green Credit Policy and enterprise innovation dynamics in China.

Environmental regulation, industrial structure and energy efficiency: Evidence from 30 provinces in China.

The government's environmental protection policy can significantly contribute to alleviating resource shortages and curbing environmental pollution, but the impact of various policy instruments implemented by the government on energy efficiency is unclear. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2005 to 2021, this paper analyses the impact of environmental regulation and the industrial structure on energy efficiency from the perspective of resource taxes. The U-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and energy efficiency and between the optimization of industrial structure can significantly improve energy efficiency, and the optimization of industrial structure is conducive to weakening the initial inhibitory effect of environmental regulation. In addition, the analysis of regional heterogeneity showed that the impact of environmental regulation was stronger in the central and western regions, while the impact of industrial structure was stronger in the eastern and western regions. The conclusions of this study can help to expand the understanding of the relationship between environmental regulation and industrial structure on energy efficiency, provide policy enlightenment for the realization of green development and high-quality development, and provide Chinese examples and experiences for developing countries to improve energy efficiency.

How does green credit guidelines affect environmentally friendly enterprises' ESG? A quasi-natural experiment from China.

Following decades of extensive economic development, promoting the transition to greening and decarbonization in economic development have become inevitable choices for controlling environmental pollution and achieving high-quality development in China. Green Credit Guidelines (NIGCG) is a major policy innovation to promote green credit and further improve sustainable economic development. The influence of these guidelines on environmentally friendly enterprises' sustainable development capacity, proxied by environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG), has not yet been discussed. Therefore, this study takes the NIGCG issued in 2012 as a quasi-natural experiment, and adopts a propensity score matching-difference-in-differences (PSM-DID) model to test whether the NIGCG has affected ESG in environmentally friendly enterprises from 2009 to 2022. Our results indicate that the NIGCG significantly boosts environmentally friendly enterprises' ESG, and this finding remains robust to a series of tests. In addition, a mediating effect analysis reveals that the NIGCG affects enterprises' ESG through research and development (R&D) investment, verifying the Porter hypothesis in China. Finally, we determine that the role of NIGCG in promoting ESG is significantly reflected in the non-politically connected enterprises and enterprises in the eastern region. The empirical results suggest that the authorities should stimulate enterprises' R&D investments through supporting policies, such as tax reimbursement and government subsidies, and formulate differentiated policies according to the characteristics of enterprises and their regions, so as to improve the effect of NIGCG.

Impacts of pilot carbon emission trading policies on urban environmental pollution: Evidence from China.

The trading of carbon emissions is a crucial regulatory method to address environmental pollution issues. This study takes China's carbon emission trading pilot policy established in 2013 as a quasi-natural experiment and uses the DID model to empirically test the urban panel data from 2006 to 2019. The results show that the carbon emission trading pilot policy can effectively reduce urban environmental pollution, and this effect is more noticeable in mid-western cities, northern cities, cities with fewer resources, and large-scale cities. In addition, to address the urban environmental pollution problem through this policy, the government is encouraged to raise its environmental protection awareness and put more effort into the innovation of technology. In general, this study uses carbon emission trading policies from China to confirm that market-based incentive environmental regulation tools can effectively reduce environmental pollution in urban areas. These findings can provide more theoretical support and empirical evidence for the government to use mechanisms of the market to effectively solve pollution problems, improve ecological environment quality, and accelerate the realization of green economy.

Impact of pollution prevention practices and green environmental practices on sustainable performance: Empirical evidence from Chinese SMEs.

Adequate protection of the environment is one of the hot spots of concern for all sectors of society due to severe environmental pollution. The solution to this issue is friendly management of the environment. With the rapid growth of Chinese Manufacturing SMEs for economic development, environmental pollution and abuse of resources are arising. To resolve these issues, Chinese manufacturing SMEs are accelerating the implementation of green innovation in their industries. However, it is a complex task that involves enterprise, government, and social considerations. Therefore, it is essential to identify the green drivers for this implementation. With a focus on China's current situation from previous research and views from experts, this study aims to investigate how Chinese Manufacturing Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are responding to resource misuse and environmental pollution by implementing green innovation, emphasising the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in improving environmental performance. This study primarily looks into the factors that influence the adoption of green innovations by analysing the growth paths of Chinese SMEs operating in highly polluting industries over a longer time frame than five years. Artificial Intelligence is a valuable tool for solving the issues of ecological degradation. A quantitative method has been implemented for the Chinese companies' samples from the deeply polluting industries for more than five years. The findings of this paper advise that the average board size, the governing board meetings, and organizational performance are positively connected with the Chinese firms' environmental process. Board independence and diversity of gender have irrelevant associations with ecological performance. A convenient threshold regression model has been used to accumulate the respondents' data. It also reveals that larger board sizes and more frequent governing board meetings are positively associated with improved environmental performance among these firms. The findings state the critical implications for the firm executives, policymakers, environmental activists, and regulators. This result supports the insight drained from the resource dependence, stakeholder, firm agency, and legitimacy theories.

Agricultural management practices in China enhance nitrogen sustainability and benefit human health.

The potential of enhanced agricultural management practices to drive sustainability is rarely quantified at grassroots level. Here we analyse nitrogen use and loss in Chinese cropland, drawing from data collected in 2,238,550 sites in two national agricultural pollution source censuses from 2007 to 2017. We find an upswing of 10% in crop yields and an 8% reduction in nitrogen pollution during this period, owing to the promotion and adoption of various management practices (including the combination of organic and chemical fertilizers, straw recycling and deep placement of fertilizer). These practices have collectively contributed to an 18% increase in nitrogen use efficiency in the country. By fully embracing them, we project that annual cropland pollution could be further reduced by up to 1.4 Mt of nitrogen without compromising crop yields. Environmental and human health benefits are projected to consistently outweigh implementation costs in the future, with total benefits reaching US$15 billion.